Thanksgiving Reflections

Spending some time this day after Thanksgiving in solitude,
reflecting on the blessings of the holiday-
a houseful of friends sharing stories
daughters in aprons each making 'their special dish'
table filled with delicious food
family and friends gathered around the table
a surprise visit from grandpa
laughter over a game of Apples to Apples
texts and calls from sweet friends

And now, a quiet house, a book, a cup of tea, a slice of pumpkin pie ...
bliss.

Giving thanks today for a peaceful, blessed Thanksgiving.
 
Tomorrow we begin preparing for Christmas!

Giving Thanks

Giving thanks today, even when the wind blows cold,
my heart aches, and all is not well.
Even in the midst of a storm, I choose to give thanks-
because God is good, His love endures forever,
and His mercies are new every morning.
I can trust that what He allows, He will see me through.
And when I look around with eyes searching for blessings,
I find them scattered like leaves dropped from a tree.

Simple gifts I'm grateful for this day:

Crimson leaves scattered beneath the crape myrtle

Roses which don't seem to care that wintry weather is looming large 

Teapot filled with Orange Spice tea 

For these simple gifts, I give thanks.  

For this day and the blessings yet undiscovered, I give thanks.

For His promises, which I can always count on, I give thanks.

For You, my friends, I give thanks.

 Rejoice always,  pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful for Simple Gifts

Simple gifts I'm thankful for this season:

More serranos and jalapenos than I honestly want to think about- abundance gathered before the first freeze.

Jars of pickled peppers- some for eating, others to be given as gifts.

eucalyptus and bay trees brought inside for winter- outside in, freshening the air, brightening the home

citrus in bloom, despite grasshopper ravaged foliage- sweetly scenting the house

 

ginger infused honey on the windowsill- both seasonal relief, and tasty treat

leaves for the Thanksgiving Tree, to be signed with thoughts of gratitude and hung on simple branches- counting gifts of grace

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
    I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
    I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.  Psalm 9:1-3

What are you giving thanks for this season?

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

 A simple tasty treat from my Recipe Pile to suit the season.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

Makes two dozen cookies

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
½ nutmeg
1 ½ cup butterscotch chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.
3. Add the butterscotch chips, mixing gently. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a well-greased cookie sheet. (You can also use parchment paper.) The cookies will not flatten while baking, so press them down with your fingers.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Allow cookies to cool for one minute before moving them to baking rack.      

On Gratitude

To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.  ~Johannes A. Gaertner

A Season of Thanksgiving

Well, it has certainly been a while since I wrote with any regularity here at Love Living Simply.  Life has been everything but simple for me over the past couple of months, and as much as I’ve missed blogging, I just have not had time to string together a sensible sentence, much less a blog post.  Life is good, life is (too) busy, life is beginning to resemble the vision that my husband and I have shared and prayed for, that at times we thought might never happen; but simple it is not.  My husband is now the pastor of a church here in Texas.  We are among friends and family.   We’ve served in this community before and have remained in close contact with the church, helping out with various things over the years.  We moved back to this semi-suburban/not-really-rural-anymore community at the end of September.  It is a good place to be.  We are beyond thrilled at the opportunity God has given us to serve alongside dear friends and reach out to a community that has had our hearts for many years.  Though some days I really do have to wonder about it all...

After a month of crazy moving madness and diving head first into ministry, I am very ready put the words of Thoreau in action- “Simplify, simplify!”  It is time to slow down and make life as simple as it can be in this season of change.

 I’ve had to make some adjustments- our community is 20 miles from the nearest grocery store (if you don’t count the Family Dollar store just down the road- which I don’t- though it is a blessing when you run out of milk or toilet paper!), as it is the library, restaurant, or shopping center of any kind.  Having lived within 2 miles of them all for a couple of years, I’m having to rethink my planning and pantry stocking skills that had sadly fallen by the wayside.  There are great advantages to living here however- such as my wonderful across the road neighbors who give me fresh eggs almost every week!   We also have more breathing room- a large fenced in yard, no more noisy too-close-for-comfort neighbors  disturbing our sleep; though we do have night time visitors- foxes, raccoons, armadillos, deer, and even a bobcat once!  They are shy and for the most part quiet.  The bobcat wasn’t quiet, and it was a bit too close for comfort, sitting right outside the back fence ‘screaming’ at me!  Thankfully, it seems to have moved on to greener pastures (I really think it was hoping for a guinea pig dinner that night.)  

