The Best Laid Plan

We are having a screen room (aka bird cage) put over our pool and its been quite an amusing process to say the least. The salesman made a rough draft plan of what the pool area looks like for the engineer, well it was not anything near what the pool area actually looks like so the engineer and another man came back and did more measurements so as to put all the correct information into his fancy computer program that would design the best plan for the area. After awhile they sent us this complicated looking layout/plan with numbers and frame capacity's for me to approve, needless to say I had no idea what I was looking at so after a few phone calls the engineer got back with me and explained everything, I think? He basically told me that he didn't expect me to understand all the engineer info, he just needed me to approve the design plan and placement of the cage. You know the whole trust me I know what I'm doing speach. So, the doors looked like they were in the right place and the design and coloring of materials were right so we approved the plan. Yesterday the gentleman that is to lay the concrete foundation came by and low and behold the plan he had was the original drawing the salesman did, not the newfangled one the by the enginner. He was a little frustrated since the markings didn't match. He was given the wrong plan, now he had to re-calculate everything. I was blessed to have the new one so I printed him off the new plan and boy he was glad. He said, "Now I have the right plan I can  get this done." Mr. Donnie is here today getting the ground ready so he can pour the concrete next week. It's amazing  how quickly and smoothly things get done with the right plan.
All of this reminds me of how even the best laid plans of men can always go wrong. Especially with my endeavors, I really think my middle-name should've been Murphy.

You know, only God in His infinate wisdom can plan things for us that never go wrong. I can't count the many times I have followed my own plans for my life and pushed aside the beautiful plans my Lord has had for me.  When I hear about plans and hopes I always think about Jeremiah 29:11
 Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

So I looked up this verse today, so as to make sure I understood the contextI read all of Jeremiah 29, It was quite the eye opener. Let me take you back to the begining of Jeremiah 29. God has Jeremiah send a letter to the Israelites who had been taken into exile to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. Not a quite the plan I would've wanted God to make for me, but listen to the words that were in the letter. 

Jeremiah 29:4-9  “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5 ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. 7 Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’ 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. 9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord.

He tells them to basically to keep on keeping on and trust in His plan for them. What sticks out to me is that He wants them to pray for the welfare of the city into which they were taken, because if the city you are in prospers than so do you. Keep seeking Him and don't let others lead you astray. Then it comes to the beautiful section of His beautiful saving grace and His plans for His people.

Jeremiah29:10-14 “For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

No matter where He sends us and no matter what earthly exiles He brings us to in our lives as long as we follow after Him and the plans He has laid for us, all turns out exactly as it should. 
I would like to share a poem that my children have had to memorize in our homeschool. The first time I read it, I could not hold back the tears. I was overwhelmed with sorrow and shame.

His Plan for Me by Martha Snell Nicholson

When I stand at the judgement seat of Christ
And He shows me His plan for me,
The plan of my life as it might have been
Had He had His way, and I see

How I blocked Him here, and I checked Him there,
And I would not yield my will-
Will there be grief in my Saviour's eyes,
Grief, though He loves me still?

He would have me rich, and I stand here poor,
Stripped of all but His grace,
While memory runs like a hunted thing
D0wn the paths I cannot retrace.

Then my desolate heart will well-nigh break
With the tears that I cannot shed;
I shall cover my face with my empty hands, 
I shall bow my uncrowned head...

Lord, of the years that are left to me,
I give them to Thy hand;
Take me and break me, mould me to
The pattern Thou hast planned!

Father God as I write this I am overwhelmed again with sorrow and shame as it is a reminder to all I have done to push your plans aside; for all I have done to disgrace Your name and cause you grief. Yet you love me still. I am so unworthy of Your Son and the grace You pour on me daily. Father God as Martha writes in the final words of this poem, Please Lord, of the years that are left to me, I give them to Your hand, take me and break me to the pattern You have planned. For you are the Author and Creator of my life and Your plans for me are perfected in Your love. Help me Lord to follow after and hunger for your plan for my life, so I can be an example to my children so they will know Your plan is the best and only plan for their lives. After all Your plan is the best laid plan! In Jesus Name, Amen!


As Resurrection Day is right around the corner here is the recipe we use for celebrating the Lord's supper. It is a good recipe to get the kids involved with, even little ones.

Flat Bread
2 cups unbleached whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 to 1 cup water

Whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl



Make a well in the middle of the flour and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the well and 1/2 cup of the water.






Combine the ingredients together with your hand until it forms into a dough, adding in more water as needed to incorporate all of the flour without becoming to sticky

Pour last tablespoon over dough and knead into dough.



The next two steps is where the little ones can enjoy the process as well. It's like playing with playdough.

 Pull off a bit and roll into balls, the size depends on how large or small you would like your flat bread.  

 Then roll out to your desired thickness, we like ours more on the thin side.














Place on a hot, oiled, griddle. Flip them over after a minute or two. It's kind of like cooking pancakes but a lot faster.



Place on racks to cool or eat them warm.

I cool mine and put in airtight container. Should keep for a few days, they don't usually last that long in my house.