Sunday Scripture

 

For this week's Sunday Scripture series, I'm returning to my simple study of a little devotional journal titled Reflections: The Woman God Sees, by Jane L. Fryar -- a journal gifted me by some dear young friends.   It has a daily devotional one works through -- about a month's worth or so.  The daily devotions were a blessing to me when I worked through the book, so up through November I had been sharing them here.  Then I switched to something more seasonal for December and now -- for a few weeks at least -- I am back to these again.  We will see!

The Scripture for today is Romans 1:7.   Here's the assignment: "Loved.  Called.  That's you!  Right now!  How does that reminder bring peace to your heart?  What other thoughts and feelings does Romans 1:7 spark for you?"  I chose to SOAP Romans 1:1, 7-8 as I considered this assignment.

S= "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God ...
      To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called saints: Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
... I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world."  (Romans 1:1, 7-8)

O=  I've read this verse many times, but had never really noticed the phrase "beloved of God".  Guess I had skimmed right over it, which is really too bad.  However, this time it jumped right out at me.

Believer's Bible Commentary says of the phrases "beloved of God, called to be saints": "These two lovely names are true of all who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.  These favored ones are objects of divine love in a special way, and are also called to be set apart to God from the world, for that is the meaning of saints."

A cross-reference for "called saints" is 1 Corinthians 1:2 --

"Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours."

C.I. Scofield points out that believers are set apart by God, not to become saints, as the words "to be" might suggest, but they "are saints, and that by divine call."

As he does in his other epistles to various churches, Paul goes on to wish grace and peace to these Roman believers.  

Warren Wiersbe notes in Be Right, his study of Romans: "When you trust Christ, you are saved by His grace and you experience His peace."

William MacDonald further explains, "The grace mentioned here is not the grace that saves (Paul's readers were already saved) but the grace that equips and empowers for Christian life and service.  Peace is not so much peace with God (the saints already had that because they were justified by faith) but rather the peace of God reigning in their hearts while they were in the midst of a turbulent society."

Paul then thanks God for all of these believers and how their faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Wiersbe notes that "the whole world meant the entire Roman Empire.  The faith of the Roman Christians was well-known."

A cross-reference is Romans 16:19 where Paul says, "Your obedience is come abroad unto all men."

MacDonald adds, "Their testimony as Christians was talked about throughout the Roman Empire, which then constituted the whole world, from the perspective of those living in the Mediterranean area."

A= In answer to the assignment "Loved.  Called.  That's you!  Right now!  How does that reminder bring peace to your heart?  What other thoughts and feelings does Romans 1:7 spark for you?" I wrote:

Remembering that I am loved by God and called by Him definitely brings His peace to my heart as I too am in the midst of a turbulent society.  Not yet as turbulent as what these Roman Christians were experiencing, but still very unsettled.  Other  thoughts and feelings sparked by Romans 1:7 include love for God and gratitude to Him.

Another question was posed also:

"You are [probably] not in Rome as you read this.  So where are you?  What might Jesus want to see you do there today as His messenger of grace and peace?"  I responded: 

No, I'm not in Rome, but in New Hampshire.  As one who is loved by God, saved and set apart for His service, I have His grace and peace.  

God obviously wants me to live a life that points others to Him, as the Roman Christians did.  My faith should be noticed and spoken of by the people in my world.  That includes my family and friends, my church family, my acquaintances, my Instagram followers and blog readers, as well as chance encounters in the supermarket.

P= "Lord, I am so incredibly blessed to be one who has been loved and called by you.  When I think of how long I held You at arm's length, I am even more thankful for your patience and longsuffering with me!  I pray that You will continue to help me to nurture and grow my faith and to have the sort of faith (and faithfulness, of course made possible only by Your faithfulness) that will be noticed by the people in my world.  I praise You for all You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

There is the Sunday Scripture for this week!  I believe I have about six left in this series.

Happy Homemaker Monday on Tuesday

 

As usual, there's no time for a long post, and I'm a day late, but I'm taking a few minutes to join Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.   It's been great because it has provided an easy way to post for December Daily.  I hadn't really been sure if Sandra would post a Happy Homemaker Monday, but I'm glad she did!

