Thankful Thursday

It's Thankful Thursday time over at Sonya's Truth 4 the Journey .

Share you thankful list here or there or on your own blog!

1. My new house. We are moved in, unpacked (for the most part) and enjoying having a little more room to wiggle. Thanks for your prayers over the last 3 + months as we lived in the RV! Thanks to the Lord for our new home!

2. The Word of God. Powerful, Sharp, Comforting.

3. The Man of God. Our pastor celebrated his 40th year in ministry this past Sunday. It was a day of celebration as our church honored him. My takeaway point: Be faithful, people are affected by your faithfulness.

4. Stove/Oven- I'm cooking again! Life in the RV was not so condusive to cooking so we are finally enjoying sitting at the table around a homecooked meal.

5. Friends- online, at church, out of town or across the street- they are my sanity after crazy days and reality checks on days when I am way off. Thankful for their sweet fragrance and the truth they breathe into my life.

What are you thankful for today?

My Guys

This picture was taken of Bruce and Tucker at my mom's wedding.

 I just love the look on both their faces.

Twelve Weeks of Christmas

I am linking up again with the 12 weeks of Christmas meme with Red Writing

Here's one of my favorite things to make for Christmas. They make great gifts...especially for those hard to buy for guys in your life! Use canning jars decorated with holiday ribbon or buttons to make the gift extra special.



Caramelized Toasted Pecans:


1 1⁄2 cups pecan halves

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on cookie sheet or other baking pan and toast 5 minutes, stirring often. Combine brown sugar, butter, and maple syrup in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring often or until sugar dissolves. Add toasted nuts and stir until coated. Place on buttered foil and put back in oven for 1 to 2 minutes, or until sugar starts to bubble. Cool.

Before and After Dining Nook

(Above)This was my dining nook before decorating and accessorizing.

Here it is after!

The antique sugar and creamer are from Bruce's great grandparents.

Our estimate is that they are well over 100 years old.

Here are two antique coffee pots and one creamer that I have. One of the pots is from Bruce's side of the family and one from mine. I also have one more coffee pot to add to the collection from my mom.

Here's the top of the hutch, complete with feathered eggs!

Slowly but surely this house is coming together!

This is the fun part...piddling with all my stuff.

The New House

Here's the front of my new house. We have some pretty large trees and lovely landscaping in the yard.

The flowers are taking over the sidewalk...that's a good thing in my book!

This is the entrance to what I am calling out Secret Garden

The view from our back yard. Can you see the covered back porch?

Come have a glass of sweet tea with me and sit a while!

I'll be back here soon!

Hi Friends!

I have a few moments for a quick update and didn't want you to think I have forgotten you!

Last week we traveled to GA for my mom's wedding. Added to my family are one niece, one nephew, one sister, one brother, one sil, one bil, one dad. I've decided that I don't want steps....I loved them all immediately! We had a great time getting ready all week long for the big day...exhausting but fun! My aunt did a beautiful job on the reception. I'll be posting pics after Mom gets back from her honeymoon.

We arrived back in Texas at 8pm on Sunday night and at 8am Monday morning we were in Gunter with the movers. We've now moved into our new home and I have boxes surrounding me! I am going to get a pic of the house and yard today so you can see why I am so thankful that God has provided us a home without wheels!

So, my presence here will be sparce for the next few days. I want to get settled in and back to "normal" so I will be busy getting my house in order.

Hope you are doing well!

Gina

Calling the blogging prayersphere!

Our house in Gunter is showing today between 3:45 and 4:45pm. Prayers are appreciated.

The Call of Zulina

If you are a reader and a blogger then you might be interested in doing blog tours. The company I work for, Kathy Carlton Willis Communications, has some fantastic blog tours coming up in the next few weeks. By participating in blog tours you'll have the opportunity to get free books and help Christian authors get the word out about their books.

If you are interested in participating, drop me an email and I will give you all the details.

A little information about The Call of Zulina:

An arranged marriage, a runaway bride, and an ugly family heritage of brutal and inhumane slavery operations leave no room for a fairytale story. Grace Winslow, daughter of an English sea captain and African princess, finds herself in a horrific position of betrothal. Doomed to marry an obnoxious white man, whom she does not love, Grace runs away to escape the slavery she’s been surrounded by all her life. Instead, her journey from home brings her face-to-face with issues of extreme slavery, abuse and human trafficking. In the end she discovers slavery is more than just chains and finds grace that exceeds a name given to her by her parents.

Written by Kay Marshall Strom, The Call of Zulina links historical slavery issues with the modern-day crisis tainting many countries. On the heels of important legislature regarding human trafficking, Strom tackles the subject boldly as she sheds light on the practices and techniques used by angry slave traders. Seen as an advocate for those who have no voice, Strom finds words to communicate the message of history to today’s readers. While this book shines the light on an uncomfortable subject, the message of hope, freedom, and justice prevail and eternal truths discovered.

Thankful Thursday

I'm linking up with Sonya's Thankful Thursday today

to record the things I am thankful for this week. Join in!

