Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Pregnant Spirit
People sometimes complain that the Bible uses an obscure euphemism for sex, saying that the man "knew" his wife. One person, on the web put it this way: “Adam "knew" Eve. Abraham "knew" Sarah. It's one of the ways translators flatten out the lustiness and grittiness of the original language. It usually means "have sex with." English-speaking people, especially Christians, have a history of priggishness when it comes to the Bible".
Personally, I think that the translators' choice has nothing to do with priggishness, and everything to do with God's inspiration. Upon reflection, I think that there is a very good reason why the same word is used for sex as is used when we are told in John 17:3 "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
To "know" God produces eternal life--To "know" one's wife produces a new life.
When we accept Christ as our savior (or "know" Him), the Holy Spirit enters us, and a new life begins to grow deep within us where (sometimes) no one can see it at first. We care for this new life by nourishing it with daily Prayer, Bible study and fellowship with other believers. We make sure to get plenty of exercise by obedience to the Word of God. Over time, as this new creation grows, it becomes evident to others that we are pregnant, but the new baby cannot yet be seen or really known. When God decides that the time is right, we enter a period of labor which may, in the spiritual sense, be the death of our physical body. Finally, sometimes after a long period of discomfort, pain and sometimes suffering, the new creation, a new person that is inseparably part of it's mother and part of it's father (God) is born.
Philippians 3:10 puts it well when Paul says, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,"
So, to all of you that are "pregnant in Spirit"-- remember to get your prenatal check up at church this week.
Personally, I think that the translators' choice has nothing to do with priggishness, and everything to do with God's inspiration. Upon reflection, I think that there is a very good reason why the same word is used for sex as is used when we are told in John 17:3 "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
To "know" God produces eternal life--To "know" one's wife produces a new life.
When we accept Christ as our savior (or "know" Him), the Holy Spirit enters us, and a new life begins to grow deep within us where (sometimes) no one can see it at first. We care for this new life by nourishing it with daily Prayer, Bible study and fellowship with other believers. We make sure to get plenty of exercise by obedience to the Word of God. Over time, as this new creation grows, it becomes evident to others that we are pregnant, but the new baby cannot yet be seen or really known. When God decides that the time is right, we enter a period of labor which may, in the spiritual sense, be the death of our physical body. Finally, sometimes after a long period of discomfort, pain and sometimes suffering, the new creation, a new person that is inseparably part of it's mother and part of it's father (God) is born.
Philippians 3:10 puts it well when Paul says, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,"
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Heart Attack Special
One of the best perks of living on a dairy farm is that we get to enjoy the health benefits of raw milk and home made cheese, yogurt and ice cream! I have always loved ice cream but I have to say that I had a traitors heart when it came to homemade ice cream...I preferred store bought because it was so much creamier than homemade. Well, after years of working on my own modifications to the homemade ice cream recipe that I started out with I finally arrived at a recipe that I really love: I call it "Heart Attack Special" because my "secret ingredient" for creamier ice cream is (drum roll) -- more cream! That's right, plain and simple, more cream:
Ultra Rich Ice cream
12 egg yolks
3 cups sugar
3 T. corn starch
4 packets Knox unflavored gelatin
1 gallon of cream
3 T. vanilla
pinch of salt
Mix the sugar with the cornstarch. Blend in egg yolks then add cream. Dissolve the gelatin into about 1/4 c. hot boiling water and stir into the cream mixture then add the other ingredients.
Heat slowly on low heat until almost boiling, stirring constantly. Cool completely in fridge before trying to freeze it. Follow the directions on your ice cream maker for churning.
For Chocolate ice cream: mix 1/2 cup of cocoa powder in with the sugar before adding anything else. Proceed as directed above.
Enjoy!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Teamwork
Last week, my family and I went to the State Fair, in Sedalia. Normally I couldn't get my farming family to take a day off for such an outing, but the tickets came to us gratis from the bank who sponsors our farm. Who can resist such a deal? Not a cheapskate like me!
