Three or More Tuesday

Visit Tam at The Gypsy's Corner for more TOMT..

Today I am thinking of this season of advent.. and the challenge our pastor delivered to us on Sunday... to consider Christmas .. I mean to really STOP! and consider Christmas.. When God makes known to us the advent of Jesus Christ, it is worth refllection and responding to it in faith.
Luke chapter 2 , as read above, lays out the detailed account... of the glory of that night long ago in Bethlehem..


Can we even consider that... we here in the 21st century see these images etched on my memories since childhood, it almost seems like fantasy... a fairy story of a kind that sweet dreams are made of, yet no fairy story we've ever really enjoyed, because this wondrous story is true...
Consider how an angel delivered such marvelous news to sweet young Mary...that she was chosen of all women who ever walked this earth to bear a son... The Son of God..and His name would be called Jesus, because He would be the Savior of the world...the long expected Messiah!
Consider how angels appeared to the lowly shepherds, rough characters, dirty, illeducated humble men who when they saw the angel in its glory were terrified, yet the angel said "Fear not, for I bring you good tidings which shall be for all men, that unto you is born this day a Savior.. he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
And instantly, the shepherds believed and left everything behind... left their sheep, left their posts... and hurried away to see this babe .. they responded instantly in faith.

Consider Mary, mother of Jesus, .. the long awaited Messiah ... who had traveled so far in the night heavy with child,, and was offered the simple stable of an inn in the forlorn town of Bethlehem to be delivered... herself, just a young Jewish girl with her husband Joseph. Alone, afraid, far from the home fires and comfort of a family,,, yet on the greatest mission of all time... the greatest event of mankind with only the lowing cattle witnessing the scene unfold...
Consider still how the shepherds hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Mary did more than consider didnt she? She realized the treasure that this event was to not only herself but to the whole world and she had stored this up in her heart... and she pondered these things... there in the quiet night... apart from all the worries of life,, the hustle and bustle of living.. she pondered...
I challenge us all to take time to consider but not only that but to ponder the treasure of Jesus Christ and His wonderful Holy Spirit who comes to reside in our hearts when we believe...ponder that wonderful first Christmas,, and what it means to us... I know that the quiet time I spend pondering this Christmas will probably be the most significnt and blessed part of my yuletide... So please join with me and ponder ... consider Christmas!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY... from Carolyn's Daybook

Outside my window...This is the first Monday of advent
... and I have a sense of expectancy in my spirit for this wonderful season that is just around the corner... the sun is shining but there is a crispness in the air as if winter is also looking forward to its emergence...

perhaps tonight we will light a fire and
trim a tree

I am thinking... about what this time of advent truly entails... I want my blog to demonstrate the glory of which I am feeling in my spirit that some small part of it may be shared with anyone who happens upon this site.... for our God is mighty to save all that was lost in the garden , not just souls, but the inner most substance of man in his day to day living, his health, his circumstances, his attitude, his actions .. every part of creation is yearning to be redeemed... if only the lost could see where to find their redemption!

I am wearing...my pj's..... just cant seem to get motivated to face going out and about so why not be comfy!

I am going... to be fixing left overs from Thanksgiving just one more evening tonight... turkey croquettes.... with baked butternut squash and green beans... tomorrow I am taking mom to the doctor and Im getting my allergy shot.. tomorrow I get to combine my allergy visit with an appointment with a doll lady... Doris sews beautiful doll clothes for America Girl sized dolls and our church provides the cutest dolls for us to take, dress up and outfit to then donate to the Rescue Mission for Christmas. I just love decking out a new dolly win festive clothes knowing what a thrill it will be for a precious little girl on Christmas morning... This activity will really kick off my special advent festivities for the season

I am reading

Book of Luke

Angels at Christmas by Debbie Macomber

I am hoping....get the tree trimmed and the mantle decorated today....it is usually done over Thanksgiving weekend but as you can see well, it just didnt happen this year!

On my mind...

