Z is for zealous. The Lord instructed Paul to write to a particular group, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent." (Revelation 3:19 KJV)
In the Webster's 1828 dictionary, zealous is defined as "warmly engaged or ardent in the pursuit of an object." Jesus's first recorded words after He was baptized by John were, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15 KJV)
The "good tidings of great joy" are that we have a Savior! He was born to redeem us from sin and death. Can there be any greater message for Christmas Day? I hope you have felt closer to Him this season and will follow Him more zealously in the new year.
Y is for yoke. Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30 KJV)
From a church leader, who is South Korean, "My wife says that our marriage yokes us together, and because of that she can do things she couldn't do before. For example, ever since she was young, she has had a hard time going out in the dark, but it is not hard anymore because I go with her. She is short and cannot reach to the high shelves unless she uses a chair or ladder, but I can reach the things from high shelves for her because I am taller than her. Taking our Savior's yoke upon us is like that. As we yoke ourselves to Him, we can do things we couldn't do on our own because He can do the things we cannot do for ourselves." (Elder Choi YoonHwan, General Conference, October 2023)
Another church leader said, "Making and keeping sacred covenants yokes us to and with the Lord Jesus Christ. In essence, the Savior is beckoning us to rely upon and pull together with Him, even though our best efforts are not equal to and cannot be compared with His. As we trust in and pull our load with Him during the journey of mortality, truly His yoke is easy and His burden is light." (Elder David A. Bednar, General Conference, April 2014)
What a wonderful gift offered to us, to be yoked with a divine strength who can make up for all our weaknesses. I know that in my life His yoke truly is easy, and His burden truly is light.
W is for water. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13-14 KJV)
Through the Old Testament prophet Amos the Lord said, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." (Amos 8:11 KJV)
There are so many in the world today who wander around parched and panting. They need the words of the Lord to quench their thirst, they need to know the hope and joy of redemption through Jesus Christ. That is one of the messages of Christmas--the baby whose birth we celebrate would grow up to perform the Great Atoning Sacrifice for us! He would make it possible for us to be forgiven and be clean, to have help in returning to God in Heaven.
V is for vine. Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. . . . I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:1, 5 KJV)
Paul echoed this teaching when writing to the Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ which strentheneth me." (Philippians 4:13 KJV)
In modern language we would probably say something like "Plug into Christ for strength." Which is what we need to do each day: study, pray, act. S.P.A. Essential for eternal beauty!
Jesus gives us the strength to grow through the adversities we face in life. He gives us the comfort to endure the trials we face. He gives us the wisdom and grace to help others through their trials. He also gives us joy as we celebrate successes. He gives us peace as we weather the storms of the world around us.
Don't cut yourself off from the true vine. Be sure you are firmly grafted in and enjoying daily nourishment.
U is for unity. Jesus said, "Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. . . . Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, are in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: . . . And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one." (John 17:11, 20-22 KJV)
Jesus prayed that we would be of one heart and one mind, as He and His Father are. An old African proverb say, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." Heaven seems far away and to get there we need each other, but we can't be bickering and fussing at each other along the way. We must be kind, merciful, and persuasive, rather than harsh, demanding, and controlling. Studying the life of Jesus, what He said and did, will help us to become of one heart and mind because we'll know His heart and mind.
T is for teach. Jesus said, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, . . . Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you . . . "
Jesus taught us how to be obedient, how to pray, how to serve others, how to live in the world without being of the world; and He asks us to teach others about Him and His ways. Christmas is an appropriate time to share the message of the good news of Jesus. He came to show us by His example how to live, and then, knowing we would never be able to do it perfectly, He took upon Himself all our sins, weaknesses, pains and sorrows, died for us, and was resurrected so that we too can live again. Death is not the end! We will see our loved ones again. That's the best news of all.
We can teach others about Jesus just by our example and light. Remember to be kind, forgiving, merciful, generous and humble. When we are trying our best to live as He wants us to we carry His light in our countenance and give light and hope to others.
S is for shepherd. Jesus taught, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. . . . I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. . . . My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:11, 14, 27 KJV)
It's comforting to know that we have a Shepherd to care for us, guide us to green pastures, guard against predators, and protect us even to the laying down of His life. We will be safe and fed following Him. Listen for His voice and follow where He leads.
