When did You Last Read Malachi?

~ Barbara ~ 2 Comments

You know, the prophet, the last book in the Old Testament. I just read it and was doubly impressed—by Malachi’s no-nonsense approach and blunt candor, and by God’s non-nonsense attitude and extravagant mercy.

These three nuggets spoke deeply to my heart:

  • “‘My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,’ says the Lord Almighty” (1:11).
    I don’t currently see this, but oh, what longing it stirs in my heart, what anticipation!

  • “Then those who feared [loved] the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In His presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared Him and always thought about the honor of His name” (3:16).
    Our conversation with others who love God is so precious to God that it’s recorded!

  • “For you who fear [love] my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture” (4:2).
    I love that image and the unbridled joy and freedom it represents!

God sees the motives of our hearts and, as warranted, will correct them or reward them. I already mentioned what strikes me most—His extravagant mercy. When we err or withhold our devotion, God gladly reroutes us with generous forgiveness. What a good God!

Photo by Matthieu Rochette on Unsplash

Why I Don’t Go Apple Picking

~ Barbara ~ 6 Comments

This is the time of year when New York State’s orchards get as crowded with eager apple pickers as its city streets are with pedestrians. It used to be an annual outing for our family, until the last time, which was in the fall of 2004.

We trekked up to Maskers in three cars to glean the apples we would turn into fall goodies, like apple crisp or pie.  Homemade apple sauce, however, was our favorite. The countertop held Grandma B’s old apple mill, and plastic containers were lined up to receive the sweet, warm sauce. Kids from young to old waited with spoons, ready for their first taste. But I’m digressing. Back to apple picking.

Our daughter Stacey was our adventurer and added sparkle to our family. She had her eye on a lone apple hanging from a tree apart from all the others. Because her father was wrapped around her finger, they tromped through mud and over a fence to reach the one perfect apple that Stacey just had to have.

It was silly, but obviously memorable to us, and its telling has grown sweeter with time because, less than two weeks later, Stacey left us when the Lord lifted her from her bed and brought her home. And that’s why I don’t go apple picking anymore.

The remembrance is too sweet and the missing her would be too sharp, even 21 years later. It’s a memory we savor as we look forward to walking with her through Heaven’s orchards, where every apple will be a perfect apple.

Forgive my nostalgia, but I share this to encourage you to take time to create memories. Set a date, face the traffic, and go apple picking!

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him. Psalm 127:3

I Love the Fall

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

Tonight I will sleep with the window open and the air off. I do believe summer’s heat is finally behind us, and I am free to fully appreciate my favorite season. These are some of the things I love about fall (and yes, I do this almost every year—how can I not?).

  • The dance of leaves falling from trees and swirling on the ground
  • The warm colors of yellow and orange, red and brown displayed in leaves, gourds, and mums
  • Light shining from dining room windows in the earlier darkness
  • Apples in bowls on the counter, or oozing through an apple press to make sauce, or baked into a pie, or on a stick covered in caramel
  • The fragrance and fullness of tartly sweet apple cider
  • Pumpkin muffins and breads, cookies and pies, and seeds toasted in the oven with a dash of salt
  • The cooler weather and the coziness of soft sweaters and sweatshirts
  • The anticipation of Thanksgiving when gratitude swells and family comes home
  • The quietness that comes with the arrival of a new season and its reflection of God’s faithfulness

There is much more than this brief list. What would you add?

A Pumpkin Perspective

~ Barbara ~ 2 Comments

It’s officially fall! Leaves are floating, though their color has not yet turned vibrant. I fear that summer’s heat and drought may deter the bright shades of yellow, orange, and red we love in North Jersey. But we do have pumpkins!

I spot them grouped with mums on front porches, propped against light posts on bales of hay, and scattered through my house as part of the fall décor. Pumpkins are happy, vibrantly orange, inspirers of cheer. A small seed has produced a large gourd with tasty pulp we bake into pies and breads. It flavors lattes and cookies and adds its unique fragrance to candles. And, it is filled with more seeds that contain the promise of reproduction in the future.

This stirs in me a “Pumpkin Perspective.”

  • Be bright and bold.
  • Let your presence cheer others.
  • Share your unique flavor.
  • Spread your seeds for future increase.
  • Shine in your season.

Our existence, like the pumpkin’s, is transitory. Let’s give it all we have and be a blessing.

Let your light shine before others, that they may… glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16