LIFE EQUALS CHANGE

All you have to do is look around and you see change, change, change, every day. I didn't even make it out to the garden today since I was busy with other things, so I can't report on any change there! Yesterday I dug some potatoes and the way I determine that it's time to dig them is to wait until their tops die. CHANGE.

After my morning devotions and a load of laundry, floor mopping, and various other tasks, Clint and I went to the church to construct the Red Sea. Yes, the Red Sea! Clint was in charge of the Bible story tonight for the Bible school and he had to make a likeness of the Red Sea parting as in Exodus. By the time it was all done, one Sunday school room had CHANGED into the Red Sea and it looked pretty cool! We had foam fish purchased at a dollar store floating in our bathtub for a week so they would "grow" 6 times their original size for tonight's set up. They were strewn on the "ocean floor." The children were led through the "sea" by "Moses" (Clint all dressed up!) and their crew leaders.

I did not have a job at Bible school this year. I usually sign up for clean up or help out in the kitchen. I felt a little guilty for not signing up right away, but mid-week I realized that my role has CHANGED. For three nights I watched Emma so Kori could help out. Two of those nights we were at Bible school and one evening she stayed here at the house. I realized today that I am doing my part to help by being a good granny and taking Emma so Kori can volunteer. That's the way life goes and things CHANGE. My role is CHANGING and occasionally I sort of "wake up" to that fact after the fact! I can remember in years past teaching Bible school. Now, I watch Emma so someone else can teach. I guess that's how we pass on the baton of faith. We must take our parts wherever we can and enable others to step up to the plate. I felt like I was helping Emma learn to participate as we sat in the back and she danced and clapped to all the opening songs the nights we were there. Even at her little age, it was obvious that she wanted to participate. This was the beginning of instilling an eagerness to take part in the church.

I've been reading through the book of Timothy. In 2 Timothy, Paul tells the young pastor that he knows that the "genuine faith" dwelt first in Timothy's grandmother and then his mother and then Timothy himself. (2 Timothy 1:5). I hope that I can be the kind of grandmother that will one day have such things said to her grandchildren because I lived the faith. I guess things like babysitting while mom takes part in Bible school is one of those opportunities to pass the faith on. Positive change. Some little changes, like the babysitting, seem so little and insignificant at times, but the impact is eternal.

When I look back over my life, it's obvious that for the most part, changes happen gradually--especially when we're talking about people or spiritual progress. Yet, looking back over time the cumulative effects of little daily routines has now produced great results and big changes! I once heard a comment that claimed most folks can't remember the sermons they heard five years ago, let alone last week. Yet, most Christians have grown spiritually over those five years without even being able to highlight when and where. The cumulative effect of consistency produces positive change. So be encouraged today, especially you young moms, keep up the spiritual training of those little ones and one day you will see the results of all your hard work. The CHANGES will come and growth will occur! Blessings, LORI

THE LORD IS GOOD

I am so thankful today as I reflect on the progress made around here. I got my measly little amount of beans picked today and some potatoes dug. Both are being featured for supper. It's about time to pull those bean plants out for the year. A new batch will soon bear beans in the other side of the garden. Looking forward to those potatoes!

In amongst the potatoes were some plants I had placed in there a few years ago when I had excess from the landscaping project. They are meadow sage, I'm pretty sure. I dug them up and they were very hardy, having reprodued multiple new starts of themselves. Took them out to the flower garden and weeded some areas and put them in. I hope they grow profusely and fill up some empty spots. Apparently none of you have suggestions for me on the weed problems! I detest using chemicals, so the standard remedies are out. I finally got down on hands and knees and pulled alot of weeds today.

I got one room thoroughly cleaned today that I'd been putting off and washed a huge blanket that will go in our garage sale. I even got a nap as well!

I am so thankful for my back that is feeling stronger and for the beautiful day. I enjoyed working today and am appreciating the fresh stuff from the garden, God is so good! Blessings, LORI

QUESTIONS FOR MY READERS and BIBLE TIPS

Today I have a number of questions for those who read my blog. Please respond with suggestions if you have any. Also a few Bible study tips follow.

I have not thought it wise to engage in many of the garden chores that I usually do since I strained my back. Therefore the gardens have gotten out of control. It's the flower garden that I wonder if there might be some solutions to. The paths have been spread with wood chips for years and the underneath wood has broken down into a wonderful growing medium, encouraging weeds!! Is the only solution to rake it all away and start over with completely new mulch? Just curious. Anyone ever have that problem? Even the black plastic is not what it should be since I've had to pull many weeds that grew right through it and that ripped it in several places. The paths are curved and it was difficult to get the plastic down to start with, so in many places it was loose. Any tips for correctly placing plastic in curving areas? I also tried mulching many areas of the beds to control weeds, but they seemed to poke right through the mulch as if they enjoyed the extra nourishment! Any tips on weed control in the beds?

Otherwise, the flowers are sure pretty right now. At a quick glance all the weeds are not noticeable, so I guess I'm glad for that!

Today as I read the Bible, I was encouraged to make use of the oft-quoted suggestion for when you run onto the word "therefore," to see what it's there for! I noticed that word in the portions I was reading. Asking yourself that question will help you see the connections between thoughts and verses. I also took special note of a chapter that started with a thought that seemed to need connection. When I glanced back at the last verse of the preceding chapter, the meaning was so much more full and obvious. Sometimes the chapter divisions are not in the best places--remember the divisions are not inspired! Hope that helps you in Bible study and that you can help me with garden suggestions! Blessings, LORI

Miscellaneous News

Hi, Friends! Not much to tell around here lately. I haven't done much in the garden. Last evening I picked berries. I am getting about 2-3 servings of raspberries per day, or at least every other day. We got some much needed rain, but we could use more. Everything is stunted in its growth. I also picked green beans. Since the first 10 pints, I've not gotten enough on a picking to can. I think it's the lack of rain that's affecting things.

I only walked out to my flower garden once yesterday. Just looked around for new items and didn't notice any. It's really pretty out there though, and for a few days now the big purple clematis at the front gate has been blooming again. Lots of very colorful flowers are out there right now. It's a sort of bright, electrifying look that the garden currently has, so different from early spring!