The Weather:::

38º and foggy, with 2 mph wind.  Mostly cloudy with a chance of a little sun later today, and a high of 43ª.  Pretty unseasonable temperatures for late December in New Hampshire.

As I look outside my window::: 

 There are only a very few small remnants of snow in our woods, but for the most part the ground is covered with brown leaves.  And also, at the moment, the ground is covered with dozens of little brown  striped birds -- some type of finch or sparrow, I would guess.  They are finding plenty to eat on the ground, it appears. 

Right now I am:::

 Working on a blog post.  And, once again, feeling guilty about taking the time!  So much to do!

 
Thinking and pondering:::

 

The important thought that even though our Christmases may seem less than perfect and we may feel sad or lonely during this season because of brokenness in our lives or families, nothing will ever change God's love for us.  He sent Jesus out of His great love for us so that we might have a relationship with Him.  We can cling to that regardless of difficulty in our families or lives or even our world in general.

 

On my bedside table::: 

 A lamp, four books,  and a pen.

 Listening to::: 

The hum of the dryer.

 

 On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch will be a salad with cubes of turkey and cheese in  addition to leaf lettuce.

On the dinner plate::: 

Roasted kielbasa and vegetables -- red peppers, squash, onions, Brussels sprouts

On the menu for this week::: 

 A few meals on my menu plan:

Ham and cheese sliders, hash brown casserole, cinnamon apples (meal to share with friends)
Leftover Ranch House Chicken, with broccoli

Shepherd's Pie using mashed turnips in place of potatoes

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Choosing Forgivemess by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor by Donna Otto

A Step Farther and Higher, by Gail MacDonald

High Call, High Privilege, also by Gail MacDonald
All Manner of Things, by Susie Finkbeiner -- which I am reading through for the second time, and loving it

On my to do list today:::

Work on December blog posts
Work on Sunday School lesson 17
Email Sunday School lesson 15 to ladies
Follow-up email to hospitality team/church family about outreach opportunity
Prepare a small package for mailing
Order vitamins√

 

 

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some Christmas cards on Etsy

Ironing
Take a bag to the thrift store
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Blogging

Meet up with friends for supper on Friday or Saturday
Finish superhero capes and masks for little friends

 

What I am creating:::

 

January cross-stitch sampler, plus another cross-stitch I am dreaming of starting

Some "condensation catchers" out of old towels to place behind toilets that sweat in the humidity -- no, I still haven't finished started those! 😕  And I need to do so, because the old towels are just sitting around waiting to be used!

Some dishcloths in Christmasy colors

Need to make some superhero gifts for friends

Crocheted hot mat for the gift stash
Below are scans of a few completed projects using Readerville fabric.

 

A coaster.  The pre-cuts were the exact right size for coasters.

Side 1 of a mug rug.

Side 2 of a mug rug.  These are a little larger than some mug rugs because I wanted to use the fabric squares as they were and not cut them at all. 
 

Here are some photos as opposed to scans:

Side 2

Side 1

Coaster and edge of mug rug

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

This quote from Pain's Hidden Purpose, by Don Baker:

 

"The Christian life is kept fine-tuned by biblical theology.  We should always interpret experience by truth -- we should always filter every pain through the lens of deity.  When God is in sharp focus, then life is also undistorted." 

 

 This quote was shared by Elizabeth George in the chapter "Trusting the Lord" from her book Loving God with All Your Mind. 

 

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there's the Happy Homemaker Monday  for this week! 

Merry Christmas!

 

 Mr. T and I would like to wish all of my readers and friends a truly wonderful Christmas day as we celebrate the greatest Gift ever given -- our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16)

"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift."  (2 Corinthians 9:15)

May you have a blessed day wherever this Christmas may find you.  And may you take a few moments throughout the day to ponder the "good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10).

