Just a sample of Sam’s creativity behind the camera lens. She captured this during our photo field trip to the wildlife park today.

The caption she wanted to insert:

“I found Reindeer chocolate”.

Ho…Ho…Ho.

The weather in my neck of the woods:

It is a beautiful sunshiny day outside and I have been inside updating study guides for Spring semester. Will be heading into the beautiful day in about an hour to head to the big city to give the last Final Exam of Fall semester.

A simple pleasure:

Drinking my own homemade de-caffeinated sweet tea (three cups of sugar per gallon!!!!) in these (with the new lids!!).

I am thankful:

That I remembered to order tickets for the Nutcracker this weekend! I have been wanting to go for several years now – and now that I am “pulling back the throttle”….I am going this Sunday with my mother-in-law.

From the kitchen:

Made a yummy applewood bacon glazed porkloin this weekend. Thank you Sam’s Club for always making my meal prep easy and the results fantastic.

Creative Corner:

Working on:

• a secret birthday gift for my sister-in-law.

From the learning rooms:

Gotta love Florida Virtual School!!! We still have our time management issues but Sam is really stepping up to the new responsibilities. I am so proud of her. But…shhhhhhhh…it’s a secret.

I just finished reading:

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee. It was one of those “can’t put down” until I am finished books!!!

I am now reading:

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris. What with two excellent, thought provoking novels in a row, I definitely need something a little more lightweight.

On My Mind:

Getting everything ready for Spring Semester this week so I will have NOTHING work related to do for THREE weeks!!!!

Hearth and Home:

Enjoying the simplicity with which we are embracing the holidays this year.

I laugh:

Because another colleague implied that I may be a bit anal retentive!! Ya think??? Have you seen my FarmTown and FarmVille farms?????

Are you going beyond the speed limit? Have you committed to responsibilities that are beyond what is humanly possible? Perhaps you need to slow down before you get a ticket. A ticket that may state the following as your offense:

• Not giving what you love your full attention. You have been neglectful. Treating your loved ones and favored activities as items to be checked off a “To Do” list.Taking on “optional responsibilities” instead of saying “no”. Only giving enough of yourself to “get by”. Patching the holes left by your busyness.

For my faithful readers, you are well aware that each year I tackle the challenge of slowing down and re-prioritizing. This year has been no different. And I am finding that I am not alone in this quest.

This week’s In Other Words (hosted by Debbie at Heart Choices) quote about “busyness” was:

Jesus reminds us that our speech and actions reveal our true underlying beliefs, attitudes and motivations. Yet if we are Martha how are we able to hear Jesus? Does our relationship with Jesus demonstrate our love for Him or for others?

I read that good communication builds good relationships. Is it more convenient for you to text family and friends rather than taking the time to meet face to face and give all of yourself? Would you text Jesus if He had a cell phone?

Earlier this week I did two things to slow down. Instead of rushing home to continue checking off my “To Do” list, I took a few side roads on my way home from picking up flea meds for two of our children (can you guess which ones???).

First I stopped at a thrift shop to engage in one of my most favorite pastimes….working my way through old and used books. Because I “pulled back the throttle” I found these two treasures:

• Shelter for the Spirit: How to Make Your Home a Haven in a Hectic World by Victoria Moran. This was from this morning’s quiet time reading:

Many of us have been working more than we’d like, running more than we’d planned, and doing more than we ever though would be expected of us. We too often feel detached from the things we love most: our homes, our families, our solitary time. We instinctively know we need a deeper bond with home and hearth, but we have forgotten how to achieve and sustain that connection. Attempting it can seem overwhelming. It’s easier to focus on something else or be somewhere else.

• Keys to Happiness: A Reader’s Digest Guide to Successful Living, Copyright 1955. This is an excerpt from the very first essay written by T.E. Murphy:

For three months I have been asking friends and acquaintance how familiar they were with the greatest blueprint for a happy life that was ever drawn. Of couse they had all heard of this famous code of human relations. But not one of 70 persons questioned – most of them churchgoers – could quote a line of it.

