Morning Cuppas With Glenys

A little bit of what you fancy

“A maiden that is negligent in acquiring skills in the art of cooking should resolve to change and gain lessons that will assist her. A diligent young girl will read carefully and seek to learn all she can of rules, courtesies, and the keeping of a proper kitchen. She will delight to please her family and friends with pleasant tasting foods that she has prepared.” -Mrs. Martha Greene

I have a confession to make: I am not a good cook. Cooking is something I do because we need to eat but I don’t particularly enjoy it. But having said that, I must say that I do make every effort to cook meals that Chris enjoys and that are nutritious.

Something as basic as cooking should come naturally to us, but I am living proof that it doesn’t. Does that mean that I have given up and only serve canned goods or pre-packaged meals? Absolutely not!

Because I see that cooking is a vital part of keeping a home and most importantly, keeping a husband and children healthy, I often seek out recipes and tips to help me. I try to choose plain meals and I am most fortunate in that my husband loves meat, 2 veg and mashed potato! He would be happy with that for every meal.

Even knowing that he would be happy with a plain meal all the time, I try to vary it by alternating between vegetables and salads and methods of cooking. One night, I may serve a stew with the vegetables in that with a hefty serve of mashed potatoes. The next night it may be a grill with chips and salad. But basically, his favourite fare is meat based, with vegetables and mashed or chipped potato.

I feel that in preparing our menus that we should be diligent to take into account what our husband prefers and try to accommodate him. I have found that it is just as easy to prepare something he likes and enjoys than to try something new and find he doesn’t like it.

Being a good cook is important in your overall efforts to be a good homemaker. Memories are often centered around meals that were tasty and served with pleasant company. I feel there is nothing that deflates one’s spirit more than sitting down to a poorly cooked meal served with indifference.

Trying to feed your family well not only pays off dividends in better health through good nutrition, but it also livens ones’ spirit. Taking the time to plan and prepare meals will enhance family life and create a more pleasant meal time.

Let’s seek to improve our cooking as we remember the proverb that says “a little bit of what you fancy does you good!” It truly does everyone good!

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

“Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:” Genesis 27:9

Get some sun and air

Fresh air and sunshine are important elements for good health. Even though we are mostly self-isolating due to the Corona Virus, it is still essential to get ample fresh air and sun.

History has shown us that people who were taken outdoors to convalesce following surgery or during an illness such as tuberculosis, generally fared better than those kept in dark musty rooms.

Convalescant homes by the sea were very popular and the seaside still is known for its' therapeutic properties.

Although we must stay at home, it would be very salubrious to go outdoors if you have a garden, or sit and read by an open window if it is possible.

Staying at home isn't existing for two or so weeks in a dank dark room. See if you can get some sun and air.

Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. Isaiah 26:20

The four little tasks of home

It is nice to have a set routine of work to do at home. One can go about the day with a remembrance of certain housekeeping duties that are necessary for each day. Then, during the many breaks for rest, or visiting with guests, or a pleasant talk on the telephone, one finds refreshment and courage to go on. The times of work and the times of rest, done with quiet courage, provide happiness in our homemaking.

The Four Little Tasks of Home

1. There is the breakfast hour, which includes tea-time. First we prepare the meal and set a table. I often set up a tray- table and sit in the parlour before anyone else is awake. I am an early riser so I have my tea while the sun is just beginning to rise. I enjoy this quiet time of resting from the brief bit of morning work.

Later, when the family has their eggs and toast, or fresh baked muffins with fruit, it is time to do the dishes. We wash the table and the counters and do the sweeping. All the work of tidying and making things neat are part of the breakfast duties.

2. Often, during the morning hours, we do the laundry or the dusting and vacuuming. Each day has its special work. It may be Wednesday is for washing floors. Perhaps Thursday is for cleaning the bathroom. The mid-morning hours are a good time for many of us to do these special duties of making a home look pretty.

3. The Lunch hour is such a wonderful time to stop and rest. We put out a fresh, clean tablecloth. I love my white-and-teal checkered cloth. It looks so homey and old fashioned. We can set up our plates and napkins. We can do this even if we are just serving grilled cheese sandwiches, pickles, and chips! It makes the lunch - work like a reward when we sit at that pretty table and rest and eat while we enjoy the family. Next we do the sweeping and the dishes, much like we did in the morning.

