Make Your Own Ice Cream - Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream, Blackberry Ice Cream, Banana Nut Ice Cream, Vanilla Frozen Yogurt & Triple Berry Sorbet

Strawberry cocnut ice cream with mangos & strawberries

     Dairy free is possible.  Especially with Strawberry Coconut ice cream.  To me coconut anything tastes good.That recipe comes from  the author's website of The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook.   Last summer I also made some blackberry  and banana nut ice cream with milk.  The frozen yogurt recipe is nice and tangy and the triple berry sorbet a flavor explosion.  I made it during berry picking time. 

STRAWBERRY COCONUT ICE CREAM

Put in a blender or Vita-Mix the following ingredients: 
(1)   2  cans full fat coconut milk
(2)  2 to 2 1/2 cups frozen strawberries (about 1 pound)
(3)  1/2 cup honey or agave nectar,  and  1 tablespoon vanilla extract.  
(4)   Blend them until all the ingredients are smooth and creamy.

Set up your ice cream maker:  Immediately pour the liquid into the ice cream maker.  It takes about 25 minutes for it to get to the right consistency.  Transfer immediately to a freezer container.  It needs to chill about 2 hours before you eat it. 

BLACKBERRY ICE CREAM

In a large bowl:  Put in 1 cup of whole milk, 1/2 cup of sugar and whisk together for 2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.  Stir in 2 cups of whipping cream and 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla.  Add 2 cups of crushed blackberries.  (I usually put them in a shallow pan and use a masher to crush them.)

Set up your ice cream maker:   Immediately pour the liquid into the ice cream maker. It takes about 25 minutes for it to get to the right consistency. Transfer immediately to a freezer container. It needs to chill about 2 hours before you eat it. 

 BANANA NUT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM

In a blender or Vita-Mix combine:   Break 4 bananas into hunks, 1 T lemon juice, 1 t vanilla, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/3 cup whipping cream, and 2/3 cup of whole milk.   Puree until smooth.

Set up your ice cream maker: 
(1)   Immediately pour the liquid into the ice cream maker. It takes about 25 minutes for it to get to the right consistency.  
(2)   Add to it 1/2+ cup of chopped walnuts and 1/2+ cup chocolate chips and let it run 5 more minutes.  (3)  Transfer immediately to a freezer container. It needs to chill about 2 hours before you eat it. 

VANILLA FROZEN YOGURT

Mix in a bowl:  3 cups of whole milk yogurt, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Set up your ice cream maker: Immediately pour the liquid into the ice cream maker. It takes about 25 minutes for it to get to the right consistency. Transfer immediately to a freezer container. It needs to chill about 2 hours before you eat it.

TRIPLE BERRY SORBET

Put in a blender or Vita-Mix:  4 cups of berries--blackberries, blueberries, strawberries (or just use 1 type of berry), 1 cup of water, and 2/3 cup of sugar.  Blend  a few minutes.  Stir in 2 t of fresh lemon juice.

 Set up your ice cream maker: Immediately pour the liquid into the ice cream maker. It takes about 25 minutes for it to get to the right consistency. Transfer immediately to a freezer container. It needs to chill about 2 hours before you eat it.



Other Gluten Free Desserts & Breads on This Blog:

Breads & Muffins

Gluten free and Low-fat Banana bread
Beth's Amazing Gluten Free Cornbread 
Banana Nutty muffins
Gluten Free Tremendous Pumpkin Muffins
Bursting with Blueberries Gluten Free Muffins
Toni's Outrageous Gluten Free Corn Muffins
Fall Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Delicious Gluten Free Zucchini Bread

Cakes:

Gluten Free German Apple Cake
You Won't Believe It's Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Gluten Free Polish Fruitcake
Judi's Super Moist Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Crisps & Pies:

Lena's Rhubarb Crunch (A crisp with a gluten free top and bottom crust!)
Delicious Gluten Free Apple Crisp
Ginger's Outrageous Apple Pie
The Best Pumpkin Pie

Cookies:

Gluten Free Cowboy Oatmeal Cookies
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Incredible Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies
Gluten Free Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Old Fashioned Soft Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies
The Best Gluten Free Recipe for Snickerdoodles 
Gluten Free Rocky Road Brownies


Puddings

Baked Coconut Pudding
Tangy Lemon Pudding

Explaining the Parable of the Sower to a Chinese Student

     My husband and I have been reading the Bible with international students for over a year.  Besides explaining difficult terms to them, sometimes their questions give opportunities to  share an illustration. Last week we were reading Luke 8 and our student admitted he didn't understand what that chapter was talking about.  


