Biblical Decluttering

 is there such a thing I hear you say?

 Tonight I was watching The Salisbury Organist on Youtube. If you haven't seen it, it is a channel produced by an Oxford graduate, the musical equivalent of a gentle read novel. Ben was reading from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

² A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
³ A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
⁷ A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.

 It is my birthday season, the last years of middle age. I could relate to these words so much, even just in fleeting thoughts. I think it was very encouraging. 

 I was amazed that the Bible even has advice about de-cluttering, if you want to interpret it that way. Lately I have been watching another Youtube channel called The Space Saver Method. I find if you can watch a whole series, I was lucky enough to come to the channel at the start of Julia's declutter, the work of April really starts to bless you. Your sub-concious starts to work out what to do from watching. If you are an older person, the current series is really great. But to get the most out of it I think watching another series first would be good.

 I have been de-cluttering my wardrobe. This came about because I had an old wardrobe, and I am a tall person, the wardrobe was not wide enough so it squashed the sleeves. I bought an Ikea Idanas wardrobe with bi-fold doors. I have since found inspiration on how to fit that wardrobe into a farmhouse aesthetic, but I think I like mine plain, it has been attached to our wall, so it functions as a built-in now. 

 If you want a particularly Australian de-cluttering advice from a professional, you may like to watch Zesty Girl, having said that, it is amazing how many things I recognise on April's channel in all sorts of countries she visits, like England, Korea and the US. 

If you are interested in what aesthetic I am following, or want inspiration for an older house, try Ikea, here is a traditional style, and possibly this one is Hollywood Cottage, I have no idea. Shae McGee suggests Hollywood Cottage is a favourite for 2026. 

Feijoa and Loganberry Jam Recipe

 

During summer my husband froze some loganberries or boysenberries. We attempted lately to find out what exactly they were but I don't remember a definitive answer. Now that it is autumn Down Under, I wanted to find another fruit to change the jam up a bit, it is very strong and besides, we have some raspberries to preserve as well. I thought of foraging for apples, but on the side of the Murray Valley highway is not the best place. Feijoas came up on Gardening Australia this week, so here we are. My husband's friend generously allowed him to take some home while they were doing a job in his backyard. 

Feijoa and Loganberry Jam

Ingredients 
1 kg feijoas
1/2 cup water (not too much)
1 kg Loganberries or Boysenberries
juice of 1 lemon
2 kg sugar

Method
Wash, trim ends then peel the feijoas. Cut like wedges then chop across, 3-4 mm. Add to water, add frozen loganberries, leave lid on to get pot warmed quickly, once to temperature remove lid, cook on low heat until warmed then increase heat. In about 1 hour the loganberries will start to breakup and the feijoas will be softened. Use a potato masher to break any big pieces of fruit up. After mashing fruit add lemon juice and sugar slowly dissolving by constant stirring increase heat to quick boil, watch for spitting jam.

The temperature should be at jam set (104 C) in about 1 hour.

Sterilise jars by placing in a cold oven and set the temperature to 100C. Remove them from the oven with tongs. Boil lids in water for ten minutes.

Ladle jam into sterilised jars on an old towel and screw on lids. Wipe jars when cold and label. 

Makes 9 jars. 

This recipe is a carefully considered adaptation of a recipe from Radio New Zealand for Feijoa and Blackberry Jam. The jam has a delicate taste but is not at all weak, and the house smells devine.

Book Review - One of the Few by Jason B. Ladd

Jason B. Ladd

One of the Few: A Marine Fighter Pilot’s Reconnaissance of the Christian Worldview

Boone Shepherd; October 27, 2015

Paperback: 318 pp, $16.99 or AUD 22.94

Jason Ladd’s non-fiction work is his first offering and sits virtually on his Amazon alongside The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between by Gregory Koukl, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi and You Are Special by Max Lucado, a heavyweight in the Christian Living genre.

 

I have chosen to contrast the book with Ann Voskamp’s New York best seller for 60 weeks One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are.  Both authors are quiverful parents of a growing family, Ann a farmer’s wife with then six children, Jason husband and father to seven children; both have experienced a death of a child in their immediate families, and are living away from urban life. 

Academic journal writer Allan Fisher attributes the start of Christian non-fiction book publishing to evangelist Dwight L. Moody.  Fisher via Christianity Today says Moody “was the catalyst for two of America's largest religious book publishers”.  “While preaching in mid-western and western states, he became aware that Christian books were stocked by few book stores and were prohibitively expensive.

Drawing on his earlier business experience, Moody conceived of a series of pocket-sized paperback books that would be priced right: 10¢! The volumes would be reprints of established books or new books by established authors, books that were readable and non-denominational.”   

Despite the expected violence from a book about an Iraq War veteran and mom and butter cake expectations from a west of Ontario stay at home mom, the reverse is true, of Ann at least.  It was this perception of Christian life as unmanly that discouraged Jason from joining his wife’s faith.

