The Middle of January Hodgepodge
In the Christian life, it’s vital to recognize God’s active presence in our journey, orchestrating circumstances and opening doors. Proverbs 16:9 reminds us, "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." This highlights that while we make plans, it is God who ultimately guides our paths and presents us with incredible opportunities.
Ultimately, it's about embracing God's leading and taking bold initiative in our lives. By trusting in His guidance and remaining open to the opportunities He presents, we can truly live out our faith and fulfill the remarkable purposes He has in store for us.
Do you like visiting museums?
I have always enjoyed museums. Growing up in San Francisco, I was fortunate to have access to excellent museums from a young age. My parents would take us to visit on weekends, and we would have picnics on the grounds.
Do you have a favorite?
The Temple of the Forest Beneath the Clouds
Joss House Museum
The temple is the oldest continuously used Chinese temple in California.
This Taoist Temple of Worship is now a California State Park
Art objects, pictures, mining tools, and weapons used in the 1854 Tong War are on display. This Taoist temple is still a place of worship and a fascinating look into the role played by Chinese immigrants in early California history.
I live in rural Far-Northern California and have come to appreciate the small museums that tell the stories of the local history. Museums dedicated to gold mining, logging, veterans, and railroads offer insights that are just as valuable as those found in larger institutions. While it's difficult to choose just one favorite in my area, I particularly enjoy the Joss House Museum in Weaverville, located in the Trinity Alps. This museum showcases the 1874 Taoist Temple and features various Chinese artifacts. We try to go every Chinese New Year (which is coming up Jan. 29)
4. It's National Oatmeal Month (yes, apparently it gets a whole month as opposed to a single day).
Do you like oatmeal? Yes
How often do you eat a bowl of oatmeal?
Not often enough - maybe once a month
How do you like yours?
Hot and creamy - is there any other way?
What about an oatmeal cookie?
With walnuts and chocolate chips, please.
Is that a sweet treat you enjoy?
Sure
5. What's something useful you learned in high school?
I’m almost 71, and honestly, I’m so done with high school. I don’t want to think about it anymore.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
The first daffodils are starting to bloom.
Sometimes, it feels like winter isn't long enough. Today we hit 70 degrees. When it’s not raining, Winter can be nice.
These Iris's were at the Shasta Dam's Visitor Center
Soon ours will start blooming in the yard...
That's it for this Hodgepodge, until next time
Debby
I really like your answer No. 2. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thanks for visiting Victor.
DeleteWe have a small museum up the road from us. It is the Chris Craft museum. The founders of Chris Craft boats were from our little town and the factory was here. They even build a railroad through here to load the boats out of town to be sold all over the world. These boats are now made in Florida and the railroad tracks have been converted to a bike path now. This bike path is only one house over from where I live now, so if I had been here in the 20's and 40's, a train would have been rolling by daily carrying these beauties on it. Janice
ReplyDeleteWow That is so cool! I love local history - a peak into the past.
DeleteDaffodils are one of my favorite flowers, Debby. Yes, let us listen to God when opportunity knocks on our door. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy daffodils too. When my baby sister was born, in 1959 my daddy presented me with a dozen yellow daffodils for becoming a Big Sister! I was 5 and I’ll never forget that - my first gift of flowers.
DeleteYour oatmeal cookie meme made me laugh. My husband always said his mom made oatmeal raisin cookies that he thought were chocolate chip.
ReplyDeleteYou have daffodils? I'm jealous! :)
They tend to bloom in January here. I really should be planting more bulbs for these winter blooms but I always forget in the early Fall. Maybe this year…
DeleteI wish we had more museums and art galleries close to us. We have visited the two we have here many a time.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
We like to seek out the off the side off the road museums- and we’re always impressed when we do.
DeleteI like the small local museums too. You can learn a lot about an area by visiting one of these. We have a Museum of the Cherokee near us that we haven' t visited yet, but it's on our list to see it this winter. Have a nice day!
ReplyDeleteThat would be a museum I’d enjoy.
DeleteI hope the right time comes along soon so you can take advantage of the opportunity you are waiting for.
