Psalm 119: The Word Is...

THE WORD IS…

• My counselor.
• Truth.
• Righteous.
• Wonderful.
• Light.
• The giver of discernment and knowledge.
• Better than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
• Settled forever in heaven.
• Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
• A lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
• A joy to my heart.
• My hiding place and my shield.
• The giver of understanding to the simple.
• Very pure.
• An everlasting righteousness.
 

We learn from John 1 that Jesus is the word, so we could write this list like this...


JESUS IS...

• My counselor.
• Truth.
• Righteous.
• Wonderful.
• Light.
• The giver of discernment and knowledge.
• Better than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
• Settled forever in heaven.
• Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
• A lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
• A joy to my heart.
• My hiding place and my shield.
• The giver of understanding to the simple.
• Very pure.
• An everlasting righteousness.

-- Gathered From Psalm 119. More reflections to come from this long but powerful Psalm

_______________________________________________________________

Chicken & Squash Skillet

I wanted to use fresh vegetables and herbs from my garden tonight for dinner. My neighbor also shared some of their produce from their garden. Dinner turned out delicious, and I wanted to share it, since I sort of made it up by combining a few recipes.

~*~*~*~*~

Chicken and Squash Skillet

INGREDIENTS

·        1 Cup Brown Rice

·        2 Cups Water

·        1 Can Cream of Celery Soup

·        Chicken, 3 boneless skinless breasts, cut into cubes, or equivalent.

·        2 T Olive Oil

·        Seasoned Salt

·        Salt/Pepper

·        2 tsp Paprika

·        *Fresh Basil, small handful

·        *Chives

·        *Squash/Zucchini, as much as you want. I used one of each

·        Bell Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1.      Boil water for rice. Add Rice, paprika, and soup. Simmer for ½ the time, about 20 minutes, in large skillet.

2.      Meanwhile, in separate skillet, heat oil. Cube chicken, sprinkle with season salt, and add to hot oil. Brown approximately 10 minutes.

3.      Add Chicken to Rice Mixture. Top with chives. Cover and cook 10 minutes.

4.      Add vegetables, basil, and salt/pepper to taste. Simmer covered until rice is done and vegetables are tender.

SALAD:

We served a simple salad w/ *garden lettuce and *cherry tomatoes.

BEVERAGE:

I steeped *mint leaves with *stevia leaves for about 15 minutes and then poured it over ice. Delicious!

~*~*~*~*~

I hope this inspires you! What are you cooking from your gardens?

* Denotes items from our gardens

__________________________________________________________

The Candy Key

What is Summer Sunday School with out candy? It is barren, stale, lifeless. It's an empty void of games and sword drills with no rewards. Competitions with no prizes.

That was the huge trial our 3-5th graders were facing this Sunday. The candy was locked away in the closet, and I did not have the master key to open it. There were many grown-ups standing around, with lots of great keys that did good things, but none of them were the "right" key to get us what we really wanted: Candy.

We played Bible Bingo, and there were winners, but I just had to say, "Wait until next week for your reward." Some had memorized their scripture passage, but their reward, also, was locked behind the closed door.

Only through Tillie, the Sunday School Assistant, could that door be opened, but Tillie was away on vacation.

But there was good news! Tillie did not leave us forever! When she left, she promised that she would return, and when she did, the key to the candy door would be opened for all! Hallelujah! So although now, the class is stuck in the in-between time, doing good things and earning unseen rewards, trying to live as a faithful Sunday School Student, they are waiting for Tillie, because only through Tillie will they have access to the right key.

~*~*~*~*~

And yes, I did use this as an illustration in class. Did many kids understand it? I'm not sure. It's sort of like a parable of Jesus, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like..." And with all parables, you can only take them at face value, not over-analyze them.

So for those who are asking, "What is this post all about? Candy? Huh?" Jesus came, died, and rose again... He didn't stay dead! After visiting with hundreds of people, He returned to Heaven, but has promised to come back to earth. In the meantime, we are to tell others about Him! There are many keys in the world, but Jesus is the only One with the Key to eternity with the Father.

Jesus said Himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6).


Sometimes it's hard to wait. Sometimes we get squirmy in our seats. We grumble when we're doing our sword drills or making crafts, and when the other kids pull our pig tails or take our seats, we consider giving up.

But don't lose heart! When He returns, with the symbolic key to the candy door, all will be made right! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

________________________________________________

My Daily Battle

It's time for me to get real with you.
 

I really hate housework.

I know, I know. No one likes housework. Well, some do, but that's another issue.

But my problem isn't that I don't like housework. It's that I constantly struggle being content while doing, well, housework.

I was asked again this week, "Becky, you do so much! How do you get it all done?" Photography, writing, acting, teaching... the answer is easy. I love doing anything that keeps me away from what I'm supposed to be doing! Which is, namely, housework!

Need a script edited? The dishes can wait. Lee calls and needs something put together for a bid? The laundry sits in baskets. Want the photos uploaded from our recent event together? I'll get right on it... the kitchen floor can be swept later. You posted something really funny about your toddler on facebook? Ok! I'll watch it!

I keep my house in a picked-up state that always borders on the brink of explosion. And when something massive, like VBS or a large birthday party, hits the schedule, it blows up!

It will recover, it will. We have a routine where we all divide and conquer and put everything back in its place.

