I Take Things Out of Context---and So Should You! #readyourBible

 I've been accused of taking things out of context when it comes to matters of the Bible.

Ok, fine, yes, I admit it. I take things out of context.

But so should you!

This phrase, "taking things out of context", has been the battle cry of conservative and fundamental churches for a long time---but what are they really saying? In most cases, they're saying, "you're presenting that scripture in a way that doesn't suit my understanding; therefore, I reject your truth and substitute my own." (Shout out to Adam Savage…) 

In many cases, yes, people are being subjected to a warped truth steeped in centuries of misunderstandings and misrepresentations of who Jesus is and what He came to do. Much of scripture has been taken out of context to make it more palatable to whatever superpower pulls the strings at the time. 

However, there's another side that I'm beginning to see the more I devote my time to sharing truth at any cost. Seasoned Bible believers and long-time church goers are beginning to have truth revealed to them with scripture to back it up and it's scaring the pants right off them. I made a commitment long ago not to share scriptural things without actually sharing the scripture to back up what I'm saying. As people begin to have their eyes opened, straight from Scripture, to what the church has (mostly unintentionally) been suppressing, they don't know how to handle it and cry, "out of context" while really meaning, "out of my comfort zone!"

When I tell people that God's instructions found in Torah (first five books of your very own Bible) are for today and that we should be studying the Bible knowing that we are Israel, I AM taking things out of context! I'm taking them OUT of the context of what Christianity has been pushing for centuries and putting them BACK into the context of what the Bible and history and God Himself actually says! Taking things out of context is good if they're stagnating in the wrong context to begin with.

Many times long-time believers share motivations with unbelievers when it comes to having  their eyes opened to Bible truth: change is scary and hard and uncomfortable and sometimes lonely. It's sometimes easier to stay where we are than to fathom such a huge change to everything we know and do. I can tell you from personal experience that my Torah pursuant walk has been more of a next step in my faith, rather than a complete revolution of it. "Let go and let God" really applies here! I just follow Him one step at a time as He directly leads me---without all the stuff and noise of pastors and pulpits trying to interpret everything for me.

And since I'm taking things out of context, let me completely warp the purpose of this Anaïs Nin quote because it applies here so well:

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

This is a time of year when many people make commitments to fresh starts. Let this be the year you pursue His perfect truth, dedicating your study time to hearing straight from the Father. Ask Him to show you what He wants you to know about Him and ask Him to show it to you in a way that you will clearly understand.

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." Hebrews 12:1-2

Yes, I take things out of context. And so should you!

The Pruning

This morning I felt led to read Matthew 7:19. When I got there, this is what it said: "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

We live in what the locals call the Ozark Mountains. Coming from Eastern Oregon where there are huge rocky peaks that are rarely completely clear of snow, all I see around here are little bumps. But they're beautiful bumps full of gorgeous trees that turn a million shades of amazing in the Fall and then quickly become bare sticks as winter approaches. I never tell people I live in the mountains---I say I live in the forest. There's definitely no shortage of trees in my heavily forested neighborhood.

So when I read this verse in Matthew, I immediately thought about our neighborhood after a storm. In the winter and early spring months, it's easy to see into the forest the changes that happen to the "bad" trees. One storm might loosen them enough to begin leaning on others, another causes them to press their weight even more against the trees around them--- sometimes causing those to begin to lean as well. As time goes on, their own weight pulls those bad trees down, down, down further and further until finally the ground gives way and they tip all the way over. Sometimes they've loosened the trees around them so that, in the future, those will also come down. Sometimes they're fully unrooted but have been packed so densely in an area that they lean for season after season, totally dead but being upheld by the strong trees around them. The more weight they put on others, the more the entire area is stressed.

But what happens when those bad trees are cut down and cleared out? 

Suddenly the weight is lifted from those other standing trees. They're no longer being crowded by the ones that are not flourishing. The encroaching burden is lifted. On the ground, a smooth path is made. There is space to expand and grow. A better view is opened up so one can see a path through---it allows the light to shine in.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them." --Matthew 7:15-20

I used to read this as being about other people who would act as a false prophet to me---that I needed to be careful to watch out for false prophets. Today, I'm seeing it more as a warning to myself--that I should be careful not to be a false prophet and to be sure I am bearing the fruit that pleases the Father.

