The life of a Westchester Christian Housewife is always on the dynamic side and there is never a dull moment. Cooking, laundry, and cleaning provides the backdrop of family, church, community and world interactions. The home is our castle and church. The rest, spiritual moments and security provided therein is the cradle of all of our civilizations. When the home looses its’ basic mission statement, it is not too long before impacts in the world are felt.
This past week, I got an unexpected text message. “Sorry for the last minute notice but, are you free today after lunch for a little visit?” I like nothing better than sharing time with friends and family and I try to find ways to make the moment special. Craig* and Cassie* have been so busy lately visiting the sick, and dying. Plus, Craig teaches a bible study once a week. I was not surprised when they decided to take a drive to see the fall foliage which is just spectacular this year. They let me know that they would be in my neighborhood.
Nobody needs a drive in the country and a break from work more than Craig and Cassie. They never give themselves credit nor try to bring glory to themselves. However, they serve constantly and humbly. Lately, they have begun to look like they need some rest. So, when they called me to see if they could arrange a get-together I decided that the changing fall weather would be a perfect opportunity to bring out my lovely tea cups. My tea cups come from all over the world and on my table, they live in perfect harmony. I wish our world could do the same. There are cups from Uzbekistan, Morocco, England, China, and the United States. I have special cups make by artisans from India and Ireland too.
This year’s small harvest from my garden, now dried and preserved, mixed with spices create tisane blends known to soothe, boost immunity and bring health benefits. I think we all need that right about now, don’t you? I have always favored the use of elderberry as a tea during the fall and winter cold season when my sinuses can need some adjustment. Spicy foods work well for that too. The elderberry is really quite a plant. I love to serve elderberry tea as an aide in mitigating cold and flu season. The serving of an afternoon snack along with tea is a respite in our day.
I will act as the waitress and bring out a menu of some loose leaf tea blends that I am currently serving. Will it be peppermint, chamomile lavender, or elderberry? For those who need more traditional fortification, I offer some loose leaf Alwazah Ceylon Tea with cardamom. Just passing by this box gives one a fragrant treat. I also found an organic Masala Chai at a local store to enjoy.
Throughout the year, I offer different teas to my guests. The tea usually comes from my garden, the supermarket, local shops or sometimes it was given to me as a gift. In the summer, I like to serve a classic southern sweet tea, mint or fruit teas. My husband enjoys raspberry iced tea during the summer. I have been growing a Meyer Lemon tree and it finally has some small fruits on it. The buds fell off late summer and then some green fruits grew that looked more like limes than lemons. Now, the color has changed to bright yellow. I am hoping sometime this winter that the fruit will be ready to use for tea and for cooking just when we need vitamin C in the northlands the most. I think I have to move the plant to another window though because, since I brought the plant into the house to winter, I noticed a difference in it.
Plants are one big experiment all the time. Last winter, I received this little half-dead specimen of a Meyer lemon tree and over the winter I nurtured and babied it and by spring it was thriving. All spring and summer, on a little sunny porch above my garden, it grew by leaps and bounds. Of course, I knew that bringing the plant indoors for the winter would be a shock to it. There are various things to do to softened that blow but, I was a little too busy to follow that protocol. So, I am hoping by moving it around my house I can eventually find the right conditions for it. When I see signs of plant distress, I know that I must act quickly so, after some chair rearrangement in my dining room today, I am hoping that I have found a good spot for it to thrive in.
This fall, I have been in the mood for Masala Chai, that great Indian blend of black tea, milk, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and possibly other things. The effect is warming and I wonder if it is the foundation of the current pumpkin spice craze? I admit it, I have pumpkin spice derangement disorder. When the cool weather comes, I add those spices to everything. Stews, roasted squash, oatmeal and anything else that I can think of. I have a “pumpkin spice season” pillow and even a sign in my kitchen announcing that, “Pumpkin Spice is my love language.”
I am an extrovert and that means I get excited when people come over for a visit and I get energized by social interactions. As my preparations for company continue, I realize how much fun that I am having getting ready for some tea time. I put out a tray of snacks including: fruits, little cakes, chocolates and biscotti. I line up the tea cups, measure water for the pot and even light some candles for the table.I already know that I will pick Masala Chai as my drink and even sneak a little chocolate before my company arrives.
But, how can I forget all that is going on in the world at the moment? Well, it looks like my last bit of housework is done. It involved hiding all the projects that I am working on in my living room, including putting away my knitting and Halloween projects. (NEXT WEEKS BLOG: My Halloween Approach) When suddenly a text from Craig interrupts me, explaining that he and his wife are stuck in traffic and will be late due to some road construction.
That’s enough to send me searching the web for the latest news. There is a lot of news about the upcoming elections in the United States. The atmosphere is very tense here in the United States. I have attended some political events, and given my support to causes that reflect my faith in Jesus Christ and my belief in biblical truths. In a short time, I will be voting for what I know is right. I don’t know what will happen or if others will agree with me or even get out to vote. I am hoping that people see that the democrats are now controlled by a group that seeks a revolution against Western Civilization, God and democracy. As I write this, there has been riots and revolts in major French cities and that violence and anarchy has spread to other countries in Europe as well. There are forecasts for the continuation of the madness this weekend, including ISIS directives which have been uncovered telling its’ adherents to take advantage of the street action to promote their own agenda.
The riots are well-organized and represent groups promoting anarchy, communism, intifada and atheism. The mentally ill fill the ranks of the street warriors too. The financing comes from all the usual suspects. Some rubicons have been crossed alright. The boundaries of decency have been crossed and criminality has breached the borders of our world. The shifting sentiments seek to overturn long held beliefs and traditions. Something more sinister is behind the supposed education and affordability crisis in France and it’s not educational or affordability related.
Education is the breeding grounds in many cases of jihad, anti-capitalist, anti-God sentiment. This is anything but a grassroots movement. It has been in the making for some time.The workers of iniquity have learned the system of democracy and are seeking to use that system to achieve their goals. That is what I think revolutionaries are trying to do in the United States during this current mid-term election cycle. Another way to defeat the West has emerged in a sort of chaos theory. The concept being that another way to bring in revolution is to convince about five percent of any population to create chaos and that will effectively begin to dismantle that current regime. That seems like what is happening in France.
The people of God must stand against murder, thievery, rape, and the overturning of law, especially God’s laws. Disorder does not represent God. Stealing and sexual misconduct is wrong before a mighty God and must be adjudicated. The biggest problem in standing by God’s laws is that most people have chosen to distort the truths that God has given us in his Holy Bible. If we distort the truth we can justify anything that we do. Serial killers do that. Rapist do that and so do anti-capitalist looters. However, that does not make them right. If we are moving away from righteousness that does not mean that God is moving away from righteousness since he does not change. He does see all that is occurring and will not allow that which we are calling okay to go unpunished. God’s system is to allow us just enough rope to hang ourselves with before he intervenes. “It is time for you to act, O Lord, for they have regarded your law as void”-Psalm 119:126.
I understand what voting is and what it does. I have seen the sanctity of the vote corrupted reminding me of its’ importance to ensure my continued freedoms. Yet, I know that whomever I have or will vote for is not perfect. Only God our Savior is perfect and all we can do is try to stand on the right side of the issues in our lifetime. The goal is to vote for what is godly and biblical. In the United States, it has never been easier to know what that is. The Republicans are the only party espousing anything remotely representing the Judeo-Christian ethic. If the Republicans win, the anarchy will be kept in check. If the democrats win expect some more hellish outcomes soon. The is not rocket science or should I say A.G.I.science vote Republican for sanity.
* the names are changed for privacy.
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