All Things Nice . . .

 

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I know God's near, because I heard

The full-voiced rapture of a bird,

Drawing its beauty from on high,

Its small face lifted to the sky

For all the world to pause and hear,

And so I know that God is near.

I know God's near, because I felt

His presence with me as I knelt

And asked for strength my cross to bear,

And love flowed in from everywhere,

A hundred avenues of light

Reflected from His garments white.

I know God's near, because His feet

Made little noises in the street,

And someone heard, and stopped and smiled,

And bought some flowers from a child,

A star flamed out against the sky,

And so I knew that God went by.

I saw His mark on tree and flower,

I felt the drawing of His power

In every wind that moved and stirred

It was His breathing that I heard,

And then a yellow daffodil

Set Him upon a sunlit hill.

~Edna Jaques, I Know God's Near

My Kitchen Window, 1935

 

The presence of God is a complex and multifaceted concept that has been discussed by theologians and philosophers for centuries. According to Christianity.com, God’s presence is everywhere and is sometimes called God’s omnipresence. Inversely, the Lord repeatedly equates His judgment as removal from His presence and blessing. 

The most common Hebrew term for ‘presence’ is panim, which is also translated ‘face,’ implying a close and personal encounter with the Lord. An example of the Hebrew panim is in Genesis 3:8. 

"And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden."

God’s presence can feel like something greater than yourself is at work in the situation. When you begin to sense God’s presence, you may sense Him in different ways. However, God’s presence is always peace, love, and joy—never anxiety, fear, confusion, manipulation, or hate.

I cannot prove the existence of God, any more than anyone can prove that He does not exist. It is a matter of faith and belief. I can only tell you that I feel His presence in my life daily and have always done so.  In times of good, He rejoices with me and I know in my heart that all good flows from Him. 

In times of bad, He sorrows with me and buoys me up, and I feel His strength, and I feel that I am not alone. Not in the good, not in the bad.  He is just there.  He reaches out to me, and I to Him.   When I knock at the door, He always answers.

At least that has been my experience.

 

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I used to have a china cabinet. It was an old cupboard that we had found with a bottom and a top, all one piece.  We refinished it with a maple glaze and inside the glass doored top we painted the wood with a peach color of paint.  I had the shelves lined with hand crocheted lace that I had crocheted myself. I had replaced the original knobs on it with milk glass knobs.  I loved that cabinet. It held all my treasures. My tea cups and saucers, etc. 

There were two glass fronted doors on top, and then two drawers and on the bottom, two wooden doors. It travelled many places with us.  From Greenwood, to Camp Borden, to Gagetown, to Meaford, Georgetown, and back to Nova Scotia. 

It is nice to have a place to store your treasures.  These days I store most of  mine in my heart, for I have learned that is the one place in which they can never be destroyed or taken away. My treasures are no longer tangible things like cups and saucers, but things of eternal import . . .

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

~Matthew 6:19-21

 

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Dad is feeling quite a bit better this morning, although he does still have a cough. He said he didn't sleep well last night. It took him a long time to fall asleep. Not surprisingly really, as he has spent pretty much the last few days in bed.  He had plans to go out for breakfast this morning, so that is good that he is feeling like getting out and about. Its a start, and his plans to do so show a vast improvement.

I have a bit of a cough now myself, also not surprisingly.  It feels a bit like something is caught there in my lungs. Hopefully it won't develop into anything else.  I am supposed to pick up someone for church tomorrow morning and I don't want to have to let them down.

 

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"Happy families are all alike; 

Every unhappy family is unhappy in it's own way.

~Leo  Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

These words strike a response in the heart.  It makes me think of families I have known, even my own, and of places and dwellings, houses and homes.  A home is much more than a collection of furniture and fabrics, of paintings and Knick Knacks, of rooms and walls  . . . 

It is a thing in itself, with a personality of its own, and an aura that represents and reflects its inhabitants, and very much influences all who come its way.

I like to think that I have a happy home. A place of harmony and of welcome. A safe place.  A harbor and a haven. A place of peace . . .  Holy ground.  At least that is what I have tried to create for myself.  A place where . . .  no matter how far I might wander from its safety . . .  my heart longs to return to the "little curtained world" left behind.  

Happy families live in happy homes.  Welcoming homes. Places of peace. Shelters from the world and worldly things.

 

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That's always a feeling I have tried to portray on my blogs as well, be it here  on this one, or in my English Kitchen.   I hope that I do a good job of making people feel welcome at any rate. That is and has always been my goal.  I want people to feel at home, and welcome. Included. Seen.  Cared about.

I am trying to decide if I want or need to go out today.  A part of me wants to go to the shops to pick up a few bits of necessities. Another part of me wants to go back to bed to wallow beneath the sheets and snuggle in with my kit kats or with a good book. Which part will win?

I don't know yet. It remains to be seen  . . . 

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

 *.˛.Friends,

they are kind to each other's hopes.

They cherish each other's dreams.

~Thoreau•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Easy "Any Fruit" Dumplings.  You can use any fruit you like in this simple, yet delicious dessert.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend.  I hope it is filled with sunshine, hope, peace and love. Whatever you get up to, don't forget!

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And I do too!