A foliage walk

 

This morning my hubby had an errand (giving a friend who'd dropped a vehicle at the mechanic's shop a ride home) and when he returned he suggested the two of us head out for a foliage walk.  He had ssen some pretty trees not far from our house.  So out we went!  I'll just share photos and captions in the interest of a quick post, but it's way better than no post at all -- so here we go.

This gravesite is all by itself next to the road.  I believe it's a Revolutionary War soldier, not sure.  The town places flags on all veterans' graves. but someone else has put this urn with marigolds and a vine here.  A lovely thing for someone to do.

Headed down the road from our house.

This red tree is outstanding.

Both orange and yellow leaves here.

Both red and orange here and below.

The pretty red sprig of leaves above is right here at the edge of our own yard.

There you have it!  Later, the sun came out and he went back to get more photos.  He got some great ones which I can hopefully share another day.

Sunday Scripture

 

Here's another in my most recent Sunday Scripture series.  I've been posting about 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.  It was a blessing to me when I worked through it, so I've been sharing here.  Readers have told me they're enjoying it, so on we go!  I think we're about halfway through the book at this point.

For this week, the featured passage was Exodus 38:8. The devotional noted: "Moses gathered offerings from the people to use in building the tabernacle.  Some of the women donated mirrors they had brought with them from Egypt, mirrors made from the most valuable, most highly polished bronze available."

Then it posed the question: "What thoughts come to your mind as you consider the women's sacrifice?"  I chose to SOAP Exodus 38:8 as I considered this question.

S= "And he made the laver of bronze, and the foot of it of bronze, of the looking glasses of the women serving, who served at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."  (Exodus 38:8)

O= This chapter 38 is part of a section which describes the construction of the tabernacle (Exodus 36-39).  God gave commandment to Moses regarding the construction and also for how the materials would be provided.  

    "And Moses spoke unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,
"Take you from among you an offering unto the LORD; whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it."

Moses went on to describe the materials that should be brought: Gold, silver, and bronze; fine linen of blue, purple, and scarlet; animal skins of various kinds; oil and spices; acacia wood; onyx and other precious stones (Exodus 35:4-9).  

In Exodus 36:5 we read that the people "brought much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make."  Moses had to stop them from bringing more!  This gives us an idea of the heart of the women in donating their prized mirrors to help create the laver for the tabernacle.

Then Moses went on to name two specific individuals God had called to design, to work, and to teach other "wisehearted people, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up, to come unto the work to do it."  (Exodus 36:2)

Exodus 35, verses 30-35, describe Bezalel, whom God had filled with His Spirit "in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship ... to design beautifully wrought works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze; and in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of skillful work.  And He hath put in his heart that he may teach ...".

Exodus 35:34 introduces the second man, Oholiab, who also had the gift of teaching.  Along with Bezalel, Oholiab was "filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver and of the skillful workman, and of the embroiderer ... and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that design beautifully wrought work."  Exodus 38:23 tells us more about Oholiab: he was "an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and in fine linen."

A= In answer to the question: "What thoughts come to your mind as you consider the women's sacrifice?" I noted: Those mirrors that the women donated were probably some of their most prized possessions -- not just because these were made of a valuable metal, and were beautiful, highly decorative items -- but also because they would have enjoyed seeing their own reflection.  So in giving these mirrors to be used in preparing the furnishings for the tabernacle, these women were not simply giving valuable items, things they enjoyed for their beauty.  They were giving up items that would have been very important to them personally.

The "As I reflect" section notes: "Self-forgetful, Jesus held nothing back as He offered Himself up for you on the cross.  How does His sacrifice of love for you make you want to love Him more?"

I wrote: I don't know if it can make me love Him more, but I do think that it motivates me even more to live every moment of life as a thank-offering to Him.  A song says something like this: 

    "Lord, help me live from day to day In such a self-forgetful way That even when I kneel to pray, My prayer will be for others.  Others, Lord, yes, others, let this my motto be: Help me to live for others, That I may live like Thee."

