A Quote from William Bradford

"Thus out of small beginnings greater things have grown by His hand Who made all things out of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light kindled here has shone to many, yea, in a sense, to our whole nation; let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise."

A Thanksgiving Day Smell: Pumpkin Pie

Lovingly made by Grandmother

A Thanksgiving Day Sight: Little Pilgrims

For many years, members of our family have not only dressed up, but have pretended to copy some of our Spiritual fathers and mothers, the Pilgrims. Many a "Patience," "Priscilla" and "Remember," have been numbered in our midst.

It is at this time of year that we, in a particular way, remember and thank the Lord for giving us the Godly examples of our Pilgrim fathers and mothers who demonstrated perseverance, faith, courage and trust.

We are also thankful for, among many other blessings, our little pilgrims. Our little pilgrims who we trust and pray will walk in their godly forefathers' footsteps and live lives to the glory of God, our Father.

The Gift of Touching: Precious Little Hands

Sounds of Thanksgiving Day: Psalm 100

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.

Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.

A Taste of Thanksgiving Day: Our Traditional Stuffing

A Family Tradition

One of the beauties of God's creation is the vibrant harmony of what we call, "the five senses." Long before I could studiously lisp, "See, feel, smell, taste, and hear," I perceived all my dearest memories through these precious gifts.


Some of my dearest memories were when our family (extended and immediate) would gather for Thanksgiving Day. Our old home would bustle with activity as uncles and aunts, grandparents and cousins would arrive and add to the festivity. Laughter, singing, recitations, poems and music played important parts.


Another significant highlight of the day was the yearly Thanksgiving feast. The ladies always made their men pleased and merry with their loving and exceptional culinary skills. These spreads were always carefully and beautifully prepared and arrayed with the traditional turkey and the delectable homemade stuffing as a focal point.


For several generations this stuffing recipe, with occasional modifications and alterations, has been passed down from mother to daughter in our family. Today three generations of ladies in our family gathered once again to concoct this traditional dish. After many years this stuffing is still a taste and part of our annual Thanksgiving feast.

~ ~ ~

Thanksgiving Stuffing

1 small onion

4 stalks celery

1lb. sausage

2 loaves sliced French bread

1 tomato

1 medium bell pepper

Salt

Pepper

Sage

Cook sausage and chopped vegetables over low heat, covered. (Just add 2 stalks of celery at this time.) Salt, pepper and sage to taste - it should be slightly salty. While meat and vegetables are cooking, toast 1 1/2 loaves of bread and tear into pieces. When meat mixture is cooked, set aside to cool, then refrigerate until cold. Add the bread pieces and last 2 celery stalks to the cold meat mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to stuff turkey.

~ ~ ~

Homemade crusty French bread

Only the freshest ingredients

The last of our summer's garden bounty

All hand chopped

Home grown....home dried

~ The final product ~

Hosanna!

Man Sharpeneth the Countenance of His Friend

The Uncertainty of When

Pain. Foreseen. Damage. Expected. Fire.

Several of these words could easily describe the circumstances of one Southern California county during the course of the past two days. Santa Barbara County, arguably one of the most beautiful counties in the nation, is experiencing a very real occurrence of damage: a fire. Dubbed the "Tea Fire," it has already afflicted damage and pain to scores of estates and numerous people of Montecito, CA.

Although man did not know of this fire 24 hours ago, citizens of Santa Barbara County are not new to fires; in fact, they are acutely aware of the possibility of troubling fires at this time of year. Notwithstanding the tropical climate and the natural beauty, Santa Barbara and Montecito (and surrounding cities) also claim very dry and brushy hillsides, and dusk winds that tear through canyons at speeds up to 90 mph, known as "sundowners." Together these variables are the perfect environment for roaring fires and mass destruction.

~ ~ ~

The words above could, likewise, illustrate the world and impending judgement. However, the people of Southern California know that fires are likely, but we know that judgement is certain. This should sober us. This should excite us. First of all, are we ready to meet Him (Matthew 22:1-14)? And second, are we being faithful daughters during this time which He has given to us?

