A couple of nights ago Carla brought home some eggs that had been given to her by her boss; a couple of dozen chicken eggs and four goose eggs.

Her boss has a little dog that helps her.  He will go out, find them and then bring them to her expecting her to throw them like she would a ball.

I had never seen goose eggs.  They are very large.  We needed to fix them, but how?  So, I went to the trusty internet.

I learned the shells are harder than chicken eggs and takes more to break – so I just wacked them harder with a knife, opened up a small hole and then cut the egg open.

It was also noted that it might be best to candle them.  Unlike chicken eggs goose eggs are always fertilized.

The eggs we got were about three times the size of a chicken egg, so would one due for baking where three eggs were called for, some suggest that it be 1 for 2.

The yolk is considerably larger in proportion to the entire egg than a chicken egg – they can be used in baking etc. but using the white of a chicken egg is recommended.

You can boil them, but I could find no guidelines for how long.

Most sites suggested we scramble them.

So last night we had a goose egg omelet.  I added a couple chicken eggs to two goose eggs (each cracked over a separate bowl so that no ‘surprises’ would spoil the rest of the eggs) and it came out fine.

We will probably have another omelet in the near future.

Philippians 1:9-14 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

¹⁰ That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

¹¹ Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

¹² But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

¹³ So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

¹⁴ And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

It is easy for us to ask ‘why me Lord?’ when going through trials and tribulations – sometimes even life threatening or ending illnesses and injuries.

We have heard many times over that something isn’t fair, the person doesn’t deserve what they are burdened with – questions arise, doesn’t God care, if He does, where is He, why doesn’t He do something to ease the pain and suffering?

There is no easy answer, of course.  God could relieve every burden of every person – if He wished.  And eventually those that have chosen Him and His Word, have accepted Christ and His salvation, will be relieved of pain and suffering and worship in heaven with our brethren.

We know that sin was brought into the world when Adam sinned, and since that day satan has been working overtime to destroy man and God.

We know that God has allowed satan to roam, for a time, but there will be a time when He says, it is enough and pass judgement.

But knowing all that, for some, it is not good enough.  We want relief now, why should we be going through these trials, pain and suffering especially when we are a child of the Living God.

Nope, I have no answer, only God can tell us why He heals one person and not another.  We know that in Jesus’ time on earth He healed a number of people – probably into the thousands.

Yet, the first miracle performed in the name of Jesus by Peter was to heal a man who was at the temple gate and had been lame since birth (John 3:1-7).  Didn’t Jesus see him, did He not care, or did He leave him for a time with his disability that God could show that He was still able to heal the afflicted through the faithfulness of believers such as Peter?

Only God knows, of course.

It is hard to work through pain, it is hard to no longer have control of a situation, but, as Christians we know two things.

God loves us and everything that happens has a purpose that will, in the end, glorify Him and strengthen us – IF we focus on Him and not our problems.

We never know who is watching our walk with Christ.  We never know how things impact them as they see us living for Him despite our struggles.

I have seen times when a person is injured and no one helps them – until someone steps out and takes charge, then others seeing a correct response do what needs to be done themselves.

It takes a leader, sometimes, to inspire others to do the right thing.  To be assured that they are not alone, when they realize that they have a whole new attitude and get busy.

Although Paul was bound and under arrest, his vision, his teaching and his being imprisoned inspired others; Paul always considered his bondage as not him, but a testimony of a man who loves God and proclaimed His Son despite the things he would have to endure.  He knew that whatever befell Him was a means for God to minister to others.

And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

They saw how Paul was reacting to his incarceration and treatment by the government and the religious leaders.  They saw that it did not keep him from ministering to others and preaching the Gospel of Christ.

Where they may have been reluctant to stand for Christ, before, they followed Paul’s leadership and stood up for Christ.

We don’t know why, and really the question shouldn’t be “why me Lord?”   The statement should be I will live for you God; I will trust you and continue to make my stand for Christ.  Telling others how Great You Are!

Who knows who we will be encouraging by our actions?

Later, Art :-)