1. I am thankful for the 2 adults dh was able to lead to the Lord Tuesday night.

2. I am thankful for an unexpected lunch date with friends.

3. I am thankful all the packing is done at the old house and that we are ready for the movers on Oct. 19th.

4. I am thankful for friends far and near that keep in touch.

5. I am thankful for new ministry opportunities that I get to be a part of.

I'd love to know what you are thankful for this week! Leave me a comment below.

My Christmas Want To Do List

I'm participating in Keelie's 12 Weeks of Christmas and believe it or not...you've got 12 weeks to get your Christmas spirit in gear! It'll be here before you know it.

This week's activity is to contribute your Christmas list...of any kind.

Here's Mine:

2009 Christmas Want To List

1. Go Christimas caroling with a couple of families from church...then meet back at our home for hot chocolate and cookies.

2. Take my time wrapping Christmas packages...make them look smashing!

3. Give our bus ministry families from church the makings for smores or something else fun for them to do together as a family.

4. Host a cookie baking party

5. Go shopping Thanksgiving Night and shop continuously through the day after Thanksgiving...with Bruce.

6. Read lots of Christmas nativity story books to my kids

7. Take a really good picture of my family for Christmas cards

8. Decorate my new house

9. Play Christmas music instead of watching TV at least one night a week.

10. Participate in some kind of service activity with my kids.

Now...if you want to make your own list, link up at http://redswriting.blogspot.com/ and add your name to Week 1 Mr. Linky!

Thanks Keelie! This is going to be fun, fun, fun!

BUSY!

I don't like busy. In the early years of my marriage and our ministry busy seem to take a front seat. In fact, if we didn't have something going on, I felt sort of guilty. Not anymore.

Once I realized the rat race that I was involved in, I decided that I'd rather do just about anything than be busy. I know...doesn't sound quite right. Being busy doesn't mean you're doing something worthwhile. It just means you're doing something. It doesn't mean you're contributing anything to your family or society or the kingdom of God. It just means you're filling time. That's why I don't like being busy. I want my time to mean something....to add up to something worthwhile.

But, this week...I'm feeling busy...you know, the stressy feeling of way more on your to-do list than hours in a day feeling? That's me.

So, I am giving my time to the Lord. He can make so much more of it than I can anyway.

Father, I'm climbing up in your lap for a comforting hug and a whisper from you. Quiet my heart, my week and my thoughts and help me look for ways you are showing up all around me. I'm giving you my to-do list, my calendar, my agenda and anything else that keeps me too busy to hear from you. It's yours. Help me honor you with every minute you give me. In your precious name....Amen.

Packing and Moving Tips

Over the last 16 years of my life I have moved 9 times...moving into our new home in just a week or so, will be #10. Whether you're moving across town, across state or across country, there are certain tips that, if implemented correctly, will help save you time, energy and broken dishes.

Here's what I've learned:

• As much as possible use the same size boxes. This makes packing the moving truck much easier.
• As you pack, have a bag for throw away and give away handy.
• Use your local FREECYCLE to get rid of unwanted, good conditioned items. Google for your local group. They will pick the items up at your front door. Saves valuable time.
• Wrap your dishes and place them in a box standing up. I heard this once and gave it a try and in 9 moves have never had a dish break in transport....one or two have broken in the unpacking process :)!
• On the outside of the box write what the item is and what room it will go in at your new house so that helpful box boys can take it there directly.
• In boxes that have china or glassware, use bed pillows to top off the box so there is minimized room for shaking.
• Pack/Transport lamps and pictures in your vehicle.
• Use bed blankets, quilts to help cushion arround edges of furniture.
• Throw all Happy Meal toys away...chances are you'll eat out enough during the first week of your move to replace any the kids miss.
• Use your kitchen trash can to transport mops, brooms, swiffers....and other cumbersome cleaning apperatis.
• Leave paint, extra tile/flooring/molding and specialty lightbulbs for the next owner. They will be glad to have the touch up paint and a few extra tile in case something happens.
• Duct tape remote controls to the back of the TV
• Ziplock and label baggies with nuts and bolts and duct tape to beds and other furniture requiring assembly at the new place.
• Hire a couple of guys from your local moving company to come pack your truck if you are doing the moving yourself. You won't believe what they will be able to fit into a U-haul. ...and they work fast.
• I've heard to leave your dressers packed and then saran wrap them closed. I don't know about this...all I can think of is something happening and one of my drawers flying open with unmentionables flying all over the place. I am sure that my source was reliable though...so you'd probably be safe to try.

I'm sure there are more great moving tips out there...if you have one...please share!

Thankful Thursday...almost Friday

I won't be linking up with Sonya this week, since Thursday is almost over, but I did want to record my thanksgivings for this week.

1. Thankful for friends who will pray for you - even when they have big stuff of their own going on.
2. Thankful for safety to and from the old town to pack up our belongings....dare I say it...maybe only one more week til we get to move them here.

3. Thankful for my sweet little girl who worked hard right beside me all day today as I packed. What a blessing she was to me.

4. Thankful that our house in old town SHOWED today. Some people have had their homes on the market much longer and not even shown them.

5. Thankful for hair color...which I will be using before Sunday.

What are you thankful for today?