Whole Hearted Living

Recently the thoughts swirling around in my brain have centered around how I do the things of life.  What is my heart attitude?  Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you, do it heartily, as to the Lord."  I confess there are things I do that I consider mundane, just doing my duty, with a "dragging my feet" attitude.  But what a difference those duties seem to be when they're done with a happy heart, as to the Lord.  I feel like I would do anything Jesus wants me to do and do it willingly and happily.  So when I can work at an unglamorous or a seemingly insignificant chore as if I'm doing it for Jesus, how much easier and more pleasant that job is.  

The same attitude needs to be taken when dealing with difficult people.  I need to see Jesus in them and deal with them as if I were dealing with Jesus - with patience, love, kindness, gentleness and joy.  The fact is that Jesus loves that person as much as He loves me.  I have idiosyncrasies as much as that annoying person, probably more!  It's amazing how much a change in perspective can alter my heart attitude toward a person or activity.  

This morning I read a verse I don't know that I ever remember seeing before.  John 12:26 recorded Jesus as telling his disciples, "My Father will honor the one who serves me."  Often, serving Jesus means serving others.  After all, He has made those others in His image and He lives in them if they're Christians.  And if they're not believers, then aren't we also serving Jesus by the way we treat those unbelievers with the hope that they see Jesus in us.

I don't want to live my life just going through the motions, but to live it wholeheartedly.  Of course, I can't do this in my own strength, but Jesus lives in me and shines through the cracks of this poor broken vessel.

The End of Fall

About a week ago, I took a turn about the property and was amazed at how much color was still around.  This maple tree started out only a few years ago as a tiny 2-3 foot stick we bought from the National Arbor Foundation (10 trees for $10).  I can't believe how big it got.

And the roses, pansies, violas and mums are still blooming on the first of December.  Of course, it might help that the weather is quite mild, up into the 50's today.

  

We are managing to keep busy.  There is always lots to do.  Andy has been working hard at getting ready for the Living Nativity.  I don't know how he gets it all done.  It is such a huge undertaking and this year, there were more details than usual because the township and fire officials were involved.  We had to get all kinds of extra permits, have extra inspections, and a hundred details needed to be taken care of.  But here we are on Day 1.  People are already coming with 30 minutes before starting time. 

I have been a Nativity widow every Saturday since the beginning of October.  But I'm excited about people coming to see the true meaning of Christmas.  There's such a spirit of excitement among the cast and people who are hosting and serving.  What a wonderful opportunity.

This last Thursday, Andy and I went to see the Lindsay kids sing in their homeschool choir.  What an amazing program of Christmas music.  Those kids were awesome.  The choir directors were highly qualified and produced some excellent music from the kids.  It wasn't a music program to endure like some school programs!  It truly was awesome!

Little Claire was eating pizza before the concert.

 Asher loves playing with Poppop.

Here are the singers.

Then this morning, a friend invited some of her friends to her house for a Christmas brunch.  What fun to go and enjoy good food, as well as spending relaxing time with people I love.  She has a gift for decorating and hostessing.  She made all the food and her presentation was lovely and delicious.

I've been buying Christmas presents and am well on my way, just a few little things left to get.  So come on December and Christmas!

Tradition!

Thanksgiving Day is usually spent at Andy's brother Dan's house in Pennsylvania.  It's tradition!  Now that our girls are married with families of their own, they aren't always able to join us.  However, this year Christy and Amy were able to celebrate with their in-laws on a different day, so we enjoyed their company with us.  We had 8 grandchildren to play with.  Andy (the kids' Poppop) and Dan ( the kids' great uncle) were good at getting the kids wound up and excited.  Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of this day.  I forgot my camera and Christy's camera needed the battery recharged.

The next day, Friday, all our girls with their families came down to our house.  Christy and Amy arrived a little after 12:00 noon, but Dawn waited till Kira had taken her nap before she and Tommy came over.  Again, we had lots to eat.  I had a cheese spread for a plate of crackers, a variety of fruit and cookies.  Dawn brought a veggie tray and Christy brought ingredients to make green smoothies and mocha lattes.

When everyone got here, we all got back in our cars to head on over to Smithville Park for our holiday hike - it's tradition.  While there, we took family pictures - another tradition!  I'm so excited about the pictures, they turned out great.  Of course, when you have a good photographer, a good camera and good subjects, how can you go wrong!

What fun to be together.

When we got back to the house we had panzarottis for dinner - it's becoming a tradition!  Then it was game time and planning for Christmas, the next time we'll all be together.

Guess who's 1

It's hard to believe the baby is already 1 year old.  How time flies, they say!  Andy and I went up to see C & C and kids on Tuesday to celebrate baby Claire.

Trip to See Amy, Etc.

'Tis the season:  Ricky's away a lot hunting and Amy's at home all weekend alone.  Well, if you don't count the 3 kids and all the dogs, she's alone!  But in our conversation last week, she expressed a desire for me to come up and help her sort through the kids' clothes because they were still pulling shorts and tank tops out of their drawers and wearing them.  The weather is definitely not summer-like any more, but she was putting off that chore because organization is not something she enjoys.  And since I do, would I mind coming up and helping her.  Well, off I went but when I got there, I didn't do anything to help her.  I sat on the floor in the kids' rooms, playing with them and giving her an opportunity for adult conversation while she worked.  We had a great time and she was able to accomplish all she wanted by lunch time.

When that job was done, we went out for lunch, then drove to Reading to a children's consignment shop.  She bought all the kids' clothes for the winter, so they now have what they need to stay warm and look good!

Chase was really happy with this reversible camo vest.

And Joanna loved this cowgirl shirt.  She says she's going to be a cowgirl when she grows up!

