Let's All Try to Remember...

Click to Enlarge

As we begin preparing for this busy season - shopping, presents, the tree, decorating, baking, cooking, parties, guests and so much more...Let's really think about what Christmas REALLY Means!

I hope you enjoy the days leading up to Christmas and all year through!

Hugs & Blessings,
Jan & the PuppyKids

Thanksgiving Blessings to All of You...

I am thankful for so many things, including:

*my health

*my weight loss

*the PuppyKids

*my home

*food on my table

*all of you, who read my blog

Blessings & Have a wonderful day!

Jesus Re-Defines Lost

Big Point: The father had two sons and both were lost. 

When we think of someone being lost, the prodigal son really makes sense to us; after all, he physically left his childhood home in search of what he thought would be a better life. But, as we’ve discussed this week through this parable, Jesus wants us to also understand another, more insidious type of lostness. Tim Keller calls this “elder brother lostness” that brings “as much misery and...
grief into the world as the other kind”. Why? Because it leads to the enslavement of feeling you are owed more than you are getting.

If that’s what we believe, then in addition to anger, there will be other signs of elder brother lostness: self-righteousness, feelings of superiority, criticism of others, joyless obedience (often for the sake of duty), moral for our own benefit, and living for ourselves. The truth is that this life reflects no real assurance of the Father’s love and “as long as you are trying to earn your salvation by controlling God through goodness, you will never be sure you are good enough.” We remain enslaved, working hard for ourselves, while seeing it as working hard for good.

To live as a son and daughter is living from God, not for God. This is a shift in how most of us think. It moves us from a scarcity mindset that says, “There’s not enough for everyone; work harder to be good enough” for God, to an abundance mindset that instead says, from God “there is plenty, more than enough for everyone.” 

READ IT… What does the Bible say?

Luke 15:29-32 (New Living Translation)

²⁹ but he replied, “All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. ³⁰Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!” ³¹ His father said to him, “Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours^. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!”

Question: What are the first words the son says to the father?

Answer: 

BELIEVE IT… What is the lesson for me?

Was the son a slave to the father? Why or why not? 

LIVE IT… What will I do now?

How do you respond when your loyalty and hard work is seemingly overlooked with recognition and celebration for someone else? 

In what ways do you feel enslaved to doing good because you should, rather than because you are living from the Father? 

PRAY… Use these words: God, it’s likely that I have some elder brother lostness in my heart that I don’t even notice. Reveal the ways I’m trying to be a slave to You rather than a slave for You, experiencing the freedom of Your love. Amen.

I Love the Holidays...

Years ago, when my 2 boys were little, it was me who did all of the Holiday cooking and baking.  I hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner at my home.  Most times there were between 20 and 30 people who came to dinner - almost all family.  I was 5 months pregnant the first Thanksgiving Day and still having morning sickness.  I cleaned, cooked and did...
everything I could a little at a time.  I was proud of how everything looked and tasted and was all ready at the same time!!  I had just turned 20 the month before.

After my first marriage broke up and we divorced, and the boys got older and went their own way...there was the occasional dinner out with the boys...or with a friend...or dinner at the Moose Club with my mother and her husband...and the rest of the family.  [there was always alot of drama surrounding these "special occasion dinners" spent with my family - so they weren't always alot of fun]    

There were Holidays spent with a special guy, a friend or 2, but mostly I spent Thanksgiving by myself.  I'm not complaining about that...it was fine with me.  I would have pizza and decorate my apartment for Christmas.  I would get alot done, because no one stopped over or called that day!

I remember one Holiday [I think Christmas] when my oldest son invited me to dinner at his place.  He did alot of cooking and baking and we had a wonderful dinner and a great time.

There was a Thanksgiving, right after I moved to Rutledge, TN, back in 2003.  I moved into a mobile home, owned by the Pastor and his family...on their road.  Boy it needed alot of work...which I gladly did, to make it home.  But, if I hadn't planned well for Thanksgiving, bought goodies for me to cook, bake and eat, I wouldn't have had anything in the house...and would have gone hungry, since everyone forgot about me, when it came to that day.  That was probably the "worst" best Thanksgiving ever.  I decorated my home...but felt alone.

Holiday dinners have been virtually non-existant for years now...and I had thoughts of inviting a few people for dinner at my house.  Well, the people I know all have family and have plans.  And since injuring my knee almost 2 weeks ago, it's not totally better and it would be too difficult for me to even consider making Thanksgiving Dinner for several people now...so that is a good thing that my friends have plans.

Have you ever found yourself alone for a Holiday...for a special dinner?  What did you do to make it special?  Were you able to secure an invitation from someone to go to their house?  How did you handle that, if you did?  How did that work out for you?

I did ask one "friend" if she had room for one more and I promised to bring a couple of dishes to help her out, if she would have room for me.  She said very politely and apologetically that she didn't have the space.  I know what her house is like and with the number of people she said were coming, I know she was probably overloaded already!!  I said, thanks...maybe some other time.

So, this Thanksgiving...on my own again, I'm making a few of my favorite things.  I'm making...

Chicken Divan

Stove-Top Stuffing

AuGratin Potatoes 

Pocket Pies - Cherry & Apple

and

Biscuits in the shape of Turkey Legs for the Pups

In between cooking, baking and eating, the Pups and I will enjoy some together time snuggling in front of the TV...watching Christmas movies.  I'll also put up the few Christmas items I have for decorating my home.  After last Christmas, the small Christmas tree we had, fell apart and this years was the year to start over with some new Christmas Stuff.  But, I can't physically and really don't want to go shopping for any of it.  LOL!!!  A woman who hates to shop!!  That's me!!

I sincerely hope that you have the Thanksgiving of your Dreams.  Stay safe, warm and be well. 