But even more than that, this morning I believe I'm seeing this pruning through the eyes of the Father. Some would say that God loves everyone and since He does, no one will face eternal separation from Him. They can't bring themselves to see how a good and loving God could pick favorites from His children like that. However, this passage and many others tell us that God does, indeed, separate the wheat from the chaff.

"His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” --Matthew 3:12

These are not the random acts of a flippant God. No, these are acts of preservation. Yes, all life matters to Him. However, He has made a commitment to those who will obey His commands and devote their lives to Him.

“But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'" --Isaiah 41:8-10

Anyone who would call the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob their God and keep His commandments, they are Israel---whether by birth or by being grafted in, like many reading this have been. He has made a commitment to those who honor Him that we have His help and that He is upholding us.

In order to do this, He must clear out the "bad trees" around us. Often we sense this happening when we find certain relationships are subtly becoming more and more distant over time. Sometimes we are moved out of a job or ministry situation unexpectedly. Other times the activity we were involved in no longer seems to fit and we lose interest. Sometimes He moves us and other times He moves them but, what I have found to be true, is that the more I move toward Him, the more excess people, situations, and stuff seem to gently fall off. 

It's not that God wants us to hermit away somewhere with no relationships or hobbies---it's just that He wants to refine what we devote our time and, more importantly, our emotions to. He wants to make a healthier path for us to dig in our roots a little deeper, let the light shine in a little clearer. He wants to lift the heaviness off and release us from some of the deadness leaning on us that will eventually pull us down when it gives way and falls completely.

"...that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all…" -- 1 Timothy 2:2-6

All this dividing and refining and singling out and setting apart---these are not acts of a God who chooses favorites at random. He desires that everyone should come to Him. Although we see the separations happening more and more as we approach the time of His final judgement, we must remember that we are not yet at that day. Therefore, we need to be careful that we are allowing Him to do the separating when it comes to the people around us. Of course we need to be wise and not allow bad influences to corrupt good character, but we must be very careful when we are deciding who to "cut off". We must pray for wisdom and allow God to direct us because it may be that the person we think is too bad to save is the very one God would use us to help bring into wholeness in Him.

Ask, Seek, Knock -- A Testimony of the Ancient Paths

Many years ago, when I first started attending church regularly, (I was 18, maybe?) a woman came up to me after service and said she felt God wanted her to share a verse with me: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7) Over the years, I've always valued that verse, of course, but I never really had a deep down in my gut, "this is it" feeling about it until I recently came across another verse from Jeremiah. 

"This is what the Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (Jeremiah 6:16)

For almost 25 years I've wrestled with His word, trying to make sense of some things, trying to really "get" it. It's only recently that I feel I'm starting to have a real breakthrough into those "ancient paths". I've begged God for years to show me truth and lately, the more I've stepped away from the teachings of man and let my mind clear from all the traditions and distractions and trappings of "church life", the more I can clearly see the meaning of His word to us. Lately, as I read the Bible for myself and allow Him to interpret it for me as He designed it (as much as my feeble little mind can understand --- He is a pretty big God, after all!) I find that He truly has never changed. His ancient paths are His today paths. His truth is for all generations. 

I tapped for a really long time on that door---it's a big door with many layers of revelation of understanding and He was faithful to open it just enough to throw me a bone now and then. After many years of tapping, one day I started pounding. I started pounding and shouting and pleading and crying out---"I WANT TO KNOW YOU!" Desperation was deep down in my guts now and I was at a crossroads -- I was considering giving up. I was wondering if it was all even true. There were SO MANY unanswered questions, so many voices, so many options. I needed to know His truth.

And then one day, it was I who felt the tap. It was a still small voice, a whisper, and it spoke sort of sing-songy like my Mom used to before daylight on fishing mornings, "Sarah, it's time to wake up."

