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Only Two Ways to Live: Slave or Adopted Child
Our fallen nature is that of a self-seeking, self-willed sinful creature. We want what we want, when we what it and how we want it. Living propelled by self, we live as slaves to our desires and orphans in a broken world. But, we have a choice. The one and only choice that matters in this world is choosing to trust God. Seems easy enough, right? Cue the selfish flesh that plagues us throughout life on earth. I am learning to trust in God and not just use him as a quick-stop pick-me-up, but I’m also learning it takes time and commitment to develop and build a relationship with God.…
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Thanksgiving: Blessings & Thanks Abound
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 This week we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. I am sure you and your family will enjoy a decadent meal with all the trimmings just as mine did. I love all of the delicious food and smells that that holiday brings. I don’t relish that I always have a bite or two too many or that sometimes we eat leftovers for days. The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 by the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans. This feast was to share the autumn harvest and its bountifulness. As most know,…
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Sourdough: Bubbling to Make a Masterpiece
I have had for a long time on my bucket list to begin using sourdough starter for baking. I’ve read. I’ve bought the books. I’ve read again. However, I have just not taken the time to start. There has always been this or that to do instead. Many thanks to one of my sisters, I was given a jar of sourdough starter. Sourdough starter is fermented flour and water. The definitions of ferment are: Clearly in baking the definition is tied to the first definition above. For those that don’t know, sourdough is a process. There is an amount of accuracy that is involved to ensure that you have a…
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Cottonwood Trees (Populus Deltoides): Healing by the Balm of Gilead
Yes, today I’m writing about trees. Cottonwoods, to be exact. Growing up in the upper Midwest, cottonwood trees, specifically, the populus deltoides variety, are a staple part of the landscape. A large shade tree that loves the wet areas near rivers and streams, the tree grows rapidly and boasts bright green leaves in the summer and golden yellow in the fall. The Native American populations have revered the tree throughout the generations, as they used the large portions of the trunk for dugout canoes, the bark for medicinal tea, and the young sprouts and inner bark were eaten for the high nutritional value (Forney, NDSU, Nature at Confluence). Pioneers use…
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November Devotional: Psalm 1:1-3
Scripture: Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. (NIV) Thought: Walk with the wicked. Stand with the sinners. Sit with mockers. We have a choice. We choose where to walk, where to stand, and where to…
