Baby Shower

I have mentioned that our second daughter Jennifer and her husband Jason are expecting their first child - our third grandbaby.


On Sunday Katrina and I went to Jennifer's baby shower and this is what I had knitted. It is the same pattern I have used for our other two grandbabies in pink and blue, Cleckheaton no.423 that is for little babies incuding premature sizes so it is great for the first size jacket, hat and bootees. I used Patons Dreamtime 4ply in white.

I had bought a little outfit that Jennifer had choosen from Pumpkin Patch and this is what she wants to bring their baby home from the hospital in.

I have just finished the bootees so will give them too when I next see the parents to be.

Instant Pudding Biscuits

Instant pudding (or instant dessert - depending on what brand you buy) is a quick easy dessert that comes in a 70 – 80gr packet. It is a powder that you beat with milk and allow it to set for about 5 minutes then serve. The recipe is on the back of the packet and is so easy even the children have made it once they knew how to measure the right amount of milk.

It’s made by a few different companies and comes in lots of fruity flavours as well as chocolate, vanilla and butterscotch. Most of them can be made into the biscuit recipe below although our family found the raspberry and strawberry were not very nice and best kept for the purpose they were made for!

The original recipe was for a packet of vanilla flavoured pudding and ½ cup sultanas but I used a butterscotch mix and 100gr chocolate buttons that were put in the mixer for the last bit of mixing so they were broken up a bit.

Instant Pudding Biscuits

150gr Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 ½ cups Flour
3 Tbsp Cornflour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 packet of Instant Pudding
Added extra depending on your choice of flavour e.g. sultanas, chocolate buttons, walnuts, apricots etc.

Cream the butter and sugar.
Add the egg and beat well.
Add the instant puffing mix and beat together.
Add remainder ingredients (cut large dried fruit like apricots up before adding) and mix well.
Roll into small balls and place on a baking paper lined tray.
Press with a fork and bake at 170° for twelve minutes.
Cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rake.

Lie Down in Green Pastures

Once again I am spurred on by what God sends me at the right time.

We are still coming through a very hard time but as I have shared in the previous post, God is with me all the way.

I use a daily reading from a free booklet I receive from NZ Rhema. Sometimes I just read it and the bible references and think that’s interesting and other times like these past couple of weeks I have felt it was written just for me as each day God is showing me the way to go and how He is in it.

Last Thursday’s reading was from Psalm 23 and reading the whole psalm was so timely even though it is one I nearly know off by heart.

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

It was titled ..

In Spite of the Odds and the Opposition

If you are going through a difficult time right now, read these words: 'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life...' (Psalm 23:5-6 NKJV).

When does God cause your cup to overflow with blessing? 

When does He empower you to overcome? 

When does He demonstrate His goodness and mercy?

In the presence of your enemies! 

The odds and the opposition can't stop God from blessing you. 

'But I'm really struggling,' you say. Struggle is proof that you haven't been conquered, that you refuse to surrender, that victory is still possible, and that you're growing. 

As long as you keep walking with God and trusting Him, He will work on your behalf.

He will send His Spirit to guide you, His Word to illuminate your mind, and friends to strengthen you in your time of struggle.

If you're teachable, you're reachable.

Keep your heart open, keep listening to God, keep obeying Him and you will see that your problem is just a platform for Him to 'show Himself strong on your behalf' (2 Chronicles 16:9 ). 

You'll also discover that His strength comes when you're at your weakest point (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).[“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”]

Finally, you'll be able to thank God for your enemies, because He's promised to bless you right there in front of them. People and circumstances don't decide your future, God does - so look to Him!

It is going to take a long time to fully cme through this time and even now it is not really clear how it will go. Some days we take three steps forward and others two steps back.
Today I am tired physically, mentally and emotionally but I am going to 'lie down in green pastures' and let God minister His goodness

Walking by Faith

Over the last week or so we have been shaken by someones choices that could have broken the family apart. Suffice to say, but not going into to the details here at the moment, with God we will come out victorious. As I said on my facebook status the other day, “The best part of a storm is coming out the other side.”

I have struggled, cried, been angry, shocked and devastated but I also cried out to God and He has shown me the way.

I have known all along what God’s word has said throughout this. I also know that it tends to go against the worlds views and actions in this ‘me’ centred time, but the world’s way actually seemed a too-hard-a-road-to-travel on, knowing that with God I was going to be all right. I know He will never leave me nor forsake me (Joshua 1:5) but I wanted to walk in His blessings. Once I had made that decision I was in a sort of bubble and everything was out of my hands.

I was actually handing it over to God, not taking it back and not even allowing myself to think past the moment I was in each time of the day, so didn’t worry about the future. I thought about it sometimes but it didn’t seem to register in my mind that I had to worry so I didn’t. For those who know me and my past know that this in itself is quite a step forward for me.

On Sunday I was reading the Word For Today and I know I should not be amazed at God’s timing, but I still am because it reassures me time and time again that He knows all things.

The verse for this meditation was from Psalm 32 but I read all of it and even that was what I needed to hear. (see below for the whole chapter or follow this link)

Paul writes, '...I go... not knowing the things that will happen to me... except that the Holy Spirit testifies... saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me...' (Acts 20:22-24 NKJV).

It's only human to want to know where you're going and what you're getting into. But God will inform you on a 'need to know' basis. Like Abraham, when you follow Him, you do it 'not knowing' where the Lord leads, but believing what He promised, confident that no matter how He does it nor how long it takes, He will keep His word to you (Hebrews 11:8). Being in God's will doesn't exempt you from problems. God doesn't promise a carpet on the race track or a bed of roses on the battlefield. But you can be '...confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion...' (Philippians 1:6 NIV).

Jon Walker says, 'God knows every step of the journey... the blessings and dangers... where you've been... where you're going, and... the best path to take... He never intended you to figure out the steps without Him. How you get on mission and succeed... are God's responsibilities. Your responsibility is to seek His guidance and obey His instructions. He said, "I will instruct you... in the way you should go... and watch over you." (Psalm 32:8 NIV). Your job is to trust Him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. His job is to set your path straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). There's no requirement for you to figure it all out.'

And in the midst of it all I felt God also say “Each days has a blessing, you just have to find it.”

Psalm 32 (New International Version 1984)

1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

Selah

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.

7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Goodnight Nobody

Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner was a book I found a bit of a chick lit at first. Then it turned into a bit of a mystery and I soon found it a book I wanted to get back to reading to find out the end.

Kate Klein, an "accidental mother of three" in suburban Connecticut, misses New York City and just doesn't seem to fit in with all of the expensively dressed mommies. A former journalist, Kate is bored staying at home until the day she is invited to lunch at a neighbor's house and finds the woman's body lying in a pool of blood. With the help of her outrageous best friend and a detective, a former flame from New York, she swiftly begins her own investigation into the murder, uncovering plenty of suburban secrets along the way. Although this novel is billed as Weiner's first mystery, libraries may want to shelve it with her other fiction, as die-hard mystery fans may be less than impressed.