Perspective

 I'm walking along on this dry grassy hill, looking down in the coulees, wondering when things will begin to grow and get more colorful. There has been only one rainfall this spring so far...its not looking to promising of May flowers. As I walk along, the grasses are so dry that little pieces break off and poke me as they fall into my shoes.

I look out mostly over the hills and down in the coulees and the land seems so barren. The parched land looks like it has nothing beautiful to offer right now.

But when I slow down I see something. Some color. I bend down to see what looks like something similar to crocuses, soft, fuzzy, purple petals closed up pointing to the sky. Clusters of them, and some single flowers scattered over the hills. They are so beautiful and I am so happy to see them there.

 As with new eyes I look more specifically over the hills and notice these pretty little flowers scattered here and there quite frequently.

Its amazing how much more noticeable something is when you specifically look for it. It brings my thoughts to how we can look at ourselves or others. Quite often when I am frustrated by my short comings or short comings of a loved one its hard to see something positive going on. When I think about failure after failure in areas that I struggle, I just see a Big F. But when I take the time to focus in on these certain areas I cant neglect to see that I have made many wise choices and that is also why more often than not, things can go along pretty smoothly. When positive choices are made they need to be acknowledged and praise God for His faithfulness and guidance. Then it is easier to see how good choices can be made easily and its encouraging to keep heading in the right direction to see how much more beautiful its going to get! Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. (Isaiah 43:18) Remembering this helps us accept that God is always wanting to use us and our experiences to do good. He is always at work in our lives as long as we are letting Him.
(And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28)
Each choice to honor the Lord is a beautiful little flower in a dry barren land, that when each one is gathered together, there is too many to fit into any ordinary vase. And yet the flowers is all He sees in our dry barren land. 

Turns out these flowers are called Prairie Crocuses

Psalm 103
Praise the Lord, O my soul!

With all that is within me, praise his holy name!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Do not forget all his kind deeds!

He is the one who forgives all your sins,

who heals all your diseases,

who delivers your life from the Pit,

who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion,

who satisfies your life with good things,

so your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.

The Lord does what is fair,

and executes justice for all the oppressed.

The Lord revealed his faithful acts to Moses,

his deeds to the Israelites.

The Lord is compassionate and merciful;

he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love.

He does not always accuse,

and does not stay angry.

He does not deal with us as our sins deserve;

he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve.

For as the skies are high above the earth,

so his loyal love towers over his faithful followers.

As far as the eastern horizon is from the west,

so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers.

For he knows what we are made of;

he realizes we are made of clay.

A person’s life is like grass.

Like a flower in the field it flourishes,

but when the hot wind blows by, it disappears,

and one can no longer even spot the place where it once grew.

But the Lord continually shows loyal love to his faithful followers,

and is faithful to their descendants,

to those who keep his covenant,

who are careful to obey his commands.

The Lord has established his throne in heaven;

his kingdom extends over everything.

Praise the Lord, you angels of his,

you powerful warriors who carry out his decrees

and obey his orders!

Praise the Lord, all you warriors of his,

you servants of his who carry out his desires!

Praise the Lord, all that he has made,

in all the regions of his kingdom!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Keep calm...the chives have sprouted!

 Keep calm...the chives have sprouted! It has been a hard spring for me, waiting for things to grow. When everything did finally start sprouting it almost seemed unreal. And I am still in awe at the growth. I thank the Lord for this simple thing...chives that grow and sprout early, even before the grass is all green. Yes so simple but the small things are usually what is real and is a blessing too. Because this small and simple thing can not be attributed to anyone else but God. There is no way for anyone here on earth to have manufactured a seed and make it grow. I can get so disheartened by all the big, fast things in this world because it makes me feel like I'm being silly paying such attention to a plant growing. But in truth I see so much beauty in a seeds growth and should not be ashamed by my simple amusements and wonders!

 Psalm 111:2 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in Him should ponder them.

 

 

 

 

 (This is our new addition to the family, her name is Willow and is 5 months old, is a BALL of ENERGY, and apparently likes chives too!)

 

 So in celebration of the first harvest from my newly acquired garden allotment, I baked up these yummy cheddar and chive biscuits.