R is for rock. Jesus taught, "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." (Matthew 7:24-25 KJV)
The Book of Mormon prophet Helaman said, "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea when all his hail and his mighty storms shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fail." (Helaman 5:12, The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ)
No matter how stormy the weather, physical, emotional, or spiritual, we won't fall or fail when our lives are built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. He has the power to calm any storm and give us peace. Such a comfort for the times we live in.
Q is for quiet. Jesus often made time to recharge and refresh his spirit. Matthew recorded, "And when he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray, and when the evening was come, he was there alone." (Matthew 14:23 KJV) The Psalmist reminds us to "Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10 KJV)
Taking time to be alone and quiet can recharge our batteries, and communing with God can refresh our spirit to be able to return to the hustle and bustle of daily life. We don't need to neglect important people or activities, but it is wise to schedule in some down time to "be still".
P is for patience. The Psalmist said, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him." (Psalm 37:7 KJV)
I think patience is one of the most godlike virtues we can develop. Think of it, God doesn't lash out at us each time we take a misstep, break a commandment, are less than perfect. He patiently lets us repent, try again, and again, and again. He patiently waits for us to learn the lessons He teaches. He patiently guides us through life, even when we, like rebellious teens, act as if we know better and do it our way. Like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, He waits patiently for our return. The least we can do is be patient with other imperfect mortals, fellow travelers through life, remembering how patient God is with us.
P is also for peace, which we can all use with the world in turmoil.
O is for obedient - Jesus said, "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it." (Luke 11:28 KJV) Paul said of Jesus, "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." (Hebrews 5:8 KJV) And Jesus also said, "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:16-17 KJV)
It is not enough just to profess faith or belief in Jesus Christ, we must be obedient to His and His Father's commandments. No corner cutting, no little white lies, no compromises, no cheating. Just plain, old-fashioned obedience. And when we don't measure up, we repent and keep working on it. Whatever our own "it" is. Jesus is patient, kind, merciful and loving. His grace is sufficient for our weaknesses.
We all need a Savior! And aren't we grateful that God, Our Heavenly Father provided one for us.
N is for near - From the prophet Zechariah, "Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of host, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts." (Zechariah 1:3 KJV)
From James in the New Testament, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." (James 4:8 KJV)
From Jesus, "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Doctrine and Covenants 88:63)
Jesus is close by, steadfast and not moving. It is I who moves away. When I move towards Jesus He is closer and I can feel Him and His influence. Let's not get so caught up in the frenzy of the holidays that we move away from the reason for this season. Stay close to Jesus and He'll stay close to you.
M is for mercy - Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." (Matthew 5:7 KJV)
My husband is so good about giving people the benefit of the doubt, believing they had good intentions, seeing the best in them. Jesus also said, "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." (Luke 6:37 KJV)
Remember to treat others the way you want to be treated, mercifully.
L is for light. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12 KJV)
Celebrating a birthday in the midst of winter means that lights are all the more important. Most everyone enjoys seeing the bright, colorful displays of lights that appear during this season. Here in Minnesota it gets dark by 4:30 and lights are especially welcome.
Jesus Christ is the bright light that guides us through life as the darkness of evil deepens. The Psalmist wrote, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105 KJV)
Take time to read Jesus's words and appreciate His light as you enjoy the twinkly lights of Christmas.
K is for keep - Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15 KJV)
In explaining the Parable of the Sower, Jesus said, "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." (Luke 8:15 KJV)
Jesus doesn't ask us just to believe in Him; He asks us to follow His example of obedience, to treat others as He did, to serve others as He did, to do the Father's will as He did. And knowing we can't be perfect as He is perfect, He took upon Himself our sins and weaknesses, our pains and sorrows, and gave His life for us, then was resurrected so that we too can live again. He asks us to have faith in Him, repent of our sins as often as we need to (that's daily for me), and follow His example.
His gifts to us are forgiveness, comfort in times of pain or sorrow, strength to endure trials, encouragement in our efforts to keep the commandments, and hope to continue through all things. Sometimes it's good to remember all the good gifts He gives us!
J is for joy! At Jesus's birth the angel said, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. . . (Luke 2:10 KJV)
What greater message could there be than that the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One has been born. He is the One who will break the bonds of death and hell. The One who will teach us how to live, then take upon Himself our sins to pay the price to justice; our pains that He will know how to succor us; and offer us His love and mercy, His grace, or enabling power so that we can return to God clean and worthy. Joy in redemption!