I've been knitting rapidly to finish my lace shell that's been under construction for over 2 years. I love this pattern and hope against hope that it will fit when done. I should be able to finish it in a few weeks if all goes well. I'd love to take it with me on vacation. It's a square neck with a lovely lacey pattern across the yoke and a different scalloped lace pattern from the yoke down. It's cream colored cotton blend yarn with a shimmering thread that runs through it. It will be great with skirts. I am so anxious to wear it.

Bought a length of really nice cotton print yesterday for a dress shirt for Clint. I make him western shirts to match his many silk vests. I do shirts with the high collar that buttons up to the top (not tab collars) and they really make a nice old-fashioned western look. This particular cotton is one I had my eye on for a long time. I saw it the day he bought a nice two-toned western jacket. We were on a shopping trip and I matched this up with the jacket. It will make a great dress outfit for winter for him.

I hope you all enjoyed seeing Emma's placemat pantsuit! Blessings, LORI

EMMA'S PLACEMAT PANTSUIT PICTURE

Hi, again! Here's a picture of Emma in her new outfit that I made her from placemats found at a garage sale; remember I mentioned that long ago? I wish I could have gotten a little better picture, but little ones don't often like to pose very long for granny to get perfect pictures. The placemats cost $2 and that afternoon they turned into a chic pantsuit! Notice the embroidered butterflies on each leg! They were made of a nice linen and were perfectly suited for a child's outfit. I used the scalloped edges to decorate the top and also the back opening which is not visible in the picture.

Today I had a chance to go out and transplant a few "volunteer" hollyhocks. I'm hoping they do well in their new surroundings. They were growing amongst my green beans! Since hollyhocks figure in to the story of my next book, and they're my favorite flower, I will take all of them I can cultivate! Hollyhocks play a small, but important part in the uniqueness of a couple of the characters in the book--I know that sounds weird--you'll understand when you read it, and I hope you do! Hopefully it will be available by the first week in December. I've been doing alot of miscellaneous work on both promoting the first book and editing the second here in the last few days.

My gardens are showing the results of my slowed diligence. I hope to be back at it soon, full speed ahead. Getting a little knitting done, though, since I'm not doing alot of the heavier physical work. I am almost finished knitting the lace shell that I've been so excited about (started more than 2 years ago--how's that for procrastination?). What if I wasn't excited about a sweater????I guess I'd never start one I wasn't excited about in the first place! I tend to put off projects when a new one inspires me. With Emma's outfits, I know I can't do that--she nearly grows out of them before I can get them done as it is! Blessings, LORI

Hi, Friends! I haven't written anything for a while because I didn't do too much this week. I was nursing my sore back--a repeat from the first injury. I think it's finally healed and I'm thrilled. But sitting around was not exactly my cup of tea either. Got to knit and read a bit, though.

I did pick enough green beans for supper yesterday. After we got rain, things look a little healthier and refreshed although we could have used much more. I picked a few red raspberries as well. They are so good. A friend came today and picked some too.

We currently have company with us from Washington, Iowa. So nice to see our friend again. We often go out there and visit and enjoy every minute of our stay. We are glad to return the hospitality.

Today I spent the entire day with a couple of friends. So enjoyable. We were in Indiana and I must compliment the northern Indiana gardeners--wow! such beautiful flowers and vegetables! I love to go there this time of year and just tour the country roads and see the gardens.

Our friend that was visiting noticed a phenomenon. Our ten acres that adjoins the yard is sown in alfalfa. It never gets dry when all else is dry, brown and dead-looking. Does anyone know why? It remains green and this has been the topic of discussion here since he arrived. If anyone can shed light on that, please do. We have conjectured that the fertilizer may have something to do with it, but we are not sure. It is not irrigated, so that can't be a factor. We are hoping that the rain we got a few days ago will not be the end. We have a drought going on here and are anxious to see it stop!

In thinking about the alfalfa and how it remains so green, I was reminded of verses in Psalm 1. Speaking of the man who walks close to God and and meditates in the law of the Lord, the scripture declares, "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper." If we want to remain healthy, vital and useful to God, we must stay close to Him and His word. As I watch alot of stuff withering right now during this drought, I am reminded to stay close to the Lord so I will not wither! Blessings, LORI

WALKING BY FAITH

I wanted to post the thoughts I spoke of yesterday from Exodus before the day goes by and other things get in the way. I hope you enjoy them.


We have just finished studying Genesis for several months and moved on to Exodus. In chapter 3 it intrigued me to read the conversation between God and Moses at the burning bush. This was Moses' first real encounter with God. God calls Moses and invites him to partner with Him in the release of the Hebrew slaves. Moses raises questions about why God would want to use him. God replies that it will be that after they are out of Egypt that they will worship on "this" mountain, the mountain being the one where Moses now stood speaking with God and that this will be a sign that it was God who sent him. This is in verse 12. I realized that what the Lord was actually requiring of Moses was to step out in faith. He was basically saying that the confirmation to this plan would come AFTER Moses carried out the instructions!!! He would have to do what God said, lead all those people out of Egypt and into the desert and then the confirmation would come that he had heard from God. How often do we ask God for confirmation on something when He really expects us to take a step of faith and see the confirmation follow? Like Moses, we wonder, 'is that God talking to me?' The Lord really wants our faith to kick in first and then when it's all done, we'll realize it was Him! I think that happens often. We are to walk by faith and not by sight. I find myself often waiting for circumstances to align or someone to give me a word of prophecy or confirmation before I step out on a project.

Read on in your Bible and see what happens in chapter 4! God continues to give Moses instructions and Moses continues to come up with "what if's?" God meets his faith at its current level by giving him several signs to perform. He finally ended up angering the Lord with his excuse, "I am slow of speech," (or the equivalent thereof--I can't talk well, etc.) Then the Lord tells him that his brother Aaron will be his spokesman and that the Lord will be with BOTH their mouths. Aaron needed the Lord just like Moses (to speak through him), but Moses couldn't believe at that point that God could use him that way! It is interesting to me that the Lord also told Moses to speak to Aaron--Moses would have to do the very thing that he claimed he was poor at doing--speak! And what would he have to speak? He would be telling his brother that he had had an encounter with God and then giving him the plan and all the instructions from thereon. This is exactly the same thing that he would have had to"speak" to the children of Israel. Moses has to speak it out anyway in order to get the plan done!

