His Word

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August 20th devotional.

Thank you!

Oh you lovely commenters ( hmmm - commentators?) make me so, so happy!!

Except Dawn at 4:53. Didn't she go post a picture of a Maple leaf with edges turning red??? I don't think she meant to give me an additional dig by using the Canadian National symbol... Only kidding! Check out her gorgeous photos. She even included an apology :)

Eija - welcome and I'm so glad you de-lurked!!

Missmellifluous - you will have to post summer pictures for me so that I can enjoy an extended season vicariously.

To all my American readers - especially those who live in the hot, humid climates. I wouldn't enjoy that type of weather either. Summer here is so wonderful - temperatures usually in the 70-80s range. On a rare occasion it hits 90 degrees and we all go around panting and complaining.

There is almost always a breeze blowing in off the Gulf waters, although we do have a few humid days. On those rare, breathless days, we go down the road to the nearest beach (3 minutes drive from my house) and enjoy the cool sea air.

'Nuff said about my homeland. I'll let someone much more eloquent than I do the talking!

"... I was born in the little village of Clifton, Prince Edward Island. "Old Prince Edward Island" is a good place in which to be born – a good place in which to spend a childhood. I can think of none better.

We Prince Edward Islanders are a loyal race. In our secret soul we believe that there is no place like the little Province that gave us birth. We may suspect that it isn't quite perfect, any more than any other spot on this planet, but you will not catch us admitting it. And how furiously we hate any one who does say it! The only way to inveigle a Prince Edward Islander into saying anything in dispraise of his beloved Province is to praise it extravagantly to him. Then, in order to deprecate the wrath of the gods and veil decently his own bursting pride, he will, perhaps, be induced to state that it has one or two drawbacks – mere spots on the sun. But his hearer must not commit the unpardonable sin of agreeing with him!

Prince Edward Island, however, is really a beautiful Province – the most beautiful place in America, I believe. Elsewhere are more lavish landscapes and grander scenery; but for chaste, restful loveliness it is unsurpassed. "Compassed by the inviolate sea," it floats on the waves of the blue gulf, a green seclusion and "haunt of ancient peace."

Much of the beauty of the Island is due to the vivid colour contrasts – the rich red of the winding roads, the brilliant emerald of the uplands and meadows, the glowing sapphire of the encircling sea. It is the sea which makes Prince Edward Island in more senses than the geographical. You cannot get away from the sea down there. Save for a few places in the interior, it is ever visible somewhere, if only in a tiny blue gap between distant hills, or a turquoise gleam through the dark boughs of spruce fringing an estuary. Great is our love for it; its tang gets into our blood: its siren call rings ever in our ears; and no matter where we wander in lands afar, the murmur of its waves ever summons us back in our dreams to the homeland. For few things am I more thankful than for the fact that I was born and bred beside that blue St. Lawrence Gulf..." L. M. Montgomery - The Alpine Path

Amen!

Here's a little thank you treat for you. When friends "from away" come for a visit, we always take them on a tour of the Island shrines :) Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment with my thanks!




Cavendish beach near Green Gables


Green Gables


Lover's Lane at Green Gables


Anne's bedroom at Green Gables. I'm on your left, oops right (see comments for a smile).


The parlour


The pantry


L. M. Montgomery was born in this room in New London, PEI.


Lucy Maud's wedding dress

In case you are getting too envious, remember me in our long, wet, slow spring when all of you are enjoying your tulips and daffodils and I am waiting for the snow to melt...

I'm not listening...

A very odd thing happens to me this time of year. I develop temporary vision and hearing problems.

• When I walk into a store I do not see school supplies

• I do not hear the word "Fall" or "Autumn" or... "Back to School" (shudder)

It is SUMMERTIME!!!

It will be SUMMERTIME until Sept 21.

And I will still be swimming in October. Yes I will!!

I will squeeze out every last drop of summer that I possibly can.

I don't want to whine complain, but why are bloggers (south of PEI) talking about the Fall?

Don't get me wrong...

I LOVE the Fall - crisp air, stunning displays of foliage, gorgeous sunsets

But!!!