4. The dinner hour is such a precious time in the day. I often start working on the evening meal at 3 in the afternoon. I work slowly and take lots of breaks. Sometimes I peel potatoes and start getting a little casserole ready to bake. Other times I might do much of the work for a pan of lasagna. I like to put these pans of prepared food in the refrigerator and then just take them out to bake when it is just about dinner time. That way I get a great deal of rest between all the work.

Sitting with the family and hearing the blessing (or the prayer before the meal) is such a peaceful experience. It is lovely to just sit and enjoy dinner at the end of a long day. Then the work of tidying, doing the dishes, and sweeping the floor happens. We make everything look neat and pretty. But I do not like to rush. I do not want to just "get the work over-with." I take my time and go at a steady pace. The work of cleaning and accomplishing the beautiful work of making a neat home makes me happy. It also brings peace.

These four tasks of homemaking do not take a great deal of effort. They may seem simple and ordinary. They may seem mundane. But if we dress up in something pretty, wearing an apron, and keeping our hair up in a pretty style, we may find ourselves enjoying the work. I have an old blue-and-white gingham apron that I love to wear. It is getting old and ragged. I will have to make a new one this coming fall. I need a fresh supply of lovely aprons to wear as I do the housekeeping.

When we look extra nice as we do our work, we can find joy in the labor. Doing the little tasks of keeping house, each day, with a feeling of contentment, will bring a true feeling of comfort and happiness to the family. It will help them feel welcome and loved in a happy and simple home. by Mrs Sharon White of the Legacy of Home

“[To be] discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed”. Titus 2:5 ..

Let's abound in love

We all have seen the craziness of panicking selfish people in the last few weeks of the Corona Virus scare. People have been hurt and nearly killed over something as basic as toilet paper.

But that is not the way of Christians. We are called to increase and abound in love one toward another. We seem to forget that God is called Jehovah Jireh... the God Who provides. And He will.

We must follow the path of our Saviour in being selfless and looking out for others' interests. No loading shopping trolleys full of food or another essential and leaving nothing for others.

Times are stressful and we don't know what each day will bring, but it hasn't caught Jesus by surprise. His promises to be with us and to provide for us are still ours today.

Let us hold tight our confession of faith in Jesus. He will not fail us, and we can't fail others. Let us purpose to abound in love one toward another and show the world that we are not only a people of faith, but of love and compassion.

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 1 Thessalonians 3:12

So where do we go from here?

So we have the world literally upside down with this pandemic. Although we know God has us in His Hands, it is still a challenge to avoid catching the virus. And not giving way to fear. So where do we go from here?

Yesterday we discussed spiritually how to overcome fear. We have talked about using basic hygiene and clinging to Jesus in times of trouble.

We have talked about FlyLady's post on keeping peace in our home. Today I would like to add some thoughts: things I have thought of doing in my own life....

Take care of the spiritual daily by reading the Word, praying and worshiping. Play worship songs and hymns
Take care of your physical needs and that of your family by preparing nourishing meals
Take care not to speak of your fears within earshot of your children: they understand more than we realise.
Take care of your home: it is not only your safe haven, but it gives nurture and stability in a world that is anything but nurturing and stable. Follow your normal home keeping routines.
Take care of your pets and livestock, but particularly your pets. Animals sense fear. Remember to show them love and keep in mind that they can't get or pass on this Corona Virus.
Take care to plan ahead with meals and shopping. Shelves are getting low. Plan to stock enough basic food, feminine hygiene products and toiletries to last a two week period should it be necessary to self-isolate or we are locked down. Make sure you have a month's extra prescription medications if you take them. Buy extra pain relievers, bandaids and disinfectant.
Take care to plan fun activities with the children and strictly monitor what they see on TV or on their ipads etc. We don't need to fill little heads with adult problems. Restrict News programs
Take care to explain to those who may say we lack faith to stock pile or practise extra hygiene, that we believe in God, but we also believe in following protocols to keep our family safe.
Take care to give extra hugs to your husband and children. It is beneficial for everyone and a good cuddle helps relieve stress and enhances love in a marriage and family

These days are a trial to all of us, but we can minimise the effects by trying to keep our life as undisturbed as possible. Most disturbance will be dictated by this virus and is out of our control, however, we can control our reaction to it and the smooth running of our household. Eventually this horrid thing will burn itself out and will be a distant memory. That's where we go from here.

