On a whim, I sign up for an on line study. 1,000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. A thankful journal. This was a few weeks ago. I have read the book and began counting my way to 1,000 - years ago. I start the study. It takes me most of the day to listen to the teaching. Most of it I have heard, or read. I find it refreshing. Naming the gifts we are thankful for. For 7 years I have recorded those gifts through the month of November, right here on this blog. Tonight. I wonder. When did I begin this naming journey? For a few moments I wonder. I head to the shelf for my 1,000 Gifts ... View Post
The Sounds of This Old Farmhouse, 30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 16
The sounds of this old Farmhouse when the wind blows is comforting to me. It started out low and slow. Then picked up. This old farmhouse shook and creaked. The shutters rattled and banged. The wind whistled through the windows. The farm boy looked around and seemed shocked. It's as if he were hearing the sounds of this old farmhouse for the first time. It's amazing as you watch your children become adults- How they begin to look differently at things. My farmer closed up the basement windows. We turned on the fire. The kids pulled blankets from the basket and snuggled in. The ... View Post
30 Days of Thankfulness, Day #30 The Clean Up
The clean up. It's always hard for me. I can't seem to get the last dish put away or have it all completed. A life long struggle. Somehow the laundry is never truly finished. There's an extra sock, or a shirt that belongs to no one. I get distracted. The Clean up. No matter the year we usually transition right into Advent the day after Thanksgiving. This year Thanksgiving is so late Advent begins tomorrow. I am struggling to get rid of the piles and finish cooking down the turkey. I want to make soup and save the stock. But I can't find my big pot! The pot I just used to make ... View Post
30 Days of Thankfulness, Day #29 Those Name Tags
Those Name Tags. Every year. Every. single. year. They leave me undone. They make me laugh to see the cute art work by the kids. Lovingly those kids have made a name tag for every guest we've ever had. Those name tags humble me to the sheer number of people that have sat around this farmhouse table to break bread and give Thanks. They also make me weep at time gone by. At the changes that these years have brought. The name tag says, Handmade by Elijah and Clarissa. I've been cooking for two days. Pie crusts and stuffing. Turkey and gravy. Chex mix and coffee. The ... View Post
30 Days of Thankfulness, Day # 26 Just Before Dawn
These dark, early mornings are so holy. The just before dawn moments hang ever so gently. Squash is baking in the oven. Coffee; hot and steaming in my cup. I will head to the Ancient Word soon. These past few days have been so hard. Uncertainty looms. Unknowns are more than knowns. A direction not clear. We pray and ponder. We hold on to hope. Hope that God is working and moving in ways we just can not see. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. We step forward and do the next thing. Longing to know, yet not ... View Post
30 Days of Thankfulness, Day #25 Looking Back So You Can Go Forward
Sometimes there is a need for looking back, so you can go forward. God continually reminded the Israelites to set markers to remind them of their journey. I Samuel 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,[a] saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”As I read through my Thankful journey over the past 6 years I am so encouraged. Looking back paints a picture. Seeing how God has guided us; how he never let us go, strengthens my spirit. It has also served to remind me of how much has happened. The first picture in this post from ... View Post
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