We drove 3 1/2 hours to the Fair, parked 1/2 mile from the gate, hiked in, only to find that our tickets were being held at a tent that the bank had set up out by where we were parked! We hiked a half mile back to the tent. They gave us our tickets as well as a free picnic lunch! I was really pleased with the pork chops, baked potato, beans, and ice cream. I passed on the rolls, even though they looked great. I was trying to save a few calories, but Dale took my roll as well as his, since he doesn't eat pork.
After lunch we caught a shuttle back to the gate and joined the throngs of fair-goers. Once inside, we split up; Dale and Nathaniel headed off to yet another tractor pull. I have already attended several this year so Lena and I, at the advice of a friendly woman that we met on the shuttle, decided to see the Fantastic Farmers competition which was held in an air conditioned arena. Okay, maybe the a/c was a deciding factor--but it turned out to be one of my better decisions.
The contestants were couples working together to perform some very entertaining "farming feats".
When we arrived they were actually working separately, the men competing against each other to see who could toss a bale of hay the highest, and the women competing to throw a bale the farthest, but their scores were still taken as a team. The winning man tossed his bale over 12 feet into the air! Needless to say, he had biceps the size of Christmas hams!
One of my favorite relays that they did was supposed to replicate all of the steps needed to hang a gate. They had to choose the tools they needed, take the tools and run out to a certain area of the arena where they were to dig a hole and set a fence post in the dirt. The post had to be buried to an indicated depth and had to stand up when they were through. Next, they had to hang a cattle gate onto some hinges that were already mounted onto the back of a truck. Finally they each had to hammer 5 nails into a board and then gather their tools and run "home".
The first contestants took all of the tools from the starting point out to where they were to dig. He took up a shovel and she took up a fence post spade. She soon found that it is difficult for two people to work together to dig a fence post hole! She ended up watching as her husband did the grunt work. When he was finished with the hole, she ran over and got the fence post and helped him set it. Together they made short work of the second task, hanging the gate. Then they began hammering their nails. Well, it goes without saying that the man got his nails driven first. He gathered the tools and ran home while she was still hammering away! Their time was about 2 m. 58 secs.
The second couple, having the advantage of watching the first ones, came up with a plan: After checking with the judges to see if it was permitted, they agreed to divide and conquer. When the starting bell rang, he grabbed only the shovel and ran to the place where he was to dig a hole, at the same time, she ran over and got the fence post and brought it to him. While he was digging the hole, she began her nail driving assignment and by the time he got the hole dug, she was back to help him set the post in the hole and tamp it down. Together they hung the gate, then he went to drive his nails and she went to pick up his discarded shovel and headed home with it. They managed to cut more than a minute off of the previous couple's time! That was brilliant teamwork. Of course, all of the couples after them utilized their plan and a couple even tried to, or did, improve on it. The final winning time was a mere 1 m. 13 secs.! Wouldn't we all love to get our chores done in that amount of time??? Of course we would, and the secret is: team work!
Look at the same concept from an intellectual point of view and it still holds true: we proved this at a ranch management class that we went to the week previous to the fair week. We were asked to complete a pop quiz separately and then to pool our answers and choose the best answers that our group had, then we graded ourselves individually and as a group and of course, our group score was considerably better than our individual scores.
I know this isn't news to any one, but it has been a good reminder to me since, true to the attitude that we Americans have prided ourselves on since 1776, I am very independent and have a hard time asking for help or advice (Especially from my husband) and I have yet to see the day when he would ask advice of me!
The Fantastic Farmers competition culminated with an extravagant relay race, but the contestants had, by that point, learned to think creatively, and work as a team. If the woman was not good at jumping fences, but excelled and crawling through culverts, her gallant husband would come along side and jump the fence for her! After all, the judge only said that "someone" needed to climb over the fence and "someone" needed to go through the culvert. Then together they stacked the hay, sometimes with the man tossing it over the gate to his wife, sometimes with them both hauling the hay over the gate and then stacking it. Together they rolled a 1600 lbs. round bale and finally went over the top of the 8 foot high bale. Usually this meant the man hoisted his wife up and then she hauled him up and over.