   He knows I like gardening, and so it was easy to point out that when the Lord spoke to people their hearts were like different kinds of ground.  I summarized for him what I had learned about the  different types of ground by reading some of the footnotes from my  Recovery Version of the New Testament.  (You can order a free study Bible by clicking on this link!)

BESIDE THE WAY -  Let's say I had a bunch of seed and  then started to scatter it, the Bible says some of it fell on the wayside--that's ground that's near the side of the road and because people walk on it so much, it gets packed down.  So if seeds fell on it, it would be hard for them to penetrate the ground.   That's like letting worldly traffic make our hearts hard so the Lord's word can't get in and sprout. 

IN THE ROCKS - Then some of the seed landed in the rocks, and in that kind of ground  it's hard for the seed to grow very well. This is a picture of a daisy that is growing between two rocks in my rockery.  The soil is very shallow and because of that the  plant's roots can't grow very deep.

IN THE MIDST OF THORNS  - I pointed out to him that out by my compost bins in the alley were a lot of dandelions.  I told him that if a seed landed in there, it wouldn't get enough light or food, and the weeds would crowd it out so it would  die. Mark 4:19 says the thorns  are the anxieties of life or all the cares that take up our time so we don't get  spiritually nourished.  

THE GOOD EARTH - That evening we were sitting at the dining table that looks out on the backyard, and because we live in the Northwest, my yard is full of flowering bushes, flowers, and my small garden.  So I told him if a seed landed out there, it would grow because that's good ground.  

   
  
I like the footnote in Mark 4:28:  "...the good earth (v. 8) signifying the good heart that was created by God (Gen. 1:31) so that His divine life can grow in man.  Such a good heart works together with the seed of the divine life sown into it, allowing the seed to grow and bear fruit spontaneously for the expression of God...."       

                               

Blog update 8/5/13:  This morning I was listening to a song on Youtube called Blossom of Gold--it's about the Lord as the seed of life growing within us.  It goes to the tune Edelweiss. 

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Mark:

You can listen to excerpts from the Life Study of Mark along with excellent commentary by tuning into the Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.    

What's the Purpose of Mark's Gospel?
How Does the Kingdom of God Come in Mark 4:1-20, 26?
Explaining the Parable of the Sower to a Chinese Student
How Does the Lord Heal People's Hearts According to Mark 7:24-30?
Seeing the Healing Power of the Cross in Mark 15:16-41

Other Posts on This Topic:
What is the Connection Between the Kingdom & the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-23?

Sweet Potato Hash With Poached Eggs

    This is another recipe from my daughter Michelle, who is a first class foodie.   She gave me this one over the phone, and I was a bit skeptical as she read off the list of ingredients.  But I thought hey, I want to eat more vegetables at  breakfast so I'll give it a try. 

   All these fresh vegetables and spices work together to create a unique breakfast dish.  And yes, it is delicious! This recipe is from All Recipes, which is a site I really like. The only thing my daughter added were some red bell peppers.  You can tell by the picture below that I increased the recipe so that it would serve 4.  Anyway have fun with it.

Sweet Potato Hash with Poached Eggs  - For 3-4

1.  Prepare veggies:
(1)  Chop up 1/2 a cup of onion.
(2)  Mince 1 clove of garlic.
(3)  Dice up 1 sweet potato.
(4)  Wash and chop up 2 cups of spinach, kale, or swiss chard.
(5)  Wash and chop 2 T of parsley for the garnish.

2.  Saute veggies:
(1)  Heat 2 T of oil in a skillet and saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes.
(2)  Then add the sweet potatoes
(3)  Stir in spices:  1 tsp. of dried thyme, 1 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. coriander, 1 tsp. of salt, and 1/2 tsp. of pepper.
(4)  Cook until almost tender.

3.  Add bacon and/or spinach/swiss chard:  If you want you can add some Canadian/turkey bacon and the spinach/kale/swiss chard.  Cook until it starts to wilt about 3minutes. 

