Butternut Squash

  Many people seem to not like squash. Maybe it’s in the name? I myself love squash but had never tried butternut squash. A neighbour down the street from us had a few squashes and pumpkins on their lawn with a sign that said “free”, so I thought “here is my chance to try it”. I brought this one home and looked up several ways of cooking this up and picked out a couple of recipes I thought we would enjoy. 

Do you ever try new things? It is easy to stay in the rut of the familiar, the tried and true. But once in a while it’s nice to be adventurous…perhaps we will discover a new favourite recipe, or just something to change things up a little from time to time.

That is also how I see God’s word, the Bible. We can stay stuck in the rut of only reading our favourite verses or even our favourite book such as the book of Romans, over and over. Although it is good to read those, we also can dig a bit deeper into the less familiar books. We can look up some of the people mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy to familiarize ourselves with their stories. Sometimes we only want to read the happy verses, the promises of the good things that follow those who love the Lord…but it is good to read the warnings and how to cope when things are falling apart all around us too. All are necessary in a recipe for a healthy life in Christ.

Song of Solomon 7:12,13 let us go out early to the vineyards and see whether the vines have budded, whether the grape blossoms have opened and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love.

 The mandrakes give forth fragrance, and beside our doors are all choice fruits, new as well as old, which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.

Uncertainty

 Recent times have brought many possible directions for outcomes and I, just like many others, speculate, muse, and worry at times, and also listen to the many others speculating and opining possible directions things may go, and also many are talking about the shot and whether or not it is a good idea to receive certain shots. 

I think everyone needs to seek the Lord on their own behalf in regards to that one. Many these days do not want to believe the God of the Bible anymore, and that’s unfortunate because that would be the only place to find stability, a solid rock on which to stand. When one is in Christ no matter what outcome befalls us we are assured there will be a good outcome. We are all going to die one way or another and we will die in Christ…or not. I’ve heard people say “But I am a good person”. Well, actually, if one is completely honest with oneself, we would know that isn’t really true. Only God is true and everyone else is a liar (at one time or another anyway) . 

We all hope for the best, of course. With the many recent changes one can become very pessimistic of the outcome. But if your hope is grounded on Christ your view has a much longer and wider (eternal) view than those who do not have Jesus. It doesn’t depend on what will happen to you next week or next year or ten years from now. It is an adventure that has many scary twists and turns which end with making you stronger, wiser, and more faithful of God’s caring for you. And when death does come to one who is faithful in Christ, it is welcomed because we then fully enter into His rest and will come to meet Him face to face.

Be blessed and live in that blessed hope and faith in our Redeemer. ❤️☺️

A Never Ending Story

 

This year I decided to do a “read through the Bible in a year” program. So far we have gone through the entire New Testament, and last month began the journey into the Old Testament. I joined a group on MeWe so we hold each other accountable and make it more likely that we will stick to it. What I love about the plan being used in the group is that we follow each book from start to finish before going on to the next. Right now we are in the book of Job (pronounced Yobe in Hebrew) because we are following a chronological order. What I like to do is seek out other sources after reading a passage to see what other people have found in reading the text. It can lead to new insights or simply lend a fresh perspective on something that I’ve read so often that I skim over it too quickly and lose some of the wonder of what’s there fresh for the finding today. 

Learning is a never ending process, an eternal quest for us who are saved by the blood of Christ. 😊

One of the gems I came across today:

Job 34:2-4“Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who know;

 for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food.

 Let us choose what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good.

Readiness....Being Prepared or Left Behind

 

This morning was trash pick up day. I had some trash I needed to get from the workshop, it was 8 am and the trash guys don’t usually reach us before 10 am and most often don’t reach us until 1 or 2 in the afternoon....but not today. Today, while I was busy getting the trash together in the shop ....”I have PLENTY of time...” the trash truck flew by our house. 😭🥺

After I got over my anger and self loathing for not being ready earlier, it reminded me of a Bible warning:

Matthew 24:42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 

We don’t know when Jesus will return but He did say it will be at an hour we won’t be expecting it....like the trash men...I thought I had plenty of time to get everything in order, but little did I know...

I did end up getting other things needing my attention done...and I made a healthy breakfast of oatmeal, with raspberries, pecans, and real maple syrup...it was oh so yummy. So I counted my blessings, especially for that reminder that no one knows the day nor the hour. 

Although I do not hold to the pretrib theory, I also realize the last day of my mortality can come at any time, and THAT will be the day (maybe today!) that Jesus will come for me. I need to be alert and anticipating His coming with thanksgiving in my heart that is prepared to meet Him.

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Revisiting Some of my Old Posts

 Lately I’ve been much more introspective, probably because I have mostly remained home because of the strange situation we find ourselves in these days. I’ve been rereading and thinking about some of the topics covered in older posts here on Flutterbys. This one: https://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2018/02/suicide.html?showComment=1519787698951#c8289292985099824662

is on the topic of suicide and depression, and a possible connection between the hopelessness we see in many people today with the removal of prayer from schools...and of course now we have the “added benefit” of lockdowns and social isolation. 

I hope that wherever you, dear reader, are at this moment, that you recognize the bigger picture regarding life and where you fit into that bigger picture. Life is complex but I think we tend to make it more complicated than it needs to be. Be thankful for the life that has been given to you, and seek the Father who gave life to you, and the Son who brought us true reconciliation with the Father through His selfless sacrifice, a gift given out of pure love for you and for me. ❤️

Revisiting Thoughts on Topic of Hell....

 This morning, while enjoying my morning coffee I revisited my thoughts on the topic of hell as an eternal destination. I also read the comments...and I hope “Boomslang” and Alice have grown to understand...that perhaps, my hope, that there is “good ground” in them to accept the truth about God’s love, and the truth about their own antagonism towards Him. 

This is the post I’m talking about:

https://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2015/03/another-post-on-hell.html?showComment=1433417331172#c7054015117014925578

This movie (it’s kinda cheesy but I love it anyway 😊) talks about some of the things mentioned in the angry objections of Alice and Boomslang:

This movie is actually part 2 of a pair of movies, but stands on its own. If you’d like to see part 1:

Hebrews 3:7, 8 Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice,

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness