Here we go, in no particular order:
1. Family Photos -
We are heading to the woods and beach to get family pictures next week. Our most recent family photo is just over 5 years old. Yes, do the math and you’ll see we are missing our youngest on our living room wall. The attempt last year at Thanksgiving with my sister snapping this moment is priceless, but not sure if I want to blow it up on our wall. Although it displays the reality of grace and imperfections in our daily lives.
2. Grapevine Wreath -
My mom took some vines from her yard and shaped them before they dried out. They have been sitting on my front porch as my time and patience has been a bit shorter since beginning to homeschool this year. (Wink, wink) The Turquoise Home has beautiful inspiration for simple projects. I plan on doing some of these things with our kids after they get their school work done. I really like this one below. Ours may be a combo of clearance items, the vine, and some of the Hen and Chicks that were pulled inside before the freeze.
Image: Making Joy and Pretty Things
3. Family Time Reading -
This includes our Dear America series, God’s Promises, and we are listening to The Flashback Four The Lincoln Project. Remember, we are learning at home this year, so some of these coincide with some things that we are studying, and we have more than we normally would have last year when I was working. #bewarofthecompare
4. Prayer & Writing -
Friends, we need to be on our knees in prayer. My prayer time sometimes is scrubbing food stuck to the floor, or driving down the road to worship music blaring, raking the yard, or in the quiet of the morning. During that time of prayer God is calling me out of my fear of others’ opinions, fear of making mistakes, fear of being misunderstood. You see these fears are placing people as small g gods in my life, as well as myself. Ugh. Just go through the study to understand (below). My words will not be perfect here, but I follow a perfect and graceful God Who I pray helps these imperfect words point to His perfect Word.
5. Home Projects -
We want our home to be a place of peace and welcoming to others. Our chipped paint in the doorways, or unfinished hardwood floors just add to the “door is always open” feeling, but it is something that we’d like to wrap up this fall. There will always be something that is not complete, and that’s okay. Our project includes paint from a friend selling some extra, and a can of spray paint to cover our brass door nobs. This project is a whopping total of $15.
6. De-Cluttering -
It always seems to be in full force in our home. I love clear surfaces and organized spaces. Of course if you open my junk drawer you’d see a lot of the little trinkets my kids somehow collect. And please don’t open my refrigerator quickly as I have a golden bamboo bowl sitting precariously above our heads full of papers, glue sticks, legos, and anything else that doesn’t fit in the junk drawer. We plan on dropping off small toys to our local school for prizes, and always have a box of donations heading out the door.
7. Current Bible Study -
No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. I try to dig deeper on my own in Psalms or Proverbs in addition to that. It is my prayer that you are in God’s Word every day. God gives us His Word to know Him more, to connect, to change, to mold us, to bring us peace. As much as I love sharing in this space, or sharing books I’m reading, it is imperative that we keep our eyes on God’s Word, and line up our thoughts, opinions, and feelings with the Bible.
8. My Current Reads -
They are always tough to narrow down. I have many books on my Kindle app, Hoopla, and placed in my bedside shelves. Here are just a few:
9. Cooking -
It is not something I get excited about. I do however love cooking soups. Some of my favorites are when I’m cleaning out the fridge and pantry. We have a tight grocery budget and stick to that well with soups in the fall and winter. I throw some chicken stock, scrubbed potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning (whatever I feel like that day, ha ha), pepper, salt, half and half (because I’m not going to the store just to buy heavy cream), cook low and slow. Some add-ins may include corn, bacon, carrots, beans. Too thick? Add water!
10. Music I’m listening to -
Hillsong Young and Free with the kids. Elevation worship is on repeat at home and in our car, and Elevation Worship (check them out below).