The document they failed to remember was the Sermon on the Mount – the Magna Carta of Christian faith. Three months ago, I should have assumed that most persons knew something of what Jesus said in his most notable utterance. Now I am sure comparatively few people have any clear memory of either the words or their meaning. Yet, as recorded in St. Mathew, Chapters V to VII, the Sermon teaches not only the deepest spiritual truths but also practical techniques by which anyone may find health, success and tranquillity; peace of mind and peace of soul.

The second detour I made was following a sign I had never noticed before…even though the road I was on, I had traveled a gazillion times during the nine years we have lived in this area. I suppose I continually missed the sign due to going beyond the speed limit (lucky I didn’t get a ticket). The sign read:

• Citrus Springs Memorial Library (arrow pointing down a never traveled side road)

I followed the road and to my delicious surprise I came upon a very quaint building nestled on a few acres of woods. This library is not a part of the county system. It is run by volunteers and the books are donated by members of the community. They even checked books out the old-fashioned way…with a date stamp and your signature. It was the perfect place for a harried soul such as myself. Just the smell was like being hugged!!! The reward for “pulling back the throttle” and driving down a road never traveled was not the three books I found for my husband by an author that has been illusive in the county library system, but a moment to step back in time, breathe deep, and feel refreshed.

The one thing I changed this week to give the moments of my life more attention turned out to have God’s Thumbprints all over them. Just the act of slowing down prepared me to truly spend time with God and open my heart to hearing His words.

I like what Dennis Rainey says in Moments With You:

What cutbacks and other restrictions could you impose on yourselves that would make your lives dramatically more manageable three to six months from now? Start by finding one thing you’ll say no to.

Ask God to give you both the tenacity and the wisdom to build some margin into your lives and family.

I chose to say no to rushing home to a mountain full of laundry and a sink full of dishes and said yes to taking a new and different “slow” way home. How about you?????????

Related Article:

Preparing for Holiday Stress by Rick Nauert, PhD

The weather in my neck of the woods:

A beautiful sunshine filled day! Plan to re-pot a beautiful fushia geranium that is outside my back door.

A simple pleasure:

Listening to the lawn mowers rev up in the neighborhood. It sounds so retro to me. I expect to smell the lighting up of backyard grills any second now.

I am thankful:

That this is the last week of the Fall semester and finals week begins next week. I am most thankful for the fact that I am now the one administering the final and NOT the one agonizing over taking it!!!

From the kitchen:

Not much today, but plan on making Shepherd’s Pie tomorrow before heading out to class.

Creative Corner:

Working on:

• scrapbooking (I’m up to Christmas 2007/2008) I do Christmas in a separate album.

From the learning rooms:

Sam slacked off quite a bit last week due to the Thanksgiving festivities. Lots of catching up for her to do. I slacked off on my supervision also.

I just finished reading:

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. It was awesome!!! A lot of history about polygamy.

I am now reading:

Cobain Unseen by Charles Cross. I use Kurt Cobain as a case study in my Introduction to Psychology class when discussing Freud. I hope that reading this book with give my lecture a bit more substance.

On My Mind:

‘Winterizing’ the front and back gardens.

Hearth and Home:

Enjoying the simplicity with which we are embracing the holidays this year.

I laugh:

Because I have a wonderful husband who makes me laugh.

A Picture thought I’m sharing:

Miss Sam has put in a request for a professional camera of her own.

Increasing Life’s Quiet Moment: Beginning in December I will be posting on this topic quite regularly. Here is a post that may have a few suggestions on where you can start “pulling back the throttle”:

The Ten Essential Rules for Slowing Down and Enjoying Life More by Leo Babauta

Devotional/Scripture Readings/Key Verses

Psalm 26:12

My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the Lord.

Too often we complain about our problems to anyone who will listen and praise God only in private.

Instead, we ought to complain privately and praise God publicly.

Taken from The Life Application Study Bible

God works subtle miracles every day.

What subtle miracle has God worked in your life today? 

I made the decision this year to simplify the holidays even more than last year. Only two boxes of house decorations made it down from the attic and only glass ball ornaments are going to make their way onto the tree (of course that includes lights and garland). With the implementation of this decision, it only took me two hours to get the house festive and ready for the holidays.

As I finished lighting the tree lights and spreading the snow fake snow around the few decorations that say “Welcome Christmas” I took a deep sigh of relief that I stayed true to my decision to keep it simple this year.