May we, like the shepherds, quickly seek Jesus, and then share the good news with everyone else.
I is for invitation - Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20 KJV)
A remarkable thing about Jesus Christ is that He doesn't force Himself on anyone. He invites us to follow Him, but never forces.
Accepting His invitation can bring peace into our lives as we realize what is most important, especially in this season that seems to have been taken over by crass materialism: family, friends, neighbors. People matter more than things. Relationships matter more than status. Character matters more than money. Memories matter than possessions. These are the things we take with us when we leave this mortal existence: relationships, our character, our knowledge, and memories.
Invite Jesus into your heart and home for the kind of peace that the world cannot give.
H is for help. "Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield." (Ps. 33:20 KJV) "My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth." (Ps. 121:2 KJV)
Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to teach us of His role in our lives. He is the one who rescues us. He is the one who pays the cost of restoring us to health.
We may encounter people this season who have been beaten up by life, perhaps even by the consequences of their own choices, but we can begin their rescue and lead them to the One who can truly rescue and heal them. Be mindful of opportunities in your path.
G is for good - It was said of Jesus that he "went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, . . ." (Acts 10: 38)
As we're out and about let's be mindful of doing good, being courteous, kind, and helpful. Small actions can have a big impact on someone else who most likely needs to have something good happen.
F is for Friend. Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
I'm not sure that Jesus meant we are always supposed to physically die for our friends, but perhaps we can lay down our own interests, activities, or time for them. He was the perfect example of making time for those who needed Him.
E is for example - Jesus said, "For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." (John 13:15 KJV)
Almost three years ago I wrote a post on my other blog Plain and Precious Things about some inspiration I had about the question commonly asked, "What would Jesus do?" I can't do the exact things He did for the simple reason that I don't have His authority or powers. But I can follow his example. This is a link to that post.
D is for debt. Jesus taught us to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." (Matthew 6:12 KJV)
In this season of goodwill perhaps there is someone we can finally forgive, and maybe that someone is ourself; or we can be more instantly forgiving of the little prickles and irritations of daily life. We can keep forefront in our minds that Jesus has already paid the debts of everyone. He requires only that we repent of our own sins, and forgive others who have sinned against us. That's a tall order, but He is there with us every step of the way, because He is The Way.
C is for Compassion - "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." (Matthew 9:36 KJV)
Verse 8 says, And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
As we go about our days, driving, working, shopping, running errands, etc., we will encounter all sorts of people. Everyone we meet has some challenge in their life, some hurt, some pain. Most don't know the Shepherd who can lead them to green pastures and give them rest. Perhaps if we look at them through the Shepherd's eyes we too will be moved with compassion to be more patient, more helpful, more cheerful. We can lead people to know the compassion of the Shepherd by sharing our own.
B is for bread. Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." (John 6:48-51 KJV)
He went on to say, "Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread."
During the hustle and bustle of this season take time to partake of the the bread of life; study His life, share His love, daily. That's the key to peace, a daily dose of Jesus.
A is for Abide. Jesus said, "Abide in me and I in you." (John 15:4 KJV)
Jesus continued, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:4 KJV)
This Christmas season instead of getting stressed from the frenzy of activities, slow down, abide in Jesus, remember Him, think about Him, and serve like Him. With Him we can have a more joyful month expressing our gratitude for Him through the things we choose to do and say. It's been my experience that having a physical representation of the baby Jesus helps to focus my mind and heart on Him, the reason for the season.
You'd think that because I'm decluttering and downsizing that I wouldn't be going to thrift stores. Well, you'd be wrong. I love going to thrift stores because you never know what treasures await. And, frankly I just like seeing and touching pretty things. Occasionally I find a piece that grabs my heart and won't let go.
Some years ago I bought a set of 12 pink dessert plates, just because I couldn't resist the lovely feminine color, rimmed with gold.
I love using them! They are especially pretty for Valentine's Day or a Spring luncheon or tea.
Last week on a little thrift-larking adventure I found a platter that caused me to say, "Be still my heart!"
Isn't that the prettiest platter ever? I love it!
On a past adventure I found these two delightful glasses for when TopDad and I are alone for breakfast.
