Beautiful on the Inside

 This book is old, faded, out of shape, and smoke damaged. It has literally been through the fire. But it is filled with such treasure. The most beautiful hymns, stories and devotional thoughts. 

Maybe you feel like this book. Maybe you have been through the fire, so to speak. Maybe you are weary of the battle. Maybe your body is breaking down. Maybe your life feels out of shape.

But may you also be like this book on the inside. Filled with the priceless treasure of trust in God. A faith that has been refined by fire. May you be filled with beautiful songs, stories of what God is doing in you, and may your thoughts be on things above. 

“For this cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory…” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Dam Climbers

At the Cingino Dam in Italy, there is something unusual and incredible. There are dam climbers. These rock climbers are alpine ibex.

The reason they climb the dam is because their body craves salt. And the rocks on the top of the dam are rich in salt. So, the ibex rock climbs the dam to lick the rocks. Although it is very dangerous to climb the dam, their need for salt outweighs the danger. 

This reminds me of what Habakkuk said. "The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places."(Habakkuk v3:19)

The Cingino Dam looks impossible to climb. And things in our life can also seem impossible to handle. They can seem too steep. Too much to handle. Too hard. Impossible. 

Maybe it's a fiery trial. Or maybe it's responsibilities or a job that God gives us to do. Maybe just surviving each day seems too hard.

But when God is who we rely on for help, we can do amazing things. When God is our strength, He will enable us to walk on high places. He will enable us to go through the deep waters and come out better for it. He will give us the strength to obey Him and follow His leading.

The ibex need that salt for their bodies to function properly. The only way for them to get it is by climbing up. Just like they have a need for salt, we have a need for God. We need God to function the way we were intended. God is the only One who can truly satisfy the human heart.

Trials and the other things that seem too hard for us are what can push us up closer to God. Because without God's help, they're too steep. But when we know something is too hard for us and we depend on God for help, He can enable us just like He enables those ibex. Then all the credit is His. And then those trials and responsibities become blessings.

When a mother ibex climbs the dam, her kid will follow because they have a very strong bond. If your child follows your example, where will they go? Will they be led to the One who can satisfy their deepest cravings?

 

Follow Me

 Following Jesus is hard, and it takes sacrifice. It’s easy to get too focused on that. I’m speaking for myself here! But following Jesus means nearness to Him. It means guidance from the One who knows what’s best and what’s around the corner. It means we’re with the Source of all joy, hope, comfort, peace and love. We are with the Provider, the Good Shepherd, and the One who is all powerful. We are on the road to Heaven where the best is yet to come. Nothing is better than that. Let’s focus on Him rather than the hardness of following Him!

From Ugly Bulbs to Stunning Beauty!

 My husband planted an ugly bulb sometime back. Now we have a beautiful gladiola opening up and blooming. God turns bulbs into stunning bright flowers! 

When God is the gardener of our life, He does the same for us. He takes the ugly and hard things and over time makes them into something beautiful. It may take lots of waiting and some dark days of feeling “buried”, helpless or hopeless. 

But trust God. Submit to Him. Learn all you can in the process. And know that one day your “bulb” will be turned into beauty!

“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

Beautiful Snowflakes

This morning at preschool, I taught the children how to make simple paper snowflakes. They enjoyed it very much, and I loved seeing them enjoy it!

To make a snowflake, you need to fold a square piece of paper a few times. Then all you need to do is cut out small shapes. When you have finished, you open up the paper, and you have a beautiful snowflake.

Thinking about it this evening, I realized that our lives are like that square of folded paper. We also get "cut." Trials are like scissors that snip pieces out of our lives. Any kind of loss that we experience is like a painful snip.

What we don't always realize is that the snips are necessary to being a beautiful and useful person. Without them, we'd be like a plain piece of paper. 

What matters is that our lives have been put in the hands of the One who cuts out of love. If our lives are not in His hands, we may simply become a square of paper that is snipped to pieces.

If our lives are submitted to God, He won't allow any more snips than necessary. 

Each one of the children's snowflakes was different and beautiful. And so, in our lives, we all have a different mixture of trials to make us into a unique person.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.--Romans 5:3-5

 

When All You Have is God

 The Red Sea is in front of you, and cruel soldiers are chasing you from behind. There is a quote that says, "Sometimes the only way out is through." But sometimes there is no way through. Sometimes you are trapped. You can't move forward, you can't stay still, and you can't go back. It's hopeless!

The Israelites came into this hopeless situation by following God's lead.

The Israelites had no boats, no ferries, no bridges, and no airplanes. All they had was God. All they had was the One who made the sea. The One who can make a way where there is no way. The One with whom nothing is impossible. 

All they had was all they needed. It was nothing for God to make a path through the sea just for them! It was nothing for God to bring the waters back down on the Egyptian soldiers so they would never bother them again.

