Joy Gems

Have you ever done a word study in the Bible? Maybe at first just because you wanted to know more about what God says on a certain topic. However, as you looked up the references in a concordance and then went to read that verse or couple of verses and meditate on them for a while, did you discover a new truth or concept that you wanted to apply to your life?

Sometimes you just want to tell certain friends about that new truth or deeper spiritual concept. To find an opportune moment to bring it up in a conversation, is rather rare. right?

So what can we do?

Well, when Mom was dying, or the last 14 months of life, which involved a more constant state of dementia for her, and extra efforts to understand her and make myself understood, I decided that I needed to hunt for the verses about joy and study them for my own spiritual health.

I took to writing them out on my old DOS computer just before bedtime. It helped me to unwind, and to save the insights I got in this study. To treat it like a devotional book, I limited myself to just one page per each Joy Gem devotional. It occurred to me that some day I might want to polish it into a devotional book that would help others who also struggled to find joy in their circumstances.

Mom died before I found the last verse in the concordance, so I kept up the study until I came to the end with 188 devotionals pages.

At one point I was going to submit it to a publishing contest, but somehow did not get it sent. A few weeks ago I opened it on my computer again, and decided that I should re-read every page, and see if any sentences or paragraphs needed any tightening- editing.

Strangely enough this devotional book is blessing me all over again! Now I'm thinking of creating an attractive cover design and perhaps a table of Contents - then, when it is properly polished up, I'll add it to my Bouquet's Books Shop for sale.

Incidentally, I had 3 ebook sales last week, which encourages me greatly! (That was among the genealogy books).

The one I'm editing right now in the afternoons is my study of Matthew, where I've learned to make Jesus My King. I'm mainly hung up on the page-numbering right now, otherwise I think it is just about ready to go into the shop.

So, my question to you is, do you ever do a Bible study like that as part of your daily devotional time, and do you write down what you discover and learn? You may just have a book in your hands there!

Do you want to talk about publishing it?

<*> TIPS & SOLUTIONS: <*>

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB CRUNCH

My youngest sister and I had both made a Rhubarb Crisp dessert last week and compared notes on the phone. She wanted my recipe so I sent her this one from the "Love & Light Ladies' Aide" cookbook, but I explained that since I didn't have just frozen strawberries I had substituted a scant cup of mixed frozen berries.

3/4 c sugar (I used about 1/2)
1 1/2 Tbsp Minit Tapioca
1 1/2 c whole strawberries thawed, drained
1/2 c. juice from strawberries; add water if needed to make up 1/2 cup.
3 c. diced rhubarb
1/4 c. margarine melted (I used butter)
1 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. brown sugar (I did about 1/2 but also used half a packet of Stevia)
1 tsp. cinnamon.
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I used green pumpkin seeds instead; had no nuts)

Combine sugar, tapioca, strawberries, juice and rhubarb. Let stand 5 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients. Grease 9x9 inch pan; pour strawberry and rhubarb mixture into the pan. Sprinkle other mixture over strawberry-rhubarb mixture. Bake at 375F for 25 min. or until rhubarb is cooked. Serve warm with ice cream.

P.S. I allow myself another piece whenever I go to the fridge. It should be all gone later today.

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