Hats for the Holidays! Day 25 & Beautiful Blessings - 11/25/15

A jaunty hat that I think might have turkey feathers! Im not sure, so dont quote me! lol! Tis ostentatious to say the least!

Blessings for the day:

~ Prepping desserts ahead of time for tomorrow!

~ Yummy leftovers for dinner!

~ Watching "Holiday Inn" with the girls! They enjoyed it!

~ That my friend was protected when his car broke down!

~ God is good. No matter what. 

1 Chronicles 16:34 (ESV)

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    for his steadfast love endures forever!

Pneumonia and why I'm thankful for it!

Nearly 2 weeks ago, I was diagnosed with pneumonia. Pneumonia is not fun, in case you want to know. You're exhausted, your lungs ache, and you just feel blah! Today I actually feel like I'm getting better. It's rather nice I must say, and while I could talk about my pneumonia, I'd rather talk about some things I find amazing and I'm so thankful for!

First of all, people who have been praying for me! So many of my friends, my family, my parents' friends and people from Church have been praying for me! To know that people care that much about you is truly amazing. For all of you who have been praying, thank you. It means so much to me!

Secondly, my friends have been a big source of encouragement! From quick "how are you?", to long emails full of alliterations, to listening to my ceaseless chatter, or even coming over for a visit, it's been so encouraging! I'm so thankful for their encouraging words, verses they've shared and just giving me something to laugh about! (Even though laughing really hurt for a while....  ;~)They've been such a blessing to me! Thank you, my dear friends, for everything you've done!

Thirdly, my family, specifically my parents. They've let me get in extra naps when I've needed them. They've given me space to just sit quietly to rest. They've gone out on snowy nasty days to get my medicine, and freezing-cold days take me to the doctor's. They have done so much for me. Thank you Mom and Dad!!

This pneumonia has been a test of my patience. I've wanted to do things, go out to the library/post office, help around the house, etc., but I've been unable to. Instead it's given me a chance to sit, and study my Bible. It's given me a chance to spend time in prayer and pray for others. I've even been able to encourage others which is hard to do when one is busy. I'm very thankful for this time of quietness. God is so good!

(Two little munchkins hopped on my lap while I was resting one day. They were cold from playing outside and ready for some delicious hot chocolate!!)

Thanksgiving!

The Pleiades

 (Picture credit goes to my Dad. Taken a few years ago)

Every winter, since I was a little girl, I would scan the winter sky for the Pleiades. 

 Every year I'd search until I found them. 

Today I found them in the night sky, and I'm still amazed that yet it's such a tiny constellation, they're mentioned 3 times in the Bible.

Job 9:9 (ESV)

Who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south.

Job 38:31 (ESV)

Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion?

Amos 5:8 (ESV)

He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name.

From here, they seem so small, yet they are stars which are a clear indication they aren't. 

Stars fascinate me. 

I could look at them for hours. 

While the Pleiades may not be one of the larger constellations, or more important ones, they're always there. 

Year after year. 

For centuries.

It leaves me in awe.

Psalm 147:4 (ESV)

He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names

Isaiah 40:26 (ESV)
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
    who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
    calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
    and because he is strong in power
    not one is missing.

The stars were created by an Almighty God.

When I see what he has made, I'm in awe of his power.

God is good.

Thank you God for making the stars!

1 Timothy 4:4-5 (ESV)

 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

A Wonderful Round of Applause!

A wonderful round of applause to my dear friends who took time to write and share guest posts with you all!

In case you missed them:

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

Valuing Life: Beginning to End

His Feet - A Poem

Learning in Ecuador

Being Classy: Advice for Guys

Thank you for the time you took to write such lovely posts! 

If you haven't read these, I encourage you to do so!

*applause*

In His Own Image

Genesis 1:27 (ESV)

So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.

It amazes me that in the Church, how many people hate their body. 

They feel that they are too tall, too short, too small, too large, too fat, and too skinny. 

They feel that they are ugly.

I've been thinking a lot about this recently.

To the world I'm too tall, too fat, too blah, too tanned, and too gangly.

But to God, I'm perfect.

Because he made me.

And he made you too <3

The world is full of lies, and we need to block them out.

Ephesians 4:27 (NIRV)

Don’t give the devil a chance.

 

Don't let him convince you that you are not lovely.

 

You are precious and perfect just the way God made you!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

 

 When you complain about your body, and listen to the world's lies, you are not glorifying God.

You are basically telling him that being made in his image doesn't mean a thing to you.

And that makes him sad.

Today, I want you to thank God for the glorious life and body he has graciously given to you.

Always remember that you are precious to him no matter what you look like. <3

Thanksgiving!!

So for all of you who celebrated Thanksgiving, did you do a Thank You dance?

I did. I dance non-stop! :~)

33 days till X'mas

I shall interrupt the Christmas festivities for 2 days.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

A time of being thankful and thanksgiving.

What is the difference between being thankful & thanksgiving?

Being thankful is keeping the thankfulness.

But thanksgiving is giving thanks to those you are thankful for.

We will celebrate with my Grandma.

I am very excited about our menu.

We will have

• mashed potatoes
• cranberry salad
• sweet potatoes
• veggie platter
• and Turkey!!

Plus pie, and a couple other things.

I love Thanksgiving! 

I love the time that is set aside to spend with family. 

What do you like about Thanksgiving?

P.S. Canadians already celebrated theirs!

Excitiment is building!

I want to say

50 days till Christmas!!!

So for these next 50 days I am going to share with you 50 Christmas ideas, homemade gifts, and more!

People in America complain, (They do a lot, but that is a different story!) they complain about Christmas music.

In Canada they already celebrated Thanksgiving. So they listen to it.

In America, we don't like listening to it till AFTER Thanksgiving, which means you only get to listen to it for 4 weeks.

I will admit I, and my family, listen to it year round.

So why do we wait to listen to it?

I challenge y'all to listen to a Christmas CD as a beginning to my 50 days of Christmas!

As they say in The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

"And it was always said of him, he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!"

Lets celebrate the coming of Christmas!!!

Merry (EARLY) Christmas!!

Thank you thank you thank you Mom!!!

THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH, MOM!!!

She purchased 3 cds as a thank you for me. In return I say:

THANK YOU

SOOOO MUCH!!!

I LOVE THEM!!!!

THANK YOU!!!!


For you nosy people, she got

• The Piano Guys
• The Christmas Cello (Also by the Piano Guys)
• The Wizard of Oz

THANK YOU MOM!!!! :~D