March 16, 2001

I Know I'm A Martha But I Want To Be A Mary
Luke 10:38-42
By Brenda Brotherton

This story will give you insight how Jesus hurts when we don't spend time with him.

The village was Bethany, this was where Martha lived. We see that Martha took time out to welcome Jesus into her home. In this day and time it was shameful to turn anyone away.

We all have had guests in our house that we have welcomed in only to leave them and return to working on the dinner in the kitchen. Here, Mary stays with the guest, with Jesus, to hear him speak, while Martha attends to the meal. If we are going to learn more of Jesus we have to stop, sit and listen.

I know I'm like Martha, but I want to be a Mary. Martha got caught up in her service to the Lord, which is important, but Christ wants us to come and sit and partake of him.

When my brother's family and my family all meet at Mom's for a wonderful dinner, oh what a time we have enjoying each other. Only the little kids get up to leave the dinner table when they are finished with their meal. The rest of us are just sitting around the table talking about old times. Mom might tell a funny story about something we did as kids or talk about the time she had cancer and God healed her. My brother most likely will talk about what his three year old daughter Brandi is up to, or should I say, into. I will no doubt talk about what Jennifer is doing in music and Jason who just preached for the first time for the youth group.

Out of love and as a service to Mom, I might start to get up and gather the dishes to be washed, but Mom would say, "Don't bother with them now; we'll do them later." This is such a great time for her and everyone else, sharing stories, and all this helps us to build our relationship with each other.

I can see how Jesus must have felt when Martha came to him and said with stress in her voice (I have this when the pressure of too many things going on at one time gets to me) "Don't you care that I'm in here all by myself working; why don't you send Mary in here to help me?"

I don't believe Jesus responded to Martha in a scolding manner, but with compassion. Jesus might have reached out and touched Martha on the arm and with anguish in his voice called her name not once but twice, " Martha, Martha you are so troubled with 'things,' but Mary has chosen what won't be taken away from her."

You may do service for the Lord by singing, teaching a class or even preaching, etc. some of this may take a minute, an hour or maybe a week to do, but the time that you take to sit at Jesus' feet and learn from Him is most precious... what you receive will last you a life time.

Eat These Flowers - Yes, Even Eat The Daisies
By Iona Hoeppner

Here's a handy list of flowers you can safely munch.

Violets There are many varieties including white, pink, bicolor, and yellow violets which when crystalized with sugar become of the loveliest fancy food trimmings. Violets can also be made into syrup, used to flavor sugar or butter or vinegar, used whole in jelly, or made into violet water to moisten poultry stuffing.

Lilacs Lilacs can be made into an old time confection called Crystals of Lilac. Just dip bunches of lilacs in hot water and gum arabic, then dip into thick sugar syrup, than sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Dandelions Dig the roots, then scrape and boil. They taste like a cross between parsnips and potatoes. The leaves make tart salad greens when young or boiled greens when a bit older. Buds can be cooked with leeks, then served in a butter sauce, or used in omelets.

Carnations These are good candied in marmalade, or pickled with mace and cinnamon in vinegar, or minced in stuffings.

Marigold Petals can be used in everything from salads to chowder, chicken soup, rice, meats, or to make wine.

Nasturtiums The flowers are good, but the leaves are even better. They are used in salads and sandwiches like lettuce or cress.

Roses Rose petals are good for flavoring jelly or jam, shredded in omelets and deviled eggs, for rose syrup (on pork chops), to flavor honey, and for rose-sugar (try it on carrots). But most gourmet of all is to make crystallized roses to put on fruit compote.

Pansies They liven up salads, flavor sugar syrup. and look wonderful crystallized on pudding and fruit pies.

Blue Chicory When summer comes, the roadsides will be speckled with the fleeting ethereal blue flowers of this common weed... chicory. The flowers may be made into a conserve while the roots, dried and ground make any coffee taste French (and strong.) The whole roots, dug in fall, and brought inside can be forced in a root cellar. In January and February, they will produce endive shoots for a fraction of the gourmet food store's high price.

Chamomile The flowers make an interesting flavored beverage, or a rinse for blonde hair if you don't like the taste. Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) is an old medicinal plant of the Romans, and when used as a ground cover, it can be mowed like grass.

Golden Margurite (Anthemis tinctoria) has profuse daisy like flowers and the same pungent aromatic leaves.

Nepeta Mussini Spice up fresh salads, conserves and tea. Don't overdo these though.

Chrysanthemums The petals are great in oriental cooking for color, garnish, in salads and for creamed soup. The taste is somewhat spicy.

Shasta Daisy Petals (of "He-loves-me, he-loves-me-not" fame ) are edible and interesting.

Clover The blossoms, picked early in the morning , taste of nectar. Chop them with butter and serve on toast. Use in a light salad. The leaves are edible, too, boiled with salt and butter.

Scented Geraniums These can be used to scent jellies, linens, sugar, butter , etc.

Lemon Verbena The lemon flavor is more subtle than the real thing. The plants self seed in the garden and can be potted up and brought indoors to a sunny window in fall. Rubbing the leaves produces a delightful lemony fragrance.

Also try garnishing with Gladiolas or Daylilies. The blossoms make anything look exotic. Use combined with lettuce and a vinaigrette dressing. Or use the whole blossom as a cup to serve shrimp in. Unopened daylily buds are bland but nice. They are usually dipped in batter and fried, or added to soups, noodles or meat dishes.

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Author: Iona Hoeppner
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