RUBY Magazine September 2018

Bring the Fun Back Into the Lunch Box

by Jehn Kubiak

Cabin in the Woods

by Cynthia Knisley

Here’s Your Sign!

by Gina Napoli

A Taste of the State Fair

by Nancy Frantel

Seven Days of Devotionals

by Judith Purkiss

Yes, I was a Homeschool Mom

by Lisa J. Radcliff

Running To

by Karon Phillips

RUBY Magazine Your voice, your story SEPTEMBER, 2018 www.rubyforwomen.com

In This Issue of RUBY

Prayers before School

by Joan Leotta

As we enjoy the late summer days of September and look forward to all of the fun of autumn, here at RUBY magazine and community we will continue to share family-friendly resources with you every month. In this issue of RUBY magazine you will find crafts, recipes, poetry, short stories, and inspirational articles that will be a blessing to you and your family.

We would love to have you join us in the RUBY community, now on Facebook, so it is really easy for you to connect with us. Here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/rubyforwomen/ Hope to see you there!

Wherever He Leads I’ll Go

by Diana Leagh Matthews

Vintage Book Treasure Hunt: Back to School Vintage Readers

by Kathryn Ross

Senior Editor: Nina Newton

Painted Pine Cone Fall Floral

by Donna Powell

Editorial Assistant: Theresa Begin Feature Writers: Sharon L. Patterson, Norma C. Mezoe, Shara Bueler-Repka, Lisa J. Radcliff, Jehn Kubiak, Nancy Frantel, Carol Peterson, Kathryn Ross, Donna Powell, Sharmelle Olson, Cynthia Knisley, Joan Leotta, Rejetta Morse, Frances Gregory Pasch, Jane Hoppe, Karon Phillips, Diana Leagh Matthews, Judith Purkiss, Gina Napoli

For inspirational articles and creative inspiration, visit Donna at Modern on Monticello

A New Twist on an Old Favorite ~ Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding

by Theresa Begin

Credits and Copyrights All stories and articles are copyright by the authors.

All pictures and images are copyright by the authors and / or have been purchased, used by permission or are in the public domain. If any pictures or images have been used inadvertently, and they do not belong in this publication, please email us and we will immediately remove them.

Nothing in this issue of RUBY magazine may be reproduced, copied, or shared without the permission of the author.

Advertising information is available by contacting us at editor@rubyforwomen.com Questions? Email Nina @ editor@rubyforwomen.com RUBY magazine is published by CreativeLife All submission inquiries should be directed to: Nina Newton, Sr. Editor RUBY magazine editor@rubyforwomen.com

Creating beautiful designs and dĂŠcor for your graceful home

Visit Graceful Home Studio for inspirational, seasonal, and holiday home dĂŠcor items that will reflect the grace and joy of family life in your home.

Looking to the Future, Remembering the Past Handmade and refashioned garments and accessories from Tatters to Treasures

Holding Time in My Hands Nina Newton, Sr. Editor As the days begin to shorten and the leaves begin to change colors, I’m hopeful for some cooler weather so that we can get our yard and garden prepared for winter. That will come . . . in time.

As the dark rain clouds scurry across the morning sky, threatening to drench us with an early autumn rain, I am reminded that everything does, indeed, come . . . in time. Perhaps it is the gray skies out my window today, or perhaps it is sending my girls off to one more school year and the realization that, for one of our girls, this will be her last first week of high school. And then what? She can’t decide, and that’s OK, because that too will come . . . in time.

But whatever the cause of my early morning contemplation of the passing of time, I know in my heart that time passes so quickly and there is nothing we can do to stop it. Not that we really would want to stop the beautiful process of life, of watching children grow up and become whatever God has planned for them, of making memories day by day, even in the smallest of moments.

But I guess I’m always afraid I’ll miss one of those moments. I hear that’s called FOMO. Fear of missing out. But there are only a very few things in life that I’m in fear of missing. Those are the moments that turn into memories.

I sometimes miss those moments because I am busy. So are you. We all are busy, every day, all day long, week after week, month after month, year after year. And then the time is gone. Those lost moments can never be retrieved or recaptured.

So we need to start right now, right where we are, and make a decision to slow down long enough to hold on to those moments in time when we can make memories. Like baking bread together, or playing games around the table at night, or even . . . . painting the family room together!

Today I have decided to realize that I actually do hold time in my hands. I get to choose what I am going to do with it, and how I’m going to invest it.

Yes, I still have to work, I still have other responsibilities, I still have other commitments, but I am reminding myself that I am the one in charge of how my moments are invested.

Today I choose to invest some of that time into making memories. How about you? I hope you are taking time to make memories with your loved ones.

A Rose Flower in the Rainstorm

by Rejetta Morse Trees rustle in the gusty winds, clouds form in the midday; my rose petals tumble and fly while songbirds fly away.

Soon drops of rain fall on my head; I fold my petals tight to hide my grains of fresh pollen.

Will rain fall through the night?

While thunder rolls, my legs wobble as I stand on my long stems. They will strengthen, - I believe,wWhile warm winds blow so strong.

Once the sun peaks out through the clouds, I spread my petals wide.

My flower is more colorful, I will no longer hide.

My stems are bent - but not broken; my battered leaves still cling.

I thank God, for he restores me, and I hear the songbirds sing.

Our Everything

by Frances Gregory Pasch Comforting Counselor Defender Divine…

Righteous Rewarder Victorious Vine.

Barrier Breaker True Prince of Peace…

Fairest Forgiver Whose love will not cease.

Protector, Provider Prophet and Priest…

Bridegroom and Brother Friend of the Least.

Rock and Redeemer Soon-coming King…

Shepherd and Savior Our Everything!

Wonder

by Jane Hoppe

They grow their gulls huge here, Deanna noted absently. Otherwise, this gull looked like every other gull she’d ever seen. She sighed. Today’s boredom seemed different somehow than the flat fact that most seagull and crashing-wave snapshots look alike.

Am I just getting old? Have I been on one too many beach vacations?

She plopped down on a weatherworn wooden bench. Not yet crowded, the wharf would be a good place to let her mind meander through her current malaise. The early morning sun was warm, the air calm.

Back on the sand, a beachcomber lazily lingered, bent over potential treasures. In the quiet, a few artists had set up easels and canvases for perspectives they wanted to paint. The normally rambunctious, roaring Pacific lollygagged beneath the wharf.

Was this vacation just seagull déjà vu? No, she decided. Buried deep inside this boredom was a warning buzzer. The big fat gull cocked its head quizzically in her direction. Seeing no food forthcoming from Deanna’s fingers, it flew off to a more promising perch.

Deanna didn’t want to fly home without finding answers, or at least identifying the warning buzzer.

Giving up on this quest too easily would condemn her to the life of that gull, flitting from piling to piling in search of scraps.

A few hours of reflection before her flight home would serve her well. Julian was in town shutter bugging bright pastel stucco buildings, so she’d have some time alone to think. Bright pastel … until this trip, she would have considered that an oxymoron.

But she could see them from the wharf—rows of villas gaily painted in rich colors and whimsically decorated. One was raspberry stucco with aqua curlicues above royal blue awnings; the next was aqua stucco accented with cobalt tiles; a peachcolored house had fanciful fuchsia fishes sculpted above a delft blue doorway.

They had a spontaneity, a childlike playfulness, an uninhibited joy. Their perfect freshness was enhanced by nearby clumps of elegant pure-white calla lilies glistening with morning dew.

That’s what I was hoping this marriage to Julian would be like, Deanna mused, realizing her mind had just stumbled into the very danger zone she needed to explore. It disturbed her that the sparkle of their honeymoon a mere five months ago had been greatly tarnished on this trip.

As this week had progressed, she’d become more and more frightened that the rest of their marriage would be this boring. There. She’d identified the warning buzzer.

It wasn’t what they had done during this vacation week that was troubling, but how she and Julian had related.

The problem wasn’t one too many seagulls. It was too few engaging conversations. Too few of the electrifying soul connections they used to make.

Not enough sense of adventure. And too few evidences of the partnership she’d hoped for.

Ah, unfulfilled expectations … that old, disagreeable friend of hers. The disappointments of her first marriage reared their ugly heads, like the persistent, grumbling demons that they were. No wonder her current discomfort felt familiar. It had been fourteen long, lonely years since her divorce.

But the loneliness of singleness had not been as painful as the loneliness of marriage. The new marriage had promised the loving companionship. In courtship, Julian had been completely different from her first husband. Now here was that pesky marriage loneliness again.

Finally, her bulging pockets fell flat. Then she sheepishly dug into rolled-up pant cuffs and pulled out some stones and pine cones and a red and white fishing bobber that her little fingers could barely grasp. Deanna had to smile. No wonder the child had been waddling precariously.

Although she wished Julian would change, she’d been down that dead-end street before. Changing Julian was not the answer. Changing herself, or her thinking, or something, was. But what—and how?

As the little one reached for her father’s hand and skipped beside him back down the pier, Deanna was curious to know what this child had found pretty enough to pick up. She wandered over to the treasures remaining on the wharf after a few had plunked through the cracks into the water below.

She left the bench and strolled to the end of the pier.

Elbow on a piling, chin in her hand, Deanna lost herself in the spectacle before her. A few enterprising gulls dropped clams on the rocks to break them open for food.

Families of seals basked lazily on shiny, black rocks.

Occasionally, one raised its whiskered nose and slid into the ocean to dive for food. Where seals found fish, gulls circled overhead.

Deanna’s mind drifted to a water cooler conversation she’d had with her coworker Jeanne, whose very soul always seemed so well-fed that she didn’t seem to wish her marriage were different.

When she’d asked Jeanne about her level of marital contentment, she’d explained that remembering Jesus’ unconditional love for her gave her the freedom to accept her husband as he was—in areas where he met her needs, as well as in areas where he disappointed her. “If Jesus’ other name is Love, His middle name is Freedom,” Jeanne had said, beaming.

Seven lavender and rose scallops, one chestnut cowry, a purple olive shell, a smooth pebble of polished cobalt glass, a gull feather, a small grayish sand dollar, a pearly angel wing, two iridescent midnight-blue mussels … the little girl definitely had an eye for pretty things.

She must have gone to the same beachcombing school Deanna had gone to. But wait. Something was different. These were just broken pieces.

Deanna knew the names of these shells only because she had seen them whole and read their names in books. In all her years of beachcombing, she wouldn’t even waste the energy to bend down to pick up a seashell if it wasn’t whole. In the little girl’s treasure pile, however, not a single shell was whole.

Likely those innocent blue eyes had never seen a complete clam or live scallop or even the Shell gasoline logo. For that matter, Deanna had never seen the perfect marriage she grumbled about not having.

Deanna remembered wondering if Jeanne had beamed with pleasure of clever wordplay or with sheer relief of the concept. Well, thought Deanna, don’t I completely accept Julian? Once again, she sank into her mental list of his shortcomings.

If childlike wisdom sees beauty in imperfection … if she became more like a child in this way … Maybe to bring wonder back to her marriage, she could leave a few expectations on that pier herself.

