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SB-song_sparrow_peekaboo_4-22-12

Please, Papa

Weekly Devotional
Written by Joan Tyvoll
Thursday, 17 May 2012 12:59
“Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored.” Matthew 6:9 I was asked to give a devotional at a baby shower a few weeks ago. As I spoke about parenting from the Bible, my heart was moved by the truth I was teaching. The truth is that we have a loving Father in heaven who watches over us. The truth is that our Father guards us and guides us. Our Father teaches us care for our children as loving parents, because that is just what he does for us every day of our lives. We have a good heavenly Father. What a blessing it was to have my Father remind me of that. My Father reminded me of his divine care a few days later when a young missionary friend came to visit. My friend Dayn revels in his relationship with his heavenly Father. It is evident in how he talks about God and how he prays. “Papa”, Dayn calls him. When he prays, he prays to his Papa. Papa brings heaven near. Papa bends down to listen. Papa delights to talk to his child. Papa gives good gifts to his beloved. Papa gives him visions and special words for specific needs and circumstances. How we all need that, friends, but it is hard to realize sometimes. I am so glad the Father understands that it is hard for us to get. He sent Jesus to teach us that he is really our loving, heavenly Papa. I am convinced Jesus had this purpose in mind when he taught all of us love-starved children about the Father in the gospels. For a long time – too long – God’s people were distanced from the Father by barriers such as human sin and religious rules and regulations about how and when to reach out to him. Several generations of incompetent and self-serving shepherds made it hard for people to have a true picture of the Father. Jesus Christ came with the good news that the Father is indeed our heavenly Papa and that we can reach out to him as we reach out to the most loving of fathers here on earth. I forget that. Sometimes I forget that. I fall into a habit of praying as if I have to convince God to be kind and good. I act as if my arguments will change his hard heart towards my loved ones and will somehow release his reluctant healing and help. Sometimes I pray as if his first wish towards me is for harm and not for my benefit. It is as if I forget the truth about his grace and mercy and good plans for those who love and serve him. So as I read Matthew this week with the memory of my young friend’s confident and intimate prayers in mind, I hear Jesus calling me back to my heavenly Papa. As I pray this week, I am asking Papa to give me the faith to see him as he really is. He is my Papa who loves me, listens to me, delights in me and answers me when I pray. What a difference it makes to start my prayers from a place of a Papa’s love. Dear Friends, I know that there are many of our R&BT readers in hard places right now. I hope this reminder of our heavenly Father’s love will be a real source of encouragement and hope for you. Papa’s Word is the best place to find that hope, friends. I encourage you all to meditate on the Fresh Bread Scriptures this week and start from that true place as you talk to our Father this week. In the Papa’s Love, Joan Tyvoll Norwegian Ridge Retreat “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored.” Matthew 6:9 I was asked to give a devotional at a baby shower a few weeks ago. As I spoke about parenting from the Bible, my heart was moved by the truth I was teaching. The truth is that we have a loving Father in heaven who watches over us. The truth is that our Father guards us and guides us. Our Father teaches us care for our children as loving parents, because that is just what he does for us every day of our lives. We have a good heavenly Father. What a blessing it was to have my Father remind me of that. My Father reminded me of his divine care a few days later when a young missionary friend came to visit. My friend Dayn revels in his relationship with his heavenly Father. It is evident in how he talks about God and how he prays. “Papa”, Dayn calls him. When he prays, he prays to his Papa. Papa brings heaven near. Papa bends down to listen. Papa delights to talk to his child. Papa gives good gifts to his beloved. Papa gives him visions and special words for specific needs and circumstances. Add a comment
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My Bleeding Heart

