December 5

 Let's see, what Christmasy things have I done today?  Quite a few, actually, though not as many as I had hoped to do.

First off was the Advent Bible study I've been working through.

Next, I prepared an Etsy order, a sweet little vintage Christmas card someone had ordered.

We went downtown, mailed the order and visited a favorite thrift store.  Mr. T found some timers for his outdoor Christmas lights, and we picked up a few lovely things that we may use for gifts.

Next we cleaned the church, and I put away some harvest-y decor there and got out a few Christmas things.

We came home, had lunch, and I prepped another Etsy order, this one filled with vintage Christmas goodness.

We had errands to do downtown anyway, so we mailed that order and then did our grocery shopping.  Mr. T popped into our local soap works, right next to the post office, to get some of their shampoo bars as he is running really low on that.

At the grocery store we picked up many components for cookies, fudge, and other food gifts.

We came home, I got supper into the oven and worked on more Etsy listings while Mr. T baked Christmas cookies.  In the meantime, a third Etsy order showed up, but I'll package and mail that one tomorrow.  

Now it's after supper and I'm working on posts for both blogs.  A busy day!

December 4

Probably the most Christmasy thing I did today was to put out some Christmas decorations at our little cottage.  The sign above, for one.  I got out other signs and ornaments and put them here and there, even adding a vintage dish Christmas dish towel in the kitchen!

Meanwhile, Mr. T got the Christmas tree out of storage and put it in the loft window.  With the help of grandson Sam, he strung outdoor lights on the gable end -- colored icicle lights!

He has also baked two batches of cookies today and made a batch of fudge!

December 3

 

Today hasn't been terribly Christmasy unless one counts browsing the Christmas aisles at Hobby Lobby and TJ Maxx.  But the 5 inches or so of new snow from yesterday are giving everything a "White Christmas" look.  Very cold weather is on the way, so this snow is likely to stick.

I have worked today at composing some Christmas emails to missionaries our church supports.  Our missions team has been racking our brains to try and think of good ways to encourage our missionaries and so for December we are trying to fill their email inboxes with personal messages.  I designed a graphic to use for the two emails my hubby and I are sending this week, as we are trying to tie each week's emails to the various themes of Advent.  

I did enjoy my browse through the Christmas aisles and ended up finding a few gifts.  I also picked up some Christmas-themed parchment paper which will be lovely to use in wrapping kitchen gifts.

At BJ's, my hubby got a gigantic bag of chocolate chips to use in making cookies and fudge.  At Ocean State Job Lot, he found raspberry and apricot preserves and lemon curd to use in his cookie baking.

I also got out my list of holiday ingredients that we refer to every year, to see what we still need to  buy for our Christmas cooking and baking.  There are a few things, so those will go on the grocery list.

And ... we received our first Christmas cards in the mail today!

December 2

No idea, really, if I will make it here each day.  I am posting daily at my Christmas blog, so hop on over there if I happen not to be here.

It's a snow day here; has been snowing steadily all day long!  The forecast has been downsized from what was originally predicted, but it is still snowing.  

Mr. T made a foray over to our cottage this morning and dropped off an extension ladder so he can string outdoor lights there tomorrow.  We also plan to get our indoor lights there (electric candles, and a Christmas tree in the upstairs window) set up and placed on timers.

Other than that, he has been baking cookies all day long: Blond Brownies; Cookie Dough Brownies; Raspberry Shortbread Thumbprints ... and I think maybe two batches of Heavenly Delight fudge.  He stopped for a few ingredients on the way home from the cottage.

Meanwhile, I packaged an Etsy order, prepared some more Etsy listings, did some decorating, sorted out a large recipe binder which had popped open when Mr. T dropped it.  And did several loads of laundry.  

And that is our Christmasy report for Tuesday, December 2!