Her reverie was interrupted by a family drama nearby. “Honey, you have to unload your pockets.”

“Hey there. I’m glad I found you. It’s almost time to fly home.” Julian kissed her gently, then smiled. He looked different. Beautiful.

Deanna looked toward the young sunburnt dad explaining gently to his reluctant curly-haired toddler that he didn’t want to see her struggle so hard to walk.

“Just a second.” She bent down and picked up a small scallop shard and the gull feather to tape in her prayer journal.

Deanna saw stubbornness in the little cherub’s jaw, then sadness in her eyes, as she obediently drew one treasure after another from her pink corduroy overalls.

With those reminders in one hand and Julian’s warm hand in her other, she smiled—and even skipped a little as they walked together toward shore. © 2018 Jane Hoppe

Kids’ Korner Kids’ Korner is a monthly resource featuring short stories, book reviews, puzzles, and coloring pages created by some of our RUBY writers. So call the kids and grandkids, and share the Kids’

Korner fun with them!

Truth in Troy Valley

by JoEllen Claypool Middle Grade Novel (ages 9-12) Book review by Carol Peterson Truth in Troy Valley begins with 12-year old Luke dragging his little sister Angie with him one afternoon. He won’t tell her what they are looking for and before they find it, they are forced to return home, narrowly escaping danger more than once. The two then lie to their parents about what they did all day.

The next morning, we learn that Luke had been looking for his best friend Tiny who hadn’t shown up to the kids’ secret fort the night before.

After Tiny’s parents report him missing to the police, Luke becomes desperate to find his friend. After more lies to his parents, Luke heads out again, with Angie secretly following behind.

Claypool’s writing is clear and lively. Her descriptions give the reader a wonderful sense of being in the story and the plot is fast paced as the characters face danger after danger. Each character is well-defined, helping us understand their internal struggle with truth.

Claypool explores consequences of lying as well as lessons about Christianity in a way children can understand and accept—without being preachy.

Truth in Troy Valley is the first book in Claypool’s Triumphant Trio Series. I am looking forward to more adventures with Luke, Angie and Tiny.

Truth in Troy Valley by JoEllen Claypool is available from RUBY’S Reading Corner

Find more FREE printables at www.education.com

Our Babysitter and Jesus

by Shara Bueler-Repka

Our babysitter is kind of weird. Well, not weird, exactly, just different. I know I’m just a kid, but I still see things. I think maybe some adults don’t figure kids notice stuff, but we do. We may not say anything, but we sure enough notice.

The other babysitters my brother, Bryce, and I used to have were either glued to their phones, stuffed their faces with our snacks, or slept. This one reads her Bible while we watch cartoons, and she talks about Jesus like He’s her best friend. I don’t really get that, but we like her ‘cause she’s nice, and she plays with us a lot. Her name is Amy. One day, I got scared ‘cause my brother got really sick. Amy was worried too. She walked over to him as he curled up on the couch…next to a trash can.

“Come on over here, Jill,” she said. “We’re going to pray for Bryce so he feels better. We can pray together.” She held out her hand.

My eyes got wide, and my heart started to pound. But there was something about the way she asked me that made me grab her hand. She placed her other hand on Bryce’s head. “God, please make Bryce feel better. Thank You for healing him. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

I was doubtful, but then looked over at Bryce. He relaxed a little. Hmmmmm.

Amy and I cleared off the dining room table and built our ranch, complete with corrals and my band of plastic horses. Bryce threw up in the trash can a couple more times.

But it wasn’t long before a hand waved back and forth above the top of the couch—Bryce’s “feel better” flag.

He rolled off the couch and added his dinosaurs to the ranch. Then he performed fly-bys with his Transformer jets over our corrals. I kept an eye on him because I couldn’t believe he felt better that quick after being so sick.

Suddenly a white flash tore by the window. Amy leaped to her feet.

“Oh, no!” she gasped. “The ranch horse got out!”

She quickly crammed her feet into her boots (after dumping Legos out of them) and raced out the door. I was hot on her heels.

That horse was having a good ole time running around the yard. Amy grabbed a feed bucket with grain in it. As she shook it, the horse stopped.

Then, slowly, the horse walked up and she put a halter on him. She led him safely into his corral and double-latched the gate.

I was so busy watching the horse show, I didn’t realize Bryce was standing next to me. I stared at him. He didn’t look sick at all!

He scooted off across the yard with his hands shoved in his sweatshirt pockets, dancing from side to side. Then he took off to the ant pile to see if he could find any dead ants (frozen by the freezing temperatures—ewwww!) I knew he was OK then!

So, I guess maybe our babysitter isn’t so weird. And, maybe there is something to this Bible stuff.

Jesus sure enough seemed to care about Bryce. Hmmmmmm.

Then, add prayers and a verse for each child’s special needs for the following day—a test (maybe a verse on wisdom) meeting new people, how they can be salt and light in the classroom.

Pick a verse that meets that child’s needs. For instance, for my daughter, as for myself, Philippians 4:6-7 would be the verse.

Then a quick morning prayer to go with the quick kiss goodbye from you to remind them that no matter what happens, she need not be anxious about anything.

Prayers before School

by Joan Leotta

Mornings can be hectic, but there is one thing even more important than a healthy breakfast—prayers before school. In order to maximize prayer impact while respecting the likelihood that there will only be a few precious minutes in the morning, I have worked out a formula that was pretty effective at our house.

Of course home schoolers, not having the need to commute, can use that time for prayer, without dividing the prayer time over several days.

The purpose of these morning prayers is to model for your children the worship of God through prayer, that we can rely on God for and in all things, big and small, and to instill these comforting verses in our hearts and those of our children so that throughout life these verses will emerge to help support them when they need it.

The system involves praying for the week ahead on Sundays for a longer time, using favorite verses of your choice and Ephesians 6:11 et al. Just as you would lay out clothes for the week, you should pray for the protection of God over each child’s week.

During the year, you can add activities to this –draw the armor, begin to learn the passage, talk about what they mean.

Although you can do more preparation for the following day at family devotions, to best address the needs of each little heart in the family, wait for the moment when it is just the two of you at bedtime

Of course, then we need to remind them that we will be in prayer for them all day. To keep that promise, I often write down the time of a special event.

When the day ends, be sure to follow up—in the after school talk and at the dinner table, unless it was a confidential request that your child wants to share only at bedtime.

Once they leave the house, it’s time for prayer from Mom to God on their behalf. Here are some of the things I prayed most often and that I still pray for our daughter even though she is long past school, and is out in the working world: 1. Joy in learning (working), in the day and in the Lord—after all, each day is the day the Lord has made 2. That she would be protected during the day from physical harm and spiritual aggression from evil—in any form, thought, word or deed. That she will put on the full armor of God. 3. Prayer that the teacher (supervisor) will speak only the truth and if there is something contrary to God’s word taught, the children in the class will be protected from it.

4. Prayer for her to be encouraged according to his or her abilities and needs.

5. Prayer that she would be a blessing to others.

6. Pray that the verses the child is learning will stay in your child’s heart all day, and …that he or she will be able to call up in moments of distress.

7. Pray that you can encourage the teacher in some way.

After school time will be much richer if your child knows you have been participating via prayer in his or her day—it gives you more of an opening.

Morning prayer — a must, that can be easily inserted into a busy morning even without waking the child an extra twenty minutes early.

Bring the Fun Back Into the Lunch Box

by Jehn Kubiak “Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches again, mom?” your son or daughter whines. School lunches can become monotonous sometimes if you’re rushing out the door every morning and have little preparation time.

Have no fear––a little bit of creativity can bring the fun back into their noon meals.

First, find one of those lunch boxes with compartments. Snacks don’t look as appealing to kids if they’re in Ziploc bags, but everything looks nice together if it’s assembled side-by-side.

Try having a different fresh fruit every week. For instance, give the kids apple slices on Monday, grapes on Tuesday, watermelon on Wednesday, orange slices on Thursday, and a whole banana on Friday.

This gives them variety and even provides a chance for them to learn how to cut fruit, which takes the burden off you and your spouse.

Second, mix up the main dish. You can still stick to sandwiches if that’s easiest, but think of different types of sandwiches. Try almond butter instead of peanut butter, or strawberry instead of grape jelly.

Another alternative to the classic PB&J is peanut butter and banana. For deli sandwiches, try different meats––sliced roast beef, ham, turkey, chicken, salami, pepperoni, or something else.

Switch up the cheeses and get creative: Swiss, Colby jack, Monterey jack, or something else that already comes sliced in the cheese section at the grocery store.

You can also change up the bread––try potato instead of white, honey wheat instead of plain whole grain, or even English muffins for something unique.

If your kids are tired of sandwiches, you can try these variations and see how they work: crackers with tuna salad, meat, or cheese.

Got leftover pasta? Turn it into pasta salad so the kids can eat it cold.

If they have an insulated lunch box, give them yogurt with granola or hummus and veggies. For kids who don’t mind cold pizza, make homemade “pizzas” on bagels or English muffins.

If you buy an insulated soup cup, the kids can also take chicken noodle soup along.

Keep things fresh with different snacks. Mix-andmatch these items: fruit snacks or leathers, bagged nuts or trail mix, carrot sticks, granola bars, Cheerios, crackers, popcorn, string cheese, granola, Clif KidZ bars, applesauce, hardboiled eggs, pretzels, and rice cakes.

One final, fun thing you can try is changing the shape or color of different items within the lunch box.

Cut sandwich bread into hearts, make melon balls or fruit skewers, or even try a smiley face with cheese balls and crackers.

Once that gets old, you can make color-themed lunch boxes for each color of the rainbow––red one day, orange the next, etc. This may require a bit of food-coloring, but don’t be afraid to experiment.

Finding strategies to make lunch new again may take a bit of brainstorming time, but it’s well worth it in the end and will help the kids become excited about eating their meals again instead of throwing everything into the trash can.

Books of the Bible Word Search from Bible Crafts by Jenny

Find more FREE Bible crafts at Bible Crafts by Jenny

It Might be the Most Important Time of the Day: The After-School Snack

by Joan Leotta Whether your little ones are coming home from an outside school, or simply finishing up a day of home school, the after-school snack is a tool you want to keep handy in your Mom communication skill set.

The most important part of the snack is sitting down at the table with your children over a little something to eat –a time-honored way to get conversation started.

There are two parts to the snack—the food and the conversation. It’s the ritual of daily interaction that you want to establish and enjoy.

The Food Involve the child in the planning of the afterschool snack, either while shopping on the weekend or in little discussions.

The size of the snack will depend on how close to dinner, and the type of snack will of course depend on your child’s nutritional needs and the portability factor—if the snack needs to be consumed in the car on the way to a sport practice, music lesson, etc.

If you can avoid sugary drinks in favor of water or milk, then do so. Water is a lifetime habit that offers many benefits.

When the snack is at home, I like to offer choices from among healthy snacks.

Crackers are good by themselves, and can form a delicious base for cheese, nut butters, and meat slices. Cut up fruit is great by itself, and as a dip for nut butters, hummus, and more. We always reserved ice cream, cookies, cakes, and pies—to celebrate a special occasion—the end of a big project, report cards, etc.

