How does a shepherd care for his sheep?

 

 

 

On Sunday we looked at the 23rd psalm (and I will be forever grateful to the teacher who made us learn it by heart) and John 10 and I learnt some new stuff about shepherds.

How does a  shepherd care for his sheep?

He provides for them, food and water. And our Father provides us with our daily bread but also with food for our spirits, leads us beside still waters and gives us the water that Jesus gave the woman at the well so that “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

He guides them and protects them. Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no ill for thou art with me. Jesus says that the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep and that he holds us in his hands. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

He knows them and cares for them “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” How amazing that Jesus knows me – knows the number of hairs on my head just as the Shepherd “calls his sheep by name”.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

linking with  

 

28 home made sour pickles.

29 trying a new recipe – Mincemeat loaf - yum.

30 a student sharing their macaroni cheese

with me

31 a set of yellow pencils and

32 sharpeners and rubbers in

33 a hand made block for our desk.

34 amazing red sunrise over the downs

35 pebbly beach underfoot

36 dog alongside

37 the sound of my husband’s key in the door

38 ringing the dinner bell followed by

39 the sounds of everyone hurrying to the table.

40 kind and patient optician

41 mum being able to meet me and the boys for lunch and a hot chocolate.

42 seeing my generous dad looking so well.

43 I made and wore a birds nest necklace

44 gave my eldest back to his Uni for another term

45 shared a meal with the others he left behind.

In which Twiz starts counting her blessings instead of her grudges…

 

I’ve come very late to the counting gifts party.
Which is strange when you consider that I am known as the one
Who always sees some good in a bad situation (well that’s what they think).
But I was a bit scared
Would I find anything
Or would I just be thankful over and over again for my breakfast, my lunch, my dinner, lovely children, central heating…it’s not very spiritual is it?
And anyway, this week I was too busy counting grudges
everything unfair, everybody misunderstanding me
At church we were encouraged to write down a sadness
(we were thinking about the massacre of the innocents,
and how Jesus knew sadness and mourning)
And we wrote down what we would pray for, ask God for
And I found myself praying for the one who hurt me
Because for all my good and righteous intentions I hurt them too.
So I counted that a blessing
And many more followed…

7. overhearing big brother playing with little brother

8. and teaching him Maths

9. and helping with his chores

10. this old house

11. looking through my new windows

12. seeing blue skies again

13. reading the January Joy dare

14. then making this journal

15. and seeing blessings fill the pages.

16. in my bag this notebook from a lovely friend

17. in my fridge, pickle made by my husband

18. in my heart gratitude that I was led to this dare.

19. my Dad sending cake round for Uni

20. my Mum carrying it round in her trolley

21. and my son for offering to share it.

22. Light that caught me yesterday, shining on the waves

23. My son’s reflection surprised me, contacts, no glasses.

24. lovely shadows of the breakwaters.

25. a gift in my hand, banana and cinnamon muffin.

26. walking by our new desk

27. sitting down to breakfast with my son

My Beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Went walking on our local beach

this afternoon

you might say it’s not much of a beach

With its pebbles

tide line of seaweed

barnacled breakwaters

screeching sea gulls.

But we love it.

And think it’s beautiful.

Because it’s ours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The seas have lifted up, LORD,
   the seas have lifted up their voice;
   the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
   mightier than the breakers of the sea—
   the LORD on high is mighty. Psalm 93 ³ -⁴

Snowman Cupcakes

Lime Pie

It's been a while since I posted a recipe. I guess I've been too busy baking with my students to do much on my own. However...last Sunday was the Christmas family get together for 'my side'. We used to be able to squeeze round the dining table for a turkey dinner but now the littlees are becoming teenagers (and in fact are nearly all taller than me)  it's  just not possible. So this year I had the bright idea that everyone do their 'Signature Dish' (possibly I've been watching too much Masterchef).But we all got very enthusiastic about the idea if not even a bit competitive and with the most anticipation being for my niece's boyfriend's Rum Cheesecake. Sadly I don't have the secret recipe as it was delicious but this was my offering


Lime Pie

1.  preheat oven 150c/390F/Gas mark 2
2. Crush 100g plain chocolate digestives ( I think they're Graham crackers in the US) into crumbs. I use a plastic bag and a rolling pin

1. Melt 85g butter in a pan and add the crumbs and mix well

Press the mixture into the base of a 20cm loose based tin (I base line with baking parchment) and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile zest and juice 4 limes and juice half a lemon. Preferably with a nice zester not an old grater like mine. Save a bit of zest to decorate.

Then whip 300ml carton of double cream lightly. Add half of a 400g can of condensed milk, the lime zest and juice and lemon juice. Fold in enough of the remaining condensed milk to make it sweet enough for your taste.

Pour the mixture over the base and chill for at least 2 hours. 

Decorate with white chocolate buttons and lemon zest.

Enjoy.

Some people have told me this is a Key Lime Pie? I always thought that was more of a baked affair but I've never tried one...

Advent is about....

Advent is not about shopping, 
stressing, planning or buying


Advent is about expecting,
waiting, hoping and praying


And if you're sick of Christmas by 25th December
You haven't done Advent properly.


Sadly not my words but from a great video our Pastor showed us as we lit the Hope candle.
(And it is a little bit possible that I'm using a video rather than writing because I'm busy shopping, stressing and so forth but I still have hope...)


Enjoy...

linking with Hear it, Use it.

The trivial round, the common task, will furnish all we ought to ask...

New every morning is the love
our wakening and uprising prove;
through sleep and darkness safely brought,
restored to life and power and thought.

New mercies, each returning day,
hover around us while we pray;
new perils past, new sins forgiven,
new thoughts of God, new hopes of heaven.

If on our daily course our mind
be set to hallow all we find,
new treasures still, of countless price,
God will provide for sacrifice.

Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be,
as more of heaven in each we see;
some softening gleam of love and prayer
shall dawn on every cross and care.

The trivial round, the common task,
will furnish all we ought to ask:
room to deny ourselves; a road
to bring us daily nearer God.

Only, O Lord, in thy dear love,
fit us for perfect rest above;
and help us, this and every day,
to live more nearly as we pray

 Words: John Keble, 1822

We had a guest preacher, an older Pastor who led us in this lovely old hymn. I was struck by the lines "The trivial round, the common task,will furnish all we ought to ask". I hadn't thought about my chores as a way to deny myself...
The lesson was Luke 9 and in particular  “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me" and the lovely hymn a reminder that each day we continue our Christian walk.
Based partly on the scripture 
² Yet this I call to mind 

   and therefore I have hope:

 ² Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
   for his compassions never fail.
² They are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness. from Lamentations 3 21-23

I pray that I may wake every morning with that awareness of heaven in everything and everyone, and my mind set to hallow everything I find. I love every verse of this hymn... what a great reminder of how to deny self, take up your cross and follow Him.

linking up with Michelle at hear it, use it and this week I'm really planning to use it!