“Is God for Girlie Men? It was within this milieu that as a young man, I assigned femininity to the Church. If there were strong men with powerful voices calling their flocks to wield the sword of the spirit, I didn’t know about them. I had never heard of Billy Graham, Chuck Swindoll, or John MacArthur. I was unfamiliar with church history, tradition, the role of men in the church, the increasing feminization prior to the 19th century, or the more recent “muscular Christianity” movement. I did not attend church regularly until I had children of my own.”

It was the insightful information that I enjoyed about Jason’s book.  I have been to many bible studies and fluent in Christianese, but found fresh scriptures that were useful to me and fresh ways to approach topical debates.  Considering Jason has first-hand knowledge of hot spots in the world, I value his opinion.    

The slow lane

Castle and Chrisco Menu

Roasted Tomato and Feta Penne
Thursday ~ Cabbage Rolls  (uses pork and veal mince)
Friday ~ Szechuan Pork and noodles
Saturday ~ Mexican Beef Salad
Sunday ~ Lamb Patties with Chickpea Salad
Monday ~ Tuna Hummus Wraps

Hummus Menu

Friday ~ Chicken Mince Pide
Saturday ~ Fresh Vegetable Speck Pasta
Sunday ~ Chicken Apricot Balls with Plum Sauce
Monday ~ Roasted Chats Salad
Tuesday ~ Hummus Mince with Pomegranite Molasses
Wednesday ~ Sausages and Potatoes and Peas
Thursday ~ Taco Salad

Healthy Menu

Thursday ~ Greek Lentil Soup
Friday ~ Vege Patties
or Chats Salad
Saturday ~ Taco Salad
Sunday ~ Pumpkin Soup
Monday ~ Leek & Sausages
Tuesday ~ Buc Choy, pork mince
Wednesday ~ Felafel Wraps
Thursday ~ Beef Skewers
Friday ~ Lentil Burgers
Saturday ~ Chicken & Feta
Sunday ~ Mexican Pasta
Monday ~ Mexican Baked Beans
Tuesday ~ Pumpkin & Feta Agnollotti with Pumpkin
Wednesday ~ have recipe over ^^
Thursday ~ Chicken Spinach Pide after shopping day

IGA menu

Thursday ~ Rissoles
Friday ~ Lamb Casserole
Saturday ~ Lamb stew again
Sunday ~ steak
Monday ~ chops
Tuesday ~ Sausages
Wednesday ~ chipolata Sausage Casserole
Thursday ~ pork schnitzel burgers
Friday ~  boc choy, coriander,
Saturday ~ Greek Lentil Soup (dill)
Sunday ~ Felafel
Monday ~ Chicken Kiev


naan bread and dried apricots, dinner rolls
 

Aldi Menu

Friday ~ Pork Sausage & Bean Soup
Saturday ~ Chicken Mince
Sunday ~ Pork Mince Stroganoff
Monday ~ Kransky Soup
Tuesday ~ Meatballs with finishing sauce


Wednesday ~  Chicken Mince butter chicken
Thursday ~chicken & leek
Friday ~ zucchini pasta
Saturday ~
Sunday ~
Monday ~

Mince Menu

Friday ~ Chicken & Squash Pilaf
Saturday ~ Zucchini Pie as per pink thick cookbook
Sunday ~ Zucchini Rigatoni
Monday ~ Meatloaf
Tuesday ~ Left overs
Wednesday ~ pork mince with cucumber
Thursday ~ Char Grilled Veg Savoury Mince
Friday ~  Spiced Meatballs in Cream Sauce beef
mince 

Pantry Menu

Tuesday ~ Mexican Tuna Pasta Salad
Wednesday ~ Tuna Mornay with Crunchy Chips
next pay
Chicken Tonight
Thursday ~ Tuna Corn Burgers
Friday ~ Tuna Bread Salad
Saturday ~ Left overs
Sunday ~ Left overs
Monday ~ Chow Mein
Tuesday ~ Tuna Mornay above



Friday ~ Meatballs with Pepper Sauce & Silverbeet
Saturday ~ Tuna Mornay with Crunchy Chips above
Sunday ~ Chicken & Tomato Paella
Monday ~ Salmon & Corn Rice


Thursday ~ Butter Chicken Wraps
Friday ~ Pork Chow Mein uses pork mince
Saturday ~ Pork and Dill Cabbage Rolls
Sunday ~ Easy Chicken Chow Mein (had before) (swapped with pies)
Monday ~ Easy Pork Gumbo (uses pork sausages)
Tuesday ~ chicken mince alfredo
Wednesday ~ Greek Salad with Tuna
Thursday ~ Vegetable Jalfrezi 
Friday ~ Spinach and Rocket 
Saturday ~ Leek, Chicken and Corn (buy chicken) swap with pork chow mein maybe
Sunday ~ Dill  Pide or Mushroom Burgers
Monday ~ Meatballs with Pepper Finishing Sauce next week

week after:  Crunchy Bacon Tuna
Tuna Stir-fry
Pies (already had)