Hearts in Service Blog

One of the cookbooks on my bookshelf is called, "Back to the Table" by Art Smith. It is a cookbook, but he has so many interesting insights on almost every page that it reads like a book.  I wanted to share a few interesting tidbits with you as we are entering into Thanksgiving week. Many of us will be busy in our kitchens and as you cook and bake for your family, reflect on these quotes. "We should all think about returning to the sanctity of the table, where we can rebuild our families, heal spiritually and physically, and reconnect with those we love. The table is a familiar, uncomplicated, and friendly place where we can celebrate family, friends, food, and life's many blessings." "While cooking for families, I was constantly reminded that we are all human, capable of making mistakes, of hurting those we love, and, most of all, capable of forgiveness. I see this over and over again at the table. The act of cooking for others, making dishes they especial...

I've been busy this week with zoom meetings and preparing a message for Sunday. I also have been  busy getting my Christmas shopping done and baking Christmas cookies. Those of you who know me, know I usually spend the entire month making cookies. I use them for events, parties and gifts. But this year, I didn't bake one until this week. That is mostly because in years past, I struggled with not eating them. I figured it would be best to not have them sitting around. But it also hasn't felt much like Christmas this year. Some of that is not doing the normal traditions and activities. The other thing is my daughter will not be here this year as she is going to her fiancé's family for the holiday and our son, Stephen, won't be arriving until the afternoon on Christmas day as he has to work. It has been hard to get in the Christmasy mood when it is going to seem like a normal day. However, I know life happens as children become adults and have lives of their own so I...

March came roaring like a lion and the snow is here to stay for a while. Dan and I went to visit Emily on Monday night and the hour and a half ride home was wild. We had no idea it was supposed to snow like this and the plows had not been out yet. So we had a white-knuckled ride all the way home. It's been a good week to hunker down and get some things checked off my list. The biggest of these was gathering all our tax information and getting it off to the accountant. I don't know what possesses me to procrastinate each year with keeping track of housing expenses, etc., but I do it every time. And then I'm scrambling to catch up on a years worth of paperwork! So I had a different sort of white-knuckled experience on Wednesday doing that.  I tried my hand at homemade yogurt in my slow cooker and it turned out great! This is definitely a new staple here. When I mentioned this to someone on Sunday, she asked, "Why?" and I responded, "Because I can!" 😁  Ser...

Things have started blooming and it seems as if overnight everything is coming to life. It was a tough winter for me personally and I've felt like I've been in my own hibernation. Inactivity and depression have taken a toll and it's been difficult to get out of the hole I've been in. I have never experienced depression before and it's been hard to deal with. I don't like the feelings of sadness and the lack of energy it brings.  In an effort to get out of the funk, I've been working at getting outside in the sunshine and fresh air and that definitely helps. I don't always feel like moving, but I know that when I force myself, I'll feel 100% better! I've had more energy and don't feel so down.  My tulips had been sitting tightly closed for about 2 weeks when this week they burst open. Beautiful!   Dan and I went hiking for the first time this season on Monday and it was nice to get out into the woods. We live fairly close to the Allegheny Nati...

I've spent the majority of this week working on ministry items which included participating in an online conference. So needless to say, I'm a little tired of staring at a screen.  I have multiple projects that need to get done so I really would like to start working on those over the next few weeks. These days are zipping by and it's hard to believe that January is almost over. My sewing room is a mess and I would like to organize it better, including moving a larger work table into the room. I have our old dining room table and I'm going to see if that works in there. I also have boxes of pictures sitting around that I brought home from my mom's house and need to find space to display them. I have a box full of my grandmother's writings and genealogy research which I'm going through so I can get a package off to my uncle. My grandmother was in the middle of writing a book and it's fascinating to read the few chapters she had done. Emily has her own apa...

It's been such a weird, sad, eventful week and yet, we are only midway through it. I am thankful for the things in my life that bring me joy and are stress-relievers. Dan, Emily and I went off on an adventure on Monday which is Dan's day off. We headed to the Allegheny National Forest and went hiking there. Woods, sweet-smelling air, silence and scenic views were a balm to my soul. I find the stillness of the forest is the place I feel God's presence the most in my life. I go to the church most mornings to do much of my ministry work. Usually I'm back home by 1:30 to then get things done around the house.  I've been trying to make a batch or two of cookies a day for the market which starts next Saturday. They are in the freezer until the day before the market when I will thaw them and then package them. Spiced Rum Crinkles Coconut-lime sugar cookies I've been busy sewing both for my Etsy shop and the market. These a...