"5 Small Things Friday" No. 97

Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday".

For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight: Firefly

2. Hearing:

3. Smell: Candles

4. Taste:

5. Touch: Hand Hug

The stories behind the list:

1. During a slow spell at the restaurant, I was leaning on the ledge that goes around the inside of the front service area, looking out the window. When I glanced down, on the outside ledge there was a firefly walking along. I hadn't seen a firefly in such a long time.

2.

3. We have a gas cooking stove, and when the tank gets about empty, you can start to smell gas in the house a little bit. It's not dangerous, but the smell is pretty annoying, and makes Mom feel sick. The tank is getting low again, and there's been a nagging gas smell in the kitchen the past few days. So we lit some candles to help burn the gas smell off, and produce a countering nice candle smell!
I absolutely love the smell of candles. Even if they don't have a scent, the smell of the match after it's blown out, or the burning wick of the candle itself, gives me such a wonderful comfortable feeling. It makes me think of Fall, chilly weather, craft projects or reading inside while it rains outside, pumpkin pie, leaves on the ground, Thanksgiving Day. And then later in the year, scarves and gloves and hats and comfy coats, hot chocolate, Christmas music, Christmas decorations and lights, the central heating turned on in the house, standing over the floor vents warming bare toes, curling up on the couch on chilly mornings with a fleece blanket to read my Bible, Winter, Christmas traditions, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years. Memories, pictures, friends, family, warmth, love, laughter. All this from the smell of a candle being lit. Even in August.

4.

5. My S. ladies came by the restarant early Wednesday morning. Their big silver van was having some work done on it at the shop next door, and they saw my Tilly parked at the restaurant and stopped just to say hello to me! Before they left, Piper reached in through the window and showed me how to give a 'hand hug'.

"5 Small Things Friday" No. 55

Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday".

For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight: Fall Mornings

2. Hearing: Bible Pages Turning

3. Smell:

4. Taste: Apples

5. Touch: Abigail's Hand

The stories behind the list:

1. I've been doing alot of bike riding recently, trying to get a constant routine of exercise going. I love to ride my bike, and since we live in the country it's even nicer. We have a path Dad's cleared through our woods around our land, and I've been riding that circle. These fall mornings are so beautiful and make it even more enjoyable - the sun streaming through the trees, the dewdrops like tiny diamonds flashing from the tips of every leaf and grass-blade, and the rich red-ish soil of the neighbor's freshly-plowed pasture next to us.

2. Sunday morning Bro. Earl used alot of different Scripture references in his sermon, and really encouraged everyone to find each one and follow along in their Bibles.
Each time he announced a new reference, the whisper of pages turning would wash gently across the auditorium like a refreshing summer shower through the leaves of a forest.

3.

4. I've always loved apples, but recently I've found myself almost starving for them! Wednesday, over the course of the day, I had four!

5. This past Wednesday night was Victory Rd.'s yearly walk/run that I told a little more about in this post from last year. Towards the end of the night, Abigail and I were walking together, joking, being silly, and generally enjoying each others' company. We each had a cold water bottle and she decided the chilly moisture on the outside of hers would be fun to wipe off and rub down my bare arm!

"I'm thankful for..." - Week 2 of 2

Friday:

Woodsmoke
Helpful maintenance men
The fact that God understands why bad things happen even when we don’t
Free honey buns and chocolate milk
God-made coincidences
Modern-day Barnabases
The beauty of the sparks of a copper-colored bonfire on a black-velvet night
The Grandmother’s voice
Clean sheets


Saturday:

Home-made French Toast
Simple Fall-ish table decorations
Early mornings
Three good meals a day
Blue wheelbarrows full of leaves
Family soda-can-smashing sessions (selling for scrap metal)
Family leaf-raking sessions



Our cat Bobby



A camera
A clean room
A washing machine and dryer
Laughing hard


Sunday:

A pastor who leads by example and not words only
Church members who follow their pastor’s good leadership
Musicians who pour themselves into doing their best
Teenagers with good attitudes
Kindred spirits
Willing helpers
Beautiful night-time foggy mists
Bro. Dennis and Mrs. Carrie's baby
Early mornings


Monday:

The smell of Vanilla
Strawberry wafer cookies
Oreo balls dipped in white-chocolate-mint Almond Bark
People that share
Home-made white chocolate fudge




Tuesday:

Naps on rainy days
Raspberry chocolate chips
Plastic toy dinosaurs
The medieval paintings of Edmund Leighton
The sound of a group of Christian ladies talking and laughing as they clean a kitchen
Potato soup with shredded cheese and bacon crumbs in it
A quilt that my Dad's mother made, now reinforced by my Mom
Bonbon sunflowers



Cute pennant banners




Wednesday:

Stars on a clear night
Thanksgiving cooking with family and friends
White-chocolate-dipped Ritz-cracker-and-peanut-butter cookies



Soft red fuzzy scarfs


Thursday:

Big get-togethers that turn out well
Organized jobs
Clocks and watches that go "Tick-tock"
Meaningful conversations with relatives
A star on the horizon



Thanksgiving Day


"Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" Ps. 107:8

"I'm thankful for..." - Week 1 of 2

I have really been challenged recently in the area of Thankfulness, stewardship, and using what you have (even if it seems small) to glorify the Lord.
This week, the author of the blog Simple Delights, had a great idea and invited her readers to join her: For each day of the last two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, compile a list of the things you are thankful for that day, and post your lists each day, or the whole week's worth at the end of each week. She is planning a link-up so we can share our lists with each other.

This goes so well with my goal of trying to notice and be more grateful for all the wonderful little things the Lord provides to us, and I am grateful that others are doing the same thing.

I may not have long lists, but they certainly do not include all the things I am thankful for! Mainly I just jotted down some of the things that were really brought to my mind during the day, but I am actively trying to cultivate a constant attitude of thankfulness. Certainly that should be our goal every day!

I started making my lists on Friday, but I included things from Thursday that I had on my mind and was thankful for as well.

Thursday/Friday:

Good times with good friends
Cream of Chicken Soup
Blogging time
Creative ideas


{Photo and idea by Unoriginal Originality}

Canceled college classes
6-year-old boys with brown eyes, sandy hair, dimples, and a huge appetite for learning and friendship
The safe arrival of Aron and Henley's Timothy, and all
Babies born to Godly young couples
Crochet
'Adopted' brothers


Saturday:

Finished Algebra homework assignments
Godly teaching
Cheery candles in red glass holders



Symphony music, specifically this song:



Doughnuts
Mid-week church meetings


Sunday:

My own Bible
The health and freedom to be able to go to church
Christmas music
Good teachers
Impressionable young friends and the chance to influence them for the Lord
Victory Rd.
Beautiful fall weather
Being picked on by good friends


Monday:

Psalms 107:8-22
Being able to read
Tall trailing bushes with yellow flowers that drape over wooden fences



Text messaging
The kids at VRCA that call me "Miss Dr. Pepper" and my friendship with them
Michael O'Brien's CD, "Be Still My Soul"
Thunderclouds
The texture on a coffee cup from my favorite coffee shop



Cool brisk wind


Tuesday:

Prayer
Rain
Sleeping in
Easy Algebra
Rainbows
A laptop
Pet chickens
A rare phone conversation with an out-of-state friend
Good grades


Wednesday:

"The Conference" - a Bible conference in the north part of the state that has become a family tradition for the week before Thanksgiving
Mild weather after it's been cold
Meeting new friends
Spending time with old friends
Long denim skirts
Good music
Safe journeys
Answered prayers
My Rebelution t-shirt


Thursday:

Hot showers
Grilled cheese sandwiches
College-age Bible studies
Giant peppermint sticks



Mom-made home-made hot chocolate
Pecans
Visions for the future
Hilarious choir practices
Hand-pumped flashlights



A soft bed and warm covers
My own room
Physical and spiritual protection

The Lord is so good to me. This is just a scratch on the surface, but these things are some that really touched me this week.

"5 Small Things Friday" No. 6

Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday".

For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight: An autumn yard arrangement.

