Prata Potpourri: Fascinating stories, helpful tips, and lifestyle videos, this week there’s a lot to choose from!
By Elizabeth Prata
Spring is in the air. And in the ground. Forsythia and daffodils are springing up. So are dandelions. It doesn’t take that weed long to sprout, does it? There are leaf buds on the trees. The morning low temps are above freezing now, and the daytime is pleasant. Pear trees are blooming.
The cycle of seasons in their regular courses is a wonder and a relief. God said in Genesis 8:22, “While all the days of the earth remain, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease.“
And the regular courses of social media also continue. There are flowers and weeds. Some spring up and some are later to sprout. It is a joy that there is good material to read online, and a blessing to be able to ignore the weeds. Here are some flowers for your social media garden today:
Sarah Ivill at Ligonier has some good things to say about the book of Ezra. I highly recommend reading the Old Testament. Even if you don’t understand everything at first, just keep reading. As the years go by and you continually pass through these texts in your annual reading plan, it eventually becomes clear.
“Gossip involves saying behind a person’s back what you would never say to his or her face. Flattery means saying to a person’s face what you would never say behind his or her back.” R. Kent Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man
Phil Johnson, one of my favorite pastor- teachers, asks, Did Tongues Cease or Not?
Both started out well. What went wrong?
The Difference Between Saul and David
God doesn’t use the perfect. He uses those who are quick to repent and throw themselves on his mercy.
FASCINATING story!
We HAVE TO think about this more.
Undying Worm, Undying Men: The Eternal Horrors of Hell
Today, some Christians seem embarrassed by the doctrine of hell. As such, they either omit discussing it, or they reinvent the doctrine and rob it of any real horror. Our Lord, however, was not afraid to talk about hell.
The title got me right away:
Church is a blessing and so is fellowship after, but there are also stresses, especially for moms of tots.
The website Good, Cheap Eats has a listing of “30-Minute Main Meals“. We are all looking to save a bit of time, right? Why do they need to eat every day?? LOL.
If you are considering the farming life, this UK woman seems to have lived it and written about the life honestly, much to the UK’s acclaim:
Helen Rebanks: Farming, food, the meaning of life… and dogs stealing birthday cakes:
Helen Rebanks went from farmer, wife and mother to publishing sensation last year when her first book, The Farmer’s Wife, earned huge success and a legion of fans — not least the likes of bestselling author Raynor Winn and Times columnist Caitlin Moran. Her bestselling tale of everyday life on the Cumbrian farm which she runs alongside husband James is a wonderfully honest look at the ups and downs of what it means to raise — and feed — a family while keeping a roof over everyone’s heads.
Housing is getting difficult around here. Purchasing a home in this increasingly-less-rural corner of my world is out of reach for many people. The decide to rent instead. Even rents are getting high, and salaries are not keeping up. In any case, if you rent, here are some tips for dealing with an absentee landlord. I’ve rented since 2004 and I’ve always been blessed with good landlords, but I understand and empathize the frustration of having issues where you live and seemingly no resolution.
Apartment Therapy advises, How to Deal With Your Landlord Ignoring You (According to Experts)
Rajiv Surendra is an HGTV online personality. He seems to be able to do it all, from restoring frames to bookbinding, thrifting, learning how to sing, iron a shirt, to renovating an entire apartment. His videos are calm and informative, and as mentioned, on a wide array of topics. I like his thrifting/antiqueing videos, they are helpful. Here is his Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@rajivsurendra
