Thursday, November 30, 2017

A Fun And Whimsical Christmas Tablescape

Bringing Musical Penguin and Snoopy To The Table

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How about adding a little fun and whimsy to your Christmas table? That's what I'm doing in today's tablescape which makes great use of two stuffed musical Snoopy dogs and one stuffed musical penguin. Each stuffed animal plays music when you press their paws. 

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You may remember some of my table setting pieces from my previous 2015 Christmas Tablescape post. I always enjoy using my sweet Santa Owl plates and snowman mugs. 

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I like to find unique ways to create name cards. I thought these penguin name tags I found at Dollar Tree would go well with the fun loving theme of this tablescape. 

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The musical penguin and Snoopy Santa were past Christmas gifts from one of my sisters. The Snoopy with a mustache is holding a trumpet, which you can't see in this photo. I bought it for the Mr. last Christmas as a "gag" gift since he is a trumpet player. Trumpet player Snoopy plays "Feliz Navidad" and dances around. 

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I think this tablescape will bring smiles at breakfast on Christmas morning!

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How do you like to bring fun and whimsy to your Christmas tablescapes?

Until Next Time,

Monday, November 27, 2017

Keeping Christmas Simple at Home

Going Minimalist For Christmas


Hello, hello!  Or should I say, "Ho, Ho, Ho?"  I promised you last week in my Keeping Thanksgiving Simple at Home post that  I would be back today with hints for keeping Christmas simple, as well. So, here I am talking about taking a minimalist approach to Christmas decorating. 



Now, lest anyone take offense and think I'm suggesting that everyone be minimalist in their decor, let me reassure you. I'm not suggesting that at all. It's just that I have been working this last year on "cleaning out" and decided to do that with Christmas decorations, also. I'm really focusing this year on displaying what I truly love and making decisions about what I don't need any longer. As a result of those decisions, I took a large bag of Christmas decorations to Goodwill today. Hopefully, others will find decor that they can love and use from what I gave away. BTW, do you recognize this little pine tree from last year's easy and stress free tablescapes post? I kept it alive (a miracle!!) and it has grown bigger and is part of this year's decor. 




You may remember my "Homespun" tree from last year. (You have to scroll down in the post to see it.) This year's tree is pretty similar with the addition of my easy Christmas tree ornaments from felt and buttons that I created. I also left off the red berry beads because I was worried that there would be too much temptation for Cassie Cat to mess with the tree. So far, though, she has left the tree alone! I love the simplicity of this small tree with ornaments that are either homemade or look homemade! I did keep other ornaments in case next year I decide to go with using Christmas balls again or a musical ornament tree.

In addition to our little tree, I have kept decorations minimal by displaying figurines I love and tucking Christmas figures in amongst decor we already have on display. In the past I have packed items away and devoted free space to all things Christmasy. I just decided I don't want to do that this year. I kind of had the same idea last year, but have taken it even further with this year's decor.



I wanted to make this table a focal point in our living room. My nativity sets are displayed on the top tier with light coming from a little tree. I used the same charger that I arranged the pumpkins on for my Fall Themed Centerpiece and placed my white nativity set on it with a no flame candle. There is also a no flame small candle in the little green bowl. I like all of the light reflected around the nativity sets to represent Christ as the light of the world. One new piece I purchased this year is the red Christmas ball tree on the bottom tier. I love the brilliant pop of red mixed in with my family photos. 



I have a cute collection of Santa figurines, but I didn't want any distraction on this table from the true meaning of Christmas.  So my Santa figurines are displayed elsewhere....





Like here on my round table. 








And as part of my foyer table decor. They are meant to add playfulness and whimsy to the decor. 



Our mantel looks the same as it always does, except I added our nutcracker musicians and our Kitty Santa figurines.





And, with the exception of a few other odds and ends here and there, this is the bulk of my Christmas decor this year. Pretty simple in my opinion. I like that the decorations blend with what we already have rather than taking over the whole house. It's less clutter and not so much to take out and put away. As I have decided on Christmas decorations to keep and those to give away, storage has been a big decision factor. We used to have sooooo many tubs to get down from the attic at Christmas time. I am working on keeping it at three tubs this year, which we now store in a downstairs storage closet. I am also thinking about keeping smaller and flatter (as much as possible) items for decorating that are easier to pack away and store. The smaller and flatter the items, the easier it is to fit lots of pieces in a storage tub. 