I've been thinking a lot today about neighbors.... our good neighbors of over 15 years are moving today...in fact, the moving van just pulled out the driveway and all is quiet ...

these great friends are not moving away but just across town but even the most devoted friendships falter in these busy times... no matter how much you want to and plan to keep up the friendship ...stuff gets in the way.... I know that the new folks are closing today... and they have moved here from several states away....been transferred here.. and we're delighted to know that new folks are a comin"! But don't you just wonder.... so much... will we be friends.... should I take them a pie.... how long should I wait until I make a move.... do they want to be bothered with southern hospitality.... they are from the midwest.....it is a lot to have on my mind... but you know what... it's best to just ...let God! So, I'll just set my thinking on something else now that Ive got that off my mind!!!

Noticing that...time is really hurtling past... and if I dont get a move on I may miss Christmas all together!

Pondering these words...

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat.
Please put a penny in the old man's hat.
If you haven't got a penny, a half penny will do.
If you haven't got a half penny, then God bless you."
- Traditional English Christmas rhyme

Around the house....well, aside from the usual preparation for this wonderful advent season... I still have to deal with organizing my seasonal clothing.. I hate this job perhaps more than any around the house.. redoing every closet and drawer to make way for each season's wear! As it is every surface is cluttered with winter clothes with no where to go! Dreary, dreary, me!

One of my favorite things...

planning for the marvelous 4 and a half days that our kids will be with us for the holidays!

From my picture journal...

Perhaps just to ponder this scene for a bit will motivate me to at least get this much done tonight!
This week you can visit Peggy for more SWD !

Pink Saturday

Happy PINK Saturday!!

This morning I am off to prayer Saturday, a group of dear friends
who meet every Saturday morning to pray for the church, our nation, and each other, and to study God's Word on prayer that our lives may be used with and by the authority that Jesus Christ gave us when He commissioned His church to occupy and take back the land that the enemy so much tries to take from us...

As I am about to head out and start my day this morning God is sharing the wonder of His pinkness in the heavens! I just know it will be a PINK day... so if you are a child of God while you are moving ahead with your holiday shopping and planning today remember to begin your day offering to the LORD your prayers of thanksgiving, praise, and make your petitions known to Him and He is faithful to hear from heaven and lead and direct your path! Perhaps you havent made that commitment to the LORD, to become a part of His family, then this wondrously PINK day is a great time to consider asking Jesus into your heart that your Christmas will begin to hold its marvelous purpose in your life... the advent of the King of Kings and LORDS of LORDS..this is such a wonderfully expectant season... because of the love and majesty of Jesus Christ and what He means to those of us who do believe and have put our trust in Him... I pray that He will move in your life today that the PINKNESS that only He can give will permeate your day and this holiday season with His glory and the richness of His love!

Enjoy PINK Saturday!!!

Visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for more PINK SATURDAY!!

Skywatch Friday

Yesterday a rosy glow came filtering in through my studio blinds... the gorgeous Thanksgiving sunrise proclaimed to all the God is Lord of all creation!


Check out Skyley for more wonderful photos!

Thanksgiving at Our House

Thanksgiving this year found us doing well and happy in spirit and in the provision of our LORD!



This year I found the antique tablecloth that once belonged to Grandma Cox and used it on our festive table! I enjoyed putting together a table arrangement that celebrated the harvest of the vine yet hinted at the grandeur of the season as well...


We were honored and blessed to have my mom and dad visit with us for our Thanksgiving meal... This was only my second year of being totally in charge of all of the cooking... but I think between Lynn and myself... we've gotten it all under control.


Mom and dad usually sit together on one side when the rest of the f amily gathers with us. This time the table did seem a bit bare but it was a wonderful time together.

We had roasted turkey breast, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, winter roasted veggies, savory peas and onions, cranberry fruited sauce, pickled beets, and pumpkin souffle and hummingbird cake!



Lynn was the perfect host... preciously waiting on and serving both mom and dad each dish...



He shared the congressional prayer of 1947 delivered by Peter Marshall so timely for our nation today before offering his personal prayer for our family!

One of our family traditions is to toast the recounted blessings we appreciate the most! Our sparkling apple cider served us well in our celebration!

