What Is This? Manna or Monstrosity

Do you believe coronavirus is a plague or a hoax, a health issue or a political issue, a world-wide medical crisis or a conspiracy to unravel social fabric? How about this one: Do you believe cornonavirus is the deterministic result of random chance playing out over billions of years, or do you believe there is a sovereign God who has intentionally ordained coronavirus as a plague to afflict our entire world for some positive purpose? If you believe the former, then there’s nowhere to go with thinking about COVID except to avoid it as much as possible and hope you’re not one of those who will be wiped out by it.

On the other hand, if you believe in God—and all the more if you believe in a GOOD God who actually LOVES his creation (as the Bible teaches), then suddenly COVID is not simply a disease to avoid, it’s a challenge to face and understand. It’s a God-thing and a moral issue! Why would a good God allow a bad virus to plague the world like a death angel? Sounds like something straight out of the Old Testament, doesn’t it? In fact, the word “plague” is used 107 times in the Bible (KJV) and there is never a case where the plague is attributed to random chance or accidental causes. God accepts responsibility for plagues, and He gives this stern warning: “And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins” (Leviticus 26:21).

God sends plagues when people turn their backs on God, stop obeying his commands, and intentionally disobey him. Can believers escape from plagues? I think to some extent. Moses wrote during the time of the Egyptian plagues, “Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling” (Psalm 91:9-10 ). However, in most instances when the Lord sent plagues, everybody was effected. King David had this to say, “For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning” (Psalm 73:14).

There will be plagues until the end of time as we know it. Look at this dire prediction of the future: “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts” (Revelation 9:20-21, ESV).

For whatever reason, the COVID plague has become a polarizing political issue, but I think this is totally misdirected. Instead of arguing over what, why, when, or how, let’s accept it for what it is: It’s a monster. I’m dedicated to obeying our authorities, praying for our leaders to make wise decisions. . . but also trusting that God is allowing all this for our ultimate good. So, it’s a monster with the potential to be manna. (“Manna” means “what is it?,” and manna became life-sustaining bread for the Israelites as they wandered through the wilderness.)

How dare I suggest that a world-wide pandemic could be for “good”? Well, if God is “good” by definition (and I believe He is), and if the Bible is God’s Word (which I also believe it true), then I have to accept what the Bible teaches: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Will I change my mind when someone close to me dies of COVID? No; I trust not, because death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to us. What’s worse? Jesus taught, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). The worst thing that can happen to us—the thing we should fear, is not physical death but never experiencing spiritual rebirth and the gift of eternal life.

One of the most profound books I’ve ever read is Miracle on the River Kwai, by Ernest Gordon, which is an account of his life as a prisoner of war forced to help build the bridge over the River Kwai during World War 2. It was a horrifying story as you can imagine (although tactfully told). At the end of the book, two soldiers, as they’re steaming their way back into the safe harbor of London, comment that they wouldn’t exchange their experience for anything in the world. How could that be? Because through the agony they experienced the ecstasy of God’s love and saving faith in Christ. I wish everybody could read this book!

Finally, let’s remember these truths as we face the COVID challenge:

God plagues (chastens) his children: “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” (Hebrews 12:7)

God chastens (“disciplines”) those he loves: “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12, ESV).

God’s purpose for allowing plagues is to bring us to repentance: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19, ESV).

How should we respond to this plague?

Repent: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

Pray: “Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them” (Isaiah 26:16).

Endure patiently: “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him” (Hebrews 12:5).

Keep our eyes on God’s goal, which is to purify us and make us happy: “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11). “Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty” (Job 5:17).

We-Centered or Me-Centered

Eva was only 8 months older than Nora, but at 16 months of age, that gap in development was great.  Nora was barely crawling.  Eva was walking and very verbal.  Oma and I were babysitting for the evening.  While Nora played on the floor with a squeaky toy, Eva pulled several books off the bookshelf, flipped through each, and then discarded them near her feet.  Moments later, a ball on the floor beside me caught her attention.  She dropped the last book and headed across the room to get the ball, stepping on several of the books on the way. 

“Eva!” said Oma, “Did you just walk on those books?” 