Sunday Scripture

 

As mentioned previously, I'm doing special Christmas related Sunday Scripture posts throughout December again this year.  Back in 2020 I had worked through Peace, Be Still: A 31-Day Christmas prayer journal, from Women Living Well.  Last year, I used some of my simple study from this book as Scripture posts for December.  I have decided to do so again this year, using different posts on each of my blogs to keep it interesting for all of my readers.  I will take two from each week's study to use one each on my blogs, and maybe next December use more of them.

Also -- note that this simple study does not use the SOAP method as my studies usually do.  This one includes a verse for the day, a thought for the day,  a reflection question for the day and space to write a prayer for each day.  I tended to look at the verse a little bit in depth, and I tended to answer the reflection question in the prayer, but of course you can use these any way you want to. I hope perhaps some of you will want to study out these verses in more depth for yourselves.

Here goes with the study for Week 3, Day 18!  

Verses for the day:

"Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever."  (Hebrews 13:8)

My study: 

I also chose to look at Hebrews 1:10-12 --

"Thou, Lord, in the beginning has laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of Thy hands.
"They shall perish, but Thou remainest; and they shall all become old, as doth a garment.
"And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail."

As the hymn writer has said,

"Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same;
All may change, but Jesus, never; glory to His Name!"

Another hymn writer has penned these words:

"Change and decay in all around I see;
O, Thou who changest not, abide with me."

I do see "change and decay" all around.  Our world is a mess, our country is a mess.  Lives have been ruined by the events of the past several years.  There has been uncertainty in so many areas of life.  Yet Jesus does not change and He will never change.  We can trust Him to care for us in every facet of our lives no matter how uncertain things become.

Reflection question:

In what area of your life do you fear change?  How does knowing that God's Word, God's love and God's presence never changes, calm your fears?

I don't like change.  I wouldn't say that I fear change, but I don't like it.  I think the biggest area in which I don't look forward to change is the aging process.  I don't care for the physical changes and challenges, nor the uncertainties.    Knowing that God's Word never changes is a huge comfort, because we can turn to the Bible for encouragement and be reminded of God's character.  This helps us when we feel uncertain.

Knowing that God's love never changes is a wonderful reminder that all He allows in our lives is from a heart of love.  And then knowing that God's presence never changes helps so much with calming any fears or concerns.  He says He will be with us in trouble.  He says He will never leave us.  He says He will be with us even as we pass through the valley of the shadow of death.  What an encouragement!

My prayer:

"Dear God, I'm so very thankful that You never change.  I often prefer things to stay the same (though I am not averse to necessary, beneficial change) and our world in the past few years has been upside down in nearly every way.  It seems as if change going to be made for the better, assuming we all survive until that happens, and that a period of pretty serious upheaval may precede it.  I'm incredibly thankful that You are the anchor of our souls, and I praise You!  In Jesus' unchanging name, Amen."

That's the Sunday Scripture for the day.  Hope it was a blessing to you!

 

 

Friday five plus one: from the December archives

 

 So here are six more posts from the December archives.  We start with a wonderful crockpot recipe from 2012 for Round Steak Italiano -- just great comfort food for this chilly month, and easy too.

From 2013, A small Christmas miracle might just encourage someone as it did me when it happened.   A great reminder that God cares about little things, and He is always in the details.

My vintage shadow box, from 2014, shows off a project made from vintage bits and pieces a few years earlier.  It might inspire others to make something similar!

I will probably always love to make cut-out cookies at Christmastime, no matter how old I may grow.  Yes, it's a little work, but it's a tradition I don't want to lose completely.  In 2015 I shared some of my Favorite cut-out cookie recipes.  Check it out!  It's not too late for this year!

And speaking of cookies, The year a third-grader saved our Christmas tradition includes a sweet memory and a few related devotional thoughts.  Written in 2016, but lived years earlier.

And from 2017, A pretty outdoor decorating idea would be lovely all winter long!

Hope you've enjoyed this simple post from the December archives!

Hodgepodge December 20

 

 It's Wednesday again, and time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.     Here goes!

