Gluten Free & God Seeking
May all those who seek You be glad and rejoice in You; May those who love Your salvation say continually, May Jehovah be magnified! Psalm 40:16
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Gluten Free & God Seeking
Friday, May 16, 2025
Children's Country Character Stories Just Got Published on Amazon's KDP!
Monday, December 11, 2023
The Bookends in Genesis and Revelation
The Bible has two bookends in Genesis and Revelation. Have you ever heard that before? And before I get into what they are, you need to keep in mind that Moses wrote the book of Genesis thousands of years before the Apostle John wrote the book of Revelation. Also, the order of the Bible wasn’t finalized until much later.
So, the first bookend is presented in chapter 2 of Genesis. In this chapter the setting of the Garden of Eden is described along with Adam naming the animals, and God preparing a counterpart for Adam. Embedded deeper in this chapter is the mention of some seemingly arbitrary items like the tree of life, a river, gold, bdellium, onyx stone, and a rib that God used to build into Eve. Hmmm, what is God getting at here?
First, I want to make it clear that I never could have put all these items together in a way that makes sense even though I have been reading the Bible for over forty years. That’s the main reason I enjoy reading the Life-Studies which are the printed form of the messages that Witness Lee gave from 1974-1995. Anyway, I read Genesis Life-Study #12 on this chapter a few weeks ago, and Witness Lee said the contents of this chapter might seem simple, but actually they’re quite meaningful.
He said that all the items mentioned in Genesis chapter 2 are meaningful because they give us a picture of God’s eternal purpose. Early in this chapter we see God bringing Adam to the center of the garden and showing him two trees. One tree God called the tree of life and the other the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Don’t you find it interesting that God doesn’t give Adam a long speech on how to live a proper human life that would please Him, but instead God just warns Adam that if he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would die.
Probably many people have gotten confused here because when Eve ate the fruit of this tree, she didn’t keel over and die. Instead she took that fruit to Adam, and he ate of it, too and there's no mention of their death. So obviously what God is talking about here is spiritual death. We can see that clearly in Ephesians 2:1 because Paul mentions there that before our salvation our spirits were dead in sins and trespasses. So figuratively eating that fruit deadened Adam and Eve’s spirit, which by the way was such a big deal that God had to send His Son to die for our sins.
After describing these trees, Moses writes about the river flowing through the garden of Eden. In that river Moses mentions three outstanding elements—gold, bdellium, and onyx stone. I would never have seen this but in this Life-Study, brother Lee says that each of these elements represent something about the Triune God! Because gold cannot burn or tarnish and is of great value, theologians say that gold represents the Father. I never heard of bdellium before, but it’s a pearl-like resin from a plant that represents the Son. And onyx stone represents an element that has been transformed by heat and pressure which shows the transforming work of the Spirit in our lives. That is definitely worth a wow!
At the end of Genesis chapter two we see Adam naming all the animals and then God putting Adam to sleep so He could make a helpmeet for him. It’s interesting that God doesn’t take clay like when He made Adam, but instead God opens up Adam’s stomach and takes out one of his ribs and from that the Bible uses an unusual expression, it says “God built a woman.” The Life-Study brings all this together when it sys if Genesis 2 is a picture of God’s purpose, then this woman built out of Adam’s rib represents the church built with Christ’s life to be His counterpart. All of these items in chapter two wouldn’t make much sense alone.
So now it’s time to look at the bookend in the book of Revelation. Open up your Bible to Revelation 21 and read it again in light of all the symbolism from Genesis 2 that this Life-Study unfolds so beautifully. In Revelation 21 you read about a river with the tree of life growing in it and also about a city called the New Jerusalem. And if you look carefully and get ready to go wow again--you will see that this city is built with none other than gold, pearls (like bdellium), and precious stones! Revelation opens up by telling us that it is a book of signs. The description of his city is not something physical but symbolic of God’s work in His redeemed people to transform them into --drum roll please and another wow-- the bride of the Lamb!