Eva stopped in her tracks.  For an instant, she stared straight ahead, her eyes wide-open.  The startled look quickly changed.  She half turned, swung her left arm to the side, pointed accusingly at her younger sister, and said “Nora!”

She’d been told before about being careful with books, about not tearing pages, and even about not walking on them, but playing with the ball was so tantalizing.  At less than two years old, yet verbal and mobile, she did what she wanted to do instead of what she had been told and then tried to save herself at her sister’s expense by lying — sin upon sin.

We all sin and, perhaps, most often in selfish, self-centered ways.  But Christ commanded us instead to love one another, to love our neighbors as ourselves —to be we-centered, rather than me-centered.

In the midst of a pandemic, our desire is for our normal lives, freedoms, and social activities, but we are confronted with guidelines and directives to deprive ourselves of many of these same things to minimize infection and spread.  We will be tempted to pursue our own desires, but we are called to take care of others as well as ourselves.

How do we love others as ourselves during normal times? How do we do so in the midst of a public health crisis?  Whether in social settings, work, worship, or other essential activities, how do we withstand the temptations to satisfy personal desires that may not be good for others?  Let’s pray that God helps us discern the we-centered course of action he wants us to take over our natural desire for self-centered actions. May he show us the path to loving others as he directs.

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”
you are doing right” (James 2:8, NIV).

Other Relevant Verses to consider as we prayerfully try to find our way:

“Love is “not self-seeking, but “is kind.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-5 NIV).   

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to mankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10: 13 NIV).

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3: 23 NIV).

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 NIV).

“A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13: 34 NIV).

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, rather, serve one another humbly in love.  For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command:  ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:13-14 NIV).

This entire post was written by my husband’s lifelong best friend, Larry Hembroff. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and adorable grand daughters, Larry!

P.S.—If anyone reads this and has a story to share, please feel free to send it to me at kathrynwarmstrong at gmail.com. I’m always delighted to share stories and insights into God’s wonderful world and Word!

Meditating on the Commands of Christ (86): Ears to Hear—On Fire or In Fire

“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 13:43).

Van Gogh’s Halbfigur eines Engels nach Rembrandt. 1889. Public Domain.

What a contrast between the righteous and “all causes of sin and all law-breakers” whom Jesus will command to be thrown “into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:41-42). At the end of your life, which would you prefer—to be as radiant as the sun or burned up in the fire?

I usually like to share beautiful photos and paintings with you, but this passage just brought to mind the chronic problem we have with seaweed (emphasis on the weed) that grows along the edges of our dock. In order to keep the swimming area clear, every few days we have to pull up the encroaching seaweed with a big rake. Last night was one of those nights.

I tried using the seaweed as fertilizer on our grass, but it dries in mats, blotting out the sun so the grass can’t grow. I finally decided it’s not good for anything but to be burned. We let it dry out over night and then gather it up to throw in our fire pit. The thin weeds shrivel to almost nothing and hardly work for kindling. They burst into tiny flames and disintegrate in seconds.

Vincent van Gogh’s Wheatfield with reaper and peasant woman binding sheaves
1885, Public Domain

In Matthew 13, Jesus contrasts wheat and tares in a parable to help us think about our own lives. Wheat and tares look identical when they’re first growing, but wheat produces edible grain, whereas tares are useless. Are we producing fruit, or are we simply growing like a weed? What are we sowing in our lives? Here are a few sobering reminders to consider:

“Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same” (Job 4:8).

“He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail” (Proverbs 6:7).

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8).

Van Gogh – Selbstbildnis mit verbundenem Ohr und Pfeife. 1889. Public Domain.
(Self-portrait with a bandaged ear and a pipe)

This past week I wrote about Vincent van Gogh, and I have used a number of his paintings to illustrate blogs. I want to close with this self-portrait, painted in the last year of his life. His ear is bandaged because he cut it off! I don’t know if he could still hear out of his right ear, but—aren’t you glad you still have both your ears? I’m thankful for mine! “He who has ears let him hear” (Matthew 13:43).

“And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped” (Revelation 14:15-16).

