"What is the most important thing in the world?"

That is the question my third child just asked me. He didn't wait for an answer, though...

"I think it's water. You know, because we can't live without water. J thinks it's bread and water but I think it's just water. Without water nothing could grow. we wouldn't have apples and plums and watermelon. We wouldn't have anything to drink. Yup, I think water is the most important thing in the whole world."

I opened my mouth to give a reply, but before I could, he jumped in again...

"And what is more important--plates or cups? J and I agree on that one. We both think it's the cup. Because without the cup, we couldn't drink water, milk, juice, or pop, or anything. Plates are important and I'm glad we have them, but I have definitely decided that cups are most important."

Without any input from me, the subject changed and they were back to discussing super heroes and their overall number ratings---and why they disagree with Marvel dot com on many of their posted ratings.

My first thought: I think I know where these kids get their love of talking and debate from.

My second thought: I'm glad I don't have to decide what is most important in the world. I'm glad the Heavenly Father saw fit to provide everything we need----and all things for our enjoyment. Big or small, He created them all.

My third thought: This reminds me of the body of Christ and how each person has their place---a hand, a foot, an eye, etc. All of the body works together----no one part being more important than the other.

My fourth thought: I wonder what part I am... I'd like to be the hands.... or maybe the mouth... but I'm probably more like a leg hair or something. Or worse, a bunyan. A wart.

My fifth thought: Just like Tinkerbell in the Tinkerbell movie, I need to find my place in the body and run with it instead of trying to be something I'm not.

My sixth thought: I think too much.

My seventh thought: Man these kids are like me! Poor things!

And my final thought: I really should blog this. ;)

Thoughts of Thanksgivings Past

That, my friends, is a mud oven. It is attached to one of our outbuildings. Originally the room it is attached to was the outdoor kitchen, extremely useful in the summer months when cooking with a woodstove indoors is miserable. Then it was converted to a sick room where the former owner's Mother-in-law lived her last days. Today it is a tool shed.

Two years ago we didn't have any sort of kitchen. I cooked with an electric skillet. So when we were given a live turkey for Thanksgiving by a fellow missionary, we decided to fire up the mud oven. We were told that we would need to build a good fire in there and when it was down to a lot of coals, put the bird inside for a few hours for cooking.

But I'm getting a little ahead of myself----first we had to butcher the turkey, which I wanted no part of. My Love, who had never butchered anything in his life, decided he wanted to be the one to do it. He took it to a national Pastor's house for instructions. So he laid the bird on a stump and held it down. Then he lifted the axe to chop the head. His big mistake? Closing his eyes. He gave it a swift chop to the wing. Not good. So the Pastor's wife grabbed it and quickly took care of the job. The story quickly circulated among the churches and my Love was teased for months (all in good fun).

When he brought the bird home, I brined it in salt water over night. On Thanksgiving morning of 2007, I went out early, finding a light coating of snow on the ground. I started the fire, confident that I was doing everything right.

Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. I still don't know.

The smoke was TERRIBLE! It did not go up through the chimney but filled the room. I can't even explain how awful it was!

But I still had to cook the bird. HOW???

I just did.

And when it was done and we sat down to eat it, my Love said it was the best smoked turkey he ever ate. LOL!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We just finished reading Psalm 100, praying, and eating a feast together. What a wonderful time around the table!

Turkeys here are skinny and expensive, so I served roast chicken and a pork roast. In addition I served mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, dressing, and rolls. It was quite a juggling act, though, because I cook on a mini-stove. And my mini-stove has a quirk----when the oven is on, the right burner doesn't work, leaving me with only one burner.

So I improvised. I fired up the woodstove and cooked/baked with that along with my mini-stove. I hopped back and forth between stove and woodstove and table, where I peeled, cored, chopped, stirred, rolled, fluted, etc.

At 1pm I served dinner. My Love read to us from the Bible and shared from his heart what he was thankful for. It was precious.

I didn't eat much because I wasn't very hungry. But this evening I plan on making up for it when we eat our pumpkin roll and apple pie with ice cream.

Now it's time for a nap.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Final Truth

Truth:

1. People want to know what truth is. It's an age-old questions. In today's world, truth is made out to be up to the individual---whatever they think is truth must be truth. Not so.

2. The only truth that we see with our physical eyes is birth and death. All other truth is believed by faith.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

3. The Bible shows us truth, which we see and understand by faith. God is truth. Jesus is truth. No one comes to God except through Jesus.

4. The truth for the unbeliever is that they are condemned by their own unbelief. The truth has been told. Christ's arms are open wide. The gift is yours for the taking.

5. The truth for the believer is that Christ is with us. He is our comfort. He hears our every prayer. With Him we can do all things. He is our strength. Our song. Our helper. And when the last breath is breathed, we will have a home in Heaven with Him. He promised it.

Truth for the Believer

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." Mark 9:23

"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 17:24

"But as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" John 1:12

And these precious promises:

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." John 14:1-18

Today you can find me at CLUTCH

CLUTCH is a blog devoted to encouraging preachers' wives. What a wonderful ministry!

So check them out. You'll be glad you did. And while you're there, check out my guest blog, which I needed very much to read today myself. I hope it's a blessing to you.

Part 2

Part 3

Truth for the Unbeliever

Again, I will let scripture speak for itself.

"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."


Stay tuned for the final installment in the Truth series, Truth for the Believer.