For those times when report cards come out or the child finishes a large project we always celebrated. Outcome was not important. We celebrated our child’s efforts, regardless of results to reinforce the idea of unconditional love and to celebrate their efforts.

Conversation Once you are sitting around the table, it is time to start the most important part of snack time—the conversation. Don’t be pushy with questions—a lack of fulsome answer right after school might blossom into a larger discussion over dinner.

If the conversation is in the car, keep it to more general topics, and leave room for the kids (especially if a friend is along) to talk among themselves without your butting in—my husband found this autoeavesdropping a wonderful way to learn about what was happening at school.

Making the time after school one that the child looks forward to helps establish lifetime habits of turning small talk into deep conversations over a snack—building a deep rapport between your child and yourself that will last long after the last school bells have rung.

Cabin in the Woods

by Cynthia Knisley

It was quite a week! Seven days in a cabin nestled among mature hardwood trees with an open glade in front and paved lane below. Perfect for young children with scooters and bikes, the lane became a playground for bunnies and deer in the early evening. Nature provided music with swells of chirping crickets and all sorts of bird calls and strange sounds at night. It was a delightful setting in which all four of us---three granddaughters ages thirteen, nine, and six, and one Oma, aka grandmother---were eager for adventure.

Known as Oma Camp, this outing has become a tradition. Though tricky to schedule around everyone’s summer activities, from vacation Bible school to swim team and cheer camp, we somehow find a date each year that suits.

Two weeks ahead of time preparations begin: cooking and freezing meatballs and homemade cinnamon rolls; getting out the camping bins to check supplies, including pretty plastic plates and matching red-handled utensils, purchased on sale especially for camping; restocking paper towels and plastic bags; and adding a whisk for scrambled eggs and can opener.

Pots and pans are essential for cooking at the cabin. I’ve saved old ones:   

small pot with lid for boiling a few eggs or water for coffee large pot for cooking corn on the cob, making soup on a rainy day, and rinsing hand-washed dishes (There is no dishwasher!) a favorite cast iron griddle for pancakes, grilled cheese, even scrambled eggs if you stir them gently so as not to spill over the side

A thrift shop is a great source for gently-used pots and pans, if you would like to start your own camping bin.

Speaking of coffee …. It’s a ritual for Oma, first thing in the morning when the children are still asleep.

Hot water, paper filter fitted into a large mug, and ground coffee work just fine for that early morning comfort. It is especially lovely while watching the sun rise from the rustic porch of the cabin or curled up in a comfy chair in the living room with a book or journal.

Before long, squeaking bunk beds and the patter of little feet remind me to heat up the griddle and mix up a batch of buckwheat pancakes.

Not to be forgotten in the preparation is a stash of matches, best stored in a tightly screwed jar, along with a zip-locked bag of fire starters. These are torn up paper egg cartons covered with candle drippings to place under the kindling of the campfire set-up. During the winter I repurpose Christmas candle stubs and egg cartons from holiday baking by making fire starters.

At least one meal will be cooked outdoors---hot dogs, Bratwurst, burgers, barbeque chicken---and of course it would not be a cabin week without s’mores. Campfires are not just for cooking. They are enchanting, especially in the cool of the evening, and perfect for sharing songs and stories.

Along with s’mores always comes a sticky mess, so an ample supply of terry cloth towels is important.

The large cooking pot filled with warm sudsy water and brought outside to sticky fingers helps control the mess, if there is anything like control in this situation. I’ve learned that having plenty of towels is a real bonus in general. Things can get a bit damp in the woods and there is nothing like a clean drying towel to make the cabin kitchen feel like home. A fresh towel after a hot shower is also a treat!

Now this was a special week, as mentioned before. It rained every day, at times pouring down at the rate of several inches per hour. We sat at breakfast one morning and discussed an emergency plan that included climbing onto the kitchen table, swimming over to the top bunk bed if the water rose or climbing one of the gigantic trees by the cabin. One child said she couldn’t climb that high, so we decided to use a strap to connect her to the strongest of us and keep her safe. No one would be lost.

Luckily, the drainage was quite good. The cabin sat up on a little hillside, streams of water flowed downward all around us, and though large puddles formed in the lane we could see water running off into the woods below. Being at risk was unlikely but having an escape plan is always a good idea.

The sun made an occasional brief appearance, and at each opportunity we got out the scooters and took short walks. One day we enjoyed a quick picnic by the lake, another time we took a jaunt to the playground. What we eliminated from the plan was the 5-mile hike to a fire tower due to possible thunder storms that seemed to pop up each day.

Crafts, cooking projects, and inside play became the focus. We painted bird houses and ceramic mugs, acted out fairy tales and hero stories, played board games, and even completed a 500-piece puzzle on the last night. Culinary efforts by the children resulted in a delicious breakfast egg casserole, cinnamon pretzels of unique shapes, and a dinner of black beans and eggs prepared by the eldest granddaughter who had just returned from a mission trip to Mexico. We enjoyed every meal and snack!

There were several visits of friends and family, one unexpected cabin lockout that required someone to climb in through an open window, naps among the trees in the hammock (usually wet from the last shower), and friendly chats with neighbors in the next cabin. Our gregarious and thoughtful teen suggested next time we should bake cookies early on the first day and take a plate to each family as they move into their cabins, a kind gesture of welcome.

One day was sunny from the start with no storms predicted. That was the day we went to the pool.

Soaking in the sunshine, splashing and playing games in the water, nibbling snacks in the shade, we had a wonderful and totally exhausting day.

At bedtime, one child asked: “Oma, did you pray and ask God to give us sunshine so we could go swimming?” She had begged every day to go to the pool regardless of the weather. “I asked God to give us a good day,” I replied. “And He did! Isn’t that wonderful? We can be very thankful.”

Now, with all the grandchildren returned safely to their parents, I’m doing laundry, reorganizing the supply bin for next year, and taking naps. And smiling!

“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1

Running To

by Karon Phillips

Most mornings, I can look out to the bay just steps from my house and see them – the little fish doing what it seems fish shouldn’t do.

From the still waters, they jump up into the waterless sky, sail through the air like skipping rocks, splash back into their home I can’t see, and then go again.

It’s an odd sight I have to watch, and the usual reason given for the puzzling behavior is that the fish are evading a predator.

Maybe.

But maybe they’re not running from anything. Maybe they’re running to.

It’s easy to feel like I’m always running from some predator, some mistake or fault, sadness or sickness, pressure or regret. And when I matte my thoughts in that frame, everything becomes an evasive action, a means to escape, looking backward, losing sight. But it doesn’t have to be a chase.

If the fish can run to, so can I – to peace, joy, health, success, recovery, achievement, creativity, victory, faith and more faith. The fish and me - choking souls reaching for better air and willing to do uncharacteristic things to get it. I can do that.

Not because I’m being pursued but because I want to pursue, I can choose to discover what’s in front of me, more to learn and more to reach, to see what God sees for me.

Abraham (Abram) did that. In leaving behind tension between his herdsmen and Lot’s in Bethel as well as unfriendly neighbors, he chose to run to peace and possibility (Genesis 13). Fins of trust.

Ruth did that. She lost her husband and could’ve gone back home like her mother-in-law Naomi encouraged her to do, but Ruth chose to run to Naomi’s homeland, choosing loyalty to her and the God Naomi had taught her about, even in the Bethlehem she didn’t know (Ruth 1:15-16). Fins of courage.

The widow at the temple did that. Poor, alone and with all the reason in her small world to be discouraged and afraid, she chose to run to generosity and compassion for others. Giving the two coins was a choice she wanted to make (Luke 21:1-4). Fins of love.

The fish may not be able to change the water he’s in, but he sure can change his view with the attitude of running to. Paul says we can too.

One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:1314 NIV) So the question’s not why do the fish jump. The question is why don’t we?

Wherever He Leads I’ll Go

by Diana Leagh Matthews Lately, I have been wondering what God is up to in my life. For months so many parts of my life have been in upheaval while others are beginning to fall into place. But the one thing I know is I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so. Because wherever He leads I’ll go.

The popular invitational hymn was written by B.B. McKinney.

Baylus Benjamin McKinney was at the top of his career when he traveled to the Alabama Sunday School Convention in January 1936. The year before the Heflin, Louisiana native was named editor for the Baptist Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

At the convention, the author of such hymns as “The Nail Scarred Hand,” “Speak to My Heart,” “Let Others See Jesus In Me,” and “Satisfied with Jesus, , met with his good friend of many years R. S. Jones. Mr. Jones had been a missionary in Brazil.

As the two men visited and caught up over dinner, Mr. Jones revealed that his doctors would not allow him to return to South America due to his recent ill health. After a lifetime of serving God in Brazil, imagine how foreign a concept this must have been to the missionary.

“What will you do?” McKinney asked his friend.

“I don’t know, but wherever He leads I’ll go,” the missionary answered in earnest.

Baylus McKinney was unable to get his friend’s words out of his mind. Before the convention session that evening, the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary alumni and faculty member had expanded his friend’s words to write both the lyrics and melody to the hymn, “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go.” That evening, Mr. McKinney shared the previous conversation with the congregation. He then premiered his new hymn as he began to sing, “Take up that cross and follow me. I heard my Master say.”

Mr. McKinney also lived out a life that followed the words of his famous hymn. When the Great Depression sent the seminary into a financial crisis, Mr. McKinney became the assistant pastor at Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

On Sunday, September 7, 1952, Mr. McKinney had just left a conference in Ridgecrest, NC and was headed for another engagement in Gatlinburg, TN. While near Bryson City, NC, Mr. McKinney was killed in a car accident. In addition to his wife, two sons, and several brothers, he left behind a legacy that included numerous hymns.

Falls Creek Baptist Encampment in Davis, Oklahoma named their chapel in his honor.

His hometown of Heflin holds an annual McKinney song service each July to celebrate his 149 hymns and gospel songs.

According to the Baptist Press, Mr. Jones served on the Southern Baptist convention Foreign Mission Board for thirty-seven years. He and his wife served as missionaries to Brazil from 1920 until 1930.

He retired from a life of service in 1958, having served as treasurer to the Foreign Mission Board for the last decade of his service.

Will you go wherever He leads?

Seven Days of Devotionals

by Judith Purkiss

How badly do you want it?

Are you battling the same old problems year after year? Joash, King of Israel had been suffering repeated invasions from the Syrian army, so he visited the prophet Elisha for some moral support.

Elisha instructed Joash to take up his bow and arrows, open the window to the east and shoot. As Joash took aim, Elisha said, “The Lord's arrow of victory: the arrow of deliverance from Syria. You will smite the Syrians until you have destroyed them.” Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows and strike the ground.”

Joash took the arrows, struck the ground three times and stopped. And Elisha was angry and said, "You should have struck five or six times then you would have struck Syria five or six times until you had complete victory over them. Now you will only win against them three times," (2 Kings 13: 14-19).

Have you got an issue that needs urgent resolution? God is instructing you to take up the weapons He has given you and shoot. Joash's enemies were not outside Elisha's window; but Joash needed to open the window so that he could aim seemingly without direction.