Texts for today’s meditation: “Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ He answered, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear’” (Matthew 13:36-43).

Cottage Cheese Summer Salads

Now that Alan and I are pensioners (yes, we’ve gotten our first Social Security check), we’re down to eating bread and cheese. Not really. Well, not only. However, we’re definitely noticing that we don’t need as much food, and simple/fresh/easily digestible is often more appealing than rich and heavy, particularly in this hot summer weather.

If any of you are thinking light and easy beats heavy and hard right now, please consider this:

Cottage Cheese Salad
(Per person)

On a plate, arrange:

A bed of lettuce greens
1 scoop of cottage cheese
Some sliced fresh fruit (I had an apple on hand, but pineapple, peaches, ETC. work great)
Some dried fruit (I had dried cherries on hand, but raisins, dates, currents, etc. are all good)
Sprinkle of nuts on top (I had some pine nuts, but pecans, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds . . . all yummy!)

If you serve it with fresh bread and butter and a glass of water, you’ve got a summer feast!

“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.”
(Proverbs 15:17, ESV)

P.S. I’m going to start using the English Standard Version (ESV) more often, because—although the greatest percentage of the English-speaking, Protestant world still uses the King James Version (KJV)—I have many foreign blog followers, for whom English is not their native tongue, and the wording in the KJV is hard for them to understand.

Commencement Addresses: Short, Sweet, Powerful

It’s never too late to hear wise words from great people, so even though spring graduation ceremonies are past for 2020 and we’re on to summer fun, I thought you might appreciate short excerpts from two of the most inspiring commencement addresses I’ve ever heard. The first was given by Lou Holtz, coaching icon from Notre Dame, and the second by line backer Rick Rigsby. His story is mesmerizing, memorable, and brought tears to my eyes.

“Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste‘” (Isaiah 28:16, ESV).

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:19-21).

Loving Vincent At Eternity’s Gate

Vincent van Gogh is among the world’s most famous artists. He painted nine of the top ninety-seven most expensive paintings sold in the world (to date), and six of those were composed in one year—1889—an unprecedented accomplishment in the world of art.

The Red Vineyard, painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1888.
Public Domain

Over the last decade of his life (1880-1890) he created 2,100 works of art, including 860 oil paintings. Yet, the only painting he sold during his lifetime is the one above, and he died a pauper, in obscurity, presumably committing suicide at 37. I’ve featured several of his paintings in my last two blog posts on the subject of sowing and reaping, and this Sunday I’ll feature another one.

Irises, painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1889. Public Domain

Alan and I have collected tea cups from around the world, and it was a huge disappointment when I broke the handle on a teacup from the Cotswolds of England that showcased van Gogh’s painting, Irises. I glued the handle back on, but it’s not safe to use with hot tea, so it now brightens the corner cupboard in our kitchen—a fitting tribute to (and reminder of) the beauty and tragedy of Vincent van Gogh.

Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers painted by Van Gogh in 1889.
Public Domain

If you’re not familiar with his story, I highly recommend two artistically produced dramatizations of his life:

Loving Vincent, 2017

Loving Vincent is a recent account of the last years of van Gogh’s life, entirely animated with hand-painted frames in van Gogh’s vibrant style. It’s cleverly created, stunning, and poignant.

At Eternity’s Gate, 2018

Willem Dafoe does a brilliant job of portraying Vincent van Gogh’s last years of life in the 2018 account, At Eternity’s Gate.

I agree with this explanation, given by Astor Theatre:

In this rendition, we learn (true story) that van Gogh tried to give his sketch book to a friend as a gift, but instead of being received properly, a servant took the present and simply placed it on a shelf, where it remained in obscurity until it was discovered 120 years later, in 2016!

What makes me relate a bit of his story to you today is as “the perfect” illustration of last Sunday’s meditation on the commands of Christ: “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn’” (Matthew 13:30, ESV). Vincent van Gogh was the son of a minister and from a deeply religious, upper-middle-class family. As a young adult, he was intensely religious himself, and even spent time doing mission work.

However, van Gogh also suffered from psychotic episodes, delusions, and depression, was generally considered a misfit in society, made himself ill from alcohol and smoking, and is thought to have probably committed suicide at age 37.