I hope you will take time to study these two chapters. It is a bit difficult to explain, but it looks to me like God is willing to meet us wherever we are at in order to accomplish His purposes. His first plan and will was not accepted by Moses without all kinds of questions, but the Lord eventually allowed Moses to work in another manner that met his level of faith.

What's the lesson in all of this? I think Moses showed more faith than I would have at a first encounter with God. But now, I want to be the kind of person that develops and exercises my faith to meet the Lord and do His perfect will the first time He asks. Thank God for those who went before us, like Moses, from whose lives we can glean all kinds of encouragement. God will use us wherever we are, but why not meet Him at the highest and best place of His choosing? Of course, Moses ended up being a great leader of Israel, mightily used of God. This too should be an encouragement to us that we may be timid in our faith at the onset of a venture, but the Lord will work with us to get the job done.

What's new in the garden? Lemon lilies. They are starring in the show right now! They are a pale, but vibrant yellow, if you can imagine that. It's hard to describe. Their color is almost "electric." They really illuminate the garden in the spots where they bloom. I divided several of them last year and dispersed them throughout. I think I will do that again this year since their color is such a great addition to the current scheme. A great way to do that is to tie a bread tie around the stalks of flowers you want to divide. After the blooms are gone, many look the same and it's easy to forget. There are also burgundy gaillardias and bright blue globe thistles, all varieties of wildly colored lilies, bee balm and many, many self-sown nigellas (love-in-a-mist). It's a very bright show out there right now! Some delphiniums are ready to make a second debut. Exciting! Blessings, LORI

JUST A FEW LITTLE THOUGHTS

Just a few quick news items for today! The mystery flower is a yellow yarrow for sure! Hooray!

I have been gleaning some very rich things from scripture reading and the lesson we had in Sunday school on Sunday morning. I hope to take a bit more time in the next few days to write about that, but for now just wanted to do a quick update.

Still in a drought here. Needing rain so badly. Our yard is almost completely dried up. It's too big to even think of watering. Hopefully this week, we'll get some showers.

We have out of state company coming later this week. Much to do, much going on with the harvest of veggies and fruits. I ordered peaches to can late last week.

Will write more with some scriptural insights that the Lord gave me that I found so helpful. Blessings, LORI

THE DESIRES OF OUR HEARTS

Such a lovely day we've had here! I got all the housecleaning done that I had planned, picked snipped an canned 10 pints of beans, and did a load of wash. What a great feeling of accomplishment on a Friday!



I thought sure it was going to rain this afternoon and hurried to get the beans picked and the clothes off the line--no rain so far. Lots of ominous clouds, but no rain. Last evening we scurried around shutting windows when we heard a few sprinkles beginning, but it didn't last. We are desperate for rain. I watered my flower garden this morning, but a real good rain would help. It's the vegetable garden that's needing it so desperately. There's no mulch in the rows and that means it dries out in a hurry. I usually pull the weeds around the plants while picking beans, but no sense in doing that today. They were tightly imprisoned in the dry ground and wouldn't pull easily. I've amended that soil quite a bit and still struggle with the clay conditions. I put leaves all over it for two years plus the organice matter from the chicken coop and tilled all that in to no avail. I guess it's better than it would have been without it!



The desires of our hearts--Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." I kept thinking of that verse today after I walked out to the flower garden and took a look at the mystery flower. It's got a definite yellow cast to it today as it begins to mature and open--it's almost assuredly a yellow yarrow. I just thought alot about how much I felt loved by God and how often He has given me the desires of my heart! I know He just delights in His children and like a good Father, He loves to lavish us with things we love just because He is love! (1John 4:8)

It's really been busy around here lately. Little time to blog. I have a few interesting little updates, though.

For instance, I tried making paper a couple of times this week. The first batch was ok and can probably be used to cut shapes, and etc. for decorating stationery. But it was a bit thick. I think I learned how to remedy that and the sheets I made this morning are much thinner. I didn't know what to expect for sure and with my makeshift supplies, I was prepared for a mess. Actually it went pretty well. It worked just like my instruction book said it would and that made the project kind of fun and exciting. I think with a little determination and better supplies, I could make several successful sheets of paper suitable for making stationery or cards. The embellishments you can give to homemade paper are endless--many fit in with my other interests--like using dried flowers in the pulp. The petals end up in the paper and make an interesting product. Can't wait to try that! Will experiment some more when I have a little time.

Forced myself to do some "spring cleaning" yesterday. I guess it's actually a little late to call it spring cleaning, but by that I mean I took pictures down, washed walls and woodwork, etc. in a few rooms. That is a very rewarding job. I always put it off but then have such a feeling of accomplishment when it's done.

Still waiting to can beans. My pressure cooker needs a new seal and I'm waiting for it to come in at the hardware. Should be here tomorrow. I also discovered that the black raspberries are still ripening just when I thought they were done. I need to make one more effort at picking before quitting for the year. That will probably happen this afternoon. In addition to that, I noticed today that my favorite blueberry patch put their sign out for customers. That means that blueberries are ready and it's time to take an afternoon and do the yearly picking.

I'm kind of in the "summer slump." You know that feeling that everything is ready at once and all kinds of things are demanding your attention--things that won't wait, like green beans. If you want the raspberries, you have to get them now; they won't be there next week. Same with the blueberries, and this is true of so many other things as well. It almost makes me want to quit and take a vacation--which would only compound the problem!! Reminds me of the verse in John 9,"I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work." (verse 4) Of course, Jesus was speaking of things other than gardens when He said that, but I often find that running through my mind when I know I have tasks to do that I would rather put off. Jesus was cautioning us to do the Father's will because there is coming a day when it will be too late. This is a sober reminder that we must work while we can witnessing and sharing the love of Christ to a lost world for the time is coming when our work on earth is ended and the opportunities are gone!

How fun! I just had to stop right in the middle of this blog to give a garden tour! I wish that would happen more often. I love sharing my garden with others. Too bad it is at its worst right now--very little blooming and the dry, windy conditions have taken a definite toll. The garden is only a shadow of its spring time glory. Well, I was so thankful that someone was interested and loved hosting a tour even if there wasn't too much to see!

Last evening, just for fun, I decided to try to count all the varieties of flowers in the English garden. I think I saw 50 different flowers! Fun, fun, fun! And the mystery flower still remains a mystery. I'll have to wait some more to see what color it is.

