Grandma’s Hands

 

“Grandma, how do you cope with pain?”

“With your hands, honey. If you do it with your mind instead of relieving the pain, it toughens even harder.”

“With your hands grandma?”

“Yes, our hands are the antennae of our soul. If you move them; knitting, cooking, painting, playing or sinking them into the ground, you send care signs to the deepest part of you and your soul lights up because you’re paying attention to it. Then signs of pain will no longer be necessary.”

“Hands are really that important?”

“Yes my daughter. Think of babies: they start to know the world through the touch of their hands. If you look at the hands of old people, they tell you more about their life then any body part. Everything that is done by hand is said to be done with the heart. Because it’s really like this: hands and heart are connected. Masseurs know well: when they touch someone with their hands, they create a deep connection. It is precisely from this connection that healing comes. Think of lovers: when they touch their hands, they make love in a more sublime way.”

“My hands grandma.... how long I haven’t used them like this!”

“Move them, my love. Begin to create with them and everything within you will begin to move. The pain will not pass away. And instead what you do with them will become the most beautiful masterpiece and it won’t hurt anymore. Because you have been able to transform its essence..

Artist Credit : Claudia Tremblay

Sexual demons

SEXUAL TRANSMITTED DEMONS

There is a spiritual aspect to sexual sin that is always overlooked, due to one wanting to please the flesh. Sexual sin is more dangerous than any STD combined, this is the real STD. There is not a condom in the world that could prevent SEXUAL

TRANSMITTED DEMONS. When you have sex with someone, you exchange/obtain whatever spirits they have or are battling with. You take on their qualities, behaviors, ideology ... why do you think God wanted us to wait until marriage?? Why did God say "when you get married you are one now" ??? And why do you think God said our bodies are a temple? Please, be very mindful of your choices. It will effect you now or in the future. You don't know what someone is depositing in your body that will affect your spirit. Spiritually in God's eye, when you have sex with someone, you are now connected/married to that person or persons. Let alone if you are sleeping with multiple individuals then you are depositing their inner demons with your spirit and vice versa. Spirits are real and so are demons.If you are not yet married stop sleeping around and if you are married stop ADULTERY 

scriptures on sexual immorality- Acts 15:29, 1 Corinthians 5 1-5, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 4:19, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7, Revelation 2:14-16

I Like You Just For Being You

 God is ALWAYS at work in our lives!

“A good portion of my pro-bono work is defending abused children. It’s a cause close to my heart.  In the course of my work I met a man who was an adult survivor. You wouldn’t have known it looking at him. He was this gigantic Polynesian guy. Wild curly hair. I think of him every time I see Khal Drogo on GoT. He was counseling some of the little kids, and doing a fantastic job of it.

I visited his home to get his opinion on something and I noticed a little toy on his desk. It was Trolley. Naturally curious, I asked him about it. This is what he told me:

“The most dangerous time for me was in the afternoon when my mother got tired and irritable. Like clockwork. Now, she liked to beat me in discreet places so my father wouldn’t see the bruises. That particular day she went for the legs. Not uncommon for her. I was knocked down and couldn’t get back up. Also not uncommon. She gave me one last kick, the one I had come to learn meant ‘I’m done now’. Then she left me there upstairs, face in the carpet, alone. I tried to get up, but couldn’t. So I dragged myself, arm over arm, to the television, climbed up the tv cabinet and turned on the TV. 

“And there was Mr. Rogers. It was the end of the show and he was having a quiet, calm conversation with those hundreds of kids. In that moment, he seemed to look me in the eye when he said ‘And I like you just for being you’. In that moment, it was like he was reaching across time and space to say these words to me when I needed them most.

“It was like the hand of God. It hit me in the soul. I was a miserable little kid. I was sure I was a horrible person. I was sure I deserved every last moment of abuse, every blow, every bad name. I was sure I earned it, sure I didn’t deserve better. I *knew* all of these things … until that moment. If this man, who I hadn’t even met, liked me just for being me, then I couldn’t be all bad. Then maybe someone could love me, even if it wasn’t my mom.

