Beautiful words....

for this time of year and all the year through. I heard these words on a newscast the other night. I don't know the pastor's name or church.....he was saying how important these words are and how we should instead of just saying them, do them.

WORSHIP FULLY

SPEND LESS

GIVE MORE

LOVE ALL

They are simple yet very powerful words, aren't they?

My Christmas loves.....

I love.....

~sitting in the livingroom at night with just the Christmas tree lights on....wish the night would go on and on
~hot apple cider....Christmas is my excuse to drink more of it!
~all my decorations, I love each and everyone of them, they all have a story or mean something to one or all of us
~the real reason for the season!
~being together
~the hope of the season, it brings out the best in everyone....hmmm...to get that to continue each and every day
~all the sweets and treats...plates loaded with shortbread, nanimo bars, fudge...oh my
~re-reading Christmas stories over and over
~picking out and making gifts for the special people in my people
~pretty lights

~spending time with family and friends
~donating time, money and food to those in need...it is such a pleasure and honour
~memories of Christmas past with my grandma, it was her favourite holiday too!
~church services, I cry every year when singing Silent Night in church, an overwhelming feeling comes over me every time
~making a night of watching Christmas movies
~watching the excitement and anticipation of little children, they are so wonder struck this time of year
~being "home" at my parents, I feel like a kid again
~Christmas music, I have been listening to my different Christmas cd's for weeks now, I have it on when the kids come down in the morning
~although I don't like the chaos of crowds at the mall, I love looking at all the beautiful Christmas displays, colours and lights
~the Christmas story....the reason all the above is so special!

Have a wonderful day!

Fall happenings....

Hello friends! 2 posts in one day!! The past month has been a whirlwind. It's nice to get back into a routine again yet I find September very busy. School and clubs start up again and the harvest is on, getting fruits and veggies put up for the winter.

My dd is now in Grade 7 and enjoys school so much. She is continuing to take riding lessons and learning more about how to handle her own horses. She finished up 2 4-H clubs (Horse and Vet club) She loves to draw and we are looking into lessons for her. In our wee village there is a pottery shop and art gallery combined. It's a husband and wife team. The wife does the pottery and the husband is the artist. He gives lessons and it would be a perfect spot for dd to learn more.

I have been voluntering at my dd's school in the Kindergarten room for three years now and just love it. I just love working with the little ones. They come up with the funniest comments.

My boys (19 and 20 yo) are working away. My oldest son is going back to school come November until next September. It's a three hour drive for him so he will live with my parents while going to school. They are less than an hour from the school. They are thrilled and so is he. He is looking forward to helping Grandpa with the farm and business when he's not at school.

DH is back to trucking (he is an owner operator, he owns his own truck and brokers for a company) after being off for a month selling corn. We grew 4 acres of sweet corn and sold it here and another location closer to the city. He had alot of fun with it and it was a great change of pace. We have sold corn for about 4 years now yet not at this level. It's hard work yet so satisfying. We also sold tomatoes, pears, cantaloupe, peaches and watermelon. (those from a friend of ours) We have our stand and shed built for next year so we'll have an official farm stand next year with all our produce, very exciting. We have in past been selling off our picnic tables. We have learned something every year to bring us to this point. We have the strawberries which will be ready to sell next summer plus our raspberries. We have the plots all set and ready to go for next springs planting of all the other vegetables. We even have a list of the seed we will need already to order! Over the winter I will be "prettying" up the stand with shelves, signs and maybe a curtain or two! ~smile~ (I'm sure it will have to be gingham!)

Our freezer and shelves are looking good for the winter with sweet corn, tomatoes, chili sauce, peaches, pears, jams, beans, asparagus, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, peppers, celery (I cut up celery and peppers and put in individual baggies to throw in soups, stews or casseroles, it's great because it's all ready to throw in, no chopping required)

I am enjoying this season so much, my absolute favourite! I am decorating my heart away, I love pulling out my fall stuff. My birthday was on the 25th of September and it's always around the weekend of our Fall Fair. That weekend always is the official FALL weekend to me. The weather, the scents, the sights....all FALL!!

Happy Fall everyone!!

How To Be Content....