Hope you're having a good week. Blessings, LORI

Hi, everyone! Another busy summer day at our house! After cleaning for four hours this morning, I came home and got to work on lots of little projects. Thankfully, Clint had helped me with the cleaning job or I'd have been there even longer. But upon arriving home there was more tidying up to do as well as laundry. It was so dry and windy today that I found Mom taking the clothes down not long after they were hung out.

Clint and I had to do some errands and we ended up visiting with friends. I got to tour their lovely garden. It was such a delight to visit under their canopy out amongst the flowers. Several years ago when my garden was just getting started, I took much of my inspiration for the English Garden from this gal. That's not all I took! She was kind enough to give me starts of numerous plants; the beginnings of my garden! Again today, she generously shared some vivid colored phlox with me. I planted them promptly this evening. I had to begin watering again this evening when the wind died down. It's incredibly dry here. I should have picked black raspberries, but decided to wait. I was just too tired of working to think of going out there. I'm pretty sure this next picking will be the last. Blackberriess are coming on next. They make great jelly too, but we are not as fond of it as we are of the black raspberry.

I tried something new for supper. I batter dipped and deep fat fried some onion rings from my garden onions. Very tasty. These onions are very mild and sweet. So good. The garden is beginning to reward us. Back in the spring when stuff is first planted, it sometimes seems a long time to wait until the veggies can be used. The bean seed packages always give a maturation date. It always seeems to me like that's a drastically long time to wait, but it ends up happening before you know it and now there's an abundance of beans! This reminds me of Galatians 6:9, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." We often have a tendency to quit before the harvest comes, not willing to wait for the results of our efforts. But this verse says we WILL reap if we do not lose heart. There's a law of sowing and reaping that the Bible teaches us. It's a law that the Lord put into effect. A law works if you cooperate with the principles. When you plant seeds, something sprouts like the seed you planted. Corn produes corn; beans produce beans. And this scripture admonishes us to be patient enough to wait for the reaping. Is there something in your life to which you can apply this principle--something you are waiting for that seems like it will never come? I am sure we can all testify to having had something like that at some time in our lives. Be encouraged from the scripture that waiting produces results when you have sown good seed!

As for waiting, I'm still waiting on that yarrow to identify itself. It's definitely a yarrow and I'd have guessed yellow until today. I thought it seemed like the yellow tint had faded out a bit to more white as I gazed at it. It's kind of hard to tell since the sunlight casts a different light on it at different times of day and it's still too soon to tell. More waiting!

More lilies are blooming out there. Now there are orange ones and the lemon lilies are about to pop open. The bluebells of Scotland are very full and a blanket flower in burgundy is very pretty. Another bee balm, this time true red, opened and I noticed that some of the sweet williams are making a comeback with vivid colors. Still all in all it's kind of sparse out there right now, magnified by the dry conditions.

Still no report on the paper-making project. I got set back looking for proper supplies. Still it's a goal! Blessings, LORI

WEEKEND UPDATE

What a nice weekend we had! Since it's late, I'll just give an update and then write more tomorrow.

Spent two hours with the publishers over the weekend making plans and preparing for the sequel to "The Fields of May." I think we are narrowing down a release date--possibly early December 2009. We are still considering title options, cover options, and other little details, but this meeting felt like a real big step into bringing the next two books into reality. This will probably complete the series and then I'm brainstorming about another one.......plus, I'd like to write a devotional book in the near future. Clint and I have talked of doing one together for couples to use to facilitate husband/wife devotions. Exciting! But that's way in the future at this point.

Yesterday I picked more black raspberries. I think we're up past 7 quarts by now. Most got put in the freezer and there were so many more that I just couldn't pick them all! Maybe there's about one more picking out there; we'll see. We did get rain yesterday morning, but not nearly enough to do what we needed. It did seem to plump the berries up a bit though. I think I've noticed a real correlation between a rainfall and the way the berries look a short time later. I also picked the first batch of green beans and weeded two rows in the garden. We cooked the beans with bacon for supper. Mom put two bags in the freezer and we ate the rest! That's only the beginning. I have a feeling that by Tuesday, I'll be canning beans!

Great time at church today. After the morning service we had lunch with Rhiannon, JT, Kori, and Emma. We got to take naps this afternoon--much needed--and then we got ready for the evening service. Our kids, Rhi and JT and some of their friends have formed a praise and worship group. They led worship for the service and I thoroughly enjoyed it. They are awesome (is it ok for a Mom to brag a bit?) and their attitude is contagious. The Lord will use willing vessels! After they sang, Clint and I did a bit of "tag team" ministry. I spoke on Ezekiel 47, the river that flows from the throne of God, and he followed up with some New Testament passages in Acts. It was a wonderful time of drawing close to the Lord.

After church, some friends came over for ice cream and popcorn. We watched pictures on our tv from their recent Alaskan cruise. We had been invited to go, but just couldn't this time. Now we are really wishing we could have gone since seeing the pics!

I hope you had a wonderful Sunday where you were able to draw close to the Lord in worship and fellowship. Purple coneflowers are blooming! Blessings, LORI

LESSONS FROM A BEE

What a day! I am just getting to the end of a 12 hour work day of everything from laundry to gardening to berry-picking to grocery shopping--oh, and meeting with the publisher! That was so exciting to sit and make plans for the sequels to "The Fields of May." Probably the most exciting for me is the wonderment that comes with designing the next book cover and seeing what it actually looks like when done!

I was so thankful that my back held out today as I tried to catch up on all the things that have had to lay dormant around here while I was babying my tender muscles. This morning I took some leftover mashed potatoes and decided to make bread with them. It's not often that we have leftover potatoes and they are so good in bread. I haven't made bread for the longest time and I was thrilled with the results. I used some old honey that had become sugary instead of white sugar and threw in the potatoes, a little whole wheat and white flour and a few minor ingredients and a few hours later we had the most awesome batch of bread. The taste and texture were wonderful. It did hurt my back a bit as I tried to knead the huge blob of dough, so I divided it in half and threw it in my heavy-duty mixer and let that do the kneading!