It is my heart’s desire to bring that simplicity to the remainder of the holiday season and into the new year. My quiet time this morning appears to have God’s thumbprints all over that “resolution” as here are some excerpts from my morning “quiet time” readings:

From Pulling Weeds, Planting Seeds: Growing Character in Your Life and Family by Dennis Rainey

Spinning Plates and Broken People

Too many of us are like the man who used to come on the “Ed Sullivan Show” years ago and spin the plates. He would start at one end of a long table and place a stick perpendicular to the table then spin a plate on a stick. In consecutive order the plates would be placed on sticks and spun – two, three, four, five, six plates. On he would go . . . seven, eight, nine plates. By this time, plates two, three, and four were now beginning to wobble.

Similarly, the roles we assume in life…all represent different plates in our lives. We begin spinning them early in our married life, with plate number one being our marriage. Receiving our focused attention, the plate spins along merrily and does well. With the addition of plates number two (business life) and three (children), efforts to focus become more difficult. We keep adding plates until we finally step back from the table and see that two or three of the first plates are beginning to wobble badly.

We have to make choices. Decisions. Decisions based on priorities. Our family has needs, but we mistakenly choose to meet more material “needs” by applying our efforts primarily to our business.  The result: focus is lost, and important plates fall and shatter.

I am so thankful that I made the difficult decision to put away the plate of “counseling”. Not having this job has definitely taken away most all of our “disposable” income. However, “materialism is not what you have, but what has you”.

Dennis Rainey went on to say:

Being somewhat a selfish man myself, there is nothing I would love better than to have my dozen ego-stroking plates spinning in addition to my family plates.

 That’s what my counseling job had become. An ego-stroking plate.

Dennis Rainey goes on to state:

However, I am constantly directed by Jesus Christ to come to grips with my limits. I have been wrestled to the ground by Him on more than one occasion, and forced to answer the question, “How many plates can you keep spinning and still win? How much is enough?”

In their book Moments with You, Barbara and Dennis Rainey wrote a devotion for December 1st that nudged me into saying “enough is enough”. Here are is an excerpt:

I’m not suggesting that we all move into the woods and live off the land. But I am encouraging you to consider the benefits of pulling the throttle back just a notch and embrace a more contemplative lifestyle.

When you allow yourself time for creative solitude, you can see God at work and begin to rediscover life in all its richness. When you give yourself the necessary time and space to seek clarity, gain perspective and ponder decisions, you find more to savor, enjoy and appreciate.

As I reflect on these two different approaches to life – the rushed and the restful – I force myself to ask, How did Jesus live? Was He frantic or steady? Was He checking the sundial every few minutes wishing He could cut some time off His commute to the next city? Or was He able to stop and tend to the needs around Him?

During a recent photo field trip to the wildlife park, I found myself thinking about the decades that have gone by since I took the time to sit by a tree and indulge in “creative solitude”. It was that day in the park where I began to experience the thrill of a “contemplative life” and  I began to seriously consider “pulling the throttle back”. Allowing myself to explore the areas of my inner being that have been ignored due to the spinning of too many plates. Putting a stop to the wobbling of my family plates and providing a more stable spin to them.

Are you spinning too many plates? Are you feeling rushed instead of restful?

Here are two strategies that Dennis and Barbara Rainey suggest:

Find the one thing you can change in order to carve out more time to rest.

Ask the Lord to start you on a serious six-month quest toward a quieter heart.

Let simplicity begin with the holidays and by the time the new year begins it will be ingrained as a much treasured and fruitful habit.

I may have mentioned recently that my brother-in-law is a wizard in the kitchen. His latest “new” dish was served at Thanksgiving and of course I HAD to have the recipe. And I so HAD to share it with y’all.

Texas Caviar

2 cans “Bush’s” black eyed peas. Microwave 2 mins. Drain.

Add 1 (16 oz.) of “Ken’s Steakhouse” regular Italian dressing and let cool.

Add the following:

1 1/2 cups chopped white onions

1 1/2 cups chopped green bell peppers (you can use red/orange/yellow for more color)

1 cup chopped green onions

1 deseeded and chopped jalapeno pepper

1 small jar of drained pimentos

1 tbsp minced fresh garlic

Mix all together – let marinate in fridge 1-3 days.

