Happy Reformation Day!

Today marks 491 years since that day when Martin Luther nailed the 95 Thesis on the doors of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. So instead of celebrating Halloween like the rest of the world, we celebrated something that's really worth partying about. Watch this clip from the movie Luther if you really have no idea what I'm talking about.

Didn't that just give you goosebumps? This great giant of faith later went on to write these very words:

And though this world with devils filled,

should threaten to undo us,

we will not fear, for Christ has willed,

His truth to triumph through us.

The Prince of Darkness grim,

we tremble not for him;

his rage we can endure,

for lo, his doom is sure;

one little word shall fell him.

posted by Lydia

Today was a perfect fall day. Daddy and I had the day off from work.

While Daddy tore apart a wall,

I made applesauce.

I prefer to peel apples by hand, but when there is a whole bushel of apples to peel this peeler saves a lot of time. There are lot of apples in a bushel! My hands were pretty tired after all the cutting.

One bushel of apples made twelve pints of applesauce. Mommy would like to have twenty-six jars (we can then have one jar every two weeks).

I also made a apple pie for a pot luck we went to tonight. Mommy only had one crust so I made a french top pie. All you do is combine one cup of flour, half cup brown sugar and a stick of butter. Mix it all with a fork until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Sprinkle on top and bake. Remember to cover it for a good portion of the baking time. I forgot, so that is why it looks very brown.

Did anyone else remember that today is the anniversary of the day Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Thesis to the doors? Some friends of ours remembered. We got together tonight and celebrated with a pot luck dinner and talk of the reformation. The Reformation is such a good thing to remember and celebrate on October 31 instead of the evil that is goes on this day of the year. It was a pleasant evening.

“Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of the Popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen. ”

Martin Luther

Posted by Carissa

Leaf Raking 101

Advice: When you are sick of doing this.....

...but the yard still looks like this.....

....and the end is not in sight due to stubbornly leafy trees...


...just take Abby's approach. It shall be called Leaf Whacking.

The procedure is very simple. Just climb up in your tree house, lift up your rake, and smack those nasty little leaves right off their branches.

Go ahead. You know you want to.

Happy raking everyone!

posted by Lydia

My Poor Little Roses

We woke up two days ago to snow! It's melted where we are but up in the hills there's still about 4inches.

posted by Caroline

Government

We were reading a book around the dinner table last night entitled The Words We Live By by Linda R Monk, as part of our government curriculum this year. This quote by Mark Twain set us all laughing.

"Reader, suppose you were an idiot. Suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."

Ouch. Want some more patriotism? Who better to turn to than the Muppets?

posted by Lydia

Today was my day at home. It is a rainy/snowy day here in up-state New York. The perfect day to do homey things.

Mommy and I made grape juice from grapes we were given yesterday. After taking them all off the stems we had about thirty cups of grapes. That ended up being twenty-six jars of grape juice.

Grammy's Quick Grape Juice

Wash 1 1/2 cups Concord grapes

Put into sterilized quart jars

Add 1/2 cup sugar. (We did not do this. We will sweeten after we open the jars and taste the juice.)

Fill within 1/2" from the top of the jar with boiling water

Put on cap, firmly screwing on the band

Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath.

Let the juice sit on self for 3 or more monthes before using. (the hard part )




I love canning! Preparing the fruit/vegetables, pouring the liquid into the jars, seeing the finished jars all lined up on the kitchen counter. And hearing the lids pop! I always have a feeling of great contentment and rejoicing in our wonderful, gracious Lord. He is so generous in His many blessings to us.

Posted by Carissa

The New Earth

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.

They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.

There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Revelation 22:1-5

Posted by Carissa

A Quote About Heaven

In the truest sense, Christian pilgrims have the best of both worlds.
We have joy whenever this world reminds us of the next, and we take solace whenever it does not.

C. S. Lewis

Posted by Carissa

Arise My Soul, Arise

Arise my soul, arise, shake off thy guilty fears,

The bleeding Sacrifice, in my behalf appears,

Before the throne my Surety stands, before the throne my Surety stands,

My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede,

His all redeeming love, His precious blood to plead,

His blood atoned for every race, His blood atoned for every race,

And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears, received on Calvary,

They pour effectual prayers, they strongly plead for me,

Forgive him, O forgive, they cry; Forgive him, O forgive, they cry,

Nor let that ransomed sinner die!

