Various Ramblings

I have been busy of late: gardening, cooking, crafting, cleaning, and various tasks accompanying the lot of a young lady and daughter. The chickens have begun laying eggs, the garden is growing (pictures to come soon), and God is as good as ever.
     In my free time, I have been reading in three books - Middlemarch by George Eliot, In My Father's House by various authors, and The Slaves' Champion by Henry Wheeler - besides listening to Uncle Tom's Cabin when I have work inside to do.

Recently, I decorated a straw hat with homemade cloth flowers. I took some pictures:

Also, as I was reading last night (perhaps very late last night, but time passes so quickly when reading) in The Slaves' Champion - a book about William Wilberforce written on the centenary of his birth - and this passage struck me:

    "' Keepsake, sir? ' said one in reply to a question, ' yes, I have one: my father's name, his deeds, and his love for God and man, which I will keep and, on my dying bed, hand with my last blessing to my children, uneclipsed by any black spot in my own life: I will hand it to them framed with my own deeds and piety, which shall be no disfigurement to the blessed souvenir. ' How beautiful is this greatness, and how exalted the nobility which is seen in the truly chivalrous father! "

This is such a wonderful summation of what Mr. Doug Phillips emphasizes so often: namely, the importance of patriarchal vision and blessings.

I am currently reading through the Bible, and am in the book of Ezra, where I found this passage intriguing:

"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel."        -Ezra 7:10

I would love to know your thoughts on these things, as usual!

Witty Wednesday [10]

I am going to do something a little different today for Witty Wednesday. Instead of quoting an American founding father, I am focusing on a man who influenced the world, though especially Great Britain and Africa. I just re-watched "Amazing Grace",

and was so inspired, I thought I would post about :

William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce was a Christian member of England's parliament and a social reformer who committed his life to the abolition of the slave trade.

---"So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the Trade's wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for Abolition. Let the consequences be what they would, I from this time determined that I would never rest until I had effected its abolition."

---"If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow-creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large."

---"Of all things, guard against neglecting God in the secret place of prayer."

---"No one expects to attain the height of learning, power, wealth or military glory without vigorous resolution, strenuous diligence and steady perseverance. Yet we expect to be Christians without labor, study or inquiry. This is the more preposterous as Christianity [is] a revelation from God.....containing doctrines, motives, practical principles and rules.....Reason dictates, revelation commands 'faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.'.....Yet.....with the Bible in our houses we are ignorant of its contents.....such lamentable ignorance."

Let me know your thoughts!