Sunday Afternoon Tea - Changes in the New Year

I hope you are having a blessed Christmas season.  I think for most Americans, the season runs from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.  Some churches celebrate Advent and then the 12 Days of Christmas.  Either way, it is the only time of the year when the name of Jesus is lifted up so almost everyone can hear it.  

This time of year can bring much rejoicing and much sorrow.  Doesn't it seem like it acts like a magnifying glass on circumstances?  If it has been a year of lack or sorrow, we feel it more at Christmas.  If it was a year that brought joy and abundance, we feel it and should be very thankful. 

Most of us have known both and what I have learned over the years is when one has a thankful attitude toward what God provides and an attitude of trust for what He has allowed.. the Christmas season will always be one that helps keep our mind as well as our soul directed toward Him.

It has been a long time now since we have had a child centered Christmas season.  I am thankful that our son and his family moved back to the area so it is easier for them to spend Christmas Eve with us and Christmas Day with our daughter-in-law's family.  My family always opened gifts on Christmas Eve (which my husband thinks is akin to heresy), so celebrating on Christmas Eve comes naturally.

While I do miss the season of life when we attended Christmas Eve services, that could not happen now that we fall asleep much earlier than midnight.  Everything changes as one flows through the seasons of life.

Which kinda' brings me to the announcement regarding blog changes after this weekend.  I will publish a Christmas Day Sunday Afternoon Tea post next week but after that, there will be no scheduled weekend blog posts.

Instead, I will be popping in now and then with what I have been pondering or to respond to any big news events. I may write once a week or it may be a couple of weeks before I have anything to say.  I always have said that I will stop blogging when I no longer have anything to say.  I am not quite there, yet.  ;)

It is quite amazing that this blog, which I originally started to keep up with a small group of family and friends, has been going for over sixteen years.  We were still homeschooling high school and Christopher did not drive, yet.  I was as much chauffeur as I was a facilitator of learning (which is what we really are by the high school years).

My daughter had three preschoolers and would have two more children.  All have been (or they are currently) homeschooled.  I am amazed at what they learn through Classical Connections.  My oldest grandchild was married this year at the same age I was married... albeit long ago.

My son, whose ADHD symptoms were the reason we pulled him out of school, is now married to a lovely fellow homeschool alum and has three children.  They homeschool their first grader and pre-schooler.  My son is a Computer Architect with an IBM subsidiary.  I think quite often of the first grade teacher who told me he was a trouble maker and would never amount to much.  

My first child had a learning style that fit in well with the public schools.  Even then I kept an eye on her curriculum, for what is being taught today in the open was creeping in through back educational doors when she was in elementary school. It helped that we lived in Holland, Michigan for much of her elementary years for it was at the time quite conservative.

I went into homeschooling thinking it would be temporary but a couple things happened that kept us homeschoolers throughout his pre-college education.  First, we saw a huge improvement in him as far as personality and education.  All without him being on any drugs.

Second, I came to love homeschooling.  How could I not as a book and history nerd?  We used the Sonlight Curriculum for many years since it went along with the Charlotte Mason method of education I preferred.  It also allowed us to go through the books at our own speed.

Most of this was accomplished while writing three (and then two) times a week for this blog.  I know some blog friends who have been a part of Coffee Tea Books & Me for many years have noticed a change... although I have tried not to show my declining health.

But when I have been too tired to write thank you notes to dear friends for birthday gifts, much less to do the research needed for Saturday posts, I knew a few months ago that I was going to have to make some changes.  Instead of shutting down the blog, I decided I could still write as long as it was not on specific days.  I can write on good days, not so much when I am experiencing overwhelming fatigue.

It is nothing new, thank God.  I'm feeling the effects of over twenty years having two auto immune diseases: Juvenile Diabetes and Hashimoto's Disease.  Not to mention adding sixteen years since I first started blogging.  ;)

So, I will still be here!  God willing and the creek don't rise.  At the moment, it is freezing over.

Image:  The breakfront decorated for Christmas a few years ago.

Sunday Afternoon Tea - The Gift of Grace

I have been thoroughly enjoying listening to Christmas music these past couple of weeks.  They can be heard everywhere from the grocery store to the radio, especially on the K-Love or Moody channels.  Both of these also have an app.

For some reason this year, as I listened to music, the amazing gift of grace has been flowing through the songs.  I think perhaps God does that from time to time... to have us pick out in our hearing certain Truths He wants us to concentrate on that season.

The Bible tells us that it is by grace that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8,9).  His grace shines through from the moment Mary says yes to God, to the Cross, and on to the Resurrection.  Grace.  All because of His grace... and mercy... and love.

I continue to mostly fast political talk, only listening to a few people who have a way of speaking that does not spark the un-sanctified part of my soul.  However, I am working on treating all people with more grace.  Including those whose opinions are totally against those of traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs.  Give me that old time religion kindred spirits.

I have been making an attempt to look through the lens of love for every person.  That does not indicate that I agree with them.  Not at all!  But I pray for them and ask that their spiritual eyes be opened to God's real Truth.  I know those who have had that happen and went on to live a life leading others to Christ.

There are those who will not yield to Him, people who have gone so far into darkness.  Those whom the Bible say have "hardened their hearts".  Just the thought of that gives me shivers but also a great feeling of sadness for I don't pray for them so that they do the right things, I pray for them that they truly recognize the love of God.

I think I'm doing fairly well looking through the lens of grace and of love as much as possible.  There is one group of people I still have problems with and yes, I have to repent at my dislike for what they teach others.  They are people who preach the opposite of True Grace, they teach a theology of cheap grace.

True grace redeems us from the pit, forgives our sinful ways, wipes away every tear, replaces a robe of righteous for our filthy rags we were wearing, adopts us as His own and sets our eternal address in His Kingdom.  Real Grace is also Real Love.  

God's love that came to redeem His own from their fallen state and to buy back the Keys to the Kingdom by coming as a baby... all man, all God.  He came because if anything, He is Holy.  No speck of sin can be allowed into Heaven.  His grace redeems us when we ask for His forgiveness and kneel to His Kingship.  He is our one true God.

Cheap grace is much like those filthy rags.  It tells people that God's Word doesn't really mean what it says.  It tells people this ancient of all books is not practical in a modern society.  Only the uneducated could believe such nonsense.

Cheap grace is just that... it cheapens grace.  It waters down true grace.  It is but a shadow of the real thing and the real thing... true blood bought/cross purchased grace... is what redeems our lives.  God can handle all our sinful selves if we but come to Him on His terms.  That grace is truly amazing.

So, this Christmas is definitely a season of pondering His True grace.  I know I've written it before but it is beyond my ability to imagine what Eternity must be like that the Father sent Jesus to us to redeem us back to Himself.  To think that Jesus left His perfect home to come as a helpless baby and to die in the most horrible way for you and for me.  That, my friend, is Grace and Love.

What have I been reading?

I'm still reading books mentioned last week but I also started through (late as usual) a favorite Advent book called Prepare Him Room by Susie Larson on the Kindle. I love her writing, it is both simple and deep at the same time.  I also follow her on Instagram where she provides a daily encouragement.  

I do still love Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus which is edited by Nancy Guthrie and I highly recommend it for Advent reading, too.  It has favorite writers, both old and new.  I have used this book for over ten years each Christmas season.

What have I been watching?

I forgot to mention last week that Sarah (formerly Clarkson) is reading an Advent poem on most nights again during this season.  I look forward to the poems and her commentary on Instagram.

Did you see the announcement that Sarah and her mom (Sally Clarkson) are going to be the Victoria Magazine Writers-in-Residence for 2023?  

I was able to watch one of my favorite Christmas movies, A Smoky Mountain Christmas, on the Circle Network that comes in through our antennae.  If you have access to that channel, it is being shown a couple more times this season, including Christmas Day.  John Ritter's scene as a judge is worth the entire movie but my husband and I enjoy all of it.  Very family friendly!

Mentioned in this Blog Post

Prepare Him Room by Susie Larson... here.

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus... here.

Sarah Wanders on Instagram... here.

Susie Larson on Instagram... here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Sunday Afternoon Tea -When Heaven touches the Earth

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
C. S. Lewis

This year it took me a few days to decorate the house but it finally looks lovely and quite festive.  You may remember that I usually stop to think what I want each Holiday season to be about that year, those activities that I will make most important and give a priority to from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.  I will include a link below to the old link.

