THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

August 18, 2021

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

I have always had a big imagination. When I was about four or five years old, I had an imaginary friend named Loretta Martin. I would talk to her and we'd "play" together; until one day (in my mind) I saw her get on her horse and ride away, and she never returned.

I had some little plastic farm animals that I'd play with outside in the dirt. Mama would give me some jar lids and I'd dig down in the dirt to put them down in, fill them with water, and those was the ponds for my animals to drink from. Mama started doing that, after I realized that digging holes in the dirt for my ponds wouldn't hold water. I'd use sticks as fences. That was one of my favorite things to play.

I've been an avid reader ever since I learned how to read. I found that fictional books were a way of "seeing" different parts of the world and into the make-believe lives of people, whom the author had imagined and made up. I could read a fictional book to escape hardships, heart-ache, stress and it helped me to relax; because I knew that the books, that I chose to read, would always have a happy ending. Reading is my favorite way to escape from the real world and relax from time to time.

As an adult, I still use my imagination and daydream at times. I remodel my kitchen or redecorate a room in my house or make beautiful flower gardens in my yard; and it's all free, when it's all done in my mind. I can think about travel and vacations without ever leaving my home. I look at houses and house plans online and think about what I'd want in my dream home.

I love it when I see kids playing and using their imagination! It makes my heart happy when I'm babysitting and see the little ones pretending various things. When I see little girls playing with their baby dolls and acting like they're the mama, it makes me smile. Little boys racing their little matchbook cars around the room or roaring loudly like a dinosaur makes me laugh. It is healthy for children to learn how to use their imagination! It's a useful skill that they will use all of their lives.

Inventors invent due to ideas and things that they dream up in their imagination. Musicians write lyrics and music, due to using their imaginations. Kids do word math problems at school by imagining what the question is asking and being able to figure out the math behind it. Quilters dream up quilt patterns, seamstress' design and sew clothing, and people design homes, vehicles, furniture, appliances, and all manner of things by using their imaginations. Authors create characters and stories by daydreaming and using their imaginations. It's a needed skill, and one that God gave mankind.

But there are times when using our imaginations can be damaging and have negative consequences. When individuals use their minds to scheme and think up evil plans to hurt others and bring about destruction and death, that's misusing what God has gifted mankind. When using the imagination causes an individual to commit a sexual sin, whether it be by watching porn or committing adultery or committing a sexual offense, then that goes against God's Word. Anything that fills your imagination with sinful thoughts, potentially leading to sinful behavior, is going against something good and powerful that God put inside of men and women. Satan can take something good that God has put inside mankind and cause it to be misused and abused; causing people to sin and fall away from the Father.

But there are many times when I daresay most of us don't go to those extremes of using our imaginations in a sinful, ungodly way. But we still find ways to take something good and allow negativity to fill our minds, so that our thoughts are not what God would desire.

Have you ever had an argument with someone or conversations in your mind? "If they say this......, then I'm going to say......" They better not do this.... or I'm going to do..." When I see them, I'm going to tell them......." "I bet they're thinking this......, and I didn't even do or say...." We have all of these things planned out in our thoughts, and will sometimes spend hours or days meditating upon these imaginary conversations! They never come to pass or happen like we dream up! We waste so much time, when we could be praying about the situation instead.

One time I had been with someone and thought that we had had a good time. We were with a group and had laughed and visited and enjoyed ourselves. About an hour or so after I had left, I received a text about something that I had said in the middle of a conversation about a particular subject. My intention was to just contribute to the conversation and share something I was doing, that pertained to what we were talking about, like everyone else was doing. Something I said was completely misunderstood and misconstrued. They took what I said personally against someone close to them, when that was never my intent. In fact, I hadn't even thought about that person, because they had nothing to do with what I had said. I was shocked when I heard from this person, because I had no idea that they would even think what they did. After we left one another, they must have started ruminating about it, until they got worked up and upset with me.