As far as food at Christmas goes, I keep that pretty simple also. I'm not a big baker of cookies because I would eat them!  And, we will most likely be a party of three on Christmas day with myself, Mr.thisandthat and my mother-in-law, so I don't need huge amounts of food. If I do bake, I'll keep it simple with either store bought cookie dough that I can cut and bake or store bought desserts from our local Fresh Market store. I usually make chili in the crock pot for Christmas Eve dinner and then make a more substantial meal for Christmas Day. But, you know, I may even simplify that this year. Who knows? Maybe some great sandwiches with a side of potato salad and a yummy dessert? There's really nothing wrong with keeping food simple and not doing big elaborate meals at holiday time. 

Christmas celebrations often get tied in to memories that we have either from childhood or other years of our lives. Sometimes recalling those memories brings happines, but other memories may not be so good and can cause us to feel anxious or sad. If we are missing loved ones who have died and are no longer with us or find ourselves longing for big Christmas celebrations that we had long ago, we can easily fall into depression during the holiday season. I know, personally, that I always find myself feeling a little blue around the holidays as I think back to my childhood and realize the passing of time and how my Mother is no longer with us. It's easy to dwell on these things especially if certain foods, songs or decorations bring forth these memories. It has helped me to learn to acknowledge how I'm feeling, but also to tell myself that I am choosing not to dwell on those thoughts. If that means turning off the Christmas carols or not making my mother's fudge recipe then I do so. I am learning not to "wallow" in sad memories. It certainly doesn't mean I've forgotten those I love....it just means that I am being proactive in addressing my feelings. This is another way that I am learning to keep Christmas simple at home. Christmas is, after all, only one day. I am thankful that Jesus was born every day, not just on Christmas day. The movies, stores, television shows and yes, blogs, can make Christmas, as a celebratory season, take on huge proportions where we are made to believe that we must have the perfect decorations, create unbelievable meals, and buy the perfect gifts that will make everyone happy while keeping smiles on our faces and feeling constantly festive. Life isn't like a Hallmark movie, though, and it's OK to keep Christmas simple at home. How you choose to do so is really up to you. As I work on being more minimalist at Christmas I realize that I am a work in progress. How about you? How do you keep Christmas simple at home?

Until Next Time,
Debbie

Linking With:
Marilyn's Treats

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Saturday Scriptures: Give Thanks


And so, Thanksgiving has come and gone. We are about to enter Advent season in which we look forward to the coming of Christmas. Decorations are already going up and soon Winter's chilly blast will be upon us. The flowers are spent and the vestiges of growth have been removed from the planters. The leaves are mostly down now and have been blown hither and yon by strong winds. There is a sparseness that comes at this time of year, between the Thanksgiving meal and the Christmas merriment, that makes me pause and think. I want my giving of thanks to continue beyond one day. I want every day to find me looking for moments of gratitude. Even when things are not going my way, or the way of those I love and care about, I want to be able to find something for which I can give thanks. It shouldn't be that hard for me. I live a life that is blessed beyond belief. So why is it that I sometimes forget to say,"Thank you," to the Lord who has given me so much, even though I don't deserve it? Like Paul, I find myself saying, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."  (Romans 7: 15) 

May having a thankful heart be a part of all I do in the coming year. 

Until Next Time,
Debbie

Linking With:
Marilyn's Treats

Friday, November 24, 2017

Wearing Gray As A Neutral

Monochromatic Styling With Gray


Now that I'm stuffed from eating Thanksgiving goodies, I'm looking for something slimming to wear.  So happy that I discovered that wearing monochromatic gray is a great way to accomplish this! I have discovered that wearing gray is as slimming as wearing black. And the color acts as a neutral so that accessories in an array of different colors can be added. I chose to wear my reddish color blanket scarf here for a great pop of color. 

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This monochromatic gray look works without pops of color, also. Here, I accessorized with a gray shoulder bag. The design on the Faded Glory brand sweater adds some nice interest to the look here since I'm not wearing a necklace or scarf. (Link shows similar sweater). By the way, that shoulder bag was a fantastic Goodwill find. It was brand new, still had the straps wrapped, never been used and.....it was priced $1....yes, you read that correctly! It pays to shop Goodwill, ladies!

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Simple silver disc earrings and my favorite silver/clear bead stretch bracelets complete the outfit. I love these bracelets and wear them so often because they go with most of my outfits. Because they are stretchy, they stay put and don't roll down over my wrist or up my arm like other bracelets do. In other words they don't bug me when I wear them. They are definitely my "go to" accessory!