This year, I wanted... no I needed... Christmas to be more serene.  I needed the peace of familiar music, familiar decorations and food, and even a desire to watch old Christmas movies as well as family favorites from when the kids were home.  I need at least a temporary sanctuary from the times in which we are living.

What I want the most this year is a closer walk with Jesus. I have long thought the season of Advent was special, a time when Heaven once kissed this planet physically and now spiritually each year.  What other time of the year do we hear the name of Jesus in background music at various stores? 

I have always thought of "thin places" as being a physical location but recently I listened to a podcast where they discussed thin places at various times in their lives, when it seemed the veil between Heaven and Earth slipped away and they felt a closeness to God they rarely feel. 

When they discussed those times in which suddenly and unexpectedly Heaven came near, I knew exactly what they were talking about as that same thing has happened to me twice before and both in unexpected places.

The first time was when Stephanie was probably about a year old and I was pushing her stroller through my favorite department store after we finished with her well baby checkup.  We walked past the china department, the bookstore section, and toward the tea shop for a much needed hot beverage and snack.

I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of joy, totally different than anything I had felt before.  It was like I was, for a moment, just where I was supposed to be and Heaven surrounded me in that store.  Okay, so I know there was a cute baby girl,  beautiful china, books, and yes, even a tea room (that was back when big department stores often had a tea room located within the store)... but it was more than experiencing those earthly items I always enjoy.

It was an actual feeling that I only experienced one other time and that was when we were traveling from where we lived in Iowa to my in-law's house about an hour from Chicago for Easter.  I was driving while the kids were in the back seat and my husband was resting in the passenger seat.  I was listening to an Easter program coming live from Jerusalem on the Moody Channel out of Chicago.

Suddenly, I felt once again as if Heaven was open and I could feel the presence of God in that car as I drove on an Illinois interstate.  I felt as if... for the first time... I understood how one day in Eternity, the entire Church will be as one with Him... as if there was no distance between Illinois and Israel at that moment.  Once again I felt that overwhelming sense of joy.

I would love to feel that again while walking this planet but the closest I have come to it was during various Christmas seasons.  Especially when listening to beautiful music in a church and sometimes even while listening to music at home. There is something about the music of Christmas that creates an atmosphere of worship.

I am working on creating such an atmosphere in my home this season by what I am doing... and what I am not.  Recently I was watching a pastor from Los Angeles talk about a person in his congregation who had lost all joy.  He had become so embittered and entangled in what is going on politically that it affected his relationship with his wife, children, and even his friends.

He talked to this pastor at his family's request and was quite upset at the advice he was given.  He even left the office saying he would never do what was recommended.  What was it?  To fast politics for a year, not to be involved and not to watch political conversations on media.

He ended up coming back to talk to this pastor as everything in his personal life was coming apart and reluctantly agreed to fast politics for a year.  After only one and a half months, he was already a different person.  The peace of Christ had returned and his relationships had all greatly improved.  

The pastor had also reminded the man from his congregation that the results of elections and what is happening today do not rest upon his shoulders.  He was taking all the changes in society too personally and it only resulted in anger and frustration.

As the pastor said in the interview, it doesn't mean people do not get involved in society but when politics become an obsession like it did for that man, it also becomes a god and we are to have no other gods before us.  Just as some people cannot take even one drink of alcohol, some people have to abstain from the news.

I have already been careful about how much news I watch but I have decided this Advent season to abstain from political commentary even from Christians I trust unless there is some major tragedy such as war breaking out in the Middle East.  

The world is not going to fall apart because I am not listening to commentary.  I am certain that if that same amount of time was spent praying for what is going on in the world, it would have more eternal consequences for good.

This season, I am making my Christmas Bucket List only one week at a time.  To be honest, November was brutal with the number of appointments and times I had to be away from home.  I entered this season exhausted.  Which is why it took days to decorate only the tree and three rooms of the house.  More if you include the day I decided to polish the silver I wanted on the breakfront this Christmas season.

The house now looks quite festive and while it may not be exactly the Narnia magic I was striving for... it is close enough.  So often close enough is just fine.  Today I experienced my first morning sipping coffee by the light of the Christmas tree, something I enjoy the entire season.

This next week, I am bringing a few Christmas CDs into the kitchen where I moved the CD player last year.  I have already watched a few movies, not a lot but mostly my very favorites from previous years.  This week I want to watch a couple of the old movies like White Christmas and The Bishop's Wife.  

I already watched a couple favorite Christmas music specials on YouTube and this next week, I want to watch some of the lovely music from The King's College Choir in Cambridge.  Heavenly...

As far as reading, I am currently re-reading the sequel to A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge called Sister of the Angels. It is the December book for the Elizabeth Goudge Book Club on Instagram.  I love this story and until recently, it was very difficult (and often expensive) to find a used copy but now it is available in paperback.

I will then re-read Christmas at Fairacre by Miss Read.  It contains Village Christmas, The Christmas Mouse, and No Holly For Miss Quinn in one volume. They are all delightful Christmas reads.  The font is big enough that I can read these books fairly easily but I need to go through my Kindle books to see if I can find a good Christmas devotional.

One thing we already did was to order Chinese takeout Friday evening for the first time in ages.  It was delicious and there were no dishes to wash.  That was a Christmas gift to myself from the family budget. I was still recovering from an eye injection on Thursday.

I loved going out with my daughter alone and with other family members over Thanksgiving.  I think perhaps one day this week, I may have to take a little trip to the antique mall to see if there are any vintage ornaments for one or two dollars that I could add to my collection.

That is more than enough to ponder for the coming week.  I mostly need restful activities and those that draw my attention to the One that we worship this time of year... and for all of Eternity.

I pray you have a lovely Christmas season and that you choose a few things you really want to do to make the season special.  Often it is a easy as putting on your apron to bake something special or taking a favorite Christmas book off the shelf.

Mentioned in this Blog Post

My former Holiday Season List post... here.  It still has lots of good ideas!

Sister of the Angles... here.  (This is still pricey because it is published by a small publishing company that has reprinted some rare books.)

Christmas at Fairacre... here. (It looks like this is now only available third-party but they are very reasonably priced.)

Elizabeth Goudge Book Club on IG... here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Image:  Season of Peace

Monday Afternoon Tea? -- A lovely Thanksgiving

I originally planned to write a blog post yesterday but coming off of a very busy week proved too much.  All I could think of was taking a long nap but for a very good reason.  I was beyond exhausted.

We had all of our family together at Thanksgiving for the first time in over twenty years.  Only the new bride was missing as she celebrated her first Thanksgiving with her husband's family.  She was forgiven.

We all agreed that this was a very special time together as we celebrated the Holiday and tried to get in as much one-on-one time to enjoy being in the same zip code for awhile.  Our son was host to the Thanksgiving festivities as well as the host for our daughter's family to stay there.

I worked for a few days to make certain our Thanksgiving favorites for sides were at the table.  My daughter-in-law roasted a turkey and made the mashed potatoes while my son cooked turkey legs in the smoker.  My daughter put together a beautiful charcuterie board and my daughter-in-law's mom brought the dishes we love that she cooks.  I'm not certain who made the other desserts.

Our kids and the cousins were free to go out without us numerous times as we needed a lot more periods of rest than they did.  However, Friday evening all the adults went to a favorite restaurant here in town where the food is amazing.  Being a family who loves to cook, we also enjoy figuring out how various dishes are made.

My daughter and I enjoyed some mom-daughter time looking through a favorite store that sells primitive items and the antique mall.  She is working on an interior design project and hoped to find a few things to use in that building.  We had lunch together at the pizza place we went to from the time she was a little girl.  How fast time has gone by since those days.

Honestly, my husband and I ate more last week than we usually do in two weeks.  It was indeed a week of feasting as memories were being made.  Our children were born twelve years apart and it is a delight... and a gift from God... to see how they all enjoy being together as adults.  Even the older grandchildren and the "littles" enjoy each other.  We are blessed.

None of us know what the future holds in these uncertain times and the reality of this Thanksgiving holiday being over twenty years in the making... it is a reminder that time does go by quickly.  It wasn't easy for this little family reunion to come together, especially for those who had to travel a long distance.  But we will all agree it was worth it now that they are back home safe and sound.

I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving.  Whether in a good year or a not-so-good year (and we have experienced both), there is much to thank God for on the Holiday and all year long.  I try to make a habit of thanking Him even for the simplest things we take for granted.  

