Who’s the greatest?

I have been thinking lately about pride. It’s very easy when you are flattered and included by the world to try to please people rather than God. Strangely, I find it easier to serve and do my best when I am unrecognised. Because I am doing it for God. A bit of praise and complimenting makes me try to please people. I want to do well at work and I like it when people say I’ve done a great job. After all it says in the Bible “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart” but then the rub…  “as working for the Lord, not for human masters”. Colossians 3v23.

We had a guest preacher on Sunday. An ex-mayor of our little town, he was an amazing Christian witness during his time as Mayor (and still is), and the message on Sunday was just what I needed. The reading from the word was John 3 and he preached on John 3 v30.

John’s disciples thought he was the greatest. Why was this other teacher pinching their followers?

John answers them “He must become greater; I must become less.”

The familiar story of John and James’ mother’s request in Matthew 20 reinforced the idea that to we must become less. Salome was, it is thought, the sister of Mary making her sons Jesus’ first cousins and certainly they had a special relationship with the Lord. And any mother wants the best for her children: a place at Jesus’ side would be the top spot. But as Jesus answers

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

This idea is reinforced by the next event. Two blind men call out as Jesus and his followers pass.

And Jesus stopped

He stopped and he served. And that is our model.

The preacher said that the word Jesus used for slave was a bonded slave, one that had served his time but chose to stay with his master and work for nothing. The slave was marked by a hole punched through their ear. To show they chose to belong. So should we, should I, seek to become less.

I find it hard when non Christians praise my work to give God the glory for it. I will ponder on that. May God give me the right words, right feelings and keep me humble.

linking with Hear it, use it,

Frugal Banana Bread

I couldn’t wait to start baking again after Christmas.
But, not wanting to waste anything, I had to wait for all the Christmas goodies to be eaten. Unfortunately the biscuits and chocolates were so popular, the fruit bowl was neglected and I found we had 4 blackening bananas and a sad satsuma. to find a use for - a good reason to bake Banana Bread.
This recipe is good if you have a lot of old fruit as it uses four bananas. I also chopped up all the least favoured nuts that were rejected at the bottom of the selection after we’d eaten all the Brazils and almonds!
It’s adapted from All in one Banana and Walnut loaf from my old well loved Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course.
All in one Banana Bread

75g 3oz  soft margarine or soft butter  ( ¾ stick or ⅓ cup)
100g 4oz caster sugar (or any sugar you have) (½ cup)
1 large egg
225g 8oz plain flour (2 cups)
2 level teaspoon baking powder
4 ripe bananas
grated rind of 1 orange (or old satsuma) and 1 lemon
30g 2oz nuts roughly chopped (½ cup)

• preheat oven gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).
• line a 3½ x 7½ inch (9x19cm)  loaf tin with baking parchment
• mash bananas in a bowl, grate over lemon and orange
• weigh butter, flour, sugar, baking powder and egg into bowl and beat (I use my Kenwood stand mixer). It will look very dry and not like cake mix.
• Add the banana and peel and chopped nuts and beat well.
• put the mixture in the tin and level the top
• bake 50-55 minutes on centre shelf until bread springs back when pressed. (I tested it with a skewer and needed 10 minutes more).Cool in tin 10 minutes then on a rack. Tastes great sliced and spread with butter.

PS I did my best to translate the UK weights into US volume. Let me know if it looks wrong. I cooked in oz and had a great result.

New Year, New Word?

 

 

Last year I discovered the concept of word of the year. Struggled a bit to think of one that suited me but was reasonably achievable. (suggestions from the family of ‘tidy’ or ‘skinny’ were never going to work).

I had been reading a number of Christian blogs and realised that the thing I wanted to achieve was to be intentional. A bit scary for someone with a tendency to be reactive and revert to little girly helplessness at the least sign of stress.

How did I get on?

Firstly I wanted to be intentional in my prayer and bible study life. tried a few strategies; email Bible studies, good, but the fact that it was email meant it was hard not to look at the other ones: memorising and Scripture Typer went well for Lent but not enough study component for the whole year. What worked for me, and I didn’t find it until Advent is SOAP and Good Morning Girls. (I’m a kinaesthetic learner so writing stuff is good for me). Ready for Luke now, girls.