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Even my Cassie Cat wanted to get in on the photo shoot when she heard I was styling a monochromatic gray outfit. After all, she knows a thing or two about wearing gray!! The pants I'm wearing are White Stag brand polyester pull on pants. They are very comfortable and because they have a stretch waist, there are no buttons to "pooch" out through the sweater. I make no apologies for wearing stretch waist pants! The booties I'm wearing are my absolute favorite booties of all time...my Skecher Go Walk Booties. I wear these booties so often. They are like wearing bedroom slippers! The only problem is they aren't water proof, so I don't wear them in the rain or deep snow. They are super warm, also. I bought them in black and plan to ask Santa (aka Mr.thisandthat) for a pair in brown for Christmas!

Pillow by Sharon displayed on debbiethisandthat.com
You may have noticed this gorgeous pillow in the first image of this post and I want to show you a close up. It was designed and created by my dear friend, Sharon, who is an amazing sewer of beautiful decor! She featured her creations in a craft show recently and I missed out on going as I was in West Virginia. I was lucky to be able to snatch this one up when I returned! I love the saying she sewed into the pillow. It reminds me of all the things I want to do in retirement. Be sure to follow Sharon's blog over at stitchingstoriesbysharon.blogspot.com.  

How did you enjoy your Thanksgiving? Are you a fan of wearing gray? Are you doing any shopping today? Hope you will take a moment to leave a comment. I love hearing from you!

Until Next Time,
Debbie

Monday, November 20, 2017

Keeping Thanksgiving Simple At Home

A Simple Thanksgiving At Home


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Hey Friends!  I'm back from my computer break spent visiting with my family. I've been in West Virginia for the last 8 days and am happy to be back home. Mr.thisandthat spoiled me by giving me a ride there and then picked me up a week later to bring me back home. I was able to sit in "luxury" and be chauffeured which I enjoyed to the utmost! Now that I'm back home, I'm thinking about how we will celebrate Thanksgiving and I thought I'd share. 



For many years, the Mr. and I would travel for every holiday to visit family in either West Virginia, Atlanta or even Chicago.  It was wonderful to see everyone and spend the holidays together, but it was also extremely tiring and even stressful. We would drive many hours, eat 2-3 holiday meals and arrive back home facing loads of laundry and a quick return to work. I would always stress over the possibility of bad weather and there were several trips where we did encounter snow. Two such trips stick in my memory. During one trip we awoke on our departure day to snow and ice. We decided to try to drive back, thinking the roads would improve as we went, and started out on I-77 only to have to turn around 30 minutes into travel and head back to my mother's house because it was so slick. On another trip, we were one hour away from Asheville when an unexpected ice storm hit and we had to pull over and get a hotel room for the night. The memory of inching along on the ice trying to get to an exit still fills me with trepidation. The fear of white knuckle rides ruined the joy of these trips and contributed to our decision several years ago to enjoy the holidays at home and leave family visits for other times during the year. While I always miss being physically with my family during the holidays, the decision to enjoy holidays at home was the right decision for us.


The thought occurs to me that there are others who may be staying home for the holidays apart from extended family and you might enjoy some hints on making the holidays merry and bright. So in my Monday post next week I'll be sharing some of those hints specific to Christmas with you. Since Thanksgiving is this week, however, I'll share a few hints now for that holiday.

Hints For A Simple Thanksgiving 
*By all means create a large meal if you wish but don't feel bad if you prefer to either eat out or order Thanksgiving takout. My husband and I have done both and have enjoyed not having cleanup to do at home.

*Thanksgiving meals don't have to be huge and they don't have to be turkey! While the tv shows and movies always show the huge family gathered around the table with a gigantic turkey in the middle, it's OK to branch out and try different foods. One memorable Thanksgiving 15 years ago we were moving into our present house and actually ate our Thanksgiving meal at Subway! While this wouldn't be my usual choice for the holiday, we certainly survived and we surely remember that Thanksgiving!!

*If you are serving a small amount of people such as 1-3 folks, consider investing in a smaller crockpot. I recently bought a small Crock Pot Slow Cooker and it is perfect for cooking for two! I've used it for two chicken breasts, soup and a small roast and it is fabulous! It doesn't take up lots of counter space and the removable crock cleans easily by either hand washing or in the dishwasher. 

