Weekly Update
Wow! Has this week ever gone by fast! Whoosh! and it is almost gone.
On the garden front, we're still getting a few beans trickling in. It may be time to uproot the plants in preparation for next year's season though. Uprooting the old to make way for the new. Hmmmm, that sounds like an interesting line of thought. Doesn't it? We may have to travel farther down that path of thought later on. Tomatoes are also still finding their way into the house. The grand total of tomato sauce is now at a whopping 1 qt. and 2 pts! We ended up using part of a pint the other night for pizza. It was really, really good.
Oh yes! How could I forget? We canned corn week too. This was a first, but definitely not a last time for this. After opening up a quart of the corn for lunch yesterday, the verdict is in...we will can corn again. Easy and delish. Also, should the electricity ever go out, canned corn won't be in danger of spoilage.
What do you can at your house? Have you put up anything new this year that you haven't ever before? We'd love to hear about it.
Please feel free to share with us by leaving a comment.
I apologize for missing this month's Book Reading update with Life As Mom. Hopefully, you didn't miss it too. If you aren't a regular subscriber at LifeAsMom.com, you might want to head on over and sign up today. Variety abounds in daily posts. There truly is something for everyone there.
Also...I have a couple new blogs to pass on the word about, A Wise Woman Builds and Like a Bubbling Brook. Both of these blogs offer refreshing and though provoking posts in a brief format that doesn't demand hours or even minutes of our time. Thoughts that draw us closer to God and further from ourselves are shared in a beautiful, lovingly gracious manner. Be Blessed by these ladies and their blogs.
Any and every one who has a desire and/or need to discover new ideas for Fall will be overjoyed at the abundance provided on the internet right now. This is truly a season of abundance. I don't recall an Autumn with more postings on decorating, gardening, and anything else Fall. Whatever it is you are looking for in regards to the Autumn season, I'm certain it can be found online. A trip around the internet might be the perfect opportunity for a Fall outing that doesn't cost any money. (provided you don't find something to buy, that is;D)
________________________________________________________________________
Many individuals are beginning to look ahead to the holiday season. As people consider the upcoming season, the need for extra finances and the desire to clear the clutter seem to enter the top spot on priority lists. The result? Online auction sites, thrift stores, and garage sales offer items that might just make perfect Christmas gifts. Provided you don't have anything against preowned items of course. It could be a win-win situation if you are needing to decrease spending for gifts this year. Paintball markers aka paintball guns are the top item on a couple of Christmas lists at our house so My Beloved is checking the items on ebay quite frequently. Just a pre-Christmas shopping tip to think on.
__________________________________________________________________________
Back to that uprooting the old to prepare for the new thought. You knew I'd be back here; didn't you? As I thought about that, I couldn't help but think of how in between the uprooting and the planting of the new there is a winter season. The winter season isn't merely a season of freezing rains and cold winds though. Those freezing rains and the snow provide moisture for the next season's growth; they also add nutrients to the soil. It is a time of bitter cold, but mostly it is a time of rest and restoration. Harmful insects and diseases are oftentimes frozen and eliminated during winter's fury. The earth experiences the same comfort and protection while resting under a blanket of snow that I do when snuggled down under a pile of warm blankets with just my nose sticking out in the nippy morning air.
God has been talking to our family about the ways the enemy deceives believers. Too often lies are whispered to us that we have been abandoned, isolated, left out when in reality, our loving Heavenly Father has gently led us to a quiet place away from distractions so that He can teach and prepare us for a new season. Truth becomes unclear as lies and deception crowd in attempting to turn us away from God's love and care. Other times, thoughts and doubts are tossed around at us in an effort to distract us from the main purpose and plan, much like the cold winds of winter cause us to lose sight and focus.
We have been so encouraged by the Word of the Lord brought forth by various men and women of God. God is speaking forth a Word of encouragement to His people, if only we will focus our hearts on Him and listen and hear. Oh that we will not be blown about and distracted by the whispers and lies of the enemy. Instead may we be resolved and determined to only hear the voice of God. No matter where we turn or which Christian station we listen to or watch, the message is the same. What an encouragement and strengthening it has been to have the words God has been impressing upon me personally confirmed through the messages given by other men and women of God. To know that the leading we have received in devotional time in school is in line with the leading given to the corporate Body of Christ is amazing. Our faith is being strengthened day by day.
Our faith isn't the only thing being strengthened. To think that Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe would personally lead us! This testifies of the Father's Love to my children. Over and over I have shared what I believe the Lord has led me to share with my children only to later read an email containing a prophetic Word saying the same thing. My children and I just look at each other and smile. "Did you hear that?" I'll ask. Together we are growing closer to the Lord and each other. No bond is so strong as the one created between brothers and sisters in Christ sharing a joint experience in Him. Sharing that bond with my children is truly amazing. Words can't express the depth of joy living for Jesus with my children brings. I am such a blessed mama!
________________________________________________________________
Last night I saw a portion of the movie Julie & Julia. I missed the first part, but in the section I saw, a young wife had begun cooking her way through Julia Child's cookbook on french cooking. The young woman's goal was to cook every single recipe in the book in the span of one year's time. The woman, whose name was Julie, was recording her journey in a daily blog. By the movie's end, hundreds of people were reading the blog, commenting, and even sending gifts to her through the mail. All of the attention went to her head and bit negatively affecting her marriage. So, why am I writing about this movie, especially since I probably wouldn't recommend it due to quite a bit of bad language? Because of something Julie's husband said to her during a fight. After a particularly large disappointment, Julie was experiencing what mothers of small children often call a meltdown. After attempting unsuccessfully to cheer his young wife, the husband confronted her in kind by telling her she had become self-centered. He told her that all of it, the cookbook, the cooking, the blogging, it was all about her, her, her, her. Being a blogger myself, I found myself considering my own situation. Why do I blog? What on earth made me begin this in the first place? Is it all about me? Honestly, I'm still not sure. I don't think so. I certainly never meant it to be, but I don't really know if it is or not. I hope not. God will lead me, of this I'm sure.
__________________________________________________________________
After I was finished watching the movie, I walked into my bedroom. Upon entering the room, I stood still. The room was awash in moonlight so brilliant I could have read by it. Needing to prepare for bed but unable to resisit looking out at the moon, I went to the window. As I looked at the moon and the silvery light bathing the land outside, I was overwhelmed by the love of God and everything about Him. Standing there looking out my window I was able to talk to God and share my heart with Him freely in complete, uninterrupted silence, just the two of us, God and me. It was a wondrous, priceless time I will treasure. God is in the process of healing areas I didn't even realize were hurting. He has been restoring little areas of my life; little areas of big healing. God is SO good.
_____________________________________________________________________
Little by little, kind of like this post, a little here and a little bit there. It's fun to hear about each others' gardens and what we're all reading, but let's not forget to share and testify of what the Lord has done too.
What is the Lord doing in your life? We love to hear of Him!
Please feel free to testify by leaving a comment.
In Christ's Love,
Abundantly Blessed