“It gave me hope. If that nice man liked me, then I wasn’t a monster. I was worth fighting for. From that day on, his words were like a secret fortress in my heart. No matter how broken I was, no matter how much it hurt or what was done to me, I could remember his words, get back on my feet, and go on for another day.

“That’s why I keep Trolley there. To remind me that, no matter how terrible things look, someone who had never met me liked me just for being me, and that makes even the worst day worth it to me. I know how stupid it sounds, but Mr. Rogers saved my life.”

The next time I saw him, he was talking to one of my little clients. When they were done with their session, he helped her out of her chair, took both of her hands, looked her in the eyes and said: “And remember, I like you just for being you.” 

That, to me, is Mr. Rogers’ most powerful legacy. All of the little lives he changed and made better with simple and sincere words of love and kindness."

How do you deal with pain

Grandma, how do you deal with pain?

" With your hands, dear. When you do it with your mind, the pain hardens even more."

“With your hands, grandma?"

" Yes, yes. Our hands are the antennas of our soul. When you move them by sewing, cooking, painting, touching the earth or sinking it into the earth, they send signals of caring to the deepest part of you and your soul calms down.

This way she doesn't have to send pain anymore to show it.

" Are hands really that important?"

" Yes, my girl. Thinking of babies: they get to know the world thanks to their touches. When you look at the hands of older people, they tell more about their lives than any other part of the body. Everything that is made by hand, so is said, is made with the heart because it really is like this: hands and heart are connected. Masseuses know this: When they touch another person's body with their hands, they create a deep connection. Thinking of lovers: When their hands touch, they love each other in the most sublime way."

" My hand's grandma... how long haven't I used them like that!"

" Move them, my girl, start creating with them and everything in you will move. The pain will not pass away. But it will be the best masterpiece. And it won't hurt anymore. Because you managed to embroider your essence."

~ Elena Barnabé

Art by Beatriz Maciel

Focaccia Bread

 Fresh Focaccia Bread right out of the oven

2 1/2 c. Flour

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. Salt

1 put. Yeast

1 c. Plus a tablespoon or 2 of water

Drizzle of olive oil

[ grated cheese & oregano, olive oil ]

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in water, add sugar and salt, add some olive oil, then add flour... add more water if needed slowly. Shape in ball, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise 1 hour

Now spray 8 x 12 Pyrex with non-stick spray.

Mix dough and place in Pyrex dish. With fingers spread across bottom of Pyrex dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with oregano, and cover with grated cheese. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 1/2 hour

Preheat oven for 350 degrees. Bake 30 - 35 min... Oh Yummy

Candlelight

 

MY GRANDMOTHER ONCE TOLD ME that each of us has a candle inside us just bursting to come out and light up the room. "Just imagine," she told me, "if everyone's candle burst out at the same time! "

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I TRIED TO WRAP my mind around the idea that there was a candle inside me, a lit candle ... "Oh, what a wonderful day that would be!!!" she said.

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"Why grandma?"

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"Why? ... because there'd be no more darkness, no more sorrow, no more suffering, no more violence, no more killing ... the world would be bathed in light and happiness and joy and love ... "

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I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT for a bit. How difficult it might be to get everybody's light to shine at once. I told grandma that.

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SHE CHUCKLED, then said: "You just make sure your light is shinin' bright ... "

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AND FOR many decades now, I've been tryin' ...

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I've been tryin', grandma ... I've been tryin' ... 🌺🌸💓

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~ author Michael Traveler, author/poet

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What is holodomor

 Thank you Joe  Becigneul for sharing

At the entrance to the memorial park in Kyiv, there is a sculpture of an extremely thin girl with a very sad look holding a handful of wheat ears in her hands.  Behind her back is the Candle of Remembrance, a monument with details reminiscent of authentic embroidery that can be found on traditional Ukrainian costumes.  This is a monument that commemorates a historical event known as the Holodomor.

 What is the Holodomor?

After the end of the First World War, Ukraine was an independent state, but in 1919 the Soviet Union "sucked" it into the community of Soviet states.  The Ukrainians, who even then considered themselves a Central European people like the Poles and not an Eastern European like the Russians, tried to restore Ukraine's independence.

