Do you understand why the saying is spoken? "As American as apple pie"? Well, believe it or not, the first recorded recipe using apple in a pie, are found in a cook book in England. The way that apple pie was brought to America was by European settlers who introduced the delightful dish, and popularized it in America. I don't know about you, but I'm glad for its presence in our country, regardless of it origination. My mother made apple pie a main dish at the Women's club while she worked there as the pastry cook there, and of course I became her official taster. What a sacrifice, but someone had to volunteer for the task, Ha. Hah.
Wednesday 3/15
Prov. 29:1 "Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery,"
In my experience there is no animal that is any more stubborn than a mule. For their size they are one of the strongest of animals. However, as I have experienced, they are across the board one of the hardest animals to guide, whether away from danger or in a productive manner. My Uncle had a mule and he found that the only way to motivate him was the shock method.
As a boy I decided to try and win over this mule. I began by moving my bed to his stall in the barn. Rather than just any hay, I gave him fresh orchard grass hay. Its fresh, sweet and when given a choice any horse or in this case mule, will chose this. I even gave him a scoop of grain each night. Over the summer He moved closer & closer to sleep by me. He began to chose to walk with me during chores, and just all around became like my pet dog. However, when I would put a working halter, he became a totally different animal. He refused to even wear it, not alone entertain working with it. However, I accidentally learned that by offering him a carrot, or apple, he would allow me to put the halter on and do a little work. So that became the ticket. Enticing him with a carrot, I even found that if I put a carrot in my back pocket, he (Harry) would smell the carrot and wander over to put on the halter & walk with me with his cart.
The lesson we all learned including my Uncle Leonard was that being kind, becoming his friend, feeding him enjoyable food, but most of all, spoiling him with a carrot at the beginning & ending of work was the way to Harry's heart. He became my friend for life, and when I came to visit him if i brought a carrot, he would would walk over to me & then rub up against the harness, as to say ok lets work.
This lesson in Proverbs is meant to warn us not to be stubborn, learn to accept varying ideas, don't just automatically refuse to listen to others when they provide alternative ideas for solutions to a problem we encounter. This is an especially easy trap to fall into when we think we have tried every alternative.
One of the greatest acheivements in life is determine to keep an open mind, when it come to varying ideas about practical solutions. I think one of the pitfalls that comes upon any person, is to refuse to cooperate with others. We have all witnessed people in our lives who are stubborn, and inflexible. They make their lives so hard to lead.
They have very few friends, only those who give up having an original thought, and are just willing to go along. In both of the books of Exodus & Deuteronomy God criticized the Jews for being stubborn, He even told them that He had blessed them in spite of their stubborn tendencies. Deut. 9:6 says this, "You must recognize that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not--you are a stubborn people."
The second part of this warning is found in the last phrase, ... will suddenly be destroyed". I have noticed that stubborn people end up being cut off from people, in this sudden fashion because others have tried over & over to bring reason to their conversation and finally in desperation just wonder off from trying anymore. Its as though without warning all attempts are cut off. We must all be cautious, for this rigid inflexibility can become our total loss, if we aren't cautious.
So Go With God keep a listening ear, for only then are we able to gain from His instruction.
Harry sounds like a good boy 💕