Apple Pie in a Jar

On our deck we have four Columnar apple trees. Developed to grow in pots on a deck or patio, they grow pretty much straight up. Today we picked apples and used our handy dandy apple corer peeler. We had enough apples to make 7 quarts of Apple Pie in a Jar. I also made 3 pints with Splenda.

Anxiety

My small group begins again tomorrow night. I woke up a few minutes ago out of a nightmare. I dreamed that I was going to group, but I couldn't find my clothes. Then when I did, I couldn't find my notebook, then I'd find it and lose my clothes again. I finally got to the group. I couldn't get people to sit down. Bill Gaither was in my group and in the midst of all the confusion he was sitting on the edge of his seat with his notebook in his lap.

On a note of reality, my small group is splitting, because we had 20 sign up. I am teaching a lady in my church to be a facilitator. I think she is going to be great. We are talking about prayer.

Whose Side is God On?

Psalm 124 begins, "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side-- let Israel now say-- ." It goes on to say that their enemies would have destroyed them. So I always assumed God was on my side. Right? Of course the little niggle in my brain kept saying that something might not be quite right with this thinking. This week I read Joshua 5. The scene is just before the defeat of Jericho. Joshua sees a man with sword drawn. So Joshua inquires,

"Are you for us or for our enemies?" We all know this answer. God was on Israel's side. Right? He picked them to be His people. Hmmm--The man with the sword answered Joshua's question in a way that adjusted my thinking. He said,

"Neither." Neither? The man said he was captain of the host of the Lord. He wasn't an angel, because he let Joshua worship Him. It took a minute, but I got it. God is on God's side. He's not on our side unless we join His side. It's a comfort. Keeping God on my side is a lot to live up to. Nice to know that just staying on His side is the key.

The Light Came On and I Didn't Even Know I Was in the Dark

It's strange when you always thought things were one way and they turn out to be another. I noticed that after a funeral, our church always acquired many boxes of Kleenex. I thought it nice of the funeral home to provide a box for every row in the church. I lived with this belief for ten years. It was a bit strange for a moment when a friend whose parents had been killed in a car accident, (this is a whole 'nother tragic story), called me a few days before the funeral and said,

"Can you do me a favor? At every funeral I make sure there are Kleenex on every row, alternating them end, middle, end. Do you think you can get someone to do this for me?" It took a moment for my brain to process this information. I never dreamed the pianist at our church was buying all those Kleenex.