Serve with Tostito Scoops.

Note: Some of the dressing can be drained prior to serving if desired. Publix also has all the ingredients already chopped up in the produce section (my choice).

What new dish did you discover this Thanksgiving? I would love to have the recipe!!

I love the day after Thanksgiving. Not because you will find me in line at Best Buy having spent the night in a tent. But because it finds me up in the attic bringing down all the Rubbermaid bins chock full of Christmas past.

I vowed that I wasn’t going to do it this year. We have been on the look out for a pre-lit/pre-decorated pink Christmas tree. However, as the weather cools and the Christmas music begins…I just can’t help but get into the merriment. Christmas has always been my favorite time of year.

As a start to the holidays I thought Kim from Ilax Studio had a great question for the day after Thanksgiving:

What do you think of those airblown holiday decorations that people put in their yards? Cute or tacky? Would you put one in your yard?

Personally, I don’t like them. I think they are very tacky – especially when all the air is out of them during the day. It’s depressing. Even when they are as cute as the Peanuts one I have featured on this post ~ I still don’t like them.

I like lawn ornaments for Christmas. Our family is one of the first ones to get in the car and tour the neighborhoods oooohhing and ahhhhing over all the festive homes. However I like them like this:

 

I’m old fashioned that way.

So how about you????? How will you be spending Black Friday and what are your thoughts about these blow up lawn ornaments?

Thanks to Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee for this holiday Random Dozen.

1.Are you sticking to traditional Thanksgiving foods this year, or are you being culinary adventurous? I am fortunate enough to have a brother-in-law that – although he doesn’t have a culinary degree – he should very much have the honor of being called a “Master Chef”. He makes our Thanksgiving memorable with his traditional dishes and a modern twist of Cajun Fried Turkey ~ everyone’s favorite! I will be bringing Pumpkin Dump Cake and Artichoke Dip…another twist on the traditional.

2. Tell me something concrete that you’re thankful for. (Something you can literally touch, see, etc., not a concept like “hope.”) I am thankful for my new Fiskar’s Deluxe Paper Trimmer. The one I have had for 14 years FINALLY gave up. It is amazing how much more efficient a new tool can be when scrapbooking to my heart’s content.I am also thankful that Hobby Lobby had a 40% off sale on them and there was one left with my name on it!

3. You knew the flip side was coming: Share about something intangible that you’re thankful for. I am thankful for a husband that ~ even though he swears he is NEVER going to do it again ~ straightens out my side of the covers before I come to bed at night.

4. Share one vivid Thanksgiving memory. It doesn’t have to be deep or meaningful, just something that remains etched in your memory. The last Thanksgiving that my father-in-law was with us. I will always remember him saying that I was like a daughter to him. This coming from a man of few words was like manna from heaven for me. I miss him.

 5. What is one thing that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt is going to happen this Thanksgiving because it always does, year after year? I eat too much.

6. Do your pets get any left-overs? Only the left-overs from our left-overs.

7.Does your family pray before the big meal? Who does the praying? My brother-in-law offers up a spontaneous prayer while we all stand in the kitchen waiting for that Amen Let’s Eat!!!!

8. Will you be watching football in the afternoon? If not, what will you be doing? Nope. Most likely supervising the kids on the trampoline/the jump house/golf cart. And after that….taking a nap!!!

9. There are two distinct camps of people on this issue: How do you feel about oysters in the dressing/stuffing? EEEEEWWWWWWWW!!!

10. Do you consider yourself informed about the first Thanksgiving? Yes. Here is a quote from Barbara Rainey that I like from the book Moments with You:

“I like the contented way the Pilgrims approached life. They did not allow their feelings or circumstances to determine whether or not they would exercise gratitude and thanksgiving. They believed that God was in control – “providence” they called it. Following this belief to its logical conclusion, they responded to challenges with a perspective3 that said, “God has allowed this for good.” They chose to believe – rightly so – that their dependence on a holy, faithful God was well placed and that even though much was against them, there was always much more for which to be grateful.”

