Neutral autumn touches and a bit of "gray day" indoor photography practice...

We're in that time of the year when indoor photography is even more challenging than normal,

especially on the gray and rainy days like today.

The entry hallway is especially challenging to capture.

So, I got out my tripod and practiced a bit.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again, right?

The dining room is a lot easier to photograph with its large window and patio doors.

I love adding neutral colored autumn touches here and there around the house,

with just a few pops of autumn oranges, reds and yellows.

I'll show you later this week my new favorite bit of autumn color that I added to the living room.

still following,

              

Giving thanks when it's hard...

It's been a lovely weekend after a very rainy week.

I think we're sometimes hesitant to be honest and admit that it's easier to give thanks when the weather is to our liking, or to be exact, when our life circumstances are to our liking.

The words of Habakkuk in chapter three amaze me,

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
    and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
    and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
    and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
    I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!"

I don't think Habakkuk's words are a natural response of the flesh,

but a supernatural response of the spirit.

The mind and emotions may kick and scream that life isn't fair, 

may want to do anything but rejoice, 

may want to do anything but choose to be thankful, 

but once your will makes a choice I believe the Holy Spirit helps you, 

helps me, to do the impossible...

to actually praise and thank God in the middle of our rainy day, 

in the middle of our messy circumstances, 

even in the middle of our heartache.

So, I'm going to be honest with God and tell Him when it's hard to give thanks,

when it's hard to rejoice,

and ask for His help.

-help to see the blessings in my life through the rain, when things aren't going my way

-help to trust and know that He is in control no matter what

-help to remember that He will never leave me helpless or relax His hold on me

And so, I've made my choice,

 I will give thanks, I will count my blessings, I will rejoice,

even on the rainy days, 

even in the middle of messy circumstances,

even in the middle of heartache.

**************

In 2012 I followed the prompts in Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare in counting my thanks.

In 2013 I'm going back to the way I did it in the beginning,

just noticing and recording the many extraordinary blessings in my ordinary life.

And so I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal.

(and capturing some of them via my camera or iPhone)

#3841-#3867

9-30-13-

-a slow morning after a busy weekend

-texts and facebook messages about how good retreat was

-white pumpkins

-candles glowing

-hot tea in a favorite cup

-Handel's Messiah playing in the background

10-1-13-

-October!

-the sound of rain on the roof

-laughing with my friend when we got caught in a huge downpour as we were going into the Olive Garden for lunch

-hot soup with salad and breadsticks, the perfect lunch on a rainy day

-a fun day with no agenda, just what I needed

10-2-13-

-talking on the phone with my big sister

-a hair cut and color 

-loving texts from the Hubs

-dinner with our dear friend from Ghana, Bishop F.

10-3-13-

-four year old granddaughter having a sleepover with us

-having coffee with our church's Mom2Mom group

-going to our church's prayer night in spite of not feeling well, and being glad I did

10-4-13-

-taking a nap-fighting off a cold

-an open house at our daughter's for our Ghanaian friend, Bishop F.

-a beautiful day after a rainy week

10-5-13-

-spending the day with our two oldest grands

-them going on a run with me

-making one of our family's favorite dishes for Bishop F. and our daughter and her family

-our church leaders and Bishop F. praying together for America

10-6-13-

-Bishop's message to our church about having a harvest mindset

-all our kids and grandkids together for Sunday dinner

-God's help to give thanks in all things

gratefully yours,

Galatians 3:13...

According to the Scripture anyone who was hung on a tree was cursed.

Jesus took our curse for us when He died on the cross. 

The following verse says He then blessed us with the same blessings He gave Abraham.

Blessing instead of curses...now that's a wonderful trade!

still following, 

Friday's Faves....Autumn Wreath

I made this wreath a few years back,and, let's just say, we've been through a lot together.

It's was just an expensive grapevine wreath with some faux foliage clipped off of Walmart and Dollar Tree fall picks, then hot glued on here and there willy nilly.

I purposely let the grapevine show through here and there.

Then I just tied it to our door knocker with some twine.

