Inconvenient Truth

 This past Thursday the Thursday Ladies met once again to study I Samuel using 'After God's Heart ' by Myrna Alexander as a guide . As I studied and read I just wasn't "feeling" the study. Usually I get very excited studying the Bible, especially the Old Testament. I knew at least one of the ladies would have something to share that would be insightful and thought that would have to do this week.

 I thought about this as I set the table the night before the luncheon, and I prayed yet again that God would bring just the right ladies to the table and they would be uplifted & encouraged , as I know I am when we gather round His word.

It was not until I went to bed the thought came to me ( of course, why didn't I go to bed before 3:00 a.m. ? ) the key to King Saul's rage and repeated attempts to kill David, and also his own son, was that Saul was consumed by jealousy & rebellion. The two go hand in hand . I thought about the many instances in my half-century plus lifetime that jealousy & rebellion reared their ugly heads and wreaked havoc and ruin in not only the lives of those under the merciless tyranny of these sins, but also the path of destruction they left in the lives of their families and friends. Jealousy and rebellion ... Satan's downfall, Cain's downfall ,Saul's downfall, and on & on. I know I have succumbed to their lies with woeful consequences. "jealousy : Unpleasant fear ,suspicion, resentment, arising from mistrust of another, grudging envy " Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

We ladies began to discuss this as we continued on in the study , and I thank God and praise Him for how He reveals Himself to us in simple stories of long ago tragedies , knowing if we read them, think about them, ask for His wisdom & discernment regarding them, He will honor us with His truth. Unfortunately, His truth is often uncomfortable, convicting, and if we accept His word as truth, we are obligated to act upon it. God's word is an inconvenient truth. This causes many to turn away. Please God, may I never turn away from Your ways and Your wisdom when You've revealed it to me through Your word.

If you've never read the stories in the Old testament about the kings and prophets, you've been missing out. If you prefer plain American English ( is this an oxymoron ? ) then read a paraphrase. It is so worth it. There really is nothing new under the sun and if you enjoy ongoing dramas on t.v. with murder, intrigue, romance, heroism, valor, war, scandal...well, you ain't read or seen nothing yet until you read the Old Testament !

Anyway... we had one of the best studies ever, and these ladies are so encouraging & uplifting I am thanking God all the more for them and for His word ! "A godly perspective transfers to present circumstances what God has taught us in the past ."  & " For a problem to be met correctly , the challenge of Scripture is to confront the difficulty with a divine perspective in the strength of the Lord." Myrna Alexander

"But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart , do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth... for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist there is disorder and every evil thing." James 3 : 14, 16

Herbal Favors for the Table ~ Thursday Ladies' Luncheon

 A very simple & practical table adornment you can give your guests to take home with them. A herbal gift that offers guests something pretty, practical, and useful .

 This Thursday Ladies' Bible Study I am featuring in my Tea-Cup Tuesday post was very special. The lesson was one I have taken to heart and impressed me with truths from God's word ( the Bible ) that has impacted me in many ways I may relate later. ~Anyway, I cut herbs from my herb garden to adorn each place setting the night before the study / luncheon and formed them into 8 bundles, each containing rosemary, thyme, and sage wrapped with burlap and tied with raffia.. I put each bundle in a bowl of water to make sure the sage did not wilt, then decided the individual bundles grouped together looked pretty good. I didn't need a fancy centerpiece, I'd keep the short herbal bouquet that way until my guests were leaving. They were each able to take away their bundle of herbs to possibly be used for their upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.This tiny bundle can be stuffed into a chicken or turkey as is ! If my guests are not roasting poultry, the herb bundle can be hung in the kitchen, dried, and used for any other recipe calling for such herbs. Practical too.

 We also celebrated my daughter's birthday , along with sharing encouragement and inspiration in God's word. ( the Bible ) A special blessing is to have one of my granddaughters at the table with us, reading aloud the scriptures, learning from older women about what is truly important.

The china I used in this table-setting is Rosebud Chintz by Spode. The china was a precious gift from my Aunt Ruby. Our luncheon consisted of shrimp pasta salad, deli sandwiches, tossed green salad, and birthday cake for dessert. There was coffee, peppermint tea, and cranberry juice to sip as we ate.