P= "Lord, it is inspiring and even rebuking to see how sacrificially Your people gave of themselves to provide the furnishings for the tabernacle.  They brought more than what was needed -- so much that Moses actually had to stop them from bringing more!  In light of all You have done for me, I want to seek to live every moment of my life as a thank-offering to You.  Help me to do this, I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

And that's the Sunday Scripture for today!

Sew many memories

Autumn always brings memories -- some good, and some, like my back-to-school memories, not so good.  In my early years school was very difficult for me.  Thankfully, as time went by,  I did eventually realize that I enjoyed learning and so I managed to cope with the other aspects that had made school so challenging.

As I've gone through old treasures at my childhood home, one unexpected good memory of back-to-school surfaced.  It's the one where every fall, my mother made me some new outfits for school. 

It had to have been late summer each year when my mother would take me downtown to look at pattern books in our local five and dime.  I would choose patterns I liked and sometimes we would pick out fabric together.  Other times, I distinctly remember choosing fabric first.  There was a shop in a nearby town that had lovely fabric.

I am sure I had a jumper similar to the one pictured at the top of the post.  I think it was a teal flannel print with sort of a Tyrolean look.  So sweet!

One of my favorite dresses was a collarless shirtwaist made out of a fabric with botanical drawings of fruit on a cream colored background.  I had a pretty pin resembling peaches that I wore with it.   I still have that pin today!

And, in fact, I found a piece of the fabric in my mother's fabric stash when we cleaned out the house:

You can see how pretty it is!    If I remember right, the dress I had was view 2 below.

 I could literally go on for quite some time about the various outfits and dresses that my mother made.  My aunt, who could sew but was a busy mom of six, often mentioned her gratitude that my mother sewed for me -- because all of my handmade dresses and outfits got passed on to her girls -- three of them, before making their way back to my much younger sister.

And she also made some special occasion things too, like 8th grade graduation dresses for me and, years later, my sister.  She also made both of our high school graduation dresses.

Pretty sure the one above was my 8th grade graduation dress.  It was made from a gorgeous pale aqua chiffon with the jacket of matching lace.  So pretty!

And I think this was my high school graduation dress.  It would have been view 1, made in a heavy white lace.  I think the buttons and neck trim were pale blue satin but I don't remember for sure.
 

 One of my finds in cleaning out the home place was a box full of homemade Halloween costumes.  There was a Dutch girl costume -- which I actually remember wearing, complete with a blond wig with braids -- a pirate outfit (that one was only partially homemade), and a Little Red Riding Hood cape.  My mother was an amazing seamstress.  I found the pattern for the clown costume below among her sewing patterns, but I don't recall her making one of these.  The pattern itself seems to have been unused, and I sold it for $10 in my Etsy shop in 2019.  View 3, with the bow tie and the red vest with tails, is particularly nifty.

Time went on, as it is prone to do, and in later years my mother sewed at least one wedding dress besides mine (which was extremely simple, with a definite "prairie" flair).  The daughter of neighborhood friends was getting married on a low budget, and my mother made her dress for her.  Though also quite simple, it was really a lovely dress and made our neighbor friend feel so special (and look so beautiful) on her wedding day.  She also made a maid of honor dress for me for a wedding I was in.

Later than that, I recall my mother sewing dresses for her own mother, my grandmother.   I've written before about how my grandmother always dressed so nicely.  Even her housedresses were attractive (she never wore slacks) and her aprons and earrings matched them.  But I think in later years she must have had difficulty in finding dresses she liked, especially for special occasions like family parties.  So my mother stepped in and sewed them for her.  Below are some of the patterns she likely used:

My mother sewed clothing for herself, too.  But it's a little bit ironic (and also a little bit sad) that she never got to make patchwork quilts as she intended to.  The closest she came was stitching up a quilt out of red and blue bandannas for a grandson leaving for college.  Better than nothing, but with all of the fabric scraps she had amassed over the years, I know she was looking forward to making some patchwork designs. 