After the great fall wreath disaster of two years ago, well, I'm doing things the easy way now!

It's almost Friday, friends!

Have a HAPPY, HAPPY Friday

and 

a BLESSED weekend!

                  

                                                      

                              

              Also linking to Jennifer Rizzo's Fabulously Creative Friday

I am from...

I am from the fertile green valley that the pioneers longed for,

from tall forests of Douglas firs

and rolling hills covered with crops,

from Saturday drives to splash in the Pacific in the summer

and tobogganing in the snow on Mt. Hood in the winter.

I'm from wild blackberries made into crisps and the bounty from local rivers and lakes frying in the pan.

I am from Saturday night baths and soft, flannel homemade pajamas.

From line-dried white sheets that smelled of the breeze and heavy, handmade quilts tucked up tight under my chin to keep the cold out.

I'm from an old wooden table crowded round with brothers and sisters, 

from hearty bowls of Mama's home cooked pinto beans and ham hock with crusty cornbread split wide open and smeared with yellow margarine.

I'm from powdered milk when times got tough and brown paper sack lunches that always held homemade cookies.

I'm from small town America with one main street that divided east and west,

from knowing all your neighbors,

from playing outdoors morning to night,

from jump rope jingles and sidewalk roller skates,

from groups of neighbor kids running free and unafraid,

from fishing and swimming in the river

and walking to the variety store for tiny paper sacks of penny candy.

I'm from plain little churches with hard wooden benches.

From tinny sounding pianos and singing four part harmony out of the old red hymnal called Melodies of Praise.

I'm from flannel graph Sunday School lessons

and preaching about the Second Coming

and kneeling at the altar crying tears of repentance.

I'm from Jesus People and Barry Maguire and Maranatha and the One Way sign.

I'm from the Living Bible and the Holy Ghost

and summer camp meeting and Sunday night Christ's Ambassadors.

I'm from hearing the fighting,

feeling the tension,

and daddy saying he was leaving us all.

I'm from Sunday afternoon visitation

and Mama working

and us kids watching out for each other

and a church that loved us to wholeness.

I'm from stiff, lacy dresses and patent leather shoes,

from Shirley Temple movies and wishing I was her,

and tap, tap, tapping away on the linoleum floor in those black patent shoes

leaving scuff marks as I danced.

I'm from bell bottoms and earth shoes and peasant blouses.

I'm from shoulder pads and big hair.

I'm from bell bottoms revisited and, oh my, I'm from skinny jeans.

I am from friendships I've had and the books that I've read, 

both the good and the bad, have shaped me.

I'm from the women that mentored me and the ones I now mentor

and the eternal relationships with my sisters in Christ.

I'm from marrying young and growing up together.

From three little girls who made me a mom.

I'm from praying and asking and begging for wisdom to help mold little hearts and lives into lovers of God.

I'm from fighting and making up and loving and forgiving.

I'm from weddings and empty arms and years of praying for a broken hearted daughter.

I'm from surprises, God miracles, and disappointments and heart aches.

I'm from hospital rooms where miracles were birthed and empty arms were made full

 and I'm from judge's chambers where adoptions were finalized.

I'm from listening to heartache and being their mama and wishing I could hurt instead of them.

I'm from sharing their joys and it really is true that the greatest joy of all is seeing them loving God and walking in truth.

I'm from small little churches with parsonages next door

from making them home with no money to spare.

I'm from loving the people and filling the gaps and stretching to meet all the needs.

I'm from sharing the heartaches and bearing the burdens and salvations and baptisms and weddings and funerals.

I'm from hearing their pain and praying them whole and breaking the bread and drinking the cup.

I'm from loving the call and hating the call and hanging on anyway and believing that if you don't quit, you win.

I'm from the heart of the Father who wanted a daughter

and planned me right down to the last little freckle.

I'm from the love of the Trinity who wanted a family to share in the love fest they'd enjoyed for forever.

I'm from the family of God that started with Adam and will one day be complete with the last one to call Jesus, Lord.

I'm from eyes peeled toward heaven, and wondering when, and longing for the day of His appearing.