As the day wore on my back improved. I tried to pick black raspberries, but the four-wheeler wasn't cooperating. I didn't want to walk the whole 18 acres. Finally I got it to run, got out to the far end of the property and it wouldn't start again. Just then I saw Rhiannon up at the house. She had gotten home from work and I hollered at the top of my lungs for her to come help me. She drove the truck across the field and was able to start the 4 wheeler. I rode back to the house to get bug spray--mosquitoes were vicious today--and then it wouldn't start again. I was pressed for time because I had the appointment with the publisher. The berries were at their peak, plump and juicy. So many were ripe today and I ended up not being able to pick nearly all I should have. I ended up walking back out there and picking my way back to the house while Rhiannon worked on getting the 4 wheeler to run long enough to put it back in the barn. I ended up with a pitiful pail of berries compared to what I picked the other days when they weren't even at their peak! Not a very fruitful endeavor--pardon the pun!

As I was working outside today (probably taking laundry to the line) I noticed a bumblebee on the deck rail. He was covered in yellow pollen dust. He acted slow and sleepy. I guess it would be hard to walk if your tiny body was covered in dust! As I watched him, I realized that he was doing a valuable job that goes unnoticed. The way God designed things, if all the bees didn't do their menial little tasks, we'd not have flowers, fruit and so on. Seeing him brought to mind the fact that there are all kinds of things going on around us that we never know about. It made me think about the spiritual realm where lots of things go on that most of us never clue in on. Take for example, the account of Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6:15. As the Syrian king made war against Israel, Elisha kept receiving knowledge from the Spirit of God as to his battle plans. The king became very frustrated at being constantly discovered. When the king found out that Elisha was the one thwarting his plots, he sent a great army out to find him. In the morning when Elisha and his servant were surrounded with a huge number of horses and chariots, the servant asked Elisha what they were going to do. Elisha told him not to fear. "So he answered, 'Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' (Vs. 16) "And then Elisha prayed, and said, 'Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.' Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." Wow! There was alot going on unnoticed in the spiritual realm that day! Think how many things go on each day that we never know about. It's an amazing thought. We go on busily with our daily lives and never consider what all is being done for our benefit that we can't even see!

Another lesson from the bee is this: I was busily hurrying around all day doing every imaginable task. Sometimes even with all the accomplishments in a day, I get the feeling that my jobs around the house are not all that important. I realized that the bee goes unnoticed with his pollen distributing but if he didn't do it, alot would be at stake! I think it's that way with women, especially young mothers who stay at home with children. Some days seem kind of mundane and you wonder what impact you had on the world. Believe me, as a mother of children who are now adults; take a lesson from the me and the bee: you are doing a valuable service that the world desperatley needs. No one can take your place and if you decided to just not do your job, someone will eventually suffer. No one may notice you right now, but the future will tell the impact of your life! Bee encouraged!

The mystery flower is looking more like a yellow yarrow--yippee!!!! Stay tuned, Blessings, LORI

FAITH AND LOVE

I had such a wonderful day! Today Clint and I were able to drive through a little territory that we don't go through on a regular basis. The area reminded me of the terrain I described in "The Fields of May." I saw so many pretty flower gardens, serene-looking old farms and rolling hills.

While we were out, I realized that I need to take some pictures for the cover of my next book--and real soon! I want to have hollyhocks near a fence pictured on the front cover and now is hollyhock time. They will quickly fade and the opportunity will be lost for the year. I will start taking my camera with me on car trips in the next few weeks, hoping to find just the right flowers. With all the hollyhocks I raise, none are near a fence as I have pictured in my mind for the cover. So taking photos of my own garden to use is out of the question. Speaking of my own gardens, the mystery flower is looking more and more like a yellow yarrow! How exciting. I purchased two new plants today at a discount. One was a coreopsis--I used to have some, but they disappeared for some reason. One little lonely one appeared this year again. The second flower I bought was a pincushion flower. Same story with that only they never re-appeared!

Didn't get much else done today besides running around. Rhiannon met me at the library and we took a little drive looking for--hollyhocks! I talked to a lady who had a nice stand of yellow and peach colored ones--colors I crave and haven't been able to grow with success. I had seen the flowers a week ago at this house and decided to stop and ask for some seeds. Today I got back to this house and turns out I knew the lady! She said she's glad to give me some seeds when the plants dry up in a week or two. A hollyhock lover's dream.

When I got home I picked about 3 more quarts of black raspberries. They are swiftly drying out. We so desperately need rain. I have enjoyed eating some of the first few I picked. The rest will go in the freezer to be made into jelly.

While reading my devotions this morning, I was touched by a verse in Ephesians chapter 6. Near the end of this epistle, Paul makes his closing comments with a blessing. Verse 23 reads: "Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Isn't that the most poetic, gracious blessing? I noticed especially that love and faith are united in this verse. There are other verses in the Bible where love and faith are coupled together. Consider Galatians 5:6, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anyting, but faith working through love." 1Corinthians 13, the great love chapter, ends in verse 13 by saying, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." And I'm sure there are others as well. I am intrigued by the relationship of these two. It seems from the Galatians verse, that faith works when love is exercised. How interesting. I need to practice love and see my faith become stronger. In the Ephesians verse, love with faith is the blessing that Paul desires for his flock. I think it is easier to walk in faith when you walk in love because love draws you closer to God. When you are close to God, faith results. When we focus on Him and not ourselves we are strengthened by the glory of His greatness--and faith results. No wonder they are often coupled together!

I hope you enjoy pondering these thoughts with me. They seemed a lovely end for a lovely day! Blessings, LORI

A SWEET-SMELLING AROMA

Another pretty day here in Michigan! The weather couldn't be nicer, but we do need rain. My poor gardens are thirsty. I have been watering, but the winds are making it senseless to water during the day and by the time they die down in the evening, it's nearly too late to begin watering. I don't want to leave the pump running all night. Any suggestions?

As for the mystery flower, I am getting very excited! Upon very close inspection today, I thought the slightest bit of yellow could be detected in the emerging head! It's very slight, but there's hope!

I didn't do a whole lot today, it seemed but by the time the day was over, I realized I had actually accomplished quite a bit. I worked slowly not wanting to aggravate my already tender back. I did get a few rooms vacuumed and mopped the outside bathroom and closet area. When we built the house we put a coatroom/bathroom just inside the garage. It gets a beating this time of year and needed mopping.

As for cooking, I fixed a roast for supper, dumping the leftover celery and carrots that were in the fridge into the mix. It was a cheap roast, close-dated and marked down, but so yummy after being slow-cooked with the veggies. This afternoon I decided to make muffins. I had a recipe for sweet potato muffins. Knowing I had some leftover cooked squash in the fridge, I decided to substitute. It worked perfectly. You couldn't ask for nicer, tastier muffins. They have dried cranberries in them and I'm having a hard time staying away from them.