The Christmas Shepherd

I watched a movie the other day...a Christmas Movie on the Hallmark Channel...and I loved it.  It's now my 2nd Favorite Christmas Movie!  It's called the Christmas Shepherd.  It's a wonderful movie for the entire family.  If you get a chance, watch it...and enjoy.  Sally Brown, a children’s book author and
illustrator lives in a small Massachusetts town where she and her late husband, an Army vet,settled with Buddy, a German Shepherd he found while serving overseas. She is devastated...

though, when her beloved Buddy runs away during a thunderstorm and ends up in an animal shelter miles from home. Mark Green and his teenage daughter, Emma themselves struggling to put their lives back together after losing his wife and her mother three years ago, end up adopting the dog, who wins their hearts and heals their souls. But Sally’s journey to find Buddy eventually connects her to Mark and Emma, who must decide if they want to give up a pet who has helped make their lives whole again – and Sally has to decide if she wants to separate him from this loving pair. But wherever Buddy goes, love follows, helping to bring everyone the greatest Christmas present possible.

Still, my #1 Favorite Christmas Movie is

One Special Night

Which you can read about HERE...

Believe Santa Jar

Barb Garrett atThe Everyday Home

Shows you how easy it is to make this for yourself and others!  Stop by for instructions.

My Favorite Etsy Shop

Do you have a Favorite Shop?  Is it a real storefront shop or an on-line shop?  My Favorite Shop happens to be on Etsy.  I shop there alot.  I love Celestina's from CelestinaMarieDesign, beautifully painted creations...because they are done in my colors and have her signature roses on them.  There's a link to her shop at the end of this post and I recommend you stop by and take a peek at her shop.  One such item I just couldn't be without was this pretty, handpainted sign.  I had just the spot for it.  It would  not only look very pretty, co-ordinating with...

items around it, but it would help me hide some unsightly cords.  Don't you just despise those unsightly cords?

This is how she described it in her shop...Just for you and your shabby cottage home is my wood with VINTAGE word and roses shabby wall sign.  Words are stenciled in place with charcoal dark grey for a softer style on an ivory shade of chalk paint for the background.  Light aqua with distress graces the routed sides and back.  My hand painted signature roses grace both sides trailing around and into the letters.  Light distress all around with shading and highlights around the roses.  Sealed in a satin finish to protect the design.  Measures 24" long by 6" wide and 1" thick.  Saw tooth hangers added to the back side for ready display. 

After all that, I knew it had to be in my home!

Here are a few pictures of where I put the sign and how wonderful it looks there.

I'm so happy with this sign - just like all of the other "pretties" I've gotten from Celestina's shop over the years.  She's a wonderful creator and painter and a most cherished friend.  Stop by and see her.

CelestinaMarieDesign 

Enjoy your day!

Chocolate Caramel Tarts

Jamie from Baking Addiciton shares this Recipe on her blog.

How to Paint a Laminate Kitchen Table

You will find the Best tutorialfrom Christie...for painting and sealing any table and chairs, including a Laminate Kitchen Table...Here

Pentatonix Sings Mary, Did You Know?

This group is one of my Favorites...and has been for a while now. They're just wonderful and do a fine job performing this beloved Christmas Song. I just thought I'd share it.

Time Flies - One Year Since Last Vacation

My goodness, how time has flown by - this year is a blur!  And, the things that have changed around here...is remarkable!  Last year at this time, my family [hubby and the pups & I] were on our semi-annual vacation in Michigan.  You can read about it in This Post.  While it was cold last year at this time...it is warm here this year.  We're about to set a...

warm temperature record over the next couple of days!  Yesterday was 72°.

Here are some of the photos from last years' vacation in Baroda, Michigan...near the beach.

NO PIX HERE...They were from the website where we stayed...and it is no longer in business. 

The 3 Pups, Jasper, Angel & Rosie certainly enjoyed themselves - a new place to check out, people to meet, steps to run up and down...and a few resident dogs of the property too.

I haven't been able to take a vacation this year at all.  I've spent money on other things...like re-painting the interior of the house...which I'm doing by myself...and saving a ton of money.  And that's a good thing, since the Pups and I are trying to save money.

Hubby is no longer in the picture.  He left on April 3 this year and moved in with his oldest son and his family.  It was all quite a shock, because he never mentioned the idea of leaving me.  Due to him being incommunicado, I haven't spoken to him since the day he left.  He doesn't write, text, call or answer emails.  I am out-of-the-loop. 

There have been good and bad days, due to all the changes.  But, the good have far outweighed the bad.  Now, don't take me wrong...I have not suffered any illnesses and neither have the dogs in the past 7 months.  I've not suffered abuse at the hands of my hubby...be it mental, verbal or physical abuse.  I haven't felt afraid.  I haven't felt frozen.  I haven't felt helpless or hopeless.  I haven't felt defeated.  At the time I was experiencing the mis-treatment, I didn't realize that I felt those things.  It was a gradual thing...over a period of about 7 years...where hubby changed, due to what we both think was onset of Alzheimer's.  That really changes people.

In the past 7 months, I've lost 62 pounds.  I've gotten physically and emotionally stronger.  I've done things that a year ago, I was afraid to even try to do [like climbing a ladder to paint].  I felt weak then, which limited the things I felt I could do around the house, with the dogs and just stopped doing them!

Not any more.

God has been by my side...guiding me...pushing me...waiting for me...loving me...blessing me...filling me with His peace...and so much more.

And my friends...I've been blessed by all of you as well.

I will be away from blogging regularly for a little while longer, while I finish painting the last rooms of my house.  Hopefully, I will be finished sooner, rather than later.  My goal is to be done the week before Thanksgiving, not that I have anything big planned...it's just the time I selected to finish.

But, I'll be around.