Productivity

Magazine basket is purged.

Razorback flag is hung.

Chili is in the crockpot.

Most of the dust bunnies are vanquished.

Grocery list made.

Floor vacuumed.

Blog post written.

I love being productive in my pajamas!

Community

Lunch time meeting with Bible study leaders. We shared soup, salad and stories of what we saw God doing.

Afternoon packing up his office. My boss, friend, and counselor. He's following God and moving on to the unknown. Leaving a gap in the church, around the office, and in my heart (this is feeling all too familiar).

Evening praying with other moms. All of us with children out of the nest. Some in college. Some in military. All finding their own way after high school. All us moms coming together for one purpose.

Other people in our lives. It's risky, sometimes it hurts. But mostly it's good. We were created for community. Take the risk. Open up. Invite in.

Standing in the Gap

It was an intense week--midterms and sorority initiation all rolled into one big, event packed, stressed filled week.

I couldn't be there.

So blessed that other people could be--good people, family.

They stood in the gap...and brought cookies and hugs.

Fall Things That Go Together

Apples and Caramel
Candy Corn and Peanuts
Sweaters and Sunglasses
Pumpkins and Mums
Popcorn and m & ms
Corn and Mazes (it's an Iowa thing, I think)
Ceiling fans and Fireplaces
Thanks and Giving!

What's on your list?

The Sweet and the Sad

Tonight I baked my Almost Famous Cookies and the house smells of everything that is good about Fall. I am taking them to the office tomorrow as we say good-bye to one of our pastors who is leaving to train to be a church planter. He is not only my boss but has been a good counselor/advisor to me through the years. He serves the young adult population at our church and I often went to him when I needed insight regarding the young adults that my husband and I had raised from birth. I have shed a few tears in that office and will no doubt shed a few more over the next couple of weeks as we wrap up some ministry events together and prepare to move to the transition phase (for our staff and for him and his family). Maybe the cookies will help.

It' Fall Ya'll

I have a deep love for this time of year. Perhaps it was my childhood spent in the Ozark mountains but I love the color change, the smell of a wood fire, and crisp mornings followed by mostly sunshine filled afternoons. I love football season, homecoming parades, school carnivals, Halloween costumes(well,the cute ones),and the pinnacle of the season--Thanksgiving!

Therefore, I go a little overboard and love to transform my living space to reflect what God so supremely does in decorating the outside world.

So here's a little tour.

Front porch. Don't love it this year. I have a black concrete container that I prefer to use this time of year but I got this basket (with all the plants) for a bargain very early in the season so I'm going with that.

During high winds this morning, the fern took a tumble out of the bucket turning the whole stand over into the mums (which I just replaced yesterday due to some previous mum neglect). The new mums are crushed in the back and will surely die.

I am death to plants.

Come on inside--the heart of the home, the kitchen. where the finest take out is ordered.

Kitchen table. With or without candlesticks? I can't decide.

No flat surface is safe.

I love this rattan tray/basket I got from Target last year. Hubby-- does not like it so much. He usually moves it from the ottoman to the floor. Maybe the candy corn will change his mind.

The way they were. Love this. Love them.

Thanks for stopping by. Come again.