The requisite for the above is God's unspeakable gift, His grace, which we cannot earn or buy; it is a gift. Because of His grace He makes us willing to do what He requires. Then may we be true daughters that delight in reading His Word, spending time in prayer, and being steadfast in the work that He has given to us. May we be ready for when He comes.

~Please be in prayer for the families affected by the Tea Fire in Southern California. ~

Family Harmony

Using the Internet as an Instrument of Profitable Instruction

...For Little Brothers...

We live in a time and place when many images and voices are vying for young boys' attention. And the internet is no exception; powerful and instructive, the internet can either be used in a way to build up and encourage or tear down and destroy.

Here are just two of the numerous sites which my brother, Daniel, age 10, has come to enjoy and appreciate exploring.


New Venture Lab
"Whenever I visit this website, I feel inspired to start a business. I especially enjoy reading all the stories of the entrepreneurs who started their own business, and reading about their successes and failures, their lessons learned and regrets. Inspiring!" ~Daniel


Ballantyne the Brave
"During the past several years my father and I have read books to each other, some of which were written by G.A Henty. I enjoy history and military information, so I was fascinated by these aspects in G.A. Henty's books. When I first read some posts on Ballantyne the Brave's website, I liked it because it reminded me of Henty. I also really like the beautiful images on this site." ~Daniel

The Enemy of Biblical Critics - Archaeology

"Archaeology has over and over again proved to be the enemy of Biblical critics, unearthing their negative prejudices and confirming the accuracy of the Scriptures in historical particulars." ~ Dr. Greg Bahnsen

~ ~ ~

"More and more the older view that the biblical data were suspect and even likely to be false, unless corroborated by extra-biblical facts, is giving way to one which holds that, by and large, the biblical accounts are more likely to be true than false..."
~H. M. Orlinsky
Ancient Israel (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1954), p. 6.

"After more than two centuries of facing the heaviest scientific guns that could be brought to bear, the Bible has survived - and is perhaps the better for the siege. Even on the critics' own terms - historical fact - the Scriptures seem more acceptable now than they did when the rationalists began the attack."
~"How True is the Bible?" Time magazine, December 30, 1974,

p. 41

"Archaeological and inscriptional data have established the historicity of innumerable passages and statements of the Old Testament"

~W.F. Albright

"Archeology Confronts Biblical Criticism," The American Scholar, vol. 7 (Spring, 1938), p. 41

An Archaeological Discovery: Unbelief and the Authority of Scripture

Yahoo News (AP) – The fictional King Solomon's Mines held a treasure of gold and diamonds, but archaeologists say the real mines may have supplied the ancient king with copper.

The discovery occurred at Khirbat en-Nahas, which means "ruins of copper" in Arabic. Located south of the Dead Sea, the region was known in the Old Testament as Edom.

"We can't believe everything ancient writings tell us," Levy said in a statement. "But this research represents a confluence between the archaeological and scientific data and the Bible."

Read the article HERE

Note unbelief and the logic applied in each sentence above.

Concepción Solorio

For several years our family has enjoyed the joyous rigors of preparing tamales specifically on this day, October 27. This day is a day of remembrance. It was on this day 101 years ago, that a very special woman in our family's Mexican heritage was born. Most knew her as Concepción Solorio; however, to our family she was our dear Grandma Connie (my mother's paternal grandmother). As a Christian woman, Grandma Connie's legacy of faithfulness in many areas continues to inspire us to this day.

"Cleave to the Lord, mija (my daughter)" ~ One of Grandma Connie's earnest exhortations

The Mexican Art of Making Tamales

Anita Esperanza prepares the masa.

Emilia's efficient and experienced hands prepare the vegetable filling for the vegetarian style tamales.

Daniel carefully dries the hojas.

Mateo demonstrates the finer points of tamale making to Amada Graciela.

Instructed and encouraged, Amada Graciela tackles her first tamale of the year.