Two wings lift a person up from earthy concerns: simplicity and purity. Simplicity should be in intention, purity in feelings. Simplicity reaches out after God, purity catches hold and tastes. ~ Thomas A’Kempis

Tuesday 11 August 2020

Don't lose your head





Hello dear readers (friends),
I hope your all well and trying to maintain your calm in these unusual times we are living in. It's been a while since I shared anything much at all, other than pictures of my cleaning out the pantry and I had something on my heart so decided to just go ahead and share it. 
Does anyone else remember the children's story book: Chicken Lickin?




 Chicken Lickin thinks the sky is falling in because an acorn drops on his head. He plans to tell the King this news and on his way meets various friends/characters who all believe him and follow him without question to tell the king. Eventually they also tell Foxy Loxy (crafty and clever) and he leads them to his den where his wife and children are waiting and they eat them for their dinner. Moral of the story: Question everything, don't believe everything you hear, think for yourself and use your head - be wise.

Saying or expression: lose (one's) head
To lose one's composure and act emotionally or irrationally. You need to calm down before you talk speak. You don't want to lose your head before finding out someone else's side of the story. freedictionary.com

There is nothing new under the sun. God sent His prophets to encourage the people with the same sound advice when they faced difficult situations in their history.
Isaiah 8: 11 - 13

This is what the Lord says to me: With His strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of His people:12 - Do not call conspiracy everything this people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 13 -The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, He is the one you are to fear, He is the one you are to dread.

Jeremiah 10: 2 This is what the Lord says: Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by the signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them.
Matthew Henry's commentary advises: Do not be afraid of evil tidings on earth but let your hearts be fixed. Fear not that which they fear or be afraid as they are. Jeremiah advises the people to a greater religious fear "But sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself". 
Note: The The believing fear of God is a preservative against the disquieting fear of man. We must look upon God who has all power in His hand and all creatures at his beck. 

Several years back I a had a very unusual and vivid dream concerning the future, where it was all grey and gloomy. People were running around terrified, in and out of buildings. I didn't understand in the dream what was happening and remember feeling very calm. I looked up and before my eyes thousands of sticks were swirling in the air and assembling themselves into an ark. The next moment I was in that ark. I was standing in line with others to get food. When I got to the front of the line, someone was handing out what looked like wafers. They were to be our food (like manna). The taste was anything you wanted it to be. The impression the Lord laid on my heart after I woke, was that God knows His own and we are not to live/walk in FEAR. He is sovereign, in control and His plan is unfolding. All believers need to be is be alert, be faithful, have oil in our lamps, continue in prayer, bible reading, fellowship, encouraging one another in this way. Loving the Lord and serving Him with all our hearts, soul mind and strength and loving our neighbour as yourself.


Their are all kinds of controversies, doomsday theories, scare mongering going on. There may be a little truth in some of it? But it's not something I'm going to base my life upon. Laundry still needs to be done, families need to be nurtured and fed...Elderly parents need to be looked in on...gardens get weedy, bills need to be paid....people need to go to work...babies are being born....a new season will roll around, life goes on and must.  

Some Tips to NOT LOSE your HEAD:

1. Walk in wisdom. Be wise as you go about daily life. Don't believe everything you hear or read. Do some research if need be. 

2. Be prepared (my girl scout motto) It's always sensible to be prepared in case of an emergency of any kind - be that illness, loss of job etc. I always keep at least 6 weeks extra food in the house. It's wise to have at least 3 months extra stored away (in my opinion - more if you can afford it ). We eat very little meat these days, so it's quite inexpensive to do this. I always have a good stock of dry good: rice, flour, dried beans, dried soup mix, canned fish, canned beans, frozen vegetables, spices, herbs etc on hand. I store extra rice in the freezer if I don't have an airtight container available. We grow a lot of fruit and I preserve it in the summer, freeze some and make jam. I make pickles/relishes for our sandwiches. 


3. Continue doing the things you always do: Worship the Lord, spend time (everyday) in prayer and in your bible. This maintains my sanity :), my inner peace. Encourage others in the faith to do likewise. Share this hope with those who are unbelievers. A lot of people have no hope or security right now.

4. Don't spend money needlessly. Have some savings in the bank. Make conscious purchases, things that will go the distance, good quality over quantity. Start small eg. I now purchase steel clothespins/pegs instead of plastic, which become brittle and break in our hot summers. Slowly replace cheap items with quality/study materials for garden/home/clothing etc..as you have the money for this.



5. Downsize or move to reduce debt/living costs if possible and if necessary. Pay off excess debt as soon as possible. Buy only what you need. Budget for other things.

6. Plant a garden. If you don't know how, then get a book out of the library. There are endless resources available for free, or watch videos on youtube.



7. Live simply. You don't need to constantly update your wardrobe (unless you have a lot of money and things like this don't concern you). I only get rid of clothes if they don't fit or I know I won't wear it. Then it's donated somehow. Or I wear it out :) - yes I do. !! A simple wardrobe reduces stress. We cook our own meals, we rarely go out to a movie and hardly ever eat out. We don't have a television, just the internet, so we choose what comes into our home. 

8. Health:  Keep yourself and your family safe. If Covid is in your area, then wear a mask if that's what's called for. It's probably sensible in flu season anyway !! If your sick, stay home. Keep needed simple medicines on hand: Disprin, Anti-inflammatories, Bandages, ointments, thermometer etc. Get a water purifier (if you don't have one - we have a Berkey). Maintain good hygiene at all times. Be sensible. Take caution where necessary. DON'T LIVE IN FEAR THOUGH.