But here's what I want to master: Contentment while doing dishes. Contentment while folding laundry. Contentment while straightening what I just straightened an hour ago! I want peace that lasts, not just a verse that gets me through the momentary "trial" of LEGOs all over the family room.

Last night while doing dishes, I pretended I was at a spa, and the warm water was like a relaxing soak of bubbles. It's nice having an imagination.

But tonight, instead of straightening up (again) while the kids are sleeping, I edited a script for church and blogged.

The housework will always be there. I'm working on a balance of getting stuff done (which I enjoy) and keeping a well-maintained house. But at the end, when the home is about to go "kabang!" I want to clean with a happy heart.

The same thing I expect out of my kids.

I'm praying for it! And every "cleaning day" I pray, "Lord, get me through this without yelling at my kids and biting everyone's head off." He's faithful to answer.

I just wish it weren't always a fight. Between me and my selfish disdain for the mundane.

_________________________________________________________

How to get rid of fruit flies

It's summer, and with the delicious fruit selection comes the annoying, pesky, hard-to-kill fruit flies. Our house was recently infested with them after an overripe cantaloup sat on our counter. Thankfully, I called in my 10 year old daughter and asked her to make our annual summer fruit fly trap!

You might be asking, "A fruit fly trap? How do I make a fruit fly trap?"

Because I know you've tried smacking them with your hands until your palms are as red as their little bodies, but they have successfully out-maneuvered you.

It's easy. Abby's been making them for me since she was four, back when I had first scoured the internet for a way to rid my home of the miniscule invaders.

HOW TO MAKE A FRUIT FLY TRAP:

1. Take a glass and insert fruit, any kind. They aren't picky. 
2. Fold a piece of paper into a cone shape so that the bottom is a very small hole. 
3. Place the cone into the glass, about an inch or two from the bottom, and tape it securely around the rim of the glass. The flies can get in but they can't get out. For some reason, they can't find the small hole in the cone.
4. Just take the trap outside when it's full, open a small part of the taped area, and release the flies. 

And there you have it! This week, we released them three times in one day, we had so many! But now our home is successfully pest free.

If only I could find a way to easily trap the other things around the house that bug me... like misplaced toys, food crumbs, the "other" socks, dirty sippy cups that hide and grow science experiments...

Blink!

Blink. It's a card game I play with my kids. Over the weekend, we had a Blink marathon. It's a fast moving game, where you match up the numbers, colors, and shapes. I love that even the youngest kids can play. But the whole time we played, I kept singing the song "Blink" by Revive.

Then this morning, reading Psalm 90, the song jumped back in my head.

"Teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."

This summer is zooming fast. I usually start school in August so we get out earlier in May, but I'm dragging my heals at that thought. We haven't had enough lazy pool days!

And as I plan for fall, I am trying to be so careful not to pack it full of so much good stuff that the days rush by! Already saying no to hundreds and yes to a few activities feels like too much.

There's a line in the song, near the end, that always haunts me. "Slow Down... slow down." It's at about 2:32.

I suppose that even if we didn't do any activities at all except living day to day, like summer, time would still keep moving at a quick pace.

A few verses earlier, the writer says that a thousand years for us are just like yesterday for Him... zip, they're gone.

"O satisfy us in the morning with your lovingkindness, 

that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." (90:14)

If life is going to keep traveling at this quickening pace, then I don't want to waste it complaining or frustrated or angry. I want to be filled with joy because of His lovingkindness! Don't you?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvuxFdM3S58

___________________________________________________________

What will Heaven be like?

[Note: By "Heaven" I am referring to eternity, the new Heaven and New Earth, Rev 21, forever and ever, but it's easier to just say "Heaven." :) ]

I am allergic to adrenaline. Have I mentioned that? It's not been diagnosed or anything, but with one exception, roller coasters, I do not like to participate in activities that increase my adrenaline.

Like last weekend, we were out on a boat, and while my daughters were sitting in front, bouncing in the air with every bump and squealing with delight as the waves splashed their faces, I was planted in the back, holding on tight with my boys. I went to my five year old son for advice. "Why don't we like this? We like roller coasters!"

He wisely replied, "But on a boat, we can drown!" I agreed.

For my husband, Heaven would be an eternity of adrenaline-spiking activities. If I were there, I would think there was a mistake in the celestial book and I'd been sentenced to hell.

For me, I see Heaven as a place with unending relationships. Eternal, intensive, personal, intimate, sinless relationship building forever and ever. So many people to truly know and love without the baggage of sin: selfishness, greed, deceit. Ooh, I can't wait! Pour a hundredth cup of coffee and let's talk!

When I mentioned that delightful idea to my husband, he said, "Ugh, that sounds like a lot of work."

I'm sure the personality differences are beginning to be evident. I'll blog later about opposites attracting.

It made me laugh, though. How is God going to create a perfect eternity that suits all of us? I really don't have an answer, but it excites me to find out! Maybe I won't be allergic to adrenaline. Maybe my husband will grow a little more extroverted. Or maybe... it will be beyond anything we can even conceive of here on earth!

That gets me going! If You could design Heaven, what would it look like?


Above all, we'll be with Jesus, our Savior and Lord.

"Whom have I in heaven but You?

And besides You, I desire nothing on earth."

Psalm 73:25

Desiring nothing but Jesus on earth. That's a huge statement, and I'm making it my prayer today.

_____________________________________________________