Also picked up a few supplies for my paper-making project at the hardware store today. Just a few more little details and I'll be ready to try making a sheet of homemade paper! Hooray!

This evening Clint had church work to do, so I did more proofreading on my second book. It is swiftly nearing the point where I can take it to the publisher for them to begin work on it. I am so excited. I have a few ideas for the cover and so on, but it's always so exciting to see what the design artist comes up with.

Got a chance to work on a little embroidery today as well and maybe some knitting yet before the night's over. All in all it was a lovely day.

I froze a few rose petals today. Yes, froze them. The paper making books suggest this and then to use them in the paper. I hope to try it. If I don't like the results, I will use them in sachet. I keep a large ceramic container of homemade sachet in the guest room. I open the lid before people come over. My grandmother taught me how to make this stuff. She always saved rose petals for this and then let them dry on a screen or paper towels. After they were dry she would add spices; any of the "sweet" type spices that you like; cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, etc. She also added bath powder and her favorite perfumes and stirred it all up. She kept it in a closed container. For absolutely years we had a batch of it that kept its scent. It is different than purchased potpourris. It has a scent and character all its own since no two batches are ever alike. You can add dried orange peels or lemon peels as well. I don't know if I'll get any made this year or not, but I will have the roses saved or I can always add them to the batch I already have. My profuse lavender bushes are good for clipping and adding to the potpourri as well.

In thinking of potpourri, I am reminded of a verse in Ephesians 5. Verse 2 reads, "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." Meditate on that a while! I want to walk in love so that like Christ, my sacrifice is pure and sweet-smelling to God. Isn't it interesting how the everyday things in life can remind you of scriptural admonitions? Blessings, LORI

IN HONOR OF APRONS!

Happy, sunny, July! It was the quintessential summer day here at our house. The sun was shining, pleasant temperatures, a breeze and new mown hay! After I finished a four hour cleaning job this morning, I came home to many more tasks. I knew it was time to pick black raspberries. This is always quite a project. I decided this year to do it a bit differently by using the four-wheeler to get around the property instead of walking. Now, mind you, I needed the walk and would have enjoyed the walk, but thought it best to give my back the benefit of the doubt and drive the four wheeler between patches of berries. I was glad I did. I could feel the effort of standing on the uneven ground after a while. Picking the black raspberries is a tough job--not for the faint of heart! Usually, this year being the exception, they ripen in the hottest part of summer. Add to that the mosquitoes and all the extra clothes you ought to wear just to keep from being scraped to death by briars and thorns, not to mention poison ivy protection. Well, when all was said and done, I picked about three quarts of berries and still left enough on the bushes to feed an army. They are smaller than most other berries and therefore take more time to pick and to fill up a quart. I will definitely be picking again, probably two or three more times. That jelly will taste so good in the winter!

I was talking to an elderly friend today and she was reminiscing about when she was a girl. She told me she enjoyed visiting her elderly relatives on their farm. As she described the way they dressed, I thought of the title for this blog. She told me they wore long dresses with very long aprons. She could remember them going to their garden and picking their aprons full of vegetables and carrying them in the house or using the aprons to gather eggs. I got to thinking about how some things; humble things, like aprons, are vanishing from the American scene. I remember my mom saying her mother's apron served many useful purpoes. She would dry children's tears with it as well as using it to protect her clothing while working. I suppose protecting clothing is the original purpose of an apron. With the advent of automatic washers and the disappearance of hard, dirty farm work, we are losing the "art of apron wearing." They are not as necessary as they once were. I suppose that mothers in the past also used them to cradle a child while rocking them to sleep. I know I used to wear aprons faithfully when the kids were smaller and I did alot of work in the kitchen. It really saved on the clothing, but then I was baking alot more and doing alot of canning and such.

Several years ago in my apron wearing stage, I sewed myself an apron that I literally wore until it was in shreds. I designed it myself--no big task--and really liked it. It finally fell completley apart a few years ago. I still have an apron, but confess that I rarely get it out to use it. The season for using it is coming up though, canning season. I noticed today as I weeded two rows of beans, that the plants are forming little beans and will soon be ready to eat. Clint took mercy on me and tilled the front part of the garden so I'd not have to wrestle with the tiller.

I also got some much needed weeding done in the English Garden. I noticed a few stalks of larkspur coming up and that's great since I had planted alot of starts last year. I seem to have trouble growing that flower. As for the mystery flower, if I had to make a guess today, I'd say it's a nice variety of cultivated white yarrow--desperately hoping all the while that it's yellow yarrow!

I had to do more watering this evening. It is bone dry out there. Today was windy again and things are drying out in a hurry.

I love this particular time of year. I wanted to go for a ride this evening and let the summer air rush in the car windows carrying the scent of new mown hay. I love the full moon and the smell of fresh cut fields. Everyone was too tired to go and so maybe tomorrow night! Blessings, LORI

Be Still and Know That I Am God-

What delightful weather! Wow! I have enjoyed the last two days immensely. The Fourth of July was wonderful! We got to sit at the lake with friends and eat grilled chicken and other yummy stuff! Later in the day we came home and got a short nap before company came over to sit on our porch and watch fireworks. Our little town hosts a Fourth of July parade and midway, then at dusk there is a very nice fireworks show launched from the lakeside. We have a perfect view from our front yard. Clint popped some corn and we had a few chips to eat while watching the show in the sky! Even after the town fireworks were finished, several other lakeside residents set off more and the display went on for a while longer. Emma was so cute. She amazed us that at 16 months old she sat pretty still on the grass with a paper plate full of popcorn and just ate and watched fireworks. Some members of Kori's family were here along with a few other friends and we had a great time. Before dark several members of the family had a little archery target shoot going on in the back yard and Clint and Jt took the little kids for four-wheeler rides.