When the competition was over, I turned to my daughter and said, "Now that should be a prerequisite to any couple who is considering marriage!"
I don't think she took me too seriously, though, she just rolled her eyes!
I'm sending the suggestion to my friend who is a marriage councilor...
We drove 3 1/2 hours to the Fair, parked 1/2 mile from the gate, hiked in, only to find that our tickets were being held at a tent that the bank had set up out by where we were parked! We hiked a half mile back to the tent. They gave us our tickets as well as a free picnic lunch! I was really pleased with the pork chops, baked potato, beans, and ice cream. I passed on the rolls, even though they looked great. I was trying to save a few calories, but Dale took my roll as well as his, since he doesn't eat pork.
After lunch we caught a shuttle back to the gate and joined the throngs of fair-goers. Once inside, we split up; Dale and Nathaniel headed off to yet another tractor pull. I have already attended several this year so Lena and I, at the advice of a friendly woman that we met on the shuttle, decided to see the Fantastic Farmers competition which was held in an air conditioned arena. Okay, maybe the a/c was a deciding factor--but it turned out to be one of my better decisions.
The contestants were couples working together to perform some very entertaining "farming feats".
When we arrived they were actually working separately, the men competing against each other to see who could toss a bale of hay the highest, and the women competing to throw a bale the farthest, but their scores were still taken as a team. The winning man tossed his bale over 12 feet into the air! Needless to say, he had biceps the size of Christmas hams!
One of my favorite relays that they did was supposed to replicate all of the steps needed to hang a gate. They had to choose the tools they needed, take the tools and run out to a certain area of the arena where they were to dig a hole and set a fence post in the dirt. The post had to be buried to an indicated depth and had to stand up when they were through. Next, they had to hang a cattle gate onto some hinges that were already mounted onto the back of a truck. Finally they each had to hammer 5 nails into a board and then gather their tools and run "home".
The first contestants took all of the tools from the starting point out to where they were to dig. He took up a shovel and she took up a fence post spade. She soon found that it is difficult for two people to work together to dig a fence post hole! She ended up watching as her husband did the grunt work. When he was finished with the hole, she ran over and got the fence post and helped him set it. Together they made short work of the second task, hanging the gate. Then they began hammering their nails. Well, it goes without saying that the man got his nails driven first. He gathered the tools and ran home while she was still hammering away! Their time was about 2 m. 58 secs.
The second couple, having the advantage of watching the first ones, came up with a plan: After checking with the judges to see if it was permitted, they agreed to divide and conquer. When the starting bell rang, he grabbed only the shovel and ran to the place where he was to dig a hole, at the same time, she ran over and got the fence post and brought it to him. While he was digging the hole, she began her nail driving assignment and by the time he got the hole dug, she was back to help him set the post in the hole and tamp it down. Together they hung the gate, then he went to drive his nails and she went to pick up his discarded shovel and headed home with it. They managed to cut more than a minute off of the previous couple's time! That was brilliant teamwork. Of course, all of the couples after them utilized their plan and a couple even tried to, or did, improve on it. The final winning time was a mere 1 m. 13 secs.! Wouldn't we all love to get our chores done in that amount of time??? Of course we would, and the secret is: team work!
Look at the same concept from an intellectual point of view and it still holds true: we proved this at a ranch management class that we went to the week previous to the fair week. We were asked to complete a pop quiz separately and then to pool our answers and choose the best answers that our group had, then we graded ourselves individually and as a group and of course, our group score was considerably better than our individual scores.
I know this isn't news to any one, but it has been a good reminder to me since, true to the attitude that we Americans have prided ourselves on since 1776, I am very independent and have a hard time asking for help or advice (Especially from my husband) and I have yet to see the day when he would ask advice of me!