I will be back on Saturday, God willing and the creek don't rise... and I don't overdue with lots of cooking again soon.

Image:  Afternoon Tea by Tracy Hall

Sunday Afternoon Tea - The things in our control

Most of the people I admire and hope to learn from are people who walk with Jesus.  I truly believe that is where wisdom is to be found.  However, there are those that do not walk with Him that I have learned much from due to their particular skills.  Some are chefs like Jacques Pepin and Julia Child.   

Other people have character traits I admire that I take wisdom from, even if they are not people of faith.  One of those unique characters is Tasha Tudor.  Tasha's spiritual leanings are rather bizarre if one takes what she says seriously.  For instance, she believes she is reincarnated from an earlier time in history.  

But I don't admire her for her unique and odd spiritual leanings, I can receive good Bible teaching from those people I trust in books, video, and television.  I admire Tasha Tudor because she decided to live life on her terms and didn't worry about what other people thought of her.  Truth be told, she made a career of that stand against society as we know it.

While most of us know about Tasha from her beautiful book illustrations; many of us also enjoy the books, articles, and videos about her home and her way of life.  Tasha longed for the old ways of living and she surrounded herself in that lifestyle.  Some could pull such a lifestyle off for a short time if it were only to further their career.  For Tasha, she embraced this life for many decades.

The world changed in ways she could never have predicted from the time of her birth to her death at the age of 92.  Instead of complaining about the changes outside of her control, she kept the world that was in her control the way she longed to live with the way she dressed, raising her own food, and even her home was decorated in a way that spoke of a previous century.

Would I want to live as Tasha did?  Not exactly that way.  I understand that the reason she could live in her own little world was because of her talent as an illustrator.  She could work from home and her talent brought her not only fame but a good source of income.

I will soon watch the beautiful video of Tasha Tudor's surroundings at Christmas time again as I do each year.  I have some of her books and I have two or three issues of "vintage" Victoria magazine that featured Tasha in articles.  As with all such articles and film, I look for those things I can use in my own home to make our surroundings more beautiful.

What made me think of Tasha recently were a couple of things.  Of course, the results of the election were a disappointment but not really a surprise.  America is a divided country and once again, the election was just about fifty-fifty and those who were happy with what the current administration was doing were able to bring in voters more than those who were not.

However, a political commentator I think has a lot of common sense said this election disturbed him more than any other he has been through.  Because he was certain people would react against the inflation, shortages, increase in crime, etc. to vote in change.  Instead, enough people voted to keep the status quo that he wondered if we could ever go back to a Constitutional Republic.  I admit, it is disturbing.

On the other hand, recently I was watching one of the videos of The Elliott Homestead.  She been sharing from their trip to Sicily this Summer and one of the interviews kept coming back to my mind.  It was her time spent with a Sicilian vineyard owner and farmer.  

As he showed his guests around the vineyard and talked about the generations that came before him, he said it was in caring for this place that kept him happy (my interpretation since he spoke in broken English).  He said they learned that they could not control what was going on in the world outside of those walls so they concentrated on what was going on inside their walls.

I found that especially amazing when one thinks of the various wars that have happened on European soil since his great, great, etc., grandfather settled that land.  Think of the financial crisis that have hit Italy, the political uncertainty, the pandemic, and everything else they have been through.

He had learned the secret of being content where he was.  Now, I don't know if he was a man of faith or not for the interview was about growing vegetables and a vineyard.  However, that answer he gave struck me as having a great deal of Biblical wisdom.  Because his family had taken care of those things that were in their dominion to do something about.

That is what made me think of Tasha Tudor after pondering his interview.  Tasha didn't care for the 20th Century and everything that was happening outside of her four walls.  So, what did she do?  She did her best to create a world that she did love within her domain to do something about.

It was a reminder to me that sometimes we can learn a great deal of wisdom from the most unlikely sources.  I thought of that after the election.  I have no control over what is happening in this country and the world except my vote and a great deal of prayer.

I still plan on praying, I won't give up on that for we may never know what good our prayers have done this side of Eternity. I will vote in elections.  But I have been thinking more about what I can do within these four walls to provide peace, joy, faith, and serenity.  I believe we have reached the time when we need to be able to feel the serenity of the Lord even when the outside world is very dark.

My peace, my joy, my serenity cannot depend on what the world says or what it portrays as good.  My emotions have to be grounded in what the Bible says about these days, especially in Romans 6 and Matthew 24.  If I truly believe we are in the time of the birth pains, then I should not be surprised by what the world around me looks like.

We had our first light snowfall yesterday and I was reminded that we are entering the season when nature rests.  I will be making those foods such as soup, bread, and hearty casseroles that we hunger for in cold weather.  I will make coffee each morning as usual but now that it is colder, we will enjoy tea in the afternoon and other hot beverages to keep warm.

I can control what media I watch and what I listen to each day, even if I cannot control anything about what is going on in Washington outside of prayer (which is very important).  I have made certain there are plenty of throws around the house and I washed the extra blanket we put on our bed when it starts to feel like winter.

There is actually much that I do have control over within these four walls and surrounding property.  Well, except for the two cats.  Florentine still howls for food at 3:00 in the morning and Mouse hops up on the ledge outside of the kitchen window when she wants a Hobbit breakfast.  I live to serve it seems.

They do provide plenty of laughter so I will put up with having no control over felines but everything else within my little realm... if it does not spark joy or faith... I will not worry about it. (With apologies to Marie Kondo.)

A reminder, I wrote yesterday that I will be taking a blog break until Sunday, November 27th.  We will be having company coming and going during that time and I have two dental appointments scheduled in that same period of time.  Not to mention Thanksgiving and my son's birthday.  There will be little time to ponder.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, my friends.  In spite of what the world looks like, we have much to be thankful for and not the least of which is salvation in Christ.  All that and Heaven, too.

Mentioned in this Blog Post

The Elliott Homestead on YouTube... here.  I have watched many of Shaye's videos.  I can't relate to homesteading and gardening at this time of life but everything else is very enjoyable.

Take Peace: A Corgi Cottage Christmas on Amazon Prime Video... here.  I think this is still available on Amazon Prime as is Take Joy: The Magical World of Tasha Tudor... here.  

I'm not absolutely certain since I own both of these and it doesn't show if they are still available for purchase.  I especially enjoy the Christmas video this time of year.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Sunday Afternoon Tea - Peace that passes understanding

We experienced winds Friday evening through most of Saturday that were about as scary as they get outside the perimeters of a tornado or the rare tropical storms that make their way north to the Midwest.  

Living in a sturdy brick house, I am often reminded during wind storms of the fairy tale about the wolf huffing and puffing to bring down the home of the three little pigs.  Of course, I am also reminded of Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day... which may or not be an indication of my love for children's literature.

However, the continuous howling winds were also a reminder of the winds of war rumbling in the distance and the possibility of civil unrest on Tuesday if there is, as some believe is possible, a "red wave" of people voting for Republican candidates. There has been talk of some people crossing party lines for the first time due to the policies of the current administration bringing inflation and energy shortages. 

I am reminded of the Truth from the Bible (Hosea 8:7), "For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind".  My friends, when a president shuts down the ability for a country to continue to be energy self sufficient on his first day in office, they sow the wind.  When the government has printed money to increase our debt to the trillions so that our grandchildren and even their children will be paying the debts, they sow the wind.

Granted, this country has been spending too much money for a long time now but it was taken to an entire new level of insanity in the past two years.  There is no perfect political party and no perfect politician but there are those who make good decisions.

The Bible tells us that just before Jesus returns again, there will be great deception on the earth.  I have written before that I often think of the scene in the original Left Behind movie where the young reporter is warned that if he does not have the Holy Spirit living within, then he will also not be able to tell the difference between Truth and deception when he is talking to the Antichrist.

In a later scene, he realizes the prophecies his new friends have told him are coming true before his eyes and escapes to the bathroom to pray, asking Jesus to come into his life.  In the meeting to come of all the world powers, he is the only person who can see what is taking place.  Everyone else remembers only what the Antichrist tells them took place.

Now, I am not saying any certain person is the Antichrist!  However, there is an antichrist spirit that has been in the world all along and it has grown very intense as His coming draws near.  

If you belong to Him, that is exactly why your "spidey-sense" has been active and alert for awhile.  You know the feeling, when you sense something is not right with the world.  When you hear someone give a speech and you know what they are saying is not the truth.  When you read statistics that do not agree with what you see when making purchases.

