Hope Woven in The Cross

Hope Woven in The Cross

Psalms of Praise and Songs of Grace
Have done their best to paint The Cross.

The height of The Cross is not impressive
And the shape is not expressive.

Yet there hung a man of gentle and humble
Lineage bearing our shame.

The Wood of The Cross has not been revealed,
Insignificant in the woven work of The Cross.

The splendor was not in a tree that held
The blood stains that dripped from the thieves
Or the King.

The majestic life of The Cross was how the rainbow colors
Of the tears, sweat and blood were woven in the tree
Uniting you and me with the work done on the Tree.

The artist has depicted you and me woven
In our humanity and shown love by the Divinity
of The Cross stained by His Blood.

(c) 2013 Sara Craddock

Artist, Dawn Collins (c)2013

Spring Snow

Spring Snow

The Artist was at work while I slept. What a glorious sight to awaken to. Pure White Snow! The Words of Isaiah describes the nature message delivered in the Spring of 2013. “Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
The message of Palm Sunday and Easter can’t get any better!

Spring into Herbs! By Debi

Have you tried growing herbs from seed? If you are an herb lover, you may want to get started on growing several varieties so they will be ready to grace your summer vegetables and recipes. Many can be started from seed (which are now available in stores as well as from online sources) and others from cuttings.

A favorite for making salsa and adding to other dishes is cilantro. This is a fairly easy one to start from seed indoors in a lightweight potting soil. Small plastic or clay pots, flats, jiffy pots, peat pots, plastic cups, cans or egg cartons with holes punched in the bottom all make acceptable containers for starting seeds. Sow seeds ½ inch apart, depending upon your container and how many plants you want. As a general rule, the depth of planting seeds should be 3x their greatest diameter, with larger seeds, like beans, planted twice as deep as their diameter. Make sure the soil is evenly moist when you plant the seeds, and keep constantly moist while they germinate. I like to cover my seeds with some kind of clear plastic dome or create a mini greenhouse out of plastic wrap with stakes for the corners. This keeps the humidity up and the seeds germinate faster. Place your newly planted seeds in a warm place to germinate and remove the plastic as they begin to sprout. After sprouting place in the sunniest place you have available to prevent spindly seedlings. Soon you will have a nice sized plant that can be transplanted into a bigger pot or moved directly to a garden bed outdoors after danger of frost.

Try other herbs from seed such as basil (lots of different kinds), dill, chives, flat leaf and curly parsley, thyme and oregano for a great selection.

Rosemary, lavender, sage and mints are all fairly easy to grow from cuttings from a mother plant if someone is willing to share! Try snipping off a 6” piece from the tip of a soft stem (not woody), strip the leaves off the bottom 3” and place that end in the same type potting soil that you used for your seeds. Keep the soil moist and the cutting out of direct sunlight until rooting begins. You can make a little ‘greenhouse’ for these as well by putting a plastic bag over the pot with some little stakes (or twist a coat hanger to make a hoop). Soon roots will begin to form underground and your cutting will be putting out new growth, ready to be transplanted. These herbs are perennial, meaning they will come back year after year when planted outside.

Are you excited to begin? I can’t wait to hear about your herbal ideas, uses, favorites and success stories!

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Easy Cobbler

Frozen berries, dry cake mix, and 1 can of sprite. yummy cobbler. It sounds so easy – and it is good and weight watcher friendly! Ingredients
Two 12-oz bags frozen mixed berries
1 box white cake mix (no pudding)
1 can of diet 7-up or sierra mist (clear soda)Instructions
Place frozen fruit in a 9×13 baking dish. Add dry cake mix over the top. Pour soda slowly over cake mix. DO NOT stir the cake mix and the pop – this will give you a ‘crust’. If you stir the two, you will hsve a cake like topping.

Bake 350 for 45-50 min.

You may be able to use frozen peaches instead of mixed berries.

Note: My cousin, Brenda made it using:
 I used Dole’s Wildly Nutritious Signature Blends…Mixed Berries (sliced cranberries, blackberries, blueberries & raspberries)…2 12-oz bags from Walmart! It’s very easy! And yummy!