Some goals for December

 A new month means new goals (and with me, always some ongoing ones as well).  The December calendar page is already beginning to fill up!  Here goes:

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week
* Spend time with our friends who are younger believers
* Enjoy our church ladies' gathering and gift exchange
* Post in this blog as often as possible 
* Post in my Christmas blog every day if possible
* Continue planning and making Christmas gifts and decor
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones
* Continue studying and preparing for my Sunday Scripture blog posts
* Do an Advent devotional study
* Finish Even If, a study of Habakkuk from the Daily Grace Co.
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating
* Get early light each morning
* Get to bed by 8:30 each night we are at home
* Drink enough water each day
* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week
* Possibly plan a few get-togethers with friends 
* Brainstorm about Christmas with my daughter
* Plan and prepare food for Christmas
* Bake dozens of Christmas cookies (my hubby will do most of this)
* Work at our volunteer jobs as needed
* Prepare kitchen gifts (cookies, fudge, snack items and more)
* Write and send out Christmas cards
* Attend and participate in Christmas events at church
* Enjoy our traditional Christmas activity with four of the local grands
* Write and schedule December posts for both blogs
* Prepare and send at least one gift box to Nevada
* Decorate our home for Christmas

HEALTHY HABITS FOR DECEMBER:  Drink more water/get more sleep/exercise daily/intermittent fasting/limit carbs/get morning light

WORD FOR 2025: Trust 

And there you have it -- a few goals for December 2025!

Sunday Scripture

 

For the month of November, I've decided to take a break from Fix Your Focus to set our minds on Thanksgiving.  Again today, I'm sharing some insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references or even the pdf of the study.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 9 of the study.  We were to read Psalm 95, and the verses to SOAP were Psalm 95:1-2.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

S= "O come, let us sing unto the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms."  (Psalm 95:1-2)

O= This is an exhortation to worship.  Its intended audience is obviously God's people.

There are a number of repeated words and phrases in these two verses."O come" (v.1); "let us come" (v.2); "let us sing" (v.1); "let us make a joyful noise" (v.1); "let us come" (v.2).  Both verses contain the phrase "make a joyful noise."

Basically there are four exhortations:

1) Let us sing unto the LORD.

2) Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

3) Let us come before God's presence with thanksgiving.

4) Let us make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.

A= I am to be singing to the Lord and making a joyful noise unto Him.  He is the Rock of my salvation -- what a most meaningful name that is! -- and worthy of my highest praise.  My joy at being His redeemed child ought to result in exultant praise to Him for all that He has done.  He is always present with me -- and thus, I ought to be continually thankful.  I don't have to physically go anywhere to come before His presence, for He is always with me.

When I come to Him in prayer, thanksgiving must be a key component along with praise.

To me, the phrase "make a joyful noise" implies that my praise and thanksgiving may well be overheard by others and may be a testimony to them of the greatness of God.

P= "Lord, I do joyfully praise You for all that You are -- the Rock of my salvation and so much more!  I praise You for all that you have done for me in providing the means of salvation and giving me a new life as Your redeemed child.  

"May I live a life that brings honor and glory to You so that "many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD" (Psalm 40:3).

"With a thankful, joyful heart, I praise You, in Jesus' name, Amen."

And that concludes our little Thanksgiving Sunday Scripture series.  I hope it was a blessing!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Just a quick Thanksgiving post (probably a near repeat of past Thanksgiving posts, but the thoughts are as sincere as ever!) in the midst of preparations for our dinner with friends and family!  We will be a group of about eleven, gathering at our daughter's home in the next town.

I pray that each and every one of my readers will have a truly blessed Thanksgiving.  I know that some are grieving today.  For some it is the first Thanksgiving without a loved one.  Some are going through  very, very difficult health struggles and family concerns.  There are personal friends of mine in all of these situations today.  And yet, as believers, we still have so very much to thank God for.

Think of it!  We have a personal relationship with the God of the universe!

  One thing I have come to realize is that even in the hardest things of life, I can be thankful that God is with me.  There are many other things to be thankful for as well: He loves me; He wants the best for me; He is good; He has a good purpose for all that He allows; He knows all about every situation; He is in control and sovereign over all things; He is all-powerful and able to change any situation.

And so today, Mr. T and I pray that each of you will spend some time counting the blessings God has given you.  There are so many, starting with salvation.

The hymn "Thanks to God" is one of my very favorites at Thanksgiving time and always.  Here are the words:

 Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a mem’ry,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

 Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

 Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity!

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." 

(Psalm 100:4)

Happy Thanksgiving!