Do you need to open the windows of your mind to get a fresh perspective? Do you feel as if sometimes your prayers ascend into thin air? Even if you feel that way, the arrows you send out are the weapons of God's deliverance from your enemies, whoever or whatever they may be.

So shoot.

Joash made the mistake of striking three times on the ground and then just stopping. Do you give up on what you so desperately need because it all seems like too much effort and you can't really see the point? Elisha told Joash that he stopped short of receiving the full blessing.

Do you make half-hearted efforts and expect 100 percent return? How badly do you want God’s victory? Do you just want a quick fix for your problem, or total deliverance?

If you want God to deliver you, take the arrows He has given you and keep on directing your prayers to God - pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5: 16).

Then you’ll learn "This is the victory that overcomes the world: our faith.” (1 John 5:4).

So That You May Know Israel was recovering from a period of drought and famine when Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, besieged Samaria. A party of ambassadors arrived at Ahab’s palace with Ben-Hadad’s statement of intent: "Your silver, gold, wives and children are mine."

Shortly afterwards, to add insult to injury, a second set of ambassadors came to state that not only would the Syrian army be taking Ahab's family and goods, but they reserved the right to take whatever they wanted from anyone in Israel. This was too much.

Ahab summoned the elders and asked what they thought he should do. The elders advised: don't listen to him and don't agree to anything. Ahab replied to the Syrian legation that he would agree to the first set of demands, but not the second.

Ben-Hadad responded with a declaration of war. Suddenly, a prophet of the Lord came to Ahab and said, "Have you seen the great multitude? I am going to deliver them into your hand today: and you will know that I am the Lord.

Ahab said, "Who’s going to do this?" The prophet replied, “The young men from the villages.” Ahab queried further, "Who is going to lead them in battle?" And the prophet answered, "You," (1 Kings 20: 1-14).

Have you ever looked at your life and thought that your enemies - debt, illness, depression, you name it - have all joined together to defeat you? God is saying, “I will deliver you; then you will know that I am God." It was logical for a man of no faith like Ahab to ask how this would happen and who would be in charge.

When trouble comes, do you capitulate on the spot? Don’t you know that God specializes in lost causes? God wanted Ahab to experience victory and know that it was nothing whatsoever to do with his efforts.

Even the most skilled army would have been unable to avoid defeat at the hands of the Syrian coalition forces. Victory would have to come from God. When you are under attack, do you question how God is going to rout your enemies? God intervenes for those called by His Name. When people see God at work in your life, some will say that you got a good break. Others will say that you work hard. Wise people will know that God did it and that He is the Lord.

Earnestly Seeking Asa enjoyed thirty-five years of peace during his reign and in the thirty-sixth year, Baasha, the king of Israel besieged Judah, blocked off the trade routes and began building a fortress. Asa panicked and went into the house of the Lord.

However it was not to pray: Asa took the treasures of the temple and sent them to Ben-Hadad, king of Syria and requested his support. Ben-Hadad took the treasures and attacked several cities in Israel.

Immediately Baasha retreated and stopped building his fortress. Once more God’s prophet came to speak with Asa. “You trusted the king of Syria instead of God. Haven't you had bigger challenges than the king of Israel? Yet because you relied on the Lord your God you defeated them. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are steadfastly towards Him. You acted foolishly.”

Later Asa became ill and resolutely refused to pray for healing, preferring to consult only with the doctor (2 Chronicles 16: 1-12). It is easy to use hindsight and criticize Asa's actions, but don't we act rashly at times?

All too often we trade the things of God for a sense of security. Do you give the enemies of God protection money so that someone will leave you alone? God has to remind us that He has been there all along protecting us from the battles of this life.

Wrapped up in the rebuke is a profound message of God’s support. God is actively seeking people for whom He can be strong. God is seeking people to fight for. Can He fight for you? God is looking for people to heal; can He heal you?

When Jesus met the woman at the well in Samaria, Jesus explained that God is a Spirit and those who worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth. The Father is seeking just that sort of person to worship Him, (John 4: 23-24).

Do you need to put a human face to your protection? Can you trust God even though you cannot see Him? Can you trust Him when your problems are seemingly overwhelming? God is actively seeking true worshippers. Will He find a true worshipper in you?

Fearless or Faithful God told Abram to leave where he was and go to an undisclosed location and He promised to bless Abram abundantly. Thus Abram was surprised to encounter a famine, as he obeyed the Lord's instructions.

This was not part of the plan.

On hearing that there was plenty of food in Egypt, Abram decided to go there. However he issued a warning to Sarai, his wife: “You are a beautiful woman; when the Egyptians see you they will want to take you from me. And they will kill me. Do me a favour and tell them that you are my sister. That way they will leave both of us alone.” (Genesis 12: 1-14).

Abram’s concern about losing his wife to the Egyptians was legitimate. What was wrong was his proposed solution to the problem.

The Almighty God, the great I AM, had spoken to Abram. Yet somehow a human being with a supply of food is to be more feared than the Almighty? You need to lie because the Almighty cannot help you?

Do you go where God didn't send you, simply because the grass appears greener over there? Do you work from the premise that if things go pear-shaped, the only way to get out of trouble is to lie?

When Abram and Sarai got to Egypt, there was an unforeseen problem: Pharaoh himself admired Sarai and took her to his home. Abram had not planned for that. The local men you can stand up to; but what can you do when the king gets involved?

Abram was plied with gifts: a special dowry to sweeten the deal. God sent plagues on Egypt because of Abram’s wife. The Pharaoh rebuked Abram and asked Abram and Sarai to leave.

Are you facing a famine and struggling to see how God is going to deliver on His promises? Are you tempted to take a shortcut?

Don't entertain such thoughts. Your job is to follow instructions, not to ask questions. God's plans cannot be subverted by human mistakes.

When God promises the expected end, He also provides the means to do it.

Abram left Egypt richer than when he arrived.

Abram was blessed despite his disobedience;

Power Breakfast Every now and then, we all need to take stock of our lives. Sometimes traumatic events force the thinking process to be brought forward. The disciples of Jesus had worked with Him throughout the duration of His ministry and after a turbulent week, He was gone. Dead. With Him their aspirations and hopes had died too. There could be no more plans to be seated on either side of Jesus for Zebedee's two sons andofnoit.one couldfaithful, jockey for power position. not because Godelse remains even whenorwe are untrustworthy and faithless.

Matthew had been a tax collector, Luke a doctor, so both could return to profitable professional lives.

For Peter, Nathaniel, Thomas and a few others, no such lucrative business beckoned. Peter had enough of the self-reflection and said to the others, "I'm going fishing.� The others said, "We're coming with you."

Faced with a life-changing experience, what better to do than revert to the comfortable and familiar?

Why start to consider a career change in a risky climate? The others shared the caution, stick with what you know. So the former fishermen returned to their previous occupations and fished all night.

Correction, they went out seeking for fish all night, but caught nothing. In the morning, Jesus appeared to them, but they did not recognize Him. He called to them from the shore, "Do you have any fish?" The disciples had to say no. Jesus then told them, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some."

They did so and were unable to haul in the nets. John then said to Peter, "It is the Lord." Somehow amidst the despair and hopelessness, they sensed again that they were in the presence of Jesus. At the start of their walk with Jesus, He had blessed their catch of fish, now as He was passing on His ministry to them He provided another blessing.

What was Jesus showing the fearful disciples? What is He showing us? Whether we are starting, mid-way or at a turning point in our lives He is there. We don’t need to worry about how we will survive just because we cannot see Him. After you have wasted a whole night trying to get back into the old way that He took you from, He will show up and let you know that He is the God of resources and all power.

You will have to admit that you wasted time and energy trying to restore your normality but no, you didn't achieve anything. When you get back to the shore, you will see Jesus there, He will have the coals ready, and the groundwork will have been prepared for you to go forward with the new lease of life and vision that He has given you.

Jesus told the disciples to come and have breakfast. None of them dared ask Him who He was; they knew it was Jesus (John 21:12).

Have you been heartbroken and had your dreams crushed? Are you tempted to go back to the stale past? Don't waste your energy on recreating your past; God is going to do a new thing.

At His word, cast your net and you will not be able to haul in all of the blessings.

Don't look at those around you, wondering how it all happened, just look at the giver of your gifts and know that it is the Lord.

Megaphone Diplomacy: Did you get the message?

We receive messages all the time: funny messages, greetings, direct marketing, political posturing, messages of hope and comfort or even empty promises. But have you received the word? Not just any old word, but the life transforming word of God? The special word - the gospel of Jesus Christ - is the real need to know word. Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul says, "The gospel did not come to you in word only, but in power and in full conviction from the Holy Spirit," (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

That life-changing encounter with the word caused the Thessalonians to become believers in Christ even though they were aware of the consequences. Paul says, "You received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. And you were examples to the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God, so we don't need to say anything," (1 Thessalonians 1:6-8).

It's easy to be good when conditions are favorable, but can you endure in the face of hardship for your faith? Are you a living testimony of what it is to be a believer? The Thessalonians were known for being a bit rough: while teaching in Thessalonica Paul and Silas were beaten up, charged, thrown into prison and then run out of town.

And what was the charge? "These men have turned the world upside down," (Acts 17:1-10).

Now with Paul and Silas planning a return visit, Paul was commending the Thessalonians because of their megaphone diplomacy. They got the word out, so that Paul and Silas didn't have to.

If an evangelist were planning to come to your town, would they be able to say that they really didn't need to come because of how faithful to God you are? Is your life a living example of a true believer that is well-known to everyone?

What are you known for? Let it be said of you that, not only does your town not need a visit from an evangelist, but that you with your faith and lifestyle have turned the world upside down.

Prostrate Faith On hearing of the threat of an Assyrian invasion, Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. Then he sent word to Isaiah that he should come quickly because the nation was in trouble. Hezekiah added that the Assyrian Field Commander or Rabshakeh had insulted and blasphemed against God. He was hoping that God had been listening and that He had taken offence.

Hezekiah then asked Isaiah to pray. Isaiah came and reassured Hezekiah that God had indeed been listening and that He would certainly deal with the Assyrian King and his entourage. Meanwhile, unimpressed at the lack of response to his threats from King Hezekiah or his people, the Rabshakeh decided to up his game and write his threats in a letter.

Hezekiah knew the brutal who history the Assyrian army and wasmore powerless stop the This he sent to Hezekiah, on of receiving it, panicked andthat ran he once into thetohouse of the Lord. invasion. And Hezekiah took the letter and spread it out before the Lord.

Then he made a heartfelt cry for help, in prayer. Hezekiah did not have time for niceties, or to get out his prayer book to look for nice messages about what to say when you feel under pressure. This was a life and death situation - and nothing but a desperate cry for help would do.

First of all Hezekiah acknowledged God as the divine ruler of heaven and earth and asked God to take exception to the Rabshakeh’s blasphemies. Hezekiah acknowledged that the Assyrian king had military power on his side, but Hezekiah knew that God was on the side of His people so he said, "Save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone are God," (Isaiah 37: 1-20).