1. Did you do more talking or more listening yesterday? Was it by choice or by necessity? 

More listening, by necessity.   My hubby was away for the day helping out a friend and so my time was my own.  I did some blogging and a lot of baking.  I listened to Christmas music on YouTube and watched a couple of past Christmas home tours from Sugar Pie Farmhouse.

Above, little Apricot Cakes!

2. Are you a tea drinker? Hot, cold, or both? Flavored? What do you like in your tea? Do you make Christmas tea this time of year? What time of day do you like to sip your tea? 

 

I am a tea drinker and I enjoy both hot tea and iced tea.   I like regular tea and also flavored tea.  I don't love every herb tea, but some of them are delicious.  I can enjoy tea any time of day.  I like some of the Christmas teas like Candy Cane Lane and Ginger Snappish.  The Hot Cinnamon (last two are Bigelow) is also delicious and one of my favorites.   Tea photos are from Pixabay.  Some photographers are so creative!

3. What's an activity you won't try, an event you won't attend, or an athletic challenge you won't take part in not even for 'all the tea in China'? 

Probably lots of things when it comes to athletic challenges, also some events and maybe even certain activities.  There is also an injection I won't get.  I have reached the point in life where I want everything I do to move me toward God's purposes for my life, so I am tending to be more selective with my choices than ever..  

4. What's something most people seem to love but is not 'your cup of tea'? 

 Reality TV.  Is that even a thing anymore?  And actually, there are many things other people seem to love that I just don't care for.  I probably won't say what any of them are in order to preserve my friendships here in blogland.

5. How does your family celebrate New Year's Eve? 

Sometimes not at all.  My hubby has nearly always had to work on New Year's Day, so we tended not to stay up late. Some years we have had a New Year's Eve time at church where we have a potluck meal, snacks, and/or a family game time.  This year we are doing that on New Year's Eve afternoon. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Christmasy preparations are coming on apace here at our house.   I just made some chocolate dipped orange slice candies.  So good.  Most of the gifts have been purchased and many have been wrapped.  There are still a few small things I want to make which hopefully I will find time for.

And there's the Hodgepodge for this week!

 

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

As usual, there's no time for a long post, but I'm taking a few minutes to join Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.   It's great because it provides an easy way to post for December Daily.

The Weather:::

An astounding 56º with 12 mph wind.  Pouring rain.  There's a flash flood warning in place and river flood warnings for two different rivers in three different towns.  Snowmelt of course will contribute to the problem.  I'm reminded of last December's flash flooding.  Photo below from December 2022.

As I look outside my window:::

Rain, rain, rain.  There are remnants of snow in our woods, but for the most part the ground is covered with brown leaves.

Right now I am:::

 Working on a blog post.  And, once again, feeling guilty about taking the time!  So much to do!

 
Thinking and pondering:::

 

About this poem by Helen Steiner Rice, from a Christmas card in my collection:

 

LET US LIVE CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY

Christmas is more than a day at the end of the year, more than a season of joy and good cheer,

Christmas is really God's pattern for living, to be followed all year by unselfish giving ...

For the holiday season awakens good cheer and draws us closer to those we hold dear,

And we open our hearts and find it is Good to live among men As We Always Should ...

But as soon as the tinsel is stripped from the tree, the spirit of Christmas fades silently

Into the background of daily routine and is lost in the whirl of life's busy scene,

And all unawares we miss and forego the greatest blessing that mankind can know ...

For if we lived Christmas each day, as we should, and made it our aim to always do good, 

We'd find the lost key to meaningful living that comes not from Getting, 

but from unselfish Giving.

Helen Steiner Rice

 

On my bedside table::: 

 A lamp, four books,  and a pen.

 Listening to::: 

The falling rain.

 

 On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch will be a salad with cubes of turkey and cheese in  addition to leaf lettuce.

