A couple good books and some thoughts

Hello, friends!
No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth- I have just been busy, busy, busy... still.  :-)

This is such a blissful (albeit sometimes stressful) season...  I love the colors, the lights, the parties, the goodies, the new cool weather....  I don't know- maybe it has especial glamour for me because my birthday is three days before Christmas on top of everything :-)

In honor of the season, I got this book from the library and quickly consumed it within a day or so...

It was wonderful- didn't expect that I would want to cry over a story that I have heard so many times before but the novelization in this  book made it all so real to me...


Another wonderful book is

It tells the story of the nativity from a completely different perspective- a literally heavenly one.
Read a little taste of it here!

Anyway...  as I've been listening to the carols on the radio- old and new- the reminder of what God  has done for us... the why behind Christmas has been resounding in my heart...
To think- Immanuel "God with us"- God in the flesh!

Wanted to share this with you all as tomorrow is the first day of December (eek! YAY!) and it is also the first day to start this:

Daily Scripture Reading for December

(Sorry the photo is so pixelated!)

The reading consists of different passages of scripture to read everyday, starting December 1 all the way up until Christmas Eve, to prepare our hearts for Christmas and to help us focus on who Jesus is, and what He did for us 2,000 years ago...  it looks wonderful!  I think I may have to do it :-)

Have a blessed day...

~Amy

Happy Belated Thanksgiving :-)

Yep- the title says it all....   we were very busy this week as my cousins from up north came down for a visit and stayed through Thanksgiving Day- they left yesterday morning. 

We had a blast.

Thanksgiving was at my grandparents' and uncle's ranch so not only was there food but there were also games of "Link Tag" and music... 

I can't think about it- I may go melancholy because I miss 'em so much already...

I actually went to the Black Friday sale at Kohl's yesterday around 9 am and it worked out pretty well!  Daddy got in line while Melody and I picked up what we wanted (which they had everything by the way- go figure!) , slipped back in line, and got out of there probably within an hour I'd say!

It was fun- hoping to get out some Christmas decorations today...

How was your Thanksgiving?  Are you decorating for Christmas yet?

Have a fabulous day!

I tell you the truth...

Source: etsy.com via Amy on Pinterest

Busy, Busy, Busy...

No, I didn't post yesterday- I'm sorry :-)

I feel so busy... been making treats for our upcoming "Thankful" Party:

Remember I posted these a few weeks ago?

Pumpkin Cookies

I made them- they are delicious!  I still need to ice them but even without icing they are wonderful :-)

These are just downright awesome!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with cream cheese icing- Eeeek!  I love them...

Already made the dough for Ginger Snaps... Hoping to bake them today...

Anyway... have you been making any yummy treats for fall recently?

How's your Thanksgiving menu going... I need to get ours started!  :-)

Are you black and white?

Some issues people like to "beat around the bush" so to speak...  they don't believe that there is any black and white- every situation is different...  such controversial issues as

abortion.

That word is a hot button to so many people- you wouldn't believe it.  You wouldn't believe maybe even how some of your friends feel about it because nobody likes to talk about it... why?  Because it can be a down right painful topic- especially for people who are Pro-Choice (or pro-death is more like it).  They usually have had some sort of experience with abortion (they had one, their friend, girlfriend, sister, mom... etc..) and suffer from the unhealed wound of sin.  The Word of God is written on their hearts to tell them it is wrong- that is why no one wants to talk about it- they know that it is wrong but they are trying to brainwash themselves to think otherwise.  

Are you black and white?  Do you know that abortion is murder?  That a "fetus" in the womb is in fact a living baby that already has a soul and feelings?

I do.

Ray Comfort made a documentary this year regarding this subject- it should help you to determine a black and white stance if you do not already have one...

***WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES***

Please make sure with your parents first!

When I'm older....

Why Complain?

As I go about my life I find it easy to complain about almost anything.  I complain about a mess my brother left, how my sister left her clothes on the floor, how this needs to be done, and we need that... it comes all too naturally to me... sadly enough.  

I'm always looking for the "solution" for things.  I'm a troubleshooter (big time!) and I'm always working to "solve the problem"...  usually I feel like the solution is in our organization ("Things need to be MORE organized!") something needs to be fixed in our "system".  But I know that that's not the real solution- it may be part but not the whole.  

It's so simple:

Pray

"Until now you have asked for nothing in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full."
~John 16:24

No, it doesn't sound practical. No, it doesn't sound like things will get fixed *right now* like everything I try to do... in my flesh.  I forget that God knows the desires of my heart and He wants to fill them... but I need to ask first.  How could I forget my best friend?  He wants to bless me, He wants to take care of me- but how can He do it when I haven't asked for it?  Otherwise I would feel like I don't need to ever ask Him for anything- why pray at all?   

Jesus asks us to pray and ask God for things- so that our joy might be made full.  He desires us to have joy- to have good and wonderful things... how disappointed He would be if He was never able to bless us because we never asked...

Why complain?  Just pray.