Today's Encouragement (22 January 2022)

 


Greetings godly sister saints! 

Another day is upon us! How's yours? Mine was good and fruitful in various works...and it's about over but I'm writing to you here now. 


I was thinking about being ready and willing as we sisters often share about how we need to prepare for situations. God will use us if we are prepared to be used by Him. I like this verse about being ready unto every good work... 


Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

Titus 3:1


And here's a few more to ponder on similar things of being willing and ready. 


Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

Hebrews 13:18



Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Matthew 26:41



For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

2 Corinthians 8:12


And there are many things we may want to do all of which are good but we may not have opportunity. And we need to also be content in our situations and in our abilities too. And if we're ready, maybe we will have a time to do them but in this life we know we need to trust in the Lord and wait patiently on His timing. His timing is always right and perfect! (Of course it's always His will and timing for us to be living obedient and holy lives though.) And we ought to be prepared at all times with the gospel...and even in that we may not do or say or handle the situation perfectly but if we still are willing we can grow. We don't want to ever give up if we don't think we are perfect at something that is a good thing for us to be doing. 


A sister was sharing how God knows our intent and what we wanted to do even if our efforts didn't turn out as we had perhaps hoped. Perhaps we tried to cook a meal and something didn't quite turn out as we expected...God knows our heart. Or for those of us sisters who do blog posts and audios to go with it we may have spent a lot of thought or time on it and it wasn't coming out as you hoped. God knows and sees all and we are to do things unto Him anyway. And He surely knows our limitations and weaknesses. And the things that we may think are big or bad like a sentence we may think that doesn't have correct grammar or we misspell a word or something. Those are not big to Him...at all. We just do our best and do that which is pleasing in His sight which is to obey Him. 



We had a bit of rain today. That's such a blessing in summer! Even if it doesn't make it to the plants' roots for the most part I'm sure it refreshes the leaves and puts some moisture back into things. 

Praise God for the blessing of water! Maybe there will be more rain tomorrow. And it will be good for the growing garden. 


Here's some cucumbers coming along... 



And more zucchinis...those always seem to bear much fruit! 


And cabbage... 



And corn... 


What blessings to have the space and water and sunshine and ability to have plants grow and produce good foods for us to eat! 

These are passionfruit vines of about the same age. The one on the left is sitting there and not growing but rather looking worse and will probably fade away and die. The one on the right has really taken off and is growing well! Hope to get some good fruit in time! 

But such things often remind me of this parable... 


He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 

And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Luke 13:6-9 

Sure we can learn from that and see the deeper meaning our Saviour had. We know we are to be fruitful! 


I made these.... 


...with dates, and coconut, and almond flour, and cacao powder all blended up. Simple, healthy, and yum. 



And I share a bowl of soup... 
The Lord provided another day! 


I tried something new to use up zucchinis. A sister suggested that they can be used to make pies instead of apple...so I made this which is like an apple crumble (or whatever it's called in your part of the world.)




It was yum! God gave so many different foods and ways to put it all together. 



(Thank you sister for the picture:-) And we want to seek the Lord and His ways above all else don't we!


I must go now sisters. Hope your day is fruitful, joyous and you're thankful and content in what the Lord has for you. Hold fast sister soldier saints! 


Love to you in the Lord, 

Sister Michaela 


Find the gospel explained here