Sunday Scripture

 

Again this year, I'm doing special Christmas related Sunday Scripture posts throughout December.  Back in 2020 I 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 .   Here goes with the study for Week 1, Day 5!

Verse for the day:

""I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with Mine eye."  (Psalm 32:8)

My study: 

I have jotted a note in my Bible from some long-ago message or reading that another translation of this verse reads:

"I will counsel thee; My eye shall be upon thee."

Glancing across the center margin of my Bible, I saw this verse:

"Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear Him, upon those who hope in His mercy."  (Psalm 33:18)

God's eye is upon those who have a reverential trust in Him and a hope based on His mercy.

Charles Spurgeon writes, 

"The Lord is the great overseer, whose eye in providence overlooks everything.  It is well for us to be the sheep of His pasture, following the guidance of His wisdom."

 Spurgeon's Treasury of David, his three-volume commentary on the Psalms, quotes Archibald Symson:

"This threefold repetition, 'I will instruct thee', 'I will teach thee', 'I will guide thee' teaches us three properties of a good teacher.  First, to make the people understand the way of salvation; secondly, to go before them; thirdly, to watch over them and their ways."

Reflection question:

Write your favorite Scripture passage below.  God is speaking to you through that passage right now.  Write out what He is saying to you and how it applies in this season of life.

 I chose to answer this in my prayer, and I used Psalm 32:8 as the Scripture passage to apply.

My prayer:

"Dear God, It is so comforting to know that You will counsel me: You will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go, and that Your eye is upon me.  You know every facet of my life and current circumstances, along with every twist and turn my path will take, and I can trust You to guide and direct me accordingly.  I thank You for the sound principles and clear instruction in Your Word, and for the moment-by-moment guidance of Your Holy Spirit.  I pray that You will help me to be sensitive to Your leading throughout each and every day.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

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

December happenings so far

 It's only December 9, and lots of holly-jolly happenings have already transpired around here, with many more still in the plans.

Let's see.  I really should go back to November 30, when we met friends for breakfast at Polly's Pancake Parlor.    I'm sort of counting that as December, since Polly's was already decorated for Christmas, and we've never been there in this season before.  The outdoor decorations were fun.  I didn't get photos of the food, but that was fantastic.

After leaving Polly's, we followed our friends to their home in Vermont, where we went for a nice winter walk.  The scene below is from our friends' back yard.  I took this as I stood on their back deck.

 

We were able to park on the road that leads to this farm.  It's a nice walking route, with just enough ups and downs to make it interesting and not over challenging. 

Here is the barn up close.  It was built in 1944 and is named Hillside Farm.

December 1 we met up with different friends at The Bacon Barn for breakfast.  This diner was new to us and also to our friends.  We ordinarily would not have planned back-to-back breakfast outings, but this one had been planned for weeks, working around the schedules of several people, while the Polly's meet-up was relatively spontaneous.  The food at The Bacon Barn was delicious and we would eat there again, but it was unfortunate we had just been to Polly's the day before.  The quality difference was observable.

Also on December 1 was a lovely gathering of our church ladies' group.  One of the ladies hosted in her beautiful dining room complete with crackling fireplace.  We enjoyed a wonderful lasagna meal, had a Christmas devotional time, and exchanged gifts and cookies.  The tray below was part of the gift I received, laden with Christmasy treats and snacks.  My friend knew we are trying to downsize, so chose a consumable gift for the most part.  I love this tray, though!

December 2 was a Christmas party with my hubby's former work crew.  He brought a cookie tray just like this one:

December 3, in addition to church, we enjoyed a lovely community Christmas concert at the historical society in a nearby town.  The weather was not the best -- raining and snowing -- but it was doable and we were so glad we did.  Our granddaughter is part of a youth orchestra that played several numbers, and there were other musical groups as well in addition to singing Christmas carols as a group.

 Let's see, on December 4th through the 7th we did a lot of Christmas preparations, especially baking.  My hubby has baked steadily for a week.  I also did some decorating.  On the 7th we set up the tree and got the lights in place.

On December 8 we had a fun plan with four of our grandkids for breakfast, cooked and served here.  After breakfast the plan was to maybe do a little candy making, a little crafting, a little tree decorating, before going out for make-your-own ice cream sundaes.   Grandson Sam helped Mr. T get the ornament boxes out of the attic and also did a bit of decorating with us before he jumped into crafting with the others.  

