Training to be Godly

One of my favorite Bible verses is 1 Timothy 4:7-8. It says, "Have nothing to do with godless myths an old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (NIV).

I cannot exercise like I used to in the past. I can no longer swim three miles a day. I cannot ice skate and do jumps and spins. I can no longer physically train my body. Some days a one minute drive to the thrift store and 15 minutes of shopping (while sitting most of the time) is my exercise for the day. On other days simply getting out of bed and getting dressed is a big accomplishment.

While I do wish I could exercise and train my body again, I realize that this is not the most important thing. There is something I can do that is even more important, and it has value not only for now, but for the future. My body may be physically disabled, but I can still work on growing in godliness. I can work daily on growing closer to the Lord and becoming a godly woman, a godly wife, and a godly mother. Physical training is valuable, but godliness is of much more value.

Indoor Gardening Fails

Remember my indoor gardening? It didn't work out so well, but I learned a lot of things.

1) We have a cold, humid, and dark apartment that doesn't get direct sunlight.
2) Plants like sunshine and heat.
3) I'm too tired to take plants out into the sunshine on warm days.
4) Even if I could take them out, there are a lot of curious little fingers outside that smoosh the plants.
5) The plants aren't safe inside either. There are also little fingers that live in here.
6) Neither are the plants aren't safe around me. I had a plant that was doing fairly well, and I had high hopes for it. Then I knocked it over, breaking the stems and spilling dirt all over. Oops.

These are my only plants that are still going. They're called 4 O'clocks. They're hanging on, but just barely. I have them next to the kitchen window where they get about 15 minutes of sunlight on some days. I'm hoping that they'll hang on until it is warm and sunny outside and I can put them in a spot where they'll get more light.

Our apartments are right in front of a huge rock wall that has tall trees up on top. Sunlight doesn't reach our apartments or the lawn in front of the apartments until the middle of summer. I'm going to have to find plants that survive with no direct sunlight at all. Suggestions anyone?

Easter Sunday

He is risen! Today I am celebrating the resurrection of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Here is a passage from Matthew that tells of Jesus' resurrection. Happy Easter!

The Resurrection

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Matthew 28:1-10, NIV

It Is Well With My Soul

Because Jesus died on the cross for my sin, because I have trusted Him as my Savior, and because I have the promised hope of heaven, going through trials on earth is so very worth it. Considering all God has done for me, suffering with POTS for a few years on earth is a small sacrifice to make. God made the ultimate sacrifice for me when He sent His Son to die on the cross. Jesus died a horrible death, and God used it for great good - the salvation of all who believe!!! Jesus knows what suffering is. God knows what sacrifice is. I can certainly trust Him to know what He is doing in my life. Following God is worth any cost.

It Is Well

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well with my soul.

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well with my soul,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Words by Horatio G. Spafford, 1873

Easter Eggs

Today Will, William, and I have been decorating Easter eggs and listening to our Easter Music. It's messy, but fun. I like having fun projects and crafts that we can do together while sitting down and staying in one place. It makes life easier for me, while still being exciting and fun for William.

We did mostly hard-boiled eggs, but we did some blown eggs too. I discovered that people with POTS are not meant to blow out eggs. Lucky for me I have a husband who is willing to do it for me. By the time we got to the last egg I figured out that baby nasal aspirators work very well for blowing the egg out. I'll have to file that knowledge away for next year.

Here are some pictures of our fun!

William was very amused by the whole egg dying process.

I learned from Martha Stewart today that you can make pretty patterns on the eggs by wrapping them tightly in lace and then placing them in the dye.

Here is my favorite lacy egg. Martha's turned out better, but who's keeping score?

Martha's hands looked better too. She wears rubber gloves while dying eggs. Obviously I don't!

Our basket of colored eggs. The eggs are new, but the basket is as old as me. I think that Easter grass just might be as old as me too!

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday. This is the day when we remember the death of Jesus on the cross. He willingly gave His life to pay the price for our sins. He died in our place. Jesus, the sinless Son of God, took the punishment for sin that you and I deserve. Because the price for sin has been paid, God freely offers salvation to all who will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Here are some verses from Matthew that tell of Jesus' crucifixion, death, and burial.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"

In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

The Burial of Jesus
As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb
The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."
"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Matthew 27:27-66

Caramel Popcorn

Caramel Popcorn

4-5 quarts of popped popcorn

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup light or dark corn syrup

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Put popcorn in a large brown paper bag.
Combine sugar, butter, syrup, and salt in 2 quart glass bowl. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring after each minute until it comes to a boil. Microwave two more minutes. Stir in baking soda. Pour over popcorn in bag and microwave 1 more minute. Shake well. Microwave for another 1/2 minute.
Pour in pan. Separate. Let cool.

Boiling before adding baking powder.

This is what the caramel looks like once the baking powder is mixed in well.



Yummy!

Want to see more delicious recipes? Head on over to Forever Wherever where a Tasty Tuesday linking party is going on.

