This has nothing to do with Easter, except that Peeps make their appearances in stores this time of year, but if you’ve never seen the Lord of the Peeps site, go check it out — it’s hilarious.
Then there is also Peeps Research.
Christians=American fascists???
I usually avoid politics here — it so easily stirs people up and too easily lends itself to people carrying on about things they don’t really know about. But I just read an article this evening that astounds me. A man named Chris Hedges has written a book titled American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America. He asserts that “Those arrayed against American democracy [i.e., evangelical Christians] are waiting for a moment to strike, a national crisis that will allow them to shred the Constitution in the name of national security and strength” (pp. 201–202).
Since when are Christians arrayed against democracy and just waiting to shred the Constitution???
For a review of the ridiculousness and inconsistencies of this book, see this article.
Psalm Sunday: Psalm 13
Psalm 13
1 How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
In the midst of trouble, one of the first things people tend to think is that God has forgotten them or is angry with them. We know from other Scripture passages that there are many reasons for suffering and trouble and that God has promised not to forget or forsake His own. In Dr. Jim Berg’s book Changed Into His Image, he refers to “reasoning yourself back to reality” — taking your thoughts and feelings and applying Scripture, reminding yourself of what God has said, and depending on that instead of your feelings. David does that so often in the Psalms.
David is also completely honest with God. In the midst of feeling forgotten, he knows where to go: he cries out to his God for help. I am reminded of and old song Hale and Wilder used to sing that goes something like:
Where shall I run, Lord, when all around me
Sorrow and strife seem to be everywhere?
Have you not said that you would protect me?
Safe in your hand I will evermore be.
With such protection, none can alarm me
Though the storms of life almost kill.
Ever to this shelter I will be fleeing;
No other one can provide these for me.
I was struck by the faith evidenced in the last two verses. David trusts in God’s mercy and looks ahead to God’s deliverance: he says with certainty his heart “shall rejoice in God’s salvation.” And the last verse doesn’t seem to be saying that he will sing unto the Lord because God has in the past dealt bountifully with him, though that is always a good thing to do — and maybe he is doing that both to praise God and to encourage himself in the Lord’s coming deliverance. But it seems to me to be looking ahead with the eye of faith, trusting that God will deliver him out of the present trial and that he will then sing to Him because of His bountiful dealings with him. Either way, David always remembers to praise the Lord for His deliverance. He doesn’t just shoot up quick prayers for help and then go on about his business after the help comes: he remembers to thank and praise God, not out of duty, but with a heart overflowing with love and gratitude.
One exercise Dr. Berg mentions in one of his books (I forget which one — it’s either Changed Into His Image, which I mentioned above, or the video series Quieting a Noisy Soul) he recommends looking up the definitions to key words in a passage, even words we’re familiar with, to enrich our study of the passage. I didn’t do that with this whole passage, but I did look up the word “bountiful” at Dictionary.com. Some of the words used in the definition were “liberal, munificent, generous, ample, abundant.” Isn’t that just like the Lord? He doesn’t just barely answer prayer with the minimum requirements: He answers “exceeding abundantly above all we could ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20).
Thanks to Erica at Butterfly Kisses for beginning and hostessing Psalm Sundays. You can find more meditations on this Psalm there.
Easter quotes
I’ll be back later this evening with Psalm Sunday, but for now I wanted to put up the first of a series of quotes about Easter (or Resurrection Day, if you prefer). For past holidays I have put a series of quotes all in one post, but some of these are really meaty, and I think they’d lose their effectiveness all together. So I am going to post one or two a day throughout this week.
As I collected these through the years, I did note the author, but not where I found the quote — one of the changes experienced in becoming a blogger is keeping track of sources to link to. 🙂 But since I don’t have the source for these (except for this first one), I will just post them as I have them in my files.
“Easter is not primarily a comfort, but a challenge. If it is true [as he and others indeed demonstrate], then it is the supreme fact of history, and to fail to adjust one’s life to its implications means irreparable loss.”
— J.N.D. Anderson, late Dean of the School of Law at the University of London, The Evidence for the Resurrection (Downer’s Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1966), p. 4. (I haven’t read this book — all I know about it is this quote.)
On this side of the resurrection the cross is no less vulgar–the vulgarity of the cross is the vulgarity of the sin that erected it–but the cross flames with light, the light of the glory of the grace of God, Who took sin into His own heart and canceled it by the shedding of blood. —G. Campbell Morgan
(Graphic courtesy of Anne’s Place)
The power of words
The Power Of Words
A careless word may kindle strife;
A cruel word may wreck a life.
A bitter word may hate instill;
A brutal word may smite and kill.
A gracious word may smooth the way;
A joyous word may light the day.
A timely word may lessen stress;
A loving word may heal and bless.
– Author unknown
There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. Proverbs 12:18.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14
And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. Luke 4:22a.
Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Water
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When our older boys were little, there were a couple of state parks nearby where we would often have picnics.
A favorite activity at one was feeding the ducks at the lake. This is Jason at about age 2 or 3.
