Alas, after a nudge from one of my son-in-laws who savors my homemade freezer jams, I decided it’s not too late to use up the frozen fruits I stashed away in the freezer many months ago…blueberries, pears, apricots, kiwis, and more. Thinking about his encouragement in the final product (most recently having some of the pear jam on toast) I had an aha moment. Although I had initially badgered myself for the past couple years in not getting jams made in the summer, I realized that the oohey, gooey smashed fruits that sat in the freezer a few months longer are the secret to my successful jam making! When I thaw the frozen fruit and mash it up some more, it’s like marinated fruit, soft and gooey and just waiting for the Certo syrup to be mixed in. If anyone reading this is lamenting the fact that the jam isn’t made yet, pull out that frozen fruit you stashed away and get some Certo! Enjoy! I had so much therapeutic fun making blueberry, apricot, and pear jam this morning! It was therapeutic – one of my sisters and her family live in Newtown and the tragic events touched them very close to home. My nephew had just been with one of the children who died the night before. When you’re making jam, there’s lots of time to pray.
It’s the middle of June already.? I set a few goals for the summer and am getting them going.? The garden is planted and we’ve already been eating lettuce, parsley and chives!? Soon, our wild black raspberries will be ready to pick, and some green beans are growing but not ready yet.?? Another goal is to paint the master bedroom.? When we moved into this home over 16 years ago, we saw the dark brown paneling? in the master bedroom and thought, that too, must go…someday.? With the youngest now 15, and our 30th anniversary coming up, I decided this was the year to paint the paneling.
I painted on 2 coats of primer.? That took a bit longer than I thought, but then I only needed to paint one coat of the Couscous color (a soft shade of yellow).? So, the room has a totally new atmosphere and is so much brighter.? I might have 2 of my daughters redecorate using things in the house in the next couple of weeks.? They might need to purchase new curtain rods, though.
Sorting through clothes has been part of the painting project.? I have 4 days before a charity comes to pick up the goods I’m getting ready…5 boxes full and counting.? I did take 2 boxes to a local consignment shop to see if they’d buy anything.? They didn’t, but oh well.? I did try!? We can still get a tax write off for the donations, though.
God is growing me ALOT right now.? It’s painful at times, to grow.? Sometimes it feels like I’m being squished by His big thumb.? But I know deep down in my heart that His ways are not my ways.? His ways are much better, because they are His plan.? He is the awesome Creator.
“…above all keepings; we must keep our hearts with more care and diligence than we keep anything else. We must keep our eyes (Job 31;1), keep our tongues (Ps. 34:13), keep our feet (Eccl. 5:1), but, above all, keep our hearts. A good reason given for this care, because out of it are the issues of life. Out of a heart well kept will flow living issues, good products, to the glory of God and the edification of others. Or, in general, all the actions of the life flow from the heart, and therefore keeping that is making the tree good and healing the springs. Our lives will be regular or irregular, comfortable or uncomfortable, according as our hearts are kept or neglected.”
Q. 3
What does the Bible primarily teach?
The Bible primarily teaches what man must believe about God and what God requires of man.
Micah 6:8
John 20:31
John 3:16
2 Timothy 1:13
2 Timothy 3:16