 

MIX: 1 3/4 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tbs. snipped chives, 1/2 tsp. dried thyme. CUT IN: 3 tbs. margarine, to resemble course crumbs. STIR IN: 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Then, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup yogurt. Dough will be sticky. Drop large tablespoonfuls on lined baking sheet. Bake at 450 for 12 min.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cant remember if I mentioned that we really downsized on our living quarters inside and out, when we moved out here to the West this past year. It has been a challenge adjusting to the size or lack there of, of the yard. It may be temporary or not. Depending on where we sense the Lord leading us. But I have been working at making due with what we have. I've figured container gardening is the best for this year considering that the amount of yard we have is too small to tear up and plant veggies. So its a new adventure in trying this out. I'm thinking it'll be a bit more work making sure they get adequate water and food. On the positive I'm learning something new.

Lemon Poppy Seed Fluffins

The fresh sent and colour of lemon makes me think of spring, spring makes me think of fresh starts. Every morning is fresh with new grace and possibilities. And the chance to stop trying and rely totally! on God. This simple thought is really what I have really been aiming for lately. Picture the word START and this being the acronym for Stop Trying And Rely Totally. This is good for anytime, there is a fresh start every moment. Christ is always waiting for us to turn away from our own trying, ambitions and efforts and to rely totally on Him.

 

 

Sometimes it is healthy to try to figure out why why why we do what we do. But I know for me lots of times I need to stop focusing on the bad choices, the flubs and just humble myself to say to God "I can't do this on my own God!" I think maybe even say it out loud...loudly. "And for crying out loud...I shouldn't even try!!" So stop and then START right again. Its ok, He knows me, He knows you. And He loves you and I just the same, no matter what.

 

 

These muffins are so yummy and fluffy

 

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

lemon zest of 1 lemon and the juice of 1/2 of it.

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. poppy seeds

3/4 cup sour cream

 

Preheat oven to 375 and line or grease muffin tin, I used a large 6 muffin tin. Beat in each wet ingredient, according to order listed. Sift the dry ingredients together in another bowl. Add dry ingredients to the wet alternately with the sour cream, in 3 additions. Spoon into pan and bake 20-25 min. or 25-30 for the large muffins.

Now you can have a tea with the left over lemon :)

2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

 

 

Do You Like rHuBaRb?

 RhUbArB seems like one of those plants that every other person has but doesn't care to do anything with most of the time these days. I say "these days" because I believe it was used more back in the day when people had less and used more of what was easily and cheaply available.
 This is the rhubarb recipe of spring '13 for me. I've made it 3 times already. Well I should be honest about why though. Its so yummy but...First time I made it and forgot to add baking powder, so I ended up with rhubarb slop. Immediately after that failure I attempted a second go and 15 minutes after I put it in the oven...the power goes out! About a couple hours later it comes back on and I finished baking it. It was good but I knew it could be better. It didn't rise completely. So like I said I made it a third time. Third times a charm, they say!

Rhubarb & Strawberry Crumble Cake
for the crumble:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup fine sugar (icing sugar)
for the cake:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup + 5 TB. fine sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup yogurt
2 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped strawberries

Heat the oven to 350, and call the hydro company to make sure that the power wont be going out, due to "equipment failures" any time in the near future. Grease an 8" round spring form pan. Prepare the crumble by blending the flour and sugar with the butter. Use your fingers to bring the ingredients together to form crumbs. In a bowl mix the 5 TB. of sugar with the rhubarb and strawberries. For the cake, start with the first ingredient listed and beat in each one following, one at a time, until you get to the flour. Then use a spoon to stir the flour in, DON'T FORGET THE BAKING SODA, and salt. Add the yogurt and it should be a thick batter. Scrape the batter into the pan, evenly spread fruit on top of the batter, and top with the crumble. Bake for about 50 min.

Lilly of the Valley and Poison Ivy

A near by grave yard behind an aged church is so beautiful this time of year. The bushes in behind are abundant in gorgeous smelling Lilly of the Valley. But commingled through out most of it is poison ivy. Its makes me ponder a metaphor. I am drawn to wild flowers (Hello! Free Flowers!) like a moth to a flame. So here I am trying to carefully step around the poison ivy, careful as I pluck the Lilly of the valley out of the mix. How is that not like life? Living, especially an abundant life, makes one want to reach out to the positive/beautiful blessings God has to offer us and we need to stay on guard careful to stay away from the "poisons" of this earth, and what Satan may put in our path. All the while making sure we are making the right decisions along the way as well. Because we also have to fight the ways of the flesh. We can only do this if we: do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, and perfect will (Romans 12:2). I love metaphors.