It's not here yet...

I was at the beach yesterday - the water was like a bath - I am going again today - it is 26 degrees outside and hot!!

This is where I will be today.



Ah...


Would you do me a little favour....even if I have been a bit whiny?? I am still having problems with readers leaving comments. Please - don't lurk today - just let me know if you can view my images and leave a comment. Just an "OK" will be great! And if you can't, would you be so kind as to drop me an email? My email address is on the sidebar. Squarespace is trying to figure out the problem. And I don't want to miss out on hearing from you. Thanks!!

Ps - Mama Hen - I'm playing hooky but my One Book Meme is on the way :)

Nannie's Mustard Pickles

Randi is on a roll even though it is not "Get Real Monday"
We are swapping recipes.
It's a great incentive for me to begin the "In My Kitchen" module. I'll be adding more especially as the cooler weather approaches and I feel more like cooking, baking and preserving!

This recipe for "Mustard Pickles" is a family heirloom. My husband's grandmother taught me how to make them. They are on the supper table every night - meat does not taste the same without a little tablespoon of Nannie's mustard pickles for a little relish!

^{Mustard Pickles}
10 cups cut-up cukes (peel,cut in half, scoop out seeds and inner flesh, then dice in 1/4 in. chunks)
1 cup finely chopped onion
Soak overnight in 8 cups cold water with 1 cup pickling salt sprinkled over
Drain and rinse in the morning.
In large pot mix together
5 and 1/2 cups of sugar (don't cut the sugar down because you only eat a T of pickles or so at a time)
1 C flour
2 T mustard
1 T tumeric
1 T celery seed

Slowly stir in 3 C vinegar.
Bring to a boil over medium heat - stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
Add cuke/onion mixture.
Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly, for about 6-8 min. depending on how crisp you want your pickles.

Bottle

Enjoy all winter long :)

Hope

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

ah...

notice the tiny little word "as"

as - a subordinating conjunction

(I'm a bit rusty with my parts of speech so all you grammarians feel free to correct)

• "A subordinating conjunction introduces a dependent clause and indicates the nature of the relationship among the independent clause(s) and the dependent clause(s)."

• Subordinating conjunctions show a cause/effect relationship between ideas...

May the God of hope fill you and me with joy and peace - the independent clause

AS

you and I trust in Him. - the dependent clause.

So...my prayer this morning for you and me is:

Teach us to trust in You Lord, so that You, the God of Hope, may fill us with joy and peace, so that we might overflow - (the Amplified Version says bubbling over) - with hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be our Teacher.

We're all set - lacking nothing! :)

He is the Source of our hope, our joy, our peace.

He desires to fill us even to overflowing - more than we need - enough to give away.

AND, on top of all that, He teaches us how to trust in Him, so that we can receive all He has in store.

What a beautiful God - what a wonderful Saviour - there is no One like Him.

PS I had an email from Violet saying that she was having trouble leaving comments and viewing images. Please send me an email at mkmacphee@gmail.com if you are having similar troubles - or - better yet, leave a comment and tell me everything is ok. Thanks :)

Peace

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Phil4:7 - The Message

Photo credit - Rinda Dean

He knows...

Matthew 6:25-34

When I read this passage from Matthew, this phrase stands out as if it was written in bold print...

your Father knows...

Our life is very full these days.

• One boy in England applying for a permanent work visa.

• One boy to be married on Sept.2.

• He and another boy preparing to leave on a cross-country and international band tour.

• One boy (my baby boy) accepted to a worship internship in Robin Mark's church in Ireland.

Bittersweet days...although actually sweet-bitter describes my emotions more accurately.

The sweet must come first because it is such a deep joy to see my children finding their place - knowing that the Lord has His hand on each one.

And then the bitter - oh dear - lots of tears.

It is so hard to believe that those dear little baby hands are now the hands of men.

And worries...how will they do? Will they have what they need? Will they be safe?

Then I look at this perfect flower, in all its fragile beauty,

and I think "My Father knows."

Deep comfort...

Photo credit - Aaron Hardcourt -