On the dinner plate::: 

Roasted kielbasa and vegetables -- red peppers, squash, onions, Brussels sprouts

On the menu for this week::: 

 A few meals on my menu plan:

Ham and bean soup
Chicken Divan

Shepherd's Pie using mashed turnips in place of potatoes

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Choosing Forgivemess by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor by Donna Otto

A Step Farther and Higher, by Gail MacDonald

High Call, High Privilege, also by Gail MacDonald
All Manner of Things, by Susie Finkbeiner -- which I am reading through for the second time, and loving it

On my to do list today:::
 

Work on December blog posts

Work on Sunday School lesson 17

Email Sunday School lesson 15 to ladies

Write a few more Christmas cards

Bake some cut-out cookies

Bake apricot bread for kitchen gifts

Start mug rug
Follow-up email to hospitality team/church family about outreach opportunity

Prepare a small package for mailing

Apricot cakes fresh from the oven

How I will wrap the little cakes

The cookies I am planning on making.  Dough is all made; I just have to roll, cut and bake.  Good project for a rainy day!

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some Christmas cards on Etsy

Ironing
Take a bag to the thrift store
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Blogging

Celebrate Christmas early with two college age granddaughters

Deliver Christmas goodies to family and
Meet up with friends for thrifting and supper out

 

What I am creating:::

 

January cross-stitch sampler, plus another cross-stitch I am dreaming of starting

Some "condensation catchers" out of old towels to place behind toilets that sweat in the humidity -- no, I still haven't finished started those! 😕  And I need to do so, because the old towels are just sitting around waiting to be used!

Need to start a mug rug for a granddaughter's gift

Some dishcloths in Christmasy colors

Need to make some superhero gifts for friends

Crocheted hot mat for the gift stash

Some kitchen gifts

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

This quote from Be Mature, Warren Wiersbe's Bible study on the book of James:

 

"The only way the Lord can develop patience and character in our lives is through trials.  Endurance cannot be attained by reading a book, listening to a sermon, or even praying a prayer.  We must go through the difficulties of life, trust God, and obey Him.   The result will be patience and character.  Knowing this, we can face trials joyfully.  We know what trials will do in us and for us, and we know that the end result will bring glory to God." 

 

My friend Jennifer and I are working on memorizing the book of James together, and are nearly finished (by God's grace and with His enablement!) with chapter 1, where James is explaining why we can count trials as joy.  This quote encouraged me today.

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there's the Happy Homemaker Monday  for this week! 

Sunday Scripture

 

As mentioned last Sunday, I'm doing special Christmas related Sunday Scripture posts throughout December again this year.  Back in 2020 I had worked through Peace, Be Still: A 31-Day Christmas prayer journal, from Women Living Well.  Last year, I used some of my simple study from this book as Scripture posts for December.  I have decided to do so again this year, using different posts on each of my blogs to keep it interesting for all of my readers.  I will take two from each week's study to use one each on my blogs, and maybe next December use more of them.

Also -- note that this simple study does not use the SOAP method as my studies usually do.  This one includes a verse for the day, a thought for the day,  a reflection question for the day and space to write a prayer for each day.  I tended to look at the verse a little bit in depth, and I tended to answer the reflection question in the prayer, but of course you can use these any way you want to. I hope perhaps some of you will want to study out these verses in more depth for yourselves.

Here goes with the study for Week 2, Day 10! 

Verses for the day:

"The LORD thy God, in the midst of thee,is mighty; He will save; He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love; He will joy over thee with singing."  (Zephaniah 3:17)

My study: 

This verse is part of a section detailing Israel's restoration and blessing during the millennial reign of Christ.  God is in the midst of His people (true for believers also!) and He is mighty to save.

C.I. Scofield points out that the phrase "rest in His love" literally means "silent" -- a love too great for words.

God says in Jeremiah 32:41, 

"I will rejoice over them in doing them good."

He says in Isaiah 65:19, 

"I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people."

 Scofield notes:

"For the Lord's own, His final word is not of anger, as with the unbelieving nations, but of love, as expressed in this beautiful verse.  When it comes to His people, chastised and forgiven, God rests His case in love and rejoicing."

Reflection question:

Do you struggle with accepting and believing God's love for you?  How does remembering the deep love of God for you, quiet your soul and give you peace?

