Thursday, March 24, 2011

A Joyful Noise


Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.


Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.


Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.


Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.


For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Don't you just feel like every one of the verses in Psalm 100 ought to have an exclamation point at the end of it?  I love this Psalm....possibly best of all.  I hope it encourages you reading it!



Saturday, March 19, 2011

A Giveaway!


Farrah, of The Old Fashioned Home Keeper, is having a wonderful giveaway on her blog
Do go check it out!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Everything is Yours


When all the world is blossoming
When everything around is bursting into life
And I don't have to strain to hear the beat of Your heart

When all the world is under fire
and the skies are threatening to thunder and rain
And I am overcome by fears that I can't see

If everything is Yours
Everything is Yours
If everything is Yours
I'm letting it go
No it was never mine to hold
No, never mine

 

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Lentil Love



As much as I love lentils, they are not very photogenic, poor things.  Luckily they taste better than they picture...this dish, "Garden Lentil Pilaf" by Ellie Krieger, is right up my alley.  I made it for the first time last night and ate all four servings myself.  Yeah...I definitely went crazy for it.


For me, it was a bit pricey simply because of the fresh herbs, which I don't grow myself so the store ousts my wallet for them ($3 a bundle).  *faints*  But, the fresh herbs really make this recipe, so if you do decide to make it, please do not leave them out.  Hopefully you have a more budget-friendly source for your greens than I.


Along with salt & pepper, the recipe calls for fresh-squeezed lemon juice.  Mmmmm...I love anything sour.  Gimme!  Gimme! :)  And now...for the recipe:

1 cup green lentils
2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons diced shallots
3 cups baby spinach leaves (I used bok choy because I had it on hand and crave it)
1 cup, halved grape tomatoes (I used yellow ones for contrast)
1/4 cup fresh basil - chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint - chopped
1/4 fresh parsley - chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the lentils in a pot with the water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, but still retain their shape, 30 - 35 minutes.  (I could have reduced the cooking time to 25 minutes...mine were a little over cooked).  Drain any excess water from the lentils and set them aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skilled over medium-high heat.  Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, cooked lentils, basil, mint, and parsley to the pan and stir to combine.  Cook until warmed through, about 1 minute.  Stir in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and serve.

Enjoy!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Fresh Ones



~*~*~*~*~*~

"Dear Revel,
What a beautiful surprise you gave me this morning, bringing those lovely dewey flowers for me to take with me!  I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  It is just what I wanted, to get fresh ones, with roots."

~ From The Girl of the Woods by Grace Livingston Hill

Friday, March 11, 2011

Smile



~*~*~*~*~*~

Because it's good for you.

Yesterday I thought of waves...




~*~*~*~*~*~

I wrote this after dinner last night...

~*~*~*~*~*~

I sail the waves
between your words,
on a good day
when the wind is ripe.
 
Each crest a triumph
of a freshly parted syllable,
plucked from the
stillness of the swelling current.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Not Mine



~*~*~*~*~*~

...but couldn't resist.  Scrabble me weak-kneed.

Poetry in the Sky



~*~*~*~*~*~

It happens whenever I look up.