As we move into the holiday season, and I think about Thanksgiving- I have much to give thanks for: 
a loving husband, 
precious children, 
wonderful extended family and friends, 
meaningful ministry ... all gifts from an amazing, generous God, whose lovingkindness and great Love bring great Joy to my soul.  This season, I am singing with the psalmist-

Praise the Lord.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

His love endures forever.  Psalm 106:1

I’m also working on a simple project that I hope to post a photo of soon- a tree of Thanksgiving.  Over the next few weeks our church family will add leaves to the tree, each having something they are thankful for written on them.  I hope to have a tree filled with beautiful leaves telling the story of our Lord’s great faithfulness and the many blessings He has bestowed on us, giving all the glory to Him who alone is worthy of praise, honor, and glory.

 

Not to us, O LORD, not to us

but to your name be the glory,

because of your love and faithfulness.  Psalm 115:1

What are you most thankful for this season?

'Tis the Season ...

Giving thanks for the sights, sounds, and scents of the season today ...





Christmas tree decorated with twinkling lights, cinnamon/apple hearts, and little bits of love




cinnamon-scented candle flickering on the table (a birthday gift from my beloved)


candy canes


ringing bells


Christmas music (favorite songs repeating ... over, and over, and ...)


red & green paper chains


handmade Peace dove brought home from church yesterday


Advent "calendar" hanging from kitchen beam ... little bags filled with a treat from an old-fashioned candy store and an ornament for the Jesse tree

Jesse tree ornaments from The Glorious Coming (buy the book, you will be blessed... I'll be anxiously awaiting the re-write as well)




I have a little tree waiting for these, but I am enjoying the "timeline view" of His Story for now. Perhaps that will be our Christmas day activity, transferring the ornaments from the line to the tree. I think we'll leave them out for a while, perhaps all year. I need to be ever mindful of the story ... ALL of HIS Story, lest I get caught up in my own little story and lose my proper perspective. This is a great visual reminder that the story is much bigger, much more glorious than I can even grasp. The Story of His Love for Us.

Thank You Father, for your endless gifts, big and small. Thank You most of all for the greatest gift of all ... Jesus.

May our gifts to Jesus and to others because of Jesus this season reflect our gratitude for the grace You have so lovingly bestowed upon us.

Giving thanks with the multitudes today. Won't you join us? Drop by Holy Experience and join the Gratitude Community.

Blessings Abound

Giving thanks today in community today.

For your many gifts Lord, the abundant blessings ... thank you.

A party to celebrate the first birthday of a little one who the doctors didn't expect to do well (if she lived at all) ... let alone thrive!

Peeking into the sanctuary yesterday to see if our extended family had arrived, and seeing my father-in-law in the pew surrounded by his grandchildren. No small miracle, as this is the 2nd time that he's been to church in 14 years.

Prayer ... watching my father-in-law walking down the hallway to the pastor's office yesterday with a group of men (and the miracle that he actually willingly went with them)... Later hearing my husband tearfully share how these precious men of God lifted up his father (who isn't a Christian, yet) to the Lord, and how my husband only happened to go into the office by chance, as the gentleman he was talking with was called for...he had no idea he would find his father there, surrounded by godly men, praying for him. Hearing how he saw the evidence of the work of the Spirit as his father left that office in tears. Praise you Father, for obedient, Spirit-led men of God!

A legacy handed down. Hearing the passionate words of a young man at church last night as he stood up and shared how thankful he was for the church, that he was welcomed and accepted, and felt at home; and then shared how he would not forget the legacy that his father left him, that he was raised better than he was living, and was right then turning to Christ and living for Him ... a poor retelling of a beautiful moment to be sure. But, a very clear reminder that those words of Proverbs ring true- Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. And also these words from Ephesians 6:4 -
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Clearly, this young man's father heeded these commands, and though his son wandered away; his father's teaching, and the work of the Spirit brought him back home.

Obedience to the Lord's voice, as our pastor stood up last night and said, "God said, "Let my people speak tonight, you will be surprised by what you hear." so I have no sermon for you. I want some of you to tell not only what the Lord has done for you, but why that makes you want to do something for Him." The testimony of the young man above is only one of the amazing things that were brought forth last night. All because one man chose to listen to that small voice and obey. May I be so quick to move out of my comfort zone and obey His voice!

