My New Christian Planner

 Amanda gave me a wonderful new  Christian Planner for 2022. This is the third one I have used in a row and I am just now getting used to how to make it mine and  very personalized..    I love working with it.  I dedicated  today to get it up and running.!!  One of the things  the Christian Planner company  does is offer a word generator  if you  decide to  have a Word of the Year.  Mine is  Devotion   which I feel is so much from God's own  heart. All last year I was inundated with  issues I just didn't feel like I could concentrate on spending time in His Word or even a devotional. I think He missed me!!    So  I  am delighted to be  catching up with Him  through my devotion and my commitment to  start each day with Him  and His Word!!! I owe Him so much.. His  tender mercies  were new each morning  for me this past year. I can't wait to spend  this  quality time with HIM!

I have had  turquoise,   purple and now this  beautiful blue... and  the cover is    great,  but it is the inside that  I love so much...

Each week  you have a couple of pages for sermon notes, or if you didn't take any, you can use it to  highlight your devotions as in the photo above. I love how you allow the spirit to flow through you artistically to create a beautiful   page to  demonstrate your understanding and your  emotional  input   from the devotion!  This is my favorite part of the journal..  Creative juices just flow! 

 

One of the very first pages in the journal is this vision board. I will spend the rest of the afternoon   working on mine. I wish I was as nifty in  calligraphy.  Mine stinks.. but  my writing  can look  at least a bit  like me if I try!  Here I like to add my favorite verses.   printed  from online and   stanzas from favorite hymns,  etc.   I like to leave room to add thoughts through the year!

This is my vision board from last year:

Take a look here  for more info..plus, of course,   the  planner  lets you focus on the year, the month,  the week,  and, of course,  day by day with plenty  of room to  write detailed    bullets for  each day..  Some times I get behind and just use the unused space to get  creative again to decorate the page  according to the goodness of God for that week.  That helps me more than the  actual planning many weeks!!!

 If you  are  one who  takes copious notes at church  or  during on-line teachings   and you  think you might enjoy  keeping an annual planner, I highly recommend this one.  

                                              

Happy Homemaker Monday

Hosted by Sandra over at Dairy of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather 

Monday partly cloudy, 46

Tuesday cloudy, 48  

Wednesday cloudy, 46

Thursday sunny, 49

Friday  cloudy, 54

Christmas Eve, cloudy 58

Christmas, cloudy, 55

 Well, if it can't snow,  I do appreciate cloudy..  Nothing worse than a sunny,  warm Christmas!

On my mind

HUbs and I are off soon to do oUr Christmas grocery shopping.. Even though it will be a very low key  Christmas around here, I do  want to have a nice  dinner! and something  fun to eat! Oh, I do hope they have more  Christmas custard!!

On the breakfast plate

 Coffee,  eggs and   mini bagels..  

On my reading pile

I will   try to find something  good to read   over the next couple of weeks.. 

On my tv

Hallmark movies and Christmas vlogs!.

Interesting youtube vlog I saw this week:  

A Slow Living  Intentinal Christmas!

Looking around the house

I was playing around with some the photos of the lit areas of our decor  by adding   brightness and drama! 

  A bit  unnatural, but    fun!

 The dining room table

The village under the tree!

  The mantel..  which I really like most of all!!!

            

On my to-do list

• My  gastro  doctor called and  wants to move my next appts sooner  so  it is a way and see week!
• Breakfast out with  dear friends  to Hotel Roanoke  to enjoy the  gorgeous decorations  and their delectable breakfast bar!!!!

• I  have  another  doctor  to  start up with  involving some therapy!
• A quiet  Christmas for the two of us  

To relax I will:

Listen to Christmas music, Bible Study, vlogs, practice my calligraphy for my Christian planner   and start  filling in some introductory pages in my planner.  This is the third year  my daughter has  given me one for Christmas.  Each year  I  get more and more   excited about how to  be more creative and make each page  beautiful!!

Prayer and devotional :

 Praying for our new church and  the leadership there...  They' re working especially hard to  create a wonderful Christmas season for us!!

Our government leaders to seek God, and for the fear of the Lord to
spread among all people.

Prayer about the influx of illegals into our nation, and the possible spread of disease and covid.. Father,  we rebuke the spread of covid and its attaching deviants.. We say no more and we also pray that these diseases will calm down and that they will not be so disruptive to the body. that our bodies will fight them off effectively and without devastating consequences.. we say enough to covid! In Jesus name!!

We pray for the places everywhere that persecution is taking place...