4.  Make wells to cook the eggs:  With a wooden spoon make 2  wells  and crack 1-2 eggs into each well.  Pour 1/4 cup of water evenly over the eggs; cover and let them poach for 3 minutes or until the eggs are how you like them.

5.  Serving them up:  Using a spatula divide the contents of the pan  and serve onto a plate.  Garnish with parsley.  

Sweet Potato Hash Casserole:  I followed the same recipe but put it all in a 9 x 13 and baked it at 350 for 25 minutes.

Other breakfast recipes on this blog:

Pancakes
Fantastic Gluten Free Blueberry Pancakes  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Gluten Free Banana Split Pancakes  (Another recipe from my daughter-in-law's family!)
Outstanding Gluten Free Oatmeal Pancakes  (From my Heritage School Cookbook, where I worked 3 1/2 years)
Yummy Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes (From About Gluten Free Cooking)
Crunchy & Delicious Potato Latkes  (From a flier in my sweet potato bag)
Tasty Gluten Free Swedish Pancakes    (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Protein Packed Gluten Free Ricotta Cheese Pancakes  (From my daughter-in-law's family)
Family Favorite Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes (From my daughter's home ec teacher)

Waffles, Crepes,  Fritters & Dutch Babies 
Gluten Free Gingerbread Waffles   (This is one I adapted from Rachel Ray)
Easy to Make Gluten Free Waffles  (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Incredible Gluten Free Crepes  (Mix of 2 recipes)
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Banana Fritters   (My grandmother's recipe!)
Amazing Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Dutch Baby  (From an Internet search)

Egg Dishes
Sweet Potato Hash With Poached Eggs  (From my daughter's Internet search)
Hash Brown Egg Casserole  (From my friend Lisa)
Mexican Migas Breakfast Casserole  (An adaptation from a recipe from an airport cookbook)
Baked Zucchini Frittata  (I picked this up from a Whidbey Island farmer's market)
Jan's Sausage & Vegetable Frittata  (From a friend who was a home ec teacher)
Huevos Rancheros - A Fantastic South of the Border Breakfast  (I learned this years ago!)
Beautiful Eggs Florentine (Adapted from an Internet search)
Gluten Free Crustless Zucchini & Spinach Quiche  (From my Syre School Cookbook) 

Cereals
 Honey Almond Granola   (From the Heritage School Cookbook)
 Gluten Free Baked Oatmeal   (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

Breakfast Muffins
Banana Nutty Muffins   (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Bursting with Blueberries Gluten Free Muffins  (From the Heritage School Cookbook)
Gluten Free Tremendous Pumpkin Muffins  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Scrumptious Gluten Free Blueberry Scones  (From Heritage School Cookbook)
Thanksgiving Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones  (From an Internet search)
Sassy Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Claudia's Blueberry Coffee Cake (Made Gluten Free!) (From a neighbor)

The Watermelon Gospel - What the Gospel of John Shows Us

     Some biblical truths are hard to understand. God knew this, and a lot of the Old Testament contains accounts that depict deeper, spiritual realities.  Even things in nature can explain truths that are difficult to grasp.  You can check out some of them in the blog I wrote a few weeks ago after visiting the California Redwoods. 

    Last week I read Chapter 30 in the Life Study of John that covered Chapter 14 which has been one of those chapters that have often left me going huh?  Especially verse 3 which says And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming [the tense here means that His going was His coming, that He was coming by going (Life Study of John, page 364)] again and will receive you to Myself, so that where I am you also may be.   I like the clarity with which Witness Lee presents the truth in this chapter by using a story on page 364 about his children eating watermelon:

Let me use as an illustration a story of something that happened in Taiwan many years ago.  One day I bought a huge watermelon.  When I brought it home and put it on the dining table, all my children were excited.   

Then we took this watermelon into the kitchen.   One of the children cried out, "Don't take the watermelon away!"  I told them to be quiet, for the taking away of the watermelon  was that they might eat it, that the big melon might get into them.   The melon had to be processed, to be cut and slashed.  

 After a few minutes the big melon came back to the children in slices.  Every child was happy.  In less than an hour the entire watermelon was gone.