In The Garden
Written by Joan Tyvoll
Thursday, 03 May 2012 12:17
The Bleeding Hearts are blooming their little hearts out right now. It seems like we just divided those plants last summer, but this is their second year already. And yes, they need to be divided again. I know we found a happy spot for them, but the fact is bleeding hearts just love to bloom. It is really, really hard to kill a Bleeding Heart, gardening friends! There are many varieties of Bleeding Hearts, but I must admit I am most fond of the Old Fashioned variety. A master gardener friend pointed out that one of my favorite early spring wild flower, Dutchman's breeches, is also in the Dicentra family. Of course it is! It is so fun to learn new things, and now I know that Dicentra cucullaria is the official name for those fairy flowers I can’t get enough pictures of in the spring. I am re-posting this piece on these lovely flowers, and dedicating them to my grandchildren who are loving fairy tales more all the time. I hope you enjoy it too. My Bleeding Heart I love the name because it usually starts like this: Old Fashioned… then you add the Bleeding Heart part and I’m hooked. What a winsome name for a lovely flower! It is sure to strike a cord in any of us who love the things that “used to be”. Add a touch of romance with that old time lover’s bleeding heart, and you have the perfect plant for a traditional, old fashioned garden. We have been subscribing to a magazine called Reminisce for several years now. It is a magazine that promises to “bring back the good times”. For someone who loves history and the “Good Old Days” it sure lives up to that promise. Within a week we have the magazine read cover to cover, and the crossword puzzle done as a team. Last summer I found a little tidbit from Reminisce about Old Fashioned Bleeding Hearts. Did you know there is a story that goes with its unique blooms? I had never heard it before, but here is the most common rendition of the sad tale of the Bleeding Heart. As you tell it to your children and grandchildren, hold the bloom in your hand and follow the directions). “A young prince fell deeply in love with a princess, but that vain girl ignored him, though he tried and tried to win her heart. One day, the prince sent her a pair of pretty pink rabbits with their ears folded back (carefully pull the two heart-shaped lobes of the flower off). Did those pink rabbits impress the princess? NO! She turned up her nose and continued to ignore the handsome prince. So he tried again. The next thing he sent the princess was a pair of fairy slippers. (Now pull off the 2 S-shaped pieces – the fairy slippers!) “Please, please will you love me?” begged the prince. (Pull the slippers into 6 question marks). Still, the princess wanted nothing to do with him. Finally, he was so heartbroken that he took a sharp dagger and plunged it into his heart. (Now pull the stamen out of the remains of the flower that is shaped like a heart, and put it through the center of the flower – this is the “dagger” plunged into the heartbroken prince’s heart). The prince lay dead at her feet. Too late – much too late - the princess realized that she really had loved this true hearted prince. Although her regret would never bring him back, still she vowed, “As long as I live, my heart shall bleed for my prince.” Yes, the princesses vow was “Too little too late”. But doesn’t it make a good story? I am delighted to have another story to tell my grandkids that will make the garden an old fashioned, magical place for them. The Bleeding Hearts are blooming their little hearts out right now. It seems like we just divided those plants last summer, but this is their second year already. And yes, they need to be divided again. I know we found a happy spot for them, but the fact is bleeding hearts just love to bloom. It is really, really hard to kill a Bleeding Heart, gardening friends!
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Gardener's Almanac

Gardener Almanac
Written by Joan Tyvoll
March: In like a lion, out like a lamb. In like a lamb, out like a lion… March is here! Officially I would call it “in like a lamb” for my area. The snow storm on Tuesday and Wednesday is over and belongs in February. We had rain, sleet, ice, snow in alternating bands, so it was pretty fun – especially because it is the first good snow of the whole winter! March looks good – at least on this first day. The long range forecast is for more warm weather. Here is good news for this week: I win the “First Robin Sighting” contest! I looked out to the back yard and was astounded to see a flock of 10-15 robins in the sumac and in our High Bush Cranberry! They seemed “hyper” for robins, and in just a few minutes they all flew off to the north. How fun it was, even if I could not get a good picture of them. We have been hearing a cardinal whistle several mornings and we are regularly hearing chickadees singing their spring song “SPRING’S here, SPRING’S here…” The woodpeckers are drumming, and this morning a flock of turkeys made their way into our meadow. Steve had to quick call our turkey hunting son when we saw them. Our neighbors are busy day and night welcoming new calves down in the Coulee maternity ward… These are all good signs that… SPRING’S here! That same dear neighbor gave us another precious jar of real Cady Creek Coulee maple syrup. They plan to do a few batches again this year. I LOVE maple syrup time. The sun rose this morning at 6:45 a.m. behind gray March clouds, and will set at 5:58 p.m. Steve’s mom called the other night as the sun was setting because she noticed two bright stars in the western sky. The Old Farmer’s Almanac says they are actually planets: Venus and Jupiter. In March another planet, Mercury, will also be bright in the western sky about 40 minutes after sunset. Hooray for March! Spring will begin on March 20th which of course is the equinox. We will talk again about the equinox closer to the 20th. The March full moon is called the Worm Moon, and will show up on March 8th. I am in full cabin fever mode, which means I have to do some spring cleaning. It also helps to let off steam to rearrange, straighten up closets and find ways to spruce things up in the house. This past weekend Steve and I worked on a kitchen project which necessitated using a strong adhesive to apply some bead board. Wow that was a strong smell. We had to have the windows open for several days to air things out. It is always a good idea to regularly open up windows to air out stale winter atmosphere in the house. Even on cold days I will open up the patio doors for a bit to freshen the air. When I am in the spring cleaning mode that means more chemical smells from cleaners which also means I need to keep the windows open to clear the air. That brings up the subject of making our own safer, cheaper cleaning solutions. Keep these ideas in mind when you do your spring cleaning. They work, and they are easier on your lungs and skin. Wood Floor Polish 1/2 cup vinegar 1/2 cup vegetable oil Mix the ingredients well, rub on the floor, and buff with a clean, dry cloth. Triple Action Multipurpose Cleaner 1/4 cup baking soda 1 cup household ammonia 1/2 cup white vinegar 1 gallon warm water This makes about 1 gallon of cleaner that can be stored in a bottle and used as needed. Thursday, May 17, 2012 “This rule in gardening ne’er forget: to sow dry and set wet.” “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 Sowing is on my mind this week as I feverishly tuck all manner of veggies, flowers and herb seeds (dry!) in the soil. I still have to get bedding plants and put them in (wet!), but other than that every nook and cranny is full of the promise of the miracles about to happen as seeds sprout and bear fruit and blossom. I am always full of awe in the spring and summer when this wonderful miracle unfolds. Who can say there is no God when miracles are bursting out around us?
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