In 1932, not wanting to lose control of Europe's main granary, Stalin resorted to one of the most heinous forms of terror against one nation.  In the process of nationalization, he took away the grain-producing land from the Ukrainian peasants, but also all its offerings, thus creating an artificial famine.  The goal was to "teach Ukrainians to be smart" so that they would no longer oppose official Moscow.  Thus the people who produced the most grain in Europe were left without a crumb of bread.  The peak of the Holodomor was in the spring of 1933. In Ukraine at that time, 17 people died of hunger every minute, more than 1,000 every hour, and almost 24,500 every day!  People were literally starving to death in the streets.

Stalin settled the Russian population in the emptied Ukrainian villages.  During the next census, there was a large shortage of population.  Therefore, the Soviet government annulled the census, destroyed the census documents, and the enumerators were shot or sent to the gulag, in order to completely hide the truth. 

World War.  Their poison gas was hunger.  Their Hitler was Stalin.  Their Holocaust was the Holodomor.  For them, fascist Berlin was Soviet Moscow, and their concentration camp was the Soviet Union.  Today, 28 countries around the world present the Holodomor as genocide against Ukrainians, which you could not learn about in school, because almost all evidence was destroyed and victims were covered up for decades, survivors were forcibly silenced by not having the right to vote until recently.

The Holodomor at that time broke the Ukrainian resistance, but it made the desire for Ukraine's independence from Russia eternal.

Camels Are On The Horizon!

                                     Thank you Chad Perry for sharing

Be Yourself

 “She sat at the back and they said she was shy,

She led from the front and they hated her pride,

They asked her advice and then questioned her guidance,

They branded her loud, then were shocked by her silence,

When she shared no ambition they said it was sad,

So she told them her dreams and they said she was mad,

They told her they'd listen, then covered their ears,

And gave her a hug while they laughed at her fears,

And she listened to all of it thinking she should,

Be the girl they told her to be best as she could,

But one day she asked what was best for herself,

Instead of trying to please everyone else,

So she walked to the forest and stood with the trees,

She heard the wind whisper and dance with the leaves,

She spoke to the willow, the elm and the pine,

And she told them what she'd been told time after time,

She told them she felt she was never enough,

She was either too little or far far too much,

Too loud or too quiet, too fierce or too weak,

Too wise or too foolish, too bold or too meek,

Then she found a small clearing surrounded by firs,

And she stopped...and she heard what the trees said to her,

And she sat there for hours not wanting to leave,

For the forest said nothing, it just let her breathe"

Unknown

Resonating

Chicken Croquettes Pa Dutch Recips

 

INGREDIENTS

  2 c. cooked chicken, ground leftover chicken works great

2 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. flour

1 c. half and half you can substitute with regular milk

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. minced onion flakes

2 eggs

1/2 - 1 c. panko or regular bread crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS 

To make the sauce, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Slowly pour in the half and half, whisking as you are pouring.

Cook, and stir constantly until a smooth paste is formed. Remove from the heat and add the seasonings. Cool.

Mix the chopped chicken with the creamy sauce. Form into 9 - 12 balls and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Dip the balls into beaten eggs, then roll into bread crumbs.

Deep fat fry several croquettes at a time, with your oil between 325° and 350°, for several minutes until they are golden brown.

Remove the croquettes with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Croquettes are delicious served with chicken gravy and mashed potatoes.

NOTES

If you are in a hurry to make the croquettes, you do not have to chill the sauce or the croquettes. You can mix, dip, and fry them right away. They are just messier to work with when they are warm.

If you prefer, you can pan-fry your croquettes instead of deep-frying them.

Rosemarry

 Thank You Michelle Gantt Davis for sharing this.

