Don't Cry, You Are My Little Girl

Below is a list I found written by my mother.  She was reminiscing of her childhood and remembering the hard times of her grade school years.  She was a child of the Great Depression, born in 1929.  Her parents were farmers and lived in Nebraska.  She was the youngest of 9 children.  Her older siblings were teenagers when she was born.  Here is the list: 

She began school in the fall of 1935.  Her mom and dad took a trip to California shortly after she started school in the little one room school house, not too far from their farm.  They left the older children in charge while they went to look for work that was much more plentiful in California.  Her mother found a position of a cook for a wealthy family and her dad worked at a nearby Dairy farm and did handiman work for the people her mom worked for.  The oldest girl came out in the Spring and began working for the same people and then her folks went back to Nebraska to put in the crops on the farm. 

 

That Summer 3 of my mom's older sisters went to California and got jobs.  In the late Summer her mother told her dad that it was not proper for unmarried daughters to live and work by themselves and that they needed to go out there.  So right before my mother began the 2nd second grade they packed up all the of kids and went West to California. 

 

They found a place in Redondo Beach and my mother was sent to a huge school there.  It was the most people my mother had seen in her whole life.  She was so overwhelmed by it all.  She said the school was built on a hill and had a covered play area underneath the building.  She said she felt like a scared little rabbit and during recess would go all the way back under the building and just watch all the children playing.  Thus began my mother's many moves in her early grade school days.

In the next 2 years my mother moved 10 times, changing schools each time.  During this time her father would go back to Nebraska for lengths of time to work the farm and try and sell it but farms were not selling fast during the Depression.  Her mom stayed in California as the weather was warmer and better for her health.  She had struggled with serious bouts of sickness off and on since the birth of her 7th child in 1922.  They moved so much in California because of not having a lot of money.  Sometimes having a place of their own and then her dad leaving back for the farm and her mom and younger siblings moving in with the older kids for a while in different places. 

 

My mom's worst year was her 4th grade year.  She had spent the summer in Nebraska and started 4th grade there.  They then went out to California and lived with her mother, brother and sister.  Then her mom, my grandmother, fell very ill and mom went to live with her older single sisters who had a small house they rented and worked in a cookie factory in Burbank.  Grandma was so ill that she could not take care of my mom.  Mom was 9 years old and was without her folks as her dad was back taking care of the farm in Nebraska.

  

Mom hated school.  She was a shy child and over weight.  She got so behind, changing schools so much and the teachers she got that year were not patient with her.  She was seated in the back with another failing little boy and ridiculed by the other kids.  One day in class she laid her head down on her desk and began to cry.  Little did she know that at that moment the 5th grade teacher, Mrs. McGuire, was walking down the hall and looked into her class room and saw her crying.  She was moved with compassion and went directly to the Principal's office and asked to have mom in her class.  The principal told Mrs. McGuire he would let her take mom into her class but she would have to prepare her 4th grade lessons and not get extra pay for the extra work that she would have to put in.  She said she would do it gladly.  She then went back to mom's class, walked down the aisle to her desk, lifted up her head in her hands and said, "Don't cry anymore, you are going to be my little girl."  She helped mom with her things and took her into her classroom.

  

Mom flourished in Mrs. McGuire's class and finished the 4th grade year and then had her for 5th and 6th grade years also.  Those were wonderful years for my mom as Mrs. McGuire was a wonderful teacher and really thought a lot of my mom.  My grandmother recovered from her serious sickness.  They had found out from a family member, Dr. Hromadke, that she had diabetes.  Dr. Hromadke told her that she would die if she did not take insulin.  She told him, she would not die because God had promised her that she would live to raise her children and she still had a little girl to raise.  She prayed about the doctor's diagnosis and the need to take insulin and God told her that if she ate a good diet and stayed away from sugar and too much fat that He would preserve her life to raise my mom.  A wonderful miracle was worked on my grandmother's behalf and she recovered from large absses on her legs and regained her strength.  My mom was able to have her mom again and her dad sold the farm and they were all family again, living in the house that her dad bought with the money he got from the sale of the farm.