That "spidey-sense" goes even farther in a very good way.  For it is the Holy Spirit within you that enables you to have peace when you see the world being turned upside down.  Yes, even when you want to talk back to the television God can give you that peace that passes understanding.

He will give you peace to handle those things completely out of your control outside of prayer, which is important!  He can also give you peace as He speaks into your heart how to live each day so He can take care of you in this time of turmoil.

Sometimes He will tell you to stock up on groceries but He also will lead you to places online, books, and other people who can provide the information you need.  He will speak to your heart while shopping, encouraging you to purchase an item you realize later was just what you were going to need.  

He knows what we will need and what the future holds.  We have to get quiet before Him and ask that we can hear His wisdom and that we recognize when it is God who is leading us.

If we take our eyes off of Him and His Word, if instead we spend all of our time looking at the problems of the world and speculate on what they may mean to us and our loved ones, we will never experience the peace that passes understanding.

However, if we keep ourselves aware of what is happening, I think what Law Enforcement calls "situational awareness", then through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit... we will keep our peace.

I find it helpful to know what is happening in the world.  Again, filtering what comes through the news with analysis by people God has given insight for this purpose.  But sometimes I have to back off from reading and watching current events to give my still in-the-flesh nervous system time to fill up with His Truth again.

Only those called by God into the front lines of the battles have the ability to handle one crisis after another.  I find it remarkable how these people can keep their peace but if that is what God has placed you on earth to do at this time in space and history... He will provide the grace for you to handle it and the wisdom how to share Truth with fellow believers in Christ.

I am convinced that I would be walking in constant fear and anxiety if it were not for the Holy Spirit within that comes when we accept the offer of salvation in Christ.  He gives us Heaven and so much more.

If you are an American who is registered to vote, then be certain to vote on Tuesday.  This may be the most important mid-term election in the history of the United States of America.  If for some reason you are not registered or if you are a friend who lives in other parts of the world, please pray for America.

The last two years have shown us that elections indeed have consequences.  However, we also know that we are residents of a world gone upside down in many ways.  This is not an American problem needing an American solution, it is a global darkness descending on all of mankind and the only real solution is in the One who bought back the Keys of the Kingdom with his death and resurrection.

Are we still to vote, then?  Of course, we do what is before us every day and it happens to be voting on Tuesday.  However,  while voting for politicians that will uphold the Constitution and especially those who desire to walk in God's ways is very wise, we also understand that there is more going on in the world than what we see in America.  

We need to vote but we also need to pray.  But hasn't it always been that way?  Both the praying and the doing are necessary and then we trust Him with the results.  Whatever happens in America and in the world this next week will not take God by surprise.  He's got this... and He has us in the palm of His hand.

Until next week my friends.  Remember the blessing of the Rabbis from the Book of Numbers, Chapter 6 (I have part of this on a plaque in my family room):  

"May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; May the Lord lift up His face and give you His peace."

Mentioned in this Blog Post

The term spidey-sense comes from the fictional Spider-Man.  In human form, we would call it intuition.  I rather like the term, spidey-sense as in my imagination, it means so much more than just intuition.  ;)

Sunday Afternoon Tea - Becoming more intentional about enjoying the seasons

What a difference a week can make!  Last Sunday, we were at peak color and our world was bejeweled in shades of deep burgundy, gold, chartreuse, red, rust, and orange. The brief Indian Summer had truly brought the leaves from pretty to stunning in the intensity of their colors.

The forest around us has lost most of its colorful leaves and more trees are now bare. When we were driving to our son's house on Saturday for Oliver's birthday party, we could really tell the difference. The forests that were at a distance from the highway were now all a muted brown color.  All it will take is another windy week (or perhaps even a windy day) to bring the leaves falling to carpet the forest floor.

Very soon, we will be "falling back" with our time change and for at least a week it will seem like the days have suddenly become a whole lot shorter.  Small children and pets do not understand that their internal clock will be off for awhile.  I fully understand since I always have a difficult time adjusting, too.

I love to decorate for Fall and I make it stretch as long as possible, starting on the beginning of Meteorological Fall of September 1st and going through Thanksgiving.  While I enjoy the sparkle that Christmas decorations bring, I am not willing to give up Fall until we celebrate Thanksgiving.  

Through the years, I have collected realistic looking Autumnal bouquets and other natural looking decorations that make it very easy to place in various containers, wooden bowls, etc.  Since I have been following Parisienne Farmgirl now for many years, I started looking for beautiful pitchers to use as vases around the house.

My favorite find was the large brown transferware pitcher similar to one she uses quite often.  It looks good with my brown transferware collection and currently holds a lovely faux bouquet of Fall flowers and grasses.  A few smaller pitchers contain smaller bouquets.  All the pitchers were purchased while thrifting.

A green transferware vase holds a faux evergreen branch all year.  It remains in one room most of the year but is given a place of prominence during the Christmas season.  This kind of decorating is budget friendly and the same items can be used for a very long time.  

The most expensive items were the faux Fall bouquets but even then, they were not all that pricey and they last practically "forever" so there is no need to buy something new each season.  My annual Fall decorations are refreshed with real items from nature such as gourds and pumpkins.

An author friend often says that she needs beautiful places for her eyes to "rest" upon in her home.  She creates such places, whether a cozy corner of a room or small vignettes created with items she finds beautiful and peaceful. I appreciated what she has written.  It helps to understand our need for beautiful spaces in our homes.  Of course, it is never perfect this side of Heaven but it can be good.

I had planned to enjoy an hour or so looking through the Antique Mall for inexpensive finds after the appointment with my specialist last week.  His nurse had been very kind when I had to cancel due to vertigo just hours prior to my appointment the week before.  She also has vertigo come out of nowhere from time to time.

She was able to squeeze me in on Tuesday, not an easy task since I was not only to receive a monthly eye injection but this checkup was to include quarterly scans and photos of both eyes.  The numbing drops and bright lights can make me feel quite ill and last week it seemed worse than usual. 

Perhaps this was due to the recent bout with vertigo.  So, I had to put off going to the antique mall, which is not far from the specialist's office.  What I did decide to accomplish was to stop by our favorite drive-in to purchase hotdogs for my husband, coney dogs for me,  and an order of onion rings to share.  

The drive-in usually closes around November 1st unless the weather is unseasonably warm and I cannot tell you how many times I let their closure take me by surprise.  This year, I was going to make certain we celebrated our favorite summer food before it was closed until next Spring.

I did the same thing with the sweet corn this year.  When I saw his truck was in the parking lot and there was corn left for the buying one day in August, I knew it would be one of the final opportunities of the season to purchase sweet corn from the farmer. So, I stopped on the way to Aldi and purchased a dozen ears of corn.  Half of it went to the deep freeze to enjoy perhaps in January.

If there is one lesson these past few years have taught me, it is to embrace what God gives us while we can.  Sweet corn is only sold by the farmer parked near a restaurant in July and August, sometimes it is available in early September if he has not sold out by then.

Drive-in food is mostly only available in March through October.  If we do not take advantage of it then, before we know it the warm weather season is past and the leaves are falling to carpet our yard. I also made a decision to include more butternut and acorn squash, more local apples (albeit purchased from Meijer), more pumpkin, and other Autumnal fruits and vegetables in our meals.

While all of these foods are available year round, there is something special when they are made into seasonal recipes... in that season.  It is another layer in embracing each season as we walk though it. Because it seems we just blink our eyes and that season is now in our rear view mirror.

I am finding the more that I am aware of the seasons... the food they provide and the way nature looks from my kitchen window... the more I can keep my mind on those things that bring peace.  Which is just the opposite that I feel after spending very much time viewing a screen these days.

While I do filter what I allow to come into my thoughts through various screens, concentrating on that which brings peace and spending less time on that which flames the fires of the Joan of Arc side of my personality... I have been reminded this week that Jesus said we are to be the light of the world.  The city built on a hill.  

We are to be His light in a world growing increasingly darker.  Of course, when the world is dark then it doesn't take much light to fill the room does it?  He doesn't call us to be a perfect light.  He is the only Perfect light.  We are not to run to the hills and hide, although it is a temptation. 

In a world where everyone seems to be in a bad mood, when we smile and say hello to someone who looks sad or thank the person who waits on us for a job well done... we are His light in this world. Those of us who know His peace will, I think, eventually be noticed by those around us.  