There was such a passion about him . . . a genius . . . a mystic. He was both the “tortured artist” and the highly sensitive, compassionate man. Most of his paintings are full of light and brilliant color on themes of natural beauty and the wonder of God’s great earth . . . themes perfectly consistent with his Christian faith.

Vincent van Gogh’s Acker mit pflügenden Bauern, painted in 1889. Public Domain

On the other hand, his personal life became a shambles, and had it not been for the support and love of his younger brother, Theo, he would never have had the means to become the prolific painter that he became.

So, spiritually, as in Jesus’s parable, was Vincent van Gogh “wheat” or “weed”?

Vincent Van Gogh’s The Sower with Setting Sun.1888. Public Domain.
In the Van Gogh Museum of Amsterdam

“You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16). If his “good works” are his paintings, then there is everything about his themes that speak of Christ and God. If we are looking for spiritual fruit, at one point he gave his home to a homeless man and slept on a bed of straw. On the other hand, he did a lot of disreputable things too!

Vincent van Gogh’s painting, Les Alyscamps. Allee in Arles1.1888. Public Domain.

Vincent van Gogh is perhaps more of a spiritual enigma than most, but do you suppose you will see him at Eternity’s Gate? More importantly, do you know whether or not you, yourself will come to Eternity’s Gate? Will you be among the wheat, or do you fear you might be among the “weeds” that will be bound “in bundles to be burned” (Matthew 13:30)?

Still Life with Bible—My Dream, by Vincent van Gogh, 1885. Public Domain.

Thankfully, the Bible tells us that “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). No matter who we are or what we’ve done, Christ died for each and every one of us, to redeem us, and if you are willing to repent of your sins and trust Christ to save you, He will! If you want more information on how to be assured that you will come to and pass safely through Eternity’s Gate, please click on the “Coming to Christ” icon at the top of this page. This coming Sunday, I will also be sharing more on the subject.

Sorrowing Old Man (‘At Eternity’s Gate’) by Vincent van Gogh. 1890.
Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo. Public Domain

Blessings on your spiritual journey! May I meet you there, someday, at Eternity’s Gate, not with sorrow, but with great joy!

Meditating on the Commands of Christ (85): Allow Mutual Growth

“Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matthew 13:30).

Reaper with sickle after millet, 1889, by Vincent van Gogh. Public Domain

I love this command of Christ, because it reminds us that “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV). Even though there will be a day of reckoning when those who do not believe will be cast away and those who truly do believe will be rescued, this will not happen until the Day of Judgment. Meanwhile, whether we are actually shoots of wheat or tares in God’s vineyard, our job is to grow and allow mutual growth.

Wheat stacks with reaper, 1888 by Vincent van Gogh. Public Domain

What does that look like for me? That means focusing on my own growth first and foremost. That means not getting too bent out of shape over people who explore various interpretations of the Bible. That means not cutting down anybody else and allowing them their opinions. That means sharing sunshine and rain. That means not uprooting anybody.

I remember as a high schooler having a friend who had a drinking problem. (Yes; he was underage. His father and grandfather had both been alcoholics, and they had both committed suicide when they were 43). As a naive Christian from a very strict (though unbelieving) home, I had no clue how hard life was (IS!) for many, and when I learned that this young man had a drinking problem, my first response was, “Are you sure you’re really a Christian?” To me, no Christian would struggle with an addiction. Thankfully, Pat rebuked me sharply! “Don’t you ever ask me if I’m a Christian! Life is hard enough without you discouraging me. Yes, I believe, even if I am struggling” (or, something like that).

Although I can’t recall his exact words, I’ll never forget the lesson he taught me. All sorts of people struggle. I remember Mel, who was addicted to both alcohol and cigarettes, but who was immediately set free from both when he surrendered his life to Christ, and he says he was never tempted again. On the other hand, I have a dear friend who was addicted to pipe smoking and says he would smoke in a heartbeat and is always tempted, even though he resists because he knows it isn’t good for him.