Meet Our New Bestie, Ms. Lillian

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I was born in Belize when the country was under the British rule and was formerly known as British Honduras. I lived in a very little town called Stan Creek. My family was a his, hers, and theirs family. There were eleven children and my mom was the sole disciplinarian of our family. My grandfather was a Methodist minister. We went to church and Sunday School every Sunday without fail. When I was very young a Revival was held in a tent on the beach. The minister who spoke was very powerful and moving in the spirit of the Lord. When he gave the altar call, I went down. I can’t remember if my family went with me or not. I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior.

The thing I remember most was attending HARVEST at a Methodist Church. I had a basket filled with all kinds fruits, vegetables, and homemade pastries and bread. My mom stuff the basket full to overflowing. I would go down the church aisle and place the basket on the altar.

My momma and daddy were very loving. They wanted the best education for their children as they only had a second grade education. They educated themselves and where able to come to America for their permanent residence and children’s education.

I was baptized when I was 16 in the Baptist Church in Tampa, Florida. As a teenager sitting in church and growing up poor I went to a women who had worn the same dress twice and they were appalled. I knew that I did not have a closet full of dresses. I was so shocked by their comment about the women I determined I would not go to church again if these were Christian women. I loved Christ just not the attitude of the women I had heard. I regret that I did not raise my children in the church to absorb the
teachings of Jesus. My mother-in-law was always putting little notes with scripture verses when she came to visit or sent a note to any of us. Her comment to us was that you all have to come to heaven, because I want to see you there.

When my husband who was quite a writer was about to die he told me to write this down, “Happy birthday, Satan. Eat of your cake with the knowledge that it will lead to your demise. Then step aside for those of us who will enjoy it. I saw Satan, I did not see God. HE is TOO big.”

Who are you holding onto?

Rena Oynes: rkoynes@gmail.com

All my life I have held on to Jesus’ hand, once in a while letting go, but this picking his hand back up again.  This season I have particularly held on tight.  He is/was the only one I could trust.  My closest friends all pointed to Jesus, as the situations were tough.  Many earnestly prayed.  One knew my calling and knew I had been called to children ever since I was a small child.  When I was twelve I was asked to assist in the children’s department of my church.  This was my first experience and I just loved it.  Years came and went as my Mother also loved children’s ministry and was very creative using her crafting talents to tell stories.  She would often place flannel graph characters on the back of the sofa and then retell the story.  We were so fortunate to hear her stories over and over again.  As year went by I got to teach Sunday School myself and Vacation Bible School.  I was lucky to direct Vacation Bible School and get other young people involved in acting, teaching, and or assisting in handing out snacks or playing games with the little ones.

Later I took up education.  I knew God’s hand was in it.  At the time Reading/Writing Workshop was not being taught as a college subject, but God’s hand had me work in this area and many creative talents flowed through the students.  I also taught Sunday school at the same time and used my creative talents like my mother had role modeled for me.  I loved writing and dramatizing the scriptures.

I moved to Virginia and was out of teaching Sunday school as the wonderful home church I was a part of did not have a children’s program at the time.  Little did I know that this small church would be instrumental in bringing out the hidden sorrows of a brokenness of heart in order to bring healing for the next stage of my life.

After moving back to Mandeville and now retired from teaching, I thought of attending Bible Study Fellowship.  I had tried to attend many, many years prior but had gotten a call to be a full time teacher.

It use to be located in Slidell which is about a half hour away, but to my surprise I found from my internet search that they had relocated to First Baptist of Mandeville which was right next to me.  I signed up immediately and started attending right away, not believing it was my good luck, not luck really, God’s hand was in it.

Many weeks passed and I had signed up to help in the preschool program but had not been called.   I had prayed to God, “God you know I love working with children, it’s my heart throb.  If you could, would you open an area with children for me? The next week my team leader said to me, “Can you talk to me after the lecture?”  “Surely, I said, wondering what she wanted to talk to me about.

She said, “Rena I have been praying for you since the beginning of the BSF year, and I feel that the Lord is calling you to children’s ministry here at BSF.  I would like you to think it over and pray it through and then give me a call with your answer.  I couldn’t hardly believe that God had answered my prayer so quickly.  I asked if I could have a good friend here at thedailylily pray with me.  We did and I accepted the call.  I am in training now and can hardly wait to start singing, telling stories of Jesus, and pouring the words into the children.  I know God will provide all that is needed for this CALL. And, yours!