I didn't have specific crafts for them to do, but simply dragged out several boxes of Christmas craft materials.  The creativity that went on was simply astounding.  I didn't get photos of their creations, but there was everything from an amazing yarn-covered tree made from a paper roll to a tiny chest of drawers with little brass handles, made from three teensy matchboxes and brass wire.  And many, many other fun and beautiful ornaments.  It looked as if a craft store had exploded.  But so did the creativity!

Oh wait -- I did get a photo of a couple ornaments -- I had bought these at Walmart intending to trim a Christmas gift basket with one of them.  And I did.  Two said "Merry Christmas" and the others were intended to say "Holly Jolly".  Instead, they read "Holy Jolly."  I thought Josiah could probably transform them, as indeed he did.  They are the ones with beads on the hangers.  Check out the details on the one below left!

 And then I took a photo of the one and only ornament I made, one I've been wanting to make for years.

No candy making ever did get done, and we didn't leave for ice cream until 4 pm.  So lots of snacking on breakfast leftovers, crackers and cheese, and Christmas cookies, took place during the crafting time.

At top you see Ari with her ice cream sundae, and also Grampa's and mine.  The one below belongs to Miss Julia.

What a fun day it was!

And that brings us up to date on December so far! 

Your December assistant, the slow cooker

 

Seems I just have to write a post about this every few years!  If it sounds familiar, I apologize, but I think you will thank me for the reminder.  I will do a similar post, with different recipes, on my Christmas blog.  I rely on my slow cooker during any busy season, but I find it invaluable in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  I can put supper in the cooker on any busy day, even if I plan to be home all day.  I can then spend my day crafting, cleaning, decorating, or whatever happens to be on my agenda, while supper cooks all by itself.

If sides are needed, I might -- depending upon what the main course is --  use a bagged salad mix, scrub and pierce a few potatoes or sweet potatoes and bake them,  or quickly cook a bag of frozen vegetables in the microwave.  But I tend to use recipes that are one-dish meals, to keep things really simple!

I'm just going to share a few links: Slow-Cooked Pork Ribs. To make baked potatoes to serve with it, scrub and pierce several baking potatoes and place them on top of the ribs.  Cook for the same amount of time and remove to a serving dish before adding the barbecue sauce to the ribs.  Cole slaw from a bag would be good with this.

  Easy Crockpot Chili.  Again I need to add a quick note that I tweak the recipe by cooking the spices and onion with the ground beef first.  It seems to add a very measurable depth of flavor to the chili.    Even though this is a super simple recipe, I usually get many comments about how good it is.  I also use much less meat: a pound or less rather than the 3 pounds called for.  I often add an extra can of beans too -- usually kidney beans.  And I'd forgotten about this, but I usually cut down on the water and sometimes on that large quantity of tomato sauce as well.  It all depends on how many people I'm serving, the size pot I use, and whether or not I'm transporting it somewhere. An easy side with this would be to just open a bag of tortilla chips.  Or if you have time you could bake a pan of cornbread. 

.Slow Cooker Clam Chowder.  This chowder recipe is one that my daughter and I made one time in Nevada and it is SO good.  It tastes just about like the chowder at our now-defunct favorite local seafood place.  You could maybe bake some biscuits to go with this, or make grilled cheese sandwiches.  

Rosemary Chicken with White Beans.  This is one of those great recipes that is an entire meal in a bowl.  I change this recipe up slightly in that I use less rosemary than called for, less Italian dressing (I used about 1/3 cup of homemade Italian dressing), and I use more carrots and celery than called for -- probably at least twice as much.  I don't usually brown the chicken, but I will if it's for company and I want it to look as appetizing as possible.

Creamy Sausage Stew is another favorite that's a meal in a bowl.  I've changed this recipe up a lot over the years, but it has great flavors that we really enjoy.   Everyone I've served this to has liked it, and many times people will ask for seconds.

If you need more inspiration for slow cooker recipes, please do click the "Slow cooker recipes" link in the label cloud at right.  You will find pages of good ideas!

I seriously hope that many of you will get out your slow cookers and put them to work for you in this busy, festive season.  It really will make life easier! 