So, with the help of these two bookends God is showing us a picture of His heart’s desire. I was so touched to learn through my reading of the Life-Studies that throughout all the centuries God has been working to transform His redeemed people into the New Jerusalem, His bride. Below you can see a link to listen to the Life-Study of the Bible and also some posts I did several years ago when I was reading through this particular Life-Study. You can read any of these Life-Studies for free.
You can also listen to live excerpts from these messages on Genesis on Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.
Other Posts on the Life-Study of Genesis:
From the Life-Study of Genesis - What is the Focus of the Bible?
What Happened Between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2?
Why Did God Create Man in Genesis 1:26?
Why Did God Create Man With 3 Parts in Genesis 2:7?
Why Did God Put Man in Front of the Two Trees in Genesis 2?
Seeing God's Purpose of Life & Building in the Book of Genesis
What is the Story Behind the Story of Cain & Abel?
What Did Enosh Learn to Do in Genesis 4:26?
How Did Enoch Escape Death in Genesis 5:24?
Why Did Noah Need to Find Grace in Genesis 6:8?
What Does the Rainbow Symbolize in Genesis 9:13?
How Did God Call Abraham in Genesis 12:1?
How Did God Fulfill the Birth of Isaac in Genesis 12:7?
What Does the Marriage of Isaac & Rebekah Show in Genesis 24?
How Does the Story of Jacob Show God's Selection in Genesis 25?
Why Did Jacob Dream About a Ladder in Genesis 28:12?
Seeing Our Spiritual Journey in the Lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & Joseph
Why Did Jacob Call the Two Altars in Genesis 33 & 35 By Different Names?
How Do the Stories of Jacob & Joseph Mirror God's Purpose in Genesis 1:26?
How Did Joseph's Dreams Really Get Fulfilled in Genesis 41?
How Did the Lord Shepherd Jacob in Genesis 45:18?
Friday, October 6, 2023
Why I Like to Give Out Bibles - My Experience This Year
Last week I enjoyed volunteering for two days at our university's Bibles for America table. Each year we pay for a spot in a fair that takes place before classes start that showcases clubs and community services. For over 20 years I've had a rewarding experience volunteering at this fair. It's definitely always been one of my year's highlights. This year we gave out Gospels of John with a Free NT card tucked inside.
My favorite part is talking with the students. I usually start out by asking them how long they've been reading the Bible. One girl I talked to this year said since she was four years when her mother started reading it to her. I could tell she loved the Bible. Whenever students tell me that they already have a Bible, I like to tell them, of all the Bibles I own this is my favorite because of the footnotes. Then I open it up and let them see some of the lengthy notes. That's usually enough, and they take a Gospel of John with a smile.
Some of them want to know what version it is, and I show them on the cover that it's the Recovery Version. Most of the time this will cause them to give me a blank look which is my invitation to tell them that after a thousand years of the Dark Ages and beginning with Martin Luther, many lost truths of the Bible started to get recovered. These footnotes reveal these lost truths; plus they also give Greek meanings and historical and Biblical backgrounds that help you better
understand the meaning of the verses. That's probably why the BFA T-Shirts that many volunteers wear say--"A Bible You Can Understand."
I also like to tell students that when this version was being worked on, the translators laid out all the best Greek translations and then chose the best rendering for each passage. That's a real labor of love if you ask me.
This year a student asked me a thoughtful question that I don't think anyone has ever asked me while volunteering. He asked me what our big vision was in being at the university's info fair. I thought for a second and then this answer welled up in my heart, The Bible helps build up the Body of Christ.
Today as I was writing the draft for this post, I was thinking about that answer and how it connects to 1 Corinthians 14:26 which really gives a window on how the New Testament believers used to meet. "What then brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up." And without the footnotes on this verse, I wouldn't have seen the whole picture:
"...This is like the Feast of Tabernacles in ancient times. The children of Israel brought the produce of the good land, which they had reaped from their labor on the land, to the feast and offered it to the Lord for His enjoyment and for their mutual participation in fellowship with the Lord and with one another.... " (Holy Bible, Recovery Version, Living Stream Ministry: Anaheim, California 2003).