My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear,

He owns me as His child, I can no longer fear;

With confidence I now draw nigh, with confidence I now draw nigh,

And "Father, Abba, Father!" cry.

~ Isaac Watts

posted by Lydia

Humility

My dear Wormwood,

The most alarming thing in your last account of the patient is that he is making none of those confident resolutions which marked his original conversion. No more lavish promises of perpetual virtue, I gather; not even the expectation of an endowment of 'grace' for life, but only a hope for the daily and hourly pittance to meet the daily and hourly temptation! This is very bad.

I see only one thing to do at the moment. Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact? All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is specially true of humility. Catch him at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, "By jove! I'm being humble", and almost immediately pride- pride at his own humility- will appear. If he awakes to the danger and tries to smother this new form of pride, make him proud of his attempt- and so on, through as many stages as you please.

-Screwtape in 'The Screwtape Letters' By C.S.Lewis

For those of you who are unfamiliar with The Screwtape Letters, it is written from the point of view of a senior devil instructing his young nephew in the art of tempting humans, or "patients", as we are referred to. Creepy, yes, but very enlightening.

This section of the book made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. While it is almost comical to think of being proud over one's own humility, isn't this the very picture of the human heart? We ask God to take away our pride while patting ourselves on the back for asking such a noble thing. Then we secretly think, "If only so-and-so could see how contrite and religious I am. Then they would admire me." How many of us would be brave enough to admit to such thoughts?

Thankfully, there is hope. God is more than willing to give you true humility. Do you genuinely desire to give Him the glory for all things? He desires for you to do that too. Fortunately, He does not expect you to find a way on your own.

This precious hymn of true humility was just brought to mind. May these words be your prayer as well as mine.

Take My Life

Take my life and let it be,

Consecrated Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move,

At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet, and let them be,

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing,

Always only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be,

Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use,

Every power as Thou shalt chose.

Take my will, and make it Thine,

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord I pour,

At Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself, and I will be,

Ever, only, all for Thee.

~Frances R. Havergal

posted by Lydia

Matchmaker Meets Reality

Emma: No, Mr. Elton will be the next person to benefit from my help.
Mr Knightley: Poor Miss Tailor indeed. It is Mr. Elton who deserves our pity!

~From the film Emma

posted by Lydia

We're Back!

Over the past weekend we've had a very edifying time. We met with young people like us and heard six thought provoking sermons. These are some pictures of what went on.
We played lots of volley ball....

...and a really fun game called Round Robbin.

Getting ready to play paint ball.
Oh ya!!

Having to much fun with the paint girls?

A few people got hit in some bad places.

The hay ride.

The girls.
The guys

Everybody!

Wow. The effect pudding has on some people.

posted by Caroline

Just a Note

Just a note to say we're back! We have had a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful weekend. Our prayers were truly answered, and a big thank you to all of you who were praying too! Caroline is currently in the process of making a picture post so you all can see some of our memories, but let me tell you, it is quite the job. Is it possible to take to many pictures? I'm thinking so. Anyway, while you are waiting for that post, let me share one of my favorite memories from the weekend.

We were all sitting around a bonfire on Sunday evening. We had just returned from hearing three excellent and challenging sermons at church, and I believe that we all had much on our minds. I can't begin to tell you what an encouragement it is to spend an entire weekend with a group of young people from sister churches, many of whom are Christians. We had many conversations around the bonfire that night, mostly about what our country needs ( we all agreed it isn't Obama), but they all seemed to turn back to the fact that God is in control.

Dear brother and sister in Christ, does this truth cause your heart to be still? Or do you bite your nails and pull out your hair like those in the world who have no hope? Do you believe that the God of the universe has no power over the hearts of men?

I had all of these things on my heart when we sang my favorite hymn around the fire. This will be a precious memory for years to come.

It is Well

When peace like a river attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll,

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate

And has shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought,

My sin, not in part, but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul!

Than Lord, hast the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

"Even so", it is well with my soul.

~Horatio G. Spafford

posted by Lydia