  Where did it go?  It went into the children.  Eventually, all the children became watermelon children. The taking away of the watermelon was not its going away.  Its taking away was a further coming of the watermelon into the children.  Jesus was like that watermelon.  How could the disciples swallow Him?  It was impossible.  He had to be processed, to be cut in pieces.  He went to the cross and there He was cut and processed, not only into slices but into watermelon juice good for drinking. Now Jesus is no longer the watermelon but also the juice.  Whoever drinks Jesus gets Jesus into him. Jesus went through death that He might come back as Christ in His resurrection" (Lee, Witness. Life Study of John. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1975. Print). 

This story of watermelon presents the gospel in such a clear and simple way.  Don't you think the Old Testament proved that man in his own self couldn't keep God's law?  God knew that the only way fallen man could ever fulfill His purpose was for His divine life to get INSIDE of man.  

1. The Lord's incarnation  was the first step of this process--the entire Godhead (John 1:1, 14) became a man (the watermelon).  Then the Lord lived a  human life by and with the divine life for 33 1/2 years. 
2. In John 1:29 we see that the Lord is actually the Lamb of God who will take away the sin of the world and accomplish redemption for all men.  Then in John 14 the Lord unveils  that He needed to go to the cross  so He could come into them  (the cutting of the watermelon).   
3. Through death and resurrection Christ became a life giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45b) so that He could  breathe His divine life into them John 20:22 (the watermelon slices so easy to eat).  

Isn't it remarkable that eating watermelon portrays the gospel so simply?

Other blogs on the Life Studies of John:

What is the Focus of the Gospel of John?
What are the Feast of Passover & the Feast of Tabernacles Really About in John 6 & 7?
The Watermelon Gospel - What the Gospel of John Shows Us

If you click on theSeeking God & Life Study tab at the top of the blog window, you will find a list of other Life Study posts that I have done so far!

Michelle's Favorite Vegetarian Enchiladas

   You won't even miss the meat in this vegetarian version of enchiladas.  This is a recipe my daughter Michelle shared with me earlier this year.  

   I make enchilada's a lot, and you can see that by looking at the list of enchiladas I've tried out on the list of other Mexican recipes I've posted on this blog!  

 Actually this recipe is a combination of about three recipes.  My daughter got the list of vegetables that work well for this enchilada from  Words of Wisdom Living.  This enchilada sauce is something I've developed from about two other recipes.  And that's one thing that makes enchiladas so great.    These are yummy!  

Michelle's Vegetarian Enchiladas

1. Prepare veggies: 
(1)  Dice ½ cup of yellow onion
(2)  1 cup chopped mushrooms
(3)  Chop ½ red pepper
(4)  Grate or thinly slice 1 zucchini/yellow squash (or some of each), 
(5) 1 cup of grated carrots. 
(6)  Wash 1 1/2 cups of spinach
(7)  Slice 1 can of black olives.

2.Saute veggies: Put 2 T of oil in a pan and saute veggies for 4-5 minutes. When done, mix 2 cups of canned (or home cooked) black beans into the mixture.

3.  Grate 3 cups of pepper-jack cheese.

4. Make enchilada sauce:  This is my favorite sauce:  Put one 14.5 oz of tomato sauce and a can of water into a saucepan.  Then add 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 T of chopped cilantro, 2 T of chili powder, 1 T ground cumin, 2 t salt,  and1/2 black pepper and stir and simmer for about 10 minutes.   Taste and make any adjustments. I usually end up adding a  bit more black pepper and chili powder. 

5.  Slice between 12-16 corn tortilla shells.

6.  Assemble: Put 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of a pan, add a layer of tortilla shells,  add a layer of vegetables then some cheese, a bit more sauce and another layer of corn shells. Continue layering and top with cheese.

7.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Note:  You can also warm the tortillas and then put 1/3 cup of the filling in the middle and then roll them tightly and lay them seam side down in a 9 x 13 pan.  Cover them with the sauce and then top with the remaining cheese.   Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Other Mexican recipes on this blog:

Mexican Casseroles
Texas Style Gluten Free Stacked Enchiladas  (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Acapulco Delight - A great Mexican Enchilada (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Michelle's Favorite Vegetarian Enchiladas   (From my daughter)
Kathy's Baked Chili & Chips Casserole  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Gluten Free Mexican Quinoa Casserole  (From an Internet search)
Fiesta Gluten Free Tamale Pie   (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Authentic Chicken Enchiladas Verde  (From a church friend)
Rebecca's Favorite Chicken & Chile Enchiladas  (From a church friend)
Delores's Chicken & Tortilla Casserole (Made Gluten Free)  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Great Beef Enchiladas - From my church cookbook, Come & Dine

Tacos, Chimichangas  & Etc.
Rachel Ray's Recipe for the Best Fish Tacos   (From Food Network)
Fantastic Baked Chimichangas  (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Authentic Chicken Flautas  (My hispanic friend Abbie taught me how to make these!)