I'm from homesick for heaven while walking this earth and knowing where my true citizenship lies.

I'm from the family of God from every tribe and tongue, the beautiful, colorful, family of God.

(I first read Kelli Woodford's beautiful I Am From post and wanted to try my hand at writing my own.

I could have gone on and on in the writing, so much has shaped my life, but this is what I have for now.)

still following,

     

It's the little things...white pumpkins, candlelight, hot tea in a cute cup...

It was just an innocent trip to the store to buy what was on my list,

but, they had white pumpkins and since not every store has white pumpkins, 

I just had to add one to my grocery cart.

And then, Ross was right there next to the store, so I popped in for an innocent look around.

It was so rainy and gloomy outside that a new candle seemed like a necessity.

Then I came home, set out my pumpkin, lit my candle and made myself some hot tea.

And, as if by magic, the sun came out!

It didn't last long before another rain shower came, but the sunshine was nice while it lasted.

We had over six inches of rain in September when the average is about an inch and a half.

Most of the rainfall has occured in the last four days, as a storm out in the Pacific dumped water here in western Oregon and Washington.

These are the kind of days that give Portland a bad rap about always being wet and rainy.

In truth, we had an unusually dry spring and summer.

Looks like September was trying to make up for that.

But, these little things cheered up my rainy Monday!

still following,

              

Practical ways to make the rest of my life the best of my life...

I don't think of my age all that much.

I don't feel fifty six.

At least, not most of the time.

When I'm out on my run I think of my age with pride and gratitude.

I'm fifty six and I can run.

Thank God!

I've been a walker for over twenty years,

but it wasn't until age fifty five that I decided to celebrate my double fives by running a 5K.

I've been running ever since! 

I try to walk a half mile, run two miles, then cool down by walking another half mile or so.

Sometimes the enemy tries to use my age against me.

He tempts me to begin to fear and worry when I remember that sixty is only four years away.

What about this, what if that?

 He most certainly likes to get me to fret.

He most certainly does not like me to trust God and to have a mind that is at rest and filled with peace.

I notice my age when I first wake up.

My legs and feet are a bit stiff, a bit achey, especially on that first trip down the stairs to the kitchen.

And that first look in the mirror without make-up, why there's my mama looking back at me!

Growing older is inevitable.

But, I refuse to be a cranky, joyless, anxiety filled old lady.

 I am determined to make the rest of my life, the best of my life!

Here are some things that I am trying to do to help make my days the best.

1) Stay spiritually fit.

By reading, meditating on and heeding God's Word.

By communicating with God continually through prayer.

By staying free of offenses, unforgiveness and bitterness.

By keeping my heart soft, yielded, pliable and obedient to God.

By loving and serving others.

By staying involved and active in my local church.

By mentoring others.

2) Stay mentally fit.

Don't be mentally lazy and slothful.

Learn new things.

(I've been learning photography the last couple of years. 

 I'm hoping to learn to knit this year.)

Read good books.

Keep writing.

Keep creating.

3) Stay physically fit.

Exercise at least 5 days a week.

Eat right. 

Drink lots of water.

Moisturizer is my friend! 

(Take good care of my skin.)

Keep up with regular doctor visits and exams.

4) Stay emotionally fit.

Let the Spirit of God in me rule over my emotions.

Let the peace of God rule my mind and heart.

Don't give in to stress, fear, worry and anxiety.

Keep my thoughts centered on the truth found in God's Word.

5) Stay socially fit.

Get together with old friends.

Make new friends.

Mix it up!  Hang out with people older and younger than myself, as well as those my age.

Have people over to our home...practice hospitality.

Stay young by being around my children and grandchildren.

6) Keep having goals and dreams to reach for.

(If there's nothing to look forward to achieving, life feels purposeless.)

Keep asking God to show me His purpose for this time in my life.

These are just a few practical ways I want to live so that I make the most of each day God gives me.

I'd love for you to comment and tell me how you are coping with aging

 and practical ways you are making the most of this time in your life.

still following,