Oil painting of Thetis dipping Achilles into River Styx
by Peter Paul Reubens c. 1625 Public Domain

The world is full of traps and snares, and I believe all of us have some “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7) or perhaps an “Achilles Heel.” An “Achilles’ Heel” means some area of potential fatal weakness in an otherwise strong and courageous person. The term comes from legend, and according to mythology, Thetis dipped her baby, Achilles, into the River Styx by his heel. The water of the river was supposed to have magical powers to make the child invulnerable, but because Thetis was holding him by his heel, that area was never washed with the magical water, and eventually Achilles died from a heel wound.

Thankfully, when we become a child of God by faith, we are completely washed (even our heels!) by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:5) and are “born again” spiritually, making us completely invulnerable to spiritual death. Nevertheless, in this life, we are still vulnerable to all sorts of trials and temptations which can (and sometimes do) defeat us.

So, what’s the solution? In this parable, Jesus is envisioning for us the way God’s kingdom works: He is the sower; we are either wheat or weeds; the angels (not people) are the ones who will do the ultimate reaping, so it’s not up to us to decide who’s a true believer or who is not. Our job is simple: Grow, and allow others to grow too. How? “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). We grow by meditating on the Word of God and obeying it. Like wheat growing in a field, we need to be firmly rooted and grounded in the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:17), we need to be washed by the rainwater of the Word of God (Hebrews 10:22), and we need to be flooded with the sunlight of God’s presence (Psalm 4:6). If we do this, we can rest assured that we are truly wheat, and we will eventually begin to manifest the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

What if we aren’t? Well, more on that next week!

“Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:22-23, ESV).

Reaper, 1913, by Kazimir Malevich. Public Domain

Text for this meditation: “He put another parable before them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn’” (Matthew 13:24-30, ESV).

Onion Jam

It’s all the rage in pub food (or so I hear), and if you’re an onion lover (as Armstrongs are—at least Alan’s dad used to eat raw onion sandwiches, and Alan used to order triple onions on his coney dogs when we were in high school) . . . at any rate, if you love onions half as much as we do, then I think you’ll love this recipe for onion jam, which is the perfect topper for a grilled burger!

Grilled burger with onion jam and fresh tomato

Our son learned about it from lifelong buddy, Steve C., and made some for us recently. It was a complete hit at our home. We ate it all with burgers, but I’ve heard you can store it for up to a couple of weeks in your fridge and serve it with cream cheese and crackers or as a gourmet condiment in any sandwich where you’d use onions.

So, if you’re an onion lover, here’s a great addition to your summer culinary repertoire:

Onion Jam
(serves 4)

In a skillet (cast iron if you have one, but you can use any), combine:
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter. Turn on the heat and start frying.

Add:
1/4 cup (aka/ 2 tablespoons) sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt (or a pinch of both salt and pepper if you prefer)

Fry on medium high heat until the onions start to brown, soften, and caramelize, stirring often so you don’t burn anything (about 5-10 minutes).

Add 1/4 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar and let it simmer (continue stirring occasionally) until the vinegar is reduced and the mixture is the consistency of jam.

Once it’s cooked, you can serve it immediately, or turn off the heat, cover it, and keep it warm on the back of your stove until you’ve got the rest of your meal prepared. Any extra can be stored in a jar, refrigerated, and used for another meal. Hope you enjoy! 🙂

“You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.”
(Psalm 74:17)

Why Wear a Face Mask?

Is the summer heat tempting you to take off your face mask? Or, maybe you don’t believe face masks are really effective in helping reduce your risk of contracting Coronavirus. If you’re among the hot and disillusioned citizens of the world who really don’t like wearing protection and resist having anybody tell them what to do, then I suppose you won’t want to take a few minutes out of your day to watch this short video explaining how face masks can make a big difference, not only for you, but for everybody around you. However, please take the time. Even if you’re already convinced, the visuals and explanations helped me understand the dynamic better, and I think they could make us both more able to encourage others to “Keep on keepin’ on!” This is not a conspiracy, and it’s not just a test to see how compliant people are. This is a pandemic that could kill us or someone we love!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D1IElloZ_t-qBllmNVMLHWqsXUcARTmX/view?usp=drivesdk (Click on this link)

Thanks for listening! I’m now feeling better about wearing my hot, humid mask, and I hope you are too!

