Petals from the Basket

Blog

Currants for the Picking

"Red Currant" - Image courtesy of AdamR / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today’s post was contributed by my mom, Lorraine Strohbehn. On the last Friday of each month (most months), she shares a memory and a biblical principle with us. I think you’ll enjoy the real-life story—and the great lesson—from this month’s post: “Currants for the Picking.”

***

Several years ago, a lovely neighbor of ours said she was not going to use her currants that year, because she still had jelly from the abundant crop the year before. She told us we could have them for the picking. The beautiful jelly they made would be a yummy treat for our young family, so there was no problem getting everyone to share in the Saturday morning picking of the currants.

Before we left for the neighbor’s house that morning, we realized we had some bushes just like them right by our own house, so one of our daughters remained there to pick them. Sometime later, the group that picked at our neighbor’s garden returned with tired backs and a bucket filled with the small currants. The daughter who picked beside our house had a full cup to add to the bucket.

I could hardly wait until we ate the noon meal and cleared away the dishes so that I could begin making my first batch of currant jelly. Because of the high pectin content of currants—in fact, I didn’t even have to add any gelling agent—it didn’t take long at all! Soon, the jelly glasses were filled, and the process was completed. Fortunately for the family, there was just enough left so that we could try the new jelly that evening for supper. That called for a batch of hot biscuits in repayment for all of our labor!

The evening meal began, and we passed the biscuits, butter, and new currant jelly. One by one, the reaction was the same: puzzled looks, then squinting eyes, then grimaces from each person, and then the awful pronouncement that it was not good—but bitter! Right away, I called the person who used to live in our house: “What are the beautiful red berries on the bushes beside the house? Are they currants?” The reply was what we feared. No, they weren’t currants, and what’s more, they were poisonous! I explained that we had only put a cupful into that big bucket and asked if the whole thing was spoiled. Her reply was that yes, it was all spoiled.

First Corinthians 5:6 (KJV) says, “…Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” We all learned a dynamic lesson that day about the effects of what we thought of as a “little” choice. This lesson is one we need to remember on a daily basis when making choices. Will that “little decision” be consistent with what we want our lives to be or will it bring a stain (or even a drop of poison) to our testimonies for the Lord? It was only one little cup of poisonous berries in a whole bucket of good ones…but it spoiled the entire amount. Make wise choices today—even in the little things!

***

Thank you for reading “Currants for the Picking.”
Feel free to share your thoughts on this lesson
by leaving a comment below for Lorraine Strohbehn. 

***

Related posts contributed by Lorraine Strohbehn:

Saturdays, Scrub Brushes, and Sopranos

My One-Room School

Blessings at Brunch

By Petals from the Basket | April 26, 2013 | Bible Reading, Family, Guest Posts |

God’s Gracious Grocery Gift!

My fear in sharing things like what I am about to share with you is that the focus would go to human needs rather than God’s provision. However, because everyone has needs of some kind, I want to share a brief—but amazing—story about one of God’s many provisions. I do this with the hope that we will be reminded of what our God can do, and that we will all trust Him fully to meet whatever needs we have today!

At the risk of beating a dead horse, let me give a two-sentence background story for those who are new to Petals from the Basket. A little over a year ago, I unexpectedly lost my job. After realizing firsthand the extremely limited job market due to high nationwide unemployment, I began freelancing as a proofreader and editor; I eventually formed PEP Writing Services (Proofreading, Editing, and Publishing Preparation), and I am now officially “self-employed.”

Many of you have uplifted and encouraged me along my Journey of Joy (so named because nothing in my life is a “detour” to God!), and I am eternally grateful for you! It’s been a huge learning process for me, and it continues to be a means of teaching me more of Who God is. I hope that your journey contains some of the same elements and motivators.

When entering the world of self-employment, I was tickled pink to receive my first paycheck from a client. My friends rejoiced with me, and life moved forward. In the moving forward, I was reminded that the effects of unemployment or underemployment don’t end with the first paycheck. Long story short: for most of us—many of you included—while we are moving forward, we are also having to make up for “lost” time. It’s an ongoing struggle for anyone who has gone through a difficult time or a major trial. (If you haven’t already done so, this would be a great time to purchase and download a copy of The Death of a Dream, by Lorraine Strohbehn—my mom. You can do so here.)

But as I mentioned in the first paragraph, the point of this post is about the gracious, merciful provisions of my gracious, merciful God! On Saturday, I was able to buy a few “necessity” groceries, but still had relatively empty cupboards, containing only a few items. In this case, as I have tried to do all along the journey, I made my requests known to God (see Philippians 4:6), and I did not share the need with anyone else. (Yes, there are times to share our burdens with others and to seek their help, but I have felt strongly during this particular journey to share my requests with my heavenly Father so that I will know the answers are not manufactured by me but are magnificently provided by Him!)

Yesterday morning at church, a friend told me that she was changing her eating habits, and she needed to rid her pantry of several brand new, unopened grocery items. I had not spoken to her about my need; God did…and she listened! I was humbled and grateful, and I said I would meet her in the parking lot to get the items from her car. As you can see from the picture at the top of this post, “the items” ended up being four—yes, four—full grocery bags of canned goods, pasta, organic items, soups, mixes, oatmeal, cereal, and more! Jehovah-Jireh—God, my provider—through my friend’s generosity and her tenderness to God’s moving in her heart!

