The Last of November's Pictures and a Reminder to Testify

 Happy December and Happy Monday!

I got a little giddy yesterday when I realized that this month is starting on a Monday! All months should start on a Monday, don't you think? 😅 Yep, I'm one of those "start on Monday" kind of girls, so a new month on a Monday just seems right. 

Today I'm just sharing the last of my November pictures in random order, just for memories sake. So here goes...

Saturday Collin, Morgan, Asa and Sunday came over to the house to help us do a few things. But of course, we had to take a little time to swing in the back yard. I've always loved swinging and still do. We look like we were in serious conversation, but we are always laughing together, so this was just a moment with serious faces 😁

Sunday we went to church with the kids and then brought the big girls home with us. They love to play on my tablet and use this Barbie fashion app to create outfits. Here Ella was creating an outfit for Morgan and had Emmy take a picture of it and send it to Morgan for approval 😀

I snapped this picture of Asa after church. He loves his class, but he was happy to get a sucker afterwards. I'm loving his cozy sweater! 

Ok, this is my new exercise device. A coworker told me about it after she bought one and it sounded like something I could use, so I got one too. Then I talked my mom into getting one 😅 (of course I'll have to call her today and walk her through how to turn it on 😂). It's great for circulation, draining the lymphatic system and many other things. It's called a vibration plate and they have many models to choose from on Amazon. You only use it for 10 minutes at a time, so that's perfect for the kind of "athlete" I am 😂

One of my favorite things...when David and I just turn pretty music on and sit and read our books. I'm so glad I have a husband who enjoys books as much as I do. 

Here's Asa helping David put the new doorknobs on. He loves to work. David was letting him hold the drill. 

And here's what I saw when we got to the house on Saturday. Our painter friend had left a "little Jesus" in the window. He put it in this huge acorn cap we found in the yard last week. What a sweet and fun surprise 😀

In other news...

Yesterday at church the pastor asked several people to give testimonies. I love hearing testimonies and I don't think we do this enough any more. There were so many amazing testimonies of God showing up in the hardest moments of people's lives. 

Some talked of financial needs being met, cancer being overcome, addiction recovery, an instance when God's "NO" was a blessing and a protection for the future. There was even a man who testified to being shot in a home invasion and the doctors said he would never function again, but he was there, on stage, testifying to the miracles of God. 

We've seen our own big moments with God this year, when David had a reaction to some medication and we experienced the scariest night of our lives. God was there with the people he sent, the revelation of the medication, the fact that I could remember the address in the middle of the night and so many other little moments and details. Then weeks later he lost his job and there we sat, in that big house with health issues and no income.

But God kept showing up in ways we never anticipated. We clung to God with everything we had during that time. And, as my sons put it...it was a time of grace that we needed. David had time to recover from the health scare. God got him out of a horrible job and somehow we were able to sell some big items and put money in the bank, even without an income. 

When I look back on that time, which is still extremely fresh (this time last year), I see God's hand everywhere. Yes, some things are confusing and yet I can see how all the things worked together for our good. 

These are the times that increase your faith. Because the truth is, if our faith is never tested, then how strong is our faith, really?

As my son Ted testified yesterday, you have to bring your circumstances up to meet your faith, not your faith down to meet your circumstances. And that's so true. 

We have to keep close to the Lord by prayer, his Word, knowing his character and remembering how far he's brought us. Our faith has to continue to grow so that those trials, when they come (not if) don't break us. Because God will redeem what was lost, in some way. 

This is part of why I love writing and telling my story and encouraging others to tell theirs. Especially these days, when everyone's life is so perfectly curated on social media. We need to hear stories of redemption, rescuing and what God has done in other people's lives. This is what spurs us on as we endure our own hard times. 

So, all of this to say...share your hard times with people who love you or even someone going through their own hardship. These are the moments that show our humanity. These are the moments that give reason to why we need a savior. We can't make it through this life without Jesus. Oh, some will try, but they will always feel empty. I know. I've been there and I'm never going back. 

So on this first day of December, with an entire year almost in the rearview mirror, where did God show up for you this year?

Wherever it was, take today to thank him and praise him for how far he's brought you to this point. He loves you and will fight for you.

Until Next Time...

Blessings!

Pictures from My Week

 Happy Wednesday, my friends!

At the risk of repeating this sentiment...I can't believe October is coming to an end! This month has zoomed by! The holidays will be upon us in no time and no, I haven't bought a single thing. I'm usually a December shopper. Now, with 3 birthdays in December, I might have to get started a little earlier. 

Today I thought I would share some pictures from my week and just give a very random update on what's been happening around here. 

First off, this is my cup of coffee I just had to have last night after getting home from work. I knew it was a bad idea, because drinking coffee at night has a strange effect on me. It doesn't keep me from falling asleep, but it wakes me up in the middle of the night and keeps me awake. This is exactly what happened last night from about 1:30 am to 3:30 am. To say I will be exhausted by the time I get home from work today is a vast understatement. 😓

And this was what the sky looked like on my way home, before said cup of coffee. About 10 minutes before we closed up the library, the sky grew dark and it started lightening and pouring down rain. Thankfully by the time I got on the road, it was moving on. This was the cold front that was supposed to usher in temps in the 40's, but currently it's still 52, which isn't bad, but not the cold blast we were all hoping for. (I guess you have to live in Texas where we're still in the 90's to appreciate this sentiment). 

Speaking of work...November is National Novel Writing Month, where writers around the country attempt to write 50,000 words, at least, on whatever they are working on. So for my November display, I brought my old typewriter to work and set up a collection of "how-to" books on writing, as well as books by local authors, to inspire patrons to tell their stories. 

You can see one of my books - Notes from a Writer's Heart - there with the other books. It's so exciting to  have my books in the library. Currently my homeschooling book is checked out to a lady who just started her homeschooling journey. I hope she's enjoying it!

And speaking of books...working at the library means having a "to be read" list a mile long! But it's so much fun too! 

This is a series I saw at Barnes and Noble recently, so I took this picture to show my coworker, who orders books, and we each downloaded a sample, so we could screen it for content before she ordered the series. We don't screen all the books (obviously), but we do read reviews and try to get the gist of the story before adding it to the library shelves. 

As for books that come in, if they look like something I want to read, I will take a picture or add it to my library app for the future. This happens daily as I'm checking in books that patrons bring back or as I'm straightening the shelves. Inevitibly I will find something that looks interesting and I'll take it home and add it to the stack. My stack from the library currently consists of 4 books that caught my eye this week. 😅 

And speaking of reading...this is always at the top of my list and I have to make sure before work to spend time with Jesus. No matter how stressed or tired I am, just 5 minutes in the Word and talking to my Father, brings peace like nothing else. I usually listen to worship music on the way to work (my boy's music comes first on the list) and it just sets my mind and attitude right for the day. What a privilege it is to be able to read our Bibles daily. We need not take that for granted. 

And lastly...this dining corner of our apartment is shaping up to be so cute and happy 😀💚 Collin and Morgan gave me the adorable green and white table cloth, which I love and the window with the painted flowers was a birthday gift from Ted and Alex. Each of the flowers represents the month our grand babies were born. How precious is that? Eventually I will add some shelves and other pictures or signs around what's already there, but I want to find just the right things and spend as little money as possible. It will take some thrifting, here and there. 

And that's it for this week, so far. Today is my "Friday" and I'll be off until next week. I've got projects to work on over the next few days, bills to pay and lots of books to read 😅

I'm hoping for some nice weather so we can sit by the pool in the evenings and read. It's one of our favorite things to do. 

So...

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Oh, and let me know if you've ever participated in the National Novel Writing Month. I would love to know!