I think we only rented paddle boats there once or twice. They didn’t have them available all the time. This is Jeremy and I when he was maybe 5. Jim was on a different paddle boat with Jason (the back of whose head is in the foreground) and took the picture from there.
The other state park had this lovely waterfall a very short hike into the woods.
Those were favorite family excursions many years ago. These picture bring back pleasant memories. 🙂
A Dyson Give-Away
5 Minute For Mom is hosting a contest to give away a Dyson Slim vacuum! Details are here. I had never hear of Dyson before, but this vacuum sounds wonderful. I can’t believe they are giving one away!
Thursday Thirteen
1. Man’s way leads to a hopeless end – God’s way leads to an endless hope.
2. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.
3. To be almost saved is to be totally lost.
4. Never put a question mark where God puts a period.
5. We don’t change God’s message – His message changes us.
6. The scriptural church is prayer-conditioned.
7. Plan ahead – It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.
8. Never give the devil a ride – he will always want to drive.
9. A clean conscience makes a soft pillow.
10. Nothing ruins the truth like stretching it.
11. He who angers you controls you.
12. Give Satan an inch & he’ll be a ruler.
13. Deciding not to trust Jesus as your Savior is still making a choice.
| Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!View More Thursday Thirteen Participants |
Booking Through Thursday
I just discovered, through Katrina at Callapidder Days, a weekly meme about books called Booking Through Thursday. I had never seen or heard of it before, but it is right up my alley! Every week they ask a question about reading or books.
Today’s question is:
Where do you do most of your reading? Your favorite spot? (Show a picture, if you want to!)
(And yes, I understand that these might not be the same thing–your favorite spot could be the beach, but you do most of your reading at home . . . in which case, tell me about both!)
Well, probably most of my reading most days is done in the bathroom. 😳 (What a way to begin this meme!!) May as well make good use of the time, right? 🙂
My favorite place to read, though, is at the end of one of the couches with my legs stretched out on the couch and a throw blanket over me.
The little pillow below, the longer one, is just right to lean my neck against when I am sitting sideways on the couch. It’s special to me because it was a gift from my mom
I also like to read while traveling — traveling is not my best thing, and reading keeps my mind occupied as well as provides a pleasant way to occupy my time. I also read in doctor’s waiting rooms — the ability to read undistracted almost makes up for having to wait an hour to be seen.
Works-For-Me Wednesday: Easter Treats
Here are some special treats for Easter:
Resurrections Rolls
I don’t remember for sure where I first saw the idea for Resurrection Rolls, but we have had them on Easter, and only on Easter, every year since.
The instructions I have are as follows:
Make or buy bread dough (the frozen kind is fine — let it thaw first.) On Saturday night, let the children wrap a piece of bread dough around a large marshmallow. Put them on a cookie sheet in the oven and tape it shut (signifying sealing the empty tomb) and leave them there overnight. The next morning take them out and preheat the oven. Bake the rolls, and when they are done let the children open them. The marshmallow will be gone! The little “tombs” will be empty and hollow. Enjoy the rolls with breakfast; they will have a sweet taste to them.
I use the frozen yeast roll dough rather than bread dough — it’s already the right size and you can take out just as many as you want (be sure and get the dough, not the ready-made heat-and-eat frozen rolls, The brand I use is Rhodes). I usually take them out to thaw the night before and then put the marshmallow in first thing when I get up in the morning, before my shower and breakfast-making — I have always been afraid it would rise too much if I put the marshmallow in the night before. But I might try it that way this year and see what happens.
Here are pictures from last year:
They didn’t get as “poofy” as usual, and this picture turned out blurrier than I thought when I took it, but you get the idea.
My husband played around with it and took some photos on black fabric. I like the way the light behind it looks like it’s coming from inside.
Nests
Our kids’ Easter break from school is usually the week before Easter, and the elementary grades will sometimes have some kind of little party or at least treats the last day before break. One year I saw this idea and used it for one such party.
All you do is make up a batch of the stuff for Rice Krispy Treats (I like to put peanut butter in ours) but shape a handful of it into a flat circle, then put a little indention in the middle of the circle (You could put them in cupcake pans, but that it a little too deep for me and a little less nest-like). I filled that space with jelly beans (to look like eggs), but another year I saw someone put some of the little Peeps chicks in the nests. It helps to grease your hands when shaping the nests. 🙂 I would avoid using the tinted coconut unless you know the recipients will like it (no one I know does).
Basket Cupcakes
This is something else that would be good for an Easter celebration or perhaps a Sunday School class that day. I got this idea from a friend whose daughter’s birthday is in March and sometimes falls near Easter.
Just make your favorite cupcakes and frost, then use a licorice stick (a Twizzler might work, too) for a basket handle — insert each end on opposite sides of the cupcake. Decorate the cupcake with jelly beans or sprinkles, or, if you’re skilled in such things, frosting flowers.
For more great tips, or to share your own, go to Rocks In My Dryer.
I am also resurrecting this post for FiddleDeeDee’s Saturday Stirrings at It Coulda’ Been Worse.
Stray Thoughts 