A number of years later, my mom who was married and had my 2 older sisters, looked up her grade school teacher, Mrs. McGuire, to thank her for all she did for her.  Mom asked her what motivated her that day to do what she did.  Mrs. McGuire told her that she was a Christian and had gone through a terrible time when she was 9 years old when her mother died.  She said, "I knew your mom was very, very ill and you needed someone to love you and help you."

Every time I tell this story about my mom, I am moved to tears.  At that time my mom was like an orphan in a certain aspect because of her mother's illness and her father being gone a lot taking care of the farm.  I can't help but think of this passage of scripture in James and how Mrs. McGuire followed it and blessed my mother:

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.  My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?"  James 1:27 - 2:7

How Dr. Spock Destroyed America by Rob Bradley

I read this article this morning and agree with what is being said.  My mom read Dr. Spock's book when she was a young mom in the 1950's and tossed it after she read it because she knew it was going against what the Bible taught.  She knew that it would cause big trouble in our society and she was right.  - Elena

Here is the article: 

In the last 50 years, our nation has taken a moral nosedive.  Since 1960, the rate of violent crimes has more than tripled. Every day there are news reports of heinous crimes unheard of in America a generation ago. Children murder their playmates, their teachers and their parents. Teenage mothers abandon their newborn babies in trashcans, and every year students commit carnage on their classmates. Our culture has sunk so low that children are no longer safe with their teachers in school or at church – scores of men and women are arrested every year for preying on the children under their care.

The sexual revolution that started in the ’60s continues with many casualties. Promiscuity has become so rampant that 1 of every 4 teenage girls now has a sexually transmitted infection. In the last five decades, practices have become so deviant that the number of distinct STDs had risen from five to more than 50 – a sudden increase of a thousand percent. Obsession with sexual violence has brought a 318 percent increase in sexual assault.

Our nation is in severe moral decline, and the descent is not slowing.  The root cause of decline in America is not that difficult to deduce. When a society becomes out of control, it is because its members elevate self-indulgence and lack self-control. It really is that simple. In the last 50 years, human nature has not changed. Selfishness, lust, covetousness and all other passions are in the human heart at birth. It is only a trained proclivity to say NO to our natural drives that keeps our passions in check – self-control is what stops us from stealing, murdering and committing adultery. It is parents who must instill this important quality in each generation. History and common sense teach us that the society in which children are not taught to keep control of their passions is destined to moral disintegration.

In America the reason that baby boomers and their children have grown up with less mastery over their passions than previous generations is because in the late ’40s a new voice of authority on parenting rose to prominence, and parents of the ’50s and ’60s began to raise children differently than before.

In 1946, Dr. Benjamin Spock first published his infamous book “Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care,” which was unlike any that came before it. Instead of stressing the importance of teaching self-denial and respect for authority, Spock discouraged directive training and emphasized accommodating children’s feelings and catering to their preferences. No longer did children learn they could endure Brussels sprouts and suffer through daily chores. Using Spock’s approach, parents began to feed self-indulgence instead of instilling self-control – homes were becoming child-centered. As parents elevated children’s “freedom of expression” and natural cravings, children became more outspoken, defiant and demanding of gratification. In fact, they came to view gratification as a right.

Spock wrote his book in response to a cold, authoritarian philosophy of parenting that had been dominant in America. For years, parents had been told to withhold affection from their children – not to touch them too often – not to respond to their tears. Understanding of children had not been encouraged, and fathers had held a minor role in their nurture and care. These things distressed Spock, and they would have upset me had I been born back then. Children need our tender affection, understanding and respect. However, Spock’s solutions reflected total ignorance of the hedonistic bent of human nature and fostered an over-exalted sense of self-importance in children. Homes became hotbeds for narcissism, entitlement and victim thinking.

