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Sunday, January 25, 2015

:: Happy Things ::


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 Leaving the windows open on a rainy day ...





 Birds at the feeder.






 House plants ...



Tea ... and a cheerful cozy! I made this one up in December -- I found a lovely woolen sweater at the thrift store that I thought would make cute mittens, and ended up using the body of it to make this tea cozy. I love how it turned out.



 Basil on the windowsill.



And the cozy lights strung on my bed frame ... I love this idea for four-posters -- it makes my bedroom so happy in winter!

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Sunday, January 18, 2015

Running the Race: Goals for 2015!



I was asked to share some of my new year goals! As I said, they are mostly simple ones this year, but here are a few of them if you'd like a peek into my head at the beginning of 2015 (scary, I know ;). And feel free to share yours in the comment section if you like, to catch me up on some of your goals for this year! :o)

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~ Bible study:
  • Tackling God's Word at both ends: O.T. and N.T. starting in Genesis and Matthew, 1 chapter minimum each per day.
  • Gary Henry's Reaching Forward.
  • And memorizing the book of James. I started this last year, but fell ungracefully off the metaphorical bandwagon and am still working on climbing back on, just as ungracefully. It's tough when the bandwagon's moving. Okay, I went too far with that metaphor. Moving on ...

~ Journal. Daily, at best - weekly, at the least.


 

Thankful Book: I pulled out one of the pretty blank notebooks I am known for compulsively collecting ;o), and am using it this year to daily record five things I'm thankful for. I'm quite excited about this, and I think it will be a great way to stay focused on God's goodness -- and a lovely book to look back through when I've filled it.


~ Keeping up with my menu plan by staying scheduled at least a month out. I have come to be a real fan of menu planners. So nice to know what I'm cooking a week in advance ... who knew. ;-)




~ Reading aloud to mom and my sis. This has been so much fun, and it's been a joy to share some of my favorite books with them, including The Ordinary Princess, The Reb and the Redcoats, Enemy Brothers, We Were There at the Normandy Invasion, and currently The Treasure Seekers books by E. Nesbit. Hurrah for girl time!


~ Correspondence: Returning mail within two weeks of receiving it. And if you are one of my correspondents reading this, y'all get to keep me accountable! :)


~ Keep at least one crochet/knitting/sewing project going per month.




~ Start saving for a (HOPEFUL) trip to Ireland next year with my family! Lord willing, we are planning to check out the old family homestead, roam through some auld castles, eat haggis and the like. ;o) Or well, scratch the haggis. I think my Irish roots have been a LEETLE too watered down to stomach that kind of fare (no pun intended). So I may go with Irish cheese instead.

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Goal planning makes me think of Proverbs 16:3 & 9 ... "Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be established" and "The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." (NASB) Yes, plan away ... but let the Lord lead those plans. Be flexible with them -- because He may change them up a little (or a lot!). But only because He loves us more than we can understand --  because in the end, His own goals for us are infinitely superior to our own. May HE be glorified in my plans and in yours for this year!



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Friday, January 16, 2015

Of Wagon Rides and Christmas Time


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The Saturday before Christmas, some of us ventured down town to see the festive Christmas decorations and go on a wagon ride! It was so fun. Here are a few pictures of the occasion with some extras thrown in of our holiday. :)









{the horses -- quite aptly named ;o)}





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A wintery chalkboard scene ... after all, what else is a chalkboard for? ;)



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Before ...



And after!



Enjoying the Christmas spoils ...



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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

:: Wisdom ::



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The "thou shalt nots" that confront us are not simply the arbitrary rules of a God who wishes to keep His creatures as unhappy as possible. There's no inherent virtue in abstinence, and God does not expect us to give up things just for the sake of giving them up. Instead, there's always some gift that God wants to place in our hands, a gift we'll have no room to hold until we put down the load of lesser packages we are presently holding. In the end, we'll see that God asked us to give up only those things that interfered with the exchange of real love.

