Sunday Reflection

Then The Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, The Lord.

Exodus 34:5

The first time I properly read the book of Exodus, and this story of Moses meeting God on the mountain, I felt my jaw drop. Even reading it now  I feel the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. The thought of meeting God face to face like that - well it is beyond amazing. 

This verse makes me think of the sheer magnificence  of the Glory of God. No wonder Moses' face was radiant after meeting The Lord  -the  real, actual God, as my grandson says. I can imagine the scene - really feel the awesomeness, and it is good to be reminded of that. 

Wishing you all an awesome week. 

This moment

Sharing a moment that I want to remember. No words, just a single special image. Joining in with Soulemama for This Moment. Wishing you all a precious  weekend. xx

Holiday Postcards: Skye

We hopped on the ferry and took a quick trip down to Skye to visit  the delightful Miss Breagha, and her Mum and Dad. It was a perfect break - just hanging out, enjoying each other's company, and the scenery. John and I even managed to celebrate Valentine's night with a romantic dinner at this lovely hotel. Back home now, suitably refreshed, but missing those little girl cuddles.

Sunday reflection

This week I want to share one of the first Bible verses that really meant something to me.  Matthew 28,20 - specifically the second part:

Lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the end of the world. 

I grew up in a Christian home. Not overtly so, but it was there - Sunday School and Church were a constant part of our lives. It had never occurred to me not to believe. Then, as a teenager, I went out with a boy who was recently converted. I remember how enthusiastic he was about his new found faith, and this made me look at my own relationship with The Lord in a different way. In fact, it became more of a relationship, rather than Him just being in the background of my life. This verse was one which my boyfriend was particularly keen on, and I remember talking about the reassurance and comfort in these words. 

As the years went on, this verse became a touchstone for me. My faith journey has taken many twists and turns, and I have slipped away on more than a few occasions, but these few words have kept me going through some difficult times. 

You can imagine how much I have thought of them during the last year. 

There are so many similar promises made by God all through the bible: 

"Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for The Lord your God will be with you" Joshua 1,9

"Be strong and courageous. do not be afraid or terrified, for The Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave you or forsake you." Deuteronomy 31,6

and I find comfort in these verses too, but somehow these - the last words spoken on Earth by The Lord Jesus Christ hold a special promise.

Lo! Listen! Attend! I AM with You All the Days even until the end of the world. How awesome is that? xxx

Sunday Reflection

So - what do the following have in common?

Robert Frost,  the colour green, Princess Leia,  a popsicle, a swan, a dragon, Vermont,  a hot buttered roll.

They are all me - apparently. Don't you just love those silly quizzes that pop up on social media - "What kind of bird/mythical creature/food/US state/whatever -  are you?"  Secretly, I can never resist answering them. I guess we are all on some sort of journey to self-discovery - to find out who we really are. And it's important work - we have many choices to make as we go through this life, and the more we understand ourselves, the easier it is to make appropriate decisions - those that feel" right" inside.

But, fun though these quizzes are, they cannot tell us about our true nature, and they are another note in the endless online muzak - like, share, retweet. There are so many petitons, causes and challenges of one kind or another vying for our attention. As I type this, I have my facebook page open on another tab - during the last few  minutes of my timeline I am being asked to share a picture of Snoopy, if I am an organ donor, like a bizzarre video of a couple playing tug of war with nylon stockings over their heads, which has been viewed over 2 million times, and sign a Greenpeace petiton to save narwhals.

I don't routinely take part in these knee jerk reaction kind of things - remember the ice bucket challenge? I tend to use facebook to see what my friends and family are up to. In fact, I have just had a hilarious exchange with one of my daughters about panko breadcrumbs (don't ask), so I do appreciate the chance to connect. There is, however, one meme going about right now that has piqued my interest. The Bible Challenge. For seven days, participants are asked to share verses from scripture that are important to them. People take up this challenge in different ways - some simply quote the verse, others write mindfully about the reasons they have chosen this verse, other still write mini-sermons. It is interesting to see, and I like the idea of sharing God's Word in an accessible way. Who knows where the seed will fall?

So, I am going to take up this challenge - here on the blog (shared on facebook, of course). Over the next few Sundays, I will share a verse from the bible, and talk about why I have chosen it. Maybe by the end of this I might even find out who I am!

My first verse is from  the Old Testament  - Jeremiah 1:5

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations"

That is just an extraordinary, powerful verse, and gives me chills just reading it. God knew me before I was even born. Just wow. It makes me feel so loved - so unconditionally loved. Even though I have failed God in so many ways during my life, this verse reaffirms his love and brings me back to Him. I loved my own children before they were born. I was excited -  planning, hoping and dreaming what they might become. Once they arrived, well,  things didn't work out according to my plan, there have been challenges, adaptations and compromises, but I have always loved them. And so it is with God - He loves us, no matter what. He has wonderful plans for us, and though we might stray from His path, there is always a way back to Him. He doesn't need to see quiz results to know us  - He formed us before the world was made, and brought us here to the right place, at exactly the right time - He set us apart. This is Who I AM. What an awesome thought!

