Apple Pie Friday

Another Friday rolls in...I decided this morning to make a apple pie...for my personal consumption this week-end : )
Making pie has never been one of my strong points. I remember as a young married mother, trying to perfect the crust. I tried everything from lard to oil, eggs to baking powder and home-made to store bought. Finally, after much heartache, children that wouldn't eat crust and thrown out pie, I found that the recipe on my shortening container provided a edible tart that everyone loved! The best pies are ones filled to the brim with fresh fruit. Apples, blue berries or cherries, mixed with a little sugar, cinnamon, a tablespoon or two of flour topped with a wallop of butter adds up to a dessert that makes any meal complete : )
Enjoy and have a wonderful winter weekend!

Original recipe makes 2 pie crusts

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

2 cupsall-purpose flour

1 teaspoonsalt

 

1 cupshortening

1/2 cupwater

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half, and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Roll out dough on a floured counter. Don't over work it. Use as directed in pie recipe.

Halos, Pillars,Sun Dogs and Weather

     (Sun Dog Photo)
I've been watching the sky most of my life, looking at the clouds, stars and changing seasons. One thing I've learned is that most weather can be perdicted my watching the Sun and Moon when physically visible. A halo around the moon can mean a storm with-in hours or days, depending on how large it is. My Great Grand Mother always told me that is a star was in the halo around the moon, that a storm would develop in a day, two stars then two days, ect. Sun Dogs are probably the most beautiful phenomenon, appearing at sun set and lasting only a few minutes. They tell of cold weather approaching, usually by morning. Pillars are storms in 12 hours. Many times I've seen these in the morning glow at the horizion. They sometimes have a 'peak' at the top, creating a illusion of a dove. Next time your outside, take time to look up and learn from nature what humans have know all along...our planet works with us!

        (Sun Pillar with dove)

Sun Dogs and Halos and Pillars

Hope...again? !

"Light of the World ,you stepped down into darkness: opened my eyes let me see."~ Tim Hugh

 

 

Another Sunday talk on Hope...I wondered why Jesus never had any obvious parable on this subject??? Most of us have been told as children in Sunday school that Jesus knew he was born to be the great Sacrifice for man-kind, giving his life so we could have eternal life. But what does this mean? He died so our Sin could be forgiven. All we have to do is realize we HAVE sinned. How do we do this? "Sin is not doing what you know you must to be good."~ James 4:17

 

 

A Dark Spot(sin)-What to Do

 

 

                                                                ~ Embrace it-Luke 15:11-32

                                                               ~Don't put it off-Amos 6:3-7

                                                               ~Be Humble -Peter 5:5

                                                               ~Finish the work-    James 1:4 

 

 

Answer is simple. Realize the sin, be it against yourself or another, ask yourself why this happened and try your best to change the situation ♥

    



Hope- How to Find It

 

 

Hope in our times...how many occasions are there in a day where we don't know the answer to a problem? The secret? To look with in and find our answers . Jesus said-"For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."-Romans 8:24-25 

Sounds easy...be patient and wait...

 

What to Do to Get Hope Back

1-How to get Hope in "I didn't plan this" situations (answer-Isaiah 9:2- look with-in.The answer is always just a reflection of what has happened)

2-Let God change your perspective.Romans 8:26-28(answer- everything works for through Spirit. Listen to your heart)

3-Trust and Obey(answer-Job 2:9-10- everything happens for a reason)

4- Sin gets back at us by trying to 'get back' at people we don't like.(answer-John 3:27- we accept others as we do ourself)



 

"When a train goes thru a tunnel and darkness surrounds you, don't jump off. Sit quiet and trust the engineer."

 

 

AND, the mean-time, don't hope for anything you wouldn't give a friend... : )

 

 

 

Faithful and True- the Christ Conciousness

"Ephesians 4:20-“ That, however, is not the way of life you learned  when you heard about the Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;  to be made new in the attitude of your minds;  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” "

 

I’ve been going over my scriptures I studied for the last few days while I was attending the Soul Shift and Revelation studies at my Church. I wondered why there aren’t more people who realize the Christ consciousness. It’s evident through-out the bible that those who wrote the scriptures, especially in Old Testament, were speaking of an inner guidance for those who looked to a higher source. Personally for me, my Spirituality was realized as a child. I’ve always been on the out-side looking in...As a person preferring a solitary existence, I realize now how important that was to me. I never got too caught up in the ‘wanting to be noticed’ phase most do. In fact I find it annoying. If believe if more were searching for ‘truth and faithfulness’ at this time, there would be less war on the planet.

