we gather together

...to ask the Lord's blessing...

This verse makes me smile...

Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. (I Sam. 25:18)

You have to imagine Abigail gathering this h>u>g>e> pile of food in a hurry.


Does this also make anyone else think of Thanksgiving Dinner??

She [and her daughters] cooked a twenty-pound turkey, a pound of cranberry sauce, six pounds of apple sauce, ten pounds of mashed potatoes, ten pounds of praline sweet potatoes, two pies, honey butter, whole wheat rolls, sweet corn, green bean casserole, ... {and thought, What am I forgetting?!}

I love Thanksgiving Dinner. I especially love having it here at home with lots of friends gathered with us for a day of feasting and fellowship. My folks are often gone or helping with the community dinner when they are here, so we've gotten in the tradition of having extended-family Thanksgiving another day (this year it was Oct. 31!) ...which leaves our Thankgiving Day open for inviting friends who don't have family nearby. We have been so busy this fall, we haven't made any plans for who to invite... and a few weeks ago I even had the thought (prayer?) that maybe we could GO to someone else's house for dinner :o And guess what?! Today a friend called to invite us to THEIR house =)

Yes!

2-for-1

Instead of blogging yesterday, I spent my free time with my Bible and this book:

• I am thankful for this book that I picked up off a book sale for ten cents.
• I needed a quick nap as well, but ran out of time because 15 minutes just isn't enough when I use this book - I'm thankful I decided to read first. I have missed too many opportunities for quiet time lately.
• In spite of my lack of sleep, the Lord was good to allow my eyes to remain watchful as I drove to church last night for the ladies' meeting and home again...
• ...with NO deer sighted this time!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One of the devos I read was called "Your True Motivation," based on Matthew 19:27-20:16.

And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. (Matthew 19:29)

Mrs. Barnes writes, "Many times in our religious life we think God will punish us if we don't serve Him rather than being truly motivated by a pure desire to serve Him." (page 50)
Hmmm, think on that one a while. Am I motivated by fear, selfish ambition, or love?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And as I was thumbing through the book to find my page, I found one called "Choose to Be Thankful." That sounded appropriate! But what caught my attention was this paragraph (page 106):

In Galatians 5:22 we read a list of Christian characteristics that are universally known as the "fruit of the Spirit." They are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Being thankful is not on this list. Evidently to be thankful comes about by choice. We choose to be thankful. Have you made that choice today?

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Wherefore be ye not unwise,

but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;

but be filled with the Spirit;

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Giving thanks always for all things

unto God and the Father

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Ephesians 5:15-21

Yes, it does say Monday, November 16 above since I started to post last night, but My Hero came home at 9:30 so I quit and left the computer for him! This IS Tuesday's post as a two-for-one special. =)

family time

..specifically with My Hero =) I got to sit right beside him for a couple hours at church (the kids like to sit by him too, ya know). Then after lunch I went with him while he did some cattle chores and looked over the house project. Now it's a little Packer football (sorta pathetic, but oh well) before we head off to church again.

We are oh so ready for corn harvest to be done this week! But thankful for this good day together!

(photo by The Artist)

sabbath rest

I am thankful it is Saturday night. Tim thought they would finish 'early' tonight ~ before 8pm? I am thankful that his alarm won't be going off tomorrow morning at 5:15am. I have enjoyed our early morning conversations this week, but I am so ready to sleep past 6 again!

I accomplished some kitchen work today... lots of those free pears made into yummy pear bread. I assigned some able-bodied assistants to chop up 6# of Jonathan apples for future applesauce (thinking Thanksgiving dinner prep here!) - we put them in ziplocs and freeze ... then we have easy sauce to enjoy. And their price was a blessing as well - the grocery store had them $1.13/3# bag yesterday (Fri the 13th sale :p) - and they're nice! =) They also had store brand turkeys for $.40/pound -- so you could say I have 'dinner in the freezer'... ha. I need to decide when I'm going to cook one for Thanksgiving dinner - something else to do ahead so we can all enjoy the Day a bit better!

Tomorrow's dinner is also underway - roast in the crockpot tonight, so it will be perfectly tender in another 18 hours. Veggies chopped for a quick saute. Sunday afternoons are too short for us, so the quicker dinner is on the table, the more likely my Hero can have a much-needed nap.

And tonight's easy supper is ready -- with a late dessert planned/prepared by Miss MusicBox to hopefully enjoy with her dad!

