A Full Heart

What a lovely Thanksgiving holiday we had. As much as I love Christmas, I love that we have this extra week of November to savor the holiday where we reflect and give thanks. I have been doing just that too.

I have learned that a thankful attitude is very important in life. When you have a thankful attitude, you can look up with a grateful heart and get glimpses of glory and what is waiting for us in heaven one day. Thankfulness is a language of love that allows you to communicate intimately with our Lord. A thankful mind-set does not deny reality or any of the problems that come along with that. Instead, it rejoices in the Lord, my Savior, in the mists of trials and tribulations. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. -Colossians 3:15 I give my God thanks regardless of my feelings, and he gives me joy regardless of my circumstances. 

Thankfulness opens my heart to His presence and my mind to His thoughts. When I thank the Lord frequently as I journey through my day, it makes it more possible to pray without ceasing. The apostle Paul taught that if I am serious about learning to pray continually, the best approach is to thank the Lord in every situation. These prayers of thanks provide a solid foundation on which I can build all my other prayers. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 A grateful attitude also makes it easier for me to communicate with God. If I practice thankfulness consistently, negative thought patterns will gradually grow weaker and weaker.

Each day is a blessing from the Lord and we need to rejoice in each day that He gives us. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. -Psalm 118:24 I want to strive to pray without ceasing and give thanks to the Lord every day. I want to be able to walk through my darkest days with joy in my heart because I know that the light of the Lord's presence is still shining on me. I want thankfulness to rule in my heart.

What a perfect thing to take away from a lovely holiday weekend. A true feeling of thankfulness and heart that feels full!

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. -Psalm 100:4-5

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and it's not just because of all the yummy food. I love seeing and spending time with family. There's something magical about Thanksgiving that makes spending time with family extra special. I love sitting around the table after eating a ginormous, delicious meal and catching up on life. I love taking walks as a group as we talk and toss around the football to each other. I love pulling out a deck of cards and playing endless card games. I love all those things and they're some of the many things I'm thankful for this year.

I am thankful for:

a loving husband.
a Savior that died for my sins so that I may have life.
good health.
two jobs that I love.
a place to live in a lovely and convenient location.
working cars that get us from point A to point B.
family and friends.
our playful kitty Darla.
my education.
my ability to laugh and enjoy life.
being an American.
the different seasons.
music.
my ability to create and craft.
memories.
today.

I hope you all enjoy celebrating Thanksgiving and what you are thankful for! May the Lord bless you with full hearts and full bellies!

P.S. Here's a little "Happy Thanksgiving" from Leo (the young boy I nanny.)

The Holidays

The past few days I have been oozing with excitement and anticipation. I feel like a little kid again, giddy at the sight of decorations and planning. My favorite time of year is here and I cannot wait! This is what I am excited for:

Thanksgiving and the delicious meal(s).

Seeing and spending time with family we don't see as often.

Relaxing up north all of Thanksgiving weekend.

Watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thanksgiving morning.

Decorating for Christmas.

Listening to my much anticipated Christmas music.

Snow. The beautiful, softly falling kind that makes you feel like you're in a movie.

Watching endless Christmas movies.

Ice skating dates with Drew at Centennial Lakes, one of the most romantic places this time of year.

Decorating a gingerbread house with Drew.

Making yummy Christmas cookies and swapping them with others.

Traditions, old and new.

Buying and wrapping gifts.

Holiday parties with friends and family.

Christmas lights galore as you walk or drive down the street.

The freezing cold Holidazzle Parade.

Warm holiday drinks.

Cold nights cuddling under the blankets.

Crafts, creating, and more crafts.

Christmas lists.

Holiday cheer and holiday spirit.

Decorated malls playing Christmas music and bursting with hustling Christmas shoppers.

Our African nativity scene (one of my favorite Christmas gifts).

Lovely smelling candles lit in the evenings.

The celebration of Jesus' birth.

Bethlehem's midnight Christmas Eve service.

Waking up Christmas morning and exchanging gifts with Drew.

Mine and Drew's two-year wedding anniversary.

I'm sure I haven't even listed everything. I'm so overwhelmed with all my excitement. Through all the hustle and bustle though, it is very important to remember the real reason for the season- The birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving and holiday season, and your time with family and friends. 

Sunsets

sun-set
noun

1.     the setting or descent of the sun below the horizon in the evening.
2.     the time when the sun sets.
3.     the daily disappearance of the sun below the horizon in the west as a result of Earth's rotation.

Sunsets are one of my favorite things of summer and fall. The way the Lord creatively paints the sky in breathtakingly beautiful colors is always different and new every time. It seriously stirs my affections for Christ and makes me stand in awe of what His mighty hand can do and create. Every time I am lucky enough to see one of His gorgeous sunset displays, I try to capture as much of the beauty as I can. I like to look at the photos, especially in winter when beautiful sunsets are few and far between. Every time I look at the photos, I'm in awe all over again and the pictures don't even do the sunsets justice! Here are some sunsets I was lucky enough to capture this past summer and fall. May they stir your affections for Christ the same way they stir mine. 

In Vadnais Heights, MN at one of Andrew's softball games earlier in summer. No filter 

Up north in Deerwood, MN. Instagram filter

Up north in Deerwood, MN. No filter

Up North in Nashwauk, MN for a friend's funeral. No filter

Up north in Deerwood, MN. No filter

In Hawaii at Ko'Olina Beach when I took a trip there in May.

In Hills, MN at a friend's wedding. Filter

Up north in Deerwood, MN. No filter

In Hills, MN at a friend's wedding. Purple filter

In Edwards, IL at Kickapoo Creek Winery at a friend's wedding. No filter

In Minneapolis, MN at Lake Harriet. No filter

In Minneapolis, MN out a random apartment window while we were cleaning in our building. No filter

In St. Paul, MN at the MN State Fair round 3. Filter

In St. Paul, MN at the MN State Fair round 2. No Filter

This ladies and gents is my all time favorite sunset EVER! I had to save the best for last. Taken in Little Canada, MN at one of Andrew's softball games in early summer. The sky seriously looked like a rainbow. It was beautiful! No filter

Fall Crafts

This is what I've been doing in what little spare time I've had this fall. I've noticed that I've been so excited to create things that I've started multiple projects and only finished one so far. Oh well, I have the whole winter ahead of me right?

Scarf I taught myself how to knit. Still a work in progress, but very excited to finish and wear!

The beginnings of my fall garland

The fall garland that I made

Another fall garland

I started a quilt with all my scrap fabrics I've accumulated over the years 

All my pieces laid out before piecing blocks together

One of the blocks before being sewn together. The quilt is still a work in progress. I'm in the middle of sewing all the blocks together.

What kind of crafts do you like to do in the fall/winter? If you don't do crafts, what do you like to do to keep yourself busy and shake the winter blues?

Happy November

A lot has happened in the last seven days of November…

We gained an hour over the weekend, 

it gets dark a lot earlier now, 

gas prices have gone back up, and 

America has re-elected President Obama for another four years in office. 

I am comforted in knowing that whatever happens, the Lord is sovereign over all, and it was His plan all along. He has a plan for us and for our country and the Lord will use Obama to carry out His plan. Our job now is to pray for wisdom for Obama as he tries to lead our country the best he can. I went on facebook for a quick minute last night just to read my notifications and came across this 'Bible Emergency Numbers' on 98.5 KTIS's facebook page. I think today would be a good day to share this with you being that we all have mixed feelings about the next four years. 

Bible Emergency Numbers

When you are sad, call on John 14

When people have failed you, call on Psalm 27

When you have sinned, call on Psalm 51or 1 John 1:8-9

When you are worried, call on Matthew 6:19-34

When you are facing danger , call on Psalm 91

When God seems far away, call on Psalm 139

When your faith needs encouraging, call on Hebrews 11

When you are lonely and scared, call on Psalm 23

When you grow bitter and critical, call on 1 Corinthians 13

When you feel no one is on your side, call on Romans 8:31-39

When you are seeking rest, call on Matthew 11:25-30

When you are seeking peace, call on John 14:27

When the world seems bigger than God, call on Psalm 90

When you want Christian assurance, call on Romans 8:1-30

When you feel you're failing, call on Psalm 121

When your prayers grow narrow or selfish, call on Psalm 67

When you need courage, call on Joshua 1

When you want to get along with others, call on Romans 12:9-21

When you don't understand what God is doing, call on Isaiah 55:8-9

When you want to live a happy life, call on Colossians 3:12-17

When you pray, call on Matthew 6:9-13

When you are in need, call on Philippians 4:19

When you are losing hope, call on 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

When you need an idea of Christianity, call on1 Corinthians 5:15-19

When you feel depressed, call on Psalm 27

When you want to do good works, call on John 15

When your pocketbook is empty, call on Psalm 37

When you're losing confidence in people, call on 1 Corinthians 13

When people seem unkind, call on John 15

When you're discouraged about your work, call on Psalm 126

If you find the world growing small, and you great, call on Psalm 19

I hope this is able to bring you comfort not only in the season this country is in, but in your own personal lives as well. Just remember overall that God is the one in control and He works everything out for His good. Happy November!