Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rules to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.
Praise the Lord!
- Load small things in the dishwasher first. If the big things dont fit, its easier to hand-wash a few of them than loads of small ones.
- Position dishes facing the water spray in the dishwasher. Don't put antiques, wooden items, pewter, cast iron or anything hand-painted with gold, silver, platinum or decoration in the dishwasher. Easy is good, but ruining Grandmas china is BAD! Gold is hand applied.
- Place a soft towel on the bottom of the sink as a cushion when washing fine china or glassware by hand.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar to the soak and the rinse water. It reduces grease, helps food residue dissolve, and makes dishes sparkling clean. I personally like the soap and shower method over sink and share the ick. Do you bathe after you shower?
- Clean stains on a glass decanter by washing immediately clean out fast. Lead leaches. Pour in some uncooked rice, swish solution around, then rinse. Vinegar the pots, that works, if they cool. Otherwise guard your hands and get the pot clean while it's still very hot. Works best while just off the stove.
- Remove odors from wooden cutting boards by rubbing with half a cut lemon.
- Quick-clean a blender or food processor by filling it one-third full with warm water. Add a few drops of dish-washing liquid and run it for 10 seconds. Rinse and dry.
- Clean soft cheese from a grater by rubbing a raw potato or cut lemon over the grater openings.
- Rinse dishes that have been used for mixing or beating eggs, milk or cheese with cold water first, then wash with hot water. Hot water cooks those foods and makes the pans and bowls harder to clean. So cold first to clean it off and hot second to sanitize!
- Or soak overnight with dryer Bounce sheets. There are chemicals. If you can't stand that and after a while - don't do this too often - it'll smell like Bounce, but mannnn it cleans. Vinegar is the other overnight solution.
- Wash plastic storage containers with a solution of 4 tablespoons baking soda to 1 quart warm water to remove odors or stains. Rinse with fresh water and dry.
The Stories of Israel are our stories. Back and forth. Personally I had a Thanksgiving where even the cold winds could Not stop the joy of the hearth & the gratitude.I was so cheerful, I was annoying. We started family Thanksgiving last Saturday, which was grand. And they departed.
Then more guests. Then three days. Then FISH!!!
So my husband and I fled - to the grocery store - in glee - for the third time on Thanksgiving Day. Shhhh. It was a rouse to get out of the house. And I said to Edward, "What would St. Peter or Paul do with this?" And Edward laughed and said, "That Saint would be Called Forth to ANTIOCH!" I married him for a reason. The day was brighter. Except he spent the Thanksgiving morning doing sports!!! (Next year, honey, you spend the morning out, we eat o u t!!!)
(Now, the truth is, that I would love to tattle about that situation ...now. But I have a new rule. The person I'd like to complain about is only complained about when they are in my house. Beware. Shh.)
What is missing in our lives, the telephone. You check FB. The world has a lot of glee.
I'm for glee. But when you call the people on the phone you find people are grappling with the world not always being fun. And I'm for prayer - Father God, let us apply solutions to our lives for improving Thanksgiving Day. Let us pray if we had a great Thanksgiving, that others would have that as well. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Psalm 147 shares the water analogy of Psalm 107. Life does not rest in one angle. Not lush springs, not drought. Only in Jesus is the victory eternal. Gratitude, when it comes from our own soul can run dry. But if we count upon Living Waters of Jesus - then we bounce. Speaking with an old friend, beloved, older, public figure, we all have those times were the Day is not going to be gleeful. And what you learn speaking with them, is it's in the forgiveness the day goes into bounce mode. Life is made from the decision to know HE is in charge. Learning to be the Light.
What I know, and the dear friend knows, is that Light is coming into the World.
And now we get to celebrate 'with' Light.
He strengthens
He blesses
He makes peace
He fills you with the finest of the wheat
He sends
His Word runs swiftly
He gives
He scatters
He sends out His word, and melts them
Praise God.
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