For healing of the sick,
salvation of the lost,
deliverance for the hurting,
the supply, food, and building shortage problem: may it not become
a huge crisis
Churches to arise and pastors to preach according to our times and
these days.. very vital! For the churches to repent and get straight
before a holy God. We have become too lax in our Christianity and
we need to be more persistent to seeking God and His Word!
Protect our children from the ungodly teachings and protect them
from ungodly people who wish them harm for their own purposes.


Especially for people to turn or return to God. Only He can
save.. There is no other way to God except through the shed blood
of His son! 

I cannot imagine negotiating these days without knowing
that God has my back. Otherwise, I would be a basket case. He is in
control ;even the terrible things He is allowing for his own purposes
and it may be for the judgement of America. A nation cannot kill 70
million babies and think God doesn't notice and care. Please pray
for the overturn of Roe Vs. Wade. We know so much more about
abortion now than they did in 1960.. it is not a mass of cells but
a viable baby who has sense and  is entitled to its own life!
God's judgement may be right around the corner, but His people
will go through it in the palm of His hand. Please turn to God
through Jesus Christ.

Yippee! Praise God!

 My wonderful doctor  completely crushed that pesky ping ball sized stone .. all that is left are some bits and pieces which required a couple of stents be placed.  So as originally planned another much less involved endoscopy will be around end of January.  I am over the moon!  I did come home with antibiotics to ward off infection of  my poor duct that has been through the wringer.. please pray that little duct will heal and all will be well!  God is so good.  He was with me every minute of the day and answered every prayer, small and large.  I am one very grateful blogger and thank all so much who sent up a prayer or thought for me!

Happy Homemaker Monday

Hosted by Sandra over at Dairy of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather 

Monday sunny, 61

Tuesday sunny, 59

Wednesday cloudy, 54

Thursday cloudy,69

Friday  rain, 70

Saturday rain, 71

Sunday cloudy, 53

Lynn has worked hard on the leaves today after we  returned from   the eye doctor...   He  should finish in the morning.  This week promises to be  very nice weather!

On my mind

I am working hard on warding off whatever it is  that is ailing me  prior to my procedure this week..  Mostly sinus and drainage.. rinses and   some  meds  have helped a lot.  I want to be in good shape for that   anesthesia!

On the breakfast plate

All I had was coffee this morning.. I had an early  eye appointment! 

On my reading pile

I have been reading    my  beautiful  two December magazines I purchased  at the grocer  ..                                                                                

That Holiday Home issue is particularly  chocked fun of    beautiful decor ideas. I love  Southern Living recipes  at  Christmas!!

On my tv

Hallmark movies and Christmas vlogs... as usual.

Interesting youtube vlog I saw this week:

If you  love  English simple living, you will really enjoy this one!!!

On the menu this week Lynn   is  doing most of the main cooking  ..  

I know we are having a delish  baby spinach salad with sugared pecans, apple,  cranberries, and a  lovely dijon  honey lemon dressing. I added  strawberry and goat cheese!

Looking around the house

                                 Here is my salad:

On my to-do list

• Procedure this week..  please pray for a very successful  procedure  that requires no additional followup procedures!And pray that  I have  the 
• exact  amt of  anesthesia..  not too much or too little.. That has been an issue  for me!  Many thanks!
• Study group  study of the minor prophets
• Bible Study of Hosea

To relax this week 

Listen to Christmas music, Bible Study, vlogs,   the  lovely  vlog above  for sure!

Prayer and devotional 

 Praying for our new church and  the leadership there...  They re working especially hard to  create a wonderful Christmas season for us!!

Our government leaders to seek God, and for the fear of the Lord to

 spread among all people.

Praying for the families who were devastated by the horrible tornado that

 ripped through several states.. Pray for their  physical, emotional, and 

spiritual needs to be met.. I received an email form Franklin Graham today 

 asking especially to prayinfor their spiritual  health as they are so devast-

ated, fearful and hopeless in their spirit and  in their circumstances!

Prayer about the influx of illegals into our nation,  and the possible spread 

of disease and covid..  Father  we rebuke the spread of covid and  its  attach-

ing deviants..  We say no more  and  we  also pray that    these  diseases will

  calm down and that   they will not be so   disruptive to the body.  that our 

bodies will fight them off effectively and   without  devastating consequences..

 we say enough to covid!  In Jesus name!!

We pray for   the places

everywhere that persecution is taking place...For healing of the sick,
salvation of the lost,
deliverance for the hurting,
the supply, food, and building shortage problem: may it not  become

a huge crisis . 
Churches to arise and pastors to  preach according to our times and

these days.. very vital!  For the churches  to repent   and    get straight

before  a holy God.  We have  become too  lax in our  Christianity and

we need   to be more  persistent to seeking God and His Word!

