Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God

Hello dear friends and quiet followers,

In my quiet time today the Lord laid a message on my heart, which I wanted to share before it left me and my mind would once again become full of other things.

The message was simple...I even hinted at this in my last post. It has to do with cleaning. Just when I think I have come to the end of this cleaning and clearing...yet another area of our home, like the top of a cupboard will come to mind and I think "Oh yes I must get to that, no doubt its dusty and a lot of things will need to be discarded". 

So as I was meditating on this, I felt the Lord impress on my heart "that's what I've been doing with you". He's been cleaning and clearing my heart while I've been cleaning and clearing our home !!! (smile). I felt quite excited about this. 

It's so easy to fill our hearts up with wrong thinking, to form judgements about people or situations, without stopping to ask God what does He think about it? To assume He thinks as I do. To a non-believer this sort of self-examination possibly does not even enter their consciousness, but for those who do believe, and who strive to be pure in heart, then it is a very important matter. 

I believe prayer is key, as in prayer we can seek God's will and His heart in all situations. There have been many times of late when I have been greatly troubled. Our world is in such a state. I often write about world events in my journal and will write, where is this all headed?, but then I also write, that no matter what, God knows the outcome, and I don't need to worry. All I need to do is to trust Him completely, to cleave to Him, to His word and speak to Him all throughout the day. Sometimes the Lord puts a little picture into my mind. I know it's from Him as I wasn't thinking it. One day He showed me me standing and it was like a wave came and bowled me over. Then in this picture my spirit stood up. What was impressed on my heart was this: I need to surrender to God all areas of my life, as there are so many things/situations I will have no control over. I need to surrender my circumstances, my surroundings and my relationships completely to Him. 

I often repeat Proverbs 3: 5-6 to myself, actually if I am having an anxious day I will say it a lot "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path". This proverb gives me great peace !! For me it is a surrendering, releasing prayer. I let whatever that is troubling me go, I unclench my hand. I release it to His control and care.

This is the way the Lord is working within me. This is the cleaning and clearing He is doing. He is helping me to trust Him. He is teaching me just how very vital it is to develop and deepen my faith, my dependence on the Lord in all areas of my life. 

If I am trying to control situations, then I am not trusting that He will help me, I am merely living my life trusting in my own strength. When I pray I ask the Lord to clean out any junk in my heart, any fear, any anxiety, any negative or wrong thinking. 

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God

Life with the Lord is a journey. We are always on the anvil, He is hammering away (if we submit and desire this) to help us draw closer to Him, to grow in faith and trust, to seek His heart of pure Love and to imitate that. What a wonderful blessing to know God and to keep on learning more about Him. I'm grateful for everything He has delivered me from, even though most of the time it is painful.

I hope this little writing is encouraging to someone. I am just sharing what God is doing in me, but maybe it will resonate with you too? Many blessings and peace to you ~ Linda

Contentment

Hello friends and quiet followers, my last blog post was called 'strangers and pilgrims' and without even intending to I ended up being a stranger here for just over a year.. So I am sorry for that. 

I just felt a strong urge to pull away from a lot of 'online' activities and give my full attention to my home and family, and that's what I've been busy with over this last year. I'm so glad I made that decision, that I chose to put that part of my life before anything else. I also believe this is biblical. Our homes/marriages are meant to be first in our life and our home environment should be peaceful and a haven for all who enter, especially our husbands and children. I've also been delving deeper into the Word of God, praying harder and asking the Lord to help remove any junk from my heart.

I had spent too many years feeling very stressed, like I was on an invisible treadmill. That's because I was, and I was just trying to juggle too many plates. My health wasn't good, I was getting sick a lot and had problems sleeping. Obviously I couldn't do it all.  So I decided to close my soap business completely. I still help my daughter and manage my own home and that is enough. I wish I had done it sooner as what I am doing now brings me joy. I have peace and always feel very contended being at home, being around my grandchildren and doing all the homemaking related work. I don't miss the soap business one little bit !!

I feel like I'm creating a 'new calm', a 'new rhythm' in our home, something altogether different. I think homes always used to be this way. Mum's were mostly at home, and sometimes grandparents might have been living in the house too, so that meant extra help with the day to day tasks. My own Nana was such a joy, with such a ready smile. I loved her soft, crinkly old hands and her full biscuit tins. She didn't live with us, but we visited her every Saturday for a big scrumptious morning tea and often aunties/uncles and cousins were there too.

