Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.
(Psalms 33:1-4 ESV)

Glad Game

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
~Winston Churchill

I am by nature an optimist. I am a "Pollyanna" always looking to play the "Glad Game "
Just in case you don't know:  
Pollyanna is a best-selling 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter

 ("The Glad Game", is an optimistic attitude Pollyanna  learned from her father. The game consists of finding something to be glad about in every situation. It originated in an incident one Christmas when Pollyanna, who was hoping for a doll in the missionary barrel, found only a pair of crutches inside. Making the game up on the spot, Pollyanna's father taught her to look at the good side of things—in this case, to be glad about the crutches because "we didn't need to use them!"Pg 38-39) 

 Some People however are not optimistic and do not play the "Glad Game" it is not their nature. They can be very negative and hard to be around.

The Church Hill quote reminds me of how much we need Christ Like attitudes.

Obedience is about pleasing God, doing "what is well pleasing in His sight."  This is why Christ died for us. "He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (2Co 5:15). 

Living to please self is the ultimate disobedience to God.  ~Bob Hoekstra

 For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light  (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),  and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Eph 5:8-10 ESV)


 We need  have proper heart posture  in order to please Him.

By abiding in Him we can choose to be pleasing and to do His will no matter what our nature is.

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
(1Th 3:11-13 ESV)

 Are you Glad? Let God live through you and be a light and love to those around you.

Direction

 I have been trying to figure out what direction to take my blog.  I have visited many other blogs in the blogoshere  to "see" how to have an effective blog.  There are many types of blogs that cover many topics. I have found there is not a "right way" to blog. You just have to be your self. For me I have to also be true to my convictions and beliefs.

I am not here to be a braggart and tell everyone how many laundry loads I have done today and how many loaves of fresh homemade bread I cranked out in my homey little cozy kitchen. . I want to be real and be used of the Lord to encourage others in their Christian walks. That means transparency, it means being able to say "I blew it"  It also means seeking Godly counsel  and be willing to accept that counsel.   I will Keep Timeless Treasures Direction to reflect What God is teaching me about walking with Him With an occasional  recipe or frugal find.
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. 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. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
(Pro 3:1-8 ESV)

Giveaway over at Christian Writer/Reader Connection

 Click Here to visit: Christian Writer/Reader Connection


 

Woohoo! One person will win all three of these fabulous Historical Romances. Here are the giveaway details:

1) You must be a Follower of Christian Writer/Reader Connection.

2) The giveaway is open to residents of the United States.

3) To enter, comment on this post.

4) You can get an additional entry for each of the following. (Let me know in the comments section what actions you've taken.)

     A) Post the contest details and link on your blog.

     B) Post it to your Facebook page.

     C) Post it on Twitter.

5) Contest deadline: Saturday, June 2, 2012, at midnight. The winner will be notified by email. If you do not leave me an email in the comments and do not respond to the Winner Announcement on the blog by Saturday, June 9, 2012, another winner will be selected from the entries.

Disclaimer: I have not received any payment from either the authors or the publishers for doing this giveaway. These books are from my personal collection.

Make your Own Laundry Powder

Each batch yields approximately 32 ounces (between 32-64 loads based on how many Tbsp used per load).
1 bar of shaved bar soap (Ivory,  Fels-Naptha or Dr Bronners bar soap ) I grate mine with the zesting part of my cheese grater.
1 cup of borax
1 cup of washing soda
Thoroughly stir together for 5 minutes.

Beauty for Ashes

Photo by:

365 project

 I was driving to church for ladies bible study one morning, I was thinking of what the LORD had been doing in my life. Each of us were to share per the request of our leader what the LORD was laying on our hearts. I knew of this assignment for two weeks but being the procrastinator that I am I waited till the last minute. I was just thinking "I will not share...I will just sit  and listen." I felt I had nothing and should  just be quiet. I prayed "Lord, what shall I do, what do you want me to share?" Just then I glanced to the right of the road, there sat a little blue house. I had seen it before as my family and I had traveled to and from church. The house was probably beautiful at one time, yet now it laid in ruin as it had caught fire and was badly damaged. I quickly looked away. I hated to stare at it for to long it made me uncomfortable.  I felt the Holy Spirit  nudge me.. He asked me "Why won't you look at that house?" I thought for a minute and I responded," I  do not like to look at the ruin ,the life that may have been lost, the utter destruction of personal property. The pain  the family must have had  when everything they owned was lost." 

 I felt like the Lord was telling me"Your spiritual life is like that house!" "You wont look at it long enough to deal with all your pains and hurts and trust me. You need to really look and feel and examine yourself...confess any sins that hinder you so that you may have fellowship with me."(If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jn 1:8-9 ESV) I started to cry.  I felt like He was telling me to share what he had just taught me with the women at church, I was hesitant I made excuses," I have no notes Lord." "I will help you I will give you the words to say", He replied. I arrived at church,  went in and sat anxiously waiting for the worship time to be over.  The Lord brought the scriptures below to my mind as I was waiting.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.

(Isa 61:1-3 ESV)  

 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

(John 15:1-4 ESV)

  I was the first to volunteer,  I do not like public speaking. I got up shared what He showed me on the way there and sat down.  I felt  His peace. Later afterward a few ladies thanked me for sharing and said that it ministered them. I replied do not to thank me, but Him because it is all Him not me. 

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  (2Cor.4:16)

"Sometimes, the pain we have worked so hard to avoid is the one thing that leads us to where God calls us to go.  Sometimes, feeling our need is the greatest work of faith we can surrender to". ~Bonnie Gray, Faith Barista

Overnight Crock Pot Oatmeal

 This is a great recipe to prepare Saturday night so there is a nice warm breakfast for Sunday Morning.
2 cup steel cut or regular old fashioned oats (NO Quick Oats!)
4 cups water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBS butter
1  tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Spray crock pot with Pam then combine all in crockpot and cook on low for 8hrs.  Serve with milk & cinnamon sugar.
optional add ins: Canned peaches, raisins, apples, bananas
 Add up to 1 C raisins, chopped fresh apples, bananas canned peaches/dried fruit before cooking.
You can also top with fresh fruit  or canned fruit (drained).
Add  butter or jam, or top with honey.

HIS Faithfulness

I have been going through my blog reading the "Timeless Treasures"  that I have recorded here. I  was greatly encouraged by the words written here, either by my own hand or the quotes and other devotionals that I had come across.  The Lord God is  so good and faithful.  He cares about every part of our humanity. He cares when we are sad, weary, confused, bitter, tired, emotionally exhausted. He cares when we feel like we cant go on...when we feel like we cant make it through the next day,  minute,  second, breath. I have had a huge upheaval in my life recently. Many changes here at home, they are good changes, but somehow very unsettling to me. My heart seems overwhelmed at times.  I was reading Lamentations chapter 3, God spoke quite clearly through the text "I am faithful you can trust Me."  "Rest in Me I am Faithful."

My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, "My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD." Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust-- there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.
(Lamentations 3:17-33)