Have you been desperate enough to say to God, “Do you notice how those people are dealing with Your child? Can you hear what they said about You? We know that they mean business, but so do You. Save us Lord and put them back in their place, so that not only they, but the whole world will know, there is only one God. Have you got a letter from the enemy? Is it a huge bill, an eviction notice, a poor prognosis following a hospital visit, yet another rejection letter from a prospective employer? When the enemy ups his game, you up yours. Spread it out before God. Let God know that you are afraid.

Let Him know that you have seen and heard about the damage wreaked by the enemy. But let God know also that you want Him to save you from whatever the enemy put on paper about you. And you want to see all the people give all the glory and honour to God, when they hear about your deliverance.

Judith Purkiss is a school teacher who loves the Word of God. She seeks to encourage, uplift, and inspire other women as she has first-hand experience of the power of God to deliver from domestic violence, financial and emotional abuse. Her message is to women everywhere, to let them know that God heals, delivers, and restores. Read more of her inspirational posts on her blog at www.judithpurkisswrites.wowrdpress.com

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A New Twist on an Old Favorite ~ Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding

by Theresa Begin Is anybody else really ready for and missing the Fall weather? Or just anxious for it to get here? I sure am!! You know, having soups and stew on the stove top, fresh baked items coming out of the oven.

That part of the fall is so wonderful and really something you can’t do in the hot days of August in California. You have to keep your house open at night to get it cooled down and then close it up in the morning before the sun heats it back up. It’s hardly the time to turn on your oven or have something simmering on the stove top.

Well, the last couple of nights have cooled off early here and quite nicely, so I took full advantage of it to get my oven on! I wanted a wonderfully warm something from the oven that screamed of comfort food on cold days to me!

A-Haa! My version of Bread Pudding!

I've kind of changed the old bread pudding recipe to suit my tastes, and it has been a major hit with my family and friends. I prefer a real custardy Bread Pudding, that’s not watery and not too crusty. Do you know what I mean? I don’t like using stale old bread. I actually go and buy my favorite honeyFrench rolls to make it! Now I’m sharing my recipe with you, which is something I don’t usually do, but it is just so good!

Disclaimer: I don’t give recipes the way most people do, because the steps in how you make something is almost as/ if not more important than the ingredients. So, I explain the recipe.

If you like the sounds of it you can write it down any old way you like. Okay, so here it goes: I soak ½ cup golden raisins, ½ cup dark raisins, and occasionally I like to add ½ dried cranberries, in warm tap water and then put them in the microwave for 1-1/2 minutes and let them stay there until I need them.

I cut my rolls into slices and then into 1 inch squares, about 8-9 cups of them. I put them in a large bowl and add my cinnamon about 1/2 tsp -1 Tbsp., depending on your taste.

I use a level tsp of nutmeg and probably ½ tsp of cloves, but you don’t have to.

Whatever flavors you like. You could do 1 tsp of each of the above mentioned ingredients. Or omit any you don't like.

At this point I drain my prepared dried fruit and add to my bread mixture. I use my hands to toss them around, but you could use a wooden spoon, if you like.

I melt ½ cup of butter just to a melt in the microwave and pour that, as evenly as I can, over the bread mixture. Then I turn this out into a buttered Lasagna pan, you know the one. Just a second, I’ll check the inches, okay mine is 9”x 14”.

Then, in the same bowl, the one with all the goodness left in it, I break and lightly whisk 8 Large AA eggs, sometimes I even use jumbo! I add 2¾ -3 cups warmed whole milk (you can use cream or half and half, if you prefer), I add ¾ cup reg. white sugar and a Tbsp. of real vanilla.

I vigorously whisk all these ingredients together and then pour evenly over the bread mixture. Use a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to push the bread mixture down into the egg, you want all of your bread cubes to suck up that eggy goodness!! **Now, the most important part to the recipe, walk away from it for at least 30 minutes!!

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until you insert your knife in the center and you no longer see liquid, but check frequently so you do not overcook it. It will rise quite a bit and then fall, that's normal. But you should cover it with a kitchen towel and let it cool on the stove top and avoid drafts, when just out of the oven I have made this start to finish in about an hour and a half, that’s including the soaking and cooking time. I hope you'll give it a try on a cool night, you definitely don't need to be a cook to make this one, If you don’t have honey French rolls where you live, they are very similar to Hawaiian Bread.

As Julia would say, “Bon appétit!”

One final note, I think this is best when it's still a bit warm. You can clear wrap any leftovers and pop them in the micro for about 30 seconds for it to taste like it just came out of the oven.

Thanks for popping over for a visit!!

by Gina Napoli When God tries to get my attention, He sends the Holy Spirit to clunk me on the head. He has to. I’m oblivious most of the time.

I especially had my head in the wrong space a few years ago.

My eight-year-old daughter had been having a long string of bad days, enough to probably fly a kite to the moon.

I had been praying, but God wasn’t offering me answers or solace. Her grades weren’t great, the teachers emailed me daily, and she couldn’t keep friends long.

Her good and bad days felt heightened by a recent ADHD diagnosis, leaving the whole family revolving our moods around her extremes. If everything in her day progressed perfectly, then we enjoyed peace in our house.

If one teeny-tiny piece of her world’s minutiae was askew, then she deemed everything in her life unsalvageable.

I signed her up for after-school activities, thinking it would help. If I knew what a grueling commute it would be to pick her up, I would have hosted the chess club, basketball team, choir, Legion of Mary, and Girl Scout troop at my house.

As summer approached, more cars clogged Hershey’s roadways, with its high-end sprawling tourist destinations, including a chocolate factory slightly less clandestine than Willie Wonka’s.

(Hershey did acquire some Wonka products. Maybe the Oompa Loompas drove from Loompa-Land?)

On this particular day, I took a different route, thinking I could outsmart the other commuters.

Nope. But it was extra time to pray for my daughter, at least until some orange-skinned, green-haired driver cut me off.

I tried mustering patience, although I didn’t always lead with that. My baby wasn’t thriving, and the Lord wasn’t working fast enough to grow her. I wished I could shrink to a mini-her, fix her life, and let her jump back into her own skin to sustain it.

I didn’t know what I was thinking driving this road. I didn’t want extra downtime, even to pray and finish my coffee. I needed to find out how my daughter’s day went before my own life could feel right.

I needed the full report so I could commiserate with her, kiss her boo-boos, tell her it would be all right, tell her she would forget about all this childhood nonsense until her own children came along and went through it.

Cars not moving fast enough. Some shriveled bluehair taking forever to turn right. Braking on yellow.

My impatience simmering low in my throat like a guttural cavewoman interjection.

“Lord? Are you there?” I sipped my coffee. “Lord?”

I looked at the sky through my windshield. “Lord, if you’re everywhere, then you’re here. Even right here in the middle of Hell.”

I glanced left and saw a black billboard with white lettering: WE NEED TO TALK. –GOD I gripped the wheel. “That was kinda creepy,” I said to the empty passenger seat.

Well, since He brought it up…

“How was school?” I tried to sound bright.

“Lord? I’m trying my hardest, but I still feel like a lousy mother.”

Her delayed answer left me trying to pick up clues like an amateur detective.

The next billboard read: DETERMINATION. The second “T” was branded for Temple University. The billboard right next to it read: MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR GENERATIONS.

Finally she said, “That’s hard to answer today. It wasn’t all good, and it wasn’t all bad. A few annoying things happened, but that didn’t spoil the whole day.”

A weirdly, on-the-nose public service announcement.

Driving the opposite way down that same stretch of road, I read the Holy Spirit’s final billboard: Wellspan Health Network asked: WHAT’S YOUR BREATHTAKING MOMENT?

“Lord, I can’t be with her all the time. I can’t shield her from every bully. If I can’t protect her, who will?”

The next billboard brought another PSA: PROTECT PA FAMILIES. Beside it was another billboard for CHAMPION home improvements.

Wow, it even used the word “protect.”

“I don’t feel like we’re growing as a family.”

The next billboard from a local landscaping company read: LET’S GARDEN TOGETHER. An entire family patted the earth around a tree.

Was I reading what I wanted to understand from these messages, or was the Holy Spirit really speaking to me through Lamar Advertising?

“Lord, if you’re talking to me, will you tell me what you have planned? What’s our path?”

I swear I am not making this up. Two small companies each bought half a billboard. One side was for a spa called DOLCE, which means “sweet.”

The other was for a store named JOURNEYS. The Lord told me we would have sweet journeys. Then a town greeting sign read: WELCOME TO HERSHEY—SWEETEST PLACE ON EARTH.

Wherever Wellspan was going with that question, I didn’t really know. But there was no doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit delivered the Lord’s message through each billboard.

It doesn’t get any clearer than the Holy Spirit clunking me on the head with an enormous, literal sign.

P.S. Disclaimer: Lest you think I’m intentionally Cruella Devil, I took the same route later that week and voice-recorded descriptions of the billboards into some app that my daughter had to show me how to use.

This reminded me a lot of the Bible verse called “The Lord’s Answer” in Habakkuk 2:2 (NIV): Then the Lord replied: Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.

If this story left an impact on you, the author has a whole book full of stories about direct interactions with the Holy Spirit – 28 stories from 12 different authors!

Yes, how could our family’s journeys be anything less than sweet?

Billboards and prayers fresh in my mind, I finally reached my daughter’s school. I braced myself.

“Lord, please strengthen her.”

As she walked toward my car, I tried to read her face for any micro-expression that would give me a clue how our house would be that night.

Gina Napoli is a professional writer, full-time Mom, Christian, lifelong learner, and author of the book Clunk on the Head: How the Holy Spirit Got Our Attention, a collection of stories from authors who have had direct interaction with the Holy Spirit.

I live on a wooded lot that graciously gives me hundreds of small pine cones every year. A few years ago I started making craft projects with these pine cones. I have bleached them out for a white washed wreath, painted them in various shades of yellow for a sunflower themed wreath, strung them on twine for fall garland, and every year I make adorable homemade Christmas ornaments.

This year I decided to try a fall bouquet arrangement using painted pine cones as the floral stems.

For this project you can either use purchased pine cones or ones you collect from nature. If you do decide to use ones found in the woods or around your house, you will need to clean and disinfect them before using them to kill off any bugs or spider eggs living in the cones. Gross to think about, I know.

To clean and disinfect natural pine cones, you will need to soak them for up to 48 hours in a vinegar and water solution. Mix two parts vinegar to one part water in a bucket. Small pine cones have a tendency to float to the top so I weigh my pine cones down with a plate to hold them under the solution.

Once wet, the pine cones will naturally close up. After the 48 hours, remove the pine cones from the solution and put them on a layer of newspaper to dry out. This may take a few days or you can heat up the pine cones in a 200 degree oven until they open back up.

For this project you will need:  Pine cones  Acrylic paints  Paint Brushes  Floral Wire  Container for bouquet  Floral dry foam  Fall leaves floral stems  Spray Polycrylic Top Coat in Satin Finish I will be honest, painting pine cones with acrylic paint can be a slow and tedious process. However, I have found that acrylic craft paints stick better to the natural wood of a pine cone than spray paint.