Our "ministry" can be one of kindness to others in a world where kindness seems to be lost.  While I do enjoy a good Bible study to go deeper in learning about His Word, it is when I have been spending a lot of time in the Psalms that I find my feelings of peace to gain strength... enough to share with those around me.

This week I plan to enjoy Fall a little more, in spite of nature beginning to look more like Winter out of doors.  I still have pumpkin bars to bake and pumpkin chocolate chip quick bread to make.  As usual, time has flown by far too quickly.

Speaking of which, I was asked last week for a recommendation of some favorite "prepper" vloggers.  I didn't have time to look up those I still listen to (it would be easier to tell those I now avoid but that would not be a good idea) but I can say that the person I always listen to is Prepper Dawg.  

I have recommended him before. He is good about sharing and commenting about news events and he always ends with a Bible verse.  He also has two cute dogs but don't tell Florentine or Mouse I said that.  I also like that he usually keeps his vlogs at around ten to twelve minutes.

I also appreciate southernprepper1, especially his Boots on the Ground segments where he shares information about shortages, etc. that has been sent to him from around the world.  Although, I do not watch him every time there is a new vlog.  

He is also a Christian so there will be no swearing or putting down people of faith. His Boots on the Ground segments are usually around nineteen minutes long. He also provides some "how to" information from time to time.

I will provide a few more names of people who provide good information without stirring up fear next week.

Mentioned in this Blog Post

Parisienne Farmgirl... here.

Prepper Dawg on YouTube... here.

Southernprepper1 on YouTube... here.

Note:  Please forgive any typos and weird putting together of sentences.  I am finishing today's blog post quite late and my brain went to sleep about an hour ago.  ;)

Image:  Cookbook and Apples print

Sunday Afternoon Tea - It is still your one life to live

We are in my favorite time of the year.  I love October, it is my favorite month.  This week has been lovely but quite windy.  The kind of wind that we find in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day.  

One of the big trees near my house was covered in beautiful autumnal color yesterday and when I awoke this morning, there were only a few branches left with leaves still clinging to them.  It was that windy overnight...

Every year in that brief period of time when the world around me is full of magic... the Narnia kind of magic... I am reminded how quickly this beautiful season comes and goes.  I try to cherish each day filled with the colors of Autumn but my human senses can only take so much at a time.  However, I have tried to breath it all in.

Thank you for your well wishes last Sunday.  It was a difficult week.  Along with not feeling well, I was hit with the worst vertigo I have had in awhile on the morning where I had an important retinal specialist appointment that afternoon.  I was able to reschedule for this week and the vertigo went away with the help of Benedryl and sleep.  I was very thankful it lasted only one day.

If you deal with a chronic illness or have someone close to you that does, you are well aware of the ups and downs such illness brings.  When I was first diagnosed with Type 1 (Juvenile) diabetes over twenty years ago, my day-to-day life wasn't changed all that much, except for a modified diet. Two decades later and just about everything has changed.

You will recognize the photo above if you have been around here very long.  It is a photo I took many years ago at the Fall historical reenactment we love to attend.  I went with Mr. & Mrs. Christopher and the kids last year, after making arrangements to drive our van and meet them where one can catch a bus to the reenactment.  I enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and reenactments for a couple of hours before I had to leave.  

This year, I had to decline attending at all. Walking very far has become more difficult, especially when there is no place to easily stop and sit for awhile.  They took photos for me to enjoy vicariously.

The lessons I have learned from dealing with illness over the years have come in handy in the events that started early 2020.  Enjoying the beauty of life becomes a decision when everyday living becomes more of a challenge.  Let's just say that I now remind myself a lot to Carpe Diem.

Recently, I have noticed a few vloggers of preparedness videos reminding people that we all need to continue enjoying life whenever possible.  I think almost everyone I listen to on YouTube have a Christian (or highly moral) perspective as they are the people who provide instruction and encouragement in the midst of doom and gloom. (I had to stop listening to those who seemed to provoke fear on purpose to keep followers.)

So, it doesn't surprise me that the same Holy Spirit that resides in each believer is teaching many of us the same message.  This is your one life God has given you to live so enjoy each day as much as possible... regardless of the circumstances. Or, in Latin... Carpe Diem.

The enemy of our soul and his minions are doing everything to keep our mind thinking dark and fearful thoughts.  The bringers of news have always "led with what bled" only now with the advent of 24/7 news channels and the Internet, it is more difficult to escape. 

I make a real effort to spend only a small amount of time reading news from sources I trust and even then, the events going on in the world could bring one down if not keeping our eyes on Jesus and His Word.

I think one of the things that I find both sad and vexing is how much deception is in the world... and the church... today.  Even though it was predicted that deception would happen, seeing it play out before my eyes is still surprising.  When our newest Supreme Court justice was asked the definition of woman and she said she was not a doctor and could not answer that question, she was still put through as a judge on the nation's highest court.  

Can you imagine if someone gave that answer just ten years ago? Now, most people don't see anything strange with that answer.  I ask God every day for His discernment to show me what is true and what... is a very good deception.

None of this is taking God by surprise and what does He tell us over and over?  Fear not for I am with you, even until the end of the Age.   He could have placed each of us on this planet any time over thousands of years but He put us here now.  This year.  This month.  This day!

So, obviously in the midst of all the craziness and yes, that which is fearful... He has a reason that each of us is here now.  I have pondering about it a lot recently. I have often thought if we are still here, then it is for some major reason or event.  The more pondering I do, the more I think that is not the case.

I am beginning to realize that He wants us here for a few reasons, the first is to pray for our families and friends.  But He may want you here to be the person who is available to help someone in need who is on the verge of suicide.  You may be here to bake cookies and offer a meal to the single mother who is now emotionally falling apart with the cost of food and housing.

He may place friends and family in your mind who need a written letter of encouragement or perhaps even the plan of salvation.  It never ceases to surprise me that there are people who grew up in America who have never heard the Gospel, that Jesus came to pay the price for the sin of Eden and to legally win us back for our Father in Heaven.

We only have to accept His salvation by admitting we are sinners and that we believe He truly is the Son of God.  He wants us to learn what is in the Bible and how to talk to Him (ie: pray) any time of the day.  How sad that few churches preach salvation or have Bible studies these days.  There may be people in Heaven someday because you were brave enough to share the Gospel with them!

No one who still has breath is here without a purpose.  If you ask God what He would have you do to help others, He will tell you.  I have learned that He does not care so much what I cannot do these days, He wants to use what I can do.  Even while sitting at a desk or writing on the tablet in the recliner.

One of my heroes of the faith is Joni Erickson Tada and I saw an interview with her recently when she was asked how she gets through life as a paraplegic who feels constant pain (somehow that is not fair!).  She said there are two ways she had made it through in all of these decades.  

First, she takes one day at a time.  She feels she can get through the next twenty-four hours and that is all God is asking.  Second, the older she gets (she is now in her early 70s), the more she thinks of Heaven.  It has become more real to her every day and she knows she is only passing through this life.  It is Heaven that is her real home.

I think we can all benefit from the wisdom she has gained.  Because she has never given up in self pity (well, if you saw the film or read the book Joni then you know she dealt with it in the beginning), handicapped people throughout the world have been given medical care and wheelchairs through her ministry.

God does not waste any trial and often it is from our greatest trials that He is able to use us even now.  Maranatha!

Mentioned in this Blog Post

Joni by Joni Erickson Tada.  Info... here.

Her more recent autobiography is... here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links

Sunday Afternoon Tea - Creating Sanctuary at Home

(I am just a wee bit under the weather today,  So, I am revisiting a favorite blog post from 2017.  It is difficult to believe that Coffee Tea Books & Me has passed an anniversary milestone in August.  I am now in my seventeenth year of chatting with you on Sundays.  Amazing... )

I walked down the gravel lane this week, the forest on my left and my neighbor's red barn across the County road.  I'll be able to see the barn clearly soon.  The trees are mostly green but brown leaves and black walnuts on the ground tell me Fall is here, in spite of the warm temperatures.

I couldn't help but think how peaceful the scene was as opposed to the scenes on my TV for days upon days.  The world has never been a safe place.  Not really.  However, it is apparent it becomes less so each day.

So all of this has me coming back to a subject I've written about before.  One that is a mainstay of my writing.  That is the subject of... home as a sanctuary.  I put a lot of thought into creating such a home.  It can be accomplished, whether one lives in a dorm room or a castle.  Actually, I think it is easier to accomplish in a smaller place.