Good night, y'all! and enjoy your Sunday worshiping the King of Kings!

crazy kids

Tonight the boys espec were heckling the video we were attempting to watch (A Dog of Flanders)...mixed reviews here. It is something that has sat on the shelf since I picked it up on a book sale a long while ago. Now Miss MusicBox is pounding out some hymns on the piano, so hopefully they will find some sweeter thoughts to dream. (Most of my younger ones were aghast at the obvious 'bad guys' in the film.)


There has been plenty of goofiness going on around here lately. Last night at supper, the 'conversation' turned into a spoof of a commercial for using Mrs. Butterworth's for hair dye or gel or something. (?) The Cattleman was the favorite actor since he's my little Dep man =)




I should explain that they've listened to some old radio dramas complete with goofy commercials (I think that's the inspiration anyway) I don't do them justice trying to describe the silliness. But I think their dad is in for some entertainment if they can get an act together before Sunday afternoon. I think we should have named this boy Ham. At least he's the one that gets his picture taken while hamming it up!

Today I'm thankful for laughter =)

no-sugar challenge

For those who have asked about the no-sugar challenge, this is Laura's post I found via her recent menu plan. (It's old, Tania - you weren't sleeping) I emailed her this week to ask about it, and she says maybe she'll give a new challenge after the first of the year again.

And I want to give some credit to Becky as well. I read her blog a while back after she'd given herself a 21-day challenge and found it very beneficial.

Meanwhile, I'm doing my own challenge. I'm planning to indulge mildly on special occasions - like when my hubby is home for Sunday dinner! Minimal taste-testing occurred already Tuesday eve, but otherwise I've been "good" since Monday ::: this is DAY FOUR for me, my friends! ::: woohoo! for me ;-) And I've even been T-Tapping (BWO+). I don't know if my lower back pain is leaf-raking, way too much sitting at the computer, too much driving, or what. But I may have to give in and see the chiro before December :p T-Tapp works a LOT better for me if my spine is well-adjusted. =) It would be cheaper to give up reading/blogging... better get a timer for my computer desk!

Now, I'm back to the kitchen for some raw almonds and belated supper prep! =)

links anyone?

No, I don't golf. Sorry. I'm referring to hyper-links of course =) I was given a little helpful instruction, so let's try it...

T-Tapp - Here's "The Wellness Workout that Works!" The fact that I do not LOOK like Teresa Tapp should not hinder anyone from doing this to just FEEL better!

Kali - Here's a favorite 6yo who's amazing in her cheerful battle with a Dezmoid tumor on her jaw for the past three years. Her family is amazing in their faith and passion for ministering to others.

Laura - Here is one of my fave blogs at Heavenly Homemakers ~ she hosts a weekly "Gratituesday" theme along with plenty of hilarious stories (Be sure to read today's post for a good laugh!)

Ha. So cool and so easy. Thank you to my new bloggy friend Jodi!





Today's post is going to sit here until I can think of all the things I keep forgetting to list! That's why I am beginning after lunch instead of after supper ;-)

In addition to T-Tapp, Kali, Laura, and Jodi, I have been thankful for...

• hearing the grain-hauling semi-trucks driving by regularly the last couple days - that means progress in the corn harvest
• hearing the various neighbors' distinctive mufflers roar past ~8am every morning on their way to the local gov't-run school, while my kiddos might still be in their jammies :o (Should I admit that here?!) I am thankful we are able to stay home and learn lots together!
  
• ugh, the toilet that overflowed the other day :p so I had to wash the floor myself for once in a too-long time of leaving it to my 9yo's responsibility
• my DD's talent for drawing, even though it often gets in the way of solving algebra problems

• my 13yo's willingness to be the official light bulb changer for this house
  
• my 7yo's ability to still sit in my lap for giving the best hugs ever
• it's Thursday afternoon so our schoolweek is almost over! YaY!
• safety last night driving to church ~ the deer stayed in the ditch ~Thank you, Lord!
  
• the "silence" button on my cell phone when I get a 'junk' call
• free pears from my beloved 'egg lady' ~ I should cut some up for the kiddos' snack right now!
• the new basement floor which was poured yesterday
  

• Pastor's devo on Jacob last night. He's decided to begin a series on 'Encouragment for God's People when Discouraged ~ God Gives a Glimpse of the Unseen,' or something like that. Jacob - a lover of tents - is in the middle of dangerous nowhere on his 500-mile walk to Haran, fleeing his twin brother who wants to kill him, with a rock for a pillow...(and we think our life is rough)... God gives him a glimpse of Himself and His angels who obey His bidding... Gen. 28:10-22
  
• These delightful, familiar verses I read yesterday:

O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou has done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. (Isaiah 25:1)

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. (Isaiah 26:3-4)