A Kitchen Prayer

A few years ago I paid 25 cents for this little framed prayer at a garage sale. It is hanging beside my kitchen sink so I can read it often and be reminded of the truth of the words.

This morning while reading one of my favorite blogs, Sparrow's Nest, Mrs. Wilt's words here reminded me again of this prayer. At times it's so easy to feel overwhelmed or complain about the routine work we have to do in our homes -- until we stop and realize how we are blessed and that we can bless our families and guests who visit us there.

The Kitchen Prayer

Lord of all pots and pans and things, since I've not time to be

A saint by doing lovely things or watching late with Thee

Or dreaming in the dawn light or storming Heaven's gates

Make me a saint by getting meals and washing up the plates.

Although I must have Martha's hands, I have a Mary mind

And when I black the boots and shoes, Thy sandals, Lord, I find.

I think of how they trod the earth, what time I scrub the floor

Accept this meditation Lord, I haven't time for more.

Warm all the kitchen with Thy love, and light it with Thy peace

Forgive me all my worrying and make my grumbling cease.

Thou who didst love to give men food, in room or by the sea

Accept this service that I do, I do it unto Thee.

~Klara Munkres~

And I am reminded of the words of Jesus when He said, "Whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you do for me." Lord, as I work in my home and care for my family help me always remember that I am doing it for You.

Happy Birthday, Cousin

Happy birthday to my dear cousin, Alan. (That's him with his parents [his father is standing at the left], my parents and our grandmother.) We have been pals for quite a long time and, at times, accomplices in mischief. Alan is younger than his sister and I and he often bore the brunt of the schemes of two older, wiser, girls. When he was little we could talk him into (or out of) nearly anything -- but it often backfired when he cried and our conspiracies were exposed. Do you remember the time the three of us planned a "trip" to China Creek - on pogo sticks? It was a grand plan but the problem was that there were three of us and only two pogo sticks - yours and your sister's. So, your sister and I decided that you were too little to care (or to keep up with us!) so I would jump down the road on yours! That was fine until you realized that you were being left behind. Your tears and wails of distress brought our mothers out of the house and we girls were found out. The trip to the creek on pogo sticks never happened.

Alan, Carrie & Me

(Don't we look innocent?)

He was a comedian and his sense of humor has always lightened up many sober conversations. He has grown to be a man - now a grandfather (how did that happen so fast?) - and a good friend who I respect and admire. He is an incredible artist with a God-given talent to capture the beauty of the world around him and translate it into a masterpiece. More than that, he is a gentle, caring person who adds so much to the lives of those who know and love him.

11 years old

Today, dear cousin, I thank God for you and I celebrate the day He brought you into my life. I wish I lived closer to you so we could spend today together, celebrating, reminiscing and thanking God for His grace and blessings to you so far. My birthday wish for you is that He will continue to walk beside you and that you will always sense His presence through many more years.

Christmas In July

In recent thrifting and garage sale-ing excursions I have found some things that will grace my home during the Christmas season. Before I put them away I want to share them with you.

I love these little angels! Their robes are the palest blue which doesn't show in the picture. During the holidays they will join the other "singers" on my piano and add to the musical moments of the season. Aren’t their little faces sweet?




Two books have been added to my collection of special Christmas books --

A Season of Joy: Celebrating the True Meaning of Christmas by Susan Card with paintings by Gay Talbott Boassy, Harvest House publishers, 1999.

I’ll Be Home For Christmas edited by Ken and Janice Tate, House of White Birches, Berne Indiana, 2002

The Cleft of the Rock

Cleft -
1 : A space or opening made by or as if by splitting.
2 : A usually V-shaped indented formation : a hollow between ridges

When our now-grown children were in elementary school we lived on the southern coast of Oregon for a few years. The entire coast of Oregon is very rugged and rocky; however, the southern coast is marked by huge rock formations on the sandy beaches and in the water. Some of these rocks are so big that they are a challenge to rock climbers -- others are small enough that the average person can climb up and sit on the top of them. We lived 5 blocks from the beach and it was not unusual to find our family on the beach. The locals told us that it would get old, we would adjust to the idea of living near the ocean and we would discontinue our frequent treks to the beach. While the eager pilgrimages of our first days there settled into less frequent excursions, the beach never became routine and ordinary to us. There were many impromptu trips to the beach as well as the thoughtfully planned and carefully executed hours in the sand with picnic basket in hand and our dog beside us.

