Simple Life day #6

No Need for Salt

God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and fin him, though he is not far from each one of us. Acts 17:27

"Can I borrow some of your salt?" eight-year-old Leroy asked his mother.
Elsie turned from her job of making potato salad and squinted at him. "Now why would you be needing any salt?"
"There's a bluebird sittin' on the porch rail, and I want to salt his talk."
"Why would you do such a thing, Leroy?"
He stared up at her with serious dark eyes. "He won't let me catch him, and my friend, Nelson, told me if you put salt on a bird's tail, it can't fly off."
Elsie clicked her tongue. "Would you really want to capture the poor thing that way?"
"I just want to make friends with the bird."
"Don't you think there's a better way than trying to keep it from flying away?"
He shrugged. "Got any idea how I might get the bluebird to stick around?"
She smiled. "Why don't you try feeding it, and see if you can its confidence that way?"
Leroy jumped up, pushing his chair away from the table.
"Where are you going?"
"Out to the barn to get some birdseed. I'm gonna make friends with that bird!" He paused and turned back around. "Guess I won't be needin' any of your salt after all."
It's a basic human nature to want others to do things our way. Some people may try to force others to do what they want by placing unrealistic demands on them or trying to trick them into submission. Yet God never forces us to do anything against our will. His love is unconditional. He wants everyone to come willingly to Him, and He will never force us or hold us captive.
Everyone feels happier when they are allowed to do something of their own free will rather than being forced to do it. Shouldn't we give others that freedom, too?

Food For Thought: The human heart, at whatever age, opens only to the heart that opens in return.

Food For The Body: Overnight Potato Salad
12 potatoes, medium, boiled
12 eggs, hard-boiled
1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
1 onion, medium, chopped fine
Salad dressing

Grate potatoes and eggs. Mix together with onion and celery, then add dressing and let set overnight.

Salad Dressing:
3 cups mayonnaise or Miracle Whip salad dressing
1/8 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups white sugar
6 tablespoons mustard
3 tablespoons salt

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Add desired amount to potato salad. Refrigerate any remaining dressing.


I don't feel like I'm bad about wanting things done my way. I am probably much worse than I realize. I just asked Andrew and he agrees with me that I am not bad about this. He is far worse than I am. :) I am sure there are times when I want things my way. I know I am much worse about this in my classroom than at home. At school, it absolutely drives me crazy when a kid moves something and doesn't put it back just like I had it. This is why I have the rule that no one is allowed to touch anything on my desk. They have their own stapler and everything because they will sit my down backwards or on my papers and it drives me crazy. And yes I realize that now I am sounding much worse about this. I've always been a little OCD about my school stuff. When I grade their binders, it is all I can do to keep from going crazy because of the messiness.

Anyways. I am glad that God is a God that gives us a choice. It is nice to love him simple for who He is not because He is forcing me to love him.