Protect our children from the ungodly teachings and protect them

 from ungodly people who wish them harm for their own purposes. 

Pray for judges as they mull over the  case of Roe Vs Wade  And pray for

each of us bloggers  whom we have gotten to know and  love  .  Pray for 

 them to find  health,  joy, and peace during this season and to  have  

wonderful  time with their families.

Best New Christmas Carol of 2021

 

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Hosted by Joyce!

1. 'Tis the season to be jolly....so are you?   Even though this has been a season of some struggle, 

I am always full of Christmas spirit during this time of year!

2. Do you trim a tree this time of year, and if so, is your's all done? What's something in your home-closet-life that needs to be trimmed in the new year? My tree is trimmed, even though it is our small tree on the table.. but it joyously declares the birth of our Lord!  In my life closet I need to commit more to daily Bible reading.  I do Bible study every week, but unfortunately, my daily reading has fallen by the wayside!  I need to pursue it whole- heartedly!

3. Are you 'dreaming of a white Christmas'? Is that a possibility where you'll be celebrating? According to this site the top ten places in the US you can count on for a white Christmas are- North Pole Alaska, Crater Lake Oregon, Yellowstone National Park, Winthrop Washington, Aspen Colorado, Ketchum Idaho, Mt. Washington New Hampshire, Whitefish Montana, Duluth Minnesota, and the Lake Tahoe town of Truckee California

Of the snowy spots listed which would you most like to visit? I am dreaming of a white Christmas. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility...  a bit of snow  is forecast this week, but not to deliver much snow!  My daughter and her family are skiing quite a bit this season in New Hampshire.  It would be wonderful to be there one weekend especially to watch my grand daughters ski!

4. December 8th is National Brownie Day...will you be celebrating? How do you like your brownies-chewy or cake-like, frosted or plain, nuts or no nuts, a piece from the middle or give me the corner? As a child were you a member of a brownie troop? I was a brownie.. my mother was a group leader. I love brownies, chewy ones, but a brittle corner piece is fun to chew on, as well.

5. Share a favorite line or two from a Christmas carol or holiday tune. From the Holly and the Ivy…

O, the rising of the sun,

And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ,

The holly bears a bark,
As bitter as the gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,

For to redeem us all. 

I  love the Holly and the Ivy..  It seems very English to me  and I  stop to listen  every time it plays!

6. Insert your own random thought here. Yesterday I got most of the   downstairs decorated.  I still need to  do the sunroom... No real plans  just  juzz it up!  I did get the Christmas cards  done and mailed today!  That always makes me happy to  get them in the mail..  This year I sent  30 cards to  family and  special friends.  I will send about   25   online cards  from Jacquie Lawson cards..  I love those.. so  spirited with  music and  merry  video!  I, also, pre registered for my next endoscopy  which will be next Wednesday, If you happen to    read this ,  I  would love  it if you might send along a prayer for  that procedure to be a  great success in finally  crushing  a very large  gall stone that has been plaguing me now for  a month and a  half.This will be  my second  procedure to  crush it  entirely.I do believe in prayer    and  blessing for those who prayer for others.     So God bless you, and Merry Christmas!!

Tuesday 4

Hosted by Annie.
Reading & Watching

Welcome to Tuesday 4 published each week in memory of our dear friend Toni Taddeo, it's author.
This week the topic will be Books and Movies.

1. Is there a hero or character on TV, in a book or a movie .. or even on all three, that you are especially like? What do you find attractive about them?  My first thought is Mr. Darcy.. I love his gentility, yet strong character.. probably the most misunderstood character, especially by Miss Elizabeth, but that of course is what makes for a great plot!

2. Was there a book that was better in movie form? How about a movie you thought didn't live up to the book?  Even though I absolutely loved reading Pride and Prejudice in high school, and actually got away with reading it for two different class assignments, watching it unfold in the screen thrilled me.  The grandeur, the characterization, and the gorgeous sets satisfied my heart so much.  I have watched the films numerous times.  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society was much better in the book than on the screen.  I loved the letter format and it captured my heart and held it gently until the end much better than the film. 

3. When you choose a book, program or movie which subject it is most likely to be: science fiction, mystery, romance, comedy, documentary, etc.? What draws you to a particular book or movie?Romance, always. I suppose it might be the cinematography, or  sound track, that promises some adventure, or drama … much like P and P I love for the couple to banter about a bit before coming to the realization of their love. …much like  the British, North and South. 

4. How important is the title or picture on the cover of a book? How much importance do you place on a movie because of the actors who are in it? A book’s cover always catches my interest. Specific actors do draw me in, as well, just as some actors would repel me.