Tea Time Trivia and Blessings

It is no secret that I love tea.  I love all the stuff that goes with tea...teapots, teacups, tea cozies,

I even have a teatime calendar (thanks to my sister giving it to me every year for Christmas!)

 And lots of books about tea and teatime...

and many tea cups and tea pots

I also have Tea Tins to hold tea...

Added note: I should have mentioned in my original post that this lovely little red Lipton Tea tin with the pretty lady on the front is a recent "gift", from the estate of my husband's cousin Janice, who recently passed away.  I will think of Janice every time I take a tea bag from this delightful tin.

Yes, I have a small collection of Lipton Tea tins. I have some others too, but Lipton is my favorite.

Obviously this one is a bit old and worse for the wear, but that's probably why I keep it...

 Here is one of the several devotional books that I've been given over the years...Emilie Barnes is one of my favorite authors about things pertaining to tea...but in this book she goes to a different level...

 "Fill My Cup, Lord..."  (one of my favorite hymns too!)

Yes, Lord...

 But, Oh! My cup is chipped and cracked, and not in perfect condition...much like my life and my body...How can I serve You?

"He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength...but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."  

Isaiah 40:29, 31

"And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Yes, even when our strength is small and frail, and our "cup" is chipped and worn, Christ comes to fill our "cups" with His strength, His love, and His peace.  

To quote Emilie Barnes:

"Whatever your circumstances, you, too, 

can hold up your cup and it will be filled.

If your cup is polished and dry, 

hold it out for the Lord's plentiful pouring.

If your cup is full of the old and the unsatisfying,

hold it up for the Lord's cleansing.

If your cup is cracked and broken, hold it up anyway,

for the Lord's resources are plentiful and can keep even leaky cups replenished.

Come to Him as you are, cup in hand, 

and hold it up to receive His blessings.

And then you will say, as I have said over and over again in wonder and amazement...

"Surely...my cup runneth over."

Emilie Barnes

Fill My Cup, Lord...with the Peace of Your Presence

Copyright 1996 by Harvest House Publishers

It's Tea Time somewhere

So put on the tea kettle

and pour a cup of 

tea for you and me!

I'll be right over!

Touching Base

I have this "tea-towel" with its inscription framed and hanging on the wall in my dining room. The inscription speaks for itself.  This was a unique gift from my mother to me for Christmas in 1996, ten years before she passed from this earth to her heavenly home.  She knew that I loved and appreciated "old things", especially when they had some significance in relation to someone I knew and loved.  She also knew that I collected and treasured old teacups and teapots along with most anything to do with "teatime".  With her admonition to "display it to good advantage with your tea things or antiques"...I immediately had it framed and hung it proudly in my "tearoom" dining room.  If I recall correctly, on this particular Christmas we were living in a lovely antique home in Fryeburg, Maine.  Antique in that it was built in 1848, so it definitely qualified. This home was rich in history and local fame.  I wish I could say that it belonged to our family tree, but alas! We were merely fortunate enough to lease it for a year while in between ministries and journeys.  But I digress...that is not what this is about.

I guess I was feeling a bit nostalgic tonight and wanted to touch base with my mother again. You know how children do that? Oftentimes when they are out playing in the yard, sometimes they will just run back in  the house to "touch base" with Mom.  Perhaps needing a little word of comfort for a "boo-boo", or to gift her with a handful of dandelions or other lovely weeds, or to ask for a drink of water or a snack.  Maybe they just feel the need for a hug or some reassurance that everything is okay...and then they are off and running again until the next moment they feel like Mama is a little too far away and they need to touch base once again.

That's how I was feeling. I wanted to run into my Mama's arms and give her a hug and feel her arms around me again.  I wanted to hear her voice calling my name...telling me it's time to come in and get cleaned up for supper.  If I ignored her the first or second time she called, I could always expect her to call me by all three names, "Pamela Anne Mursch, get in this house right now!" Then I knew I'd better get going or I'd find myself in trouble for certain!