Easter Egg Hunt

Here are some pictures from the Easter Egg hunt on Saturday. We all had a fun time. The children found decorated real eggs, and lots of plastic eggs filled with candy. One egg even had a dollar bill inside! Wouldn't you know, no one ever found that egg!!!

And they're off!

I love it when William poses for a picture.

William's basket of eggs

Palm Sunday

The Triumphal Entry

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

"Say to the Daughter of Zion,

'See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

"Hosanna to the Son of David!"

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Hosanna in the highest!"

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"

The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Matthew 21:1-11, NIV

Resurrection Eggs

This afternoon at the Easter Egg hunt I'm going to use these Easter eggs to tell the Easter story. While some of the parents are outside hiding dozens of eggs, the children will be inside with me listening to the true Easter story. I'm getting very tired today, and I didn't sleep well last night. Physically, it's not the best day for a party for me. However, Easter is important, and before the children go hunting for eggs and chocolate, I definitely want to share about Jesus, His death, and His resurrection, and the salvation offered through Him. Here is a copy of my lesson plan. (If you are interested in using the Resurrection Eggs, there are longer versions of the lesson, but I wrote a shorter version because most of the children coming today are between the ages of 2 and 4.)

Resurrection Eggs Lesson Plan

Does anyone know what we celebrate at Easter? We celebrate Jesus rising from the dead! I have some eggs here in my basket that help to tell the story of how Jesus died on the cross and came back to life!

Dark blue egg: bread
Jesus was sharing a special meal to celebrate the Passover with His disciples. During the meal Jesus took some bread and said, “Take and eat. This is my body.” Then he took the cup of wine and said, “Drink. This is my blood which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Christians today still share the bread and the cup. It is a time to remember and proclaim the fact that Jesus gave His life and shed His blood on the cross so that we could be forgiven for our sins.

Do you know what sin is? Sin is anything that we say, think, or do that does not please God. Sin is anything that is naughty. The Bible says that “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23). That means that you have sinned, and I have sinned. But God has never sinned. His Son Jesus has never sinned. God is holy and perfect. Because God is holy, He can’t let sin go unpunished. We all deserve to be punished for our sin. But because God loves us so much, He sent his son, Jesus, to die on the cross and take the punishment that you deserve and that I deserve!

Lime green egg: praying hands
After Jesus and His disciples finished their meal, they went to the garden of Gethsemane together. While Jesus was in the garden He prayed to God the Father. Jesus knew that He was going to be nailed to a cross, and He told God that He was willing to follow God’s plan and die to take the punishment for the sins of the world.

Green egg: 30 pieces of silver
Judas, who was one of Jesus’ disciples, decided to betray Jesus. Judas went to the priests and told them that he would help them get Jesus. They paid Judas 30 pieces of silver to do that. While Jesus was praying in the garden, Judas came with a bunch of armed men. Judas went and gave Jesus a kiss. That was the signal for the men to come and arrest Jesus.

Yellow egg: cross
There were many people who did not like Jesus. They did not want to believe that He was God’s Son, and they did not want obey Him. They mocked Jesus and laughed at Him. They beat Him and spit on Him. They placed a crown of thorns on His head, and they decided that they wanted to crucify Him. Jesus carried His cross to the top of a hill called Golgotha.

Pink egg: nail
Up on the hill the soldiers nailed Jesus’ wrists and feet to the cross and stood the cross up. Even while Jesus was on the cross people were still making fun of him. They said, “If you are the Son of God, come down off the cross and save yourself!” They didn’t know that Jesus was choosing to stay on the cross. He was God and He could have saved Himself, but Jesus chose to stay on the cross. He did it for you, and He did it for me. You and I both deserve to die because of our sins, but Jesus loves you so much that He died for you.

Romans 5:8 says, "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Right before Jesus died he cried out, “It is finished!” That means that the price for sin had been paid.

Purple egg: cloth
Jesus’ friends took His body off of the cross. They wrapped His body in clean linen cloths for burial.

Orange egg: rock
They buried Jesus in a tomb. A tomb is kind of like a cave. They put Jesus’ body in there and then rolled a large stone over the front of it.

Light blue egg: empty
Three days after burying Jesus some women went to the tomb, but when they got there the stone was rolled away, and Jesus was not inside the tomb! There was an angel there who said to the women, “'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus. He is not here. He has risen!'” (Matthew 28:5b-6a). The women were filled with joy. They soon met Jesus and saw Him again with their own eyes. He truly was alive! And He is still alive today. Today Jesus is in heaven preparing a place for all those who believe in Him. Those who believe on the Lord Jesus will have their sins forgiven and will one day go to heaven. Those who choose to not believe on the Lord Jesus will one day have to take their own punishment for their sins.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If you have any questions about what it means to believe on the Lord Jesus and be forgiven for your sins, you can talk to me later, or you can talk to your parents. I know that they would love to tell you more about Jesus.