 

Revelation 22:11-^“Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

 

What does this mean to me? We are all here on our journey, where we are a doctor, soldier, mystic or just a plain Jane. We all have our purpose. As long as we are listening to our inner teacher, doing what is expected and helping others in a positive way, then we are doing what the Universe wants. Can you say you did something today that helped another? I can.

 

Ecclesiastes 3:11-“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

 

Link- Something interesting about Christ Conciousness

 

Revelation with Beth Moore- the final say...

 

Psalms 136:4-"to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever."

I attended the final study last Wednesday of the book of Revelation...The chapter talked about was Chapter 21."Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”" was what was said first... How wonderful it was! I totally read and saw this parable. The geometry of the human DNA, the Tree of Life symbolism and our connection between the Divine Soul/teacher. The description of the stones of the paths, I can see Kether right thru to Malkuth. The sacred geometry of the human body with our connection to Spirit.
"Genesis 3:24- After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.'- Is this the point we forgot our roots?


AND I'm totally sure no one got the same meaning as I, all they want to see is doom and gloom... O well...

All in all, I feel the whole Book of Revelation was put there to make us look at our self, not a global disaster. It tells John's Dream of himself, a personal awakening that we as other passengers of this planet can relate to. As far as the Man's number 666, this can reflect either our hate or love of our self or others as 6 is traditionally seen as a love symbol. In triplicate it can go either way...


http://www.usbible.com/usbible/default.htm - the Unspoken Bible

^{Isaiah 51;12-} “I, even I, am he who comforts you.
    Who are you that you fear mere mortals,
    human beings who are but grass,

Soul Shift- the Final Lesson

 

 

 

I finished up my Soul Shift study Wednesday night with my bible study group. Everyone was there except our hostess who fell down her basement steps that morning, cracking the third vertebrae in her back. She'll be on bed rest over Christmas so sending lots of healing energy her way...

Our group of 10 persons went over the chapters we had studied over the last months. For me the end result for this study went basically this way :

~Chapter 1- Me to You- This chapter suggested we are born selfish, with our own agenda about what our life is supposed to represent. We forget that it’s all about fitting in, helping our fellow brethren and seeking a higher source. It could be because of our heritage, life styles or, what I call, racisms.

 

~Chapter 2-Slave to Child- Made me realize we must first become innocent, again, to accept the fact that our lives are guided by the 'unknown'. At times this is scary to anyone but we must trust or become the slave of our own guilt, greed or obsessions. Once we realize these, we can let them go, not allowing those imperfections to rule us.

 

 

~Chapter 3-Seen to Unseen- Normal to think we are not able to touch what tries so hard to help us…my answer? Meditation to help us centre so we can see that God is trying to help us with.

 

~Chapter 4-Comsumer to Steward-Moving from a faith seeker to a faith giver. I need work here as this was the place nothing made sense. I try hard to let my Spiritual feeling work for others but when one is so connected to what ‘isn’t important’, others can’t seen to get go of the material…I must work on a new way to help with the right action.

Note-1 Corinthians 10:23 “You say, "I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is good for you. You say, "I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is beneficial.”

 

~Chapter 5-Ask to Listen-When can I stop? Listening isn’t a problem for me, personally. Our bible Teacher, Jesus, said this many times to his disciples. Note: Luke 14:25-35

 

~Chapter 6-Sheep to Shepherd- Sheep follow and the Shepherd leads…basically I feel here we must be our own shepherd. Take control of those sheepish emotions, bunch them up somewhere inside you can watch them and don’t let them control your life. Not an easy thing…
 

~Chapter7-Me to We- Excepting the fact that we are not in this alone, others need answers. I’ve learned its not to give one everyone wants to hear…its better to try and be ‘punny’ when asked a difficult question. Especially about one’s Faith as we all have our own idea of what it means to us personally.

For me, it is Love…

"Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself. To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving."

Love is my Religion.

On Love- Kahlil Gibran