"Do you really want to know Me?" it said. "Then look to the ancient paths. You've asked, you've knocked, now seek and you will find me."

So I did. I went to the most ancient thing I knew to be true---the beginning of the Bible---and when I did, He began to reveal Himself to me in a brand new way. He began to show me His plan for His chosen people, Israel---that they were to be a light to the nations, His chosen missionaries that would reveal Him to every soul. He showed me how these ancient truths still applied in the New Testament when He confirmed the purpose of Israel through the words of Jesus, recorded by Matthew and other writers. He showed me that it was always His plan that the foreigner could be grafted in and adopted into the family of Israel by committing to follow their God and His ways. This was a concept I understood to be something Jesus brought, but didn't realize God had been doing that clear back in Moses' time and before. He showed me that because I have been adopted in through my faith in the Messiah, Jesus, I am now part of the family of Israel. Therefore, all the beautiful, wonderful promises God gave to Israel and all the loving and life-giving instructions He gave to them through the first five books of the Bible and through the prophets---that was all for me too! 

I have an inheritance! This concept has overwhelmed me for over two years now. All that God set up for His chosen people, the ones He chose to proclaim His truth to all nations, all that is for me, also! Not for me, instead, but for me ALSO! 

It is my belief that if one really wants to know God, one must look to the ancient paths. He tells us over and over that He never changes. The traditions and teachings of men have brought all kinds of changes to how faith is walked out over the years, but God and His ways have never ever changed---and they never will.

Taking the Lord's Name In Vain -- Josh Duggar

A very high profile court case was decided today in our area. The infamous Josh Duggar was found guilty of charges of accessing child pornography. This same man was outed a few years ago for using a site that gave him the opportunity to cheat on his wife and has also admitted to molesting five young girls when he was a teenager---four of them being his younger sisters. 

It's all very disturbing, yes, but this guy's misdeeds are affecting different people in different ways. Despite the fact that it's destroyed the reputation of his family, wrecked his marriage, and will likely have a lifelong detrimental effect on all who cared about him, it's also giving homeschooled boys a bad name and that's one thing that has me a bit fired up. Before you roll your eyes and think I'm petty, hear me out because there's a more important point to be made here.

I just read an article that stated his upbringing as "homeschooled and never went to college" likely meant he didn't have the intelligence or skills to cover up his online child pornography crimes. As a mom of three grown sons who is 18 years into this gig, with 10 years left to go, I'm offended. (Again, keep reading, important point coming up.) As far as I know, my sons walk with integrity and honesty and desire to protect young children rather than exploit them. They're also pretty intelligent and skilled in many things and the chill-out homeschooling life has only given them the opportunity to learn things like backdoor computer hacks---not kept them from them. If the defense thinks homeschooling is an excuse for stupidity, they've not met many homeschoolers. 

Ok, so I'm not really offended. This is the way the world thinks---they don't know any better. But...

All this brings up a deeper issue: reputation. We've always taught our kids that their behavior not only dictates how people feel about them as individuals, it reflects on Jamie and I as parents, our family as a whole, and ultimately it influences how unbelievers feel about the God we serve. 

In Exodus 20, God tells us not to take His name in vain. It's the third of the 10 Commandments. Many people believe this refers to cussing and using God's name in a vulgar way, but it's actually way bigger than that. When viewed in the light of the rest of Scripture, it's the taking of the name that we must focus on. 

You see, we believers are headed for a marriage relationship with our Messiah. We are preparing for an eternal covenant in which we are forever called by His name. If I choose to take His name now, I am aligning myself with Him, with His ways, with His cause. I am saying I represent Him. In Exodus 20:7, God warns us that He will not hold guiltless the one who takes His name in vain. It's a big deal. It's more than cussing---it's a complete misrepresentation of who He is and what He stands for. 

Josh Duggar's garbage lifestyle not only runs the name of Duggar into the ground, nor does it merely make others think homeschooled boys grow up to be closet perverts---Duggar, who has publicly claimed the Holy God of Heaven and Earth as his God, has profaned His name and taken it in vain. Not by accident. Not in a rash act of later-regretted passion. But deliberately and repeatedly for years. This is a big deal. Let's pray his earthly consequences are harsh enough to finally lead him to the repentance that will keep him from the eternal ones.

