Keeping the Old Ways Alive

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 7: Today, I am grateful for things that keep the old ways alive. 

Our world of modern conveniences means we have lost some of the "old ways." Over the holidays I watched two videos that made me think about things we have lost to modern conveniences. 

One was shared "things our Grandmothers knew" that we have forgotten. Another was on Medieval gardens and what people ate in a time with no freezers or refrigeration. They relied on thing that grew nearly wild or in poor conditions. Both were fascinating. 

I knew some of the content because I spent much time in my grandmothers and mother's kitchens, but there were several herbs, vegetables, and root plants I was unfamiliar with that actually provide better nutrition than what we eat today.  

 "Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?" - Job 12:12

Keep a journal, write in the margins of your cookbooks or on your recipe cards, and make notes in your Bibles where the things you know about life and have learned about God can be passed on. 

Today, I am grateful for things that keep the old ways alive. 

Potato Soup

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 6: Today, I am grateful for potato soup.

Years ago, my friend Cindy shared a potato soup recipe from her mother. The recipe was from her German family. It is simple and inexpensive. Potato soup is a true comfort food. This recipe has some of the same elements. I think it came from Dolly Parton. I might have to try it. Our local "Great Harvest" makes delicious potato soup, too. 

Why potato soup? It can typically be made with ingredients on the shelf or in the pantry. This recipe is no exception. Nothing says comfort like a warm bowl of soup for lunch or dinner. 

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." -1 Peter 4:9

It is easy to make and easy to share. 

Today, I am grateful for potato soup.

Normal Schedules

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 5: Today, I am grateful for normal schedules.

We do not live far from the town of Normal, IL. It is a unique name for a town. What is normal? I think for most of us, it is being on a regular schedule to help us keep our days in order. 

The holiday season is wonderful. It is full of family, faith, friends, and fun. I especially enjoy days that are unscheduled with wide margins of free time. It is good to have a break from our ordinary days. 

Once the calendar year changes, it is time to head back to a normal schedule. Embrace the goodness in the normal schedules, too. The rhythm of our normal schedules provide comfort in the continuity. Every day has gifts. 

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." -Psalm 90:12

Be patient with yourself. Getting back to "normal" can take a little extra effort. 

Today, I am grateful for normal schedules.

Differences Make Life Better

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 4: Today, I am grateful for the differences that make us better. 

This cartoon made me giggle. If you have both cats and dogs in your family, you understand how this image captures how dogs and cats differ in nature. 

Dogs want to serve and please you. Cats do their best to train you for their service and are willing to let you try again when you get it wrong. They both add richness to our lives. They are our fur-babies, and we love them all.

Living together in harmony means growing in knowledge and understanding. Like humans, not all cats and dogs are the same. Each has a personality, quirks, and preferences. 

This was my verse for the day:

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." -Micah 6:8

I love this verse for its clear direction as to how we should live. I cannot help but reflect on how acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God looks different for each one of us. Within our individual personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, it is likely that at least one of these instructions does not come easy or naturally. I am amazed at the people who make the things I struggle with look easy. 

Our pastor frequently says, "More mercy." Live it. Give it. Accept it with gratitude. 

Acting justly and walking humbly require being intentional at times. With time and practice, they can become more reflexive. I am grateful for those who are good examples in our lives. 

Today, I am grateful for the differences that make us better. 

Radaph

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 3: Today, I am grateful for "radaph."

There are times it is good to go back to the original Hebrew(OT) or Greek(NT) for a deeper understanding of a verse or passage. Psalm 23:6 is a good example: 

"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever." -Psalm 23:6

I remember how excited Mama was to get her Strong's Concordance. It allowed her to do deeper study of God's word on her own and with Bible Study friends. 

We are so blessed and spoiled to have Hebrew and Greek resources at the click of a button. We can cross-reference and check for deeper meanings any time we want. blueletterbible.org is one of my favorite websites. 

"Radaph" has a bigger meaning than simply following someone. It is more indicative of a hot pursuit or a chasing down so someone or a group of people do not get away. It is a bold pursuit with serious intentions. 

In the case of God's goodness and mercy, we often get ahead of his timing or wander off after something shiny on our own path. We forget to seek His face, but do not fret... He's after us. 

I love that this quote suggests God's mercy and goodness chase us like celestial stallions. It is a powerful image in our minds and a more powerful reality. 

Today, I am grateful for "radaph."

Matches

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 2: Today, I am grateful for matches. 

Fire is essential to life. Anyone who ever watched the TV show "Survivor" and other survival shows knows that the ability to create fire is not just for comfort, it helps sustain life. Keeping a fire alive is serious business when you do not have matches readily available. 

In these cold winter months, a fire in the fireplace will always be one of my favorite things. With fire we can heat food, boil water, and even start controlled burns that are beneficial to the land for nourishment and pest control. Matches are an essential tool we take for granted, until we do not have one. 

We have fancy lighters to start fires, but they are unpredictable and must be replaced often. A book of matches is perfect for emergencies. A big box of matches is a treasure in emergency situations when candles become a main light source during power outages. 

A book of matches used to be a common wedding favor. It was something to take home at the end of the celebration. The name of the couple and their wedding date was on the front. It was a great idea. 

Have you ever been in a moment where you need more matches than you have in the book or box? You have to get creative at passing the fire along, while still maintaining safety. 

Imagine the wonder of the Israelites the first time God placed a fire in the cloud by night to guide them! What a sight it must have been. How long did it take... over the course of 40 years... for them to lose the wonder of it all? 

"So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels." -Exodus 40:38

Have I lost the wonder found in the instant fire that can come from a single match? Probably. So today we will pause to give thanks for the simple, portable, inexpensive match. 

Today, I am grateful for matches. 

A Fresh New Year

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 1: Today, I am grateful for a fresh new year.

Everyone loves a clean slate. A new year is a chance to refresh and restart. Hopefully, this post finds you safe and warm on this first day of 2026. 

One of our sons and his treasured bride are celebrating their 1st wedding anniversary today. Our other son and his beloved wife shared one of our NYE food traditions with their friends last night. Both are reasons to reflect and smile. I am so grateful for our boys and the daughters they chose for us. How do you put that feeling into words? To know they are happy at home brings Randy and I comfort and joy that is difficult to measure or describe.  

As the calendar turns over a new year, around the world friends gather and people pause to reflect, reminisce, laugh, share, and make new memories. It is a unique holiday that much of the world shares, although some do it on a different calendar day. Let the past be the past. It is a time for new beginnings. 

Whatever the date on the calendar, we still only get to open one day at a time. It is a present to be present. I am reminded that a new life in Christ can begin at any time, too. 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" -2 Corinthians 5:17

Unwrap this day with care. Choose gratitude. Be an encourager in a world that desperately needs hope. Seek His face. Do not forget to laugh. 

Today, I am grateful for a fresh new year.