Garden Offerings, Better Late than Never, and a Thankful Heart

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Yummy carrots (photo by M.A.D.)
Sweet potatoes that look like carrots (Photo by M.A.D.)

Here in the USA, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day very soon, on November 23rd. For many, it marks the start of the Holiday season; others call it Turkey Day, in reference to the main dish served, roasted turkey. When I think about it, there is so much to be thankful for, not only on that day, but every single day. From the moment I open my eyes to receive a brand-new day the simple blessings are many. Take a moment and think about it; even that first cup of coffee is a blessing not to be taken for granted.

It is easy to be thankful when everything is going well in our lives, but not so easy when things are not working as expected or when undesirable and sad events happen. It is then when a thankful heart, although difficult, will benefit us the most. It will open the door to peace within, even in the middle of the storm. Giving sincere and heartfelt thanks to our God when we feel “less blessed and challenged” will humble our soul and will be a step taken in order for us to appreciate what is good in our lives, which is plenty.

Being thankful in the midst of sad or painful situations is not easy, but it is a start, one that gets noticed by the same God that only wants to shower us with blessings. When everything is going fine in our lives, sometimes, we forget and take for granted many things, many people. We might want more, become unhappy with the status quo, and totally disregard our daily blessings. Sometimes, what brings us into focus are the same things we dread or fear, and those things become a tool to bring us back to a state of appreciation, and therefore, a grateful heart. Every day presents an opportunity to be thankful. Happy Thanksgiving Day!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace.

Romans 15:13 NIV

The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made.

Psalm 145:13 NIV

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 95:2 NIV

Sweet November

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Ahh, it is that time of the year when everything around me is changing, and there is so much color around me; I love it. Although we had little rain during this summer, nature managed to delight us once more here in Southside Virginia, and at least we have had some vibrant colors around. The heaviest of the Asian ladybugs and Boxelder tree bugs invasion is over. I can be at peace now and enjoy the rest of Autumn. I am still trying to become used to the yearly arrival of those critters; hasn’t happened yet. During those days, I long for the Jersey shore. But sweet November is here, and with it, the anticipation of the holiday season and all its blessings. There is so much to be thankful for, even in our most desperate days. God never abandon us, even when we think that He has, even when He feels so far, in our limited human perception. I am thankful that He is always around.

Sweet November

Sweet November, golden reddish hues,

Scents of Earth arouse the soul.

Finding peace in the rush of leaves,

the song of wind, appease my soul.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

What I Am Reading Now

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Herbert presents The Complete Apocrypha by Christopher David Richardson

There are some books you cannot pass by. Instead of reading what is already waiting in my library, I am reading this new finding. I have been in the lookout for a collection or compilation of the apocrypha in one volume. There are many to be found, however, this one seems to have a larger number of books or fragments included. Some I have read already from other sources, but the majority I have yet to read. The book presents the Ethiopian bible, one of the oldest sources for these books or manuscripts, many which did not make it into the other more modern renderings of the bible as we know today.

I started with The Book of Enoch, and it is one of the longest included here; fantastic so far. I am enjoying this book immensely and cannot wait to read more of the other apocrypha books included here. If you are looking for a source that includes many, as well as background/history on each text, this seems to be a good source. A great addition to my library for sure.

A Season of Letting Go

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Photo by M.A.D.

As I sit and write this post, I can see leaves dancing in the air. There is a tree that lets go of its leaves very early in the season. In August, it sheds a few leaves and by the end of September, it is almost if not bare. It is the only tree around here that loses its leaves early. It is one of the trees we saved when we set out to clean up this place. It was growing in the middle of overgrown bushes and weeds. We removed everything around it and decided to keep it. Today, it has grown more than twice its size and it is a favorite of crows and other birds. Deer love to eat the berries that fall on the ground early summer. I don’t know what kind of tree it is, and it really doesn’t matter. It looks pretty and is useful to the wildlife; it does what it is supposed to do.

Are we as that tree? Do we do as we supposed to do naturally, or do we let outside forces influence us to the point that we lose our inner strength and end up doing something that does not feel natural to us? Are we able to shed our leaves, to let go of every regret, ill preconception, judgement, and negativity? Sometimes, it is possible, but when our inner strength is lacking, we need a savior. We need a savior to remove all the weeds and thornbushes that surround us; we need help.

When our leaves are too heavy to carry, and we are surrounded by weeds, our Savior is just a prayer away. He will clean up around us and help us shed that what is too heavy for us to carry around. Just as the tree is transformed in a season, and renewed the next, so are we when we call upon Him, our Savior Jesus.

Love and Light

Apocryphal Gospels

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Herbert presents The Gospel of Mary and Other Apocryphal Gospels.

I have read some of the apocryphal books, but not the ones in this particular book, that is, until now. I intend to read as many as possible because I want to have a better understanding of why these books were not included in the bible as we know it today. Many of these books are considered to be of historical value, however they are deemed to not be divinely inspired, or may have questionable origins. I have read the ones which are included in the Catholic bible (but are not part of the King James and other versions) because of the historical/poetic significance and contribution to understanding the times in which these were written. I find these very interesting and full of important detail that helps me understand better other non-apocryphal books. A good example is the books of Maccabees.