Today we spent a very quiet Sunday. It was probably the quietest Sunday in a long while. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We came home after church and headed out for lunch. The restaurant we had our hearts set on--clear across the county--was not open when we got there! So we circled back around and ended up in Centreville for a quick lunch and then on home. More napping and then guess what we did? Nothing!! How often do you just do nothing? We don't get to just sit and relax for long periods of time very often. This was really nice. We sat on the front porch. I knitted on the lace shell and it is rapidly nearing completion, hooray! We also played corn toss awhile. Clint is the champion around here. While we were out there we got a nice little show from the birds. Several different kinds of birds frequent our tall grass, windbreak area down in the front of our yard. Long ago Clint set up two old sumac trees and put bird houses on them. They have "crooks" in the branches and the birds light on them while traveling from the big trees to the fencerows. Two rows of shrubbery form a windbreak down there which also gives the birds a great habitat. That area stays marshy, especially in a year like this one. It is a low area where our yard slopes down to the road and it often holds some water. This year it's a bit more like a wetland. You can't see the water, but when Clint mows, the grass is always saturated down there. The birds love the environment. We saw bluebirds, swallows, sparrows, and others we didn't identify. In addition to that the hummingbirds frequented the feeder in front of the porch as well as the flowers in the landscaping. Very nice to watch.

Last night before fireworks I finished hemming a dress that I had made over a year ago. I purchased a piece of inexpensive but quality fabric that had a loud orange and brown print. I needed a jacket to go with it and so never finished the dress because I couldn't find a sweater or jacket in the color I needed. Finally this year there are numerous orange items on the market, but insteading of investing in something that wouldn't match anything else I have, I realized I had a brown cotton blouse with a button down front that could be worn as a jacket over this dress. So this morning I got to wear a new dress to church. Felt good to have a new summer dress and also to have one more project finished around here!

What's new in the garden? I have a cactus blooming--yes, a cactus. A friend gave me this cactus a few years ago, back when I didn't even realize that we could grow cactus in Michigan. Well, this little cactus has gone through a number of phases and never really looked all that good. It finally bloomed these beautiful yellow flowers this year and I am hoping it will spread and be a real curiodity out in the rock garden area of the English Garden. You really have to be careful when weeding around it. The spines are like fine hairs and stick in your skin if you even brush against it, however, it does look interesting growing out there! I was also thrilled to have a flower begin to bud that remains a mystery. I had a large stand of marguerite daisies--little all-yellow daisies--that somehow got grubbed out or frozen out last year. I was disappointed when they didn't seem to be coming up and asked for more from the friend I had gotten them from. She found enough left in her garden to give me a start. I planted it about 6 weeks ago. While walking around the garden this evening, I noticed a marguerite blooming where they used to be! I had put the news ones in a totally different place! I took a good look at the new start she gave me and I think it is yarrow! I have been wanting a start of yellow yarrow and nearly purchased one last week. I am suspecting that what my friend thought was a marguerite daisy is really going to turn out to be yellow yarrow! I am so hoping that it is--for then I will have both of the plants that I wanted. Will let you know what it turns out to be!

As for devotional thoughts today, I am remembering that Psalm 46:10 says, in part, "Be still and know that I am God," We as Americans are not often still in this day and age. We're not like our ancestors who spent one day out of seven doing nothing but necessary chores and resting. I felt like today I had a day close to that and it really seemed good. It was very quiet, not even many cars were going up and down the road. How wonderful to be still for a long time and enjoy God's creation. I am thinking that we'd be doing ourselves a favor to try to make each Sunday like this as much as possible. I have to make an effort to slow down; do you? To really take a day off and rest is nearly impossible for me because I have conditioned myself to be busy. I am not a legalist about keeping a certain day, but Jesus said the sabbath was made for man, not the other way around and so that must mean a rest is good for us. When we rest, we tend to give God more space in our thoughts. This is a simple principle that I have to remind myself of in order to practice it. It does not come naturally.

I hope you had a lovely holiday weekend and are all rested up! Blessings, LORI

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

I had a lovely day of a little more relaxation. I went on a pretty long car trip with some of the family today so I was able to just sit, read, pray, and knit. How nice. When I got home, I felt so much better that I thought it was finally time to get out in the garden and weed a bit. I did very little so as not to be unwise in challenging my back. I feel considerably stronger today and it seemed nice to do some real work. Got a little dusting done as well. Clint got the lawn mowed and he managed to completely obliterate one large stalk of hollyhocks--not good. I can't imagine how that happened since these flowers were so tall and stately and OBVIOUS. Oh, well.

One of you made a comment about flowers of odd colors popping up in the garden--I can identify with that! I had that happen during the "pastel stage" in the English Garden. A gallardia (sp?) suddenly flowered and they are so bright orange and yellow that it looked out of place. I will either try to move it so that it is next to more compatible colors for next year, or the other solution I read about involves the creative use of color. A book I looked at suggested that white flowers "take down" the color of others around them. For instance, the gallardia's bright effect could be minimized if surrounded by white flowers. Yellow flowers will do the opposite and magnify and intensify the other colors around them. Which brings me to another point......

I was wondering what to write about today and when we took an evening ride around Colon's pretty lakes, I suddenly knew. In case you don't know, Colon has always been known for it's large celebration of the Fourth of July. Besides a huge parade and midway, the people around the lakes set off red flares in their yards at about 9:45pm on July 3rd. The lakes light up with a beautiful string of red torches. It's really lovely to see. It reminded me of how we can be "lights" for the Lord. The flares immediately reminded me of Matthew 5;16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." When we first drove around the lake only one flare was lit. On the return trip nearly every house had flares in the yard, creating a beautiful bright light. Isn't that like the flowers we were just discussing? Some flowers intensify the effect of others. We as Christians need to be lights that encourage others to enter the kingdom of light. When there is just one light, it is very obvious, but a great effect is created by many lights illuminating the darkness. I don't want to be like the white flowers, taking down the effect of others. I want to be a light in darkness, one who encourages others to be lights.

I hope you will enjoy a lovely Independence Day with family and friends tomorrow. It's one of our favorite holidays around here. Our front yard is a prime spot for viewing fireworks without fighting the traffic in town. Remember what it means to be an American, thank God for your freedom, pray for this nation, and meditate on the freedom that Christ gives! Blessings, LORI

STRENGTHENING YOURSELF IN THE LORD

Greetings! A very chilly day we're having considering it's July! What an unusual summer. At least the weeds are kept at bay for a bit! I was out in the garden today and grieving over how badly it needs weeding and tilling-both gardens. I have been babying my back since Monday. I had trouble with it some time ago after doing a rather ignorant thing--I took a full hamper of wet clothes to the clothesline balanced on one hip, twisting and jerking to walk out there. Very ignorant move on my part. Everything was better after Clint prayed for me, then I tilled the entire garden plus all the other bending and heavy duty work I do which aggravated it again. Walking on the soft dirt behind the tiller, row after row, was probably the final straw. So all week, I have basically been doing nothing too heavy or challenging, trying to be wise. If you want to be healed, sometimes it requires acting in wisdom. It was very difficult for me to stay away from the garden work. With the weather cool, it was the perfect opportunity to weed and work in comfort. I just had to use common sense and rest instead. Sometimes when you take a stand for healing or to receive some other benefit that you know the scripture promises you, you will face opposition. That's what I have felt like most of this week. I'm not a sit still type of person and not doing the work around here has been a challenge to say the least. Thankfully, I was much better today.

