Recall What God Remembers

 Devotional by Oswald Chambers; from My Utmost for His Highest

Jeremiah 2:2 "I remember... the kindness of thy youth."

Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Am I full of the little things that cheer His heart over me, or am I whimpering because things are going hardly with me? There is no joy in the soul that has forgotten what God prizes. It is a great thing to think that Jesus Christ has need of me--"Give Me to drink." How much kindness have I shown Him this past week? Have I been kind to His reputation in my life?

God is saying to His people--You are not in love with Me now, but I remember the time when you were. "I remember... the love of thine espousals." Am I as full of the extravagance of love to Jesus Christ as I was in the beginning, when I went out of my way to prove my devotion to Him? Does He find me recalling the time when I did not care for anything but Himself? Am I there now, or have I become wise over loving Him? Am I so in love with Him that I take no account of where I go? or am I watching for the respect due to me; weighing how much service I ought to give?

If, as I recall what God remembers about me, I find He is not what He used to be to me, let it produce shame and humiliation, because that shame will bring the godly sorrow that works repentance.

~ ~ ~

God really spoke to my heart this morning with this devotional. My love for my Savior grows cold so easily. The cares of the day avert my gaze from His lovely face so quickly. "Tell me the story often, For I forget so soon. The early dew of morning Has passed away at noon..." This sinful, weak-willed flesh must be put down continually or the Holy Spirit can never have His way in me. Sober vigilance is the only way to fight this battle! I am resolved to renew my devotion to Him daily. Help my weakness, Lord! "Without Me ye can do nothing."

Craft Fair Projects, Part 1

Hinted at in my previous post were some projects featuring buttons. I'm pleased to present several recently knitted items created specifically for a craft fair which took place in my village last month. Keeping in a constant (and frantic!) knitting mode for an entire month was a challenge, I must say. I'm ever so glad I was able to accomplish what I did, however! =)

Above and to the left is a red and purple iSock, made respectively with Microspun and Cupcake yarns, an ideal item for protecting iPods and iTouches. sold After arriving at a basic idea for the construction, I guessed my way through the piece. The main body was knitted in the round and finished with kitchner stitching. At the back of the opening, I picked-up-and-knitted slightly less than the total width, allowing space on either side for an earbuds cord to pass through. Lastly, I crocheted a chain hole for this iSock's perfect button (after I laboriously hunted for that same perfect button for a good twenty minutes =D). For the record, I don't own an iPod--but I almost wish I did since my iSock pattern turned out oh so cute!

The Christmas Story of the Lamb

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 

I John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

As I have pondered Christ's birth in my heart this Christmastime, what keeps returning to me is the richness of God's mercy to a dark, hopeless world. The Father sent His precious, only begotton Son from His throne of glory for one purpose--to die! The first breath that filled the lungs of the Baby Lord Jesus signified not life, but death. What awe must have filled the hearts of Mary and Joseph as they gazed upon the Lamb of God, wrapped in swaddling clothes, a very symbol of His eminent sacrifice.

A Beautiful Button World

I adore buttons!!! What could be cuter? Two days ago, my stash was quite unimpressive. I was in dire need of a sizable amount of attractive buttons (for a specific purpose which shall be revealed within a few days), so I made an online purchase of a tidy sum. Amazon.com is a wonderful "store," folks! It's been a lifesaver for my family since we can't just go on a shopping spree any old time we'd like. =) However, online shopping has its faults. It's difficult to be sure that the item you intend to purchase will be satisfactory. The only sense available to you is sight, and often even that allowance is hindered by poor photography. I was hesitant concerning the buttons I found on Amazon. The bargain was excellent, however, so I deducted that the purchase was worth my money. In conclusion, I was thoroughly delighted upon rapturously beholding my beautiful buttons yesterday. Foof-A-La Bag-O-Buttons are to be highly recommended, as well as this superior Button Bargain.

A Pleasing Herbal Tea

Since early this year, I have been doing correspondent studies from The Herbal Healer Academy on natural methods of healing. I first took their course on homeopathy, seeking a better understanding of the remedies my family has been using for the past several years. I enjoyed every moment of the learning experience.  Homeopathy, the potentization of a particular substance, is truly one of the safest and most effective forms of natural medicine available to us.  It's made a huge difference in the health of each member of my family.  In past years, my dad suffered from severe bronchitis annually, and of course the rest of my family fell victim to colds and flus on a regular basis.  Since using homeopathic remedies, our immune systems have been strengthened and we are far less susceptible to viruses. Additional nutritional adjustments to our diet, such as using whole wheat flour and eliminating junk foods, plus a consistent intake of supplements have yielded further beneficial results. We do not take good health for granted--we thank the Lord!

As I resumed my correspondence Bible college studies (from Landmark Baptist College) this fall, I made the decision to also further my education of natural healing methods.  I am now thoroughly enjoying the process of learning how to use herbs!  I am very excited. =)  There are 22 lessons in this particular course and, much to my delight, each lesson includes a hands-on herbal project.  Project #1 was a hydrotherapeutic bath composed of rosemary, basil, thyme, sage, and lavender (it was wonderful).  I'm currently on the second lesson; its project is four different herbal teas.  The first one I did was Indian Spice. The six ingredients were cinnamon, fennel, anise, cardamom, cloves, and peppercorns.  I think I let it steep too long.  It was STRONG. (gag)  I thought extra honey might help.  Quite the contrary.  I got half of it down, anyway. (chuckle)

My second herbal tea, Forever Fruit, was much better.  In fact, it was delightfully pleasing! As you can see from the photo, the tea contained rosehips, lemongrass, hibiscus, orange peel, and peppermint. Below is a clearer picture of the herbs. The large orange-colored pieces are orange peel and the red pieces are rosehips. The thin herbs are lemongrass and the rosey-hued fragments are hibiscus petals. Finally, the more rounded leaflets are peppermint.
 

I later did some research on the properties of these herbs. I was very amazed by the information I found!