A day at the garden

Fredrick Meijer Garden is a lovely botanical garden in Grand Rapids, MI. I got an annual pass because it is so close to our house. They have many different gardens and one of them is the children's garden. Eva Mei loves going there to play in the water. They have a tiny little fountain and a replica of the Great Lakes. If anyone is interesting in coming for a visit, let me know and I'll meet you there.

The children's fountain.

Eva had it all to herself the day we went.

Eva plays in Lake Ontario.

The reason I took this one is because of the two ladies on the bench. They thought Eva was so cute they took her picture...as you can see she had no problem with it.

There's always time for tea. (Taken under the treehouse)

Homemade yogurt

I just bought a yogurt maker from Williams-Sonoma. Wow, it is so easy peasy. I made the first batch with just milk and freeze-dried yogurt culture. Boil the milk, let it cool, add the culture and pop it into the yogurt maker. Ten hours later you get homemade yogurt. It came out a bit soft so I decided to strain out the whey (the yellow liquid) and turn it into a creamy dreamy Greek-style yogurt. OMG, it's sooooo good with honey! I'll never buy Yoplait again.

Two cups of whey came out of four cups of yogurt.

I just used a paper towel in a mesh strainer and put it in the fridge for an hour.

The pièce de résistance.

Nail-scarred hands continued...

As I see it there are four views of the nail-scarred hands:
1. The BELIEVERS don’t require a sign and they believe.
2. The DOUBTERS require a sign and they believe.
3. The EXPLAINERS see a sign and they don’t believe.
4. The AVOIDERS don’t see a sign and don’t believe.

Mary, the mother of Jesus was a BELIEVER. She took Gabriel’s word that she would have God’s son…hello, that’s one faithful woman! Interestingly, Satan and all his demons fall into this category too. Read Matthew 8:28-34 and you’ll see the demons address Jesus as the Son of God and acknowledge His power to overcome them. Thomas is the obvious DOUBTER. “Because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) In John 4:48, Jesus predicted our unbelief, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” The Israelites in the Old Testament and the Pharisees in the New Testament are EXPLAINERS. In John 6:36 Jesus tells the people that even when they do see Him they still do not believe. They always have an explanation for what they see. King Agrippa and the Roman leaders are AVOIDERS. They worship worldly knowledge, riches and power. In Acts 26 Paul gives the King and his court his testimony and “Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’ “ Agrippa had no need for faith because he believed in himself and the praises of men.

Are you praying and waiting for a sign – a glimmer of hope? Or have you given up all together? Do you depend on your own understanding and the power of your own works? Or do you believe what God promises in His Word? Be blessed! “Don’t be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps whatsoever he sows.” (Galatians 6:7)