We've probably all done something along those lines. Something comes to mind that someone said, then we start wondering if they were trying to make a point to us about a particular thing..... worrying about it..... frustrated and upset and worked up over something that the other person likely doesn't even know that we are upset about. We may even get angry with someone, when they are clueless. We imagine things that aren't true, and often allow those thoughts to grow and become magnified in our mind. We get our feelings hurt, when someone wasn't even directing what they said about or against us, and they were innocently making conversation. We misconstrue words. That is the work of the devil within our minds, to cause division and anger and to try and control our attitude and thoughts.

Let's be careful what kind of imaginations we allow to control our thought. If it's not beneficial to us or others, get rid of them! If it's causing division or hurt in a relationship, let them go. If it is keeping your thoughts on everything except Jesus, change them!

"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable -- if there is any virtue and if there is anything worthy of praise -- dwell on these things." Philippians 4:8

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

Accidents do happen. We can say the wrong thing, or even do the wrong thing, and hurt someone close to us. We aren't perfect.

When someone has been offended, it takes some courage to confront a friend or family about it. It would be safer to just keep quiet about it, and let it go. When we want to talk it out, it isn't easy to start, or to talk about it at all.

So, if someone does need to confront you about something, imagine how hard it was for them to bring it up. If you go on the attack, imagine how hard it will be for them next time. Of course, I don't think you would physically attack a friend for speaking up, but isn't it easy to start accusing them of making it up, blowing things out of proportion, or even misunderstanding? It's natural to defend ourselves and push all the blame on the person who thinks they are a victim, and try to turn it around so we are the victim instead.

But that doesn't really help anyone. All it accomplishes is to push them away, and keep them from working up courage to speak up again. And it doesn't make them feel any less offended, just offended and brushed off.

So, stop, and consider how they might feel first. We've written about taking every situation in love, and having compassion for one another. This is a perfect opportunity to put that into practice.

ON THE MENEWE:

Potato Cakes

(My mama used to make these when I was growing up. I hadn't had them for many years, and had actually forgotten about them, until seeing someone make them on an online cooking show I was watching. I went by that lady's recipe and made them recently for me and Jon. Jon had never had potato cakes before, and really liked them; and so do I.)

Put cold leftover mashed potatoes in a mixing bowl. For me and Jon I used about 2 heaping spoonfuls, which is probably about 1 to 1-1/2 cups. Add egg and mix well. Add in black pepper, garlic powder and any other seasonings you might like (I used a little smoked paprika). Dice some onion into small chunks and stir. Add in a little self-rising flour; around 1-2 tablespoons. Heat some olive oil in a skillet (I like using a cast iron skillet so that they will brown nicely, but don't get the pan too hot). Place potato mixture on hot pan by the spoonful, keeping a little distance between each spoonful. Cook for a few minutes to allow potato to brown nicely. Flip over and allow to brown on the other side. After flipping, you can mash each potato cake down a little with the spatula to flatten out some, if desired. After potato cakes are nicely browned on each side, place on a serving plate. Eat while hot.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

I love when I get good recommendations, so am going to pass along a few to you:

If you enjoy watching down-home cooking videos that that are fun and good recipes, I enjoy watching Cooking With Brenda Gantt on Facebook. You can look her up, then "Like" her page and her videos will pop up on your newsfeed. I've also been going back and watching older cooking videos from the past several months that she videoed before I started watching her.

My very favorite drink is sweet tea..... not just any sweet tea, but it's gotta be good sweet tea! I recently heard about and ordered some tea bags that makes some of the very best sweet tea I've ever had. The name is "Y'All Sweet Tea" and you have to order from their website by that same name. It only comes in 1 gallon tea bags. Follow the instructions on back of the bag exactly and you will have a gallon of delicious tea! The tea also stays fresh for several day, if kept in a covered pitcher in your refrigerator.

My favorite genre of books to read is historical christian fiction. My very favorite author for that genre is Connilyn Cossette. Her first series is "Out From Egypt", which is a three book series and should be read in order. Her second series was a follow up and is "Cities of Refuge", which has four books, and also need to be read in order. Her most recent series was made up of two books and is "The Covenant House", also needing to be read in order to best enjoy them. Her books are the best I've ever read for biblical historical fiction. Connilyn is a very talented and gifted author.

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

I love it when God interrupts my thoughts and reminds me that the battle is not mine, but His. - unknown

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org