Lake found some Canadian Columbine.

Holly found some Lilly of the valley in a poison ivy free spot close to the church.

...grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

Pounding Pansies

Pansies are my absolute favourite flower. They can leave a lasting impression when you put them face down, and pound them onto a piece of fabric or construction paper. So simple, so beautiful!

The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field: the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD'S love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- Psalm 103:15-17

The idea of something so beautiful being pounded for the purpose of getting a long lasting impression, makes me think about ourselves. The way life can be to an innocent child, or even a grown adult. The things that life seemingly pounds at us, can seem too hard to bear but the end result can, if we let it- leave beautiful, lasting impressions that don't kill us but surprisingly make us grow.

Hay! Where is the Spring Weather?

I must admit, I'm getting really anxious for the spring weather and growth. Just this morning it was snowing. Get this- school was even cancelled because of snow and freezing rain on Friday! I know that it will come. I just read this quote "The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time" -Abraham Lincoln. And so I am reminded that though things aren't appearing how I'd like or expect, I can choose to enjoy what the present holds. And the sky that was before me, full of huge clouds and white dusted hay fields were a gift that made me pull over to capture with a picture...be content with what you have; for God himself has said, “I will never leave you; never will I forsake you.”Hebrews 13:4-6. The beginning of this verse says...Your conduct must be free from the love of money, and... and makes me think on this blog post I added half a year ago. It was a plan to get out of debt by ceasing unnecessary spending for the period of time until we got debt free. Well...it lasted all of a month and a half. Christmas came and then the direction changed. I found it was an incredibly insightful month and a half. I found I became very much more aware of my spending, I still do find I am more careful and selective about what I spend my money on. As well we make the times we do go out to eat (which is very few and far between) more special because it is rare. Therefore truly enjoyed and appreciated by all. Beside the children's few gifts at Christmas time, getting and receiving things is not a regular occurrence. I am happy to say though that we are 75% out of debt since this started, which leaves a small portion for us to reach our goal. So were we too extreme, gungho? Probably, my husband and I are well know to be that way. Or quitters, bailing out? Could be, Its hard to hang in there for 360's! But I do know that balance is the key. Buying a coffee isn't a sin. Letting desires compromise priorities begs to be challenged. So what can I say? For now we are happy with keeping unnecessary spending to a minimum, because I truly do believe being in debt is not OK. Accumulating a mass of stuff is not what life is about, you cant take it with you. Life is about who you are living for and that is what brings true JOY in your life. Jesus, Others, lastly Yourself. Priorities, is when I am taking a step forward not backward, and every single step (choice) in life will do that: forward -or- backward.

Early Spring Time Musings

Lake and his cousin were busy one after noon building crosses. I believe just for fun, but I love it that the cross was on their minds.

Making a Bird Nest:

Violet wanted to make a nest for the birds outside. We have to leave a note for the birds as well, she told me.

As an after thought, I carefully took the nest out by inverting it on top of another bowl and lined the bowl with plastic wrap. So that would be a good idea before you start, to line the bowl with plastic wrap. We were able to get a bunch of thin twigs from an old hydrengia bush. We broke them up into 2-3 inch lengths, line the bowl with them and squirt a bunch of glue all over them, to make our nest. It dried over a couple days and now birdie ready. Gods creation amazes me constantly. All the effort it takes for a make-shift nest, when itie bitie birds make cozy durable ones out of their God given insticts.

The weather is finally getting a bit warmer and less snowy for the kids to be outside more for play.

Birthday cupcakes for less effort than what it looks like.
1 white cake mix
2 oranges, zested and juiced
3 cups of gratted carrots
1 Tbs. cinnamon
canned cream cheese frosting
extra carrot
pecans
green candy coated chocolates
Heat oven to 350, line 2 muffin tins. Prepare cake mix as package directs but submitting the juice of 2 oranges for the water. Add the zest from the 2 oranges. Add 3 cups of grated carrots, and cinnamon. Divide batter into tins. Bake 18 min. After muffins are cooled, frost with canned cream cheese frosting. Sprikle with pecans and carrot peels rolled to look like rosets. Place in the middle of each cupcake with a green candy.

We had to take a long drive to the doctors. But I am thankful for the sights we got to take in on the drive, and even the detour, due to the road washing out.

The mountains snowy tops and the dry fields looked just amazing on this overcast day!

This distorted picture almost looks like a painting.

Delapatated barns are still good for something if only pictures.