Our medley of winter veggies roasted to perfection included sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, onions, apples, and a new vegetable for me... parsnips!


One way we tried to cut some of the calories was to bake up the pumpkin minus the pastry... this cut the desset by 300 calories.. and tasted just as wonderful! A small bite of Hummingbird cake was just a sweet delectable ending. I picked this small delicacy up at Miller's Amish Bakery in Stuart's Draft recently!


Dad regaled us with stories of growing up during the depression, how he went to a 2 room schoolhouse and had to carry firewood in to heat the classroom. He is sharp a s a tack retelling old tales!


Mom just enjoys sitting quietly by reliving the telling!


Lynn found other entertainments!
And we all enjoyed looking up at Amanda's portrait above the sideboard... wondering about her Thanksgiving hoping it is filled with love and wondrous blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving

Revelation 4:11
“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

Word Filled Wednesday

Click here for more WFW!

Three or More Tuesday

Visit Tam at The Gypsy's Corner for more TOMT..

This past week we have been busy preparing for the coming holidays getting the garden cleaned off, and the porch roof painted... when we chose the nice paint color it showed itself to be a lovely warm nutty shade of brown, but alas when it went onto the roof it appeared to be a pumpkin orange!

When we went back to Home Depot the sales clerk told us it would darken up with another coat so Saturday, Lynn braved the roof again and delivered another lovely coat of paint!

Can't say that I see much difference.... now this roof looks great for Thanksgiving... but I fear a clash of hues come December... a friend suggested that we just go ahead and celebrate our love for Virginia Tech football and paint alternating stripes of maroon with the orange! That is an idea!
So now I have a small delemma... whether to celebrate our Thanksgiving turkey in the sunroom this year like we did last year...



Or take it back to the dining room like years past...

Happy Homemaker Monday

The Stay at Home Mom hosts this each week.
The weather in my neck of the woods:
Today was splendid... warm, bright, and sunny... not many more like today....

Things that make me happy:

Sipping coffee and talking about spiritual things with my prayer group!

Book I'm reading:

Stand for Something by John Kasich

What I'm enjoying on TV:
What's tv??!

On the menu for dinner:

Delicious homemade chili and Lynn's perfect broccoli and cauliflower medley

On my To Do List:

Rather full week ahead!
Take mom and dad to their Bible Study

run errands and catch up on a bit of shopping

laundry

Take parents to the dentist and then marketing

Church fellowship dinner and Bible Study

Clean house/ vaccum, prepare table setting for Thanksgiving

Have parents in for Thanksgiving

clean basement

put up Christmas decorations

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
For Thanksgiving Im roasting up a winter vegetable medley of sweet potatoes, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, onions, and an apple for good measure..

In the craft basket:
No time for crafts

Looking forward to this week:

having my dear husband home for a few days and getting some serius organization done in our basement!! yaya!
Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):

No time

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):



I love this time of year and planning special events..... so warm and cosy!
On my mind:
LAst week our church family suffered the loss of one . One of our pastor's sons age 16 was killed suddenly and he was such a precious young man... thiswas truly a devastating thing for that family and for our church body.... but I cant help to think that even as most of us are now able to move on with our lives I am thinking of that family... facing this week and the coming holiday season and how their lives are changed forever. I am reminded never ever to take my family for granted...

Pink Saturday

Today is Pink Saturday with Bev at How Sweet the Sound. You can find that many are delighting in Pink there.

I was perusing my previous pink posts and found one from 2008 that I wanted to revive...So...today I am sharing an interest I have in pink glass. In the early nineties I was completely enamored with Fenton Glass. I went through a period where I searched hi and low for it on every trip we took. My favorite piece from that time is this lovely glass box, I purchased on our Cape May trip that we took back in 1991..

Of course, I may love it best because of the memories it evokes... We were on our way to Philadelphia with our precious Amanda, whom we had adopted from Korea 6 years prior. We were retracing the wonderful experience of going to Philadelphia when we picked her up at the International Airport so she could truly experience the events that she had watched on video so many times . That was probably one of our sweetest vacations we ever took as a family!.. Wonderful memory... wonderful PINKNESS!