I’ve had pine cones just absorb the spray paint instead of covering the pine cone. So I continue with my method of applying acrylic paint to the pine cones with a brush while watching a good movie or listening to a podcast.

For this project the pine cones were painted in fall colors in Golden Sunset, Harvest Orange, and Tuscan Red. I applied two coats of paint to each pine cone.

After the pine cones had dried overnight, I sprayed each individual pine cone with the satin top coat. A few of the pine cones I painted an orange dot in the center of the bottom of the pine cone to resemble a flower.

The pine cones need to be wired to insert in to the dry foam like a floral stem.

Wrap the end of the floral wire around the scales of the pine cone and twist to secure, leaving enough wire to insert in to the dry foam.

Then you can make your bouquet. I started with the larger pine cones first and then added the smaller painted pine cones and the leaves around it.

There are no rules to making your own version. Just have fun with it!

Reach Out

by Norma C. Mezoe When the trials of life are many and troubles are hard to bear….

There’s a Friend who is waiting to help you, reach out to God - for He’s there.

He knows when your heart is weary and burdened with heavy despair, He will carry your burdens for you… reach out to God - for He’s there.

God is not willing that any should carry their burden alone.

He is tenderly waiting to help you, for he loves and cares for His own.

So open your whole life to Him, be His in all that you do…

Reach out, reach out, to God and His love, for He is reaching to you.

Blessings of Autumn

by Sharmelle Olson With blessings of autumn, we need to bring our faith into this season of colors which is a way of determining the autumn days of adventurers.

As we determine this beautiful time of year, we bring peace to the world that makes it wonderfully pure as the squirrels that scamper around.

The red orange yellow and green of the leaves every autumn season are very beautiful which brings in the wonderful world of beliefs and the color of the leaves is fanciful.

A Taste of the State Fair

by Nancy Frantel The food experience at the state fair provides opportunities to taste unique culinary treats.

Some items create cravings just by reading the menu selections. Others are better left for someone else to enjoy.

If the burger includes a doughnut bun, layer of bacon, and syrup as the condiment, I might regret purchasing the “nourishment” and pass by to another booth.

One year I volunteered as a judge for a cooking contest. I spent many years in restaurant management and missed the creativity of various chefs.

Ten years later, I still enjoy judging. I look forward to tasting how local cooks use ingredients in an inventive manner. Plus, most contests allow for consumption of products which have recipe rules─ strict rules, instead of an assortment of ingredients best left on the shelf.

I didn’t ignore fast-food midway treats after becoming a judge. I just received comfort knowing (most of the time) what was in the dish I was about to taste.

Depending upon the fair, food competitions include some risk. An entry which tempts the eye may provide a less than appealing result.

For example, one state fair offers a pie contest. Since I rarely bake pies at home, I look forward to tasting an award-winning dessert. Categories may include apple, chocolate chip, and lemon chess, all of which I am happy to consume.

However, once the first bite reaches my taste buds, delight changes to dismay. The baker used salt instead of sugar. It happens more often than expected. And because the cook may be watching my every facial expression, I have to swallow.

But it’s okay. The great pies make it worthwhile.

My favorite fair is in my home state of North Carolina. Most baking/cooking contests are sponsored by food companies. As a result, winners receive prize money. The professional approach and specific criteria encourages creation of superior recipes.

I also like the N.C. fair because we judge behind closed doors. This arrangement is ideal for a variety of reasons. We can provide feedback to the contest coordinator regarding superiority of an entry, or make suggestions for improvements to encourage submitting a revised recipe next year.

Also, if one judge dives into the dish first and consumes a less than tasty bite, the rest of us reduce the size of product we taste. The reverse is true with the discovery of a winning contender.

Some recipes may include decadent ingredients. Those I make sure to savor every bite. As one of several judges, I have a responsibility to provide each entry a thorough test.

No one minds if I ask for another slice. After all, it’s the fair.

Vintage Book Treasure Hunt: Back to School Vintage Readers

by Kathryn Ross

Whatever happened to Dick and Jane?

They ran and ran, and I read and read. I followed their innocent adventures in the halcyon early days of my literary life, when words first became friends and the idea of storytelling ignited a sense of destiny deep within my future writer’s heart.

I have copies of the old Dick and Jane readers, delightfully void of cynicism and trendy pop culture references. Simple tales about a happy, functional family laid a foundation for character development in my impressionable heart, while introducing phonics and reading to my eager mind.

By the end of first grade, I mastered the basic tenets of literacy, firmly setting me on a lifetime path of teaching and learning.

Reviewing a smattering of reading books and contemporary literature used in schools today, I grieve the insertion of political agenda topics. This disturbing trend adds to the current assault on childhood, which seeks to strip away innocence and the inculcation of traditional values.

What can we do in the face of such a literary fate when tasked with raising the next generation of readers and thinkers?

I recommend a return to the wisdom of past generations who schooled children in the classics providing a strong foundation in language arts simultaneous with a robust sense of history and intellectual challenge.

Self-esteem flourished not from psychological manipulation and gimmicky mantras, but from the comfort of a disciplined home, cultivated habits, and the trust of elevated responsibilities.

Through quality literature children discovered a connection to their past, to inform their present, which became a confident compass to their future.

At least this was my experience.

It certainly explains why I’m drawn to old books dating from the late 19th century to the early part of the 20th century, prior to the slow eroding effects of progressive thought.

I collect vintage and antique school textbooks and readers, reveling in the elevated language and academic expectations of past generations.

My elementary school years through the 1960s saw the decline of such books, usurped by a host of new approaches to reading, writing, and arithmetic.

By the 1970s, new textbooks claiming to teach reading through the phonetic spelling of all the words in the stories captivated public school classrooms.

I went to private parochial school where Dick and Jane remained my reading book friends. I remember seeing the readers of my neighborhood playmates, marveling at how all the words were spelled wrong. I couldn’t understand how they made sense of it—and their spelling lessons, too.

In the end, this experiment in teaching reading failed and millions of dollars were spent on concocting another trendy approach to something that was never broken in the first place.

Open a book and read. It might be Dick and Jane. It might be the Bobbsey Twins or Nancy Drew. It might be Shakespeare or Longfellow.

It might even be the Bible.

John Chapman walked ahead of pioneer families across an expanding nation in the mid-1800s. He planted apple orchards, so settlers would have food, cleared land to build upon, and left logs for homes.

He traveled light carrying few personal possessions, bags of apple seeds, and a Bible.

Families along the way extended hospitality to him, providing a bed and meals. He repaid them with apples and reading lessons using his own Bible— often tearing pages from it to leave with them for practice.

You might know him by his legendary folk name of Johnny Appleseed. But he was not myth or mere legend, but an inspiring true story—and a great biographical read.

In my 1885 edition of Thomas Handford’s The Home Instructor: A Guide to Life in Private and Public, the chapter on Books and Reading is ripe with inspirational advice: “Reading is like brushing through the dewy grass at sunrise.” James R. Lowell “To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.” Edmund Burke “What grand companionships await us as we turn from the noises and turmoil of life and sit down for an evening amongst our books?

Kings of thought of every age stand in serried ranks waiting to do our bidding. Poets of the elder time, and of these later years—Homer and Milton and Pope, and Longfellow and the Brownings and Lowell—sing at our bidding their immortal songs.

Historians repeat for us the deeds of other days.

Philosophers dig deep for us about the roots of knowledge. Shakespeare unveils for us the mystic workings of heart and mind, and laughs or weeps, or fights or dies for us, just as we desire.

Great students, with dreams on fire with God, offer us the result of their life-long studies. The men of science probe nature’s very heart for secrets and lay their trophies at our feet.

These are the grand and silent fellowships that wait for us. They have hoarded their genius to the uttermost, and made us ‘heirs of all the ages, in the foremost files of time.’ ” The closing of the chapter features an abridged excerpt of John Tulloch, a Scottish theologian and teacher who penned an instructional manual for students in 1863, titled Beginning Life a Book for Young Men. He writes: “In answer to the question, How a young man shall read to the best advantage?—he should select some particular department of knowledge which he feels interesting and within this department he should read carefully and studiously. If he only once make this selection, and make it rightly, other things will adjust themselves. Varied reading will adapt itself to the main intellectual interest of his life.

It may not seem easy to make such a choice; but the important matter is to recognize it and to build up your intellectual education upon it; because it can be really built up in no other manner.

It is only by studying some particular subject with a view to mastering it, or some parts of it, that you can ever acquire a really studious insight and power.

Nothing will enable you to realize your mental gifts, and to feel yourselves in the free and useful possession of them, like the triumph of bringing within your power and making your own some special subject.”

Though the cumbersome language seems difficult to a modern reader, in the mid-19th century young readers in their teens understood the advice given here.

Boys and girls who struggle with a love for reading and literature will be wise to heed the old master’s words.

In short, Tulloch suggests:  

 

Reading material that connects with a particular interest. Fill your library shelves with such titles and devour them.

Master your subject and expand your reading to other areas. Varied reading will fall together within the context of the “delight directed” topic.

Build concentration skills in reading the chosen subject to exercise the intellect which channels into other academic areas.

Proficiency empowers. Self-esteem and confidence develop naturally. Critical thinking, reasoning, and personal disciplines mature.

Your investment in this vital area of your child’s life has the power to impact the world today and change tomorrow for good or ill. Past generations understood this. May we learn from their wisdom and take a leaf from their book.

Listen to the EXPANDED audio dramatization of this article including a bonus short story from a vintage reader on The Writer’s Reverie Podcast,

by Kathryn Ross at www.thewritersreverie.com . Click Podcasts on the menu bar and scroll down to access Back to School Vintage Readers.

God’s Table

by Frances Gregory Pasch

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12: 34 NIV My husband, Jim, regularly sets a beautiful table.

It’s not your usual table covered with a cloth and filled with dishes, silverware, glasses, and condiments. This one is on our back deck and displays a variety of unusually shaped bird feeders—some plastic, others metal, some small and others extra-large. Each is filled with a variety of different kinds of seeds. Jim also sets out suet.

Once you start to taste the food that God has to offer, you’ll want to return frequently for more substantial food. The words that you absorb from the Bible will stay with you longer than normal nourishment. An added benefit is that once you memorize some of the scriptures, you will discover that they give you strength to deal with whatever situations come your way.

Our state bird, the gold finch, frequently visits our deck for a snack. Red-winged blackbirds, red poles, sparrows, doves, and cardinals also stop quite often for a meal.

Why is it that we always find time to feed our bodies, often gobbling up more than we should, but somehow don’t concentrate on nourishing our spirits?

It’s fun to watch the different tactics of each species.

The small birds peck a little at a time, and seem to be in no hurry; the larger birds swoop in, gobble up the seeds, and quickly fly away. With so many winged friends dining with us, Jim often has to fill the feeders every day.

If Jim and I get excited when birds visit our feeders, and we get disappointed when they don’t come, God must feel the same way about us. It must put a smile on His face when we regularly open the Bible and feast on His words. But He must be sad when we get busy with other things and forget spending time with Him.