2. Hearing: "Miss Dr. Pepper"

3. Smell: Hot biscuits and gravy.

4. Taste: Cream of Chicken Soup.

5. Touch: A hot shower.


The stories behind the list:

1. The house closest to ours is The Grandfather's brother and sister-in-law's house. They have both past away, and now our neighbors are the youth minister from The Grandparents' church, and his family. They are really nice people!
The yard is beautiful and old-fashioned, and they have added their own touches without taking away from the wonderful old memories of the place. I was driving up to The Grandparents' the other day, and noticed a wonderful autumn arrangement they had made next to the old mailbox, using hay bales, pumpkins, and squashes.

2. I talk alot about the kids at VRCA, but they are such a big part of my life, that many of my recent, treasured memories come from them.
A few weeks ago, I took a can of Dr. Pepper to after-school to use as a prop for some photos I was taking for my Etsy shop (I like to multi-task, and am always taking projects to work on while I watch the kids). Some of the new teachers' kids didn't know my name yet, but when one of the students (who knows me well) thought it would be fun to steal my can of Dr. Pepper, that can began making rounds of the boys' pockets, with the hopes that they could persuade me to forget I had brought it, and they could have it :D ! It was a fun joke, but after that, a couple of the new teachers' kids (a brother and sister) began calling me "Miss Dr. Pepper". The first time the boy called me that, it caught me off guard - I had no idea what he was talking about! But when I asked him he said, 'Cause you brought the Dr. Pepper to school, and I didn't know your name!'
They all know my name now, but that brother and sister still call me "Miss Dr. Pepper", instead of "Miss Kyrie", and I love it.

3. Last Friday night I came in cold, tired, and hungry from school and work, and (we pretty much always go to The Grandparents' house for the evening on Fridays) The Grandmother had made biscuits and gravy for supper. One of my favorite smells in the world. My spirits rose from knee-level to the tree-tops.

4. Last night before Thursday night College Bible Study, Trissy and I opened a can of Cream of Chicken Soup for a quick (and hot) supper on the way out the door. Cream of Chicken Soup has got to be one of my favorite "comfort foods".

5. How often do I take a hot shower for granted! So much of the world does not even enjoy indoor plumbing, let alone hot water. Yet after a long day, I find that a hot shower is one of the most comforting, relaxing, soothing things, and I am taking them less for granted. They are also extremely conducive to creative thoughts. I come up with my best creative writings and ideas while in the shower. Often Trissy has come running to my rescue and slid a piece of paper and pencil under the door for me to make soggy notes on!

"5 Small Things Friday" No. 3

Visit this post to learn about "5 Small Things Friday".

Two of my things are from today, instead of last Friday through yesterday, but since I came up with this "5 Small Things Friday" idea, I guess I can bend the rules :) . And these two seemed to fit the idea better than other things that happened this past week.

My list this week:

1. Sight: Rebelutionaries.

2. Hearing: "Jesus Christ is Lord."

3. Smell: Cold Autumn air.

4. Taste: A gingerbread man.

5. Touch: A hug with Mrs. Renae.


The stories behind the list:

1. I'm working on a post relating the amazing experience of being at the last "Do Hard Things" Conference of the last Rebelution Tour. What a blessing! I'll try to post soon.
We got to the church early, and the huge church building and campus was already buzzing with activity. There were groups of sunny, fresh-faced teenagers with huge smiles (and that early in the morning too!), waiting to greet us in the parking lot and at the doors as we walked into the building, teenagers behind the registration table, teenagers giving directions, teenagers handing out the keypads we'd need for interaction during some of the sessions, teenagers manning the book tables, teenagers running equipment, teenagers praying, teenagers there for the conference. I only saw a handful of adults in actual positions of coordination or leadership during the whole event - almost everything was handled by young people, whether pre-teens, teenagers, or those in their early twenties. It was a breathtaking experience - all these hundreds of busy young people were here for THIS!

2. To hear each tiny voice make a distinct echo in that huge room - it was so powerful. Listening to "...the harvest come in."
A young girl, "Jesus Christ is Lord." A college-age young man, "Jesus Christ is Lord." A small boy, "Jesus Christ is Lord." Two friends in unison, "Jesus Christ is Lord." A mom, "Jesus Christ is Lord."
"Jesus Christ is Lo..." "Jesus Chri..." "Jesus Christ is ..." "Jesus Christ is Lord."
Then that one final thunderous shout as we all join together - hundreds of voices proclaim, "JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!"
Gives me chills all over, just remembering. Even when I'm old and my mind may be gone otherwise, I hope this is one memory that stays with me all my life.

