PUMPKINS... SIGN OF THE SEASON...

I love this time of year in America. It is October and now the official Fall Season.  I like the small town Fall Festivals where everybody can come out and have a good time...

Colors show up on the trees to finish out the year.  I like to say, "the leaves of Spring and Summer have made...Eye Candy".   It's the Grand Finale before the trees go to bed for a long Winter's nap, getting ready for next year.  

Also, the Pumpkins are showing up in fields and you know its the Fall Season....

Just last month I road through these mountains.  I could see the open farmland and the round orange things growing all around on fertile soil, some were small and some big.  

I knew right away it was time for trucks to line up hauling them out to the markets, .....and

......that I would be seeing families come to make their selections right from the Pumpkin Patch.   

  
I began to think what would make that day really nice is for the weather to be cold and to smell the apple cider near by....
 

  ...........  Can't you taste it?

.....those kids can’t wait to carve them with their artistic abilities. 

 

Now its time to get those well selected Pumpkins home.... 








Even the pets like to get in on it......          

This time of year you will begin seeing Pumpkins placed in a Fall Fashion on porches.....

and around doors of businesses.....

The Pumpkin carvings here will show you just how it's done.........

THE JAIL PUMPKIN

 

CRAZY PUMPKIN

 

THE GREEDY PUMPKIN

THE PUMPKIN FAMILY

THE PUMPKIN HOUSE

THE LEGO PUMPKIN

THE BIG MOUTH PUMPKIN

THE KISS ME PUMPKIN

Can't go without a recipe for delicious Pumpkin Muffins! I have one for you right here can't throw that inside stuff away!!!

I love Pumpkin muffins.....

The best Pumpkin Muffins I have found and healthy for the waist line, is Weight Watcher's quick low calorie only 2 points if you are on WW.....

It takes these only these 3 ingredients, just mix them together good, bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350F and it makes 24 muffins.  They freeze well too!!!

* 1 (18 ounce) box spice cake mix
* 15 ounces pumpkin
* 1 cup water

ENJOY!....

.............Before you leave take a few minutes and look at this video of the fun a small town can have in America celebrating the Fall with a Fall Festival.....

HIS LOVE NEVER FAILS...STOP AND LISTEN!!!

 

Don't know where you are in your life right now but with me I feel like life is overtaking me and I can’t stop? 

Right now the calendar is packed, and I'm living by a tight schedule.  Complaining is not in the picture so don't get me wrong.  I feel God is up to something in this world and I am willing to give my all for His cause and get in on what He is doing. My life is approaching the 10th or maybe the 11th hour depending on how well I care for myself and there’s much work yet to be done as I walk this path.... 

......But we must never get so busy in His work or life in general that we fail to stop and worship Him!!!

Our God’s Love for us is so Great!  He wants us to experience it. It's sad to be so busy in His work that we fail to REALLY know His Love for us......

I can't get this song off my mind. What a strong message it has for us. It is a song that’s sung in worship at our son’s church.  Each time we visit, always two rows in front us, stands this woman that gets so excited in worship when they sing this.   

She stands with her right arm just pumping in the air as their worship leader leads, singing “HIS LOVE NEVER FAILS”.  I believe her as I watch her actions.....

Last week when the service was over I just had to go up and meet her.  I am a shy person when I get in corporate worship and very conservative.  I said jokingly, “I wish you could give me lessons on how to worship.”  Inside I was feeling like... "I really did!"......

One thing is for sure this song will get your attention because it is the Truth and grips you in the darkest night when you feel you are so alone and nobody cares.  But guess what?... that doesn’t matter because the One Who really CARES never leaves us and loves us no matter what...

I have said enough now lets just stop and listen to Him as He Loves us with His Love in this song.. 

A MOTHER'S CREED....

After my last post I heard from so many parents, especially moms concerned about their kids.  Ran across this today and thought it would be helpful to share, it works.  Our oldest son will be 50 this next year and our youngest son will be 47 his next birthday.  Hard to believe, seems like yesterday they were born.  Just this morning Phil and I were talking about how proud we are of our children.  God has blessed us with a great family!!!  

So I can say, "I have seen this tried and proven over and over.  I highly recommend it....

                            A MOTHER'S CREED

I will worry less about my children and trust God more.

I will commit them into the Lord's care. 

I will love my children unconditionally and let them know I do. 

I will believe in them constantly and encourage them often. 

I will pray for them daily. 

I will teach them responsibility for their own actions. 

I will be an example of godliness, but I will be unafraid to let them see my faults. 

I will give them generous doses of laughter, interspersed with fun. 

I will release them when they are grown but they will always be my own. 


         "Her children arise up, and call her blessed." Proverbs 31:28

                                                                 

IS YOUR HEART HURTING FOR YOUR CHILD?....

My heart is heavy this morning thinking how many times we sit with parents HURTING FOR THEIR CHILDREN.  I listen to their stories as they tell about their children making wrong choices and going down paths of destruction, I hurt with them.  I feel helpless not being able to give a quick resolve.  I realize all I can do is be a friend walking with them in this dark time, as they seek Father in their pain.

I do know when this does strike your home and your children “act out” there is only one thing you can do... that is to open your hand and lift that “precious one” to God giving them and the whole circumstances to Him. 