Now, for proof that more is going out than coming in, a couple of photos of the stuff stacked up for a yard sale and/or donation.
Have you been doing any Larking? (Search for, or creation of treasures)
Noble graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Friday, 5 May 2023, after seven straight years of school. Whew! She did it!! And not only did she do it, she did it debt free!!! We are immensely proud of her.
James Frederick Thoelke 17 September 1996 - 24 April 2023
Our precious son took his life in the early hours Monday. He had struggled for many years with deep feelings of worthlessness, and alcohol, a dangerous combination. The demons who tormented him wore him down to where he couldn't take anymore.
He leaves a huge hole in our hearts and will be missed until we all graduate from this mortal boarding school and meet again. My mother was with us, by my bedside, when James was born, I think she held him first. His was the only one of our children's baptisms that my parents were able to attend. I hope they were the first to greet him on the other side.
I'm so grateful for the bedrock of my faith in Jesus Christ and can say, like Job of old, "I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." (Job 19:25-26)
We have set up a GoFundMe page for any who want to make a donation to help with funeral expenses and to settle his affairs.
In my blog posts James was Dr. Hair and Mr. Movie. He was such a loving and generous son. I can't imagine my life without him in it.
I've coined a new word. Thrift-larking! Let me explain.
While I was "hibernating" in January I discovered a wonderful hobby practiced in England, mostly around London and the Thames river, called Mudlarking. Originally it was a practice of scavenging for items that could be resold thereby supporting an individual or family. These were the poorest of the poor people. Today it is a hobby for history, and other, enthusiasts, and I found several fascinating YouTube channels.
They are delightful people and I've learned lots of interesting tidbits from their adventures.
Well, I can't go mudlarking at the Thames, but after a fun trip to a couple of thrift stores I decided that I can call it thriftlarking and have my own little adventures. You never know what will turn up at a thrift store. I also think of them as museums where you can touch the items!
So what did I find on my latest adventure? Well first a little story.
Last November TopDad and I attended Stake Conference (a regional, semi-annual church meeting), where I was the choir director. The church building the conference was held in is about two hours from us and TopDad's truck's heater wasn't working very well (it's old and tired) so we stopped at a store to get me a cheap blanket for my legs. All I could find was a 100% polyester blanket that, while pretty, shed all over my black wool skirt. Yuck! And it was about $16 or $17. I've wanted to replace it with one that doesn't shed.
The offending blanket
Well, imaging my joy at finding this gorgeous, 100% cotton blanket for just $6! New, still tied with a lovely grosgrain ribbon. Yes!
I collect alphabet books, and being the beginning of Black History Month I liked this charming book for $.50
A few bits and bobs: two plant hangers for my front porch, an over the door hanger, and a small wire basket.
The photo does not capture the brilliant emerald green of this towel. It's one of the clearest, prettiest greens I've ever seen. Since I'm rather tired of all the dull colors of towels in my drawer I picked this one up for a lovely change.
Next up some pieces of fabric for specific projects:
Woven cotton for napkins
Cotton knit for pajama bottoms
A lovely cobalt blue linen piece with white embroidery. I think it will look stunning as the centerpiece over a white tablecloth. I do love a well dressed table.
A sweet floral dish towel. Since I do all my dishes by hand I use lots of these!
A few pieces of glassware: the ribbed bottle fits a regular mason jar lid, a wide mouthed Ball canning jar (for just $.50), and a little tulip shaped toothpick holder (for Noble, when she moves out this summer). I think the ribbed jar is exquisite, never seen one like it before.
I found this funny "Motto" on Pinterest and have adopted it as my own:
Sometimes I just can't resist the pretty colors and prints. Here are a few new pieces for my collection (all for $4, less than half the price of one yard of quilting fabric):
If we're going by Marie Kondo's criteria, fabric sparks JOY for me. I love the colors, patterns, and textures. There's a huge fabric store two hours north of me that I love to visit just to see, touch and even smell the gorgeous variety of fabrics. And it's amazing how much I have used up over the years as I make clothing for me and Noble, things for my home, as gifts, or when one of the boys asks, "Mom, can you make me a _______?"
So that's it. My February 1st Thrift-larking adventure. (I found a few more treasures, but as they are gifts I won't reveal them until after the occasion.)