ReplyDeleteI love daffodils, I actually bought some over the weekend from the supermarket and they have just bloomed.
How nice. I love daffodils too
DeleteDaffodils already? Wow? I didn't know they bloomed in January! But, like the irises, they don't grow here at all, and I miss them. I haven't been to a real museum in a long time. We had a nice one here in Interlachen about our little town, but the museum people and the town people got into a disagreement about them renting the space in the old historical town hall, and so they had to move out. They are now inhabited a small, very old and run down school house that was the first school for black children here in our community. They are hoping to raise funds to restore the building. I hope they can, but it's too bad grownups can't resolve their differences amicably. I loved what you wrote about "opportunity". yes, as believers we should be watching for every opportunity to share God's love and the good news of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord whenever and wherever we can. I believe that God will lead us to speak or do something when the time is right, but we just need to be ready because we don't know when that opportunity might arise.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. I would love to see the museums out in your part of the country some day!
They do here!
DeleteThat’s too bad about the disagreement over the museum. How silly. Hopefully they can use the school house and raise the funds to improve it.
I like museums too. Here in Northwest Wisconsin we have small unique museums. Another favorite of mine is in Cable, Wisconsin, it is an old log cabin, that is a library and museum. :-)
ReplyDeleteThose are the best! You can learn so much from the small town museum
DeleteI agree with Victor; your response to #2 is wonderful. I laughed out loud about the raisin meme -- only because my mother used to sneak those tiny boxes in my school lunch sack, probably hoping one day I'd learn to enjoy them. (Nope, never happened!)
ReplyDeleteI like raisins now way better than when I was a child
DeleteYour Meme about the raisin cookie made me laugh right out loud. My sentiments exactly.
ReplyDeleteI really love small local museums. We have several close to us since we have many granite quarries in our area. Its fascinating how the railroad and the quarries were such a integral part of the Gold Rush and building of the far west. I love the Sutter museum too.
Daffodils are one of my favorite flowers. The neighbors at the end of our street always have a plot of them blooming in their front yard. I'm going to have to take a look the next time I go that way.
I am wondering what the Lord has in store for me this year and for us as a couple. Things are in such flux and this poor body is growing weary. God Knows.
Sue
I’ve not been to the Sutter museum. I’ve been to the railroad museum in Sacramento and the Native American one. So many good ones around here.
DeleteDaffodils are blooming! That is amazing...and seems a world away from us right now. Glad for the reminder that the daffodils will come!!:) That meme was too funny...and kind of true:) Gotta have chocolate chips in your oatmeal cookies. Hope you are having a good Wednesday!!
ReplyDeleteThe oatmeal is what makes the chip healthier.
DeleteI love all the Museums in Savannah GA. and have been in all of them many times. they are old homes full of treasures. Ringling is my favortite here, it has about 60 acres and 3 museums and I love the whole place. its to much to see in a whole day.
ReplyDeleteOatmeal is not something I like but I do eat it. I loved it when I could fill it with cream and butter and salt. I love it in cookies, I toast raw oats, raw sunflower seeds and raisins and make my own cereal, using vanilla soy for a little in it
Oatmeal is supposedly good for our heart. That’s good you toast raw oats. I’ve never had that before.
DeleteI hope that opportunity comes. I felt it was both too! That's nice that you parents took you to museums. That temple is interesting. I like oatmeal too and I don't eat it enough. Wow, I can't believe that is already blooming.
ReplyDeleteThey always start blooming in January.
DeleteThe Iris are beautiful. The question about high school...I'm so old that I can't remember anything they taught me!
ReplyDeleteOh occasionally I’ll be reminded of something I learned but I don’t like remembering back to that time if I don’t really have to.
DeleteDaffodils wow. Won't see any of them around here for a long time!!!
ReplyDeleteI eat oatmeal for breakfast quite often, a few times a week. I like mine made with milk and add brown sugar and raisins to it.
That sounds yummy
DeleteI was only talking to my granddaughter Summer on Tuesday about how most of what we learn at school is useless stuff.
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to tell me HS is only 4 years of your life - true. But when you’re in, it seems to drag with no end in sight plus when you hate high school it goes even slower.
Delete