Word Filled Wednesday

Click here for more WFW!

Mosaic Monday

I dont know that this qualifiesa s a real mosaic, but it sure does express deep felt feelings within me and my husband... meet Meredith Maple.. Yes, we name our trees that we plant.. We talk to them, pet them, and encourage them to grow, because we just can't wait to see them reaching up toward heaven.
When we bought our home 22 years ago the advertizement in the homes magazine said, "Park-life yard" ..
We termed it a diamond in the rough because even though it was verdantly, amply landscaped , it was so overgown and ill-kept we didnt even know what we had until we started getting in there and pruning it back and uncovering the beauty that had been left to itself over many years.. the ravages of flood, wind, storm, and time had taken its toll and Id say we've lost or had to cut down at least 25 trees, but we have replaced many, many of them .

But the tree we're are placing here is different... The orginal tree stood stately beside our rear entrance... offering us its wonderful cooling shade during the long hot summer days... our daughter used to love to rake this tree's leaves and run and jump into the pile she had so painstakingly created.... it was in this tree that her dad had erected a rope swing where she wiled away many an afternoon dreaming of days to come.... so that when 3 years ago it started to show severe distress from the drought, along with the impact of its mighty age... it was apparent we'd be having to replace her and we have with another majestic maple...

Visit Mary at the Little Red House for more Mosaic Monday!!

Pink Saturday

This week I got to reconnect with a great friend.. Lois.. We used to attend the same church and it is such a wonderful thing about God's children.. that no matter how long we may be separated we can always pick right up in friendship as if no time has passed whatever. Lois wanted my help as she was establishing a blog for her Heart to Heart Newsletters. Her new blog, found here offers tips in parenting, thrifting, and recipes, especially inspirational stories and helps...

Her new blog will light up your life with great insights and joy..


Anyway, Lois is a true PINK lady. Her love of PINK punctuates her home in glorious fashion,

ever the gracious hostess, you can just feel the PINKNESS and grace her home inspires!!!


And I was the very fortunate recipient of this fabulous luncheon all just for helping her do something that I absolutely love doing! Blogging creates Pink delights for me!!!

For more Pink Saturday visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound!!!

Thanks for visiting and enjoy your PINKNESS today!!

Skywatch Friday

On our recent journey up the Shenandoah Valley, the gorgeous broken sky mesmerized us with it's ever-changing and dynamic clouds!

For more skies visit Skyley.

Pink Saturday

Happy PINK Saturday!!

Even as I enjoy looking through my window I am tantalized by a burst of PINK!

A closer inspection reveals the majesty of these pink mums!

What is pink?

A mum is pink,, by the fountain's brink!

Pink Saturday...

Enjoy PINK Saturday!!!

Visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for more!!!!

Prayer for November from Guideposts

You will probably wish to pause the regular playlist as you enjoy this 30 second prayer video... and God bless!

Wednesday Ponderings

Oswald Chambers said," Common sense is not faith and faith is not common sense. Let me say, I believe God will supply all my needs and then he will let me run dry with no outlook and see whether I will go through the trial of faith or sink back to something lower... what a quote for times like these... uncertain time, for sure.... I'd say the outlook on the horizon now seems rather grim.... hard to know what to do... in a group on church and society, our commitee had invited a speaker whom we are looking to invite to the church for a teaching on Christian responsibility in our world, and after we discussed the current situation, we went further to brainstorm some possible outcomes of this disintegrating society, and one topic included stock piling food... not just for our own family, but also in order to share with others. One wonders, is it time to begin thinking along that line,, thankfully, the result of this election hopefully will stay the hand of the enemy, who has appeared to be trying to rob us of our christian culture and freedoms... hopefully, we can place that thought of stockpiling food in reserve, and focus instead on living our lives in such a way as to demonstrate the love of Jesus and really affect change in our communities that will go far in pushing back the gates of hell and promoting christianity in the world. Therefore, the time for complacency is over, and its time to wake up and love one another, stand for righteousness and God's Truth, and instead stockpile acts of kindness that allow the Light of the world to shine through us!