My goal is to have someone walk into our Living Room from outside and immediately feel calmer.  Even if for about a year now, the Dining Room area has been full of papers and boxes as my husband has been working on a long term project.

If perfection is the goal and one cannot have sanctuary without it... it will never happen.   I do not like clutter but I've learned to look at the Beauty around the papers and pray for the day when it gets put away.  But when we know company is coming, he does pack up the boxes and hides them in our bedroom. There are ways to achieve temporary success.

Now that my children are grown, I actually miss the days of Legos (although not stepping on them) and doll clothes and creative projects being strewn around various rooms.  I wish I had developed the ability to look past the clutter when they were home.  I'm thinking that is where I learned the ability, though.

So in my home, I need to think through what is sanctuary and how to achieve it in spite of living in a fallen world with less than perfect people (including myself).  The first thing I did... long ago... was to cut out photos in decorating magazines of rooms that I thought beautiful and brought me peace.

I know I've written about this before but it worked and I still do so from time to time.  I learned from years of looking at images of rooms that there was a constant in what I loved.  Items that would appear in the pictures, certain colors, lots of plants, lots of wood, vintage dishes, pewter, silver, pottery, books... lots of books, tea things, a cat here and there, images that made me smile.

My Study mostly embraces everything I love, which is possible because it is my room... my reward for the Empty Nest Syndrome.  (It isn't easy for homeschool moms to find no children at home, as I was surprised to find.)  When life is far from perfect, I can shut the door and play music and read and write a friend an email... no TVs are allowed in the Study.

The Study is where I keep everything I use to create, that doesn't have anything to do with food. I still miss Victoria jumping on my desk when I would begin a creative project.  She loved washi tape.  However, Florentine provides hours of comic relief.  So a cat (or more) in the home is a good thing.  I will admit that dogs can be, too, but don't tell Florentine I said that.

Other rooms in the house, while containing much of what I love, also had to be comfortable for the two guys who lived in the house.  So the only foo foo dainty items are the tea cups and teapots, most of which are in the china cabinet and on the hutch.  I hung my favorite Dutch lace curtains in the dining area when we moved in and a Dutch lace valance acts as a petticoat showing  under a plaid valance in the kitchen.  A little bit of girlie pretty they didn't mind.

If a home is to be a sanctuary for everyone who lives there, it has to be comfortable.  There must be places one can bring a pillow and a throw and nap on Sunday afternoons or read when taking a break from housework.  There must be furniture that is sturdy for rowdy boys (including husbands who never grew up) and safe places where they can put up their feet without worry.

We have, of course, made books a priority and many bookcases make for a very cozy environment.  Most of our books came from library sales.  We have favorite TV shows and movies on DVDs, collected over the years with Amazon credit or received as gifts.  Since the kids moved out, most of the music in the house is what I have collected over many years.  My husband likes to listen to his favorite music on the computer in the office.

As I have been working in the Study this weekend, I have had two albums playing on the CD player, rotating off and on according to my mood.  Playing now is Michael Card's amazing Starkindler "album", with favorite Celtic Christian music bringing peace.  The other is a favorite John Denver CD, purchased at Cracker Barrel a couple Christmas seasons ago.

Sitting next to them is a George Strait CD, also from Cracker Barrel using a Christmas gift card, and an Indelible Grace CD of seemingly ancient hymns revised with modern arrangements.  If anything, my taste is eclectic.  Come the beginning of November, the wicker basket with the Christmas music will be pulled out.  As with Christmas movies and books, one month is not enough to enjoy them.

I find sanctuary in the kitchen as I prepare soup or make bread.  As I write, the ingredients to make orange cranberry bread are coming to room temperature.  They will transform into a loaf for a treat this week and a loaf for the freezer.  Last night I cut the backbone from a whole chicken to try a new-to-me baking technique called Spatchcock chicken, something I've wanted to do for quite awhile.  Since I love to cook, trying the new technique took my mind off of the troubles of the world.  It was delicious by the way.

I find peace when I sweep the kitchen floor, lemon oil furniture, polish the thrift store silver, as well as chopping vegetables to prepare dinner.  The nice outcome of doing these things is that others in the home appreciate the outcome.  Whether a lovely meal or keeping the antiques looking beautiful.

Last week I wanted to decorate the breakfront for Fall but it needed to be lemon oiled first.  So I put on the podcast with Sally Clarkson talking to Michael Ward and enjoyed the process of seeing wood come back to its' natural warm glow as the oil was rubbed into it.

I should mention here that I am married to someone with a Master's Degree from the school of Forestry at the University, specializing in Wood Science and Furniture Engineering.  So no can of Pledge will ever be found in our home.  Never.  Ever.  I learned that our first year of marriage.  But I digress...

I think part of what makes our home a sanctuary is not only what is in it, but what is not.  I'm careful about the books, movies, TV shows, and even the artwork which hangs on the walls.  Everything should bring peace and never be defiling before God.  I know we all have different opinions of what that would be so each home would be different.  I watch documentaries about Bigfoot and things that go bump in the night but never horror movies.  Go figure.

It can take a lifetime to tweak a home to be exactly what would bring us sanctuary.  We have spent many a weekend when the kids were younger, searching treasures at garage sales.  Since I presently have "enough", I mostly go to Goodwill and thrift stores to find small treasures to enhance the Beauty.

Even if we had lots of money to spend on furniture, art, and decorations, one does not create sanctuary overnight.  It is the process of the creating that also brings peace and that does not arrive by UPS. 

Of course, one cannot have a peaceful home that is a sanctuary if one does not have peace in their heart.  That comes from knowing the Prince of Peace.  For peace is a Person.  One can have the most lovely home in the neighborhood and be full of desperation.  One can spend a lot of time decorating their home and making it almost perfect but people will not want to spend time there because of the atmosphere in the home.

So I believe that the most important part of having a sanctuary is in having it be a Christ centered home by knowing Him personally ourselves.  He knows that we will not be perfect this side of Eternity but we are running the race in such a way as to become more like Him each day.

He knows that our home will never be perfect until we reach our Heavenly Home.  But the process of making it lovely and a sanctuary is part of living the life He has given us... never ever achieving perfection.  Good enough will be... good enough... when it comes to our homes.

Now, the fun begins.  Think of ways your home can be even more of a sanctuary for friends and family as it is today.  I enjoy asking God to show me more ways to create Beauty on a budget.  Life with Him should not be boring.

Mentioned in this Post

Starkindler by Michael Card... here.

Spatchcock Chicken... here. This video is very quick while doing a good job showing how to spatchcock a chicken.

Sally's podcast with Michael Ward... here.  Click on the Play Podcast window.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Image: Warming up in Badger's kitchen by Chris Dunn

Sunday Afternoon Tea - What I do when I start feeling anxiety

I am usually a fairly calm person but there are a few things that bring on anxiety, even temporarily.  Probably the same we all react to such as hearing sirens when a loved one is expected home at anytime.  I didn't get angry with my son very much as a teenager but I do recall the time he was a new driver and called to tell me he was leaving home from a friend's house in town.  

Imagine my feelings when I heard one siren after another go down the country road toward town and he hadn't shown up, yet.  My concern turned to panic.  It turned out he had stood in the yard of his friend's house and talked another half an hour before leaving.  Without updating me on his arrival time.  I was not happy.

However, that kind of anxiety is common.  Especially to parents of new drivers.  But the anxiety that can hit all of us today goes much deeper as we see the world changing drastically.  If we are not careful, we can drink deeply of the "what if's" until we can't sleep at night.

One thing I have going for me is having gone through severe trials in the past.  The "having to remind myself to breath" kind of trials.  While they were difficult to go through and at times I wondered where God was in all of it, I now know He was strengthening my faith muscles for what was coming.

Actually, I knew that was what He was speaking to me through His Word at the time but it didn't help wishing I was not going through those trials.  When I first started blogging and shared more of those years, I had people write to tell me they wish they had my level of faith.  I would reply that I am not sure I would wish the trials on anyone that formed that faith.

Having gone through that time, I do find it much easier to trust God because He has proven Himself over and over when all I had was Him to cling to.  But I still sometimes feel anxious when I look at what is happening locally and worldwide.  Like Lot, I am vexed in my soul.  God reminds me of Lot quite often and how he felt in Sodom.