Life hit hard with the illness and eventual passing of two children, then with Parkinson's disease, and the quilting plans fell by the wayside along with other plans and dreams.  

Readers may justifiably wonder if I learned to sew at my mother's knee.  I did not.  It was my mother-in-law who challenged me to learn to sew when my girls were toddlers, reminding me that some day they would need pretty clothes and even formals, and it would behoove me to start when they were young.  Here my mother did enter into the story, for I chose a couple of simple patterns (and allowed the girls to choose the fabrics) and stitched up two little dresses on my mother's sewing machine at her home so she would be available for any questions.  

Much to my surprise, I found that I loved to sew and yes, I did continue making clothes for the girls and myself for many years.  These days I am much more apt to choose projects with straight and simple seams, things like place mats and pillow cases, but I do hope that some of the things I've made will one day spark "sew many memories" for my family.

From the October archives (2023 edition)

Lately my heart has been aching a bit that I can't manage to find more blogging time.  Last year, I posted every day in October.  And oh, how I miss doing that this time around!  I was looking at some of my October posts from last year, looking for a post to feature, and really enjoyed rereading some of them, even as my heart hurt to not be doing this, this year.

So in the interest of pulling together a quick post, I decided it had been long enough (about 5 years) since I posted favorites from the archives.  It's time to do that again using archived posts from 2018 to 2022.  So here goes!

From 2018, you may get a chuckle from this post: The Best Breakfast Potatoes (and a bushel of laughs).  It still makes me laugh out loud whenever I read it.

Also from 2018, Emma's Apple Cake was a winner that I'd love to bake again.

From October 2019, A Few Photos from the Great North Woods gives you a look at our favorite place on earth.

Easy Comfort Food for a Fall Evening might give you an idea for a quick supper.

In October 2019, if you go back to the archive you can also read about a ladies' retreat and our week-long getaway to the Great North Woods, not to mention a couple of good cookie recipes.

For October 2020 I chose a little Bible study on deliverance.  Maybe even more timely today.

Apple Crisp Pie Bars is a recipe I came up with by adjusting and combining two other recipes.  They went over well then and I may bake them again this year.

Fall Follies is a potpourri post with a lot of fun going on, from frogs to outdoor concerts to jumping in leaf piles.

 For October 2021,  Answering a question or several might be an interesting read, especially if you are new here. 

And how about a Friday five, Fall Foliage edition, where you'll find some gorgeous fall leaves from all around our state!

And for October 2022,  A frugal fall supper features a zucchini garden chowder you might enjoy.

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with a maple filling ... I'd forgotten about these, but my hubby made them and they were scrumptious.

Fall Meet-up with Friends was one of several last October.  Yummy food!

Lastly, Starting a new scrapbook journal might provide some inspiration if you enjoy journaling.

Well now,  I feel better!  It did me a world of good to put together a post just for fun.  Hope readers enjoy it as much as I did!

Sunday Scripture

 

Here's another in my most recent Sunday Scripture series.  I've been posting about 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.  It was a blessing to me when I worked through it, so I've been sharing here.  Several readers have told me they're enjoying it, and I'm so thankful for that!

The Scripture for today is 1 Corinthians 13:12.  The assignment was this: "What will it be like to see Jesus face-to-face?  Think about the promise of 1 Corinthians 13:12.  Then write about it."  Logically enough, I chose to SOAP 1 Corinthians 13:12 as I considered this.

