Abundance is…Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning, which inspires this Haiku:
Glowing bonfire days
Fallen leaves to stoke hot fires
My favorite Autumn!
My abundance is baking an apple pie. Have fun today! A Bing Image.
My joy today is making a delicious pumpkin soup.
Another joy is acknowledging John Milton who wrote: “In those vernal seasons of the year when the air is calm and pleasant, it were an injury and sullenness against nature not to go out and see her riches and partake in her rejoicing with heaven and earth.”
Will you “Come and get your joy? Joy for the taking. No minimum age or height requirements,” says Cynthia Ruchti. What joy will you experience today? My ultimate joy is sharing God and a smile with you. A Bing Image.
I hope that the title of this post attracts your attention. You “say what?'” Samuel Butler agrees saying, “Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes on.” Also ponder this quote by Charles R. Swindoll:
Life is like a violin. You can focus on the broken strings that dangle, or you can play life’s melody on the one that remains – Your attitude.”
Would you agree? Life can be liken to a violin which is an intricate and difficult instrument to play, but when mastering its strings, produces angelic sound and opens hearts. We can’t turn the clock back. We can’t change people, but we can manage what happens to us. Every day presents opportunities…so in making true choices life leads full of gusto! I send my love and Happy Friday! A Bing Image.
This still life painting of Aubergines by Olga Koval revives some culinary memories… Aubergine is the French word for eggplant plentiful in late summer. My grandmother showed how to prepare these Provençale recipes. Maybe you like eggplants enough to venture in making these dishes.
My favorite dish is “Ratatouille,” a fresh vegetable stew of peeled cubed eggplant, onions, fresh tomatoes, green peppers, yellow squash, zucchini oftentimes cooked with roasted chicken or veal. Begin to combine garlic and Herbs de Provence (basil, oregano, rosemary, lavender), salt and pepper to flavor these vegetables seasoned in olive oil cooking slowly in a Dutch oven pan. Simmer all the ingredients in a good tomato sauce until the vegetables are soft. Grate Swiss or Parmesan cheese on top before serving. P.S. I cook according to the servings desired, two or three of each ingredients; you can decide for yourself what your family likes.
My next recipe is “Fried or Oven Roasted Eggplant.” Peel and cut the eggplant in round thing slices, fry in a skillet or roast in the oven at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Coat the slices with Italian breadcrumbs. When done, drain the roasted eggplant on paper towel, spread a paste of freshly mashed tomatoes and cheese onto the slices. Keep in mind the sweetest eggplants are small and round, while the elongated ones tend to be bitter with seed. I wish you Bon Appetit!
The state or ability to live forever – isn’t this the most powerful word to contemplate? In the New Testament, Jesus describes himself as the provider of eternal life. Let us pause at each scripture:
Romans 6:23 – “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1 John 2:25 – “This is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life.”
Jude 1:21 – Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
And to complete this knowledge, we can ponder on 1 Corinthians 15:22 when Paul says:
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
We are alive on earth, yet can transition into eternal life. Bless you with this immortality. A Pexels Image.
I have again re-read the Book of Genesis and marvel at the splendor of all creation. I’m happy to revisit Edouard Manet’s painting and recall sitting with my grandmother in her garden where she passed her baton of faith to me. Her courtyard lush with Wisteria vines, popping red geranium pots while her black marbled cat purred under the shrubs. I left my heart at her bench. Such were these riveting occasions to annotate my life’s journey. All my subsequent benches have been a source of compelling courage to this day. In sharing this story, I trust you have a similar oasis experience that lasts forever.
Painting by Edouard Manet
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