So teach [us] to number our days, that we may apply [our] hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12

What to do when fear's gone viral

So, there's hardly a person alive today who hasn't heard of the Corona Virus. With the internet spewing its' fear over us and then word of mouth, it is by far the most heard of influenza virus of our time! And the fear of this virus has gone viral.

I won't lie to you that I haven't been afraid of contracting the virus. I have. I also have many co-morbidities that preclude me having a quick recovery, or even recovering.

For starters, I am a senior woman. I have a very weak heart that requires yet another stent to join my three already placed there thirteen years ago. A hole in the heart means that my right lung in particular is not oxygenating properly. I am asthmatic and have weakened lungs because of having had pneumonia three times. Plus I have diabetes 2 and am obese. All these co-morbidities do not bode well for me if I were to contract the Corona Virus.

So you can guess that I have been fearful of it. So much so that I locked myself in my study and spent a couple of hours before the LORD in confession and prayer. And I came out of that room a changed woman spiritually.

How have I changed in such a short time? you ask. Because I momentarily lost sight of who I am in relation to God, and more importantly, Who He is.

He is sovereign and I am His Child. He even calls me "friend".

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

He has promised never to leave me nor forsake me Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5

My life is in His Hands and it is His good pleasure to either stop me getting this virus or taking me Home. I briefly forgot this important fact.

We are told not to be anxious and it is very hard not to be. So what do we do?

We confess our fear
We repent of fear
We look at the promises of God
We praise God for His promises and
We believe He will keep them
We worship God
We praise Him
We refute fearful thoughts

Now as a woman with post-traumatic stress disorder, panic/anxiety disorder and plain bad nerves, I know how hard it is to stay calm in the current situation. But, I am here to tell you that it can be done. But you must take the time to actually go to God and place your fears at His feet. Then look up!

Make a practice of refuting fearful thoughts and force yourself to think of your blessings. Claim God's promises for you as His Child. He's not going to push you away because you are afraid. And by His Blood, He has provided a way out of sin. It's called grace!

Read the scriptures, listen to uplifting worship music. Watch uplifting podcasts of your favourite sermons. Go outside and listen to the birds or look at the stars. Be assured that you are of more value than a sparrow and that God has you in the palm of His Hand.

Finally, take a break from social media, watching the News and reading the newspapers. The media are to blame a lot for us being so nervous and have caused panic buying.

These are some things I have put into effect in my own home and are some suggestions of what to do when fear's gone viral...

When I was a small child and lived in fear, I learned Psalm 91 off by heart and would recite it to help myself go to sleep... it still calms my pounding heart... have a read for yourself and take it to heart:

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine yes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee. Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling." Psalm 91:1-10

She will melt his heart

She was asleep, perhaps dreaming, if unborn babies dream

In a watery world that was quickly shrinking as she grew.

Suddenly an urgent jiggle roused her from her slumber....

About to cry, she sought comfort in her thumb...

That and her mother's heart beat her constant companions...

This jiggling upset her, making her kick and twirl-

But after coaxing, she was pronounced a perfect baby girl.

Her mother beamed, wiping gel from her fecund stomach,

Happily unaware that her husband scowled in disappointment,

For the child was not perfect: she was a girl...

Her mother's thoughts turned to pink ribbons and bows,

He grieved a son to kick a ball with and continue the family line...

All quiet within, the little babe returned to her slumber,

Sucking on fingers that would wrap round her father's,

Unaware that soon she will melt her Daddy's heart.

Lo, children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and] the fruit of the womb [is his] reward. Psalm 127:3

Keeping peace in your home revisited

Dear Friends,

Our membership is world wide and every religion! We are the keepers of our homes. It is up to us to set the tone for our families. This may be hard, but we can do it! We can do anything for 15 minutes.