*Above all, remember the focus of the day is being thankful. I like to focus on what I have rather than what I don't have. It's easy to get depressed if you are missing family or feeling left out without a large gathering. Making a list, either mentally or on paper, helps me to focus on the many, many blessings in my life. 


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How do you plan to spend Thanksgiving? How are you counting your blessings this year? I am so grateful to have each of you sharing time with me on my blog! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

Until Next Time,
Debbie

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Friday, November 10, 2017

A Message from Debbie


Hello, dear readers!  Just letting you know that I will be away from the computer for the next week spending some time with my family.  Have a blessed week and I will look forward to being with you all soon!

Until Next Time,
Debbie

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Facing Reality With Exercise

Coming To Terms

*I am not a member of the medical field or a fitness trainer. My writing, opinions and exercise routines are my own and are not to be construed as advice for others.
Don' t I Look Athletic?!
Today, I'm talking about my life-long battle with trying to exercise. If you are a die-hard exerciser who runs, goes to the gym regularly or can't understand why I would be writing a post about my exercise difficulties, then you may want to move on to another blog today. I'm not being rude. It's just that I've kinda had it with trying to live up to the world's fitness expectations and today I'm going to tell my side of the story. So here goes...

Hiking Down To The River
My love-hate relationship with exercise began in gym class in elementary school. To be honest, prior to elementary school, I loved playing outside and had no problem running around having fun, playing badminton and volleyball with my sisters and using my imagination with outdoor play. But, then came gym class, and my whole image of what exercise meant changed. Suddenly, I discovered that I wasn't "good" at gym. I couldn't run fast enough, jump the hurdles (they scared me to death as I knew I would trip over them and fall) or climb the ropes. I hated tumbling and was scared to put my head down and roll forward on the mat. I figured I might break my neck if I didn't make it all the way over. I was one of those "last choice" kids picked for team sports and was even called a "scaredy cat" by a gym teacher once because I wouldn't straddle the monkey bars and swing myself around like a propeller. (I ask you?!) All of these experiences only served to reinforce the idea I formed in my mind that I wasn't athletic. Gym day at school began to be my least favorite day and I could actually make myself sick worrying about what I would have to do that day in class. My poor mother and oldest sister tried to help me at home by running in the yard with me and even holding broomsticks up in our hallway for me to jump over. Sometimes, I got my courage together and jumped and other times I just couldn't bring myself to do it. And I always came away from these experiences feeling like a failure with exercise.

Walking Around Bear Lake
Somehow, I made it through my public school years of gym classes, graduated from High School and moved on to college. Great, I thought. No more gym classes to deal with now! Au contraire! I arrived at college in the late seventies, just when running as a sport was getting popular. All Freshman had to complete a running course for a gym credit and we were informed by the coach that our "goal" was to run a four minute mile by the end of the course. What?! I had never been a runner, didn't even own a decent pair of running shoes and now I was supposed to be able to run a four minute mile by the end of the semester? What planet did this professor/coach come from anyway? But, being the dutiful, perfectionist student that I have always been I actually bought into this crap and diligently tried to run. We had to keep track of our minutes spent running and turn them in as part of our grade. Well, long story short, I ended up with a really bad shin splint from doing all this running in the wrong kind of shoes. I'll never forget going to the school's health center and explaining to the nurse how my injury felt. She gave me a bit of wisdom that I have never forgotten when she said, "Not everybody is cut out for this type of exercise." Gee...you think?! But, at the time I was too young and naive to really internalize this truth. So, I just assumed, once again, that I was a big failure when it came to exercise. And, no, Debbie didn't run the four minute mile by the end of the course!

A Short Walk At The Golf Course
You might think that after graduating from college I could put all of this angst about exercise aside. After all, I was an adult now and could pretty much make my own exercise choices, right? Well....yes and no. You see, I fell in love with a guy who was (and is) handsome and loving and a hard worker and......a runner and hiker extraordinaire! The first date we went on, he spent most of the evening talking about his plans to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. He waxed poetic about trail info and maps and shelters he would stay in. I wondered if he realized the AT was, ummm, 2,200 miles long and would take him five months to hike? (Which he did understand since he did hike the entire trail from March-August of 1980!) Well, if I was gonna marry this guy I probably needed to be able to hike, right? I tried to like these loooong hikes, I really did, but I would get so tired! If I had a dollar for every time I heard, "our destination is just around the next corner" I would be a very rich woman, indeed! But, I valiantly tried to keep up with him and even joined the local hiking club with him when we first moved to Asheville. And there, just like in gym class in school, I always brought up the rear. I can remember the hiking club "sweep" always hanging back making sure that I was still with the group. To my husband's credit, he tried to match my pace, but it soon became apparent that the hiking club was not for me. 