I am enjoying reading this book so far and can really see why these particular gospels have not been included; however, I find these are rich in historical details and have filled some gaps in my understanding of some biblical events. I find the Gospel of Mary Magdalene questionable for sure. I enjoyed the Gospel of Peter, very rich in detail. The writing style seems simple compared to the books of Peter included in the bible. The Birth of Mary was very interesting as well, and mostly refers to her background, her parents, and her life before her marriage to Joseph. The Acts of Pontious Pilate, also known as the Gospel of Nicodemus, is also very rich in details concerning the time when Jesus was arrested and brought to him. The Gospel of Thomas is presented as a list of things that Jesus said. I found some parts a bit questionable or not clear enough; however, these are translations of old manuscripts that were unearthed much later, and in modern times. Many of these have pages/fragments missing, so these are not a complete account. Overall, these books have enriched my knowledge by offering historical perspective.

Welcoming Autumn

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This year I have been in the mood for Autumn days. It is almost here, and I have enjoyed already a few crisp mornings, decorated a bit to enjoy the season, and collected a few veggies from the garden. Wild turkeys have been visiting, and I saw the first large flock of starlings flying by. This year, they did not stop here, but kept flying. I hope the next flock does; hundreds of starlings pecking on the grass is lovely to see. The birds are almost gone, and I have not seen a hummingbird in the past couple of weeks. A few leaves have fallen, and some trees are starting to change color. Nature is preparing for a new season. Just as in life, change is needed for a new season, even when transition might hurt. Rebirth always follows.

Love and Light

Farmhouse Project – The Side Entrance

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We are trying to finish a few projects that were scheduled for this year, and one of them was to fix the bottom part of the side entrance. Water accumulates when it rains, thus forming a puddle, and later on, it turns to mud. My husband worked on this project over the past weekend, and I love the result. One more item taken off the long list, and we are happy with that. There are still a few projects that were scheduled for this year but will have to wait until next year. We might be able to tackle one or two more, but not more than that. For the purpose of this post, and so that the reader can appreciate the before and after, I will share some pictures from the early days when we bought the old farmhouse showing that particular area as well.

The Process

First, my husband measured the area and built a frame, tested it, and later on, removed all the grass in that area and leveled the ground. Then, he attached and fixed the frame, poured cement, leveled the cement, scoured the sides, and let it set. It took a couple of days for it to dry. Last, he removed the wood frame, and cleaned the area. It was a simple process, but it took time. We decided to leave the steps the way they are now because they are in good condition, and so far, there is no need to redo them. We worked on these steps when we bought the place.

The Before

This was the condition of this area when we bought the old farmhouse. It’s been a long way. The two gargoyles go with me wherever I go.

One more project done on this old farmhouse. I hope that you enjoyed the pictures and reading about the process, and that it inspired you in some way.

Love and Light

Farmhouse Project: The Front Steps

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The long list continues to be tackled one item at a time as time and money allows, and with the help of the Lord. This project has been waiting for a while, mostly because we were not sure of what to do with the steps, and what would be the best economical way to fix them. If you know anything about construction or masonry, you will know that this type of work is very expensive, and we did not want to spend a lot on these steps that were functional but needed some help. My husband came up with a good solution, as well as under budget.

When we first bought the old farmhouse, the steps were broken as well as the entire porch, so we decided to patch things up as best as possible and paint them. For the purpose of this post, I will share the steps/porch from the beginning so the reader can appreciate the development so far. Most important is that we are happy with the results, and I think that my husband did a great job at it. I did not work directly on this particular last project, only appreciated the process and took pictures.

Here is a photo of the early days, as it was when we bought the derelict farmhouse.

The porch and steps of the old farmhouse, as it was when we bought it. The cement was broken, well, everything was. (Photo by M.A.D.)

In order to move things along the way, we fixed the porch and steps as best we could and painted them. Here is a picture of what we did in the meantime.

We knew that we needed a more permanent solution, eventually. Here is where we are today, and the process my husband followed to level the steps and build new steps.

First, he measured and built the steps using cement, and tiles that we had bought from a builder but did not use in the house remodel. (Photo by M.A.D.)

This is what the steps look like once the cement has cured. The steps are thick and heavy.

He measured, leveled, and filled the old steps in order to place the new ones.

The final result. Eventually, we will have to fix the porch floor by adding slate, but that is another project in its own time.

In the meantime, I was admiring a gigantic but beautiful slug that I saw by the side entrance. The next project will be fixing that area a bit better.

I hope that you enjoyed this project and became inspired with a little DIY.

Love and light.

We Are a People …

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We are a People…

We are a people of strength,

because we are a people of faith.

We are a people of courage,

our faith rests in the Lord.

*

We are a people of kindness,

our love comes from above.

We are a people of joy.

In God we trust alone.

*

In good times, in bad times,

we are a people of soul.

For when darkness clouds our day,

It is He who restores our soul.

A Colorful Car Show

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This is mostly a fun post, and one that lovers of classic cars might enjoy. Chatham’s August Car Cruise-In took place this past Saturday; an event that our community enjoys very much. Car enthusiasts and lovers come from many areas to enjoy this show. It takes place monthly during the summer. Main street is closed at some points, and people can enjoy an afternoon and early evening looking at these beauties as well as enjoy some delicious food from vendors. My husband, being a mechanic, was in heaven, and I as well; as a child I opted to play with cars over dolls. I took tons of photos; however, I will share a few of my favorites, but because I could not download them from my phone for some reason, I will be posting a picture from a picture, hence why these might not be as clear. I hope that you, fellow car lovers, enjoy these. Cars as the eye can see …

Engine Roar

It was very hard to pick a favorite among all these gorgeous cars, but one stood out.

My favorite of all.

And if I had to choose a favorite engine as well, it is this one.

My favorite engine.

Hope that you enjoyed this post and photos.