Monday morning mess - a sign of family life, and lots of it!

Singing birds

Autumn breezes

Cousins giggling

Tea kettle boiling

Holiday preparations

A few moments to think and write, and give thanks

For these blessings, Father, thank you. May I in turn be a blessing to others.

Care to join in the thanks giving or read other gratitude journal posts? Stop by Holy Experience today, you'll be glad you did!

Finding Joy in the Simple Things

Thank you, Lord for the joy that comes from enjoying the simple things of life with those I love.

Gathering leaves, a simple activity that opened our eyes once again to the beauty of God's creation that often goes unnoticed. What an array of color, size, shape ... simply amazing!

A picnic in the park after church. Simply delightful!

Simple food- cheese, bread, olives, grapes. Simply delicious!

Simple drink- water, pure and clean, a gift we take for granted. Many do not have this simple blessing; but we who do can help provide it for them. (click here to see how)

Simply beautiful dessert- Banana nut muffins, a gift from one of the homeless gentlemen to my children after church yesterday. The homeless giving food to the minister's well-fed family ... He who has so little, giving what he does have away to those who already possess so much. A glimpse of the Joy to be found in the upside-down Kingdom of God! May I always be so eager to bless others with whatever I find in my hands. (update: I discovered last night that Danny isn't technically "homeless". ... Humbling to realize that because I see him at the shelter, the soup kitchen, and wandering the streets in his wheelchair, I just "assumed" he was homeless. No, he does have a room in one of the boarding houses in the neighborhood ... I'm not sure it is a lot better than the shelter, however; he just has to pay to stay there. At any rate, he has very little compared to my family; and it was such a wonderful example of using what you have in your hands to bless someone else, even if it is a little container of muffins that you were given at the soup kitchen. His gift to my children (and me) was priceless.

Finally, a simple grace from a children's book of prayers that says it so sweetly:

Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you, God, for everything!
~Edith Rutter Leatham

Yes, Lord thank you for everything, we are so very blessed. May we all find Joy in Your Presence this day.


Giving thanks in community today, care to join us? Visit Holy Experience today.

A Thankful Heart

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! ~Henry Ward Beecher

So much to give thanks for ... the lovely as well as the unlovely.

Just a few things from yesterday, my Monday was a bit manic, but I still wanted to participate in giving thanks in community...

sleepy girls who preferred to snuggle in bed rather than greet the sunrise with Mom- We have that liberty as they learn all day everyday in our "home school", so there is no need to hurry out the door to "school".

living room scattered with toys- A sight which made my husband comment that the living room looks like we've got a bunch of kids living here, as he picked his way thru the maze of their playthings, how lonely this house would be without the sounds and sights of children playing.

cereal strewn kitchen floor - A testimony of the Healer's power, as the little strewer (my niece)has far outperformed the doctor's prognosis and is eating and creating messes with great joy; and I try to remember that every mess she makes is a gift.

counter filled with dishes waiting to be washed- yes, we have plenty of good food, something that should not be taken for granted.

2 birdcages in serious need of cleaning- homes to birds that start the day singing, a reminder that we should be so joyful.

roses fading in water-filled vases- a gift for my girls for helping someone last week. They love to help others, and are a great reminder to always do what you can, even if it is a very small something.

Just a few snippets of life at the Love home this week, all things for which to be thankful for.




Care to join us in giving thanks? Stop by Holy Experience today and join the Gratitude Community.

A Poem of Thanksgiving

I Thank Thee



O Thou whose bounty fills my cup,

With every blessing meet!

I give Thee thanks for every drop—

The bitter and the sweet.



I praise Thee for the desert road,

And for the riverside;

For all Thy goodness hath bestowed,

And all Thy grace denied.



I thank Thee for both smile and frown,

And for the gain and loss;

I praise Thee for the future crown

And for the present cross.



I thank Thee for both wings of love

Which stirred my worldly nest;

And for the stormy clouds which drove

Me, trembling, to Thy breast.



I bless Thee for the glad increase,

And for the waning joy;

And for this strange, this settled peace

Which nothing can destroy.


--Jane Crewdson (1860)