Secondly, I wanted to be intentional in my marriage. What a blessing to find Darlene Schacht’s e book. I have to admit that at first her ideas shocked me as I felt that they went against all my ideas of equality and the rights of women. But as I read on I became convicted that actually serving my husband wasn’t the same as being a doormat. Anyway, I tried it. Getting up early and making his lunch may not seem like a big deal but it sure went against the grain. I was sure it wouldn’t be appreciated and would be just another job for me. Wrong. it feels good and we start the day well. I have a few more chapters to work on this year…

I sometimes have to put an elastic band round my wrist to remind me of my good intentions but I’m getting there. A bit further on my journey. And as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians ‘we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more’

So, 2013.

The thing we kind of didn’t get intentional about until the end of the year was our finances. That little girl resurfaces at the thought of bills. We forced ourselves to read our bank statements, we renegotiated all our suppliers, we cancelled anything we could cancel and for the first time in twenty years, we wrote a budget.

And so, new word is…. stewardship. And for me that’s going to include our budget,  healthy frugal meals with no wastage and our stuff. Our time, our money and our stuff. Those great resources God has provided for our needs and others. All of those areas are going to be a challenge, ‘but one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’ Philippians 3 13.

Firm Foundations, leaky roof?

 

 

Our church is falling down

the hall is unsafe

roof adrift, walls cracked

congregation gather in the back room

this part is safe, firm walls, sure roof.

Our church is built on a firm foundation

but part of it is not secure.

My faith is based on a strong foundation

but there are parts of my life

that are not secure, not straight, not right.

The small room at the back is the Lord’s

fixed and firm

but other bits I thought I could build on my own

hold up in my own strength.

don’t want to give up control of

Like a sad leaky lean-to

are hanging on to that faithful bit and dragging it down.

Sometimes it’s not until the complete collapse that I remember I can’t do it alone.

The church roof has been judged and condemned

but the builder can save it

the foundation is firm.

When I give up my will and purpose to His

when I let my life, my house be built on that rock that cannot be shaken,

how wonderfully does everything work together for good.

In His time. In His way.

linking with 

With God things don’t just happen

 

She got to her feet slowly,

Hands reaching out to support,

Faces turned in respect and anticipation

Sensible shoes, hand knitted cardi,

I see a Proverbs 31 woman,

her husband, from the front of the church has full confidence in her

her children, safely grown, call her blessed.

As I wait for her to speak, I know, she will choose

words of contentment and thanks for faithful provision.

She speaks

I don’t like change,

And God has brought many changes into my life

And I am still learning to trust in him.

She sits. We sing the hymn she chose.

I used to like change, choose change,

I was the changer, in control, making my choices.

Then things happened. God brought changes into my life that

I didn’t want, didn’t understand why.

Painful changes, requiring sacrifice of my choices, my goals.

So hard to trust in God’s plan when you don’t like it, don’t want it.

This is what we sang. I wept. With God things don’t just happen. I’m holding onto that.

This is her favourite hymn, it could be mine now.

I do not know what lies ahead,
the way I cannot see;
yet One stands near to be my guide,
He’ll show the way to me:

I know who holds the future,
and He’ll guide me with His hand;
with God things don’t just happen,
everything by Him is planned.
So as I face tomorrow,
with its problems large and small,
I’ll trust the God of miracles,
give to Him my all.