A little long but wanted to share my rosemary / migraine story.  I have shared before but was reminded again this week how life changing it has been for me. Most of my life I have had chronic migraines, 4 or 5 a week sometimes lasting for several days at a time.  I couldn’t even tell you how many medications, both prescription and over the counter that I tried.  Some helped, most didn’t , nothing got rid of these headaches. The ones that helped made me so sleepy I felt like I wasn’t able to function like I should.   I even joined trial medication migraine studies at the recommendation of my doctor, kinda scary to think about now. One day while cooking  I nibbled  on some fresh rosemary.  Within 30 minutes my migraine was gone.  At first I thought just a coincidence but decided to try it again with my next migraine and it worked!  I was eventually able to stop all migraine medications and as long as I nibble a little rosemary every few days I seldom got a migraine.  But then my rosemary plant died, busy with work and the holidays I kept forgetting to buy another.   Had a few headaches but nothing major and debilitating until yesterday.   I ended up taking something over the counter for the first time in years, didn’t help at all.   Hubby offered to go buy a rosemary plant while I tried to sleep it off.  Just that little nibble of my new plant and my headache eased up tremendously!  I had let it get too bad to work in one dose but after using the rosemary several times it was gone!!  Thankful God provides us with his natural remedies!! Thankful that hubby went out in the weather to come to my rescue!!   

(I chew 2 or 3 of the little leaves if at the onset of a migraine.  If that doesn’t help, I wait 30 minutes and chew a few more.  1st usually works,  if I wait too long I need 2 doses)

****Just a reminder if you choose to try, rosemary, it can interfere with some medications and shouldn’t be used if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant so research before you try.

Jesus Pray’s

                 JESUS PRAYS 

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Allow me to be transparent, find this very convicting.

Rarely pray more than 20-30’minutes at a stretch.

Yet the One who was closest to the Father, always led by the Spirit, who knew exactly what to do, prayed.

Can we do less?

Father forgive us for our lack of prayer may 

Your Spirit take our prayers & intercede for us 

& for those we love make us prayer warriors 

in Jesus’ name 

Amen

Picture from:  

Muscotah United Church

Muscotah KS

Momma

 

YOUR MOM IS YOUR MOM...Nobody can replace her...Nobody should replace her...Nobody can do half the things  she does, or has done,for you...Nobody can compare to her...Only God can love you more than  she does...She’s only one person...But she’s the person that matters the most...DO YOU LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOUR MOM? No matter where she is ...In Heaven...Or here on earth! There is nothing like a mother’s love!

Mourning

In the Lakota-Sioux tradition, a person who is grieving is considered most wakan, most holy. There's a sense that when someone is struck by the sudden lightning of loss, he or she stands on the threshold of the spirit world. The prayers of those who grieve are considered especially strong, and it is proper to ask them for their help.

You might recall what it's like to be with someone who has grieved deeply. The person has no layer of protection, nothing left to defend. The mystery is looking out through that person's eyes. For the time being, he or she has accepted the reality of loss and has stopped clinging to the past or grasping at the future. In the groundless openness of sorrow, there is a wholeness of presence and a deep natural wisdom.

~ Tara Brach

Art by Frank Howell

Babies cells

 

“When pregnant, the cells of the baby migrate into the mothers bloodstream and then circle back into the baby, it’s called “fetal-maternal microchimerism”.⁠

For 41 weeks, the cells circulate and merge backwards and forwards, and after the baby is born, many of these cells stay in the mother’s body, leaving a permanent imprint in the mothers tissues, bones, brain, and skin, and often stay there for decades. Every single child a mother has afterwards will leave a similar imprint on her body, too.

Even if a pregnancy doesn't go to full term or if you have an abortion, these cells still migrate into your bloodstream.

Research has shown that if a mother's heart is injured, fetal cells will rush to the site of the injury and change into different types of cells that specialize in mending the heart.

The baby helps repair the mother, while the mother builds the baby.

How cool is that?

This is often why certain illnesses vanish while pregnant.

It’s incredible how mothers bodies protect the baby at all costs, and the baby protects & rebuilds the mother back - so that the baby can develop safely and survive.

Think about crazy cravings for a moment. What was the mother deficient in that the baby made them crave?

Studies have also shown cells from a fetus in a mothers brain 18 years after she gave birth. How amazing is that?” 

If you’re a mom you know how you can intuitively feel your child even when they are not there….Well, now there is scientific proof that moms carry them for years and years even after they have given birth to them.

I find this to be so very beautiful.