Lot is an interesting character.  Isn't it amazing how God uses quite unlikable people in Scripture to give us lessons in faith?  Lot sat "in the gates" of the city of Sodom.  Most Bible teachers will tell you that meant he had a position of importance in Sodom because the walls surrounding a city were not only tall, they were wide enough that they had rooms.  The rooms at the gates could be similar to City Hall today.

I heard one Bible teacher who believed that meant Lot had one foot in Sodom and one foot outside of Sodom.  I think the original teaching is more Biblical but that does not mean that teacher is incorrect.  If indeed Lot was vexed in His soul, he was of two different worlds and while he had chosen Sodom, he had Abraham's teaching of the one true God in his soul.

We could judge Lot at staying in Sodom when we knew he had the financial means to move on elsewhere.  But then again, how many times do people feel God is telling them to move and they do not want to.  They are perfectly happy where they are.  Until like me, He has a way of turning your world upside down and giving you a less than gentle nudge toward where He wants you to go.

Kind of like when I need to change outdoor kitty's towel on her kitty bed and she is sitting on it, refusing to leave.  I eventually have to pick up the pet bed and force her off the bench the pet bed sits on to put her clean towel on her bed.  It is a constant source of amusement to both me and my husband at how much we see our human traits in the kitties we have known and loved through the years.  

God has sent me moving before kicking and screaming, stomping my feet, and practically holding my breath until He changed His mind.  Which he didn't.  All of those years have come together now to teach me how to live in these uncertain times.  I think He smiles when I thank Him now for those lessons.

There are a few practices I learned to do during those years.  The most important was to look toward God and not at my circumstances.  That, my friends, is much easier said than done.  I have written before about the very difficult year when we lived next to a pond and I would sit on the cement stairs of the house reading the Psalms and looking at the pond.  I don't think that year I ever left the Psalms for long except for going through a Bible study book.

The next most important step that has always worked is to do that which is possible at the moment.  I remember during that year by the pond, my husband asked me one day why I was watching a cooking show when we didn't have much money for food.  I told him the cooking shows often teach me new techniques as well as recipes to use during that time of lack.

If we sit still doing nothing at all, anxiety cannot help but overflow our mind.  The vacuum in our thoughts that doing nothing brings about is an open door to the enemy and his minions.  He not only does not play fair, he is the author of lies and loves to whisper lies in our thinking.  Now, he can't tell what we are thinking like God can... but he can place thoughts we should not let take root.

During the times of trial, I learned that if my thoughts are going against what the Word says... like worrying that God will supply all my needs, which were many... then they were not from God.  One of my favorite verses to repeat back then was, "God has not given me the spirit of fear but power, love, and a sound mind". (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV)

Did you ever think of the fact that fear is a spiritual force?  I don't remember exactly what preacher or Bible teacher taught that at the time it sunk into my spirit but it was a life changing Truth.  I would remind myself that the fear I was feeling did not come from God so why hold onto it?

Another way I combat anxiety is to do the opposite of what the devil would have me do.  I have written before about how much that Truth helped through the years.  I don't remember who preached it originally but I am thankful they did.  To be honest, buying the furnace recently was one of those times.  On one hand, I was reluctant to use all of our savings for a furnace but I also knew the timing was God ordained.

My faith cannot be in the saving account, it has to be in God's ability to provide.  I do the same thing with putting back a few things here and there for the time which may be coming when food either becomes more expensive than it is now (which is already alarming) or worse yet, in even shorter supply than it is now.

If you feel the nudge of God to deepen your pantry a lot and He has provided the funding and the space to do it, then definitely continue on that level.  You will not only provide for yourself and your family but possibly for others.  Just make certain if you are preparing on that level, not to let it get around to those who would try to take it for their own.  Of course, as with all things pray God's protection over it and He will keep it safe for you to use when needed.

Even the little at a time "putting back" that I do helps to alleviate anxiety.  Doing something is far better than doing nothing because you cannot do as much as you like.  One of the things doing a little at a time helps is it strengthens our preparing muscles.  We have to think through what we need and our priorities and if we know that already, when God provides an unexpected source of money for us to use on "putting back", we know exactly what the priorities should be.

Similar to when I watched cooking shows during a year with little income, these days I often pull favorite cookbooks off the shelf and peruse them for good ideas.  I have a lot of recipes in my card file that I use but when I can find something new to make with ingredients that are inexpensive, it is like finding hidden treasure.

Once again, it is a simple action we can take when we are tempted to sit and worry.  Remember what happened to Elijah when he sat in a cave and stewed in his misery that he alone was the only true believer left in the land?  He had just come through a great victory but he wanted to die and an angel came to give him food (most likely an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ).  Which proves my feeling that a good snack can do wonders to a person's outlook on life.

By the way, if you are feeling down then read I Kings 19 all the way through.  But read it from God's perspective.  It amuses me to think as if God was looking at Elijah's talk and actions in human terms.  Fortunately, He is God and has infinite patience.  The chapter reminds me that even the prophets of old acted like I am tempted to do once in awhile.

There are other things I learned through the decades that are obvious like reading really good books and watching good TV shows or movies. There is nothing wrong with good quality escapism as long as we are making God's Word a priority, for it is nutrition for the soul. Other media is dessert.

We found this to be especially true when our kids were young. When you read and watch media with your children as they are growing up, it provides a common language and memories that you find yourself bringing up when they are married and have kids of their own.  Which are all helpful deterrents of anxiety.

For me, having decades of studying Bible prophecy has helped but I know that is not something all Christians prefer.  I have heard almost every opinion on prophecy and can even argue with myself over some issues.  I honestly believe God keeps some Truths about Bible prophecy fuzzy for the same reason He kept Truths of His first Advent fuzzy.  It all came together clearly in the rear view mirror of time.

However, there is enough in the Word that is very clear that hearing good Bible prophecy teachers talk about today's headlines brings great peace to my soul.  They provide a "You Are (Probably) Here" map of the End Times.  Understanding that we all look through a glass that is not completely clear.

I know that behind the scenes of chaos, our God has everything in control. Much like those years of severe trials when my life looked out of control but God was working in it all the time, He is doing the same on a world wide level today. 

He promised never to leave you or forsake you and that is true even in these days of uncertainty.  You are still in the Kingdom for such a time as this.

Image:  Ducks Unlimited, As Good as Home

Sunday Afternoon Tea - Lessons learned from a drive home from town

I normally try to avoid being on the road during rush hour on any day but especially on Friday.  Drivers can be more determined to get home on Fridays so the ByPass is full of speeding cars, weaving in and out so each can claim the front spot in the line of traffic.

However, due to the chaos continuing at home with a furnace/air conditioner installation and having no hot water since our water heater had to be taken out during the installation, I braved the roads to pick up Chinese takeout for dinner. 

Upon walking back to the van and viewing the ByPass from the parking lot, I decided to take the back roads home.  Which includes driving familiar near our "old neighborhood" in town and eventually one of the streets becomes a county road.   

This route adds more time to the drive but as I left traffic and neighborhoods for the occasional house and cornfields, I could feel every muscle relaxing.  It had been a very hectic week and I could feel the stress of the busy days.  There was a time I juggled many hats but living a slower life has been the norm these past few years.  I was not used to life at warp speed as I had the past week.

There is now a stop light on the road where I turn toward home.  Every time I drive there, I think that I need to show it to Stephanie when she visits.  We both always throught there should be a stop light there.  The girl that was her duet singing partner at church in high school lived on the corner.

September can be beautiful but it carries enough of the remnants of summer that one can find it frustrating, especially when heat returns after a little taste of cooler weather.  It is a little like snow in March or April.

However, nature in October is a favorite in many ways. The days are progressively cooler, flannel sheets have been put on the bed, an extra blanket is ready for cold nights, and we are beginning to enjoy multiple hot beverages throughout the day.

That week where September meets October is the beginning of the magical season for me.  Magic as in Narnia magic, God breathed magic.  This is the season where I can understand why forest living people in European countries believe in fairies.  Especially on foggy mornings.

Once I turned toward home, it appeared like a different world than that of the parking lot next to the ByPass with multiple stores and restaurants all packed with a multitude of humanity.  It never ceases to amaze me that the scene can change so much within ten or fifteen minutes.

This was the natural world of farm houses, barns, and feed corn drying in the fields. One of the fields had growing a crop with a lot of vines, perhaps pumpkins or other squash were hiding under the leaves? I love this time of year when the fields are thick with that mellow shade of maize.