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, ESV).

P.S.— This headline just came out late Tuesday: “CDC director: We can control virus in 4-8 weeks if everyone in the US wears a mask.” They liken it having a surgeon wear a mask when he operates. Makes a lot of sense to me. Check it out: https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-director-universal-masking-could-control-virus-in-weeks-2020-7?fbclid=IwAR1D-fZklk2hPZSz846SzSEcWyDZPQ71p7w3_5EjMcKobL7wnbaqnbmEE9E

Thoughts on Patience and Exquisite French Gardens

“Patience is the ability to let your light shine after your fuse has blown.”
(~ Bob Levey)

Sunshine and summer gardens . . . two of my favorite things! A month ago I wrote about “Peaceful Thoughts and Gardens,” but as I examined my photos of fabulous gardens, I couldn’t help but consider the years of meticulous care that go into producing a quintessential garden!

Château du Clos Lucé, France, established in 1471

For instance, the Château du Clos Lucé was once the home of Leonardo da Vinci and has been maturing for over 550 years—more than twice as long as America has existed as a nation!

The Palace of Versailles, first built in 1624 as a hunting lodge by Louis XIII

France’s most famous palace, Versailles, has expanded and been refined over hundreds of years. This long process of sowing and reaping, envisioning, building, pruning, and renewing speaks to me of the patience it takes to make something magnificent!

Gardens near the Louvre in Paris, France

In light of this, and building on Jesus’s parable about the sower (from my last post), I’ve found some thoughts on patience to share with you, and I’ll illustrate them with photos I took at some of France’s most stunning gardens.

Chateau De Villandry Gardens. Loire River Valley

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time” (~ Leo Tolstoy).

Gardens at The Royal Château de Blois, originally built in 854 AD. That’s almost a thousand years older than the United States of America!

“I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly to pray what He taught His disciples to pray: Thy will be done.” Elisabeth Elliot, Through the Gates of Splendor.

Gardens of Clos Luce, where Leonardo da Vinci lived and died

“Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases, it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs” (~Leonardo da Vinci).

Pools and flowers at the gardens of Giverny in France.

“But we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:3-5).

The Château de Chambord in Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France.

“Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience”
(~ George-Louis de Buffon).

Azaleas and Rhododendrens at Chateau De Cheverny, France

“Patience is the companion of wisdom” (~ St. Augustine).

Kitchen Garden of Chateau De Cheverny, France

“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15).

Bois de Chassepaille, Chaumont. Loire Valley, France

“One minute of patience, ten years of peace” (~ Greek proverb).

Visiting Chateau De Cheverny with our two youngest sons

“Have patience with all things, But, first of all with yourself”
(~ Saint Francis de Sales).

Formal Gardens at Chateau De Villandry, France

“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake” (~ Victor Hugo).

Gardens of Chateau De Cheverny

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:3-4).

Chateau Chenonceau

“It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience” (~ Julius Caesar).

Exuberant flowers bursting with color in Giverny Gardens of France

“Who ever is out of patience is out of possession of their soul”
(~ Francis Bacon).

Meticulously kept formal gardens of Chateau De Villandry

“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow – that is patience” (~ Unknown).

Water gardens at Bois de Chassepaille, Chaumont, Loire Valley of France

“One moment of patience may ward off great disaster.
One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life” (~ Chinese Proverb).

Château Royal de Blois, where Joan of Arc went for a blessing in 1429.

“In your patience possess ye your souls” (Luke 21:19).

The Lourvre Quay. France

“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:11).

Wisteria overhanging the bridge at Giverny Gardens, France

“How poor are they that have not patience!
What wound did ever heal but by degrees?” (~ William Shakespeare, Othello).

Formal Gardens of Chateau De Villandry, Loire Valley

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Profusion of flowers beside a lily pond at Giverny Gardens, France

“Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments; but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures” (~ Joseph Addison).

The incredibly beautiful gardens of Chateau De Cheverny in May

“Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God Finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices” (~ St. Teresa of Avila).