beautiful friday

...Always so much to be thankful for...

• This week's beautiful weather (dry!) = good weather for progress on both house-building and corn-harvesting =) And hopefully tomorrow we (the kiddos) can .f.i.n.i.s.h. with the leaf clean-up! And hopefully I will get my camera back from my DH to take some more pictures to dress up my posts ;-)
• Yesterday's good meeting with our homeschool supervisor, who is better known as a very good friend! The kids have continued the game-playing this week, adding Boggle since playing it yesterday with Jill ;-)
  
• Today's piano lessons -- I'm always thankful for the hospitality of our piano teacher's whole family =) They are always a blessing to us.
  
• Grocery shopping - what?! Yup, kept the total under $100. Gotta like that.
• Tonight's supper with homemade salsa, guacamole, taco meat, and cheese sauce for some really yummy nachos.... followed by Perfect Brownies. (still *thinking* about a sugar-free challenge... someday)
• Thinking of sugar... and Laura's November Gratituesday Challenge... The kids really enjoyed her recipe for whole wheat Snickerdoodles that I made yesterday =)
  
• And now, a good history lesson via DVD with Francis Schaeffer's How Should We Then Live? (currrently on episodes 5 & 6: 'The Revolutionary Age' & 'The Scientific Age')
  

living in modern Babylon

I read these verses yesterday morning. I wish I had rehearsed them again last night. I was too overwhelmed by a crisis that I have no control over (the usual sort?)... thus my late, brief effort at thankfulness last night. I am truly thankful for many other things, people, but cannot express it all in a way that makes sense to those I cannot share the reasons why...

But I love how the difficulty of life in Babylon is answered in the very next Psalm.

How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?
(Psalm 137:4)

I will praise thee with my whole heart:
before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
I will worship toward thy holy temple,
and praise thy name
for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth:
for thou hast magnified thy word

above all thy name.
(Psalm 138:1-2)




In the day when I cried
thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me
with strength in my soul...
The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me:
thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever:
forsake not the works of thine hands.
(Psalm 138:3, 8)

I am thankful for friends who share the desire for God to be glorified in our lives.

I am so thankful for my very own Mr. Right, who is such a picture of God's grace in my life. I am thankful for the missions preaching conference 16 years ago this month, where God got a good grip on his heart and has never let him go. That's what makes him the best husband and father and friend.

tired but healthy

I think I need a 'Wordless Wednesday' post tonight. I'm just a bit worn out. But typing isn't talking, so I'll give it a shot with a quick explanation instead of the long version I'd planned...


Here are my munchkins with some newly adopted Australian grandparents, the Smythes. Don't they all look healthy and happy?!





So, on Monday I volunteered us to clean up leaves at my uncle's house next door. (Um, thought we'd use the bagger on the riding mower, but an essential part was AWOL...) so we got out the rakes and our beloved little (used to think it was big enough) wagon to haul them to the designated dumping spot. Whew, 2 hours and we hardly made a dent.

Tuesday they (right, NOT me this time) returned to the project. Here's a couple girls jumping in the pile, which has also been blown about by the wind...




...and a big sister still working when it's almost dark.

And the kitty playing in her leaf piles.


It is a blessing to be ABLE to work so hard together. Thank you, Lord!

November Gratitude Challenge! :: Heavenly Homemakers

November Gratitude Challenge! :: Heavenly Homemakers



Aha! I clicked the right thing today to get Laura's lovely logo posted here as well. Yay!

I so need this daily reminder to have a Gratitude Attitude! =)

Remember this post?


(edit: Well, I *thought* I would get the logo...)

(edit AGAIN: Yay! for this old dog learning a new trick!) =)

our God is *good*

Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good:
sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant...
For I know that the LORD is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods. (Psalm 135:3,5)

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good:
for his mercy endureth for ever...
To him who alone doeth great wonders:
for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 136:1,4)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above
and cometh down from the Father of lights,
with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17)

I am so thankful to know this God Who loves me -- and Who will allow in my life only what is for my good and His glory.

As Jesus said, "...there is none good but one, that is, God."

in five minutes or less...

...name something(s) you are thankful for...

1. six children who need to be tucked into bed or checked on as they finish schoolwork.
2. one faithful husband who truly loves me, our children, and our great God.
3. my beautiful Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. fall. I do love fall ...and the leaves that must fall. (After raking for an hour and a half at the neighbor's, I might reconsider just how many trees I want IN my new yard)
5. oh, yes! a daughter with strong thumbs to rub my back as she tells me good-night =)

Thank you, Lord!

30 days of thanks

I just picked this up from Jodi at GranolaMom4God. She picked up the idea from Conny (and Beth). And Laura at Heavenly Homemakers is also reminding me to join in with Gratituesday.


This is a good reason to blog.