Thanksgiving-check

Well, Thanksgiving (the holiday) is over.  Now we get into the Christmas season and the Christmas rush.  I'm determined to live Thanksgiving daily and not just a time of the year. I was very convicted over this time of the things and I mean the small things.  Not just the big stuff and the tangible things, I'm talking time and memories and making memories.  There is just nothing more precious. 

Over Thanksgiving 2 sweet men went home to be with the Lord.  It was a sobering thought that our life here is temporary.  It's not forever.  It could be done tomorrow.  The best part is that this is not my home in the first place.  My Savior has gone to prepare a place for me.  Lonnie and Tim got their home coming this past week.  For their family, it will be tough.  We are so sad they are not here with them but at the same time, to know without a doubt that they will see them again is incredible.  What a thought.  If you listened to Monday's Music, you can only imagine what they are doing.  You can't help but praise Him!!!!!!!  I find it very hard to sit still during that song, much less keep my hands in my lap and the tears rolling.  WOW!!!!  is the only word I know to use.  Just incredible!!!!!

Our church home here in Amory is kicking off Christmas with some great ideas and wonderful gatherings of all kinds.  I'm really excited about jumping in with both feet.  It's an exciting time!!!!  We of course did Operation Christmas Child....over 800+ boxes and we were a collection drop off and sent more than 3,000 boxes out.  PRAISE THE LORD!!!!  I have been in the countries where these boxes go.  I have even seen them there.  It's so simple and yet so very powerful!!!!  Start now planning for next year.  Pick up small items all year.  See how many boxes you can do for next year!!!!

I'll be sharing our "RACK" project on here so stay tuned for that.  Also, I will resume our studying in the WORD!!!!  So excited to do that.  Since I am not currently in a group Bible Study, I'll be using our Sunday School book.  It is so very rich.  It's great because we never get finished with the lesson.  It can last up to 2-3 weeks.  We love our class so very much!!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!!!  We have all the "fixins" ready and waiting for the turkey and the dressing. Yes, we have dressing and not stuffing.  We have enjoyed Face Time and talked with family on the phone.  We have had a nice quiet day at home just relaxing and not really doing a lot of anything. 

While on the phone with my Dad this morning he made a comment about being thankful about certain situations that have sorted themselves out so to speak and how things could be very different and very difficult.  I stopped and thought about that and he was so right.  We have gone through some very rough roads but when we look back, we can see the Lord and His work.  It is hard to even put that into words.  Situations that require 2 families to come together united.  For sure it's a God thing. 

So grateful for the relationship that we share with Jim and Lynn and with Deb and Heather.  We are so thankful!!!!!!!

It's a beautiful day here in Mississippi so I will stop blogging and enjoy some time with my family!!!!  Have a beautiful day!!!!!

Sunday Scripture

I'm amazed.  I'm overwhelmed. I'm so grateful. I'm so thankful. What about you? I pondered scripture and a song kept coming to mind........

 

Thank you Lord for saving my soul.

Thank you Lord for making me whole.

Thank you Lord for giving to me

Thy great Salvation so rich and free.

 

 

Have a great Thanksgiving Season!!!!

Menu!!

Ok, so I gave you a run down yesterday of the plan.  Here is the menu.  This is for sure a Southern Menu.  If you are from somewhere other than the south, I would love to hear something that you will have.    So, here you go.....

Turkey
Dressing (not stuffing)
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with marshmallows
Greenbeans
Corn
Cranberry sauce
Pumpkin Cake with Cool Whip

Very simple. Very easy with planning. 

What's on your menu?

Planning!!

Planning for Thanksgiving.  That sounds easy right?  Well, it's not that easy but we all confess that we want a nice and relaxed day to enjoy family and friends and even the football games and the parades that we all love to watch. 

This year I have decided to take a little bit of a different approach.  I am trying to do as much ahead as I possibly can.  So this is my plan at the moment.....

I have bought my onions and celery for the dressing.  Those will be chopped and sauteed today with salt and pepper and seasonings. That will be placed in the freezer.

I had baked fresh bread and kept the "ends" in a separate bag. We had also had cornbread muffins the other week and we had left overs so those were put in a bag and tossed in the freezer.  The cornbread muffins were not the sweet cornbread so I will bake those off today and toss them in with the others.

Bo will be making his famous Pumpkin Cake from his sweet Mom.  It is sooooo goood!!!!!!!  Served warm with Cool Whip and it is amazing!!!!!!! 

Turkey is in the freezer and will move to the refrigerator on Monday before Thanksgiving.  Wednesday afternoon, it will placed in a VERY large bowl and covered with buttermilk.  NO KIDDING!!!!!  I am here to tell you it makes all the difference in the world. 

Wednesday the sweet potatoes will be baked and mashed and ready for marshmallows on Thursday.

Wednesday a small batch of mashed potatoes will be made for Kaleb. Eggs will be boiled for deviled eggs and cranberry sauce will be placed in a dish and ready for service.  There will be green beans and corn as well.  Also on Wednesday, Cornbread Dressing will be made in the morning and placed in the cookware to bake off on Thursday. 

