Sunset and Comfort

Frances and I enjoyed tonight's sunset in the relatively balmy December air. That is, I enjoyed the sunset while Frances basked in the warmth and security of a lap after last night's stray tomcat trauma. 

Hope through me...

Hope through me, God of Hope,

Or never can I know 

Deep wells and living streams of hope,

And pools of overflow.

Flood me with hope today

For souls perverse, undone,

For sinful souls that turn away, 

Blind sunflowers from their sun.

O blessed Hope of God,
Flow through me patiently,
Until I hope for everyone
As Thou hast hoped for me.
- Amy Carmichael -

Photos from the backyard of our recent doctoring trip airbnb rental.

"...we return glory, honor, and praise, with all thankfulness..."

Thanksgiving looks different this year for many of us. For my family chronic illness continues to wage war in our bodies making for a very low key, small celebration. Yet our hearts are grateful.

As I glance over the history of the first four years at Plymouth, my trials seem small in comparison. I am not starving. I have not lost half my family members to illness. I do not face danger on every side. My clothes are not in rags. If they could praise God for His faithfulness, I most certainly can!

"...having these many signs of God's favor and acceptance, we thought it would be a great ingratitude if secretly we should content ourselves with private thanksgiving for that which by private prayer could not obtain [referring to a day of fasting and prayer for the necessary rain in a time of serious drought that the Pilgrims' crops needed to prevent complete starvation,  summer of 1623]. And therefore another solemn day was set apart and appointed for that end; wherein we returned glory, honor, and praise, with all thankfulness to our God who dealt so graciously with us."

- Edward Winslow -

A Blessed Thanksgiving to you!

P.S. I did not plan ahead with a photo for today, so here is one from my gallery archives. First brush drawing, April 2020.

Pain an Idol?

"Don't let your trial become an idol." That is roughly what Damaras Carbaugh said to me over the radio waves one day six years ago.* No, she didn't use my name. God added my name to Damaras' words as the impact of them settled into my mind. "Don't let your trial become an idol, Elsa."

An idol is something we revere. It is something that consumes our heart, mind and soul. It is something that takes precedence over all objects, events and relationships. It is something we take pride in.

How can something bad become a thing of pride to us? Watch a group of children showing off their badges of honor in the form of bumps and bruises, and you will see pride in something that originally was bad. We adults do the same thing in a more sophisticated way. Well, sometimes we are more sophisticated.

Pride in our trial breeds selfishness. A heart consumed with self has little room for others. Selfishness destroys relationships. We put ourselves before others, and we pull away from God who sees each person's pain with an equal measure of compassion.

"Don't let your trial become an idol, Elsa." I have heard this phrase now and again over the years. The warning has not come over the radio these times but rather from the small voice of my pricked conscience. I have put my trial higher than others’ trials. This has lead to strained relationships. I have let pain gain control of my thoughts. This has lead to distance from my Creator, Savior and Sustainer. Yes, a trial can become an idol.

Nevertheless, idols can be destroyed. Through repentance they can be thrown into the fire of mercy. Forgiveness can replace hurt. The Savior can take back His rightful throne and heal our sinful souls as, by His enabling grace we gaze on Him, not our trials.

*For the original quote and a good dose of godly exhortation that will stir your soul to action, listen to the Revive Our Hearts podcast titled "Walk with Me with Damaris Carbaugh," originally aired in May of 2014. This quote comes from the third part, "Goodbye to Me," but the whole series is well worth a listen.

Learning

 

I'm definitely learning something each time I pick up my watercolor brush. Can you tell which was my first attempted pinecone?

The Best is Yet To Be

Listening in on one side of a telephone conversation, I heard Mom encouraging a friend with the words, "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (Jesus  speaking in John 16:33). In the next room I added my two cents to the conversation (quietly, to Hannah), "The best is yet to be!" Then I laughed. Boy, is that an understatement!

Pictured: sunset over the lake, summer 2020

Roasted Squash Seeds

I think I received a bit of Grandma R's Depression Era thrift. While I don't keep a roll of used cling wrap handy, I do like milking our vitamin rich produce for all it's worth. Scrubbing vegetables rather than peeling, saving a particularly nice cabbage core for Mom to put in her chicken stock, and freezing shredded zucchini to be slowly caramelized on the stove top with a dash of salt and garlic powder for a winter vegetable are a few of my versions of thrift mixed with nutrition. My use of squash has all other forms of thrift beat, though. While we used to keep only the sweet and vibrant squash flesh, roasted, in our freezer, I have now added squash skins and seeds. 

The skins get frozen after roasting wedges of squash until perfectly tender. Scoop out the delicious flesh to eat right away or freeze, remove areas of scabs and scars from the squash, and enjoy as a lower carb version of squash. I especially like this for noon or breakfast, when my body prefers fewer carbs but my palate wants the comfort of squash.

Note No.1: Butternut squash has a hard, waxy skin and is not at all nice for eating. Buttercup, hubbard, kabocha and many others are the way to go.

Note No. 2: My family thinks I'm a bit strange to eat squash skins. I won't judge you if you think the same.

Now for squash seeds. I follow basic principles as for roasting pumpkin seeds. 

Pick out seeds by hand from center of cut open squash. This is a less messy if done before scooping out the waste rather than picking through the waste to find the seeds. 

Place seeds in a bowl, cover in water, and squeeze through fingers to help release stringy flesh. Look out the window while you do this to pass the time enjoying your surroundings.

Drain and rinse in a colander.

Repeat the last two steps two or so more times until slime is mostly removed from seeds.

Optional: Place on a clean towel to dry overnight, or proceed to the next step. (See Note No. 3 below)

Place on backing pan, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. You may add any spice at this point as well: cinnamon, chili, paprika, etc.

Stir, then spread evenly in one layer over pan.

Roast at 300° F for 25-35 minutes, or until lightly golden and nutty in flavor.

Cool, then pack away for later snacking.

Note No 1: Eat husk and all. The flavor is much like popcorn.

Note No. 2: I freeze these in jars for winter snacking to avoid any mold growth from residual moisture. 

Note No. 3: Each squash and pumpkin has a unique seed with various textures and flavors. The hubbard squash seeds shown above are our largest and least tender. I find they are more tender if not air dried before roasting. If you are entering into squash seed snacks with trepidation, stick with the smaller, less husky seeds.