🍎 Monday Comes and Monday goes

 

Happy Monday! 

I like Mondays, but I didn’t always feel this way when I was younger. I read that people spend about 33 minutes complaining about Monday. When you think about it, that’s a lot of time wasted grumbling about something we can’t change. 

Monday comes and Monday goes. 

So let's dig into this Monday post about...Friday! 

After returning from the grocery store, we decided to have a picnic and take Laydee along, as she’s been so bored lying around during her healing process. We drove about 10 miles past Old Shasta, along Whiskeytown Creek, to French Gulch.

The day was beautiful, with pleasant breezes and temperatures in the mid-70s. This site was once part of a large estate featuring 1,000 fruit orchards, including apples, pears, and peaches, as well as 400 grapevines. Established around 1850 by a local pioneer searching for gold, and Shasta became his home. 

A portion of the property has been designated for various uses, with the house now under the jurisdiction of the parks department. We visited a small area off the road, featuring decent bank fishing and remnants of the original heritage fig and apple trees.

Berries make it a great foraging spot in season. We missed picking figs this summer, and most apples were gone, except those on the upper branches.

I could practically taste the sweetness of those apples in the tree, and the aroma was delightful. It's been a long time since picking apples off a tree. 

My husband, ☝ ☝ ever the romantic, always seeks ways to delight me. He sets off to climb this old apple tree, its sturdy branches laden with ripe apples just waiting to be picked.  While he pretends it’s my wish for sweet, succulent apples that drives him, we both know the truth: it’s his desire for me to create an apple dessert that truly inspires his adventurous spirit.

I always deeply cherish my time here. When we travel 10 to 12 miles out and find ourselves in solitude, and it's truly remarkable for someone like me, who has always lived in congested areas with hordes of people and cars. My mind often wanders back to the days of the gold rush, and I try to envision the experiences of those pioneers.

The whole time we were there, not one person came - we were truly alone. 💗

Walking around the yard - the flowers that struggle in the intense heat are starting to bloom again.  

I think it’s fair to say that Autumn has arrived in Shasta County. Although our Fall differs from that of other regions in the country, it is indeed present and has been acknowledged. Daytime temperatures hover around 80, while the evenings cool down to the 50s and 60s, making it perfect for sleeping with the windows wide open.

 I've never had better sleep.

I'm excited to embrace this Monday with a sense of renewed energy and feelings of peace and gratitude. It's incredible to think that this feeling began with a simple picnic last Friday. I feel well-rested and ready to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead for this week. 

Until Next Time,

Debby

Simply Put ~ The Doctrine of Humanity: The Fall and Judgement

Genesis 3 narrates humanity's fall, illustrating how temptation led to doubt in God's goodness and a desire to be “like God.” It emphasizes the serious consequences of these choices and the deep struggles people 

"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Genesis 3:19

After the fall, Adam and Eve showed how sin impacted them by hiding from God and blaming each other. God's judgment was serious, warning them that eating from the forbidden tree would lead to death. They experienced spiritual death and lost their close relationship with Him, becoming subject to aging and physical death. Adam's mistake changed their lives and passed a sinful nature to all humanity, affecting future generations.

Sin leads to both spiritual and physical death for everyone. This can only be overcome through the saving work of Christ. We cannot do anything to save ourselves. 

Jesus answered and said to Nicodemus: 

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:3-6

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 

1Peter 1:3

Being "born again" is key to mainstream Christianity, referring to the spiritual rebirth that happens when one has faith in Jesus Christ. This transformation comes from the Holy Spirit, making the person a new creation in Christ.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

Application: 

Simply put, being born again is essential for salvation. After this, we can live freely in our new life in Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit. Once we are born again, God forgives us and makes us righteous through Jesus. Salvation is by grace through faith, not by our actions, so no one can boast.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ * Romans 5:1

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. * Ephesians 2:8-9

I’ve linked up Scripture and a Snapshot. 

Thank you for joining Scripture & A Snapshot. Leave a link to your own post sharing a Scripture and a Snapshot. Take time to visit some of the other links and bless each other with comments.

Debby

Marching to the beat of a different drum. 🍎

Happy GLORIOUS Monday - 🍎🍏

I have a busy week ahead, and I’m as prepared as I can be for Wednesday.

 Unless I totally forgot something 😱  

As the days shorten and cooler temperatures fill the air, the season begins to slowly transform into a tapestry of autumn colors with the rustle of the dry summer leaves on the ground. Although the vibrant piles of colorful leaves have yet to appear, it is as if they are whispering a gentle reminder to everyone that Autumn is just around the corner.

I can hear it!

The defiant side of me is quite headstrong. No pumpkins for me at this moment! I've consistently chosen apples for September, and I plan to stick with that. During my childhood, apples were for September, and pumpkins were reserved for October. September marks the peak of apple harvests, and to be honest, they often get overlooked. However, everything has its payback, as Halloween and Christmas always overshadow Thanksgiving in the retail scene. 

I don't understand the rush to get through the Fall, especially since we often talk about how quickly time flies. In my area, the trees don't change color until late October or November, and sometimes we still have leaves in December. If I lived somewhere with earlier Fall colors, I might feel differently - I’d still include apples and pomegranates! Everyone has their preferences, and I'm fine sticking to mine.

I've always had this schedule in my mind, likely stemming from my childhood and the way my mom organized the holidays.

August is sunflowers

Sept is apples and pomegranates 

October was always "just" Halloween. 

November is plain pumpkins and squash

December is Christmas or Thanksgiving weekend. 

This allows me to fully appreciate each month for its unique beauty rather than merging three months into one long sea of orange and pumpkins. 

September by John Updike 

The breezes taste

Of apple peel.

The air is full

Of smells to feel-

Ripe fruit, old footballs,

Burning brush,

New books, erasers,

Chalk, and such.

The bee, his hive,

Well-honeyed hum,

And Mother cuts

Chrysanthemums.

Like plates washed clean

With suds, the days

Are polished with

A morning haze.

The weather sure is hinting at the arrival of Fall, with a coolness we haven't seen in weeks. And the first sign of rain is in our forecast. It’s clear that nature is gearing up; the storm door of winter, promising that coveted wet gold, is ever so slightly creaking open.

DO NOT BE DECEIVED

This is not the time to pack away the shorts and tank tops! This is merely a week of a deceptive Autumn period - a mind game.  We've experienced some of our warmest temperatures in September or October, but it does fill me with HOPE that my absolute favorite season is on its way. 

I have this cherished stained glass plate, intricately crafted with vibrant colors that catch the light beautifully. At its center, a candle sits, casting a glow that illuminates the artwork behind it. 

Did you know...?

Until Next Time, 

Debby