                                    

I also wanted a clean, tidy and organised home and I knew no one was coming to do this for me. It was my job. I believe good organisation is vital in a home, as it saves time and helps everything to run more smoothly and calmly.  e.g If I want to mend something, I know exactly where to go to get my sewing box and where my little extra bits of fabric are that I will need for the task, without having to spend half an hour searching all over the house for it. I actually have my sewing machine set up most of the time, so I can easily fix things. 

I find I spend less at the grocery store as I have a better idea of what's in my pantry, and freezer and can plan meals accordingly. Because I have more time to cook I enjoy it more too. I believe this is the way things should be. I don't know what's happened in the world, why it's all changed so much and so quickly. Well...I suppose I do know. I know it's a whole lot of things, but we can change our lives. We don't have to go with the staus quo. We can make a new normal, create a way to live that suits us, and our beliefs. 

Anyway....so I have been slowly going through my entire house from room to room, hallways, cupboard, linen cupboard etc, organising almost everything. I'm pretty sure I may have mentioned all this before, so forgive me if I have :) but it's a pretty efficient system now I must say. I've taken endless excess to thrift stores too. We normally don't need bigger houses, (unless we have a large family) we just need to have regular clean outs !! I know some people aren't bothered by clutter, but I am not one of them. Clutter makes me feel stressed.  Still, having said this...I believe this is something I will routinely need to do as by nature I am always acquiring more stuff ! especially books and clothing from thrift stores (my two weaknesses) :)

Well friends that's all I wanted to say for now...... other than it's Winter time here in New Zealand, I still have trees that haven't been pruned yet..oops, I still have weeds in my garden, there is still cobwebs to be pulled down here and there and the dust is always settling. I have more pumpkin gingerbread planned to bake tomorrow :) and I still probably need to lose a few pounds, but hey tomorrow is a new day. I have joy in my heart today, peace in my life on a regular basis and I know I am loved by the Lord. Life is good ! I hope it is good for you too x

Blessings and peace ~ Linda

Strangers and Pilgrims

 

Hello dear friends and quiet followers,

I hope your week is going well? It's Winter here in my corner of the world, so I am tucked up cozy here in our little cottage. Today I've been baking Gingerbread; actually I've baked this recipe about every two weeks lately, as it's just so scrumptious. I find it's best to leave it (wrapped) to sit for a day and the flavours develop even more and it is very moist. If you live in a warm climate I recommend keeping it in the fridge. Here's the recipe:

~ P U M P K I N  G I N G E R B R E A D ~

1 cup Pumpkin puree 

Half cup apple butter or applesauce

Half cup milk

2 eggs - beaten

70g butter - melted

1 teaspoon Ginger, 1 teaspoon mixed spice

1.5 teaspoons cinnamon, half teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 Cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons molasses

One and a half cups of flour + 1 - 2 Tablespoons extra if needed

1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all together and bake in a lined loaf pan for 50 - 60 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

(I snagged this pic off the internet (Mississippi Sideboard)as I forgot to take one..., but it it looks just like this)

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..Now what I actually wanted to share was something that happened this week. 

I don't know about you, but I try to keep a very neat and tidy home, with varying degrees of success :)

I also appreciate all the little things we have in our home, such as antiques, various finds from the thrift store, handmade items etc. But just lately I have had several accidents with things. First off a handle broke on a vintage cup that I love. I was very sad about this, as it was a set, with a cup, saucer and plate that my husband gave me one year as an anniversary present. I was going to try to glue the handle on, but my husband thought that would make the cup unsafe, especially as it holds hot liquids !!...so I sadly threw it in the rubbish :(

...then just yesterday I was putting away some bleach and the top wasn't on properly and some spilled on my new apron that I handmade :( I've made three aprons out of one linen tablecloth that I purchased from kmart. The tablecloth cost about $12.00, but the PROJECT to get these aprons cut out and sewn has taken me almost a year ! I don't have a lot of spare time, so I just snatch time when I can. They are cross over aprons and I wear one every day to help keep my clothes clean. So I found it very disappointing when I've worked so hard on them that one is now stained by a bleach splodge.

...then just today I was getting ready to wash some dishes and accidentally wacked the top of my new food processor lid with a knife and its made a small shattered mark on the rim....oh my ! 

Maybe for some people all of this would be no big deal, but for me I try to look after all my things, as I know the labour involved to earn money to buy them and or the time it takes to make something by hand. So I was feeling a little flat about it all. 

