How to Preserve a Husband

I do not know who came up with the following recipe, but it is a good one:

Select one fresh from the market.  Not too green but tender and healthy.  Handle gently for they bruise easily.  Sweeten with smiles, blend with patience, humor and a pinch of mischief.  Do Not Beat! Preserve over a steady fire of warmth and affection.  They mellow with age.  Do not pickle or put in hot water.  This will make them bitter.  Serve with sugar, spice and tender loving care.

On Divorce & Remarriage in the Event of Adultery

I have recently come to the conclusion that the exception clause in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 is not intended to provide a loophole for divorce and remarriage when one of the partners commits adultery.

Read the rest of John Piper’s article 

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Simply Delicious Amish Cooking by Sherry

Simply Delicious Amish Cooking by Sherry Gore has recipes and stories from the Amish of Sarasota, Florida.  The book is spiral bound so it lays open well while using it.  Some of the stories are interesting or funny and some of them are not so much.  There are also a few helpful hints or just funny saying scattered throughout the book.  There are no pictures beside the recipes, but there is two sections of color photographs which contain pictures of some of the recipes.  The book would appear at first thought to be a from scratch type of cookbook, but the peach cobbler recipe uses peach pie filling instead of making your own peach filling.  It certainly is not a cookbook for the healthy cooking type as the desserts are heavy in sugar and use pre-made products such as Jell-O, whipping cream, instant pudding and such things.  This book could be really great, or a disappointment, just depending on what type of cooking one prefers.  If someone does not care at all about healthy cooking and they just like good tasting recipes which are simple and almost from scratch, this book would probably be enjoyed. 

This book was a complimentary copy from BookSneeze.

If Tomorrow Never Comes

If Tomorrow Never Comes

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly,
And pray the Lord your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss,
And call you back for just one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would tape each word and action,
And play them back throughout my days.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I would spare an extra minute or two,
To stop and say "I love you,"
Instead of assuming you know I do.

So just in case tomorrow never comes,
And today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you,
And I hope we never will forget,
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
Young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
You get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
Why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
You'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time
For a smile, a hug, or a kiss,
And you were too busy to grant someone,
What turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
And whisper in their ear,
That you love them very much and
You'll always hold them dear.

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay",
And if tomorrow never comes,
You'll have no regrets about today.

~ Norma Cornett Marek ~

None of us would want to have our hearts photographed!

(J. R. Miller, "When the Song Begins" 1905)

"Having loved His own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." John 13:1

A friend is one who loves—and does not cease to love. Christ having loved His people—loves them unto the end.

One quality of true friendship, is trust. What could be more sacred than this comfort of feeling safe with a person, absolutely safe? That is the kind of friend Jesus is. You may always feel safe with Him. You may confess all your sins to Him. You may tell Him all your faults and your failures—how you denied Him the other night, how you failed to be true to Him, and all the evil thoughts of your heart; and He will be just as tender and gracious—as if you never had sinned! He loves unto the end!

None of us would want to have our hearts photographed, and the picture held up before the eyes of our neighbors! We would not want even our best friends to see a full transcript of our secret life—what goes on within us: the jealousies,  the envyings, the bitter feelings, the impure thoughts, the meannesses,  the selfishnesses, the suspicions, the doubts and fears!

Yet Christ sees all this unworthy inner life—He knows the worst that is in us—and loves us still! We do not need to hide our weaknesses from Him. He never withdraws His love. We may trust Him absolutely and forever!

 "Having loved His own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." John 13:1

Which Shall It Be?

“Which shall it be?  Which shall it be?”

I look’d at John - John look’d at me

(Dear, patient John, who loves me yet

As well as though my locks were jet);

And when I found that I must speak,

My voice seem’d strangely low and weak:

“Tell me again what Robert said.”

And then I, listening, bent my head.

“This is his letter: ‘I will give

A house and land while you shall live,

If, in return, from out your seven,

One child to me for aye is given.’”

I look’d at John’s old garments worn,

I thought of all that John had borne

Of poverty and work and care,

Which I, though willing, could not share;

I thought of seven mouths to feed,

Of seven little children’s need,

And then of this. “Come, John,” said I,

“We’ll choose among them as they lie

Asleep;” so, walking hand in hand,

Dear John and I survey’d our band.

First to the cradle lightly stepp’d

Where the new nameless baby slept.

“Shall it be Baby?” whispered John.

I took his hand, and hurried on

To Lily’s crib. Her sleeping grasp

Held her old doll within its clasp;

Her dark curls lay like gold alight,

A glory ‘gainst the pillow white.

Softly her father stoop’d to lay

His rough hand down in loving way,

When dream or whisper made her stir,

Then huskily said John, “Not her, not her!”

We stopp’d beside the trundle bed,

And one long ray of lamplight shed

Athwart the boyish faces there,

In sleep so pitiful and fair;

I saw on Jamie’s rough, red cheek

A tear undried.  Ere John could speak,

“He’s but a baby, too,” said, I

And kiss’d him as we hurried by.

Pale, patient Robbie’s angel face

Still in his sleep bore suffering’s trace.

“No, for a thousand crowns, not him!”

We whisper’d, while our eyes were dim.

Poor Dick! bad Dick! Our wayward son,

Turbulent, reckless, idle one-

Could he be spared? Nay; He who gave

Bids us befriend him to his grave;

Only a mother’s heart can be

Patient enough for such as he;

“And so,” said John, “I would not dare

To send him from her bedside prayer.”

Then stole we softly up above

And knelt by Mary, child of love.

“Perhaps for her ‘twould better be,”

I said to John.  Quite silently

He lifted up a curl astray

Across her cheek in willful way,

And shook his head: “Nay, love; not thee,”

The while my heart beat audibly.

Only one more, our eldest lad,

Trusty and truthful, good and glad -

So like his father. “No, John, no-

I cannot, will not, let him go.”

And so we wrote, in courteous way,

We could not give one child away;

And afterward toil lighter seem’d

Thinking of that of which we dream’d,

Happy in truth that not one face

We miss’d from its accustom’d place;

Thankful to work for all the seven,

Trusting the rest to One in heaven.

   - Ethel Lynn Beers