A new cookie recipe this year: Chocolate Dipped Maple Logs

 

 This recipe has been on my list of want-to-try Christmas cookies  for many years.  

I found it in the 2007 Christmas magazine pictured below, but have just never found the time to try it out.  

Many readers know that my hubby has taken over most of the Christmas cookie baking at our house.  Last year he tried a couple of new cookie varieties that caught his eye.  And this year, he asked if there were other kinds I might want to bake myself.  I promptly added these Chocolate Dipped Maple Logs to the list.  An occasion (an informal cookie swap) presented itself and so I baked these for it.

They are wonderful!  Easy to make, not overly sweet (just a half cup of confectioners sugar in the recipe) and really delicious.  The only problem is that the recipe is not on the Taste of Home website.  My Nevada daughter thought the recipe sounded good (and I think she may have given me the magazine I found it in, in the first place!) so I thought I would send her a link.  I couldn't find it, but thankfully a bit more of a search turned up the recipe on Bakespace.  And now I'm sharing the link with all of you.  

Hope you enjoy these delightful cookies if you try them!

Hodgepodging the blues

 

 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.   Since blue is a theme this week, I'm including some blue Christmas cards from my collection.   Here goes!

1. What's one fun thing on your December calendar? 

Coming up this week: having four of our local grands over for breakfast, candy making and some crafting.  Then we will go out for make-your-own ice cream sundaes! 

2. Sherwin William's Color of the Year for 2024 is Upward, described as 'a hint of silver lining', 'a breezy blissful blue' (see sample here). Benjamin Moore's Color of the Year for 2024 is Blue Nova, where 'violet and blue come together in a sumptuous hue'. (see sample here) Valspar's Color of the Year for 2024 is Renew Blue, a balanced blue with a touch of grayed sea -green' (see sample here). 

Seems like the design world is keen on the color blue for the new year. Do you have a lot of blue in your home decor currently? What shade? Of the three colors listed which one's your favorite? Do you need to paint? How likely is it you'd select one of these shades for your home? Which one? 

* We don't have a lot of blue in our home currently, though our upstairs bath fixtures are blue from the 1970s.  I think it may have been called New Orleans blue at the time.  And yes, I admit to having  been the one who chose that color.  

* Of the three shades, Upward is definitely my favorite.  It seems more versatile.

* We do need to paint at our little cabin, but that would be white on the exterior and gray for the cabinets and off-white for the walls that are painted.  The largest area is pine paneled so no paint needed there.

* I probably wouldn't choose any of these for our current home.  If we do anything with existing walls (most of which have wallpaper) we plan on covering them with pine. Two bathrooms and one bedroom are painted.  It's possible Upward might work for one of those, but we're likely to stick with white.

3. Do you struggle with 'the seasonal blues'? What are some things you do to try to beat the blues? 

I don't really struggle  with seasonal blues, but I do feel that sunlight is very important.  Things I do to beat the blues: read Psalms; work on a cross-stitch (winter sun is perfect for this); go for a walk if possible; listen to good music; bake something; create something [see random thought #6 below].

4. Blue jeans...love 'em r no? How many pair do you own? Are you married to a particular brand? 

I do love them and think I might have three pairs at this point.  I also have jeans in gray, black, brown, and a couple of green prints that I really love.  I like the way Gloria Vanderbilt jeans fit me, but any brand that fits is fine.  I buy most of my jeans at thrift stores and seldom pay more than $5 for them.

5. In terms of holiday preparation (baking, shopping, wrapping, mailing, meal planning, etc) how far along are you? 1=haven't given it a second thought, 10=nothing left to do but wait. 

Guess I'll give myself a 5.  Or maybe a 4.   Lots of baking is done, wrapping and cards are started, some shopping and making of gifts is done -- but there is a LOT still to do.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I was so happy last week to be able to sit down at my sewing machine and crafting desk and make four simple coasters to include in a tea party gift basket.  You can see them on yesterday's post if you are interested.

 

And there's the Hodgepodge for this week!

 

Happy Homemaker Monday (on Tuesday)

 

 No time for a long post, and I'm having to post it on Tuesday, but I'm taking a few minutes to join Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Some answers like the weather and the food will be Monday-specific, but that just means you'll know what my Monday was like!

