Be Thou My Vision

This is a letter written by my Grandpa Ken, in 1948 when he was 23 years old. He would have been 90 years old this year if he was still on earth. He is more alive now in Heaven than he's ever been!  Dear Kansas Bible Campers, By this time all of the mosquito bites should be healed and maybe you have forgotten about them.  If that is possible!  I hope you have forgotten the bites, but not the Bible lessons.  It is our prayer that those truths may be remembered through life. Take the 'Quiet Time'  (QT)  for instance.  How is that coming?  Are you keeping that special time with the Lord each day - that set time when you speak to the Lord (prayer) and the Lord speaks to you (Bible reading)?  If you are, I am confident that you are experiencing real joy in your Christian life. May I say that from experience, keeping the QT is one of the hardest things I have ever done.  Remember, Satan will do all he can to stop you.  I hav...

Ma'amoul Cookies  Filling 3/4 cup Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (I used chopped, dates I bought at Walmart. Amport Foods brand) 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon superfine (caster) sugar Cookie Dough  3 2/3 cups flour  1 1/3 cups unsalted butter 1/2 cup confectioner's (icing) sugar (powdered sugar) 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/3 cup milk To make the date filling, blanch the dates in boiling water, then quickly immerse in cold water to loosen their skins. Peel and pit the dates, then put them in a saucepan with the water and sugar and bring to a simmer. Cook over a low heat, stirring continuously, until the dates soften and melt to a smooth, sticky mass. Remove from the heat and when cool blitz to a smooth paste with an electric hand-blender. (I used our Vita-Mix instead and it worked fine.) To make the cookie dough, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter (I cut it in slices) and rub in with your fingers until it's the consistency of fine c...

As promised. Part Two of my photos from Lebanon. I will do Part Three later.  ~Elizabeth  Cross in the mountains showing that it is Maronite land.       Local shops      Prickly flowers. I think they are related to the thistle.         Goats scampering across a road in the Lebanese Mountains.        Delicious fresh fruit and veg. I made sandwiches with labneh (thick yoghurt the consistency of cream cheese) cheese and cucumber in Saj. (flat bread.)      Hot Lebanese bread with beef and spicy pepper on it.  I got this fresh from the bakery down the street from where I was living.      Ma'amoul cookies. Similar to butter cookies with date filling in the middle.        Arabic, French and English. The three languages of Lebanon... all seen on a car license plate.

I had the amazing privilege to go to Lebanon this summer. I was there for two short weeks volunteering at a christian school's summer program.  The Lord was so merciful in my travels there, and I have such wonderful memories. I enjoyed meeting the local believers and hearing Bible teaching in Arabic. (Kind friends translated into English for me.) The arabic hymns were beautiful as well. I practiced Marhaba (Hello) Kifeek/Kifahk (How are you?) and Shukran (Thank you) frequently and added more words to my limited arabic inventory.  I do not know where to start in writing about my experiences there....  Before I went, friends  expressed concern about me going to Lebanon. It is true, there are car bombs in Beirut, and different areas are dangerous for Americans, but I was in a Maronite Christian area, so I was relatively safe. Besides, when the Lord is with you, the Creator of heaven and earth, what more protection does one need?  What I learned from the trip ...

  photo credit:  http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/raindrops-on-window-glass-with-cityscape-high-res-stock-photography/127855832 Chinese Christian songs you might enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neW0xVroNNs&index=4&list=RDcOV8FwM5PXQ The rain dripped like tears from the sky. It gathered in rivulets on a dark green walkway overhang and separated again as it ran down metal poles to the ground. A bicycle speeds by, splashing a muddy puddle over an older man walking on the sidewalk. Bright, bobbing umbrellas and clear rain ponchos appear in my vision and then hurry past, disappearing beyond the next building on Pudong Street. At the entrance of the apartment complex, under an arched bridge, two watchmen stay huddled at their posts on either side of the road.   From my window up on the fifth floor, I am dry and warm, but a feeling of dampness and cold sadness permeates my being. A delicious smell of curry and Indian food lingers in the ...

I have been studying Hebrews this September with a group of other Christian young women. The interesting thing is, I have only met a few of them face to face. The others I have "met" through an email group where we share thoughts and gleanings from our study of Hebrews. This is my reading schedule: Day 1: Read Hebrews chapters 1-6 Day 2: Read Hebrews  chapters 7-13 Day 3: Repeat as before... I thought I'd share some of my thoughts here.  I noticed these verses,  "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes  everyone he accepts as a son." (Heb. 12: 5a - 6)  If we are the Lord's sons (and daughters) then we can expect discipline just like an earthly father disciplines us.  It is actually a sign that we are one of His, if we experience hardships and painful things in our life.  "Now no chastening seems to be j...

It was a rainy day..... We were at a family's house learning how to make Chèvre (French soft cheese.)  The rain outside contrasted with the warm interior of the kitchen where we watched a slideshow on cheese-making. During a lull in the class, I wandered over to the front door and saw a flash of red and green. It was a group of hummingbirds! I saw about four or five. I rarely see them at our house. I hurried back inside to grab my camera and the 55-200 lens... these images are what I captured.  God's creation is so intricately designed. Practical and beautiful at the same time. A few facts about hummingbirds:  Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds in the world. Hummingbirds can flash their bright colors, as well as hide them when needed. The bright radiant color on hummingbirds comes from iridescent coloring like on a soap bubble or prism. A Gorget is the bright flashing colored feathers of the hummingbird's neck. A hummingbird's brain i...