3. Last night Mom went outside to get something out of Dad's truck. I offered to get it for her, but I was already in my pajamas, so she wouldn't let me. But I hung out the front door waiting for her, soaking up the chilling air. I blew out my breath into clouds that billowed like fog against the black sky. I closed my mouth and breathed deep and long of the pure cold air, and felt it fill me all the way down to my toes. It was exhilarating!

4. Today all I had for lunch (well, until late afternoon anyway) was a Little Debbie gingerbread man and some milk. I know, why eat store-bought when my Mom is such a great cook?! Because several boxes of these conveniently-individually-wrapped gingerbread men were given to us, because I was at school and these cookies are already wrapped and I can just grab one for a snack, because my Mom has not had time to make gingerbread for quite a while, and because these store-bought ones are very good, I've got to admit! Gingerbread is great - it gives you just that "little something sweet" you want at meal time, but it's not terribly overloaded with unhealthy ingredients.

5. Dear Mrs. Renea. I'll tell you a secret - I didn't really like her when we first started going to Victory Rd. That's horrible, I know, but they say confession is good for the soul. Now I can't think why I didn't always love her! Probably because I just didn't understand her. She is very quirky, but aren't we all (especially at Victory Rd. - we seem to attract "extreme" personalities :D )?! She is so fun and lively, yet so sweet and wise. Today there were a bunch of us from the church and Victory Rd. Christian Academy working on a fundraiser for VRCA and Mrs. Mandy was the one in charge. Long story short, things were getting hectic, and I think it was one of those "I just want to sit down and cry" moments for Mrs. Mandy. We were all busy and running around like crazy, but at one point she came to grab something that was near where I was, and I just reached out and gave her a quick one-arm squeeze to try to cheer her up. She pressed her nose against the side of my face and hugged me back - hard :) .

Happy Thanksgiving!

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:"


Psalm 136:1-7

October's Bright Blue Weather

October's Bright Blue Weather

by Helen Hunt Jackson


O suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October's bright blue weather;

When loud the bumblebee makes haste,
Belated, thriftless vagrant,
And goldenrod is dying fast,
And lanes with grapes are fragrant;

When gentians roll their fingers tight
To save them for the morning,
And chestnuts fall from satin burrs
Without a sound of warning;

When on the ground red apples lie
In piles like jewels shining,
And redder still on old stone walls
Are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things
Their white-winged seeds are sowing,
And in the fields still green and fair,
Late aftermaths are growing;

When springs run low, and on the brooks,
In idle golden freighting,
Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush
Of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek sweet country haunts,
By twos and twos together,
And count like misers, hour by hour,
October's bright blue weather.

O sun and skies and flowers of June,
Count all your boasts together,
Love loveth best of all the year
October's bright blue weather.

Today we had the most glorious weather! The spice, the cool, the magic in the air! I know it's not October yet, but this poem is quite accurately expressive of what I feel toward Autumn, and just describes what the day was like! Trissy memorized it in 2005 when our grandmother sent it to us as one of her favorites. I heard Trissy reciting it so much, I pretty much learned it too :) ! After five years without alot of practice, we're both a little rusty, but each fall I just get an itch to bring it out and try to refresh my memory. So to day Trissy dug her copy out, and we were seeing how much we could recite from memory as we cleaned up. In honor of the day, the season, and the Creator of both, I thought I'd share it with you. Hope you enjoy!

{Photobucket images}

Fall And The Fair

{Image property of Livvy Taylor Photography. Used with permission.}

Fall is on it's way!!!
The last week or so, the mornings have been a tad chilly. Just a tad, mind you, but it has been there. Then this past couple of days, though it has still been hot during the middle of the day, the whole atmosphere has definitly been fall-ish. It's just something about the air - invigorating, spicy, refreshing, magical, beautiful! Oh I LOVE Autumn!

Fall also means Fair Time! Because of school, like last year I'm not getting to participate to the extent I have in past years. The Lord has blessed and helped me finish a few last-minute projects I was working on though, and we are going out to the Fair Grounds in a little while to drop off our items for the first installment of fair season - the County Fair. Next month will be State, and then the next County Fair. Because my family lives right on the county line, we get to participate in the fairs of both counties.