Delicious Chicken Fajitas  (A mix of many recipes)
Fabulous Vegetarian Gluten Free Fajitas   (From an Internet search)
Easy Gluten Free Baked Taquitos  (From a newspaper clip)

Beans & Rice
The Best Homemade Refried Beans  (From an Internet search)
Texas Pinto Beans & Rice  (From my Texas airport cookbook)
Baked Chili & Chips (My daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)

Mexican Chicken & Beef
Anna's Pollo Guisado (Mexican Braised Chicken)  (From a church friend in Phoenix)
Fantastic Gluten Free Carne Asada!  (From an Internet search--a combination of sites)
Belizean Chicken, Black Beans & Rice, and Belizean Coleslaw  (From my daughter's family)

Soups
Mexican Chicken Soup- A Great Remedy for Colds & Flu  (I got this over 25 years ago from a Mexican cookbook)
Bethany's Crowd Pleasing Tortilla Soup  (From a friend in Califiornia)
Southwest Turkey Soup   (From my Syre School Cookbook)

Salads
Baja Salad with Black Beans & Quinoa  (My own version of something I ate in Seattle)

Gardening: How to Get Going

     Getting going is usually the first obstacle in doing anything.  When it comes to gardening, your first year is going to be the most challenging at least it was for me. You can read about that on last summer's blog called My Gardening Adventures. This year though my husband made me a more sophisticated fence of sorts to keep the rabbits out.  He stapled some netting to some 2 x 2 posts  and then nailed them to the raised bed.  I really like having a gate.  

Here's a picture of some of my grandkids checking out the garden  few weeks ago.

   This spring my daughter started to make a garden, and right now I am visiting her, and one of our projects this week has been to make a netting fence to keep her dogs out of her garden.  At her public market she picked up  a newsletter from the master gardeners club, and most of this blog is a summary of the first 5 pages.  I hope that this boiled down version helps make gardening as fun for you as it is for me!

      CHOOSE A SPOT:  For a healthier garden find a sunny location that has well drained soil.  Making raised bed helps alleviate that problem. Raised beds also let you plant your crops earlier because the soil gets warm faster.   Check out how well grass or weeds grows in this spot because that will determine how well the plants in your garden will grow!

DIG OUT THE DIMENSIONS & PREPARE THE SOIL:  After you’ve dug out the dimensions of your garden:

      1. Rototill if it’s a big space or just turn the soil over with a shovel to a depth of at least 2-3”.

2. Spread about  2 to 3 inches of organic material over the top of the soil. 

3. Top that with  some scattered steer manure—it contains nitrogen that  helps break it down.

4.  Rototill or shovel all of that to a depth of 6 inches.

5.  Rake the ground level.

6. Make a path to walk on and if you like you can put bark or sawdust on it. 

PLANTING: Besides finding out from your nursery what grows best in your area,  the newsletter states it's important to plant at the right time, the right depth, and the right distance.  

THINNING PLANTS:  Once your seedlings get started, thin them out because this not only gives the plants more room to grow but helps provide good air circulation between the plants.

My daughter's garden - the before picture

CROP ROTATION:   The only thing of importance I'd like to recommend is jotting down what you plant so that you can rotate your crops to keep the soil healthy.  

MAKING A FENCE OUT OF NETTING: 

An inexpensive way to keep rabbits and dogs out:

1.   Buy some 2 x 2 posts at the hardware store and have them cut them in half.   

2.  Hammer them in to the wood that makes your raised bed.  

3. Use BirdBlock or any kind of plastic netting that keeps birds out of gardens,  and cut it to fit and pull it tight and staple it to the posts.  

WATERING: 

 1.  If you have seedlings - Try to keep the soil uniformly moist by gently watering it every day or two.  You can also sprinkle a bit of peat moss over the seeds as this helps to keep in the moisture.  