S= "For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then, face to face; now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known."  (1 Corinthians 13:12)

O= This verse is right near the end of 1 Corinthians 13, often referred to as "the love chapter".   Warren Wiersbe explains that "The main evidence of maturity in the Christian life is a growing love for God and for God's people, as well as a love for lost souls."  He adds, "Few chapters of the Bible have suffered more misinterpretation and misapplication than 1 Corinthians 13.  Divorced from its context, it becomes 'a hymn to love' or a sentimental sermon on Christian brotherhood.  Many people fail to see that Paul was still dealing with the Corinthians' problems when he wrote these words: the abuse of the gift of tongues, division in the church, envy of others' gifts, selfishness, impatience with one another in the public meetings, and behavior that was disgracing the Lord."  He goes on to note that Paul explains three characteristics of Christian love that show its importance in ministry: 1) love is enriching; 2) love is edifying; 3) love is enduring.

Believer's Bible Commentary notes concerning verse 12, "As long as we are on earth, we see things dimly and indistinctly, as if we were looking in a blurry mirror.  Heaven, by contrast, will be like seeing things face to face, i.e. without anything between to obscure the vision.  Now our knowledge is partial, but then we will know just as we also are known -- which means more fully.  [O]ur knowledge will be vastly greater than it is now."

For the phrase "now we see" cross-references include:

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."  (2 Corinthians 3:18)

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7)

The word "darkly" literally means "in a riddle".

For the phrase "face to face" cross-references include:

 "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."  (Matthew 18:10)

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." (1 John 3:2)

For the phrase "even as also I am known" cross-references include:

"The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them that trust in Him."   (Nahum 1:7)

"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."  (John 10:14)

"If any man love God, the same is known of Him."  (1 Corinthians 8:3)

"Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His; and Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."  (2 Timothy 2:19)

 A= In answer to the question "What will it be like to see Jesus face-to-face?  Think about the promise of 1 Corinthians 13:12.  Then write about it." I wrote: 

"I really can't even imagine what it will be like.  I hope that I may hear "Well done, good and faithful servant", but beyond that my imagination cannot go.  I love the words the hymnwriter penned: 

"And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story, Saved by grace!"

Certainly I will be thanking and praising Him throughout eternity, along with countless others saved by grace.

The section "Seeing Through Jesus' Eyes" notes, "We look forward to seeing Jesus face-to-face, but He longs for that meeting even more!  Try thinking about that experience through Jesus' eyes.  What do you imagine?"

I wrote: I'm trying, but I certainly can't imagine how that will be.  He certainly will look at me through eyes of love, seeing one of His blood-bought children.

P= "Lord, I know that at this time we can only dimly imagine what it will be like to see You face to face.  I am so thankful that You know those who are Yours, and that one day, we will know You as fully as You know us.  That is truly something to look forward to!  I love You, Lord.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

And there is this week's Sunday Scripture!

Some goals for October

 

 October is here!  September went by in a blur.  It seems I was sick for most of the month.  I came down with some sort of cold around the 4th, and am really just beginning to feel better.  So I am hoping for a healthy, productive and restorative October.

Here are a few goals for this month:

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week
* Continue working through the "Make Room Challenge" from Make Room for What You Love
* Post in this blog as often as possible -- hopefully several times per week
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones
* Stay at our little camp as often as possible
* Volunteer at The Wilds of New England as we are needed
* Attend a celebration of life for an elderly friend
* Attend a 100th birthday party for a special lady
* Host visiting friends from out of state for a meal and fellowship at our camp
* Have friends over for lunch after church
* Craft some homemade Christmas gifts and decorations (yes, even now!)
* Do some sewing projects ( a few more sachets to stave off musty odors) for the cottage
* Do a couple cleaning/painting projects at the cottage
* Sew 2 pillow quilts for youngest granddaughters
* Spend a little time on some UFO craft projects
* Continue decluttering the entire house, zone by zone
* With my hubby, set some goals for the rest of 2023
* Host a church missions team meeting at our cottage
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items
* Finish up my trust responsibilities
* 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
* Continue focusing on improving my gut health
* Get more serious about Scripture memory
* Prepare and teach a ladies' Sunday School class each week
* Take part in a ladies ministry with our church ladies
* Attend a monthly ladies Bible study at a friend's home
* Get back into our study of the book of Daniel with younger believers
* Continue to help a widowed friend with the challenges of life in general
* Drink enough water each day
* Begin a 40-day sugar fast
* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week

HEALTHY HABITS FOR OCTOBER:  Drink more water/get more sleep/get more exercise/intermittent fasting/limit sugar/work on gut health

As always, many of these goals are ongoing ones and will not be finished just because September has ended.