Bottom line will be this......On Thanksgiving...
I will be
heating the vegetable's
baking the turkey and the dressing
and RELAX!!!!!!! 

What about you?  Do you have a plan? 

Turkey Day is Coming!!!!!!!

Well, it's not very far away.  Are you ready? Are you traveling?  Have you bought your turkey yet?  We are excited to be having our first Thanksgiving in Mississippi.  We were blessed because Hubby's work gave us the turkey.  A HUGE turkey.  Yes, I will be cooking it!!!!!!!  I can't wait!!!!!  I have planned our menu as to what we are having so hopefully Kaleb will actually eat.  He is so very picky but getting better!!!!! 

Here in Mississippi, Kaleb will be out of work for the entire week.  I was shocked when I saw that but very excited at the same time.  I have several activities planned for us to do to get us ready for Thanksgiving and teaching him what it means to be thankful and what he is thankful for.  We will be making turkeys and an Indian head band with "thankful" feathers.  He will have so much fun!!!!!!   (so will I!)

I know that I have been doing the "Days of being Thankful" on Facebook.  It's a lot of fun to do and a lot of great reading on other's post about what they are thankful.  They are so heartfelt and wonderful to see.  I wish that most of the post were like that all the time.  It is such an uplifting experience. 

I am working on reading through the Bible.  I'm so excited about it.  I am only on day 4 but it is just wonderful.  It is part of a reading plan on my iPad.  It makes it easier and it is just a blessing.  I have read this scripture before and heard the stories (Creation, Adam and Eve and Noah) even as a child.  Yet, as I read these scriptures now, they are new and exciting.  I have found things that I have not seen or looked over before.  It's just powerful!  I don't know if you have ever done it but I would so encourage you!!!!!!!!! 

Have a wonderful day!!!!!  What is on your menu?  Are your cooking or traveling or both?  Looking forward to hearing from you!!!!!!!

Started Something New

The other week I had posted about me in our Sunday School Class.  I had read something in the lesson that had me going and I just kept it going in class.  Then I felt bad because I talked so much.  Well, you will be happy to know that I chose to be quiet this past Sunday.  I have to admit it was kind of funny.  Tim was teaching class and kept looking in my direction to see if I would say something I think.  I could have opened my mouth and let it fly again but I didn't. 

The week that I talked so much there was a question posed about who had read through the Bible before.  I did ONE time a very long time ago.  Well, since that question was asked I could not get it out of my head.  I decided to take on the challenge that wouldn't let me go.  My iPad has a great App and I was looking through all the parts of the App and there are all kinds of reading plans.  Well, I found one that combines the Old Testament and New Testament together when you do your reading.  I signed in and started.  I have now done 2 days with only 363 days left.  For whatever reason I believe this is what the Lord would have me do right now.  It's amazing!!!!!  I have read Genesis before.  At the same time, I find something new every time I read.  His Word is ALIVE and ACTIVE!!!!!!

One last thing that I wanted to share.  We are approaching Thanksgiving.  It's one of my favorite times of the year.  I love the cooking and company and family and leading right into Christmas.  Here is my thought.......How do you get it across to your children?  We are teaching Kaleb and most of the time I believe he gets it but there are the times when I hear him, I wonder if he is.  There is a blog that my friend Traci writes on sometimes called Tommy Nelson "Raising Faithful Kids" and she wrote on their blog about some ideas for Thanksgiving.  WE WILL BE PARTICIPATING in these!!!!!!  They are awesome!!!!!!  Being thankful is not just a season or a holiday.  It should be 365 days a year!!!!!!!  Go check it out and get some ideas.  You will just love them. 

Praying you have a wonderful afternoon and evening!!!!!!  By the way....have you read through the Bible before?  Have you thought about doing it again?  What are some Thanksgiving ideas that you will be doing or traditions?

Thanksgiving........

So, we are all excited about the holidays that are coming. 
The planning.
The parties.
The family.
The food.
The cooking.
The stress.

Well, in the midst of all of that, I would like to challenge you.  I'm sure that you may already be doing this but I would like to remind you and challenge you as well.  Really consider what you are thankful for.  I mean REALLY thankful for.  Things maybe that you would not consider.  I must confess that when I watch the news lately it just makes me more and more thankful. The storm that hit the US known as Sandy has made me so grateful and thankful.  It just breaks my heart when I watch the news. I have been in a hurricane and been in the remnants of a hurricane.  It's a very humbling experience.  It makes you realize what is important.  What could you live without? What about all of the "Stuff" that we have, could you live without it? 

As we approach the holidays, please keep your attitude of gratitude in mind.  If you are on Facebook or Twitter or any other social media, post you attitude of gratitude.  Share it. Make it contagious. Inspire others to think.  Follow me on Facebook and you will see mine there.  Remember .....thanksgiving is not just a time of year.  It's DAILY!!!!!  365 days a year/ 24 hours a day!!