The Sheltering Tree of the Word

For some years now I have read through the Bible twice every year. If you picture the Bible to be a mighty tree and every word a little branch, I have shaken every one of these branches because I wanted to know what it was and what it meant. ~Martin Luther

I recently found the book, A Home Book for Mothers and Daughters, written by Christine Terhune Herrick.  It's a beautiful little book, printed in 1897 by Louis Klopsch.  You'll find delightful reading in these chapters:

The Irregular Baby

If we have not yet reached the pitch of perfection attained by Susanna Wesley, the mother of nineteen children, who taught all of them who lived...to fear the rod and to cry softly, we have at least greatly improved upon the ancient unruliness of the nursery. 

A Child's Party

One of the best games for breaking up stiffness and making the children forget themselves is the old  and ever-popular play of "Going to Jerusalem"...The instant the music stops,--and it must break off abruptly,--the marchers must seat themselves...

How to Get up a Picnic

First -- catch your guests.  The selection of members for a picnic party requires a care and judgment second only to that demanded in a choice of company for a dinner.  At a large social gathering there is opportunity for those affiliated by bores to rid themselves of their tormentors...

You can see that it is a delightful book -- full of entertainment. I love reading through the chapters written more than a 100 years ago.  While reading the chapter  Our Girl's Diet, I found these words:

Those who have the charge of children should always bear in mind that a growing child needs a different diet from a grown man.  The latter has "got his growth," as the saying is.  His bones are solid, his flesh firm.  The bones of the child are soft, his flesh tender.  

Immediately I thought of the words in 1 Peter 2:1-3, 

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

John MacArthur said, "Genuine spirituality, genuine Godliness, is always marked by a love for and a delight in God’s truth."  As I pondered on the verses, my first thought was, we don't long for the pure milk of the word until we put aside some attitudes.  Attitudes like malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and slander all lead to a lack of character.  Malice, deliberately being mean; guile, sneaky and deceitful; hypocrisy, pretending to be something you are not; envy, wishing we were more fortunate than others; slander, destroying another's reputation.

I will be examining my own heart to see if any of these sins have taken root.  John Piper probably said it best, "Thousands of people live year after year without much passion for God or zeal for his name or joy in his presence or hope in his promises or constancy in his fellowship and feel—well, that's just the way I am." 

"Just the way I am" most often means we are harboring ungodly habits and sins.  Once the sins are taken care of, we reclaim our love of God's Word, look forward to the reading and study of it.  My friend, Rebecca, just wrote an excellent blog post on the place the Bible should have in our lives.  I'd urge you to read it. 

When I think of loving God's Word, I think of two people.  One was Darnell who asked one Sunday years ago, "I just love the Bible, don't you?"  Darnell's life shows the evidence of her love and I've never forgotten the visual picture of her standing there, a glow on her face, clutching her Bible. 

The other mental picture I have when I think of loving God's Word is of a man who pastored in Grand Cayman nearly two decades.  We were staying in their home while leading a Sunday School Convention.  Every morning as I passed the living room I would see him sitting erect on the couch, listening to God's Word.  There was nothing to distract him -- it was just John Case and the Bible he loved.

I, for one, want to echo Jeremiah 15:16, Thy words were found and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.

* * * * * * *

Further inquiries led to the information...that strong tea and coffee were habitually used by almost babies.  ~Christine Terhune Herrick

This is another quote from The Home Book.  To support this thought, here's a recipe to use "habitually."  That's certainly a better way to say, "It's addictive."  I don't know the origin of this recipe but it came into our family from my niece, Pamela.

Photos by Emily

Mocha Punch

1.  Boil 6 cups of water

2.  Add 1/4 cup instant coffee

3.  Add 1/2 cup sugar

4.  Add 1/2 cup Nesquick

5.  Refrigerate 4 hours

6.  Remove 30 minutes before using

7.  Add 1/2 gallon vanilla and chocolate ice cream

8.  Serve with whipped cream on top.



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