Feel free to join in with this if, and when you would like to. Leave a link in the comments below. Wishing you an awesome week. xxx

This moment

Sharing a moment that I want to remember. No words, just a single special image. Joining in with Soulemama for This Moment. Wishing you all a peaceful weekend. xx

Still in hibernation

The early days of 2015 have been quiet ones for us here. Its all about the weather - gales, snow, hail and oh - so cold. I get outside every day if I can, even if it is a quick dash down to the pier with Mick, dodging the stinging hailstones that come scattering  over the hills. Then it is back home - a warm drink by the fire, a spot of crafting, a filling meal.

Not much has been happening, really, so I haven't had anything to post. Still, it's February now and the evenings are definitely getting lighter, reminding me that the busy-ness of the long daylight will soon be here. Hmmm - I think it is time to throw another peat on the fire and enjoy just a wee bit more of this hibernation. xx

This moment

Sharing a moment that I want to remember. No words, just a single special image. Joining in with Soulemama for This Moment. Wishing you all a happy weekend. 

Good little things

The wind still blew this week - it moved to the north and brought a dusting of arctic chill with it too, but we managed out most days. Its always a thought to drag ourselves away from the warmth, get togged up, and face the cold, but always so worth the effort. There isn't really a lot on the camera roll this week, just a few shots taken on our walks, so I thought I would share a few internet links that have caught my attention this week:

I am taking part in a wonderful online retreat run facilitated by Heather from Beauty that Moves. I cant believe we are at the end of the first week already. I am so enjoying the activities and sharing from a fabulous group of like minded women. It has been a very nourishing time - and much love to my dear friend Denise for bringing me along..

I enjoyed listening to this - fascinating.

And I read this at just the right time.

One more photo on the camera phone tonight - caramelised pear skillet pie - so easy.

Line a cast iron skillet, or a pie dish with a puff pastry sheet

into a frying pan put
4 oz caster sugar
4 fl oz water
1 tsp vanilla

bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes until caramel coloured.
add
1 oz butter
4 pears, peeled, cored and cut into eighths

stir till butter has melted and pears are nicely coated in caramel
cook for a further 5 minutes
add
1/2 tsp each of ground cinnamon and ginger

pour pears and caramel into pastry shell and cook at 200 deg C for 20 mins, until the pastry is nicely puffed up and browned.

We had ours with creme fraiche.

Wishing you all good things in the week ahead xx

Cosy Yarn Along

We have been having a few power cuts lately and now some snow has fallen. I'ts perfect weather to cosy in by the fire with a nice warm drink, a bit of crochet and some reading.

 It must be the season and the stormy conditions, because our reading has taken a distinctly survivalist, self sufficiency sort of turn. I found this book, Self-Reliance by John Yeomans up in the loft a few days ago. I remember flicking through it years ago and didn't really take to it at the time, but it called to me from the discarded book shelf as I looked for something else. Its actually quite interesting, and having begun at the beginning, I now get the slightly tongue in cheek tone, and it seems a more relevant read. He has some great money saving ideas, and tips for coping in difficult situations (such as power failure and hurricane winds) and I like his take on self-reliance as moving in and out of the consumer society as we need to. Good for dipping into and there are plenty "why didn't I think of that" moments too. 

I am also reading Cold Antler Farm on my kindle app. Its a nice gentle read, and I so relate to many of  Jenna's anecdotes - especially the sheep ones. Perfect for dark nights with no bedside lamp.

James and I are reading Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. A 13 yr old boy is stranded in the Canadian forest and has to learn to survice with nothing but a hatchet, which we think is an axe in English. My goodness, it is so exciting! We only have 2 chapters to read and there has been much discussion on how we think it will end. Don't tell us....

Oops I nearly forgot to mention my current project. I've just been dabbling with little bits of things lately - a hat, beginning to square off the circles on my Bullseye blanket, a few rows here and there on the ripple. I have just begun to crochet another circle cushion cover to go in the living room.

I crocheted a hot water bottle cover last week. It is a very cosy thing indeed. I made it up as I went along, so it is extremely improvised. I'm not very good at explaining patterns, and I can't guarantee anything, but here is how I did it anyway:

I used 1 skein of Sublime organic merino, for the main colour and scraps of merino from my stash for the granny squares. 3 buttons

Crochet 2 sides.

Side 1 (front)

Make 4 granny squares in whatever colour combination you like - I used this pattern

Using MC, single crochet squares together. (dc UK). I like the raised edge to show on the front.

SC along bottom edge 

turning chain 1

SC 5 more rows.

fasten off.

Top edge

SC 3 rows

Sc 3 rows decreasing 1 at each edge for shoulders of bottle

fasten off

Count your stitches and  SC into middle 12 - chain 1

SC 6 more rows, increasing 1 at each end of this and every alt row to cover neck.

fasten off

SC up sides to neaten.

Side 2 (Back)

Decide where you want to place the buttonholes. I used 3 - one at each edge and one in the middle

Crochet as side 1 but work 9 rows of sc

On row 7, make buttonholes by missing 2 stitches at desired place. I think I did mine at 3, 15 and 27, but your measurements may be different.

SC both sides together, leaving top and bottom open. 

Weave in ends.

Sew on buttons to bottom edge of front, corresponding with buttonholes,

Insert hot water bottle and snuggle.

Joining Ginny for Yarn Along.