My prayer:

"Dear God, I know that the love You have for me is literally a love too great for words.  You truly showed this by sending Your Son to die for my sin.  You commended Your love toward us in that 'while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us'.  Similarly, my love for You is also too great for words (although my love pales in comparison to Yours).  My love is best shown in actions of obedience and service, even in the smallest things.  I praise You and thank You for Your constant, steadfast love to me.  Help me to rest in that as I seek to live my life as a thank-offering to You, in Jesus' name, Amen."

That's the Sunday Scripture for the day.  Hope it was a blessing to you!

Saturday six

 

 That would be six posts from the December archives here at my kitchen table.  I apparently never had done an archive post for December before, which makes sense as I'm often posting daily in December.  So I'm planning right now to do three different archive posts this month, with six archived posts from past Decembers for things my readers may have missed.

From December 2006, a Mulled Cider Mix that makes a fun and fantastic addition to a neighbor gifts, or a  little tuck-in for gift baskets.  I have made more of these than I can count over the years and had just been thinking that I will make some this year.  

If you've had trouble finding whole spices like nutmegs (which this recipe does not call for, but which I use to grate on top of Eggnog Logs) or allspice berries (which this recipe does call for), let me suggest that if you live in New England you will want to check out Market Basket.  They carry such things in the regular baking aisle, packaged in little ziplock bags, in the Badia brand, for under $1.  

The tray of kitchen gifts below includes two of these mulled cider mixes.

 I didn't post every day in  December 2007, likely because we had taken a vacation to Florida in the month preceding and ended up with house guests right after that.  But I did post this recipe for Ginger-Glazed Sweet Potatoes, which might be a great side for Christmas dinner.

From 2008, Treasures of Darkness shares some devotional thoughts that might encourage you if your Christmas season is feeling a little darker than usual.

In December 2009, I was severely limited by eldercare responsibilities so only posted here a few times.  But this post: A different Monday reminds me that God is so good to provide a few hours or even a day of respite when we need it, often when all the odds seem stacked against such a thing.

In December 2010 I mostly posted about daily happenings as often as I could, but this Handcrafted birthday banner shows a project I made two of for gifts that year.

And lastly, for December 2011, I chose to feature the recipe for Sacher Torte Cookies, one of our family's very favorites.  They are the chocolate topped cookies in the foreground of the photo below.

 
Hope you've enjoyed this Saturday six!

Hodgepodge December 13

 

It's Wednesday again, and time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.   This week I'll add in some more vintage Christmas goodies from my collection and/or shop.   Here goes!

1. Oxford's Word of the Year for 2023 is 'rizz'. Hmmm...before today had you ever heard the word? Do you know what it means? (Apparently it's short for charisma) Have you ever used the word? If you were in charge of the world, what word would you declare word of the year for 2023?

Nope, I had never heard the word before.  I wonder how many actually have.  If I had heard it, I might  have heard it as "riz" which is short for risen, as in "riz biscuits" (biscuits leavened with yeast).

No idea what I might pick as word of the year.  Maybe woman.

2. What's one word you tend to abbreviate in your writing or speech? (as in rizz for charisma)

Hmmm... I may need to think about this for a bit.  Maybe "grandkids" or "grands" rather than grandchildren. 

3. Are you a Hallmark movie watcher this time of year? What's your favorite character from a holiday- themed movie, book, or TV special? 

Pretty sure I have never watched even one Hallmark movie.   My experience with holiday-themed movies and TV specials is pretty limited too.  For a favorite character, though, I might pick Clarence (I think that's the angel's name, right?) from It's a Wonderful Life.  He gets funnier every time I watch it.

4. Something you look forward to eating this month? 

Christmas cookies. 

 

5. What's the most stressful part of the holiday season for you? 

It's a busy time of year in my Etsy shop, on my blogs, at church, and in real life.  Keeping an appropriate balance may be the most stressful part. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Every year I try to do daily December posts on both blogs. I don't always manage it here, but I try to be very consistent about it with my Christmas blog, Mrs. T's Christmas Kitchen.  Check it out if you haven't visited!