As we each read the Bible every day certain verses will jump out at us and give us hope or strength. Then when we gather with our fellow believers, we have something just like this verse says from the Bible to feed and build up the Lord's Body.
If you would like to receive this study Bible, you can click on this link, Bibles for America will send you a free New Testament study Bible. If you have some questions about God, you can also listen to some of their gospel videos like one which says, Why Do We Exist?
List of Posts on Handing out Bibles & Gospel Tracts
Why Do I Volunteer For Bibles for America?The Best Things in Life are Free! - Bible for America Distribution at WWU
Adventures in Handing out Gospel Tracts - Part 1 of 1
Adventures in Handing out Gospel Tracts - Part 2 of 2
Volunteering for Bibles for America - Part 1 of 2 Volunteering for Bibles for America - Part 2 of 2
Monday, September 25, 2023
Something Else You Can Do With All Those Herbs! Why Not Try Making Your Own Rose Moisturizing Balm & Sore Muscle Balm
For years I've been making cold infused oils from my organic herbal garden. The lavender oil is great for sore muscles and bronchitis, and rose oil is a wonderful facial moisturizer that also gives UV protection. A few years ago I experimented with my teenage granddaughter and added some beeswax to the oil after it's six-to-eight-week infusion. So fun to do together. In taking this next step I checked a few of my favorite go-to sites for herbs the first one is Wellness Mama and the other is the Nerdy Farm Wife to see if they had a recipe I could use.
The first balm I made was one with my beautiful magenta roses that smell like heaven itself. I have a few posts on making infused oils and you can read them to find out more about it. I learned the beeswax to oil ratio from the Nerdy Farm Wife.
ROSE FACIAL MOISTURIZING BALM
1. Fill a Mason jar half to three-fourths of rose petals that have dried for at least two days.
2. Top with extra-virgin olive oil, almond oil, or grapeseed oil so it's 1/2" from the top of the jar.
3. Let the rose petals infuse for six to eight weeks in a dark place. Shake every few days or so.
4. Strain the petals into a new mason jar.
5. Put a mason jar lid on the bottom of a small saucepan filled with enough water for the rose oil to warm up.6. When the oil is warm, add 1 tablespoon of beeswax pellets for every three ounces of oil.
7. Watch and stir occasionally as the beeswax melts. When they're completely melted, take the pan off the stove and let sit for 2 minutes.
8. Add 10 drops of geranium essential oil or rose absolute.
9. Pour in 2 or 4 oz jars and let cool.
10. Label. This balm has a shelf life of one year.
SORE MUSCLE & ARTHRITIS BALM
A few years ago I made this balm with just a few herbs from my garden, but when one of my grandsons got diagnosed with juvenile arthritis, I read all my labels, and put everything that worked into a jar to soak in the sun during the day.
I got the horsetail from a neighbor's yard, and the red clover I pick wild, but everything else grows in my garden pots. Whenever I make this balm, I always use equal proportions. This summer I made 2 quarts and let it steep in a big pickle jar. I am happy to hear that it has helped a few of my friends who have trouble with arthritis.
1. Fill a quart Mason jar half to three-fourths full of the following herbs that you have dried for 10-12 days and let steep in extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil for 6 to 8 weeks:
1 T calendula - for sore muscles 1 T lemon balm - muscle spasms
1 T comfrey - wound healer 1 T peppermint - pain
1 T daisy - relieve pain in aching joints 1 T plantain - anti-inflammatory
1 T dandelion - arthritis 1 T red clover - joint pain
1 T feverfew - joint health 1 T rosemary - arthritis
1 T horsetail - sprains 1 T strawberry leaf - arthritis
1 T lavender - joint pain and sore muscles 1 T sage - joint pain
1 T yarrow - anti-inflammatory
2. Strain herbs into a new mason jar.
3 Put a mason jar lid on the bottom of a small saucepan filled with enough water for the herbal oil to warm up.
4. When the oil is warm, add 1/2 cup of beeswax pellets for 4 cups of olive oil.
5. Watch it while you do other things in your kitchen and stir occasionally as the beeswax melts. When they're completely melted, take the pan off the stove and let sit for 2 minutes.