And Father, help me to always represent Your name with integrity; because the root of all sin is selfishness and for that, I'm as guilty as anyone.

Is Torah Really Relevant for Today? What Does that Even Mean? #torahobservant #messianic

This morning as I was praying about what to read for my Bible study, I felt led to read Leviticus 19 and then 1 John. As I began reading through the moral and ceremonial laws, (much of this chapter is the 10 Commandments Expanded Version) I was immediately reminded that many of the people to whom the Lord was speaking were getting to know Him for the first time. They'd been in Egypt for quite awhile---how many of them remembered the God of their fathers or remembered His ways? By reading the whole story of these early Hebrews, we find the answer is not many. 

Surely they had kept some sort of national identity---but their set-apartness had become perverted over time, tainted by the culture around them. Removing them from Egypt and taking them to the wilderness was only the first of many steps God took to bring this people back into right relationship with Him. 

Multiple times in this chapter, Yahweh reminds them, "I am the Lord, I am Yahweh, I am your God." We can overlook the power of those statements because we already know this to be true and we figure they did too, but let's imagine for a minute that they didn't know the God of the Bible that we know. Let's imagine they'd been living outside of relationship with Him for so long that they didn't remember Him at all. Let's imagine they'd been living in a world tainted by the enticements of gods who require ceaseless worship but offer nothing to nourish one's own soul. They knew their fathers had served the One True God sometime back in their history, but who He was and what He required was lost to them. His ways were mixed with Egypt's ways to make a confusing, messy way of life where everyone lived under the oppression of man-appointed rulers, yet somehow also did whatever he deemed right in his own eyes.

But watch---as the light shines in the darkness...

"And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 'Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy."

We often read that and figure we can stop right there. "Ok, God told them to be holy. So now they just gotta start being holy! I know how to be holy---it's right here in my....oh wait."

With an open-eyed reading of previous portions of the Old Testament, we can see that Yahweh had given at least some of his instructions to His people already, but much of these ways had been lost over their time spent as a no longer set-apart people. They were brand new at this "following Yahweh" thing. So He needed to teach them. 

As we read on, we find He gave them His Torah to teach them. But not only that, He also promised them a Deliverer, a prophet likened unto Moses; someone who would one day help them walk out Torah more fully and on another Great Day, establish them in a forever kingdom where they'd be with Him for eternity.

Imagine being that person receiving clear instructions from the One True God for the first time. 

"Be holy, for I am holy." 

"Ok God, how do I do this?" 

"Here child, I will give you my Torah instructions so you can be sure of what I require of you. Now you no longer need to be confused. Now you no longer need to wander aimlessly from this fix to that fix, searching for the ultimate fix. Here, let me shepherd you into right relationship with Me."

This is why Torah is relevant today. It is just as essential now as it was then. Sure, there are parts we can't walk out right now---there is no temple at this point, no established Levitical priesthood, no ability for every believer to "go up to Jerusalem" (thanks, COVID)---but there is still a lot, a majority, that we can follow. 

The Torah wasn't just for a certain people for a certain time. Did you know Jesus said this:

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law (Torah) or the Prophets (God's instructions given through the Old Testament prophets). I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle (tiniest markings in Hebrew text) will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men to do so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:17-19)

That's a pretty important warning, I think.

Many people think the God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New. That He's mean, judgmental, and full of fiery wrath; whereas somehow Jesus calmed Him down after He became a man and made Him a God who tolerates a whole lot more than before. This is very much untrue. That merciful and patient God can be found all over the Old Testament and that God who brings final judgement is very present in the New. John beautifully ties together the God of the Old with the God of the New in his first epistle. When you read this, imagine it being written by a descendant of those Hebrews who left Egypt and met their One True God at the mountain; and, imagine it being written as a personal letter to you:

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life---the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us---that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full." (1 John 1:1-4)

He's saying, "Yes! All those things that were promised through the Law and the Prophets---we have seen and touched in the flesh! Our Messiah, our hope, He is real! He has come and is coming again! Yahweh and all that He is is manifested before us! Come, have fellowship with us! Learn His ways so your joy may be full!"

