Sometimes life comes at you hard! And I mean, HARD!!!
This has been a season filled with challenges. But, it has also been a season of great blessings and tangible evidence of the goodness of God. And now that we have fallen into Autumn in a beautiful way, my focus is on thankfulness and gratitude – no matter the circumstances.
I have had so little time to keep up with the blog and Janie’s Porch has been sorely neglected. However, when that WordPress subscription comes up each year, I stubbornly and optimistically hit “renew”. I have the best of intentions, but am realistic. When everything is buzzing and I am called upon to prioritize – well, the blog is easily shifted to the backburner. I fear that if I don’t make some time to get back into the groove of writing (somewhere other than my journal), I won’t ever pick it back up. So, here goes!
How about them pumpkins?!?!?
My heart beats a bit faster when I pull into the supermarket parking lot and spy the huge bins of pumpkins waiting out front. So many choices, so much fun to search through for just the right one to carry home. I tend to focus on stemmage – I adore a big long gnarly stem! How about you?
Best stress relief ever…
Jigsaw puzzles! I found several Fall-themed puzzles online, 300-500 pieces (easier on the eyes and not nearly as frustrating as the 1000 piece versions!). I simply love walking by and slipping a few pieces in here and there throughout the day. But, I love it even more when I get a few hours to just FOCUS on putting the whole thing together in a single sitting! It’s amazing how stress reducing this is for me and I need to get busy searching for some Christmas puzzles soon.
Seasonal reset of the spirit…
Summer was hard this year. I constantly felt spread thin and the extreme heat didn’t help. I found myself tired and frazzled, unable to set aside time for rest. (Or at least feeling guilty when I did…)
I finished up a reading plan that I started last year – I read the entire Bible in a year. It was life changing to develop the habit of spending daily time in God’s Word. Now that I have finished the project, I have started back over, reading in the New Testament, with a daily dose of Psalms. With everything that life has been throwing at us the last few weeks, I have found a verse that I am choosing to remember and dwell on daily. I am calling this a “reset on outlook”…
“We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.” ~Psalms 33 v. 20-22
Now, the sunlight is streaming through the windows and it is a delightful 68 degrees in the middle of the afternoon. So, I feel compelled to go sit outside and soak up a bit of the glory of the day! Stay well, my friends.
Welcome to the porch... 