It's just a few days after Thanksgiving. Are you still in the moments of gratitude? Or have you jumped on the busy bus? I'm not sure why, but I am in a bit of a reflective mood today...savoring the moment....steering clear of busyness. Sometime ago I walked around a small lake. I was enthralled with the lighting and snapped this photo. It has not been altered in any way. I love the ethereal clouds and the way they reflect on the water along with the bursts of the sun. And, I remember the peace and tranquility I felt, as I wandered the path along the water's edge with a … [Read more...]
Day 7 May you be extraordinarily filled with gratitude this Thanksgiving! Thankful for YOU! Diane To receive bits of inspiration like this in your inbox or reader, subscribe now. Sharing at Dear Little Red House * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Thanks so much for reading! Please stop by Longaberger Lifestyle for lovely gifts to be given in gratitude!! … [Read more...]
Day 6 As we prepare a feast, or prepare to attend one, here are some words to ponder.... "For, after all, put it as we may to ourselves, we are all of us from birth to death guests at a table which we did not spread. The sun, the earth, love, friends, our very breath are parts of the banquet.... Shall we think of the day as a chance to come nearer to our Host, and to find out something of Him who has fed us so long?" ~Rebecca Harding Davis If you'd like to share your thoughts....please do below....I read every one. Gratefully, Diane To receive bits of … [Read more...]
Day 5 About now, many of use are ready to push the button and go into hyper drive. Yes? About now, you see that I have a video link below and if you are like me, you'll click away, telling yourself you don't have time to watch a 4 minute video. Might you reconsider? About now, you're wondering what I have planned for you. My prayer is that the next four minutes will touch you deep inside and set all this busyness into perspective. How Often Do You Sit In The Thanksgiving Chair? If you like to share your thoughts....please do … [Read more...]
I've had my ear to the ground and it seems that people are saying Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday. There are no gifts involved, no fireworks - though I'm sure it's pretty deserving. It's a holiday reserved for gathering and gratitude. Really...that makes it pretty special. Unless you're spending it alone. Most years I'm too busy to do more than think about what my Thanksgiving table will look like, let alone plan what will be eaten from the plates on the table. But, not this year. I have had time to do a little tablescaping....and exercise that thankful heart muscle while doing … [Read more...]
Day 3 You know people with thankful hearts. We might not actually think when an individual interacts with us, "Oh, Janie surely has a thankful heart!" But it is that very thing that gives a pleasant countenance and so many other pleasing traits to our friends. These, usually, are the people with whom we enjoy, whatever we're doing. I want a thankful heart. If I want the heart inside my chest to get strong, I need to exercise it. The same is true for a thankful heart. We absolutely must exercise our gratitude muscle, in order to have a thankful … [Read more...]
Day 2 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Psalm … [Read more...]
Day 1 I decided. I'm living in the moment. I'm not thinking about Christmas and all the goodness of the Christmas season. Nope. I'm camped out in Thanksgiving. With that in mind, I decided to narrow my focus as we approach Thanksgiving. Each of these {7 Days of Thanksgiving} posts will have something for your inspiration with that focus. I hope it's just what you need, too. Today I'm loving these words of President Theodore Roosevelt..... A good question to ask ourselves.... What are we doing as an expression of gratefulness for all our … [Read more...]
A sweet dear friend inherited a mahogany sideboard, china cabinet, and table several years ago which really weren't her style. After I moved out-of-state, she asked me if I would like the furniture, saying that the pieces would look great in my "new" house. After a 4-hour trip her heirlooms easily made themselves at home in my house. The sideboard fits perfectly in the dining area of my great room and the table opens out so I can seat 14. Perfect for all my entertaining. Happy me! This furniture, though good quality, was not in perfect condition. And the sideboard, in all its … [Read more...]
What do we celebrate on Thanksgiving? When I was a little girl, the front of the church would have a beautiful assembly of pumpkins and squash and corn stalks. Even then, it warmed my heart. We would sing a song about the harvest being gathered in, and it seemed so big, like a great accomplishment. And I would think of the glass canning jars filled with peaches and tomatoes that lined the shelves of the "turntable" in my mother's cupboard....so heavily laden I could hardly make it spin an inch. Harvest....that was what Thanksgiving was about. Everyone gathered together in … [Read more...]
...the sacrifice of family and even life, for liberty of a people and a nation. Thank you! I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. Let freedom ring! Diane To receive bits of inspiration like this in your inbox or reader, subscribe now. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Thanks so much for reading! Please stop by Longaberger … [Read more...]
Joy Day! My favorite day of the week. The day when we count blessings.... ...the good things and the not-so-good things. The day we acknowledge The One who loves us beyond anything we can imagine. Everyday my husband drives through what is called a greenway. The mountainside is immediately on the right and and the gorge to the left on portions of the road. It's beautiful. And true to its name in the spring and summer. He sees lots of wildlife. And dead deer in the fall and winter. Everyday he prays that he won't hit one of those graceful creatures with … [Read more...]
Recently we painted the trim in our great room and sun room. That was quite a project!! Have you ever noticed that when a room undergoes a dramatic transformation, everything in the room also undergoes a bit of a transformation? What is it with us? For the past year I've been living large in a 1,000 square foot home. My piano...which my parents purchased for me when I was just 4 years old...is a major player in the great room. (Haha...I love it when I'm accidentally funny!) It has a wonderful mantel-like top which allows for some fun displays or vignettes. Although I was a … [Read more...]
We all do it. We look for the brightest and prettiest....set them up nicely...maybe we even create a tableau to admire. We don't stop there. We place "ours" alongside. And then we do it. We compare. Comparison. It can be our appearance, our house, our blog, our kids, our art...you name it. Theodore Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." How quickly we spiral downhill. It can almost be a free fall. I found myself there today. It's a ploy of the enemy. And I fell for it. I knew better. I knew what to do. But, I … [Read more...]
Some days my heart is heavy. When I have a day like that, I go for a walk in the woods. There I feel the awesomeness of God and his presence. Concerned about the future? Things wearing on your mind? Trust God. In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. Psalm 25:1 He already knows the future and he's already there loving and protecting and fighting for you and me. Just like I used to tell the kids every week... "I know I can trust God no matter what." What's weighing on you right now? Will … [Read more...]
Yesterday I left you hanging... just like the little guy dangling from a thread on my dinner napkins! If you missed it...you might want to read it first. Here's how my tablescaping plan unfolded... In 2006, Longaberger came out with some fun Wrought Iron Spider Legs that held a small or a large Autumn Treats Basket. I have both baskets and with the Spider Legs, they have been a fun decorating option for me the past several falls. Whenever I went to my Longaberger (affiliate link) storage area those Spider Legs called out to me. Maybe that was in the back of my mind … [Read more...]
Just 10 days ago I woke up, sleepily walked to the great room where my husband was doing his morning reading, and said, "I decided yesterday that it would make me very happy if we could paint the trim in here." Now what guy doesn't want his wife to be "very happy?" Fortunately is was his day off, so we drove to the "big" town and secured our paint. Along the way we even saw the most amazing American Bald Eagle I've ever seen perched in a tree along the greenway. I wrote about it here. What a great day! Nature and decorating. My heart sings! Back at home, we rolled up our sleeves, moved … [Read more...]