6. Take the oil off the stove for two minutes. Then add 10 drops of frankincense essential oil. It also helps with joint pain and makes it smell good!
7. Pour in 2 or 4 oz jars and let cool.
8. Label. This balm has a shelf life of one year.
Saturday, July 15, 2023
Summer is a Great Time to Dry Herbs & Make a Cold, Cough, & Flu Tea for the Fall!
How I Got Into Making My Own Tea

This is an update of something I posted a few years ago. I have added about twelve more herbs to this tea, and so I wanted to let anyone else know what they can do with those beautiful medicinal herbs and spices that they are growing!
A few years after planting them, I wondered couldn't I dry this peppermint and make my own tea?! So that began a summer hobby that I've had for many years. Every year I'd pick a few more to research and start drying. It was fun researching about the plants that I had gotten from her and from the nursery. It's surprising that many of them had medicinal benefits. It was also interesting to find out that many of the herbs I grow for spices like oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram are great for fighting the common cold and soothing a cough.
(3) Dandelion leaf: Antibacterial and antiviral properties. Make sure you pick these in the woods or a clearing where there are no pesticides.
(4) Feverfew: Use for wheezing and coughs. Also an energizing herb. Pain reliever; helps with asthma, fever, and sinus congestion. I usually dry it in vases.
(5) Lavender: Helps relieve headaches and nervous exhaustion common when ill.
(6) Lemon Balm: The tannins and polyphenols in lemon balm extracts have antibacterial & antiviral effects. Used in treatment of colds, flu, and cold sores. Contains eugenol a natural pain reliever.
(9) Yarrow: Contains antiseptic qualities that fight bacteria. Good for colds, flu, and fever. Helps detoxify the body Good for soothing a sore throat.
How to Dry Herbs to Make Your Own Herbal Teas
How to Brew a Cup of Medicinal Herb Tea
How to Make Your Own Lavender Oil & Tea
How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - Peppermint Tea & Oil
How To Make Your Own Strawberry Leaf Tea
Did You Know That Salad Burnet Can be Made into Tea?
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - What Can You Do With the Feverfew in Your Garden?
About Making Your Own Spices:
How to Dry Herbs to Spice Up Your Cooking
Other Things You Can Do with Herbs:
How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - Peppermint Tea & Oil
Grandma's Recipe for Dandelion Honey
Thursday, December 24, 2020
God's Promise of Hope for 2020
This has been a year like none other, right? But in the midst of heartache and concerns on so many levels, God's still on the throne of the universe. That's been a big comfort to me these past months. As this year is drawing to a close, I started writing up prayers like I usually do for my children and grandchildren. This is a time where I can focus on each child and their family. It''s always been a special time of reflecting on where they are on their journey and writing out prayers of encouragement.
I also thought about making another flyer to hand out to neighbors when we take our walk. My husband and I wrote it together at lunch a few weeks ago. The verse that came up in my heart was Isaiah 9:6:
For a child is born to us,
A Son is given to us,
And the government
Is upon His shoulder;
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor,
Mighty God,
Eternal Father
Prince of Peace.
: It's amazing that the prophet Isaiah wrote this verse 700 years before Christ's birth!! And if you carefully read this verse you'll see that the child born to Mary was unlike any child that had ever been born before.
Isaiah tells us that Christ would not only be the Son given by the Father but also the Mighty God and eternal Father Himself. That may be hard to wrap your head around, but this is a window into Christ's incarnation.
This may make you wonder why did Christ come anyway? As we were writing and talking as we wrote this tract, I realized that God didn't leave it up to speculation. In John 3:16 we have those beautiful words that have been spoken millions of times:
For God so loved the world
That He gave His only Begotten Son,
that everyone who believes into Him would not perish,
but would have eternal life.
If you put these two passages together one from the Old Testament and the other from the New Testament, you'll see that the word give is in both. The Son given to us in Isaiah 9:6 was given by God in John 3:16 for our salvation.
