Plea From/For We Who Love to Live...

Lord, teach us how to teach and love

And make this our plea

That undecided hearts will move

And make a choice for thee

Lord, teach us so that in return

We do not misguide youth

How awful to live, but not learn

The Salvation of truth

Lord, teach us as we have and hold

These days, but not for long

The Way, not ways, that lead to God

When this small life is gone

© Janet Martin

For we who love gardening this is a glorious time of year as we chop-chop fresh ingredients into dinner-delights! 

This got me to thinking about what we do with the bare ingredients of life…

what are we making with them? 

There is so much we can make but choosing the right ingredients will be the difference between success or failure…delight or despair…life or death.

 Lord, teach us how to choose the right ingredients so we may make a worthy Little While.

About the salad: 

I love this easy, healthy dish of assorted beans and chick peas then add some of these veggies or all: celery, onion, peppers, zucchini, cucumber. 

Delicious without dressing or toss lightly with your favorite oil/vinegar dressing. 

Add tomatoes only to the amount you are serving immediately, rather than the whole bowl because it spoils a lot more quickly with tomatoes.

Otherwise this salad, if kept refrigerated, keeps for nearly a week. 

If you forget its still in the fridge after a week the smell will help you remember;-0!!

If We Look, Look

Above page from Anne of Windy Poplars

If we look, look, right where we are

And count the beauty that we see

The sky all polka-dot with stars

The morning’s quiet victory

The thrum of rain-drops on the roof

The clouds billowed on blue above

If we look, look we will find proof

That life is full of goodness, love

If we are weighed with daily care

And struggle through each day to day

Consumed with burdens we must bear

How much we miss along the way

Summer’s wild-flower thoroughfare

That runs its rivers through the fence

The rainbow-tinsel-colored air

Of childish laughter; innocence

Of dusk that does not seal our fate

But simply closes a small door

Of love, that never fills our plate

But always leaves us wanting more

Of smiles that gentle every face

Of hope in spite of heartache, yes

Of forgive-and-forgetting grace

That fills the heart with happiness

If we look, look, right where we are

And count the blessings that we see

And remember, God is not far

Nor ever forgets you or me

Then, if we look with thankful eyes

Past all the troubles we have had

Then it should come as no surprise

We find kind reasons to be glad

© Janet Martin

 A Glimpse at my yesterday-gladness:)

Little girl in big, green sun-hat constantly asking 'what I do now?'

so we went tomato-picking

 Her sweet, sweet sister, a lisping 6 yr. old chatter-box, waiting for new front teeth

and rain! glorious, glorious much needed rain!

Then, Why, Who and Whatever For?!

If we give out of diehard love

And if we live our day to day

The best way that we can think of

If we are careful what we say

…if we don’t waste so we don’t want

And we don’t want more than we need

And if we try to make the most

Of moments as they stilly bleed

…and if we, in our heart of hearts

Believe in what is good and right

And our righteous anger smarts

As we watch greedy more-lords fight

…if we love our neighbor but

Deny God who loves us far more

And in the end miss the reward

Because of who we did it for

If we give out of diehard love

And if we live our day to day

The best way that we can think of

When God asks ‘why’ what will we say?

© Janet Martin

We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19

Acts 14:15
"Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. 

We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

Thursday Thoughts on This and That...

Are you enjoying the Olympics? We try to stay tuned a little during our busy summer days.

 How else can we show appreciation for the endurance and years of training these athletes have committed to.

Last night when I was biking (it was hot, my tires were a little slack, the gravel on the shoulder loose, and biking was hard!!) so I pretended I was an Olympian, determined to cross the finish-line (aka home-driveway;-)

It made me think of another finish line that Paul talks about long ago…

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?

Run in such a way as to take the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline.

They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.…

1 Cor.9:24

May our daily goal be to run the race with endurance so that someday we may proclaim,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;

in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

2 Tim.4:7-8

If you want to be a success,

And if you want to be a star

If you want to make a diff’rence

Then be faithful,

 Right where you are

Not in some far and future day

Not in some better this or that

Oh, if you want to be a star

Then be faithful,

Right where you’re at

***

Piety is not enough

To save the sinner’s soul

But salvation, God’s perfect love

Makes Imperfection whole

***

It is not enough to wish

Wish sires despair

Better then, to take each plea

And turn it into prayer

***

Who of us, in all this fuss

Has every answer; none

Who of us does not need trust

In He whose will is done?

Who of us can say our way

Is better then, than His?

Who of us midst all this fuss

Remembers this; God IS

***

Thank-you God, for morning

And for noon and night

Thank-you that we do not know

What waits beyond our sight

Thank-you for Your promise

No matter what the plight

You do not forsake us

Morning, noon and night

***

We grow old with our habits

Thus we should be on guard

And mold our habits with great care

For they make who we are

***

Ability is like a bud

Lifted on root and stem

How hardly it could bloom, my love

If not held up by them

***

Stay the course and do not waver

Fight the fight and do not quit

Live, but not to gain man’s favor

But for God who ordained it

***

We becomes who we ought to be

Not by self-centered quest

But in God first, then others needs

Thus we become our best

© Janet Martin

Hope you have a happy Thursday. 

Here Thursday promises to be another scorcher so I better finish my Cucumber Hotdog Relish before it gets too hot...

 This mixture of cabbage, cucumber, green tomatoes and onions sat overnight. It is ready for red peppers and celery, then boiling with a sugar-vinegar syrup and sealing.

Actually, why don't I give you my mom's recipe? 

It is yummy on hotdogs, burgers, tuna sandwiches and sandwiches in general!

Hotdog Relish

8 large cucumbers or 12-16 med.

I small head of cabbage

12-18 green tomatoes depending on the size of them

8 med onions

put through course grater.

Add a handful of salt and let sit overnight.

In the morning, drain,

add 3 chopped red peppers and 1 bunch celery, chopped

Bring to boil:

2 cups vinegar

7 cups sugar

1 tsp. celery seed

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. tumeric

Add veggies. 

(make sure you have a heavy pot and stir constantly to keep it from burning)

boil 15 min. 

Put in jars and seal!

A few hours later...I forgot what a big batch this is! Recipe can be halved if this is too much.
On the other hand, this lasts for years in the fruit cellar.