I do not know how many days
of life are mine to spend;
but One who knows and cares for me
will keep me to the end:

I do not know the course ahead,
what joys and griefs are there;
but One is near who fully knows,
I’ll trust His loving care:

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future Jeremiah 29:11

I made a printable! I loved some of the ones I saw on Pinterest so I had a go. I’m pleased with my first attempt…

joining with

God speaks – through a quiz show

 

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isaiah 30 8

I want to learn to read His word,
for this is how I know the way,
to live my life as pleases Him,
in holiness and joy:   C. Simmonds,

I guess this is intentional living for 2012 part one.
And the first thing had to be…God. And his word. Daily. I have always struggled with this. For many years I bought reading notes but I’d miss a day and give up for a month…or two. Then I discovered Wordlive – emailed daily notes. Well, altho’ I can go a day without opening my Bible, a day without opening my lap top – unthinkable. So now my browser opens to my emails and the first thing to do is read the Bible notes. Then it’s the notebook and counting blessings. Job done and I was feeling a bit pleased with myself…until…
I read this. A challenge to memorise God’s word with your children. I stopped feeling so smug and considered it.Obviously it made sense. But memorising the whole Sermon on the Mount? My son couldn’t be expected to do that with his modern upbringing of instant messages his brain couldn’t cope and he’d fail. (I conveniently forgot all those As in history, science etc).
And so I didn’t mention it. Next day my son told me he had a new hobby. Inspired by Eggheads and other quiz shows he was setting himself a daily task to learn and memorise new facts and within two days had all the countries of Europe and was on to Africa! Ouch.I can’t say the Lord didn’t speak clearly enough.
So we’re going to do it. We’ve both been ill so I’m thinking we’ll start in Lent. Forty days of memorising (with Sundays off for rest). I hope for all the blessings mentioned in 2 Timothy: wisdom and training in righteousness so that we may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. And I pray for a spirit of perseverance.

14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.2Timothy 3

gifts 115-132
broken bread at the Lord’s table,dinner cooked for me, thrifted jeans – a blessing to find my size
surprising gift of pizza when I was hungry,husband home early cooking dinner for me again, and the gift of a muffin – seems I am always surprised by food.
friend’s laughter at a surprise baby shower, watching quiz shows in our pyjamas, older boys doing sports leadership with the little ones - joy in service.
Students’ pleasure in their achievement, parents’ evening, a privilege to meet supportive families, the blessing of Christian workmates and their prayers.
3 hard Eucharisteos – seems hard to go to church today but I am blessed by hearing God’s word, by worship and by fellowship.
Behind my wardrobe door the first fruits of project 333, no clutter, 33 things that fit, are modest and seasonal – my intentional capsule wardrobe.

the commandment to have courage?

He spreads the snow like wool

   and scatters the frost like ashes.

Psalm 147 ¹⁶

^{Snow is unusual in these parts. And in a rare blessing we have been granted the beautiful sight of snow spread like wool on the downs while our pavements are clear and safe for our elderly folk to get about.}

I am a bit prone to anxiety. So that, rather than rejoicing if I open my front door and find snow, I would be worrying about falling over, about my auntie who broke her hip on the ice being afraid to leave her house. Sometimes I can be so anxious about what might go wrong that I won’t try anything. I can be so anxious that I might offend someone that I don’t text them when they’re ill. I often worry for so long about doing the right thing that the moment passes and I’ve missed the chance to help, support or comfort.
I know the verse in Philippians to have no anxiety about anything but in my Bible notes last week came across Joshua 1 ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Not just the comfort of knowing God is with us but a command…do not be frightened and dismayed. A hard command for me to follow, Lord but as I seek to live more intentionally, I will strive to be that strong courageous woman of faith that you have commanded me to be.

Gifts 91 –114

a kind note from an old friend

generous ladies giving up their lunch to help my students

photo on the wall of my late father in law painting my children

helping a reluctant reader

glorious red sunset

joining in a quiz with my son

more Herman bread, and macaroons and homemade Viennese whirls

Daily Bible notes in my inbox, and Christian bloggers and a free Christian mystery novel on my Kindle

Laura’s parenting book

green shoots on a  gifted Campanulus

Tartan pyjamas my dH gave me

our lovely new windows to keep the storm out

a blanket my parents left in the airing cupboard

3 gifts outside: snowflakes falling, the beauty of snow covered fields, the blessing to the oldies that snow didn’t settle here

so thankful in these minus weather conditions for the warm red scarf my son gave, the lady who knitted my red gloves and the gift of a spicy red candle to make my home cosy.