God sets an even more beautiful table. Throughout the Bible, he offers us a splendid variety of spiritual food for our souls—simple truths for beginners who, like the small birds, need messages that are easily digestible without rushing, and deeper treasures for more seasoned Christians to savor. Regardless of the level of our spiritual growth, there’s always plenty of food for everyone.

Let’s set aside time this week to surprise God with an unexpected visit. He’ll be happy, and we’ll be blessed.

Bird feeders need to be refilled, but God’s word never returns void.

It’s not like the Good Old Days

by Norma C. Mezoe As I walk around my little town of Sandborn (Population – 350), I am saddened to see empty buildings with broken windows and walls caving in.

When I came to Sandborn as a young bride many years ago, there were grocery stores, service stations, a hardware store, lumber yard, barber shop and other businesses. It was a thriving community with an elementary and a high school.

I attended Sandborn High School the last two years of school because the school I attended had been demolished by fire. A few years after graduation, I married and moved to Sandborn to live.

Later, my three children began their education in the red brick grade school.

Through the years, one by one, the businesses disappeared. Then schools in our county were consolidated and Sandborn’s schools were closed, forcing our children to ride a school bus to an out of town school.

Our citizens were saddened when we received the news that our empty schools would be razed. It was definitely not the same little town I had moved to years before.

As I continue on my walk, I come to our town park with its collection of swings, slides and other playground equipment for children to enjoy. The park was built on the land where our school buildings once stood.

Shelter houses dot the grounds and shade trees provide a haven from the sun’s glaring rays.

Through the years, many people have gathered in the park for family reunions and for our annual Black Creek Festival, where the community works together to raise money to help those in need.

I will always remember how Sandborn looked when I first moved here. I will remember walking past the schools during recess and hearing the happy laughter of children. But as I remember these things, I will also be thankful for the community park that arose from the ashes of the schools.

We can choose to dwell on our pasts and mourn for the things that are gone or we can enjoy the blessings of today and look expectedly to the future.

In Matthew 28:20, NIV, Jesus encouraged his disciples with these words: “And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” small town. Like the disciples, we also have the assurance that Jesus Christ is always beside us, not only in the good old days, but also today and in the days to come.

First Rights

Yes, I was a Homeschool Mom

by Lisa J. Radcliff “We’ve decided to homeschool.” Crickets. No one said a word. I wasn’t sure what our parents’ responses would be to our news, but I thought there would be one. Finally, someone said, “How are you going to do that?” It was an inauspicious beginning to our new adventure.

This was in the early 1990s. A new homeschooling law had just passed in PA, making it easier for parents to homeschool their children. Had I gone to college, I would have become a teacher—an English teacher, with an emphasis on grammar. But I didn’t go to college.

My children were about to become my grammar students. Visions of sentence diagrams danced in my head. I couldn’t wait. I bought a “Welcome to your new school” poster and hung it on our “school room” door. I ordered textbooks, pencils, “well done” stickers—everything needed to start our new school year at our new school: home.

And so it began. Our first first-grader dug into his studies with the passion of Yogi Bear in possession of a picnic basket.

The most-asked question, socialization, was quickly answered. Our boys were so active in outside activities, we could hardly keep up.

The second most-asked question, my qualifications to teach them, was a little trickier. I didn’t always think we had made the right decision.

My first success—the oldest learned to read. It was after his first standardized testing in third grade that I started to relax about being qualified to teach.

I nearly had a nervous breakdown during testing and in the weeks that followed, waiting for the test results to arrive. I had rehearsed my explanations to the school district on why he had failed so miserably.

But when the envelope arrived, all my fears slipped away. He had scored well beyond his grade level in every subject. His reading and writing skills were off the charts, literally. Ha! I could teach my children.

Our school year usually started in early August with the excitement of new textbooks and new subjects.

A few weeks in, when things were rolling but already mundane, we would take a trip to Maine.

The week after Labor Day was perfect: the crowds were gone. We could go anywhere without a long line or a reservation.

Museums, touch tanks, boat cruises, hiking, blueberry-picking, swimming, kayaking, frogcatching, stargazing: it was the best week of the school year.

And we counted it all, faithfully logging every activity in our official Homeschool Log Book.

By early May our log book showed we had, indeed, been in school for 180 days. They boys were thrilled to be done with school just as the weather was beckoning them to play outside.

We had some memorable activities: exploring the local creek and making notes like Lewis and Clark, finding the safe house after being dropped in enemy territory while studying WWII, blowing up and playing with a pig’s bladder like Laura Ingalls, Civil War reenactments (our oldest was even in the movie, Gods and Generals), and mummifying a chicken during our Ancient Egypt unit.

Perhaps the best times were when we could take our children to experience different cultures.

They’ve been to China, Romania, Costa Rica, and Haiti. And it seemed that whenever I doubted we should be homeschooling, God provided assurance.

I was more interested in my relationship with my kids than making it to graduation as a homeschool mom.

One example, when we were studying heaven, I tried to describe the different jewels in the walls. At the last minute, I decided we should go downtown, just a two-block walk, and see if our local jewelry store had any of the gems.

My boys proved to be much more intelligent than me. They needed classes that I had no idea how to teach. Their days of diagramming sentences were over. They needed someone who could teach them advanced math and science, and that person was not me.

We walked in and I gave our list to the man behind the counter. He pulled out a long, thin, black case and started pulling out different stones. He explained each one and let the kids examine them.

Our other two boys moved into cyber school. The middle one saved a year of college by taking most of his classes at the community college, earning credit for high school and college.

Some had changed names, but he knew them all.

We thanked him for his time. As we were leaving, he asked, “How did you know I would be here today?”

The youngest was just happy to work at his own pace (snail) and not have to ride a school bus at 6:00 a.m.

I didn’t understand. I thought he was just an employee. This high-end jewelry store wasn’t a place I frequented.

Fourteen years of homeschool wrapped up. The boys all graduated from high school and college.

And that oldest one – he’s starting a new career this year as a teacher, something he has wanted to do for a long time.

He said, “I’m a gemologist. I happened to be here today. The regular jewelers wouldn’t have had these gems here.” I replied, “I didn’t know you were going to be here, but God did.”

I know he’ll make a great teacher. I should know, I taught him everything he knows.

God’s assurance that we were doing the right thing always came at just the right time. Of course it did.

Well, everything that needed to be taught to elementary kids. At least I know he can diagram a sentence!

After completing high school with our oldest, we decided homeschooling through high school wasn’t the best choice for our kids. He did fine, but trigonometry just about ruined our relationship.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

For inspirational and creative articles, visit Theresa Begin on her blog, Shoestring Elegance.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

by Cynthia Knisley

He looked like Humpty Dumpty, with an extended round middle and narrow pipe legs cloaked in baggy pants that reached just below the knees. Very cute. I couldn’t help but notice as he stacked up his groceries on the conveyer belt while I waited in line behind him.

A mature gentleman, no doubt, he chatted with the clerk as she passed can after can over the digital register. “What kind of cats do you have?” she asked him. “I have thirteen all together,” was his response with a warm smile.

Oh my …..… he didn’t answer the question. But, his reply did explain the twenty-four cans of cat food and tall bag of enriched cat nibbles. I was trying to picture all those cats---where they play, sleep, do their business, scratch---and then noticed one can of beans and a large bag of chips at the end of the grocery line-up. This was evidently his dinner.

We never found out what kind of cats this man has, nor did we learn their names, another curious piece of information. But why did he misunderstand the question? Maybe he has a slight hearing loss and just heard the word “cats.” Proud of his brood, he immediately thought about the head count in his household. Verbal communication can be a funny thing.

“Did he say he has thirteen cats?” I asked quietly after the man shuffled out with his cart. “I think a new litter just arrived,” was her response, as if that makes a difference. I worried for a moment that perhaps this man cares more about his cats’ diet than his own and secretly wished I had slipped in a few fresh fruits and veggies from my pile.

But wait----the twinkle in his eye was priceless! It communicated clearly all that I needed to know.

This is a happy elderly man, able to walk, get around town, and do his own shopping. He provides for a large feline family; they depend on him and are a source of joy. He puts their needs before his own: caring, loving, nurturing. I suppose a minor hearing loss or slight miscommunication is really of no consequence at all! ************************* Dedicated to those  who love feathers and fur, paws and floppy ears, fins, wagging tails, wet noses, gentle nuzzles, and the sweet purring of kittens  who marvel at the ways we are connected as God’s creatures--- humans and animals---in a beautiful inter-dependency All things bright and beautiful.

All creatures great and small.

All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all.

Lyrics by Cecil F. Alexander (18-18 1895), Vs 1, set to Old English tune, arranged 1889

Words

by Norma C. Mezoe A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. – Proverbs 25:11 (NIV)

Sharon’s words had destroyed her enjoyment of the new clothing.

It was the mid 1940’s and Janet was in grade school.

Her mother wanted to buy Janet a new outfit. She carefully chose a pink sweater and a red skirt. Janet approved of her mother’s choice and eagerly wore the new clothing to school the next day.

In the book of James, the writer warns about a small part of our bodies—the tongue. It can be used to bless, but it can also be used to hurt others.

Janet was feeling on top of the world until Sharon approached. “You’re not supposed to wear pink with re,” she hissed to Janet. Sharon made the comment when other children were present and Janet was embarrassed.

Upon arriving home, Janet took off the sweater and skirt she had once treasured, and never wore them again.

It can be used to build up or it may be used as a demolition tool.

Only a few hateful words from Sharon were enough to ruin Janet’s day. May we not be guilty, like Sharon, of causing pain for others through the words that we speak.

Prayer: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14

The Red Skirt

by Norma C. Mezoe I was a shy, tall and slender fourth-grader, wearing a red skirt without suspenders.

The skirt didn’t fit my figure and I tugged at it often as I walked to keep it at my waistline.

My teacher dismissed our class for recess and we started filing out of the classroom.

Teacher didn’t like the way I walked and made me return to my desk and walk out again. Being so bashful, I was thoroughly embarrassed by Mrs. Elliot’s actions.

Fast forward to many years later. It was the fiftieth reunion of our graduating class. Two of the members told me they remembered the incident of the red skirt and had felt sorry for me.

Even though the incident happened long ago, still I was comforted knowing someone had cared for me in my distress.

God tells us to comfort one another. Of course, it is best to do this at the time it is needed. But let us remember that the giving of loving words and actions can always be used to encourage, even if they are many years late.

Prayer: God of all comfort and compassion, please help us to follow your example.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

First Rights

Living Our Christian Lives in Purpose and On Purpose

by Sharon L. Patterson

Do you find it as interesting as I do how we can often take something simple and complicate it so much that we can become paralyzed in thought and action? Take, for example, living our Christian lives not only in our purpose but on purpose as well.

We start out seeking the will of God doing all the right things-spending time with Him in prayer and the Word. When we first receive salvation through Jesus, we don’t over-analyze, we are so excited we just take the simplicity of the gospel and begin to grow and share. We understand grace because we need it: forgiveness is such an integral part of our testimony; we find it easy to extend it to others.