At the same time as I was thinking about it, I felt the Lord changing my focus. So I went with it and it was like he was saying to my heart 'Why are you so downcast over these material things which are here today and gone tomorrow. They are only temporary and not eternal'. I knew this was the truth. They are just things. It was a good lesson and I'm thankful for the reminder. I need to not hold onto things too tightly.

I tend to be a home body and also by nature an introvert. I enjoy my own company and can happily stay busy here at home. I have to be careful though that my very home and it's contents doesn't become an 'idol' of sorts, as it truly is my escape from the world. I suppose in a way, my home is is an area where I feel I have some control. We can choose what comes into it, when so much that is happening in the world today, I have no control over. There's just so much that I don't agree with. 

So I am learning to not be too upset over small things, even if it did have a special meaning attached to it. All things wear out, break, and decay eventually. And one day this home here on earth, with all it's special little things will not be my world anymore.

 Matthew 6:19 - 20

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

I will leave you with this precious old hymn, I hope you enjoy it as much as me. Blessings and peace to you all ~ Linda

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This World Is Not My Home by A P Carter 1931

This world is not my home I'm just passing through my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore O Lord you know I have no friend like you if Heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do? the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore They're all expecting me and that's one thing I know my savior pardoned me and now I onward go I know He'll take me through though I am weak and poor and I can't feel at home in this world anymore O Lord you know I have no friend like you if Heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do? the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore Just up in Glory Land we'll live eternally the Saints on every hand are shouting victory their song of sweetest praise drifts back from Heaven's shore and I can't feel at home in this world anymore O Lord you know I have no friend like you if Heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do? the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore       ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ https://youtu.be/vJP5XGFbcUQ If you copy this little link above it will take you to a delightful version of this song being sung. It blessed me, I hope it will do the same for you.

Just a glimpse ...

 

Hello dear friends and quiet followers

Today as I was making the finishing touches to our evening meal, I glimpsed a sliver of rainbow out the window. It was so lovely and simple, that straightaway the thought came to me that it was a glimpse of God and of His faithfulness. Sometimes that’s all we need to sustain us, to continue on. 

We know He is a God who keeps His promises, and who is forever faithful. I was reflecting on just that last week, while driving to visit my mum. Suddenly in the car I was just overcome with joy. I’d been thinking about my oldest granddaughter who will turn thirteen shortly. I thought how faithful God has been in her life, how he answered a prayer I prayed to Him when she was just a wee baby. I was so joyful I was nearly giggling and openly smiling in the car. Any one passing would have thought I was a bit loopy, but no, it was the joy of the Lord filling me up.

God does that with us all the time, if we are ‘awake’ and aware of His ways. They can be ever so subtle. If we are always desiring to be in His presence and constantly remind ourselves that He is always with us, then we won’t miss these little moments. I often pray: Lord may I have eyes to see and ears to hear what your Holy Spirit is saying and showing me today. 

This is all I have to share, but I trust it will encourage someone.

Blessings ~ linda

Dear Lord

Dear Lord,

I thank you for your Word, the Holy Bible, for it reminds me of who you are and of your character which is holy, righteous and just.

I thank you that you are all seeing and all knowing. That you are omni-present; everywhere all at the same time. How wonderful this is. You are here with me right now, and yet you are still also in the furthest places of the earth.

 I thank you that there is no where I could go or be, that you are not there. You whispered to me once that you would never leave me and I know this to be true.

Art by Richard Taylor

I thank you that you are always faithful. loving, forgiving, merciful and true and that your ways are perfect. O how blessed is your name Father God - Yahweh. How blessed am I to be your child.

Art by Charles Edward Wilson

I thank you that I can call on you at any time, at all times and anywhere; and that you hear me; that    your interested in what I have to say and that you will answer me and my prayers in your  own special, loving way.

How blessed I am to know you, to love you and to call you my Lord and my Saviour.

Help me to cleave to you today; may I seek your face and speak to you throughout the day. Help me to be ever conscious of your nearness and to know and trust this deep down in my heart. 

May I be comforted by this knowledge of your character and strengthened in my spirit as I grasp your deep love for me, my precious Lord and dearest friend ~ Amen

An excerpt from my journal today 9/06/2023

The Glorious Season

 

Hello dear friends and quiet followers,

Once again we find ourselves almost at the close of another year. We can reflect on all that has passed,

all the joys and sorrows. All the unexpected blessings, all the struggles we didn't know we would face, and the Lord was with us, right by our side the whole year through. Isn't it a comfort to look back and to realise that. It is for me. I know it's a busy time for so many people, but I wanted to take this opportunity while I have a quieter morning to just reflect on a few things and share them with you. I do love this season best of all !

