They Were Completely Amazed

While looking at Scripture this morning I was caught up on this portion of Mark 6, "They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened." This chapter recalls the event of Jesus walking on a stormy sea to calm the waves for His disciples lurching about in their boat. (This all happened shortly after the feeding of the five thousand, hence the reference to the loaves, a provision from the Lord.) As He approached the vessel they became frightened thinking He was a ghost, but He settled their hearts by announcing Himself before climbing into the boat and calming the storm. As the storm abates the disciples were amazed that Christ could accomplish this "for they had not understood about the loaves;...".

So many times I find myself in the same predicament, wondering how the Lord will see me through my trial of the moment. Then, when He answers "immeasurably more than all [I] ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within [me]", I am amazed. Have I forgotten the many ways He has already cared for me?

I must then ask myself the questions found in Galatians 3:3. "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" When the disciples found themselves on storm-tossed seas, yet again, Christ is there to meet their need and answer before they have even asked. Why should I doubt that He will answer my need? I am not able to accomplish anything as great as He, so I need to continue to trust Him.
May my faith in Him grow greater! That I may know to surrender my path to His will, trusting always that He will guide my steps, even through the dark ways.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:24)."

Saturday Morning Donuts

This morning I woke up to a crisp, chill in the air and thought, "Today is a good day for donuts!" Silly, yes, but it doesn't help when one is reading Homer Price to the kids at night and you just recently read the chapter on the unstoppable donut machine =)

So with vim and vigor I got up and decided to try my hand at making donuts for my family. I got my tried and true copy of Joy of Cooking from the shelf and mixed up a batch of Sweet Milk Donuts with my 3yo's help. The dough was a little sticky, so I had to add flour. While I was doing that my oil got too hot, so the first donuts out were a bit doughy in the centers.

But, lo and behold, after getting the temperature corrected and the consistency of the dough right, we ended up with a beautiful batch of homemade donuts. This recipe was so sweet that we decided they were good enough without added sugar or glaze. What fun! Glad I got up and did this today, but my thighs will thank me for not doing it all that often!BTW Notice my utensils here. The biscuit cutter was my Grandmother's and the smaller cutter (used for the centers) was taken from my kids play dough supplies. Gotta love play dough cutters =)

School Scheduling

Well that time of year has come again. I have been busy organizing materials, planning and preparing for our upcoming school year. In some ways it can be overwhelming to get it all done, but one bite at a time, and I am so thankful for the results when I get done.

You can see my most recent daily school schedule here. This is a result of lots of time and reflection on what has worked for us in the past. It is an ever-changing agenda that acts as a guideline for our school days, but by no means is it a rule.

Now time to focus on the individual subjects themselves as I finish pulling together materials, establish yearly and monthly goals, and excite my children for their upcoming academic pursuits.

Wordless Wednesday - Grocery Shopping

New adventures at the local grocery store

Hope this lasts more than a week

Jesus Heals the Paralytic- Mark 2:1-12

While reading this passage in Scripture today I was struck with a few thoughts I wanted to share.

At this time in Christ's teaching, crowds have grown so profuse that the skeptics are starting to appear. In this brief account we see four trusting individuals bringing their friend, a paralytic, to the Lord. They were seeking Christ for His healing. They labored to present this lame man to the Lord in the midst of His teaching.

But, what amazes me is Jesus response to this faith. "Son, your sins are forgiven." I doubt this was the intent of any of those men that lowered their friend through the roof. Certainly, sins being forgiven was a true blessing, but he was paralyzed, couldn't Christ see the need for physical healing? And yet, the skepticism here is revealed in another manner.

The teachers of the law didn't question whether Christ had healed the man or not, but rather they focused on the potential blaspheming of God in the forgiveness of this man's sins. Hello, has everyone forgotten, this man is crippled? Why are we discussing his sins?

Then, there it is, the answer to both the skeptics and the faithful friends. In verses 10 and 11 we read, "'But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...' He said to the paralytic,' I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.'" Christ saves! He heals the man both spiritually and physically and gives him new life. Praise God!

Sometimes I find myself seeking for the physical healing, skeptical of the working of the Lord, looking for answers for the here-and-now. While all the time my Father is working to complete me, seeing first my spiritual depravity and meeting my need. How amazing it is to be reminded of the work of the Lord in my life through reading about others who sought Him.

Blueberry Season

Last week we had the opportunity to pick blueberries at our friends' farm in Northeast Missouri, Lost Branch Blueberry Farm. The day was beautiful with sun shining and a time of cherished fellowship. The blueberry bushes were loaded with ripe berries ready for picking, and my children didn't hesitate to jump right in with buckets in hand. While we chatted and picked, the kids enjoyed running up and down the rows rejoicing over each plump, purple treasure they found. By the end of our time the load of berries we brought home was enough to make a fresh pie, eat tons by the handful, and still stick some in the freezer for blueberry pancakes or muffins at a later date.

A wonderful day with great friends. Thank you, Price Family!

Make sure to stop by and pick your own if you are anywhere within the northeast Missouri region, or just need a good excuse to be =)

Music to Share

I recently heard about the music group Page CXIV over at Thoughts On the Way, and decided to do some further investigating into their music. On their website they state the following:The hymns they sing are incredible blessings and an excellent resource for praising our Lord. Here is a sample.

Find out more and support the project at Page CXVI.