Forgiveness feels so powerful: knowing our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west takes us to our knees in thanksgiving. We begin our days with the power of it and close our eyes at day’s end in the peace of it.

Then we proceed in our maturity examining the meatier matters of the faith. We read, study and listen to pastors, teachers, and evangelists expound on deep issues. At times, we become proud of what we know and are ready to defend what we have learned sometimes before we have digested what we have learned.

We can get off into the weeds, straying from the simple message that we are to love God with all our mind, soul and heart and to love others as ourselves. This usually happens as obedience transfers to striving: we become self-conscious rather than God-conscious.

It is also easy to wander off path when we comparing ourselves with others rather than walking in the purpose according to the unique gifts God has given us. Lusting after what someone else has or is able to do will keep us from growing in grace and knowledge and excellence as we are meant to do. I cannot fill another’s purpose or place in the kingdom…only the one to which I am assigned. If I do, my space is left empty and the one I am trying to fill is already taken.

Complication leads us away from dedication. So, how do I prevent that or get back on track? When I respond to my live-in teacher, advocate, and revealer of Jesus, I will stay on the narrow but simple road. I will be able to reject the paths that lead me away from living my Christian life in purpose and on purpose. It is not an independent life, but a dependent one-dependent on God, surrendered to Jesus, and listening to the Holy Spirit.

We must do the same thing we do when we lose our way on a journey: locate where we are, where we need to be. Plug into the correct directions, turn in the right direction and head toward the exact road. God’s map is His Word; the GPS lives in us and merely needs us to listen to him. Jesus will forgive us for getting off path and intercede for us to continue in the right direction: right back in purpose and on purpose!

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Ruby Writing Team Sharon Patterson, retired educator, career military wife, and leader in women's ministry, has written inspirational encouragement in various forms from greeting cards to short stories, poetry, and Bible studies for over thirty years. She has authored three books, and is a contributing author for several of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She and her husband Garry live in Round Rock, Texas. They have three sons and five grandchildren.

Theresa Begin lives in Northern California, where she was born and raised. She is a Christian who loves her family and says, “I have been blessed with the world’s best parents!” She has three sisters and one brother, as well as 16 beautiful nieces and nephews who “mean the world to me!” She is “differently-abled,” and chooses not to allow her limitations to define her life. She loves to write and share her various projects on her blog, “Shoestring Elegance,” which came about as she discovered that living on a tight budget did not mean compromising on style. “Nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37 NLT Shara Bueler-Repka is enjoying life as a singer/songwriter/recording artist, freelance writer, and award-winning author. She and her husband, Bruce, live in their living quarters horse trailer and call “home” wherever their rig is parked. Their mailbase, however, is Hallettsville, Texas. She also loves riding/ministering with her husband and their horses (aka The Boys) in the backcountry and writing about God’s grace in the various adventures on the trail less-traveled. Join the fun and be encouraged on their website: www.ponyexpressministry.com and her blog: www.trailtails.blogspot.com, or come for a visit on Facebook.

Carol Peterson, Author

My mission as a writer is to educate, entertain and inspire–children, their teachers and parents, other writers, and readers of all genres.

As a children’s writer I try to “Make Learning Fun” by helping busy teachers address curriculum accountability standards, and encouraging other writers to do the same.

You can connect with Carol at her blog, Carol Peterson, Author Carol is a member of the Ruby Book Review Team.

Writer-speaker, Kathryn Ross is Pageant Wagon Publishing—igniting God’s Word and biblical principles as a vibrant light of literacy and learning in the life of your Christian family. Inspired by the stillness of birdsong, silent reflection, antiques, and teatime, she filters her love of history, classic literature, and the arts through God’s Word, to inform her words. Her passion to equip women and families in developing a Family Literacy Lifestyle produces readers and thinkers who can engage the world from a biblical worldview. In addition, she mentors authors as a book shepherd, assisting them in the development, editing, design, and production of the book God has called them to write. Miss Kathy blogs and podcasts at www.thewritersreverie.com and www.pageantwagonpublishing.com

Norma C. Mezoe began writing after a crisis in her life. She has been a published writer for thirty years. Her writing has appeared in books, devotionals, take-home papers and magazines. She lives in the tiny town of Sandborn, Indiana where she is active in her church as clerk, teacher and bulletin maker. Contact at: normacm@tds.net

Jehn Kubiak is a Biola University journalism graduate and current pastoral care and counseling major at the Talbot School of Theology. She is a San Diego native who enjoys distance swimming, coffee, dogs, and painting. She loves researching and writing about people, sports, activities, and more.

Lisa Radcliff is a writer, speaker, women's Bible study teacher, and a 35-year volunteer youth worker, residing in Pennsburg, PA. She is a wife, mom, and mommom who loves God's Word but also loves football, chocolate, shoes, and Maine.

Her hobbies include quilting, shopping, cooking, and raising Seeing Eye puppies.

You can reach her at lisajradcliff@gmail.com.

Nancy Frantel lives in Virginia, and is a published author of three history books, public speaker and researcher. Prior to becoming a writer she worked in corporate management. A “life interruption” injury in 2010 limited her ability to work as a writer. In 2017, she attended several Christian writing conferences, and felt led to start over in a different genre. Her goal is to write inspirational and encouraging stories based on her experiences, lessons learned by trusting God, and individuals He provides along the way.

Cynthia Knisley After years as a “stay-at-home” mom, Cynthia enjoyed a fulfilling second career as a high school language teacher and curriculum developer. Recently, she took a leap of faith and left the classroom in order to devote more time to family--aging parents, adult children, and lively young grandchildren. Her home is in West Chester, PA, where she plays classical music, bakes bread, and tends a “secret garden.” A novice blogger, she welcomes you to her posts at faithtofigs@myblog.com.

Sharmelle Olson is a graphic artist and designer, photographer and poet. She loves to share her poems in the Ruby for Women community magazine. Shar is also an administrator for Ruby for Women Ministries and enjoys helping out around the community and making new friends there. She has been writing poetry and taking photographs since elementary school, and started doing graphic art and design work in the early 2000s. Shar has four children, two of whom are twins. Her first daughter is 21, her son is 15, and her twin daughters are 14.

Donna Powell is a Christian wife and mother, and a Certified Interior Designer. After leaving a demanding career to take care of her father, Donna now spends most of her time blogging about home decor and renovating her mid-century modern home located in the hills of East Tennessee. Her blog can be found at www.modernonmonticello.com She has been married to Brian for 27 years, an Army veteran and Physician Assistant working in Neurosurgery. Donna and Brian have two grown children. When they aren't renovating their rental property or planning a future in flipping houses, they also take in abused and rescue animals and currently have four dogs, a cat, and a rabbit.

Karon Phillips is an author and speaker hopelessly dependent on the majesty in everyday life lived out in the simple and profound. Always searching for Jesus in others, she’s never disappointed. She breathes abundance, joy and gratitude and trusts her own tagline in everything: "receiving grace, reflecting God." Her newest book, “I’m a 2 Rule Girl,” makes everything simple with only two rules: love God, love others (Study Guide and Resources included). Karon has written more than a dozen books, including her much-loved “woman’s guide” series that addresses readers’ common concerns of patience, imperfection and insecurity.

Email: karon@2rulegirls.com Website: https://www.2rulegirls.com/ Gina Napoli is the author of Clunk on the Head: How the Holy Spirit Got Our Attention, TouchPoint Faith Press. She isi published regularly in three regional publications: Keystone Edge, Business Woman, and TheBurg. she has also been published in in Reader's Digest, Country Woman, The Secret Place, Highlights for Children, Pockets, Guardian Angel Kids, Hopscotch, Humpty Dumpty, and Muse as well as being featured in two book anthologies: “A Community of Writers” and “Bitter Sweet.” Over 200 of my non-fiction pieces appear in 58 different print and electronic venues. Connect with Gina on her website and Facebook: http://www.ginanapoli.com https://www.facebook.com/ginarnapoli/

Judith Purkiss I am a school teacher (Assistant Principal Special Educational Needs and Inclusion) and I love the Word of God. I seek to encourage, uplift and inspire other women because I have had first-hand experience of the power of God to deliver from domestic violence, financial, and emotional abuse. I want to let women everywhere know that God heals, delivers, and restores. Please visit me on my blog at https://wordpress.com/stats/day/judithpurkisswrites.wordpress.com

Jane Hoppe is an epiphany enthusiast. When writing fiction or nonfiction, she portrays discovery, insight, and growth. Especially when God teaches her something, she wants to share it through writing. Her debut novel, first in the Maria Beaumont series, is called Beyond Betrayal. She writes two blogs, www.aquajane-musings.blogspot.com, eclectic musings on life, accepting middle age, and lots of book reviews, and www.reflectionsoneldercare.com, reflections on elder care, loving Mom and Dad in their old age, along with caregiver resources. Jane’s website is www.janehoppe.com.

Rejetta Morse enjoys writing poetry so she can write about God and how He speaks through nature. Writing poetry is a new found purpose and hobby she discovered over recent years which brings her joy, peace, and encouragement. She also enjoys reading poetry and is working to learn more about the craft of poetry. She spends her free time singing with her church choir and listening to gospel music, watching biographical movies, and encouraging other people.

Frances Gregory Pasch’s devotions and poems have been published in devotional booklets, magazines, and Sunday school papers since 1985. Her writing has also appeared in several dozen compilations. Her book, Double Vision: Seeing God in Everyday Life Through Devotions and Poetry is available on Amazon. Frances has been leading a women’s Christian writers’ group since 1991. You can contact her at www.francesgregorypasch.com.

Diana Leagh Matthews writes, speaks and sings to bring glory to God.

She has been published in numerous anthologies, including many Moments books. In her day job, Leagh is a Nationally Certified Activities Director for a busy nursing facility. She takes great joy in family, friends and soaking in the beautiful wonders and promises of God. Leagh blogs about her faith and struggles on her website www.DianaLeaghMatthews.com and family history at www.ALookThruTime.com

Joan Leotta has been playing with words since childhood. She is a poet, essayist, journalist, playwright, and author of several books both fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. She is also a performer and gives one-woman shows on historic figures and spoken word folklore shows as well as teaching writing and storytelling.

Joan lives in Calabash, NC where she walks the beach with husband, Joe. www.joanleotta.wordpress.com and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joan-Leotta-Authorand-Story-Performer/188479350973

Nina Newton, Sr. Editor:

When my four older children were in school, I returned to college as a “non-traditional student.” Eventually, I earned degrees in Classics and Philosophy, and a graduate degree in Medieval Studies: History of Theology. After teaching at a small community college in Michigan for seven years, my husband and I were blessed with the adoption of our two beautiful daughters, Gracie and Annie. We live in northern Indiana in a small farming community where I work on RUBY magazine in my home office. I have worked for several years offering my handmade and refashioned garments and accessories in a local boutique under the creative name of “Vintage Mama’s Cottage.” My personal blog is at www.vintagemamascottage.com

Be watching for the

OCTOBER 2018 issue of

RUBY magazine Available OCTOBER 1, 2018 on the

RUBY blog www.rubyforwomen.com

RUBY magazine is published by CreativeLife