In the early ’60s, under Spock’s influence, parents were watching their children become sassy and contentious, and increasing numbers were seeing them become juvenile delinquents and criminals. As the crime rate started to crawl up, SAT scores began to drop. Teenagers began to exercise less moral restraint and revealed an increasing contempt for authority. The free-love hippy movement and student protests were inevitable for children who had been raised to think too highly of themselves. Is it any surprise that Spock himself participated in protests and was arrested in 1968 because of his contempt for governmental authority?

In 1972, Spock’s imbalanced view of child rearing became greatly apparent when he entered the presidential race as the candidate for the socialistic People’s Party. Anyone who embraces socialism is clueless to a key element of proper parenting – personal responsibility.

What Spock’s actions reveal about the weaknesses of his philosophies is obvious, but some doubt that Spock’s influence was that pervasive. However, in the first year, his book sold 750,000 copies, and within six years it sold more than 4 million. It has since sold over 50 million and has been translated into more than 40 languages. According to Dr. Spock’s website, it is second in sales only to the Bible. Life magazine certified the depth of his influence, naming Spock among the 100 most important people of the 20th century.

Even Dr. Spock was aware of his negative influence upon parents. In a 1968 interview with the New York Times, Spock admitted that his first edition of “Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care” contributed to an increase of permissive parenting in America. “Parents began to be afraid to impose on the child in any way,” he said. In his 1957 edition, he tried to remedy that by emphasizing the need for setting standards and asking for respect. Unfortunately, Spock failed to see the deeper problems of his philosophy, so subsequent editions continued to cultivate narcissism.

As Spock’s radical parenting ideas grew in popularity, other “experts” jumped on the bandwagon and promoted their own versions of indulgent child rearing. Since 1946, parenting approaches that foster narcissism and contempt for authority have become the accepted norm in higher education and subsequently, in society. It is a simple matter to trace the dominant hedonism of our culture back to Spock’s influence.

And since the parenting we receive in childhood develops the worldview we hold as adults, Spock influenced not only how American’s conduct themselves in society, but how they approach government as well. Interestingly enough, in the 1968 New York Times interview, Spock admitted that he would “be proud if the idealism and militancy of youth today were caused by my book.” Raising children to adulthood with a defiant attitude toward authority was apparently one of his goals.

Spock died in 1998, and my intent is not to malign a man in the grave – it is to rescue America before we expire from moral disintegration. We must, therefore, identify and abandon the polluted well from which we have been drinking.

What Would Jesus Do?

For the last few days we have been seeing on facebook all kinds of comments about Starbucks holiday cups being solid red and not saying Merry Christmas on them. A friend posted an article that was written by a person that was upset at Christians for being upset about the cups.  Here is the link to this article: https://nathanielscottlake.wordpress.com/2015/11/08/why-merrychristmasstarbucks-is-everything-wrong-with-american-christianity/

After reading the article some thoughts came to mind that I wanted to share:

I could count the times on one hand that I have even been in a Starbucks none the less even bought something there. Not that I care what they say about Christmas, it is so very expensive and I just can't see it. What about Jesus saying blessed are the poor in spirit (those who willingly embrace poverty) for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In reading both the  yea and nay of this subject it seems both sides are painting their version of Christ. The guy that was promoting meekness was saying that Jesus would invite the gal (a worker at Starbucks) to church instead of being upset about the cup logos. I thought to myself would Jesus be doing that? I don't think so, when the  organized churches are ignoring Christ's words and not following His words especially in moral issues and materialism. Also he said nothing about the need of repenting to the girl when presenting to her God's plan of salvation. He just talks about God's grace and mercy. The fact that we are able to repent and turn from our sin and Christ forgives us, is his grace and mercy. They seem to leave that part out of their presentation.