Watch your words to yourself and to your babies. We cannot stereotype a people or a religion because of a few bad men. Fear is their goal! When we let go of this fear we have succeeded at allowing peace to enter our homes.

All any of us can do is take care of our little corner of the world; our homes! You can do this by turning off the TV and Facebook. I fell victim to television many years ago. It literally made me sick from watching the negativity of the news all the time. I am not saying to put on blinders or not to be concerned for your family members who are in the middle of the news, but what I want you to do is keep the home fires burning. Limit the influx of the media. Their goal is to make it sound as bad a possible and I don’t want their one-sided exaggerations to hurt you or your family!

Focus your fears and sadness by doing something to bless your family! Go shine your sink! Fold laundry! Clean out that craft room! Work on your control journal! Pay your bills! Do not spend all your time in front of boob tube having your brains sucked out by fear! Or checking Facebook every 5 minutes. Unfriend people who spew nastiness and hate. Only friend or like pages that lift you up.

Your children and your pets are very intuitive. You can’t hide your feelings from them. So you have to insulate yourself from those by limiting your exposure. What you think about your bring about! It is up to us to think good thoughts instead of expending energy on worry; use that power to bless your tiny little corner of the world. Now is the time for us to do what we can, with what we have, where we are! So what can we do?

Feed our families. Get food in the house. Plan your meals so you feel secure. Pull out your family’s favorite recipes and fix their comfort food. Do it together! Set the good dishes and light candles! Entertain yourselves with your favorite movies. Make a list of your family’s all time favorites. Look for them at yard sales and clearance racks. Gather up some of your favorite books to read aloud.

Play classical music, gospel music, or your favorite music! Let your spirits be lifted in song your special way! Sing together! Play music on the piano, keyboards, or other instruments. Have a sing along! Sing your favorite holiday songs! Go Caroling! Learn how to sing in harmony! What fun! Drag out the karaoke machines! (if you haven’t flung them LOL)

Pull out the family board games or a jigsaw puzzle. Sit around your dinner table and play games and talk. You are not going to be able to isolate your children from all of this, but you can edit what they hear and have it come from you! Worry never made any situation better! If you catch yourself doing this, it is time to take care of you!

Remember what the flight attendant always says when you board a plane: You have to put your oxygen mask on first, before you start to help your child. This means keep up with your simple morning and evening routines, continue to declutter for 15 minutes a day and do the missions for your zone.

Your routines will give you structure and comfort! Do Them!! This means getting dressed to lace-up shoes, fixing your hair and face too! When you start to feel yourself get stressed, then change gears and take care of you! This means give yourself a hug! If you don’t know what to do, then go to our homepage and read the Pamper Section, get in the tub, take a walk, or just sit and listen to the birds sing, light candles, turn on all the lights in the house, open up the curtains and let the sun shine in!

Winter is tough on all of us. We can dream about spring, plan our gardens, and plant seedlings. Dream big! Let’s be ready for any emergency. They keep saying we are going to have a long hard winter.

We can do this. We don’t have to let the bad news disrupt OUR peace in OUR homes. Are you ready to FLY with peace as your guide? by Marla Cilley aka FlyLady

So teach [us] to number our days, that we may apply [our] hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Finding peace in this sad old world

It is a fact that we live in a fallen world. When Adam and Eve fell from grace, they set in motion a world of sin, death, disease and running from God. For the first time in creation, they hid themselves from God and were afraid.

Previously to the Fall, they had enjoyed fellowship with God. But with sin came separation from God with anxiety, endless toil, pain in birth, death and terrible diseases and tragedies.

This has continued to today and indeed the effect of the Fall has made earthly existence a bitter pill to swallow. No one is immune from sins' effects. Not one of us.

Trials will beset all of us and will surely come. We can do little to offset sins' effects, except pray and ask God for strength to overcome.

We know that He has overcome the effects of the Fall and we can rest assured in the work that Christ has done. By His sacrifice of Himself, He defeated sin and the Devil, giving us the assurance of an eternal Home with Him through believing and accepting His salvation.

But until He comes again, we are stuck with sins' effects and the trials we have in this world.