Do you feel trapped sometimes? Do you panic like the Israelites did? Is all you have God? Our God is the One who can easily make a way through our Red Seas. It is nothing for Him.

But are you following Him? Or are you your own boss and guide? When we are following Him, we can have full assurance that when He leads us into a trap, He will also lead us through. We can know for certain that He has a good reason for this.

Look to the One who made the Red Sea. The One who makes a way where there is no way. Have full confidence in Him that He will get you through this for His glory.

A Good Reason for Hot Water

"Mum, why are you boiling water for no reason?" my daughter asked me as I prepared dinner.

"I don't boil water for no reason!" I answered. "The frozen cauliflower on the bench is going to go in there."

My daughter didn't mean the question the way it sounded. But it made me think. If we think of hot water as being like hard and difficult things in our lives, then maybe we question God as to His reasoning. 

Is there a reason for trials? Or God does "boil water" for no reason?

It looked strange to my daughter to have a pot with only water in it. And what God does in our life sometimes seems strange. But it is never without good reason.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-13

 

Lift Me Up

I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up,…--Psalm 30:1

But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.—Psalm 3:3

As a mum, there have been many times my children have come to me to be picked up. Children usually love to be held in your arms. Even my seven year old with Down Syndrome still loves to be held. She will come to me with her hands up and say, “Cuddle?”

Sometimes we lift them up and carry them to keep them safe. To comfort them when they’re upset. To take them to a certain place. To carry them when they’re tired.

God is like a parent or adult who lifts up His children. David experienced this for himself. God raises us to a higher level. He picks us up and moves us to a different place. He comforts us.

He also can lift us up above ourselves—from being focused and preoccupied with ourselves. He lifts up our head so our eyes become focused on Him.  He lifts us up so we see things from a different perspective. He can lift our spirits when we are feeling down. He can carry us when we’re tired and weary. He can lift us above our circumstances.

Is your heart’s desire and prayer the same as Johnson Oatman Jr.? He wrote this hymn.

I’m pressing on the upward way,

New heights I’m gaining every day;

Still praying as I onward bound,

“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Lord, lift me up, and let me stand

By faith on Canaan’s tableland;

A higher plane than I have found,

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay

Where doubts arise and fears dismay;

Though some may dwell where these abound,

My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,

Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;

For faith has caught the joyful sound,

The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height

And catch a gleam of glory bright;

But still I’ll pray till rest I’ve found,

“Lord, lead me on to higher ground.”

True or False?

 I have just finished making a true and false quiz for my Bible class at school tomorrow. I will say the sentence and the children will have to figure out which ones are true and which ones are false. Sometimes true and false quizzes are easy. Other times they can be quite tricky.

Jesus said that He is the truth. He also said that Satan is the Father of lies. So everything Jesus says is true. And everything that Satan says is false or twisted.

In my Bible story at school thismorning, I told the story of Zachariah and Elisabeth. The angel said, "You will have a son." Zachariah said, "How do I know what you say is true? It's impossible--we're too old." But if God says it, it's the truth. And it was the truth. He did have a son.

It would do us good to remember that sometimes life is like a true and false test. We need to figure out whether our thoughts are true or false! I often find myself thinking, "But I feel..." or "It seems..." Feelings are often different than the truth. What seems is not always what is.

God's Word is always true. It's so easy to doubt it, like Zachariah did, as it can seem impossible. But he found out, that with God nothing is impossible!

Testing Times

 There are times when God feels so close and the verses in the Bible feel like they were written personally for you. You see God answering your prayers. It's exciting!

 But then there are the times when it feels like God has forgotten about you. You pray and pray and see no sign of your prayer being answered. Nothing particular in the Bible stands out. God seems to be silent.

In those times I like to remember this thought...

When you are going through something hard and wonder where God is, remember that the teacher is always quiet during a test.

In those moments of feeling like God is far away, maybe you are going through a test. When students are taking a test, the teacher is quiet. The teacher doesn't answer questions like they usually would. But there is a good reason.

When teachers give a test, they prepare their students first. First they learn about something, then their knowledge is tested. The student has to remember what they've already learned. Although they may not be able to remember everything, they have already learned everything they need for the test. And when we go through testing times, we can take comfort in the fact that we have been prepared for this. (That is, if we are learning from our Teacher) We need to remember what God has already taught us and it will help us through this test. 

Teachers do not forget about the student during a test. Being silent doesn't mean that they don't care or that they're not there. And when you are walking with God and He seems far away, don't presume He's not there or that He doesn't care. A name for God I recently learned is Jehovah Shammah which means "The Lord is there." God is always there even when He seems silent. So don't stop praying and reading the Bible when God is silent, because He is always there and He does care. He is no less close than at other times. Tests don't last forever. They always pass.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-13

Feelings

 Do you ever feel guilty telling God your feelings? Feelings are often not fact, so it can feel wrong telling God how you feel when know that your feelings are not right. It can feel like we are just complaining.