Jesus would not care about a holiday or how it is celebrated, he would care more about rescuing this girl, ie Starbuck's employee, from her sin if she were an unbeliever. He would know every detail about her and lay it out to her what she needed to do. Just like the women at the well. Jesus walked in super natural power, just like we should be able to but most cannot because we are ignoring Christ's words and not being true disciples of Christ. Jesus says in Luke 12:29 And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. 33 “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I had a person respond to my statement on facebook saying that it was OK to be wealthy and wasn't a sin because David, Job, Solomon and Abraham were wealthy and had great faith.  They also said that poor in spirit did not mean willingly be poor.  My answer was this:

Well I disagree with you on your interpretation of poor in spirit. Jesus was our highest example that is greater than all those that you listed. When he was born in a stable and born to poor parents without great education and position, it was for our example. The apostle Paul was wealthy, he had to be to be highly educated and on the Sanhedrin and he counted all that as loss. He gave it all up for the gospel. As you know he was persecuting the believers because they were saying to give up having the land and their position (Zionism). That is why the Jews plotted to kill Jesus, because he was telling them that they were to give it up and they didn't want to. Paul told believers to follow him as he followed Christ.




 Solomon said:
"There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; and one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches." Proverbs 13:7

And James says:
"Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" James 2:5

And John says:
"He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."
1John 2:6

And the Lord Jesus Himself says:
"So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:33


I did not hear back from this person. It is hard for people to see the truth of what Jesus Christ taught.  It is tough being a missionary here as we live in such an effluent society and culture.  Our family lives on an income that is considered below the poverty line but in no way do we feel poor.  We continue to work at letting go of things, sharing, and enjoying the simple things of life.  We pray each day for the Lord to help us make the right choices and most of all we want to see Him glorified, we want to be a part of His kingdom, we want to follow Him and walk as He walked.  

Candidate Musing, Could a Revival be Coming?

Just sayin' out of something interesting ...Has anyone noticed how much Donald Trump looks like Caesar Augustus and Trump's daughter, Ivanka, looks like Augustus' daughter, Julia?  Here are a few images I pulled off the internet the other day to compare.  To me, Trump and his daughter, Invanka look Claudian.

  

I found some more statues of Cesar Augustus that reminded me of Trump. Granted, politicians and leaders do a lot of pointing but the bottom 2 are pretty interesting in that the finger held up is very Trump and Cesar Augustus was commemorated in a statue with the same pointing hand. 









Comparing Trump's similarities to Augustus is not me saying that I think he is going to be a king, but that he is demonstrating strong leadership qualities. All I thought of Trump before this campaign was that he was a rich playboy that had a funny hairdo. When I saw the statue of Augustus standing with the little cupid, which is the Roman god Venus' son, at his feet, I read that his patron God was Venus. His great uncle, Julius Caesar claimed to be descendant of her. When I read about Venus, this is what she stood for in the Roman culture: love, beauty, sex, fertility, prosperity and desire. Hmmm, that sounds a lot like Trump too. Could be what some people may find distasteful about him, 3 marriages with "trophy wives", cheated on his wives, super wealthy etc. Well Augustus had 3 wives, cheated on them and was very wealthy but he was a great leader and made Rome very powerful. He used his vast wealth to help the people and he forgave a lot of taxes so they could build their farms and business again. He was extremely popular with the people and was a military genius. He made Rome's armies very strong and was the first to give their soldiers the benefit of retirement.  He really didn't want the position, but the people made him the first Emperor of Rome.  


Rome had been a republic for about 500 years and it was failing and their was lots of crime and financial troubles.  Under his rule he brought peace and prosperity to the nation.  I realized you don't have to be sexually moral to be noble and care for a country.  He did see that the extreme sexual immorality of the ruling class was destroying the people.  He did try to legislate a moral reform, but was unsuccessful.     I found this article very interesting and informative:


http://www.challies.com/…/the-history-of-christianity-in-25…




After reading this article I realized what Augustus did for Rome, aided in the early spread of the Gospel. He united the empire, calmed the civil unrest and made Rome great. Our country is in a lot of civil unrest and disillusionment with how the government is being run.  

