Being Faithful

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At all times we should commit our all to Jesus' faithful hand;
then, though life may hang on a thread, and adversities may multiply as the sands of the sea, our soul shall dwell at ease, and delight itself in the quiet resting places.

"Into Thine hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of Truth"
~Psalm 31:5

~Charles H. Spurgeon
Morning and Evening, page 481

Trampoline, Babies, and Fun

While the Hood family has been staying with us, some of the clan from Austin came down for a visit (Grandma, Emily, and Sophia). And the four girls played and played,and I occasionally helped them. :P

Naomi Hood in her bouncer!

The Grandma's!

"Emily, smile!"

I thought this was a cute picture of Mom and Nate!

The Cleaning Crew.

The four girls, or more like the four mommies with their babies.

What could be better in a summer in Houston, than to play on the trampoline with the sprinkler underneath! :)

Lemon Kale Chips

So, I got this email from Elana’s Pantry, just raving about these lemon kale chips. My first reaction upon hearing the two words together, "Kale Chips" was not pleasant. I mean, come on, who had the brilliant idea to coat those leafy greens in lemon, salt, and olive oil and bake them? Well, as you've already suspected, I was wrong. And now I just can't get enough of these chips. So, here is the recipe. I hope you will try them :).

Lemon Kale Chips

1 bunch kale (prepared and washed; I like the curly kind best)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1) preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) chop kale into 1/2 inch size pieces, place in a large bowl

3) with hands, massage oil, lemon juice, and salt into kale.

4) place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes until kale is dark green and crispy. Cool and serve. Enjoy!

In Christ,

~Micaela

Thoughts on Wool and Hard TImes

A bit ago, I announced a new project on my art blog (please visit there if you haven't in order for the rest of this post to make more sense!)

Let me share that knitting for these patients has been especially sweet for me. For the past year I have been searching around for an organization that will accept knitted donations. Mostly I was looking for something that I could identify with and feel somewhat attached to.

So, I was very excited and happy when a sweet friend told me about this project. It fit very well with my search requirements and gave me plenty of time to be preparing.

This has also brought some thoughts and seemingly endless strands of questions.

Mostly about the future owner of the knitted hat, wondering who the person is and what they are feeling; are they saved? Are they alone or do they have family? Is this their first treatment with chemo or just one in a long line of treatments? What is their prognosis like? What's their favorite color? But not to worry, I don't over analyze or contemplate about these questions!

These are a few of the things I have been thinking about as I knit.

It really is different creating something for a complete stranger. For one thing, I don't really bother too much about sizing or the shape of the head--which gives me more rooms to think about the texture and feel of the hat. I'm sure you didn't know that all of this went into knitting, well, now you know.

I also have an opportunity to write a wee note of encouragment for the receiver of my humble creations; this was another thing that attracted me to this project. It's brought on a great deal of prayer on what to say and how to say it. I have a burden to encourage them and give them some sort of hope, knowing that ultimately the greatest thing for them is to find their peace and strength in Him. This made me to think of the experiences of the writer of Lamentations, which caused him to say:

"I am the man who has seen affliction

under the rod of his wrath;

he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light...

He has made my flesh and skin waste away;

He has broken my bones.

He has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation,

He has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago..."

And through all of this, the writer continues to remark (which sums up what I would like to encourage them with):

"My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.

But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning,

great is Your faithfulness.

'The Lord is my portion', says my soul,

'therefore, I will hope in Him'."

Lamentations 3

In addition to the note of encouragment, I have a personal opportunity to pray for them.

This is something that, as a Believer, I am always able to do. I may not be able to physically comfort someone or say words of hope and peace, but I can always pray.

There have been many times where I wish that I could do something or be somewhere when it's just not possible, however, I do have the ability to keep the person and situation in prayer.

Because of that, I find a great comfort to know,

"For He delivers the needy when he calls,

the poor and him who has no helper.

He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.

From oppression and violence He redeems their life,

and precious is their blood in His sight."

Psalm 72

I am reminded of how much more the Lord loves and cares for His people, and how much more abundant is His ability to provide and keep them.