Finding hope in the rubble . . .

At the end of a very warm June day in 1882, Dr George Matheson, the blind minister of a church in a small town in Scotland, was sitting alone in his manse. The rest of his family had gone in to Glasgow to attend his sister's wedding. One might wonder why it was he didn't attend. It was the perfect night after all, and a special occasion. For Dr Matheson, however, it was an evening of terrible despair. No one knows why exactly, but there are many that believe that his sister's impending marriage brought back the sad memory of the day his own fiancee had broken off their engagement . . . because he had been struck blind . . .

In the depths of his despair, something inspired him to sit down and pick up his pen. He penned the words that follow:

O Love, that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee,
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be . . .

O Light, that foll'west all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
my heart restores it's flickering ray,
That in thy sunshine's blaze it's day
may brighter, fairer be.

O joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not in vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust, life's glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

Oh, what a wonderful example of the strength of the human spirit to be able to overcome in the depths of despair . . . hope which keeps each of us moving forward. It is a beautiful metaphor for a God that will not leave His child forsaken . . .



Yesterday I was watching the news, and amidst the despair and sad, sad pictures coming out of Haiti there rose a song . . . people running along the streets singing a song of praise and hope to their Heavenly Father. If they can find a voice to sing amidst the horror that is their lives now at this time, how much more have I a song to sing . . .

Just my thoughts on this rainy, wet Saturday morning.

Sometimes you just want something light for supper, that doesn't take a lot of time or effort. This is a handy recipe to have up your sleeve for just those times. It's easy, quick and very tasty.



*Gruyere and Mushroom Omelet a Deux*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

This generous and lovely omelette filling is delicious for breakfast, a late brunch, lunch or a light supper. It's so very easy to make and very tasty. You can easily double the recipe if you wish to serve more people, but I would do it in separate pans.

2 TBS butter
4 spring onions, chopped
1 1/2 cup sliced button mushrooms
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup white wine (I use white grape juice)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
a pinch of cayenne pepper
salt to taste
1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 TBS of cold water
4 eggs, beaten together
2 TBS butter divided

Melt the 2 TBS butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it is foaming add the chopped onions, Saute for several minutes, stirring until softened. Add themushrooms and cook until they are just starting to brown a bit. Stir in the lemon juice, along with the wine and the cream. Stir together to mix well. Add the cheese and stir it in, allowing it to melt. Season with the cayenne and some salt. Let cook over low heat for a few minutes to melt the flavours. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir, cooking until it thickens. Heat through for one minute.

Take another pan. Melt 1 TBS of butter in the pan. Once it begins to foam, pour in 1/2 of the beaten eggs. Cook over medium heat until it is slightly browned on the bottom and set on top. Slip onto a warmed plate and fill with half of the mushroom mixture. Roll the top of the cooked egg over the filling. Keep warm while you do the other half in the same way. Serve hot.



Over on The English Kitchen today, there's a delicious Lemon Chicken recipe that is to die for.