The Almost Perfect Scone

What a day! It was an enjoyable day. Visited a friend this morning. Then, as I started to head to my neice's graduation, I noticed the pickup was totally muddy. Spent $1.25 at the car wash and soon the outside was gleaming! As long as you didn't look under the tarp in the back, which was all filled with chips, or in the cab, where I had all the gardening stuff, it looked clean!!

The graduation was beautiful--my niece is now a college graduate. Its hard to believe that course after course, and quarter after quarter, that the end came! But, she excelled and is a good role model for those around her.

By late afternoon, the rains came in, as I headed home. The mud flew as I traveled down our gravel/dirt road. I could hear it splashing up the sides of the pickup, caking the beautiful shiny, clean panels that were just washed.

Most of the pictures taken at the graduation didn't turn out very well. Having such difficulty walking, I could not get up front to get any good shots of the graduation! Mary said she would get me some of her's to replace some of the pictures I sent out in a "picture album" page e-mailed to the family.

Anita e-mailed me a recipe for scones...which I have never made before. So, with the rain alternating between drizzle and pouring, it seemed a really good time to bake. The recipe seemed a little "too much" on some of the ingredients, so I altered it a little, and then added some blueberries that Nancy had brought over yesterday. It rolled out nice, so I cut it up and put on a baking sheet. Waited the 15 minutes and pulled it from the oven. The scones kind of splated when I put them on the board set out for them. Hopefully that was not a sign they were too heavy. I tasted one of the hot ones...it was good, didn't taste heavy, but you can't judge the hot one. Waited about ten minutes and then tried one of the cold ones. It was so light, I couldn't believe it! It almost floated! There is one more little ingredient that I am going to add to see if I can find the perfect flavor. Then I will have to try the original recipe to see if there really is much difference. When I have my perfect scone, and the secret ingredients, and the special way of making it fine-tuned, I will put it on the blog. Then any little happy bakers out there can enjoy a fine scone for their breakfast!!

The day is good. The Lord has sent beautiful rain and our trees, grass, flowers and hopefully the garden too, are all looking green and healthy. God is good!

The Mercy of a Mighty God

Psalm 90 A Prayer of Moses the man of God.
1 Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

How do we understand eternity? How do we comprehend a God that has no beginning and no end?

As a kid, during my days of confirmation, I remember one particular day when I was walking down the road. We lived in pretty much secluded country, too far out for much traffic, other than neighbors. Above me was endless blue sky. Around me were fields and pastures, wild vegetation and birds. The day was a summer day and I was gazing into the Heavens, trying to envision what the people looked like to God from Heaven. I pictured Him looking down and seeing us as little ants. However, at nighttime prayers I had no problem knowing He was right there. We don't have the mind to fully comprehend God. The more we learn, the more we realize the magnitude of His being. The walk I have now with the LORD, is "me". I would be nothing without Him. Is there any more beautiful verse than this one in Revelation:

Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

He is the Almighty, there is no other. How glorious will be His return. His splendor will be awesome. And our Mighty God WANTS us to be His children!

Revelation 19: 11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Time is short. The end is coming soon; we are the final generation. Let us all get ready to meet our maker while we still can. He loves us all and is waiting for you and me. Meet Him on your knees and in prayer, He is gracious and merciful and His forgiveness is there for those who repent and turn from their wicked ways. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven, except the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 12: The Unpardonable Sin
31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

There is no heart that is too cold or too hard to know the love of God. As a rebellious teenager, I was there. I went into the world and soon built up walls. I lived in my own world and did not know how to love others. I still prayed but did not know what love was. My world only consisted of ME.

It was a long road, but the Lord came into my life and loved me. He sent love into my life. People that knew how to love. People that had patience to love me. Many years later, out of the blue, I received love that was beyond anything I could imagine. It came as a lightning bolt, then as love that flowed from the heavens with waves of such intensity it took my breath away. A love that was so powerful I could barely stand. Why? I don't know. Who am I??

His love is there for you and for everyone that worships and follows the only true living God. (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) --Our Creator, Our Savior and Our Comforter, our Hope of all things to come. A mighty and powerful God that in His mercy and His grace has loved us all. God be with us.

Squirrels Everywhere

It seems kinda romantic to have little squirrels in your trees, eating nuts and apples, and playing hide and seek with each other. Unfortunately, we don't have tree squirrels; it appears the "gophers" we have are really ground squirrels. If nothing is done about them, there may never be any trees out here and we will never see a little tree squirrel playing in the trees.

The ground squirrel loves trees too. The only difference is he digs a hole fairly close to our tender young trees and then burrows under the tree and eats the tasty roots. They killed most of the lilacs we planted last year. Fortunately for us the badger came and wiped out the colony.

This year, even though I had covered up their holes, a whole new colony has invaded the land. Freckles is licking his chops and trying to eat them all...but this is way beyond him. I will have to try the live trap one more time and if that does not work, we are going for repellants or poisons.

Kathleen found a squirrel hole next to one of her newly planted plum trees. The days are numbered for that tree, and whichever one they choose next, if we don't act quickly.