9. And finally - be a leader. Lead by example. Let your inner peace be evident. Go about your daily tasks with confidence in tomorrow. If today is all we have, then go out with Joy. Share with others, Say a kind, caring word. Love those around you. Maintain a peaceful, calm, uncluttered, clean, loved home. Love and encourage your husbands !! You'll be surprised how even these simple things can be a witness and a light to others during uncertain times...and well at anytime really  :)

I truly hope this writing will be an encouragement to someone. I know in other countries right now Covid seems like it's out of control, but still heed these words, stay close to the Lord, carry on doing what you need to do. If there's rioting over other matters in your area, keep shining the light of the Lord's love which dwells within your heart, don't give in to fear, or enmity. Don't stoop to another's level, seek the high ground and dwell there. Much love to you all. Stay hopeful. There's a peace in knowing you've done everything in your power to care for your family/home and know God will amply provide the rest. Be comforted in that assurance. His Love covers you. God's got this :)
Blessings ~ Linda


13 comments:

  1. Glory to God for your sweet faithful spirit. Amen and Amen to every word you said. Thank you so much. Be blessed, you and your family.

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    1. Oh Mary, your words made me smile. I knew someone out there would be encouraged by what I said and could have probably written it better themself. There's a lot of us who are practical minded and people of faith too. Lets shine our lights. Bless you xo

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  2. Dearest Linda,

    This is such timely advice and I appreciate that you took the time to put this into a post. You have written so beautifully, I wish I was as good with words...

    I have been struggling quite a bit this week. I have left the TV and radio off during the day and instead listened to Christian music playing softly in the background. I have delved into God's word more than usual because I need to find peace. Meanwhile I have been continuing on with the dailies, like working on mending hubby's yard jeans. He wears the left knee out in every pair! From now on when I buy new I will put a patch on before he wears them haha! Next on my list of sewing is more masks. I have sorted through my material and came up with quite a lot that is suitable to make masks. My daughter in Sydney needs some and today we have been advised that South Australia may soon be doing the same. And soap, cant forget that I want to make soap! Housework is all up to date, except the windows, but they will get done soon. I need to take curtains and blinds down for washing and freshening up.

    I haven't been anywhere in days as I try to work out the best way to plan for this crisis. We are well stocked with the necessities, and my veggie garden is doing well. I think my biggest concern would be about health problems especially teeth as I have had issues this past year. There will be no dentists working if we go back into lock-down, so I am thinking I should go before that happens. Just to be safe. I couldn't think of anything worse than a toothache and no way to get it fixed.

    May God shine on and through you as you journey on your Christian walk, and thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with God's word. Such a calming read in a world of turmoil.

    Lots of love,
    Tania xxx

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    Replies
    1. Hi Tania, Thank you for your sweet encouraging words !!! I'm so glad they inspired you in some way. Yes there is no better place than in prayer and in our bibles - amen !:) I know from reading your blog that your super organised and 'prepped'. Good on you !!! Yes there would be nothing worse than being stuck with a bad tooth :( oh dear. I look forward to you making your soap. I'll keep an eye out for a post on it :) Much love and peace to your dear friend xo (hugs)

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  3. What a beautiful, uplifting and encouraging post Linda. Thank you for sharing your insights and wisdom. I live in Victoria, Australia so this really means a lot at present. Bless you ❤️

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    1. Thank you for your kind words Kaye. I heard Victoria was having a hard time of it, our prayers are with you for a covering over your state and homes ~ Good HEALTH and safety please Lord. Auckland is back into Level 3 in NZ and the rest of us are back up to level 2, which doesn't affect any of us that much other than no gatherings of more than 100. The times we are living in...sigh. Blessings to you x ~ Linda

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  4. This is the best thing I've read about this whole situation in quite some time. You've got the Bible to back you and you've set it to practical hands on situations. Thank you for speaking life and peace into the situation. I'd like to include a link to this article in next week's Weekend Reading at Harvest Lane Cottage. May I have your consent please?

    Thanks,
    Laura Lane

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is the best thing I've read about this whole situation in quite some time. You've got the Bible to back you and you've set it to practical hands on situations. Thank you for speaking life and peace into the situation. I'd like to include a link to this article in next week's Weekend Reading at Harvest Lane Cottage. May I have your consent please?

    Thanks,
    Laura Lane

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    Replies
    1. Thank you sweet Laura for your kind and encouraging words !! Yes share by all means, it may help someone who's struggling :)

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  6. Hi Linda, Yes, it's so important to be peacefully prepared so to speak. : ) I believe in stocking our pantry too, I've even purchased some mylar bags with oxygenaters. Our victor's wreath will be in the prayer closet as you know but plodding along peacefully preparing for any emergency as you wrote is wise and Biblical. My husband and I enjoy flashing a toothy smile at folks at the store and my husband even whistles a cheerful tune! It's a beautiful thing to share that joy to others in a world gone mad.

    Thank you for your cheerful and beautiful blog! I appreciate you! <3

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    1. It's always lovely to hear from you Amelia :) God Bless you !!

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  7. Hi dear Linda,
    I just read this again. It was so helpful AGAIN! God's word and wisdom doesn't go out of style!
    Blessings,
    Laura
    P.S. I'm going to share this again next time I share blogposts.

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  8. Oh that brings me joy Laura. :) Bless you xo

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