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

Blue & White For Thanksgiving~ A Family Tradition

 This has to be my favorite china, Blue Danube*.

 Although not a bold beauty, this cup & saucer is the china pattern my husband & I chose for our wedding registration. 'Charleston ', by Noritake. This pattern was on sale when we married and we received settings for 12 in plates, cups & saucers, plus quite a few serving pieces.I love the simple elegance of this pattern and after almost 40 years of marriage have never tired of it.The ivory background with the platinum rims, and the dark blue design filled in oh-so-delicately with pale blue always look just right on my dining room table.

 My husband's father started our Blue Danube collection of china, and he filled in our wedding china pieces, and also gave us a set of Noritake 'Perspective' goblets in Peacock Blue to accompany our place settings. Above you can see the two china patterns we love and use frequently on our table as we share meals with people we love.( plus, a Blue Danube candle-stick I found at a thrift store! )

 I use my Blue Danube dishes as accent and decoration through-out our home.Here it is behind the tiers of fruit on the sideboard. What bounty !

 Over the years I have broken enough pieces of my wedding china that when we have a lot of company I need to fill in with Blue Danube. Here, before all the platters of food were placed on the Thanksgiving table you can see how I mixed and matched my favorite chinas.In the photo below, you can see the bright blue water goblets in my china cabinet and a few more pieces of Blue Danube.

The children ( 4 of our 8 grandchildren) had their own table, and you can see they are eating off Blue Danube. I used a yellow & white toile tablecloth for their table. I love the double-blossomed yellow orchid my husband's brother and his wife gave us as a host gift,it made a perfect center-piece for this table. ( Thank-you ! )

The nice thing about hosting any kind of dinner, lunch, or tea, is you can be as creative as you like. Matching dishes are not necessary, and often I think mixing patterns and decorations makes it more fun . I am very thankful for the china my husband & I chose together so many years ago, and especially thankful my husband's father loves to gift his family with dishes they love to use.I am MOST thankful for the family assembled at our table and the abundance of food to fill our dishes to overflowing ~ gifts from God I do not take for granted."Enter His gates with Thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise, Give thanks to him; Bless His name." Psalm 100:4

I am joining these ladies for Tea Time Tuesday:

• Sandi *
• Martha *
• Terri*
• Kathy * 

TeaTime Tuesday

It is again TeaTime Tuesday hosted by Martha* and Lady Katherine* ! Just click onto their names and you will be magically whisked away to their blogs to see the teacups and tea party settings of many others . This is so much fun, I enjoy seeing all the teacups and tea settings.

The teacup I am using for my tea today is Blue Danube, by Noritake. This cup is one of many that go with my favorite set of china. You can see I have snack plates and napkin rings in my china pattern too. "The mere chink of cups and saucers turns the mind to happy repose." George Gissing

For tea today I had mint tea with my egg salad sandwich and grapes. "Hospitality and love go together like a teacup and saucer. Both can stand alone, but one without the other is not complete."

The grapes were part of my centerpiece, and I also added some of last weeks' tea cookies to the edible display. "I always fear that Creation will expire before teatime." Sydney Smith

A pretty ivy-filled pink polka dot tea pot~I just might use this tea pot in another Teacup Tuesday very soon. "Tea has qualities that refresh and relax, that warm and comfort. It was said in Victorian times that a good cup of tea would unlock all the secrets a woman carried in her heart." Mary Mason Campbell