Hearts in Service

I've loved being able to reflect on things I'm thankful for on Fridays. It is wonderful to praise our Lord. I know when I do I can just feel my spirits lift. Some weeks it's harder to think of things to praise Him for or to be thankful about, yet when I start to think about it, I end up coming up with quite a few. 2 Samuel 22 ~ 47 "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior! ~ I've been subbing a lot the last two weeks and I realized yesterday that is going to help us tremendously at Christmas time. I never can do any shopping ahead of time because of dh's pay schedule and the total lack of extra funds. This will allow me to get what we need a lot earlier. ~ Our wonderful church family surprised us with a lunch last Sunday for pastor's appreciation month. It was very moving, especially given all we've been through the past 6 months. ~ I was talking to a teacher yesterday about Nathan and lamenting a bit at his late diagn

See this girl? This was me at 22 years old at my college graduation. I had all kinds of hopes and dreams. Ideas of where I what I would do in the future and where I would be. Expectations and fears and excitement. I am now 47 and for some reason, I've been reflecting a lot lately on my life. Most of those dreams and expectations did not happen. Things did not work out exactly the way I planned. I started a Masters degree, almost finished and then got married and started having children which ended the educational pursuits. I've been considering going back and finishing my Masters. However, I'm not sure if this is the Lord's timing. I'm not sure if I want to do this because it's what the Lord wants or because I'm feeling a bit insignificant lately. So I'm willing to wait if need be. It may be that I never finish and that would be okay too. The Lord has a plan for my life that may not be exactly what I planned. However, if I am in the center of

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:28-29 I thought I'd make each Friday the day that I thank the Lord for all the many blessings He has given me over the past week. Here is my thankful list. ♫ Stephen is getting so mature and assertive. We were at a dinner at the nursing home the other night and I looked around for him and he was at the next table greeting people. He also went up to the director of the nursing home and asked her about a job. She told him what to do to apply for one. This was a huge step for him. ♫ I have a husband that listens to me and helps me work through things. He takes the time to help me figure out what is bothering me. ♫ That the Lord is faithful to show me areas that I need to work on. This just happened last night and while it is painful, it is important. ♫ The Lord has allowed me to subs

I am having one of the laziest days ever! I have all kinds of housework to do but I don't feel like doing any of it. So instead, I made some cards. The only thing I don't like about my cards is that they are never perfect looking. So many people have a Cricut (I think that's what its called) machine and can churn out professional looking cards. I tend to just make it up as I go along. I'll never be able to sell them, but at least it makes me happy and I like sending them out to people. Here is the outside of this one. If you open up the flap it says, "Thank you!" I did a couple of Fall cards. This is the last one I did today. Maybe I can work up the energy to go clean my bathroom now!

We had this with our dinner tonight and it was so delicious! Everyone went back for seconds so I thought I'd share the recipe. Pumpkin Soup 6 cups chicken stock 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 4 cups pumpkin puree 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley 1 cup chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 5 whole black peppercorns 1. Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. 2. Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender. 3. Return to pan, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir in heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

I found the easiest way to process pumpkin today. Normally, I dig all the pulp out, peel it and then cut it up and boil it. However, I found a much better way. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Lay the pumpkin halves face down on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Scoop out the meat and your done! Isn't that easy?

Let’s sing praises to our God today. Let’s remember all that He has done in our lives over the past week and give Him the praise and honor due Him. This scripture says when He is praised that the enemy and those who seek revenge will be silenced. So, let’s get ready to worship Him! Psalm 8 ~ 1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, a

Emily is such a daddy's girl and he loves it. Dan is a great father and has always been wonderful with all the kids. He loves to play games with them and Emily will play basketball and frisbee with him almost every night. He is such a good sport and I'm so thankful that my children have a devoted father. I did not have that growing up and it's wonderful to see the bond between him and the children. Emily is the only girl and the baby so of course, she is spoiled rotten. ;-) Not really, but she is loved a lot! She will always be daddy's little girl.

"To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it." Deuteronomy 10:14

Today is a good day to sing the Lord's praises! I may make this a regular thing here on Fridays. Psalm 47 1 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. 2 How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! 3 He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. 4 He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah 5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm [a] of praise. 8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. 9 The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings [b] of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted. Let's reflect back over the week and think of 3-5 things that the Lord has done this week. I love doing this because it's easy to take things for granted and forget to tha

I was sitting at the computer and heard Emily reading aloud. I looked over and had to laugh. She was reading Beatrix Potter stories to her dwarf hamster, Lily. Lily is certainly a captive audience and I thought the subject matter was very fitting! LOL

Long, long, long the trail Through the brooding forest-gloom, Down the shadowy, lonely vale Into silence, like a room Where the light of life has fled, And the jealous curtains close Round the passionless repose Of the silent dead. Plod, plod, plod away, Step by step in mouldering moss; Thick branches bar the day Over languid streams that cross Softly, slowly, with a sound In their aimless creeping Like a smothered weeping, Through the enchanted ground. "Yield, yield, yield thy quest," Whispers through the woodland deep; "Come to me and be at rest; "I am slumber, I am sleep." Then the weary feet would fail, But the never-daunted will Urges "Forward, forward still! "Press along the trail!" Breast, breast, breast the slope! See, the path is growing steep. Hark! a little song of hope When the stream begins to leap. Though the forest, far and wide, Still shuts out the bending blue, We shall finally win through, Cross the long divide. On, on, onward t

This is the view from my kitchen sink. I see this view at least 3 times a day when I'm doing dishes. I know most people would think, "Poor Terri!" "Who wants to look at a train platform all day?" They would much prefer the view out my living room window which overlooks a mountain and rolling meadow. However, I like this view. I like to watch the people and I often wonder about their lives. I see men in suits and briefcases, leaving their families for the day. I see women doing the same and wonder if they wish they could stay home. I see Spanish immigrants doing their best to provide for their families, knowing they are taking jobs that most of us would never want to work. I see young moms and their children and I hear their excited voices. For many of these little ones, this may be their first train ride. Today, most of the train riders will be going somewhere for pleasure. They may be traveling to visit relatives or going into New York City to see t

I woke up with this verse going through my head this morning.... Hebrews 13:15 ~ "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name." Our praises are our sacrifice to Him. They should be constant and He should get the glory for all that happens in our lives. So often we through up a perfunctory thank you or we take the credit ourselves or I think worse, we don't think of Him at all. I spent some time this morning reflecting on what the Lord has done this week and wanted to share at least 5 of them. ♥ Dan & I didn't have enough money to pay some bills, yet after talking about it, decided to step out in faith and pay our tithe first (we were tempted to forgo it) and the very next day the guidance counselor at the school called with three students for Dan to start tutoring. He has never gotten that many students all at once. Whoo Hoo!!! ♥ For a wonderful landlord who fixes things in a timely manner