Sunday Scripture

 

Here's another in my most recent Sunday Scripture series.  I've been posting about 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.  It was a blessing to me when I worked through it, so I've been sharing here.  Several readers have told me they're enjoying it. 

For this week, the featured passage was Psalm 147:11. The devotional posed the question: "Write a sentence or two about your respect, your 'fear' of the Lord.  Then write a sentence or two about the hope you have in His unwavering love.  Both reverence and hope are gifts from God to His people -- to you!  How do you experience those gifts in your life?  How do they bring you joy?"  I chose to SOAP Psalm 147:11 as I considered this question.

S= "The LORD taketh pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy."  (Psalm 147:11)

O=  This psalm is titled by C.I. Scofield "God praised for regathering Israel", though I personally find much more in it than that.  

Verse 11 reminds us that God takes pleasure:
1) in those who fear Him; and 2) in those who hope in His mercy.  

As we have mentioned before,  C.I Scofield defines "the fear of the LORD" in this way: "The fear of the LORD' is an Old Testament expression meaning reverential trust, including the hatred of evil."

A couple of other verses referencing "the fear of the LORD" are these:

"Fear ye not me? saith the LORD.  Will ye not tremble at My presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it; and though its waves toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?"  (Jeremiah 5:22) 

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."  (Proverbs 9:10)

I looked up a definition of mercy in Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary.  It reads, in part:

"The aspect of God's love that causes Him to help the miserable, just as grace is the aspect of His love that moves Him to forgive the guilty.  Those who are miserable may be so either because of breaking God's law or because of circumstances beyond their control ... 

"God's mercy on the miserable extends beyond punishment that is withheld.  Withheld punishment keeps us from hell, but it does not get us into heaven.  God's mercy is greater than this.

"God also shows mercy by actively helping those who are miserable due to circumstances beyond their control.  We see this aspect of mercy especially in the life of our Lord Jesus.  He healed blind men and lepers.  These acts of healing grew out of His attitude of compassion and mercy."

And here are several verses concerning the hope that we have in the Lord:

 "Blessed is the man who trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is."  (Jeremiah 17:7)

"The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him."  (Lamentations 3:24)

"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." (Psalm 31:24)

A= In answer to the assignment "Write a sentence or two about your respect, your 'fear' of the Lord.  Then write a sentence or two about the hope you have in His unwavering love.  Both reverence and hope are gifts from God to His people -- to you!  How do you experience those gifts in your life?  How do they bring you joy?"  this is what I wrote:

What a blessing to know and understand that reverence and hope are God's gifts to me!

Reverential trust ... yes, I have that.  I have a reverence for who God is, all that He has done, and all that He is able to do.  And I trust Him to act in the best way possible, at the best time, for the best purpose.  All that He does or allows is from a heart of unwavering love.

And I do have hope in God's unwavering love.  I know that He will always do what is best for His people.  And that definitely brings me joy as I wait to see what He will do.  

One final note for this lesson was the following: "Look into a mirror.  Who is that person?  Someone loved by the Savior with a love that has never changed and will never change."

I commented: "What an encouraging way to look at it!"  I have often been prone to avoiding mirrors, so it's really a blessing to think of it in this way.

P= "Lord, I praise You for Your mercy toward me!  I thank You so much for the gifts of reverence and hope and for Your unwavering love that provides these gifts for Your children.  It is mind-boggling that this psalm tells us You take pleasure in those who fear You!  I know that You will always do or allow what is best for us, and that gives me so much hope.  I praise You that Your love for Your children will never change.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

There's the Sunday Scripture for this week!