I read this a long time ago and printed it out. It is so comforting, true and peaceful knowing that He is there for us no matter what is going on in our life.

Blessings to you, Heather
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How To Be Content
by Joyce Meyer

The Bible clearly teaches us to "be content" no matter what our circumstances are. In Philippians 4:11 Paul said, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am in therewith to be content". The Amplified Bible describes being content as "satisfied to the point where you are not disturbed or disquieted". It doesn't say satisfied to the point where you don't want change, but satisfied for now until God brings the change. Philippians 4:6-7 sheds more light in this area by saying, "Have no anxiety about anything, but in all things by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, continue to let God know what you want", and verse 7 "the peace that passes understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus". Allow me to paraphrase these scriptures in my language for you. Don't be upset about anything, no matter what is happening. Pray about it, and tell God your need. While you are waiting for God to move, be a very thankful and grateful person for all that God has done for you already. (Note: Let me say here that if God never did one thing for us except write our names in the Lamb's Book of Life, that alone is more than enough.) Being thankful from the heart is necessary for the receiving of God's continued favors in our lives. Then verse 7 says after this:
1. Have no anxiety or care,
2. Tell God your need, and
3. Be thankful.
Then you will have tremendous peace and contentment no matter what state you are in while you are waiting for God to work out His will in your life.

Let us not forget Romans 8:28 that says, "All things work together and are fitting into a plan for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose." Even the hard times can work into God's perfect plan for your life. Cast your care, and be a thankful person. Take inventory each day of what you have instead of counting up all the things that you have not. Meditate on what God has done in your life instead of what you are still waiting on Him to do. Your flesh wants you to concentrate on what you don't have. Your spirit wants you to ask God for what you don't have, yet concentrate on what you do have.

John 14:27 (Amplified) says, "Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled." Jesus left us a legacy of peace, and He wants us to use it. I have discovered through years of experience, many of these years spent in frustration and discontentment, that the secret of being content is to ask God for what I want, and know that "if it is right" He will bring it to pass "at the right time," and if it isn't right, God will do something much better than what I asked for anyway. We must learn to trust God completely if we ever intend to enjoy peaceful living. It is good to trust God for something, but God is calling His people not only to trust Him "for something," but to trust Him "in everything."

In Genesis 50:20, Joseph, speaking to his brothers who had severely mistreated him, said "As for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it for good." The very things we think are awful right now, very often can turn out to be a great blessing. The greatest trial can develop in you the greatest faith. God spoke this to my heart a while ago: "Joyce, you see to the end of your nose (which isn't very far), and you assume that anything that doesn't feel good isn't good. But I see from beginning to end because I am The Beginning and The End, and I know many things you don't know." We know in part. God is "The All"

Exercise doesn't feel good, but it is good. Hebrews 12 teaches us that no chastening for the present seems joyous but grievous, nevertheless, later on it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Perhaps we need to learn to be more concerned with later on than with right now. Hebrews 12 also says that for the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, but He is now seated at the right hand of God. Let's be willing to endure for a season, if it will seat us at His right hand of authority and power.

In conclusion, let me say that the sum of the whole matter is this: TRUST GOD! Hide yourself in the secret place (in Him). God loves you. He is a good God who only does good things. Be content knowing that His way is perfect, and He brings with Him a great recompense of reward for those who trust in Him.

What I love....