Sitting And Taking In The Scenery
And so the years passed and I kept trying to find my exercise "niche." Jazzercise was really popular in the 90's and lots of my friends were taking the classes so I decided to give that a try. And I did like the dance part. But, it was always followed up by floor exercises. The whole thing last about an hour and a half and I was so exhausted by the time I got home that I ended up spending the rest of the evening on the sofa recuperating. Same with yoga class, which was supposed to relax and rejuvenate me. I kept hearing about how people would feel so "energized" after exercising. But, for me, these classes just wore me out. And, I was already exhausted after a day of teaching!

Thumbs Up For Short Hikes!
So, now I'm retired. And I figured that, finally, with all the job stress behind me, I would finally be able to find my exercise groove. Surely, each day of retirement would find me spending time in some type of fulfilling exercise adventure. Gym classes are all behind me now. I can do this. I am athletic. Now it's Debbie time, right? Well...... sort of. 

I'm gritting my teeth but happy after a 20 minute hike!

I keep reading about what exercise should consist of as you get older. How important it is to get 150 minutes of exercise per week. How strength training is important and how improved flexibility for older folks can keep them from falls. So, I tried to write my minutes of walking down and keep track of them on my calendar. But, I kept falling short of the 150 each week. So, you know, there goes that failure piece again! And I developed my own little calisthenics routine that I like to do. You know, 10 leg lifts, marching in place, gentle stretches that I can adapt as needed. And, I really liked doing that. But, it only consisted of about 5-10 minutes of exercise, so that's probably not doing anything for me, right? Cause, you know, if you exercise it needs to be for at least 30 minutes right? And you need to sweat! And when you're done your abs should be rock hard and your butt should look like you're 20 years old again, right?! Aarrgh! So, in a last ditch effort to prove to myself that I am athletic and can be an exercise guru, I decided to give yoga one more try. We have several places in town that teach yoga and the one I chose offers donation only classes, plus they offer lots of classes for beginners. I mean, I couldn't go wrong with a Beginning Yoga class, right?  Sigh...

Early Morning at Bear Lake RMNP
You know how lots of people swear that yoga helps them with their back aches? Well....I may be the only person around who gets a back ache from doing yoga....in a beginners class....yeah, my back hurts. It's that failure thing again. And I think I'm done with yoga class. 


With My Love at Alluvial Falls RMNP
So, I'm coming to terms. It's time to face the facts. And, I'm finding it's not such a terrible thing to admit at all. You see, I'm not athletic. And that's OK. Who cares? My husband still loves me and I still love him. (Even though he still thinks that hikes shouldn't be less than two hours!) But, we have adjusted over the years. He goes on long hikes by himself and we go on walks together. Or shorter hikes. Mostly level. That's the way I like them. My husband calls them,"Debbie approved hikes." Our friends have even started using that phrase! I've also discovered some things about exercise since I retired that work for me. For instance, I like 20 minute walks. I really do feel energized after a 20 minute walk in a way that I wouldn't feel if it turned into an hour long walk. And I really do like my little exercise routine that I do that takes me 5-10 minutes. And I guess I'll just have to live without rock hard abs and a butt that looks like I'm 20. I'm willing to sacrifice that! 

In all seriousness, though, I'm just tired of trying to be something that I'm really not. I think back often to what that college nurse said, "Not everyone is cut out for this type of exercise." I believe she was absolutely correct. I think back to my pre-elementary school days when I took great joy in just being outside, using my imagination and enjoying play. Somehow all of that got ruined and forgotten when I was "socialized" at school into society's idea of what doing exercise meant. I enjoy being in the great outdoors just sitting and watching nature, going for shorter walks and hikes, walking around lakes and doing gentle movement and stretches in short time amounts. And you know what? That's OK. It's OK that I'm not athletic. It's OK that I prefer reading over running, writing over sports and blogging over yoga. I've decided that being a fit fifty-something involves fitness in more ways than just physical. And for that realization, I am very grateful. Better late than never, right? And, hey....do you want to be on my team? 