I find myself also longing to hear my Father's voice...yes, of course my earthly father, whom I miss greatly since he left this world for heaven too...but in this case, it is my heavenly Father's voice that I am longing to hear.  I find that I often need to "touch base" with Him as well...to run back inside His arms and feel His loving embrace and hear His words of comfort and reassurance that everything is going to be okay.  I sometimes literally run into His presence and want to show Him my "boo-boos", and ask Him to make them go away. Sometimes He does just that...He binds up my wounds and takes away my scars so that I don't have to be ashamed of them anymore.

Then again, there are times that He says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  (2 Corinthians 12:9)  and He gives me the strength I need to carry on and keep going in spite of my "boo-boos".

I am looking forward to the day when I will hear Jesus call my name...when He will say to me,

"Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world..." (Matthew 25:34)

I hope I won't make Him have to call me more than once.  I have a feeling I'll be ready to obey His voice immediately.  Why? Because I know where He's calling me to go.  Listen to what He told His disciples before He left them for heaven:

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

In My Father's house are many mansions; 

if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; 

that where I am, there you may be also.

And where I go you know, and the way you know."

Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, 

and how can we know the way?"

Jesus said to him,

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father

except through Me."

John 14:1-6

So, how about you? Have you "touched base" with your "Father" lately? Your Heavenly Father, that is? Are you ready to go when He calls your name?  I hope you won't make Him call you more than once...

Better get ready...it's almost "supper time"...

Here's an old song that I'm sure many of you will remember... talk about being nostalgic...sorry...but it's a good one...

Johnny Cash singing "Come Home, It's Supper Time"

Strengthening Exercises Continue

Me, pondering my next "Strengthening Exercise"...maybe a "rockathon"?  

Since I started this new "One Word" campaign for 2014 with the word, "Strengthen",  I am amazed at all the places this word pops up in my daily reading, thoughts, and conversation.  Sort of like when you get a new car, dress or shoes that you think no one else has, you suddenly see it everywhere you go! And you wonder, "Why didn't I notice that before?"  Well, probably because it didn't matter to you before...and now it does.  

Just this morning in my daily devotional reading from Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young, I read the following:

"I want you to learn a new habit.  Try saying, 'I trust You, Jesus,' in response to whatever happens to you...."  "Adverse circumstances become growth opportunities when you affirm your trust in Me no matter what. You receive blessings gratefully, realizing they flow directly from My hand of grace.  Your continual assertion of trusting Me will strengthen our relationship and keep you close to Me."   

Yes, learning to say, "I trust You, Jesus," no matter what, can be a difficult strengthening exercise.  I have found throughout my years of walking with the Lord that the more I commit myself to trust Him, the more difficult the "exercises" become.  Building trust in God is like climbing up a very steep mountain when you are already tired and weak from a long journey.  Every step seems to be painful and looks impossible, but you know you want to reach the top and see what is there.  You don't want to give up before you reach your goal, but you are so weary you are ready to sit down and quit each time you stumble on the loose rocks and roots along the way. And then Jesus says, 

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (2Corinthians 12:9)

 And so we keep climbing. We say, "I trust You, Jesus," and He comes alongside and gives us an extra boost of energy so that we can keep going until we reach the top of the mountain. The more we exercise this trust, the stronger we become.  We gain confidence, knowing that Jesus will be there for us when the next "strengthening exercise" presents itself unexpectedly.  We find ourselves claiming with the Apostle Paul,

"I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

So, here we go...becoming stronger as we learn to trust!  What kind of "strengthening exercises" are you in the midst of today? Ask Jesus to come alongside and give you a boost.  That's better than any energy drink out there!

Well, hubby just came in and said, "Let's go for a walk!"  I guess that's my strengthening exercise for today!

Whew! I'm glad that's over!  But I do feel stronger already..pant pant...

Thank you, Lord, for this "strengthening exercise" from Your Word, and from Your Divine Inspiration.

I have a feeling I'm gonna get a lot stronger this year, one way or the other!