~A total given being my family and friends
~my home and it's feeling of a safe haven
~milk chocolate...ok, getting that one out there right off the bat! (love the stuff!)
~vintage/antiques...fabric, pictures, furniture, housewares, men (my hubby's birthday was last week and he's vintage and I love him to pieces), cars, pickup trucks....
~lilacs
~iced tea
~comfort foods like mashed potatoes, homemade macaroni and cheese, homemade soups, biscuits, meatloaf
~snowy, stormy days when all my loved ones are inside safe and sound
~the sound of rain on the roof while comfy in bed
~reading late into the night
~sunflowers
~good quotes...the latest being "Life is what you make it...Always has been...Always will be...
~the scent of spring
~clothes blowing dry on the clothesline
~my gardens and watching them grow from seed to yummy vegetables
~simple living
~my home after it's been cleaned, smells and looks so fresh
~pretty fabric
~sewing
~quilts
~candy apples from the fair
~looking in my rear view mirror in the fall, while driving on a back road, watching the leaves dance behind me...it's so fun and colourful
~hot apple cider (it's the only hot drink I like, not a coffee or tea girl here)
~scented soaps shaped like a rose or other flowers, I love the old fashioned charm of them....lavender, rose, lilac...my grandma used to always have a glass container in her bathroom full of them ready for her baths
~quiet time spent with my Bible or a devotional book
~sitting under our shady, maple trees at the end of a hot day drinking lemonade
~crawling into bed at night to a freshly made bed and clothesline dried sheets...heaven~!
~going through the photo album reminiscing
~Christmas
~farm fresh eggs, nothing compares
~thrift store shopping
~laughter around the supper table
~watching the horses run
~baking - I love to bake, it's therapy and yumminess all in one!
~those extra few minutes of sleep before having to get up
~finding beauty in every, single day...it's there~!

I'm sure this list will have a few sequels. Enjoy your day!

In The Moment....

Today was too beautiful to sleep the day away. I was up, put in a few loads of laundry and hung them on the line. DH and I had our breakfast on the back patio. We took Dakota (our other horse) to get trained a few months ago. Last night we picked him up and DD is so happy. Beauty (Dakota's Mom) not so happy. We thought she'd be thrilled but I think it will just take time to get that "pecking" order down pat again. We let Dakota off the trailer and Beauty starting kicking! Today she's settled down a bit and they are friends again.

The other day I picked up some pears and plums on the discounted rack at the local grocery store. Today I made 5 jars of jam with it....yummy! Pear and Plum Jam....ready for biscuits, toast and over ice cream. It's wonderful how we can make something so good with a little time and little money.

Above is a quilt that needed some repair. I mended it this afternoon and it's good to go. I bought this quilt years ago for very little. I almost feel bad for paying such a low price for such wonderful work. It must have taken hours piecing this quilt together. I'm glad I have it to give it a proper home.

~~~~~~I am reading a book called Talent Is Never Enough by John C. Maxwell...a very inspiring and interesting book. Here is a quote in the book that I just love...."There are many things that will catch my eye, but there are only a few that catch my heart. It is those I consider to pursue."~Tim Redmond Maxwell goes on to say, " I realized that my talent would be maximized and my potential realized only if I matched my passion with my priorities. I was spending too much of my time doing tasks for which I possessed neither talent nor passion. I had to make a change - to align what I felt strongly about with what I was doing. It made a huge difference in my life. It didn't eliminate my troubles or remove my obstacles, but it empowered me to face them with greater energy and enthusiasm. For more than thirty years, I have worked to maintain that alignment of priorities and passion. And as I have, I've kept in mind this quote by journalist Tim Redmond, which I put in a prominent place for a year to keep me on track. Prioritizing your life according to your passion can be risky. For most people, it requires a major realignment in their work and private lives. If your priorities are not aligned with your passion, then begin thinking about making changes in your life. Will change by risky? Probably. But which would you rather live with? The pain of risk or the pain of regret? Your passion has the potential to provide you energy far beyond the limitations of your talent. In the end, you will be remembered for your passion. It is what will energize your talent. It is what will empower you to make your mark."~~~~~~

There are so many things in our busy lives that distract us from what is important and what we are truly passionate about. We all know what is important to us yet how many times have we not had enough time to develop, pursue or work on what we are passionate about because we are caught up in something that really doesn't matter or something that we THINK we are supposed to do. The past few years I have truly been living in the moment, I appreciate things so much more, I've slowed down, I've taken inventory of my life...sure there are plans for the future that have to be made yet living for today and doing the best I can where I am with who and what I'm passionate about makes life so much more pleasant!

I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend!!

Sweet Sandy

We had to put down our Sandy yesterday. We knew it had to be yet it is still so very, very hard. Sandy was 14 years old and we'd had her for 12 of those years. She was part of the family and it sure felt different coming down the stairs this morning and not seeing her. We buried her behind our garden shed in front of the spruce trees. My dd is making a little cross for her with her name on it, we are planting some perennials there and adding a little bird feeder (in her younger days, she loved chasing birds!!)