I was out in the garden (mostly just enjoying it!) and saw that a couple of my yarrow flowers were lopped off and laying in the pathway. I sure don't appreciate whatever is doing that to my stuff! Probably a rabbit. The yarrow is top heavy and was leaning over into the pathways. I really should support it with something like I did for the delphiniums. Sometimes certain plants just need some support to remain standing, especially out there in the wind. My garden takes alot of straight wind from across the field.

Thinking about needing support, today when I was reading scripture, I noticed that a certain verse was "quickened" to me as I read in Ephesians, chapter 3. (The Holy Spirit will quicken verses to you if you are listening for His still, small voice!) It was verse 16, "that He would grant you, acording to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man." I just had to take time to meditate on that for awhile. David is said to have "strengthened himself in the Lord his God" during a particularly stressful time in his life (1 Samuel 30:6). People were thinking of stoning him because they were mad at him. How much worse could life really get than that? But more importantly what does it mean to strengthen yourself in the Lord? I believe that growing believers learn to "strengthen themselves in the Lord." You get to a point sometimes in the Christian walk where you need to know how to find support directly from the Lord and not rely on the pastor or the leaders of the church to feed you, after all, they might not always be available! Strengthening yourself in the Lord involves getting into the word and meditating on it, soaking so much of it in that you cannot help but be changed. I have certainly had to do this many times in my life and this week was one of them. I just felt challenged by a number of things, including physical challenges. Long ago some older, wiser Christians spoke into my life by challenging me to rely on scripture by selecting verses and praying them or meditating on them, actually using the Word of God to conquer whatever was bothering me.

Just like the flowers, I needed some support. Praise is another "strengthener" that we Christians can rely on. When we lift up praise to the Lord our focus shifts from ourselves and our problems to how great and awesome and powerful God is. This makes any of life's problems pale in comparison and we receive strength to go on. I suspect that this is the principal way that David "strengthened himself in the Lord," since we know he played the harp and wrote many psalms of praise. In addition to that, he would not have had the full scriptures at that time, since they weren't yet written in their entirety and even if they were, he would not have had ready access to a copy like we do with our Bibles. If you need strength, consider using these methods; meditating on scriptures specific to your situation, and praising the Lord!

I got to work a bit on my sweater today, the lace shell that's been under construction too long. I made some real progress and if I am diligent, I suspect I could have it done in a few weeks. I also took a trip to town to get groceries. Found a few bargains and saw one of my blogging friends--hi! Took a little time this morning to proofread several chapters in my second book. It's moving right along more rapidly than I had thought. Praise the Lord for that! Didn't accomplish much more than that today except helping Clint in some ministry duties and minor dusting around the house. Longing to be back in the garden! I saw a new lily that had opened out there today. It's burdungy with yellow background tints. Also hostas are opening and a few larkspurs. They did not reseed as well as I had hoped either, but I was glad to see a few.

I hope my thoughts about strength today will be of benefit to you. I am so encouraged by the verses in Ephesians. Blessings, LORI

We are finally getting some much-needed rain. I got a few minutes to sit out in my garden earlier today and read the Bible. It was kind of hard to sit there and relax as I noticed all the weeds that had popped up! Yesterday I transplanted a "volunteer" morning glory at the base of one of the new "baby crib rail" trellises. I didn't have a watering can out there with me and so today it looked a little weak. I am thankful for the rain this afternoon that will give it the boost it needs.



What's new in the garden? My squash are blossoming out in the veggie garden as well as the beans and potatoes. I'm not sure there's anything new in the flowers except maybe a bee balm of a different color is about to open. Several large, showy lilies are soon to open as well. Some of them have an incredibly lovely scent and I always enjoy their debut. I saw a really beautiful garden at an antique store yesterday. It was large, yet conveniently situated for working. It was full of flowers but surrounded by stone walls about a foot high that held it all in place. I'll consider a design like that for any new flower garden I'll ever make since it looked like it would be easy to care for.



I noticed that the black raspberries are ready to pick. Pretty soon, I'll have to get out there to get them. I just finished making the jelly from all the ones in the freezer from last year. It seems like it's too soon to do all that again, but we surely do go through that jelly!



It was another day of small accomplishments. I made a few needed preparations for the second book and went out to lunch with Rhiannon. She and I had won a gift card and wanted to use it and it worked out conveniently for her to meet me today. I also did a little sleuthing and pricing on materials for my paper-making venture. This involved checking some internet instructions and checking out yet another book from the library. This one finally gave the information I needed. I was looking for someone to give instructions that did not involve making a wooden frame for the paper shaping. I finally found a suggestion in a book that will get me (actually Clint) out of a lot of work. I can make this frame myself in two minutes and it's all over! This morning I called three major craft stores only to discover that no one sells the supplies. I was overjoyed to learn I can build this myself! I plan to do that tomorrow. Will keep you posted on the outcome.



I was trying to spend a little more time in the scriptures today. I was touched by one verse in particular that I have marked in my Bible. It is Deuteronomy 4:4 "But you who held fast to the Lord you God are alive today, every one of you." As far as I know this verse is speaking in reference to a plague that occurred following an incident of disobedience in the life of Israel. Those who refused to involve themselves in sinful behavior escaped death. What a good word for us to remember. In our day and age, we can apply this to holding fast to the Lord in a number of ways. I depend on this verse in many ways to remind me to believe when believing seems impossible. Another verse that seems to go along with it is the last half of Daniel 6:24, "...So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God." This verse certainly refers to a victorious incident when all natural sense would have seen the outcome to be different! I hope these two verses are an encouragement to you to believe in the face of great opposition! Blessings, LORI