11. Which variety of pie will you be enjoying? None. I have been forever spoiled by my mother’s pies. She makes the most awesome apple/pumpkin/cherry pies!!! No other pies measure up so I will be content to eat my Pumpkin Dump Cake.

12. Do you feel for the turkey?? (This is a humorous throw back question related to the 12th question in another Random Dozen!) That would be a no.

Every morning I read from four books:

• The Life Application Study Bible
• God’s Purpose for Every Woman
• Moments with You
• The Right Words at the Right Time

There is ALWAYS something in each of these phenomenal books that makes it’s way into my heart on a daily basis and settles in. That is why when I read the quote for this week’s In Other Words, I knew my post would reflect the inspiration found in my daily readings.

At present I am reading Judges. However, I have made it a habit to read one chapter from whatever book of the bible I am on and a verse from Psalms. I read somewhere that within every Psalm is a verse that becomes a prayer of gratitude. Short, simple ways to say “Thank You Lord”. Here are some of my favorite expressions of gratitude from Psalms:

• “Blessed are all who take refuge in him”….Thank You Lord
• “You are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.”…Thank You Lord
• “You have filled my heart with greater joy”…Thank You Lord
• The Lord has heard my cry for mercy, the Lord accepts my prayer.”…Thank You Lord
• The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”….Thank You Lord
• The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation and stronghold.”…Thank You Lord 

I have a heart of gratitude that I have God’s promise that He will guide me along the best pathway for my life and will advise me and watch over me (paraphrase Psalm 32:8)

This morning I read “The Ministry of Interruptions” by Glynnis Whitwer in the book God’s Purpose for Every Woman. Please interrupt your reading of this blog to read the devotion…for I am so guilty of what Glynnis writes about. Truly an area that God is working with me on.

I think we can all:

• slow down for those that ask for our attention
• choose welcoming words for those that interrupt our ‘to do’ list
• consciously eliminate rushing form our lives so we won’t miss something on God’s “to do” list

I have a heart of gratitude that there are interruptions in my life and people who desire my attention. I pray that I can be the person that will listen, have a heart that will pray, be a shoulder that can be leaned on, and live a life that can be watched (paraphrase Renee Swope) without them saying “pardon the interruption”.

Barbara Rainey wrote in Moments with You for November 23rd:

“Being grateful is a choice that we readily and ritually express on Thanksgiving Day. But what do we do on other days of the year when the mood is less festive or the atmosphere is more ordinary?”

She asks that we:

“Make the choice today to take your eyes off yourself and your circumstances, gratefully acknowledging who God is and what He is doing. Deny yourself the right to complain, embracing instead the deep-seated joy of thanksgiving…in all things.”

Make a list together with your family of some things you need to be grateful for right now.

I have a heart of gratitude that I am 24/7 “deeply dependent on God for all I have or hope to have” (paraphrase John Piper).

Although I have never been a big fan of Hilary Clinton, I have enjoyed many of her writing endeavors. Recently I read an essay by her in The Right Words at the Right Time:

“In times of crisis we need to work hard to remember the gift of life and take stock of the goodness around us. I like to think of adversity as a test of our capacity for love and forgiveness.

Being grateful for what we have is often our greatest balm.”

I have a heart of gratitude knowing that I have been blessed beyond belief in terms of family. They are my “balm” in times of trying circumstances. “There is nothing more powerful on Earth than family…truly nothing compares to the strength of being tightly wrapped in the protective fiber of family. It’s who you are. It’s where you belong.” Dennis Rainey

And so….even though I have written many words regarding the essence of gratitude. It’s not that I write these words…it’s that I make a choice to live these words.

Gratitude is a choice.

Make it daily.

 Thanks to Tami of The Next Step for hosting this week’s In Other Words.

Spent the week decompressing from two and a half years spent in the role of Mental Health Counselor. You don’t realize how much you can be consumed by something until you have the strength to walk away from it.

I immersed myself in:

• family
• scrapbooking
• reading
• yard work
• going to the movies (The Blind Side was wonderful!!)

and taking a photo or two:

Plans for today:

• plant some Amaryllis bulbs my mother-in-law graciously dug up from her yard to give to me

That’s about it until it’s time to go teach in the big city later this afternoon/evening.