What does Christmas mean for you?

For me, its the pinnacle of the year. It's the time I reflect on God loving our world so much that He sent His one and only Son. I don't think about that; Christ as a baby that much at any other time. I reflect on all God has blessed us with, all He helped us with and me personally as well. I think about ways I can share and bless others in need; whether that be with some home baking/fudge or in a monetary way. There are so many people struggling financially. If you can ease someone's burden and help them to also enjoy a lovely Christmas, then what joy is that!

 

I think about the special food we will eat at Christmas and all the preparation required to bring that feast to reality. I know you hear me mums out there :) It takes planning and a schedule to flow smoothly. To prepare things in advance so we're not left to do it all on one evening or day. I've already planned our simple menu, printed it out and have put it on the fridge door. I need to make a sponge for the Trifle, as this can be frozen. I'll make the Pavlova the day before and add the cream and strawberries Christmas Day. I've already made my Christmas cake (which is best made weeks before it will be eaten). If prepared and cooked correctly it will last well into the New Year. Our Christmas food is nearly almost the same each year, but we don't always have a turkey. Some years we have a BBQ, and cold ham as its often very hot here in New Zealand, but this year I'm going back to traditional as we will have a smaller group coming.

What special food do you eat in other parts of the world?

M E N U   2 0 2 2

  Roast turkey, stuffing, gravy    

   Cold sliced Ham   

Grainy salad with vegetables

Steamed new potatoes

Roast Pumpkin

Peas

D E S S E R T

Pavlova & Trifle

Maybe Jelly & Ice-cream too :)

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We will probably have nibbles to start. Also I think we will have our meal as a late lunch, instead of dinner, so family with little ones can get them home in time...we will see. Just thinking about it all gets me excited. We don't get to spend Christmas day with all our children as one son lives further away and he will arrive Boxing Day. Our daughter and husband will spend Christmas day with his family this year, so we will see them Christmas Eve. All this juggling happens in most families. We have to be flexible and considerate of others.

Do you have a Christmas tree where you live? We do, and I love to decorate it. This year we opted for buying a small (but very lovely) artificial tree. It's just easier for us now. Although I do miss the lovely piney smell. 

I remember all the different Christmases throughout my life (well not all of them - ha, my memory is not that great!), but I just think of decorating the tree with my sisters when we were little. There was a lot of crepe paper and tinsel :) We also made elaborate streamers going all across the living room ceiling in very bright colours. We would wrap up gifts for each other, which were often just our own toys, but then if we had an argument we would go and remove it from under the tree - I know how silly !! My mum would have us save our pocket money (half of it) through out the year and then we would drive into town to go to one of the big department stores and try to purchase gifts for our siblings with a tiny amount of money. Often it was just sweets.

Oh the joy and excitement of Christmas morning. We get to experience that all over again now, with our grandchildren, as I know many of you do to. We just delight in buying special things for them, knowing they will be so happy. 

I know some people don't celebrate Christmas and that saddens me, more for the children's sake than anything else, because it's so much fun for children. Plus they get taught about the real meaning of Christmas. There are opportunities to encourage them to think of others and how they too can share and bring joy. They get to learn about God's great love and mercy for this world...it's all glorious to me :)

December is a time when I think about Mary the Mother of Christ and all she went through. I reflect on her quiet submission and obedience to God's will for her life. I think about the beginning for baby Jesus and then the simple humble life he led. 

Isn't it glorious? Isn't it just so lovely, that God had this all planned. What a joy to spend time reflecting on all this; how each person played their part, so that we can have this life in Christ now.

Thank you friends for visiting my blog; your kind comments have been like gifts to me this year.

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I don't know if I will get a chance to write anymore words here this year, but I may :)

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I pray you all have a blessed, Merry Christmas, that you will get to be with

family, and that you will know the joy and true meaning of Christmas

Much love ~ Linda

He Heals Us

Advent leads up to a birthday. At Christmas we celebrate him who said he came to free the oppressed and the imprisoned, to heal suffering hearts, and to stand by the forgotten: Jesus Christ. He showed us that God is not somewhere far off, but close to us, like a person who has come to visit us. Like a brother who lives and suffers with us. Like someone who loves us.

by Jörg Zink