I enjoy the many tea-time blogs & posts I read from so many other ladies. I especially appreciate seeing how they use the china and teacups they are richly endowed with being used practically. Using the lovely china and tablescapes to set a table for sharing good times, celebrating family & friends, to encourage and uplift people in their lives. Do you have a friend, relative, or neighbor who would be cheered and delighted to be invited for a cuppa and a snack ? If you need any inspiration for a tea-time recipe & good time then check out the blogs listed below.( Just remember you don't need anything fancy , expensive, or even too much fuss to offer what is most important, hospitality that shows you simply care ).

* Sandi
*Terri
*Martha
*Bernideen
*Antiques & Teacups

Honey Of A Prize & Tea-Time Tuesday

Tea-time Tuesday , yay ! Oh sure, just point out that this post will not be published until Wednesday, but I have a lot of excuses, and they're all true. Yes, I am still  getting things put away and caught up after being away from home at the fair for a week. The apples, pears, garden vegetables, and livestock don't care if I'm at the fair. The fruit is ripe now . The vegetables are needing to be picked, prepared & eaten, now. The livestock and poultry pens need cleaning and sorting out. So I made a pot of tea...

...this is my Williams-Sonoma tea-pot , sugar & creamer. I love the honey bees on the pot and the honey pot lid & spoon. This choice for my peach tea today was perfect because I had honey from The Bee Lady *    I won honey and so much more in a drawing she had on her blog.

Look at this bounty! Two bottles of honey ( I love that little bear ) , two lip balms , a beeswax owl ornament , and the "Bee Happy" pottery ornament. I spread whipped butter and some of her honey on my English muffin. Mmmmm.

Hot peach tea in my cheery Royal Grafton teacup , honey- buttered English muffins, my Bible study. That's how I started my Tuesday, my tea-time Tuesday. 

 



"No matter what words we may say, our hearts will be revealed by what we do."  (I Samuel 15:20,24 )

Myrna Alexander 'After God's Heart'

 

I am linking with Terri *, Martha*, Bernadeen* ,and Sandi*, for Tea-Time Tuesday. Please join them for a cup of tea

Tea Time Tuesday ~ With The Thursday Ladies

 

My favorite of 4 tea cups in this set I bought 2 years ago. It is a pale minty green chintz pattern, and comes in a beautiful box to store it in with the 3 other chintz teacups in this set. I used the chintz teacups for a ladies luncheon last Thursday.

I will call these lovely ladies the Thursday Ladies. We gather once a month on Thursday to share a meal together and study the Bible.

We are studying I Samuel using Myrna Alexander's book 'After God's Heart".

Mothers are welcome to bring their children, and the children have their own table. I have always appreciated homes open to children, and the opportunity for children to gather with us is also an opportunity for mothers & grandmothers to enjoy their company, and also teach them how to behave properly when they are in someone else's home.( these are pretty well behaved children , so it is no trouble to enjoy each other and them!)

If you look closely at the table, you can see the Chintz teacups.

Inside the box.

 

"Gracie China, Chintz Collection " made in China

 

 

 Having so many beautiful teacups and china I love, it is a pleasure & a privilege to share them with friends and family. Did you know hospitality, or being hospitable ~"receiving and entertaining guests generously & kindly" (Webster's Dictionary ) is commanded by God? Hospitality requires nothing more than a welcoming heart and willingness to share your hearth and home. Hospitality does not require fancy table settings and food, nor does it require a perfect home.I Peter 4:9,10 says, "Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." Sometimes simply sharing a cup of tea with someone and offering a listening heart and a prayer is all it takes to show true hospitality.

 

The Thursday Ladies have already been a blessing and the study of I Samuel promises to be one of personal challenge to me....learning to trust God as Hannah ,mother of the prophet Samuel did. "Turn first to God for comfort ( in times of pain & distress)not to something or someone else. And give Him your emotions." Myrna Alexander

 

I am linking with these ladies for Tea Time Tuesday ~

• Bernideen's Tea time Blog *
• Sandi At Rose Chintz Cottage *
• Terri at Artful Affirmations *
• Martha at Martha's Favorites *
• Antiques & Teacups *
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