April 19, 2010 by Debbie.

We had rain over the weekend. First time since April began after the floods of winter and early spring. It’s amazing how fast the ground can turn from swamp to hard rock. With spring came several beautiful visitors. John took pictures of a few of them for me to share here.

I guess you’ll need a magnifying glass to see the Martins who come to visit every year. There’s one roosting on top of their house. They do a fantastic job of eating flying insects - wasps and mosquitoes. They’re glorious, swooping down grabbing the bugs out of the air.

The lilac bush bloomed fantastic this year as the crepe myrtle beside of it didn’t leaf out til much later than usual, allowing the sun to bloom the lilac. It’s not bloomed thiswell in all the years we’ve had it. Huge black and yellow butterflies found the bush delicious, too!

It’s been a quiet day here at Beulah Land. It started by me having to call in to cancel my scheduled sub-teaching class as my truck is in the garage. I’m waiting to see if it will be done in time for my Wed. class or I’ll have to cancel again. So it feels like a ‘free’ day. The cool, wetness of the day hinders any outside work so I figured I finish a quilt I fought with over the weekend. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so frustrated by a quilt that I came close to throwing it away. I know other quilters who put a project in the closet and just leave it there if it doesn’t work right. I can’t seem to give in that way. I did finally give up making it into a large detailed pieced quilt and finished it as a kid’s quilt for Fannin County Foster Kids.  No matter what I did, the fabric would not cut on the grain. It was fabric printed in pictures that I’d hoped to fussy cut and patchwork piece together. No adjustments would straighten the grain as it was printed off center. Sometimes my life feels like that, too.  I did finish the quilt and it’s usable; it will do the job of a quilt but it isn’t the quilt I saw in my mind. I can hope the child that receives it will not see the mistakes I see in the quilt but only feel the warm love of a quilt. Hope springs eternal.

I woke up craving a spice cake so after searching my recipe books I found a good one - an unusual recipe that calls for vinegar and no eggs in the cake. Turned out so good I ate way too much. I didn’t put the Carmel icing on it but sprinkled powdered sugar and added butter on top while it was warm. OOHHHHHHH, so good with a fresh, hot cup of coffee. Now I need to go out and start the 5 herb bread to go with the soup I’m making for supper. Don’t bother asking if I’ve lost any weight lately.

happy spring day to you!

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April 6, 2010 by Debbie.

I wanted to share some moments of this Easter weekend with you all. This is definitely farm related as even Jesus said that if a seed doesn’t fall to the ground and die (be planted) it can’t produce a crop. He was showing us He had to die, hence we also have to ‘die’ to ourselves. So Easter is really a farmer’s holy day.

Our Friday night Seder meal was truly a humbling experience. It was amazing to feel some of the things and think some of the thoughts that Jesus and his disciples thought and felt that night.

We had the four cups of wine with the traditional blessing on each cup. The four cups of wine represent Sanctification,  Deliverance, Redemption, and Consummation. The last cup is symbolic only and will be drank at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. Since we only have two wine glasses we poured four small sips of wine in for each ‘cup.’

The Seder plate in the center of the table holds the bitter herb arugula (”we were in bitter slavery”); parsley dipped in salt water (”we cried out to God”); and the fruit and nut mix (”He heard and sweetly delivered us”). Added to the plate as the meal went on was the roasted lamb bone, symbolic that no further sacrifice will ever be needed again as Jesus was the Lamb slain, and the roasted boiled egg, representing new life.

The matzah bread (on the napkin) shows the stripes and piercings Jesus accepted for our healing.

Below are pictures from our church services that tell the same story -

Though your sins be as scarlet,

they shall be white as snow.

Amen and Amen

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