The Fantastic Farmers competition culminated with an extravagant relay race, but the contestants had, by that point, learned to think creatively, and work as a team. If the woman was not good at jumping fences, but excelled and crawling through culverts, her gallant husband would come along side and jump the fence for her! After all, the judge only said that "someone" needed to climb over the fence and "someone" needed to go through the culvert. Then together they stacked the hay, sometimes with the man tossing it over the gate to his wife, sometimes with them both hauling the hay over the gate and then stacking it. Together they rolled a 1600 lbs. round bale and finally went over the top of the 8 foot high bale. Usually this meant the man hoisted his wife up and then she hauled him up and over.
When the competition was over, I turned to my daughter and said, "Now that should be a prerequisite to any couple who is considering marriage!"
I don't think she took me too seriously, though, she just rolled her eyes!
I'm sending the suggestion to my friend who is a marriage councilor...
Sunday, February 28, 2010
No Greater Love
Okay, today's main course is a serious reflection on making your relationship with God the focus of your life instead of focusing on having the perfect marriage. After all, didn't Jesus tell us, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (that you need) will be added unto you?" This letter is not my own writing, but was written by Mary Love to her husband, Christopher Love who was martyred in the 1600's. This letter made a huge impact on me when I heard it read by Frances Chan at the Focus on Marriage simulcast February 27th, 2010. Read it and weep. Weep, not only for this too-soon parted couple that possessed a stronger commitment than anyone I have ever known in our era, but for Christian's of 21st century America and our weak faith and misplaced devotions.
My Dear Heart,
July 14, 1651
Before I write a word further, I beseech thee think not that it is thy wife but a friend now that writes to thee. I hope thou hast freely given up thy wife and children to God, who had said in Jeremiah 49:11, "Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive, and let thy widow trust in me." Thy Maker will be my husband, and a Father to thy children. O that the Lord would keep thee from having one troubled thought for thy relations. I desire freely to give thee up into thy Father's hands, and not only look upon it as a crown of glory for thee to die for Christ, but as an honor to me that I should have a husband to leave for Christ.
I dare not speak to thee, nor have a thought within my own heart of my unspeakable loss, but wholly keep my eye fixed upon thy inexpressible and inconceivable gain. Thou leavest but a sinful, mortal wife to be everlastingly married to the Lord of glory. Thou leavest but children, brothers, and sisters to go to the Lord Jesus, thy eldest Brother. Thou leavest friends on earth to go to the enjoyment of saints and angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect in glory. Thou dost but leave earth for heaven and changest a prison for a palace. And if natural affections should begin to arise, I hope that spirit of grace that is within thee will quiet them, knowing that all things here below are but dung and dross in comparison to those things that are above. I know thou keepest thine eye fixed on the hope of glory, which makes thy feet trample on the loss of earth.
My dear, I know God hath not only prepared glory for thee, and thee for it, but I am persuaded that He will sweeten the way for thee to come to the enjoyment of it. When thou art putting on they clothes that morning, O think, "I am now putting on my wedding garments to go to be everlastingly married to my Redeemer."
When the messenger of death comes to thee, let him not seem dreadful to thee, but look on him as a messenger that brings thee tidings of eternal life. When thou goest up the scaffold, think (as thou saidst to me) that it is but thy fiery chariot to carry thee up to thy Father's house.
And when thou layest down thy precious head to receive thy Father's stroke, remember that thou saidst to me: Though thy head was severed from the body, yet in a moment thy soul should be united to thy Head, the Lord Jesus, in heaven. And though it may seem something bitter, that by the hands of men we are parted a little sooner than otherwise we might have been, yet let us consider that it is the decree and will of our Father, and it will not be long ere we shall enjoy one another in heaven again.
Let us comfort one another with these sayings. Be comforted, my dear heart. It is but a little stroke and thou shalt be there where the weary shall be at rest and where the wicked shall cease from troubling. Remember that thou mayest eat thy dinner with bitter herbs, yet thou shalt have a sweet supper with Christ that night. My dear, by what I write unto thee, I do not hereby undertake to teach thee; for these comforts I have received from the Lord by thee. I will write no more, nor trouble thee any further, but commit thee into the arms of God with whom ere long thee and I shall be.
Farewell, my dear. I shall never see thy face more till we both behold the face of the Lord Jesus at that great day.