But Psalms 62:8 says "...pour out your hearts before him:..."We are not only allowed to tell God exactly how we feel, He has commanded us to. There are other verses that say we should cast all our cares on Him, cast our burdens on Him and pray about everything.

While we should pour out our feelings to God, it's important to remember the first part of Psalm 62:8 "Trust in him at all times, ye people,..." So while we pour out our feelings and fears, we should be balancing it all with truth. "I feel this, but I KNOW this." 

Recently I was feeling upset. I felt like God had let me down in a certain situation. So while I felt guilty about it, I poured out all those feelings to God while backing it up with truth and trust. "I feel like You've let me down, but I know that You know best." Afterwards the burden I had felt was gone. I felt relief. And not only that but the thought really struck me as I was praying, "Feelings are just feelings!" All the feelings that I had poured out to God were just that--feelings. God hadn't really let me down, it had just felt that way because I had my own expectations whereas His ways are higher than mine. Feelings are not fact--what a relief it was to remember that!
And yet it brings such relief to cast all those feelings on Him instead of trying to carry them all ourselves.

German Pizza, Tangles of Life & Obedience

(German Pizza, Cornflake Chocolate Chip Biscuits and Apple Cake Recipes below)

 Today I show you how to make German Pizza. I also share a biscuit recipe, a little bit of what we've been doing, and some thoughts on trusting God, obeying and enduring hardness.

German Pizza Recipe
500g ground beef/mince
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, diced
11/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tablespoons butter
 6 raw potatoes, shredded
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup milk
2 cups cheese
In 12-inch skillet, brown beef with onion, green pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper. Remove beef mixture from skillet; drain skillet and melt butter. Spread potatoes over butter and sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp salt. Top with beef mixture. Combine eggs and milk and pour over all. Cook, covered, on medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Top with cheese; cover and heat until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Cut into wedges or squares to serve. Yields 4-6 servings.

Cornflake Chocolate Chip Biscuits
250g butter softened
11/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
21/2 cups flour
21/2 tsp baking powder
2 tblsp milk
3 cups cornflakes
11/2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 180C. Line baking tray. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar and vanilla in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add flour, baking powder and chocolate chips. Mix on low speed until just combined. Add milk and stir. (If it's too dry, put a little extra milk in before putting cornflakes in) Using a wooden spoon, stir in cornflakes and chocolate chips.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Apple cake
Mix together:
4 apples, diced
11/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1tsp mixed spice
Add:
200g butter (melted)
3 cup flour
2tsp baking powder
Bake at 180C for 40-50 minutes.

Come to Me

What a difference it makes when we bring every care, question, worry, burden etc. to the Lord! This song was written to remind us of that. 

Come to me when you are weary Come to me when you are tired Come to me when you are dreary When you’re sad and want to cry Come to me when you are burdened Come to me when you are stressed Come to me when you are anxious And I will give you rest.

chorus I have the answer to every question The solution to every problem New grace for every trial And strength for every mile I have hope for your despair And joy to bring you cheer I have peace for every stress And help in every test.

I’m your hope, I am your counsellor I’m your Saviour and Friend I’m your strength and your provider You’re broken heart I’ll mend. I’m your father and your mother I’m your joy and your song I’m your guide and your protector Come to me where you belong. ~Emily van Rijn

Fear, a Thankful Heart, Cuteness & Movie Recommendations

 Today I talk about fears and also about being thankful. I share some cute videos of Jo and Lydia and some movie recommendations.

Teach Me to Trust

 Teach me to trust when there is cause to fear,

When trials come and tempests sore appear;

Help me to know that Thou, O God, art near--

Teach me to trust, Teach me to trust.

Teach me to trust when skies are shining bright,

Or when I grope alone in sorrow's night;

Thy love provides whatever's best and right--

Teach me to trust, teach me to trust.

Teach me to trust 'mid all life's tangled ways,

In all its disappointments and delays;

Give me a song-- a sacrifice of praise!

Teach me to trust, Teach me to trust.

Teach me to trust when weary, worn and frail,

When sickness, pain and other ills assail;

Thy grace sustains, Thy promise will not fail--

Teach me to trust, Teach me to trust.

~John W. Peterson

Trusting God to Guide

( Silverbeet/Spinach Quiche Recipe Below)

Today I share some verses that have helped me with making decisions for the future. I also share a quiche recipe that I made for dinner one night. Lydia talks about being happy and sad and I show a little bit of what I've been doing with her at school.