This morning as I read Neil Anderson’s daily devotional “Daily In Christ”, I thought it to do timely.  I feel like someone is facing this same challenge today.  This information will help bring comfort to your Soul..... 

                    GIVE YOUR CHILD TO GOD

Psalm 37:5 "Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it"

You can and should uphold Christian values and standards in your own home. But when your child leaves your home, he leaves with his own values, beliefs and personal agenda. This is the first half of the prodigal son story (Luke 15:11-32). The prodigal son wanted to do his own thing, so his father let him. I don't think the father would have let the boy rule in his home, but he did let him go. We don't like to see our children fail or make mistakes like that. When they do, we are too quick to rescue them from the natural consequences of their actions.

The father in the story welcomed his son home after the boy came to his senses. His repentance was complete: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son" (verse 21). The critical insight we need is offered by the father: "This son of mine was dead, and has come to life again" (verse 24). When your child is out of your sight, only God can bring him to his senses, bring him home, and give him life.

You can't go everywhere your child goes, but God can. He is the child's heavenly Father, and He is fully capable of protecting him.

I know of a dear lady who has buried two sons and witnessed the miracle healing of her husband from a near-fatal car accident. But her hardest trial was discovering that her beloved third son was struggling with homosexuality. Months of dark depression were lifted in one day when she realized that her son belonged to God, so she gave her boy to Him. For 11 years she didn't hear from him. Then one day he called and said he had a Mother's Day present for her. He had come back to the Lord!

God is in control. When you pray you release Him to do what only He can do in your child's life. And when you pray, He can mold your parenting style so you can do what He has called you to do in raising your child.

Prayer: Lord, I release my children to Your care and protection, and I relinquish my will for them in favor of Your will.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN......

Yes we’re ON THE ROAD AGAIN!.... Ministry calls us to travel away from our office from time to time.  

I love to travel, seeing all the sights of the towns and their people.... that stirs my interest!  I look in Awe at God’s creations. 

We left July 14^th, a Friday morning around 7:00am.  We did our usual stop at our favorite place for a fast pick up and ride biscuit from HARDEE’S, oh yum!!! 

We enjoyed a visit with friends, Archie and Kim. They just live a couple hours from us, we tried to get in a visit with them but it just would not work out. Strangely enough, I saw on Facebook that they were attending a meeting for a couple going into Missions.  We called them, got reservations at their motel and had breakfast the next morning having a fun time catching up.  I love it when that happens! God had to put that together with a sense of humor putting it together miles away in PA, that worked!  

As we were leaving the next morning I notice the flowers outside the motel door shining in the sunlight of July!...

Back on our path for the day we drove several hours looking at this sight.....

 .......and this sight....

.......and some of this......

                                       .....I enjoyed taking pictures to share with you so you can travel with us.

These were taken at at a Rest Stop we took a break to get a walk in.....

Petunias must be the flowers of choice for this summer you could find them in most flower displays..... 

We arrived in the beautiful Adirondack area of New York.  We are at Word of Life in Schroon Lake, NY.












The driveway is surrounded by really tall pines.






 

My view one day....
















It is so relaxing to sit in one of their Adirondack Chairs on the hill that over looks the Lake and listen to the breeze tipping the top of the pines making a sound you want forget....

 
Look at our view from the chairs...

This was a sight we watched that was unusual....How amazing! The Island has, a bus named "Barney" takes supplies and camper's luggage across on the barge.  I think this week there were 300+ teens attending camp on the Island from all over the States and some from out of the country.  Good work done here!!!

It is so beautiful here.... speaking of God’s beautiful. Walking back from the Dinning Hall this was our view on this sunny day....

One interesting landscape is a clock in the ground I just had to capture this....

The day after we arrived we still had the “lets keep moving” feeling in us, so we weren’t to begin our work until Monday so we got back on the road and set out one state over to Vermont, one of my favorites. A friend who resides in VT told me of her recent visit to The Vermont Country Store right out of Middleburg we found it and so enjoyed more than we expected.

More beautiful flowers were on the front entrance made you feel welcome. These Snapdragons seem to be telling us "HELLO"....

Then we toured inside OH MY!  These next pictures show how the items were from years back.  Do any of you older people remember the old fashion Oil Cloth Table Clothes?....

We felt like little kids wondering through that place. Oh how we loved it and could have stayed all day.....

This store had so many items in so many areas it would take a whole day to see it all.....

Any of you ever wear some of these to smell your best?.....

I came upon the candy section and was absolutely amazed....my eyes could not take it all in.....They had candy I had not seen in years....

.......and some I had never seen before, check out the price of this one.........needless to say I did not buy any of these I think I thought I would have to share and have to say "no way"!...

Funny when you rounded the corner from the sweets area you came upon all the medicines from years back...


This made my mind go back in time when my mother would administer some of these when I played sick to get out of going to school. Oh what a bad taste I will never forget......

Got back that evening for a delicious dinner at the Word of Life Inn, you know the place I think everyone should experience?.... Take a look at our Menu for the night...

The Inn got a facelift this year with a beautiful Adirondack effect makes it so comfortable to sit and visit with friends or sit reading in a quite spot....

So today we had a day off slipped out and went one city over shopping and we ate at one of our favorite restaurant, "99", only see them in the North but when we come we are sure to go there and have some Gold Wings...LOVE THIS PLACE

So that's it for now check back for more of this trip as it unfolds....