Just Like Laura Ingalls!

From this....



...to this...



...to this...
Dill Pickles, my very first-ever-ever attempt.

Bread & Butter Pickles, my very first-ever-ever attempt, also.
These I have tasted, and they are goooooooooooood!!!


Marinated Cucumber Salad

2-3 Armenian cucumbers, thinly sliced (regular cukes can be used but they get too soggy)
1 medium onion & bell pepper, thinly sliced or chopped small
1 Tablespoon salt (I use waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay less so that I don't die of a heart attack)
2 teaspoons celery seed, 3/4 cup sugar (or substitute), 1/2 cup white vinegar

Merely mix them all up in zippered baggie and let them marinate a couple hours. Voila!

Though all in the picture are made from Armenian cucumbers (I love the cute scalloped edges), I do have a plant of regular pickling pickles growing. None have shown up yet, but I'm not giving up yet. If they do grow, I found a blue-ribbon-winning recipe online I will try. Maybe I'll even enter them in the fair --- which would be another first-ever-ever! (Have you ever entered anything in the fair?)

...to this...

All these pictures of pickles got me to remembering times I myself have been in a pickle. Do you know what I have done? I called out to God, like crazy!

"Mercy," I begged!!!

His undeserved mercy falls on us, always, one way or another. It's mercy when He sees that it's best for us to marinate in the juices of the pickle we've gotten into. And it's His mercy when He quickly plucks us out, if that is best for us. God's mercy endures forever; and surely goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives.

Next time you find yourself in a pickle, don't just sit there stewing in your own juices - call on the name of Jesus! Run to the throne room where you will find mercy and grace to help in your time of need (uh...is there really any time we don't need our gracious God?) Hebrews 4:16.

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever" (Psalm 136:1).

"The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy" (Psalm 147:11).

...such bliss!