And that's what I want to say to you today. There is so much more to living a set-apart life than attending Sunday church and Wednesday church and praying at dinner time and playing Christian radio in your car. There is the opportunity to know the Holy God who manifests Himself to us repeatedly in every portion of His Word. There is the opportunity to throw off everything that entangles us and run freely to Him and then with Him, but you first must know Him. That is not found by saying the sinner's prayer and sitting under the teaching of a human, usually the same human, once or twice a week. It's found by opening up the book of Genesis and reading it slowly, line by line, stopping often to pray for understanding and to contemplate and look up words and chew on stuff. Then move on to Exodus...and on... Read His Torah, read His Old Testament. Learn how He manifested Himself to our fathers. Then when you go back and read the New Testament that you think you know so much about, you'll find that you see it with completely new eyes---and you'll find that you're truly getting to know Him.

Basic Breakfast Casserole Recipe --- Use What You Have

I really love the idea of breakfast casserole (or strata, if you prefer) but the recipes I've tried have been hit and miss with my family over the years. I've found that the ones they love best are the ones I just put together with basic ingredients I have in the fridge. Today I'm sharing the basic recipe for breakfast casserole and you can choose whatever ingredients your family loves! This is perfect for using up smaller amounts of leftovers, so get creative!

Breakfast Casserole

8 c. cubed bread (I've used leftover challah, garlic toast, french bread, whole wheat, hoagies, etc.)

1.5 c. grated cheese (or more! Any kind of cheese you love is great. I usually use sharp cheddar**)

8 eggs

1 c. cooked meat (I use ground turkey, smoked beef sausage, or non-pork bacon)

2.5-3 c. milk

2-3 TB dijon mustard (this changes everything!!)

seasonings (I usually do 1.5 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. pepper; 1 tsp. thyme; 2-3 TB chives)

other fillings (about 1.5 c. total): onions, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, salsa, etc.

Instructions:

Begin by cooking your meat completely and set aside. Whisk the eggs, milk, and dijon mustard together and set aside. In a large bowl, add the cubed bread, grated cheese, and any other fillings and seasonings. Stir well before adding in the cooked meat and liquid mixture. Stir everything together and pour into a 13x9 baking dish. Preheat your oven to 350 and leave the dish on the counter or put in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then bake it uncovered for 50-60 minutes. Let it sit about 10-15 minutes, then cut and enjoy!

**Lately I've been buying sharp cheddar any time I need cheddar. Since grocery prices are skyrocketing, I'm looking for ways to conserve. I find that I can use less (in some recipes) when I use a richer cheese and get the same flavor. 

Peach Orange Marmalade -- Yum Yum!

This article was originally posted on my former blog, Classical Homemaking.

Good Morning! Hope everyone is enjoying a relaxing day and keeping spirits up!

I love to make jam as it's so simple and so pretty! I recently made two kinds of jam---mixed berry jam, using my freezer jam recipe, and peach orange marmalade, which I'd not made for about 15 years!

 To prepare the peaches for the marmalade, I began by using the boil/soak method to remove the skins. Just get a pot of water boiling and then set a bowl of ice water beside it. Put your peaches into the hot water first, letting them roll around for a couple of minutes, then plunge them into the ice bath. After a couple minutes in there, most of the skins will slide off very easily!

I also used this little zesting tool to remove just the part of the orange where the aromatic oils are found. When I was a kid, I despised marmalade because it was so bitter. That's because it contained pieces of the whole peel. Using just the zest will keep your jam sweet and flavorful.

After chopping up the peaches and oranges, I used this newly-devised method to crush the fruit. This is a photo of the mixed berries being crushed for my berry jam but I used the same method for the marmalade. It's important to crush the fruit so it will release the juices that make your jams so delicious. I used a stockpot with its strainer insert and this Pampered Chef Mix n' Chop tool. This allowed the juice to drain into the pot below and I was able to better crush up the berries. Before, I would do them all in a bowl but once it got pretty juicy, the pieces would slide around and were difficult to smash.