So I leave you with three verses and two questions:

* “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’…for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33, NASB)

* What possible problem do you have today that He cannot solve?

* What possible need do you have today for which He cannot provide?

______________________

Thank you for taking time to read
“God’s Gracious Grocery Gift.” 
Feel free to leave a comment below!

By Petals from the Basket | April 22, 2013 | Bible Reading, Events, Friends, Ideas, Life Changes |

A Revived Heart

Tuesday night, I was able to attend one of the sessions of the Revive Our Hearts “Revive Tour” (held at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago) and heard Nancy Leigh DeMoss speak from Isaiah 40 on “Making a Highway for King Jesus.” I have a niece who lives in the area, so she and a friend went with me. I can’t speak for them, but I can tell you that my heart was deeply blessed…and changed.

Those who regularly follow this blog know that I’m not an “idol worshiper” of people in high places. I admire leaders; I seek to learn from the teaching of those whose lives and ministries back up their authenticity, but I am guarded about following a person—probably because I’m a person too, and I know my own frailties and vulnerabilities well enough to know that every human faces those. My primary focus needs to be on the One Who never changes!

Nancy Leigh DeMoss

That’s why I seek spiritual leaders whose lives and whose writing/singing/preaching/teaching are saturated in God’s Word and point to Him. I can open a “Christian Living” book, leaf through it in three or four seconds, and tell you if I want to read it or not—all based on whether or not the Scriptures are included. Nancy Leigh DeMoss is clearly, by her writing, an avid student of the Bible, and her teaching is based on that; therefore, she is someone I sincerely admire and whose teaching (whether written or spoken) I will willingly (and often) put myself under. You’ll find some of Nancy’s books on my “Recommended Reading/Bookshelf” page: here.

 

Last night was personally a real highlight for me for several reasons (in no specific order):

With my Niece

*I got to worship God with my niece. We missed my other nieces (officially one niece and a niece-in-law), but it was a joy to learn God’s Word with this young woman of faith that I am privileged to serve as an auntie!

*In a “conference-style” setting at the beautiful Torrey-Gray Auditorium on the campus of Moody Bible Institute, the distractions of home were removed, and my heart was focused on the events of the evening.

Me with Shannon Wexelberg---Yes, that's a giant tear on my left cheek!

*Shannon Wexelberg was there. Hello. That right there would have been enough for me. At the risk of over-dramatizing her impact on my life this past year, I will state that her music has been used of God to serve as a lighthouse through some of the rough waters I’ve shared with you. Like Nancy’s teaching, Shannon’s music has one focus: the Almighty God! I went to the meeting with the excitement of meeting her but also with the slight fear of possibly finding out that perhaps she was a self-serving, lofty worship leader with the goal of simply selling more CDs (though her music would never imply that). Oh my heart, I cannot begin to tell you how far from the truth those fears ended up being. Shannon’s spirit of “real” and her humility of heart in her presentation of herself and her reflection of God’s love both on and off the platform were a firsthand validation of her desire for God to be magnified in her life and in her music.

Recently, I won Shannon’s newest CD, “Take Heart,” by simply tweeting about a blog post on Priscilla Shirer’s website: GoingBeyond.com. One song in particular, “Who You Say You Are,” has been a great blessing to me—daily. (You can click here to listen to a short sample of this song from the CD.) I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to thank Shannon in person for allowing God to use her talents for His glory, thereby using them in my life—also for his glory. In spite of my tears of gratitude (and really bad hair day—someone really should have told me not to try wearing it up in the midst of the Chicago wind), she was kind enough to take a picture with me and demonstrate in person her spirit of graciousness and humility. Thank you, Shannon!

*Nancy Leigh DeMoss shared a God-focused challenge from Isaiah 40. I won’t “re-preach” her message here (though you can read more about it here), but my bottom-line take-away was the following: I must (no options) remove any barriers or distractions that would prohibit my heart from being “A Highway for King Jesus.” My prayer following the meeting was, “Lord, I confess the distractions, accept your forgiveness, and ask you to send a revival—and start it in my heart!”

Here are the remaining dates and cities for the tour:

April 18–19/Grand Rapids, MI

May 14–15/Indianapolis, IN

May 16–17/Cleveland, OH

June 18–19/Lynchburg, VA

June 21-22/Lancaster, PA

Click here to go to the Revive Our Hearts website for additional information and tour details. If you’re on Twitter, look for the hashtag #revivetour.

There is sooo much more I’d love to share, but this has already been much longer than my desired blog-post length! I’ll end by saying that if you have the opportunity to attend one of the events in the remaining cities on the Revive Tour, go! Don’t ponder whether or not you can spare the time. Go! Be blessed, be encouraged, be stirred, and be changed!

—————————-

Have you been to a True Woman conference or one of the stops
on the Revive Tour?
If so, I’d love to hear (in a comment below) how
God used/is using it in your life!

 

By Petals from the Basket | April 18, 2013 | Books, Events, Life Changes, Music |

A Marathon of Prayer

As of the moment of this writing, details about the Boston Marathon explosions are unknown. But I am asking you to join me as we start a “marathon of prayer.” Let’s go the extra mile to pray for families in Boston—and around the world—who were affected by this tragedy. May the light of Christ shine in the midst of this dark, sad event. Will you join me?

By Petals from the Basket | April 15, 2013 | Events |