The Grass Withers and the Flowers Fade

Just a few days ago we took our daughter to a Science Museum and I captured this image and the bubble she is blowing reminded me of the fragilness of life, but more about that later. We had lots of fun looking at all the exhibits and Mary's most favorite was the bubble room.  There were bubble walls and large bins of soap solution on tables with large wands to make ginormous bubbles!  While we were there an older couple was in the room with us with a little girl.  The man made a statement, like a tongue in cheek thing, about us having our daughter with us, as they did.  I smiled and thought at first that he was serious and said, "Yes, I was 46 and my husband was 51 when we had her."  I seen the expression on his face change and said, "Oh, this is our granddaughter and we thought that was your granddaughter too.  I am so sorry."  I smiled and said, "Oh don't worry about it, we get that all the time." 

Later when I thought about it and remembered other times that has happened how people apologize to us like they have offended us.  Which they have not.  Neither Rich or I dye our hair trying look younger.  We feel it is healthier and more natural to let your hair do as God intended it to do.  Also we are not trying to hide our age as Mary is a wonderful gift to us.  We were not the people who were so busy with our lives that we didn't have time for children when we were younger and now were pushing the envelope to have a family late in life.  We also were not ones that thought of her as "oops, I guess we will make the best of it" either.  She was greatly wanted and we had asked God for a child, if it was His will.  We both desired a child or children in our youth.  We longed to be married and had some very lonely years in our lives but we both wanted to keep the Lord's word and marry a follower of Christ and one that was not divorced.  This was a tall order in our culture as we reached into our 30s and early 40s.  Most people thought it just wouldn't happen for us, but God in His plan and great love and mercy, seen fit for us to meet later in life, fall in love, marry and 4 years later bless us with a child.  I was 46 when I had her and I conceived her naturally with no medical intervention.  That was a great gift to us. 

Whose Disciple Are You?

The other day I Googled, "Who discipled the Apostle Paul?" and came up from this quote by Charles Stanely.  It sounded really good until I clicked on the link that said, "About Charles Stanley".  I was saddened.  Here is what I read:

"After Paul’s conversion, he disappeared into the desert for three years, during which time the Holy Spirit instructed him in the ways of God. He emerged, ready to communicate divine truth.

The Lord speaks to believers so that they will comprehend the truth, conform to the truth, and communicate the truth. These same steps form a road map to discipleship. What happened during Paul’s desert years was only the beginning of a life-long process—God renewed his mind and transformed him into the image of Christ. For the apostle, that change began with connecting his rich biblical knowledge to the revelation that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.

Paul knew Scripture thoroughly, but the truth that Jesus was the promised Messiah made him reconsider the foundation he’d been trusting. Everything he knew about God had to be reevaluated in light of this new information. Paul had a history of wanting to please God, so the Holy Spirit no doubt found him a willing pupil.

The apostle’s spirit had to be shaped according to the Father’s will. And the Lord kept working on him long after Paul left the desert and began his ministry. Every person who reads his letters is a witness to the work of God in a submissive man.

The Lord’s discipleship road map looks similar for every believer. Like Paul, you are the Holy Spirit’s student, and the knowledge you reap from Scripture should be changing your life. Be like the apostle in this way to become a disciple maker by sharing what you learn with others."  by Charles Stanley

About Charles Stanley: "Dr. Charles F. Stanley is the founder and president of In Touch Ministries, whose In Touch radio and television programs have been translated into more than 100 languages. He has also been senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia since 1971.

Dr. Stanley received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Richmond, his bachelor of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and his master's and doctor's degrees from Luther Rice Seminary. He has twice been elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention and is a New York Times bestselling author. Charles has written more than 50 books, including In Step with God, Landmines in the Path of the Believer, Living the Extraordinary Life, Finding Peace, Into His Presence, Success God's Way, The Handbook for Christian Living, The Source of My Strength, and How to Listen to God."

My question:  Dear Mr. Stanley why didn't you follow Paul's example? You tell people to dig into the Word and read it for yourself and your list and boast all the people who taught you but I don't see any mention of the Holy Spirit in you great list.