 Being silly!

Andy was busy all day with Nativity set-up but he did get home before me.  The next day was Sunday and it was the week we had our older singles group over.  It was salad night.  Several others made salads and I made an orzo pasta salad, cottage cheese jello salad and pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese icing.  Yum - they were good!

It was a beautiful fall day today, kind of chilly, but the sun was shining.  Because the weather was so nice, we decided to go for a hike.  We went to Smithville Park and walked on the path through the woods.  It was so invigorating and restorative.  There's nothing like a walk out in nature to soothe the soul!

I didn't take these pictures but this is exactly what it looked like today as we walked through the woods.

 We saw 4 herons on the lake.  Below is a green heron, but we also saw some great blue herons.

The Worst Storm Ever

It's almost amusing how much hype a storm can get.  Granted, it was a huge one that caused major damage all up and down the east coast and many people are still without power 5 days later.  Some of the terms used by the media were "the perfect storm," "super storm," "storm of the century," and even "Frankenstorm."  It's very sad how some people are suffering with lost houses and conveniences.

I almost feel guilty that we escaped what a lot of others are going through.  The winds were certainly strong and trees were swaying, but none of them were uprooted on our property.  We only lost some branches.  From inside our house, the wind sounded like a blizzard.  (We were thankful we didn't have to shovel any snow!)  But the house was sound and snug, the windows didn't even rattle.  We never lost any power for which we were very thankful.

Tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes all are such visual displays of God's power and might.  And think about how Jesus was able to calm the storm with just a command.  Even the waves and winds obey Him. 

We're very grateful for God's grace and mercy toward us.

With the bad weather, I've had some extra time for reading.  I just finished H.M. Stanley's book, How I Found Livingstone.

 
What a great account of Stanley's adventure through east Africa looking for the doctor.  His descriptions of the countryside were picturesque, his depictions of the people were interesting and realistic, and I was especially fascinated by his description of the effects of malaria.  I just have to include that here:

"The first evil results experienced from the presence of malaria are confined bowels and an oppressive languor, excessive drowsiness, and a constant disposition to yawn.  The tongue assumes a yellowish, sickly hue colored almost to blackness; even the teeth become yellow and are coated with an offensive matter.  The eyes of the patient sparkle lustrously and become suffused with water.  These are sure symptoms of the incipient fever which shortly will rage through the system.

Sometimes this fever is preceded by a violent shaking fit during which period blankets may be heaped on the patient's form, with but little amelioration of the deadly chill he feels.   It is then succeeded by an unusually severe headache with excessive pains about the loins and spinal column, which presently will spread over the shoulder-blades, and running up the neck, find a final lodgement in the back and front of the head.  Usually, however, the fever is not preceded by a chill, but after languor and torpitude have seized him, with excessive heat and throbbing temples, the loin and spinal column ache and raging thirst soon possesses him.  The brain becomes crowded with strange fancies which sometimes assume most hideous shapes. Before the darkened vision of the suffering man float in a seething atmosphere, figures of created and uncreated reptiles which are metamorphosed every instant into stranger shapes and designs, growing every moment more confused, more complicated, more hideous and terrible.  Unable to bear longer the distracting scene, he makes an effort and opens his eyes and dissolves the delirious dream, only, however, to glide again unconsciously into another dream-land where another unreal inferno is dioramically revealed and new agonies suffered.  Oh!  the many many hours that I have groaned under the terrible incubi which the fits of real delirium evoke.  Oh!  the racking anguish of body that a traveller in Africa must undergo!  Oh! the spite, the fretfulness, the vexation which the horrible phantasmagoria of diabolisms induce!  The utmost patience fails to appease, the most industrious attendance fails to gratify, the deepest humility displeases.  During these terrible transitions, which induce fierce distraction, Job himself would become irritable, insanely furious and choleric.  A man in such a state regards himself as the focus of all miseries.  When recovered, he feels chastened, becomes urbane and ludicrously amiable, he conjures up fictitious delights from all things which, but yesterday, possessed for him such awful portentous aspects."

What a picture he paints.  It's amazing he made it and lived to tell the tale of his adventure.

Under the Weather

The sea air on Tuesday helped me to feel better that day but the rest of the week saw me getting progressively worse.  Thursday and Friday had me going into fits of coughing at times. Happily, I was able to get good sleep at night, thanks to Nyquill!

A bright spot in all this was a dinner date with Dawn and family on Thursday night.  I had bought a stromboli by Baker's Boli at a Farmer's Market I had gone to with Dawn about a month ago.  It was so delicious and Andy and I enjoyed it so much that I told Dawn if they came over for dinner, I would buy a couple of the strombolis to serve them.  How could they resist a free dinner!  I also served broccoli soup, a copy cat recipe of Panera Bread.

Tommy had fun playing with my iphone and we all had fun dressing Kira up.

She also likes to play with all Grammy's toys.

 

Don't they look like they're hatching up some trouble???

 

I had planned to spend the day with Amy and kids on Saturday but decided I just wasn't feeling up to it.  Ricky was away all weekend hunting, and Andy was busy all day Saturday with a Nativity workday.  But I was feeling so lethargic and having random coughing fits so I needed to stay close to my bed and avoid contaminating my loved ones.  I'm hoping I'm on my way toward feeling better soon.

I guess we're in for a gigantic storm.  The sky was red this morning...sailors' warning!

Look at all those wires that could possibly come down and all those trees that could fall on them.  Yikes.  I really don't want to lose power.  But I suppose I'll survive.  We are being warned that this is a humdinger of a storm.  My flesh and my heart may fail,but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26

It should be an adventure!