The Weather:::

Currently 34º with almost no wind.  Cloudy.  We got a lot of heavy, wet snow overnight.  It's predicted to be cloudy all day with a chance of snow showers this evening.

As I look outside my window:::

Snow, snow, snow.  All of the trees in my view currently are snow-covered,  Every limb.  Similar to the photo below which is from a previous winter.

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: "After all, the demands of the present -- the tasks to perform, the duties to fulfill, the responsibilities to handle, the people to minister to -- comprise the course on which we run the race toward Christlikeness."

Truly worth pondering on and acting on, every moment of every day's race.

 

On my bedside table::: 

 A lamp, four books,  and a pen.

 Listening to::: 

My hubby plowing the driveway.

 

 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::: 

Hamburger patties, baked buttercup squash, and coleslaw.

On the menu for this week::: 

 A few meals on my menu plan:

Breakfast sliders, hash brown casserole, fried apples
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 -- and loving this one.

 

 On my to do list today:::
 

Work on December blog posts

Work on Sunday School lesson 17

Send out of country Christmas cards

Empty wastebaskets √
Laundry √

Vacuum upstairs

Dust bedroom
Email hospitality team about outreach opportunity

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 lessons

Blogging

Continue decluttering the linen closet

Have four local grands over for breakfast, candy making and crafting
Meet up with friends for thrifting and supper out

Photos above from last year's fun with these 4 grands!
 

What I am creating:::

 

Autumn cross-stitch sampler

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
Last week I made some coasters to use as part of a gift basket.  They weren't the same prints as the ones below, but made with several fun Christmas fabrics.

The above photo shows both fronts and backs of coasters I made some time ago.

The above fabric is what I used on the back of the coasters I just made.  It's newish fabric, but I like its vintage look.

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

"Christmas will always be in the hearts of God's children everywhere as they extend a helping hand to a friend in need ... as they go about reflecting God's goodness in the little quiet and unheralded expressions of a loving heart ... as they share the light of the world with those who live in darkness."

-- Jane Hillsmen

What a wonderful way to live in every season!  There are so few who seek to show the world an accurate representation of God in everyday life.  More of us need to make that a goal.  

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there's the Happy Homemaker Monday (on Tuesday 😃) for this week! 

Before we get any deeper into December ....

 

 ... you will want to check your pantry, freezer and fridge for ingredients you'll be needing.  If you don't usually do this sort of planning, I think you will be surprised what a difference it makes.

In my Christmas notebook I have a list titled "Long-Term Holiday Shopping List".  I think it was an idea from FlyLady some years back.  It includes not just baking ingredients, but also groceries for our traditional Christmas Eve meal, ingredients for a few freezer meals and kitchen gifts, and more. It's so helpful to check this list against your pantry and fridge contents before beginning to bake or cook for Christmas, to find out what will be needed.

I'm sharing my list, but really it will differ for everyone.  In fact, as I looked it over I saw that there were a number of things I needed to add.  So I added them in, and have now actually printed out the revised list and placed it in my notebook.

LONG-TERM HOLIDAY SHOPPING LIST

Extra flour -- regular and gluten free
Extra sugar -- brown, white, confectioners
Corn syrup and molasses
Extra cornstarch
Extra butter
Lemons and oranges
Walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds
Raspberry and apricot jam
Baking chips -- white, semisweet, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and peanut butter
Marshmallow fluff
Evaporated milk
Sweetened condensed milk
Baking chocolate -- unsweetened squares and cocoa
Extracts -- almond, orange, lemon, maple, vanilla
Whole spices -- cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, allspice berries
Ground spices -- cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves
Almond bark -- white and chocolate
Candy -- Hershey kisses, Andes mints, candy canes, M&Ms
Colored sprinkles
Red and green colored sugar
Stretch-tite plastic wrap (best for wrapping cookie trays)
Extra foil, waxed paper, parchment paper
Cheeses -- shredded cheddar, blue cheese, ricotta, Neufchatel, mozzarella
Half-and-half cream
Bacon
Celery
Extra eggs
Frozen chopped broccoli, spinach, pureed squash
Lasagna noodles
Sour cream

So make up your own list, making note of specific ingredients required by your own favorite family recipes for the holiday.  Then check it against what's in your pantry.  Hope this idea saves someone a trip to the store!