When we are going through a trial, whatever it is, we have the choice to run to God or run away from Him. We have the choice to worship God no matter what, or to whine or run from God in a petulant manner that alienates us from Him.

We forget that God is God and He is sovereign and as such, He can allow anything He wants in our life. Sometimes we can't figure it out either and it flies in direct opposition to the false teachings some of us have heard about claiming in faith what we want and it shall be so. It does not work like that.

We have to believe that God allows trials in our lives to bring us closer to Him. He wants us to run to Him for our strength. He wants us to grow in faith and godliness. He wants us to trust Him.

Running to God in trouble should be our first reaction, for there we will find help and there we will have our faith and love reinforced. There in Him will be peace, love and joy that is not dependent on our circumstances.

Running from God will result in the opposite and will invite anxiety, fear and alienation from a loving God Who wants us to trust Him and love Him.

Until He comes in glory, we need to stay close to our Saviour, no matter what comes our way. Like the saints of old, we can attest to finding joy and peace no matter what we experience in this sad old world.

The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17b-18

A leaf out of the Old Testament

In ages past the Jewish people were often suspected of practising magic arts and were regarded with suspicion because in times of illness they often went unscathed.

When the Black Plague happened, most Jews survived and not only were suspicions heightened, but so were the hate crimes and anti-semitism as seen in more pogroms.

The Jewish people then and to this day practice good hygiene according to the Torah. They wash hands frequently, especially before eating in a ceremonious washing of hands. There are strict hygiene laws regarding mildew, illness, body fluids, menstruation and house cleansing and food preparation.

Because of these Laws, many Jewish homes were untouched by illness, much to the consternation of the gentiles who didn't really need much to trigger their pogroms and hate.

So what can we learn from these practices today? We can use basic good hygiene, such as washing our hands frequently, but especially before we eat or prepare food.

We can wash bedclothes, towels and tea towels frequently in times of illness. We can ensure that all cooking vessels are thoroughly washed and rinsed, especially tea cups and cutlery. This is good practice whether there is illness or not in order to prevent illness or if it's in the house, spreading.

The people in the Old Testament and in particular Leviticus were given these Laws by the Creator God Who blessed these people and covenanted with them. They are the same Laws that will protect Christians today.

Basic hygiene will keep us safe from contracting the Corona Virus, just like it did for the Jewish people during past plagues. Let's incorporate godly hygiene practices by taking a leaf out of the Old Testament.

"And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, "You shall also make a basin of bronze, and its pedestal also of bronze, to wash with; and you shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. For Aaron and his sons shall wash there their hands and their feet. When they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire to the Lord. So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not; and it shall be a statute forever to them, to him and to his seed throughout their generations." Exodus 17-21

Your sleep can be sweet.

I often wake with a panic attack induced by a dream. This is pretty common for the fibromyalgia sufferer.

The first thing I do is purposefully relax my body and allow the adrenaline to subside. I usually feel it coursing through my body like a cold chill. By relaxing instead of tensing, it usually leaves through the soles of my feet. That takes care of the physical nasty effects of the panic.

I have trained myself to immediately respond with praise. Worship and praise are key to controlling it on the emotional level. I make myself lay in bed and I pray for others' needs. I also force myself to dwell on positive things like counting my blessings.

If I refrain from getting up, but stay in bed instead, I can usually fall asleep again. Panic attacks are sneaky things that can catch you unawares, such as when you are sleeping. But they don't have to linger.

Focus on relaxing and getting your breathing controlled and then focus on praiseworthy and good things. God gives His beloved rest. He's got your back, even in your sleep. Your sleep can be sweet.

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Proverb 3:24

Yet will I trust in Him!

I believe in miraculous healings of course, but I think the name it and claim it teachings are not only unbiblical, but put a lot of unnecessary pressure on people who are already suffering.

God does say no to some healings and no amount of temper tantrums and stomping on the Word is going to change it. The fibro flare continues, the depression doesn't lift and the arthritis doesn't abate.

We either believe that God is Sovereign and accept that He has the final say, or we can continue to stew and rant and become distant from Him. Which is not the way of true faith.

We need to teach more about the faith that says "Even though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him! "Job 13:15a