October 16, 2005

• Blessed Day!

  
  

  It was family day at our home. I think I’ve shared earlier that my son and his family live on our 10 acres and help in running our family business. Our daughter has recently started working now and then in the business, too. Today, my daughter and her family came for a visit. It’s been wonderful having her come to the property once a week  recently to work  in the office. I love being able to see her and my grandson more regularly. Today my husband, son and son in love worked on building a porch on my son’s home. The girl’s worked in the office while the grands and I played! We also took a walk to the back of the property to feed the chickens, ducks and goose. I had bought a wire brush to scrub out some of the water buckets. It worked great to clean out the algae. The children fed the animals lettuce and vegetable scraps. I hope to buy some heavy plastic to cover the windows and door of the chicken coop this next week. The wind is howling outside so I think we are headed for some cold winter. It always makes me feel so good to know that not only my family is safe and warm inside on cold winter nights but that that animals have clean pens and are as warm as possible, too.

  
  

  I’ve been cooking for a few days to prepare for today. I made homemade ice cream a few days ago. Yesterday I made a boysenberry cobbler and chocolate chip cookies for the grands. Today I made some deviled eggs. We barbecued steaks and ribs. My daughter in love made a tortellini salad and my daughter made a green bean casserole and brought some french bread. Everything was so yummy. (The ice cream, pie crust and tortellini salad recipes are found on my website. )

  
  

  We all had a lovely time but it passed too quickly. I’m thankful for these times where we can all come together and fellowship. Normally, we have a family gathering once a month either for a birthday or just to share a meal. The grandchildren love getting together, too.

  
  

  I’m listening to a CD set I received this week called Valley of Vision. It’s a collect of old puritan prayers. I’ve had the book for quite a few years and was so excited to see that the prayers had been put on CD.  My daughter bought me a CD player for my birthday. I have it in my kitchen and was able to listen to these prayers while I was cooking this morning. The prayers are full of rich teaching and doctrine. I found myself repeating these prayers and making them my own. I wanted to give you just a taste of what they are like…

  
  

   

  
  

  Longings after God

  
  

  My dear Lord, I can but tell Thee that Thou knowest I long for nothing but Thyself, nothing but holiness, nothing but union with Thy will. Thou hast given me these desires, and thou alone canst give me the thing desired. My soul longs for communion with Thee, for mortification of indwelling corruption, especially spiritual pride. How precious it is to have a tender sense and clear apprehension of the mystery of godliness, of true holiness! What a blessedness to be like Thee as much as it is possible for a creature to be like its creator! Lord, give me more of Thy likeness; enlarge my soul to contain fullness of holiness; engage me to live more for Thee. Help me to be less pleased with my spiritual experiences, and when I feel at ease after sweet communings, teach me it is far too little I know and do. Blessed Lord, let me climb up near to Thee, and love, and long, and plead, and wrestle with Thee, and pant for deliverance from the body of sin, for my heart is wandering and lifeless, and my soul mourns to think it should ever lose sight of its beloved. Wrap my life in divine love, and keep me ever desiring Thee, always humble and resigned to Thy will, more fixed on Thyself, that I may be more fitted for doing and-suffering.

  
  

   

  • 2:17 am
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