Gary Henry, Diligently Seeking God, Jan. 13

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{photo credit goes to my brother}

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Snippets

I though y'all might be amused by a peek into a [non-serious] newspaper column my sister and I have been creating at intervals since last summer. Following are some of the more interesting tidbits - read on! ;o)



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Happenings Of Note

A burglary was  recently interrupted on Gain Road at midnight on the 20th, when the Iker family returned home from a party to find their lower lights burning and smoke issuing from the parlor. The would-be burglar was found halfway up their enormous bookcase searching for a tome of Dr. Johnson, with a pipe clenched between his teeth. He was forthwith intercepted by Mr. Iker who caught up a large hooked rod and caught the burglar by the seat of his pants, therefore tumbling him ignominiously to the ground. Meanwhile, Mrs. Iker had called the police and stood by with a frying pan. The burglar tried to escape but she barred the way. "Get to the side, woman!" he cried. " I wouldn't like to strike a lady!" "And I," she said, "wouldn't like to strike a gentlemen. But I suppose there is no danger of that." And she brought the frying pan down, thus ending the burglar's consciousness. The police soon came and took him to prison.

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A certain Mr. Steve Johnson labored a full four months to grow a two hundred pound pumpkin. "It's milk fed!" he proclaimed proudly as he stood to get his picture taken. Mr. Johnson is convinced that milk produces a pleasing effect on the nutrition and delicacy of the flesh. He recommends injecting the milk through a large horse needle twice daily, from the moment the pumpkin reaches two inches in diameter.


Society Column

Mrs. Merialla Grace Boomschmidt has officially lived a century and five years. She says she feels just as spry as ever and hopes she will make it to 2 hundred now.

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Miss Hattie Le Deux, one of New York's leading ladies, married tailor Horatio Duke on June 28th, 1936, in a small private ceremony at his shop. "It was quite a surprise," said Hattie's mother, Mrs. Le Deux, wife of the late Senator Joram Le Deux. "However, Hattie has always enjoyed sewing, and I am sure they will be very happy - ahem - making clothes together."

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Former governor of Maryland, the Illustrious Nicolas M. Hardy and his wife Amity, have recently moved to the city. They will reside on Hackenburg Avenue.


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Praiseworthy Accomplishments

Last night an exciting event occurred. One Mrs. Methuselah was walking her dog, Fifi, when the dog saw a chipmunk and dashed into the street. Fifi has made a habit of this pastime, according to Mrs. Methuselah. However on this occasion, a problem presented itself in the form of a roadster speeding towards them at a high rate. As the dog cowered in the street with Mrs. M screeching "Fifi! Come back! No, don't move! I mean do move! I mean, COME TO MAMMY!", an able-bodied young man, seeing the predicament of both lady and dog, sprinted into the road, scooped up Fifi, and heroically bounded onto Mrs. M's side of the road. He handed Fifi to Mrs. M, who cried, "Fifi, my darling! Shame on you. You didn't listen to Mammy, and now look what you did. You mussed your fur, dearest!" Then turning to the young man, she said, "Why, young man, you saved my Fifi's life! How can I ever thank you?" "No need of that ma'am," replied he. With that, he strode off.



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Thursday, January 1, 2015




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I frankly wasn't feeling the usual excitement last night as I sat with my journal, reflecting as tradition dictates on last year's goals, and making new ones for a new 12 months. In my journaled words, I was feeling "a little tired, a little discouraged, a little 'out of hope' ..." and so, my goals were simpler than they generally are ... quieter. Less "bang for the buck." :) The Lord helped me to gain a brighter spirit this afternoon, for which I am thankful -- but my simple goals for the year ahead are staying as they are, I think. :) Sometimes, it's good to just go simple. Sometimes, motivation just isn't there waiting for us ... it needs to be worked up to. Which leads me to mentioning the following by John Baillie, A Prayer for Daily Meditation. He understood that sometimes, we just won't feel refreshed. Sometimes we will be jaded and uninspired. But when we're feeling this way, it is vital that we remember to keep perspective. To remember that this too shall pass ... and one step at a time is all that is required to keep going heavenward.

Grant, O heavenly Father, that the spiritual
refreshment I have this day enjoyed may not be
left behind and forgotten as tomorrow I return
to the cycle of common tasks.

Here is a fountain of inward strength.

Here is a purifying wind that must blow
through all my business and all my pleasures.

Here is a light to enlighten all my road.

Therefore, O God, do Thou enable me so to
discipline my will that in hours of stress I may
honestly seek after those things for which I have
prayed in hours of peace.

John Baillie

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May God give you strength to stand in this new year! Happy 2015!