The last tip is in regard to the froth one will see when boiling the mixture. Jam can get pretty frothy and you don't want that in the jars, of course. I've found I just need to keep it boiling and it will eventually move past this super frothy stage as it thickens up. Any froth that is left on top when you're ready to fill your jars will be thick enough to easily remove with a slotted spoon.

I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe. Let me know if you try it out!

Peach Orange Marmalade

5 c. chopped and crushed peaches (about 4 lb.)

1 c. chopped and crushed oranges (2 oranges)

zest from one orange

2 TB lemon juice

6 c. sugar 

Wash fruit. Remove stems, skins, and pits from peaches. Zest one or both oranges, remove peel, pith (white portion), and seeds from oranges. Chop and then crush the fruit. Measure the fruit into a large pot, add the remaining ingredients, stir. Boil rapidly, stirring often, until the mixture thickens. (This will be about 9 degrees above the boiling point of water.) Remove from heat and skim off excess froth.

If you are freezing the marmalade or just storing in the refrigerator, you can fill plastic containers, let them cool on the counter, and then refrigerate/freeze. If you are canning the marmalade, read the following instructions entirely before beginning.

To can:

Before beginning the marmalade preparation, wash and sterilize canning jars and prepare two-piece canning lids according to the manufacturer's instructions. This recipe makes approximately 3.5 pints of marmalade. Leave your jars in the hot canning water until you're ready to fill them.

Proceed with the instructions above for preparing and cooking the marmalade. Then fill the hot jars with the hot marmalade, leaving about 1/4 inch head space. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel, then adjust the lid/ring combo on top of the jar---firmly but not too tightly. Process in the water bath for 10 minutes (15 min. for 6,000 ft+). Remove the jars and let them sit for 24 hours before checking the seals to make sure they're secure. Label the lids and store in a cool, dark place for up to 2 years. 

Expand Your Worldview Without Sacrificing Your Faith

Wouldn't it be great if we could learn how to separate our feelings about a person's value from our feelings about their behavior? It's an ability that must be practiced on purpose. If there's one thing social media has taught me, it's that there are lots of opinions out there and only some of them are tolerated. In my opinion, that is the epitome of ignorance---but we often see that kind of behavior from some of the most "educated".  I have had the opportunity to form relationships with women of all different ages and from many different countries and cultures and have a few ideas about expanding one's worldview without sacrificing one's faith. I hope some of my experiences will encourage you if you find yourself struggling in this area.

In this context, I'm defining "Faith" as one's principles, the things that form their character. This could be religious based or not. My faith is based on a historical understanding and literal interpretation of the Old and New Testaments found in the Bible. The result of that learning and understanding has been a saving relationship with the Messiah Yeshua, Jesus Christ.

What's interesting to me is that many people who are called "ignorant" by others who disagree with their point of view don't see themselves as ignorant at all. Truly, to be ignorant of something means to lack knowledge of it, but in today's culture, it implies one is uneducated or unsophisticated in most things. Both terms are relative---anyone who thinks there is a set standard of "educated" or "sophisticated" is pretty ignorant themselves. I would argue that many people who are called ignorant have no idea they're acting that way at all---it's not on purpose. And if it's not on purpose, then why do people get so angry with an ignorant-acting person? Wouldn't the educated and sophisticated thing be to teach that "ignorant" person so they can make better decisions about their behavior?

We are all a sum total of our experiences and influences and we can all learn from one another. I get really excited when I hear that someone is interested in culture studies, people watching, languages, etc. This means they want to know more about their world and how to better function in it. They want to talk less and listen more. This gives me hope! 

One experience that has expanded my worldview tremendously is my participation in the worldwide hobby of BookCrossing. I've been a BookCrosser for almost 15 years---which means I started in my mid-20s. Through the years of sharing books, reviews, ideas, presents, and more, I've met people from all over the planet in many different walks of life. I've been a student of how people think and respond based on the culture around them, as well as how they view my culture. I've read books I never would have chosen had they not been recommended to me---many that aren't sold in the US by authors we've never heard of! It's been an amazing experience and I've not had to leave home to enjoy it! (I'm elizardbreath on BookCrossing, if you choose to join us!)