2.  For developing plants -  Plants like tomatoes, corn,  potatoes need to be watered deeply but less often to encourage deep root growth.  Water at a depth of 6" and then let the top 2" completely dry out before watering again.   Lettuce, beets, and green beans are plants that draw water from the top of the soil so you need to water them more often. 

SLUG CONTROL:  

*Pick them by hand -  Check 2 hours after sunset and put them in a bucket of soapy water. They like to hide under wood, large rocks, etc.

*Use copper strips  - Copper gives an unpleasant charge that makes slugs reverse their course.  You can also make copper wire rings and put them around your plants.  We bought Corry's Slug & Snail Copper Tape Barrier that has an adhesive backing.  We put this on the top of the 2 x 4s that outline my daughter's garden, and then she stapled it down.

*Slugs are attracted to yeasty odors - You can use fermented apple juice or put in 1 cup of water 1 T of baker's yeast, 1 T flour and 1 T of sugar.  Cut a 2" hole in a yogurt container two-thirds up the side and bury it so the hole is above ground. Then put the yeast mixture into it and put the lid on it and remove slugs daily.

NATURAL PEST CONTROL:  Did you know that weeds harbor insects and diseases?

Flowers - These  flowers attract beneficial insects to your garden that will take care of your pests:

Daisies, cosmos, alyssum, yarrow, dill, fennel, angelica, clover, and coneflower.  

Natural alternatives - Planet Natural has some great ideas for iother things you can do.

Project finished! 

What the Redwood Forest Tells Us About God

Have you ever really looked at the beauty that surrounds you  like snow capped mountains, lush forests, raging waterfalls, or fields of wheat and seen some attribute of God in it?  This week my daughter and I took a trip to the coast and on our way we stopped at a  redwood forest.  Their size makes you stand in awe.  Today after coming home yesterday from our trip I did a Google on the redwoods, and I was totally amazed at what I learned on a site called Trees of Mystery.  

Did you know that redwoods are the largest living thing on earth?  And that the average diameter of their trunk is between 8 - 20 feet? Take a look at this picture and you'll see. They can also grow as tall as 360 feet.

What spoke to me was looking at some of the redwoods that had fallen on the forest floor and seeing how huge their roots were.  Looking at them made me think of Ephesians 3:17-18  That Christ may make His home in your heart through faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love,  May be full of strength to apprehend with all the saints what the breadth and length and height and depth are."  

You can tell the sun was very bright when I took this picture.

I read one of the signs by the tree that noted that despite their size redwoods have roots that are only 6-10 feet deep, but what touched me was these trees connect their roots to one another!  This undoubtedly strengthens them when storms hit the California coast.  Now that has a lot of spiritual meaning to me--even in nature it's not about getting through it alone.  Even the verse above points out that we apprehend together all the dimensions of Christ's wealth.  

The website I was reading at today also pointed out some facts about redwoods that made me think that God is the same way.  Listen to some of them:

1.  If the redwood's bark is exposed to fire, it chars into a heat shield.  There's a verse in the Old Testament that talks about when we walk through the fire, God will be with us. 

Isaiah 43:2B  ...And when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and the flame will not consume you.
 

2.  The chemical composition of the tree is distasteful and even poisonous to normal tree pests like termites and ants.   God's life is so powerful that Satan can't attack it!

Hebrews 7:16  Who [Christ our High Priest] has been appointed not according to the law of a fleshly commandment but according to the power of an indestructible life.
3.  The redwood is very resistant to water associated rot.  It is not uncommon to find a redwood in perfect condition that has been buried for thousands of years.  Nothing can destroy God's divine life in us!

 
   Isaiah 43:2A  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not flow over you. ... 

4.  If a live redwood is knocked over, it will attempt to continue living through its limbs and that the tree will turn each limb into a new tree.  God's life always finds a way!   Like the apostle Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians, sometimes a believer is put into a difficult situation, but this causes us to experience the Lord's life which becomes a supply for others.

   2 Corinthians 4:12  so then death operates in us, but life in you.

All of these points made me think about Romans 1:20 that says:  For the invisible things of Him,  both His eternal power and divine characteristics, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being perceived by the things made, so that they would be without excuse;   It amazes me how many spiritual truths are apparent in nature--we just need to get out there and enjoy it!