Mary Love
Taken from "Benjamin Brook's Lives of the Puritans" Chapter 1, pages 1 to 3
My Dear Heart,
July 14, 1651
Before I write a word further, I beseech thee think not that it is thy wife but a friend now that writes to thee. I hope thou hast freely given up thy wife and children to God, who had said in Jeremiah 49:11, "Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive, and let thy widow trust in me." Thy Maker will be my husband, and a Father to thy children. O that the Lord would keep thee from having one troubled thought for thy relations. I desire freely to give thee up into thy Father's hands, and not only look upon it as a crown of glory for thee to die for Christ, but as an honor to me that I should have a husband to leave for Christ.
I dare not speak to thee, nor have a thought within my own heart of my unspeakable loss, but wholly keep my eye fixed upon thy inexpressible and inconceivable gain. Thou leavest but a sinful, mortal wife to be everlastingly married to the Lord of glory. Thou leavest but children, brothers, and sisters to go to the Lord Jesus, thy eldest Brother. Thou leavest friends on earth to go to the enjoyment of saints and angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect in glory. Thou dost but leave earth for heaven and changest a prison for a palace. And if natural affections should begin to arise, I hope that spirit of grace that is within thee will quiet them, knowing that all things here below are but dung and dross in comparison to those things that are above. I know thou keepest thine eye fixed on the hope of glory, which makes thy feet trample on the loss of earth.
My dear, I know God hath not only prepared glory for thee, and thee for it, but I am persuaded that He will sweeten the way for thee to come to the enjoyment of it. When thou art putting on they clothes that morning, O think, "I am now putting on my wedding garments to go to be everlastingly married to my Redeemer."
When the messenger of death comes to thee, let him not seem dreadful to thee, but look on him as a messenger that brings thee tidings of eternal life. When thou goest up the scaffold, think (as thou saidst to me) that it is but thy fiery chariot to carry thee up to thy Father's house.
And when thou layest down thy precious head to receive thy Father's stroke, remember that thou saidst to me: Though thy head was severed from the body, yet in a moment thy soul should be united to thy Head, the Lord Jesus, in heaven. And though it may seem something bitter, that by the hands of men we are parted a little sooner than otherwise we might have been, yet let us consider that it is the decree and will of our Father, and it will not be long ere we shall enjoy one another in heaven again.
Let us comfort one another with these sayings. Be comforted, my dear heart. It is but a little stroke and thou shalt be there where the weary shall be at rest and where the wicked shall cease from troubling. Remember that thou mayest eat thy dinner with bitter herbs, yet thou shalt have a sweet supper with Christ that night. My dear, by what I write unto thee, I do not hereby undertake to teach thee; for these comforts I have received from the Lord by thee. I will write no more, nor trouble thee any further, but commit thee into the arms of God with whom ere long thee and I shall be.
Farewell, my dear. I shall never see thy face more till we both behold the face of the Lord Jesus at that great day.
Mary Love
Taken from "Benjamin Brook's Lives of the Puritans" Chapter 1, pages 1 to 3
Monday, February 22, 2010
A day of new beginnings!
Have you ever had a ball of string that you simply could not find the end of? What an irritation! It is so tangled that you could spend the rest of your life trying to sort it out! Well, life can get that way some times, as mine has! I've made promises I couldn't keep, said things that I couldn't retract, made commitments I regretted and lost opportunities that I will never see again! The more I try to sort things up, the more I get bound up into the ball of string that I'm trying to get straightened out!
This morning I was looking through an old children's book and came across the story of Alexander the Great and the Gordian knot. Well, I guess it is time that I followed Alex's example and "cut the knot" instead of trying to untangle it. So, today is a day of new beginnings. Today I am closing down my advertising business, saying "no" to an ongoing volunteer position that I've no longer time for, cutting up my credit cards, starting a new writing course, and starting a new diet! The only way I could more thoroughly cut the knot would be to go into the witness protection program!
Well, I hate to cut this short, but I'd better get busy on my new ball of rope!
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