Nature is already slowing down and between now and when the trees will change from the chartreuse shades of fading leaves to explode in multiple colors before returning to the soil... God is teaching us that we must slow down and appreciate this beauty, too.

There are some weeks I have lost my peace due to spending way too much time looking at bad news, even in media I can trust. This week was different.  This past week contained both expected and unexpected disruptions of my normal routines.  There was little time to catch my breath before another chaotic day came about.

I am learning that the need to live a slower existence is not wrong but it is actually a God-given blessing.  Our society today does not keep a real Sabbath day with sports events and various meetings scheduled on Sundays.  Smart phones keep us connected 24/7 to the world around us and I have watched family members spend hours on the phone for "work", even on vacation.

We used to have natural seasons of rest that were ordained by nature and the changing times of sunrise and sunset.  Even our busy farmers could look forward to some days of rest after the harvest had been brought in.  Farm wives could rest when the food was all preserved in one way or another, ready for their table until the following harvest seasons.

I do appreciate grocery stores, now more than ever.  How we all took their abundance for granted in previous years.  I appreciate being able to pick up Chinese takeout when cooking in my own kitchen would be very difficult. I love being able to talk to family 1,000 miles away by message or cell phone. There is much to be thankful for with modern technology.

However, and we all are guilty of this... are we neglecting the peace He has provided in nature?  I can assure you that a simple drive on country roads brought a peace I have not felt in a week.  I can no longer walk beloved trails but I can watch the forest from my front porch.  Why don't I do it more often?  Soon the leaves will turn colors and fall to the ground and my neighbor's red barn will come back in view... as it has every November.

The world is in chaos but some things remain the same.

No matter where we live in the world, we are experiencing some change of season.  Perhaps not as dramatic as the Octobers in my part of the world, or the blossoming spring for our friends south of the equator.  But wherever we live, there is usually an opportunity to find nature, even if it is a city park.

Let us spend less time viewing what terrible things are happening in the world and instead decide to spend more time in talking to God, reading His Word and wonderful books, and viewing what I have heard called "The Fifth Gospel"... nature as He created it.

Wars and rumors of wars, famine and pandemics, they all will still be there but we do not need to keep our eyes on those things.  Not when there is a change of seasons happening outside our own windows.  Keep doing what God has given you wisdom to do and then trust Him for the rest.

I plan to take my own advice this week because honestly, I do not want to experience more stress like I did last week.  It will most likely come again because this is a fallen world but the Word tells us to be at peace as much as it is in our control.  I plan to take that advice this week.

Photo: It was time to bring out my lovely Mrs. Beaver tea cozy made by my friend and "blog daughter", Heather.  She designed it when I told her I would love a tea cozy just like Mrs. Beaver had in her home in Narnia.  Heather's nature journaling website can be found... here.

Sunday Afternoon Tea - Celebrating life when the world is falling apart

Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.   John Wayne

I have that quote on a wooden plaque hanging in my kitchen.  I see it often while spending time preparing meals or washing dishes.  I think if anyone else had said those words, they would not be hanging in my kitchen but hey, it is John Wayne!  

I cannot remember a time that I did not adore John Wayne and the characters he portrayed.  He was to me the strong all-American man.  Never politically correct but always calm and in control. At least in most of his films. He made me feel... safe.  Even when he was being chased by wild animals in Hatari or surrounded by burning oil fields in Hellfighters, he appeared calm.

The quote is like a father figure reminding me that it is okay to be scared to death but it is not okay to give up.  No, keep on keeping on.  Fight the good fight of faith.  Keep your eyes on the goal, which is to hear those words, "Well done good and faithful servant".

We all know that we are living in unprecedented times. While there have been similar situations such as war, famine, drought, etc., they are now happening all over the world and closer together in time than ever before. I have been seeing the term "convergence" quite often in headlines of stories talking about current events.

Add to that the fact that advanced technology has brought together one world, is always at our fingertips, and that it has given some people more control of our lives than was ever possible before... there is a reason we hear that there is now a real mental health problem of people being overwhelmed with bad news all the time.

I have long had an interest in such stories but I have had to take days away from the headlines.  Usually it is when I hear of something happening in the world that I return to web searches to do my best to weed the Truth from the lies.  No wonder when Jesus talked about the End of the Age, He starts with, "Let no man deceive  you".

I found it very unsettling when 22,000 households that had installed "smart" thermostats in Colorado lost control of their settings during an electric emergency recently.  They were no longer set to the temperature the people had set them but they had been overtaken by the electric company and set at a much higher temperature to save energy.

As one who is very sensitive to heat due to diabetes, I was appalled to think someone else would reset my thermostat as high as in the 80s during a heat wave.  That was more unnerving than all the talk about Russia and the Ukraine.  Probably because it felt more threatening.

While reading about the story, I came across some facts that indeed, changing to a smart thermostat was at this time voluntary.  Most who made the change did so when they were offered financial rewards and I'm fairly certain they never expected this to happen. Were their eyes truly open to possible consequences or were they deceived?

I came across articles that explained why the power company had to control the thermostats and they made people who thought that was terrible look like unscientific lunatics that preach against global warning and are completely unaware of the necessity for experts to control the thermostats.  Uh, huh...

Honestly, sometimes all the events that are happening could very well scare me to death if I didn't trust the Lord.  How often I have read about an event in the world or even more unsettling... in my own community... and wondered what the world will look like next year or even tomorrow?

I have written before the very good advice received many years ago.  That is... whatever you think the enemy of our souls is trying to get you to do... then do the exact opposite.  It has been quite amazing to find the wisdom in that advice.

For instance, if I am really annoyed with someone... so annoyed that it doesn't make sense... then I know it is the enemy trying to stir up trouble.  I can't tell you how many times it has helped to be kind to that person or to reach out in love and compassion.  

Rarely has there been anything to be annoyed about, it was mostly lies being sent my way trying to bring about disputes.  I wish I had learned that wisdom when I was younger.  It works in most areas of life where we have the choice between faith and fear.

Now I know that if I feel the enemy of our souls, as he and his minions so often do, is trying to get me to fear, to feel anger, to distrust God's mercy or grace, or simply to stop feeling joy... I need to purposely do what is needed to bring about God's plan and not the enemy's deception. Which usually involves deciding to do the opposite of what the enemy is pushing.

That comes around to the title of today's Sunday Afternoon Tea post today.  I have been making an effort to keep my mind on good stuff instead of the events of the world.  I felt this year a need to enjoy Fall more than I ever have before.  It wasn't only the long hot and humid summer but that feeling of a heavy spirit that engulfed the world.

Just like the Christmas song shares the feeling that "We need a little Christmas this year", well... I needed Fall!  I needed to feel the cool breezes, taste the flavors of Fall, enjoy wrapping up in my flannel housecoat each morning, and to decorate the porch and my house with favorite Fall stuff.  I needed to bring Fall flavors into the kitchen to enjoy. 

I needed to choose life and those things that are life giving.  No matter how silly or apparently time wasting they are.  I have learned that sitting on the porch in the morning and listening to birds is not a waste of time.  I have learned that slowly sipping that first cup of coffee is something to enjoy and not to rush through.

Jesus walked slowly upon the earth and I choose to follow His pattern. Even knowing what was ahead, He didn't fear but kept to His Father-given goal. He enjoyed everyday people, good food, children, and I am fairly certain that he stopped to give an animal a scratch behind the ears once in awhile.

I enjoyed a podcast about homemaking so much last week that I "wasted time" by listening to it a second and then a third time.  The message was manna to my soul and that my friends is not a waste of time.  Getting lost in a good book or watching a delightful movie is not a waste of time.  Especially if a hot beverage and baked goods (or popcorn) are involved. 

The darker the world looks, the more we need to look toward the Light.  Jesus will reflect good over evil if we keep our attention set to the Word and believe it.  He is life-giving.  He still gives us all good things to enjoy.  All good gifts are from above we are told and that is true even in these dark days.

I admit that there are times when I gaze at the world and all the "what-ifs" that I feel scared.  Any sane person would feel scared from time to time.  But since I am still here... you are still here... we are still walking this planet, you know God is not done with us, yet.  He wants us to trust Him and saddle up.

Mentioned in this Blog Post

The Believe to See Podcast (on YouTube) about The Art of Homemaking... here.

Image: Sharing Grandma's Cookies