And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!

 

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

As usual, there's no time for a long post, but I'm taking a few minutes to join Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.   It's great because it provides an easy way to post for December Daily.

The Weather:::

Currently 36º and cloudy.  12 mph winds so it feels like 28º.  Looks as if we dodged a bullet weatherwise, as there was flooding predicted with lots of rain and snow melt.  It's predicted to be cloudy all day with a chance of snow into midafternoon, at which point we might see the sun.

As I look outside my window:::

There is some snow around the edges, but mostly I see bare ground, brown with fallen leaves.

A vintage Christmas card from my collection and/or Etsy shop.  I thought it might be fun to sprinkle in a few of these.

Right now I am:::

 Working on a blog post.  And, once again, feeling guilty about taking the time!  So much to do!

 
Thinking and pondering:::

 

About this quote from Elizabeth George's book Loving God with All Your Mind, the chapter titled Trusting the Lord:  “There has never been a mistake and there never will be even a split second when God is not present with you, superintending and being actively involved in your life.  Acknowledging that God has planned your life can help free you from bitterness and resentment toward people, events, and circumstances.”

Absolutely true.  So much bitterness and resentment could be eliminated from our lives as believers if we would only take this to heart.

 

On my bedside table::: 

 A lamp, four books,  and a pen.

 Listening to::: 

My hubby cleaning the shower.  

Another vintage Christmas card -- so fun!

 

 On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch was a salad with cubes of turkey and cheese in  addition to leaf lettuce.

On the dinner plate::: 

Not sure yet.

On the menu for this week::: 

 A few meals on my menu plan:

Ham in the crockpot, probably some sort of cauliflower side dish
Chicken Divan

Shepherd's Pie using mashed turnips in place of potatoes
More crockpot meals just to buy me more "Christmas time"

 

Above is a vintage Christmas card from my Etsy shop

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Choosing Forgivemess by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor by Donna Otto

A Step Farther and Higher, by Gail MacDonald

High Call, High Privilege, also by Gail MacDonald

All Manner of Things, by Susie Finkbeiner -- and loving this one.

On my to do list today:::
 

Work on December blog posts
Work on Sunday School lesson 17
Laundry
Vacuum upstairs
Dust bedroom
Maybe make some kitchen gifts
Order paper towels for church√
Check grandkids' wish lists and order
Send out several Etsy orders√
Empty wastebaskets√

By the way, speaking of December blog posts, have you visited my Christmas blog, Mrs. T's Christmas Kitchen?  If not, I hope that you will!  I'm planning to post over there every day during December.  Of course I also hope to blog here at my kitchen table every day this month, but if I run shy on time, priority will go to my Christmas kitchen.  

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some Christmas cards on Etsy

Ironing
Take a box to the thrift store
Work on my Sunday School lessons
Blogging
Wrapping some gifts

What I am creating:::

 

Autumn and January cross-stitch samplers

Some "condensation catchers" out of old towels to place behind toilets that sweat in the humidity -- no, I still haven't finished started those! 😕  And I need to do so, because the old towels are just sitting around waiting to be used!

Need to start a pillow quilt for a granddaughter's gift

Work on more Shutterfly projects for gifts 
Crocheted hot mat for the gift stash
Some dishcloths in Christmas colors, just for fun

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

"Your kitchen, whatever it looks like, is your number one resource for holiday celebrations and decoration.  It's your comforting place to nurture relationships with people related by blood and those you choose to welcome into your life.  It's rich with possibilities for gift giving, for expressing thanks, for reaching out to others and showing love to them.  It's also an ideal place to connect with children, passing along the experience of Christmas and recovering a little of the child in you at the same time."  Tammy Maltby

 

This is a quote from Tammy Maltby's wonderful little book titled The Christmas Kitchen.  You can read my review of it here.  The link for the book will take you to Thriftbooks, where you will find a very good hardcover copy of it for $4.79.

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there's the Happy Homemaker Monday for this week!