It's easy to receive this greatest of all gifts. If you've never done so before, all you have to do is say from your heart: Lord Jesus, I believe You died for my sins.
I open my heart to receive You. Thank You for
dying for me and coming to live in me. Amen.
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
The Best Asian Lettuce Wraps

1. Prepare vegetables: Mince ½ of a yellow onion, grate 2 carrots, mince 2 cloves of garlic, finely slice 3 green onions, chop up 1/3 cup of cilantro, and chop up 1 4 oz. can of water chestnuts.
2. Meanwhile cook 1 cup of brown rice.
3. Brown 1 pound of organic ground turkey; when almost done add the onion and cook for a few minutes. Then add the grated carrots and garlic and cook for 1 or 2 minutes more.
4. In a large bowl put the browned ground turkey and vegetables. To that add the sliced green onions and cilantro. Then stir in the brown rice and mix well.
5. Seasoning: In a measuring cup put ¼ cup of tamari/soy sauce, 1 T coconut sugar, 1 T rice vinegar, and 2 tsp. of sesame oil. Pour over the bowl of meat and vegetables and mix well. Put in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
6. Wash lettuce leaves and arrange on a platter.
7. Put a small Chinese soup spoon into the meat and rice mixture so people can make their own. Let people top their lettuce wrap with some sweet chili sauce. These are so good.
Note: The original recipe called for mushrooms, and bean sprouts and a special dipping sauce. I substituted cilantro and brown rice, and made the sweet chili sauce the dipping sauce to make it easy.
Other Chinese recipes on this blog:
CHICKEN RECIPES:
Gluten Free Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry (Modification of Internet recipe)
Gluten Free Chinese - Chicken Broccoli Stir-Fry (Modification of Internet recipe)
Gluten Free Chinese - Authentic Chinese BBQ Chicken (From my Bible Study friend Rose)
Rose's Chinese Yellow Curry with Chicken & Vegetables (From my Bible Study friend Rose)
Gluten Free Chinese - Fantastic Soy Sauce Chicken (Modification of Internet recipe)
Rose's Authentic Stir-Fried Chicken & Vegetables (Made Gluten Free!)
Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Authentic Chinese Chicken & Leek Stir Fry (Shared with me by a Chinese student's mother)
TOFU RECIPES:
My Asian Student's Favorite Tofu & Vegetable Stir-Fry (Modification of Internet recipe)
Orange "Beef" Tofu Stir- Fry (Modification of Internet recipe)
FISH RECIPES:
Steamed Scallion Ginger Fish with Stir-Fried Bok Choy (Modification of Internet recipe)
Fantastic Mahi & Vegetable Stir Fry (Modification of Internet recipe)
Tasty Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Fish (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
NOODLES & RICE:
Gluten Free Chinese Fried Rice (From my Come & Dine Cookbook)
The Cheung's Gluten Free Chow Mien (My Bible study friend Rose taught me this)
Soups
My Favorite Chinese Chicken Soups - Bok choy chicken, chicken & spinach, and chicken & cabbage (Modified from Internet search by our Chinese students)
Make Your Own Gluten Free Chicken Pho! (Modified from a newspaper article)
Gluten Free Chinese Hot Pot (Modified by a Chinese student)
Chinese Egg Drop Soup & Chinese Egg & Tomato Soup (Modified from a student's recipe)
Deluxe Miso Soup (Kenchinjiru) (Adapted from Internet search)
A Thai Mom Teaches Me How to Make Tom Yum Kung (A student's mom's recipe)
A Vietnamese Cooking Lesson - Lien's Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup (An International student's aunt's recipe)
Cooking Beef Pho for Vietnamese Students (Modified Recipe)
Asian Curried Chicken Soup (From my Come & Dine church cookbook)
Rose's Very Own Recipe for Chinese Beef Bone Soup (from Rose my friend from Taipei)
SALAD RECIPES
Gluten Free Chinese Chicken Cabbage Salad (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Rose's Refreshing Cucumber Salad (From a Bible study friend)