I've also had the opportunity to travel extensively through England, sometimes with multinational tour groups, but this worldview-growing technique can be done anywhere. I've learned to ask questions---and ask the right questions. I don't ask about their culture's favorite foods or entertainment---that can all be found easily online. I ask personal things about their religious practices, how they view marriage and family roles, education, social issues, how they interpret the American culture. This is how we break stigmas and get to know individuals. When I do this, I find that the many differences in individuals within a culture is what makes us all similar. Don't be afraid to ask a polite question to someone you're interested in knowing better. Very few people will be offended by someone who is genuinely curious and people love to talk about themselves!

The activity that has probably grown my worldview the widest and the quickest is my international pen pal matching service, The Victorian Letter Writers Guild. I created this organization in the summer of 2017 and we're currently got over 700 members worldwide. Interested members fill out a detailed profile before participating in the many group exchanges and pen pal matches I offer each year. I have made so many friendships this way with ladies from all over the world and of all different ages and lifestyles. I haven't yet invested a dime to make this happen and the benefit to my ever-growing understanding of people and their cultures is priceless. Maybe you can join a multinational group such as this---or start your own!

In all of these experiences, I have been both the ignorant person and have encountered the ignorant person. In almost all cases, I've found that it's really just a lack of knowledge---and a plethora of preconceived ideas---that causes the ignorance. When I've assumed things about the other person, I've gotten myself into trouble, but never have I had a conflict when I asked a question instead. 

We Christians have a saying: "love the sinner, hate the sin", yet we often refuse to learn how to truly value a person who is living a lifestyle different from what we believe is acceptable to God---or even just one that is hard for us to understand. However, when we take the time to really learn about someone who thinks or lives differently from us, we find that we can form a genuine relationship based on our commonalities and can eventually positively influence each other. As much as I want to keep myself holy and set apart for the Lord, I've found that the act of pursuing a better knowledge and understanding of this great big world of people He created helps me to better live here as long as He allows. Keeping close to the Father as I travel through it ensures I can expand my worldview without sacrificing relationship with Him.

2021 New Year Goals

How are you feeling about this coming year? Hopeful? Concerned? I'm feeling pretty positive about 2021 and have come up with several important goals I'd like to meet. 

Health Goals: I think most everyone has a health goal, but I'll admit I've not had one for a couple years. Sickness and circumstances have taken a toll on my hopeful attitude about health and I've ignored things for far too long. This year I have a plan and a goal to stick to it!

Reading Goals: I believe self-education is so important so I read a lot of nonfiction: history, biography, geography---all these are important to understand the world we live in. I also enjoy some well-written historical fiction and most classics. This year my reading goal is 70 books, with a good mix of classics and children's literature added to my usual nonfiction fare.

Skills Goals: In 2020 my mother made 12 quilts!! One for each member of my family and one for herself. On top of that, she made pillowcases for each of us! I was so inspired that I've made a goal to learn some needlework skills I've been dreaming about. This year I plan to embroider some things, as well as learn to crochet. I also want to start working through my huge HUGE fabric stash by making gifts for people.

Spiritual Growth: This year I plan to copy out by hand the entire Torah (first five books of the Bible) and finish reading through the Bible in its entirety. I also have several studies to start or continue, including a very slow and in depth study of the early church that I've been doing with my kids every morning at breakfast.

Miscellaneous Goals: Add something to our savings account each pay check; go visit my parents in Oregon; travel to Western Oklahoma to seek out my grandparents' homestead; make myself three items of clothing; take "school photos" of my kids; keep from cutting or coloring my hair; print all my important online photos; transcribe my online book reviews into journals; print or publish my important blog posts

I'd love to hear about your 2021 goals! 