Our years there in that little coastal town were filled with the usual joys of life - birthday and holiday celebrations, visits from out-of-town friends and family, times for our family (or just the two of us) to get away from the house, phone and doorbell for a while to run and play in the wide open spaces of sand and sea. We have such happy memories and so many stories of our times together on the beach. Many of the big rocks have clefts - or openings - in them. We loved to play hide-and-seek in, around and on the rocks. Of course we had rules and boundaries for the safety of our family. Many times I climbed up on a rock to sit and watch my children play just below me.

While we have such great memories of those years, they were not easy years in our lives and we often found ourselves at the beach. Sometimes we just sat in the car to watch the waves and pour our hearts out to God -- sometimes we walked in the open air to talk and pray together for guidance, direction, courage and strength. The beach often became a place of communion with our God, strength for our day and a place where He spoke to our weary souls.

The big rocks with their deep clefts were a visual illustration of His words to Moses, "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by." Exodus 33:22. You see, God told Moses and the Israelites that no one could look on Him and His glory and live -- He was a holy God. This may seem harsh or unfair, but God loved them so much He made provision for their protection when His glory passed in front of them. He loved Moses so much that God said HE would put Moses in the cleft of the rock and cover him with His own hand - to protect Moses. Moses didn't hide from God in the cleft of the rock. God put him there and then covered him with His own powerful, Almighty hand -- the hand that flung the stars into space, the hand that put the sun and the moon in their places. How many times has God put you and me in the cleft of a rock and covered us with His hand because He loves us?

Fanny Crosby, the writer of one of my favorite hymns, said it like this.

Verse 1

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

A wonderful Savior to me;

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,

Where rivers of pleasure I see.

Chorus

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

That shadows a dry, thirsty land;

He hideth my life with the depths of His love,

And covers me there with His hand,

And covers me there with His hand.

Verse 2

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

He taketh my burden away;

He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,

He giveth me strength as my day.

Verse 3

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,

And filled with His fullness divine,

I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God

For such a Redeemer as mine!

Verse 4

When clothed in His brightness,

Transported I rise to meet Him in clouds of the sky,

His perfect salvation, His wonderful love

I’ll shout with the millions on high.

There is no safer place than the cleft of the rock when the storms pass by; there is no greater sense of security than when God Himself places you there and covers you with His hand.

Photo: Bandon Beach - Bandon, Oregon - courtesy of Flickr

4th of July Celebrations

Here's a look at part of the 4th of July celebration in our town. It was very hot today but that didn't stop the crowds from enjoying it all.

The Parade

At the park

Our family returned to our house for barbecue chicken, all kinds of salads, baked beans, chips, watermelon and ice cream. It was good to have them all here: our son and his family - Mr. J., Mrs. K., Mr. R. and Mr. G; our daughter and her family - Mrs. M., Mr. J., Miss A., Mr. C., Miss E. and their cousin, Miss Ash. - my dear mother and, of course, my sweetheart. We were all very tired when the day ended and I'm sure none of us will have any trouble falling asleep tonight! We had fun together today and we enjoyed the grandchildren's enthusiasm for life. We are grateful to be together again but most of all we are thankful for the freedoms we celebrate and enjoy. We truly are blessed to live in America, the land of the free and the brave!

Holiday Greetings

Happy 4th of July from our home to yours.

The Park

Our town used to be a small town - the hub of a prosperous farming community. Now our town is a suburb of Portland and we are growing faster than most of us who have been here for very many years can comprehend. Even though our town is in a constant state of change and growth, there are many things that remain the same. In the center of our town is a beautiful park that fills an entire block. In the park you will find --

A place to sit,

A place to play,

A path for a leisurely walk,

A beautiful gazebo,

Beautiful flowers,

And old-fashioned lamp posts.

The park looks like this today but tomorrow it will be totally different. It be transformed into the most amazing center of activity for our annual 4th of July celebration. Crowds will gather, food and craft booths and displays will encircle the park, music will be played, friends will meet, and families will celebrate.

The gazebo will be at the center of it all. Bands will play here, dignitaries will speak here, songs will be sung here, cakewalks will happen here and a wonderful parade will begin right here. There will be no end of festivities as people gather from far and near at the park.

All through the year the park and the gazebo are filled with fun and celebrations -- weddings, concerts, speakers, Christmas celebrations (Santa!) -- but there is nothing so spectacular as 4th of July at the park. If you could join me tomorrow at the park you would think you had stepped back in time to enjoy our old-fashioned, "small town America" celebration at the park. I wish you were here!