I'll try to post pictures later!

Thanksgiving, and the events closely surrounding it

Last week we had mid-week services on Tuesday night instead of Wednesday, since Wed. was the day before Thanksgiving, and lots of people needed to be traveling. Trissy and I went to the ladies' class instead of our youth class, because the youth were having class outside as sort of a treat, but it was cold, and we have both been fighting sickness. I hated to miss ours, but the other one was good. Mrs. Sarah, Mrs. Shannen's sister taught it. She focused on Colossians 4:2. "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." She had three thoughts on that verse. 1) "Devote yourselves to prayer" Devote is to commit oneself to. When we do not pray, rely on the LORD and are not thankful as we should be, it's an insult to the LORD who gives us each moment and every blessing we receive in our lives. We then are setting ourselves up for defeat and unfruitful lives. 2) "Watch in the same" Staying active and alerted to the need of prayer in our lives. When we are not watchful, we can find ourselves doing our own thing, and leaving prayer out. 3) "With thanksgiving" Keep an attitude of thanksgiving - being thankful and grateful to God. To be thankful also means to receive something as an expression of grace by someone and accept it as if one doesn't deserve it. We are thankful because of God's greatest gift - the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. I was glad we got in on that lesson! Mrs. Shannen usually teaches the ladies' class, but something came up, and she couldn't be there, so Mrs. Sarah did.

Thanksgiving went really well. Usually, all the family who can, meet at our grandparents house (they live just up the road from my family - we can walk slowly, and still get there in less than 5 miniutes) for the holidays, at least Thanksgiving. Some of our family came in Sunday night, and the rest Wednesday. Mom's youngest brother (Uncle David) and his family came in Sunday night. They are missionaries in South America, but are here visiting for a year. They plan to go back around Feb. or March. Since they got here so early in the week, Trissy and I had fun with our cousins picking up some more of the pecans that the LORD has showered down so plentifully in our grandparents' yard! After some really strong winds a few weeks ago, the picking was so easy! It was almost like you could scoop your hands in and fill up a gallon in no time.
Then Mom's brother and his family who live only about an hour away and her older sister and her family (who live in Texas) came in on Wednesday. Thursday the rest of the married grandkids and their families got there, and the good old house was bulging! It was good to have so many of the folks here all together for a while! Friday night we had a bonfire/hotdog roast up at our house for the ones who were still here, and it was cold! It was so much fun sitting around the fire after we ate, telling missionary stories, other stories, singing, and just enjoying each other's company!

The Bible Conference - November 17th - 19th

Wow, so much has happened since the last time I really posted. I'll try to do a little catching up. :)
Nov. 17 - 19 we (Dad, Mom, Trissy, and I) all went with Mom's parents (our only living grandparents - Dad's parents both died before he and Mom married), up to the northern part of the state to a Bible Conference we try to attend every year (Dad doesn't always get to go, because of his work, but the rest of us have only missed once in 10 years!). It was wonderful! The people who 'run' it were missionaries at the same time Mom and her folks were, and they sort of grew up together, so we are still all really good friends. We always look forward to it every year, and get a such blessing from the Conference! It's always so refreshing to hear 2-3 solid days of good preaching, and getting to see and visit with old friends is always a treat too! This year it was a little shorter than usual, beginning Tuesday night and ending Thursday morning instead of Friday morning like past years. But next year it will probably be back longer.
This year I was especially blessed. It felt like the Lord was just almost having fun seeing how thrilled He could get me! I mean that in no way irreverently (speaking of God Almighty as if He were of the same type of mind as a human - He knows all things!) but it really was as if He was just poring and poring down joy upon me! Maybe I can go into details later. But anyway, we all came back so refreshed and thankful, and I was on "cloud nine", as they say :) .

Lately (for about the past 2 or 3 months) the Lord has just really impressed upon me the significance, importance, and - sadly - neglect of this verse:

"Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness,
and for His wonderful works to the children of men!"

Ps. 107:8

I 'discovered' this verse at a very discouraged time in my life, and have been working on memorizing verses 8 - 21.
With all the recent blessings (and the Conference being sort of a climax), it seemed my heart was just singing - and this verse was the song.