Silverbeet/Spinach Quiche 

1 tblsp oil

1 onion, chopped

6 big leaves of silverbeet/spinach

5 eggs, beaten

3 cups grated cheese

 1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

meat (bacon, sausage etc.) optional

Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a pie dish. Heat oil in a large pan. Add onions and cook (can also add uncooked meat), stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and meat if using. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Put in pie dish.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes.

God Will Turn This Trial Into a Blessing

 Last night Johan and I were looking at the traffic light system to see how/if it effects The Little Haven. I don't usually keep too updated with the news as it has the ability to depress me. Thinking about all the new changes and the whole covid situation once again made me feel depressed and very fearful of the future.

But when I got into bed and opened up my Bible, this phrase jumped off the page. 

"...Our God turned the curse into a blessing."

What a neat verse! (It is talking about when Balaam was hired to curse the Israelites, but God only let a blessing come from it. Nehemiah 13:2b)

Whether the whole covid thing is a "curse" or not is debatable! But I'm sure everyone would agree that is a big trial.

We serve a God who has the ability to turn any and every trial into a blessing. What matters is not so much who is right and who is wrong in the whole thing or even how we will be effected by it all. What matters is that we know this God and are staying close to Him. Then whatever happens to us, God will make it into a blessing that we never would have had without the trial.

God WILL make this trial a blessing! Keep your eyes on Him.

Get Your Focus Right!

Life is very busy at the moment. Last week I worked at school four mornings a week instead of three, and this week is the same. On top of that, there has been extra busyness, like end of year activities, on top of the usual busyness. The more I thought about the busyness, the more tired and overwhelmed I felt. I had to remind myself that "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." If I focus on my busyness, I will feel paralyzed by overwhelm and tiredness. If I focus on Christ, I will find the strength to get through each day.

God will not give me more than I can handle with His help.

If David had of focused on the size of Goliath, he would have been paralized with fear, just like everyone else. But his focus was on God, and that's how he fought Goliath.

When Peter's eyes were on Christ, he could do the impossible and walk on water. When he looked around at the storm, he started to drown.

This busyness at the moment is just a season. I definitely don't want to be this busy all the time, but right now it's a necessity. Sometimes we need to say "No" so we don't get too busy. But sometimes it's just a time we need to go through. If our eyes are on Christ, we can do it. But if our eyes are on the size of our challenges or the storm around us, we won't get very far.

I need to keep things simple at the moment, some things can wait till the holidays, our biscuits may be store bought and the house may be less clean than usual, but I CAN do the job that God wants me to do right now.

Maybe you are overwhelmed by the challenges in your life or in the world around you. It makes a huge difference when you don't meditate on these things. Meditating and focusing on negative things somehow makes them seem much bigger. Instead remind yourself that God is limitless and that "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

When our eyes are on Christ, He can do amazing things through us! Things we could never do in our own strength.

Simple Living & Simple Faith

 (Crunchy Lemon & Poppyseed Muffins Recipe Below)

This video is a little different than usual as I have a bit less time to make them. But I hope it's a blessing to someone!

Crunchy Lemon & Poppyseed Muffins
2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup poppyseeds
finely grated rind of 2 lemons

100g butter

 2 large eggs

1 cup milk

juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup sugar

Heat oven to 200C. Measure the flour, sugar and poppyseeds into a large bow. Finely grate all the coloured rind from the lemons and add to the flour mixture. Heat the butter in a microwave dish or pot until just melted. Add the eggs and the milk and beat with a fork until everything is thoroughly combined. Tip the liquid into the dry ingredients and fold together until the flour is dampened. Do not beat till smooth.

Spoon mixture into 12 regular muffins pans.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until cooked. 

While muffins cook, squeeze the lemon juice and mix with the second amount of sugar.

Allow the muffins to cool in their pans for 3-4 minutes, then take them out and brush the lemon and sugar mixture over their entire surfaces. Cool on a rack.

More with Less?

(Golden Syrup Pudding and Chocolate Brownie Cookie Recipes below.) 

In this video I share a frugal simple dessert that I make with Lydia,  how to make my favourite chocolate brownie cookies, a frugal living challenge, and two quotes from Joni Eareckson Tada which I read on the weekend. One of the quotes I share some thoughts about.

Golden Syrup Pudding
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tblsp cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk
Mix into a stiff dough. Place in a deep oven proof dish.
Pour over:
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup sugar
50g melted butter
2blsp golden syrup
Cook at 180C for 30-40 minutes till cake is cooked through.

Chocolate Brownie Cookies
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cup sugar (or a little less!)
225 gr butter, melted (1 cup)
4 tblsp oil
2 egg
4 tsp vanilla
22/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 175C. Line trays with baking paper. Mix cocoa, white sugar, butter and oil. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. Do not overbeat. Drop tablespoonfuls onto trays. Bake for 12 minutes.