Our World Has Changed, God is Still Unchanging

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

Isaiah 40:8

Back in March I wrote a post titled, The World Looks Different Now, But It's Ok. We were 10 days into the unknown and many of us were wondering how long the changes were going to last. Was this a temporary thing? A new normal? We're now 10 months in and we still don't know.

We've just finished up a fun but very different Christmas weekend at our house. Almost everything about our celebration was outside our normal---part of that was due to "the pandemic" and part of it was due to changes within our family dynamic. We had to work around work schedules and celebrate on a different day than normal. We didn't participate in any sort of church Christmas program (probably a first for my 41 year old husband!) We didn't even drive around to look at Christmas lights this year and our whole community missed our yearly gathering on the square to watch the city lights come on. Instead of spending the rest of present-opening day putting together toys and helping the kids navigate a new game or puzzle, the youngers did all that themselves and the teens starting helping our oldest son move into his new townhouse---on Christmas!!!

In other years, I think this change in our Christmas routine would have really bummed me out, but in 2020, it's just par for the course. So much has changed and some things have become that "new normal" I talked about in March, yet there's one thing that hasn't changed, and that is the Lord. 

For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 

Malachi 3

God's Word, His promises, His truths, His plan, are all still very much the same. He knew our world would take a wonky turn in 2020---none of this caught Him off guard and it does not scare or threaten Him in the least. And if the One in charge isn't worried, why should we be?

The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid? 

Psalm 27

That's really the question many of us should be asking ourselves: why are we worried? In Anne of Green Gables, Marilla tells Anne: "God does not want you for a fair weather friend." That phrase has been running through my mind all morning. I think these past 10 months have given us a glimpse into what is meant in passages like Isaiah 40, Job 12:23, and Paul before the Areopagus in Acts 17---some of the many parts of Scripture that remind us God allows kingdoms to rise and fall but He remains unchanged. 

In God, we have a Friend who stays closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24). The more we get to know the nature of this Friend, the more we realize that we have nothing to fear in change. Some of us become really unnerved when we don't know the "next step", yet God's Word brings comfort that He will guide our steps:

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Psalm 37

One thing I'll always remember about my Mom is how she plays Pollyanna's "Glad Game" when things go wonky, choosing to think about the good things---counting her blessings. As a brooding teenager, it would sometimes bug me when she would say things like, "You make your own happiness," but she was right---and adding God's message of hope to the picture makes playing the Glad Game even easier. Things are still different...some things are forever changed...yet God is the same as He always was. As we go into 2021, let's hold on to the hope of our unchanging God and count our blessings. There's always something to be thankful for!

(This article was republished from my sister site, ClassicalHomemaking.com.)

Spiced Fruit Compote for Winter Morning Breakfast

 

This delectable compote not only tastes divine---it's gorgeous too! 
Serve with a simple sweet bread at breakfast or as an after dinner dessert with tea.

About fifteen years ago, we lived in a very tiny town in Eastern Oregon called Weston. There were a couple of plum trees, as well as an apple tree in our yard, and all the blackberries you could pick just down the street. At the end of the summer, someone gave me a huge bag of walnuts, so I began looking for ways I could use them and came across a recipe for fruit compote. 

I made a TON of jars and gave them as gifts, as well as stored many in the cold storage room off the side of the house. Since then, I've made compote a couple other times and I do it different every time! Here's a fast way to make a yummy topping for breakfast bread, biscuits, muffins, and more.

 One year I was in a hurry, so I did a quickie method and baked it in the oven instead of cooking it on the stovetop. Since there wasn't time for the fruit to cook down, I added some apricot jam to give it a better spreading consistency. Wonderful idea---it was great! If you want to skip the jam, just let the mixture cook in a saucepan with a little water until it's soft.

Give it a try and let me know what you think! It's great for the holidays---and all year round!

Oven Baked Fruit Compote (serves about 8)

6 apples, cored and diced

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup raisins

1½ cups coarsely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water 

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 tsp. each cloves, nutmeg, ginger

1 c. apricot or peach jam

Preheat oven to 450º. Mix all ingredients, except jam, and spread into a greased 13x9 dish. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes. Mix in jam and serve over bread, or alone!