Until Next Time,
Debbie

Linking With:

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

A Fall Themed Centerpiece

Fall Comes To The Dining Table


I decided to do a little re-arranging of my Fall decor and created this Fall centerpiece for our dining table. 

 
I had bought two of these chargers at A.C. Moore, thinking I would use them with our dinner plates. After looking at my plates on them, I decided I didn't like the look and went with using a charger for the centerpiece instead. Nothing like "Plan B," right?! I also decided the arrangement needed some height, so I added the gold ball bush sticks in behind the arrangement. The green candle in the midst of the pumpkins was the finishing touch. 


This isn't part of the centerpiece, but I found these cute dessert paper plates at Target and thought they would work well for a Fall dessert. Aren't they pretty?


I'm enjoying Fall decor as much as possible because I know that, very soon, I will be starting to put out Christmas decor. It's such a beautiful time of year, don't you think? 

Until Next Time,
Debbie

Monday, November 6, 2017

Styling A Favorite Sweatshirt

An Oldie But A Goodie


We all have those favorite pieces in our closets that we return to time and again. These favorites bring the "aahhh" factor when we put them on. They are so comfortable and just easy to wear. Such is the sweatshirt I'm going to share with you today. But, first, let's begin with what I wore underneath. This v-neck blouse was a thrift find I discovered over the summer. Purple is "my" color and I love the ties on the three quarter length sleeves. The ties give this blouse that "something extra" that caused me to give the blouse a second glance at the thrift store. 


As it was a cooler day, I wore my all-time favorite purple sweatshirt over the blouse. This was the first time I had paired this sweatshirt with this particular blouse. I usually wear a t-shirt or turtleneck underneath. It was a great combo that allowed me to pull off the sweatshirt when it got too warm and still have a dressier piece underneath. 


I have had this sweatshirt a very long time and love the embroidered flower design on the shirt. What goes around comes around, right? Embroidered clothing is back in style again so I'm glad this shirt wasn't put in my giveaway piles over the years.  Since I cut out the tags long ago I can't be 100% certain, but I believe it was one of the first Jaclyn Smith pieces that K-Mart sold and when I bought it, it came with a pair of purple stirrup pants which I no longer own. Remember stirrup pants? They are actually coming back into style. I saw some stirrup leggings recently in the "No Nonsense" brand. I always loved stirrups because they tucked into boots so neatly and your pants didn't "blouse" at the knees. So, I may be buying some stirrups to see if they still feel comfortable like they did years ago.  

I realize I don't have links to share with you as this outfit is both thrifted and something that I've owned for years. I do have some new pieces I'll be sharing with you soon. But, for now, go look in your own closet and see what "oldies but goodies" you have that make you say "aahhh" when you wear them. Have fun shopping your closet!

Until Next Time,
Debbie


Saturday, November 4, 2017

Saturday Scriptures: The Prayer That Never Fails

Thy Will Be Done


Most of you know that one of my favorite authors is Jan Karon, who writes the Mitford Series books. I recently was blessed to be able to meet Jan Karon in person. In her books, the main character, Father Tim, often will pray what he calls the "prayer that never fails." After pondering on that prayer through several books, I realized that this prayer must be, "Thy will be done."  It is a simple set of words that carries huge power. As humans, it is often difficult to know how to pray or what specifically to pray for in a situation. When I give my concerns to God, however, and simply ask that God's will be done, it takes the pressure off. The situation is in God's hands and I know that God will make the right call. Does this mean I always like "the right call?" Not at all. In the past some answers to prayer have meant losing someone I loved dearly through death, not being able to have a baby and moving when I really didn't want to do so. But, other answers have brought great joy to my life, such as choosing to marry my husband, going back to school to pursue new aspects of my career and choosing the right time to retire. In praying the "prayer that never fails" I feel that I am opening my spirit to listen for God's call and timing in my life, realizing that my life is truly in God's hands. 

There are those folks who will likely disagree that in praying the "prayer that never fails," the right thing will happen. And, please understand, I am not saying here that I believe that God makes bad things happen, because I don't believe that. But, as the King of the Universe, I do believe that God sees the big picture in my life and knows the future and all of the ins and outs that I cannot possibly see. I believe that God has power to weave my life, using all the joys and difficulties, into the beautiful tapestry that He has planned for me. And that is why I rely on the "prayer that never fails." 

Tell me, do you pray the prayer that never fails? 

"This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven..."
Matthew 6: 9-13 (NIV)

Blessings,
Debbie