Philippians 3: 4-11

"If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

⁷ But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of  knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, ⁹ and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; ¹¹ in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." 

(I added the underlining)

What is the power of His resurrection?  I think this scripture will shed some light.

Revival in the Millennial Generation

Millennials, who are they?  Well Millennials is a term used for the generation of kids in America born around 1980 up to the mid 90's and have come to adulthood near the turn of the century.  They got their name from a noticeable event that happened in their lives in history.  My generation, the Baby Boomers, were those people born after WW2 when the troops came home, the economy boomed and everybody started having kids. 

What impact do the Millennials have in my life? They are a generation of kids that my heart breaks for.  The first time they came to my attention, several years ago, when I saw a slide show in the church we used to attend, that they were growing up and leaving the churches in America in large numbers.  They were saying that only 4% of them were professing Christianity.  This statistic saddened my heart and I began to read about the Millenial generation in national polls and observing them through facebook and all around me.  Millennials are the children of divorce.  In 1970 the no fault divorce laws came to all the states in the US and the divorce rate zoomed to 50%.  The laws before this time required a much longer waiting time for divorces to be finalized and some criteria to happen before they were granted.  These laws were put into place to stop rash behavior and reckless divorce.  If the Millenial kids themselves were not troubled with divorce in their family, they were friends with or in relationships with people who were.  This huge influx of kids from divorce made a big impact on our society and our country.  Much darker than what  a lot of people realized when these kids were little.  

Now that they are adults they are resonating the things that happened to them when they were young. 

Love and Ministry

“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."  John 14:23-26

The above scripture tells us how Jesus defines our love for him.  In the light of that I share these thoughts.  Love is the key to ministry for us as believers whether we are married or single.  First it is our love for the Lord, keeping his teachings, and second it is our love for one another.  This provides a powerful conduit for the Holy Spirit to operate.  Christian marriages contain marvelous potential in expressing the ministry and  power of the Holy Spirit.  That is why Satan is on the rampage against Christian marriages, because he realizes the power that is present within them.  He comes and attacks the two strategic areas in a relationship that are necessary for the flow of the Holy Spirit.  He attacks and tries to destroy their love for the Lord and he comes and tries to rob or destroy their love for one another.  He tries to destroy the very first and primary reason for marriage and that is love.  For if he destroys the root, which is love, he will also destroy the growth and fruit of the root which is ministry and service to the Lord.  For the single person their love for others is attacked in order to diminish their ministry.

My Yoke is Easy and My Burden is Light

I recently read this devotional from Streams in the Desert and I was blessed and encouraged by it because there is a lot truth here.  We must be broken to be used and for the Kingdom of God to advance.  On thinking about this devotional my mind went to Matthew 11:28 -30 and I have added my thoughts at the end of this post.

Broken Things

"By reason of breakings they purify themselves" (Job 41:25).

God uses most for His glory those people and things which are most perfectly broken. The sacrifices He accepts are broken and contrite hearts. It was the breaking down of Jacob's natural strength at Peniel that got him where God could clothe him with spiritual power. It was breaking the surface of the rock at Horeb, by the stroke of Moses' rod that let out the cool waters to thirsty people.

Truths of the Kingdom of God Discovered While Making Sourdough Bread

Almost two years ago my husband had a yen to make sourdough bread.  He had a book that was given to him awhile before we met called Alaska Sourdough by Ruth Allman.  He had tried once to make an Alaskan Sourdough starter and it didn't work.  I think it might of been because when we were first married and had no kids, we both worked, so we turned the heat down when we were gone during the day.  Sourdough starter needs to be warm to work right.

 So, like I said he got a hankerin' to try it again.  He did and it was a success and we have been making sourdough bread with the starter every week now since then and really love it.  On our journey with sourdough we did some reading about it on the Internet.  We found out that sourdough not only tastes really good, it is really good for you!