Simply . . .Enjoying Fall

"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."-   Elizabeth Lawrence

I LOVE everything about the fall . . . the cooler weather, apple cider, gorgeous scenery, craft shows, pumpkin patches, etc.  While we lived in Louisiana we didn't really have a fall so I appreciate it even more now!  I mentioned last week we were taking a week off from Tot School and we've simply been enjoying fall!  Maybe not exactly sitting still and enjoying it because that's impossible with an almost 2 year old!  However, over the last week and a half we've been outside pretty much every day and loving it!  Thought I'd share with you some of the places we've enjoyed going:

1. Homestead Hollow- For those of you who may not know this is a local arts and crafts show in Springville, AL.  It's all outdoors and I love the atmosphere!  We put "Miss Priss" and "Sour Patch" in the wagon and rode them around while we looked at the crafts.  They also got to experience their first horse ride and "Miss Priss" loved it!  Of course they also had some great food like Dinky Donuts!
2. Our fall church picnic at Camp Sumatanga - Our church does this twice a year in Spring and the Fall.  We have a cookout then the kids play at the park, men play horseshoes, older kids volleyball or basketball, and the women sit around the fire and talk :)  It's absolutely beautiful here and SO peaceful!  They also have a lake where we sometimes fish.
3. The Great Pumpkin Patch - This is in Hayden, Alabama.  "Miss Priss" went with her other cousin "Superman" and had a blast!  They jumped on inflatables, went to a petting zoo, rode a "train", rode horses again, and of course picked their pumpkins!
4. Smoky Mountains - This past weekend we also got to go to the Smoky Mountains.  I don't know that there is a prettier place in the fall!  Honestly, I didn't get to do as much relaxing and enjoying the scenery as I would have liked.  My Mom, sister, "Miss Priss" and "Sour Patch" all went without the guys so we mostly shopped at the Tanger Outlets (which was  alot of fun too!).  The kids had a blast at Kids Country riding a train, carousel, and the swings.  We also ate at our favorite place there The Apple Barn.

Here's a few pics:



Before we ate at the Apple Barn



Jumping with "Superman"

"Superman" trying to convince "Miss Priss" to slide down the big slide!

Picking out our pumpkin at The Great Pumpkin Patch

Riding the Carousel at Kids' Country

    Hopefully this week we're going to get back to some Tot School and learning about pumpkins!  We still have another Pumpkin Patch to visit and a couple of hayride/bonfires with friends I'm really looking forward to!  I hope you are enjoying fall as much as we are!!  Do you have any favorite fall traditions or places to visit?  I'd love to hear about them!





 

What Kind of Soil Are You Taking to Church?

Last Sunday our Sunday School class studied Mark 4:1-20.  This is possibly one of my favorite parables – "The Parable of the Sower."  Our Sunday School teacher did an awesome job of bringing out how our hearts are the soil and God’s Word is the seed.  The soil (or the condition of our hearts) determines how we receive the seed (God’s Word).  I’ve been thinking a lot on this all week long and about the condition of my soil.  The parable mentions four types:

1.  By the Way Side:

   The sower soweth the word.  And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.  Mark 4:14-15

     I’ve been there- went to church with an “I don’t care” attitude, only half listening to what the preacher says and it basically goes in one ear and out the other!  My heart is not prepared to receive God’s word and as soon as it comes from the preacher’s mouth Satan has swept it away!
2. Stony Ground:

   And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time; afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.  Mark 4:16-17

   Have you ever gone to church just for a dose of “feel betters”?  Guilty, again I’m afraid.  I’ve went to church again with a heart that’s not where it should’ve been.  Instead of truly getting things right with God and truly taking his word to heart, I’ve listened to the preacher and felt better for awhile but then when I get back out in the world and Satan begins to attack I don’t have what I truly need.   As the verses say I only “endure but for a time.”   
3. Among Thorns:

   And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word.   And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.  Mark 4:18-19.

     This is the one in which I’m MOST guilty!  Letting the care of this world choke out God and his word.  It may be during church while that seed is being planted and I have a million other things on my mind like what I’m doing after church.  Or maybe the word is truly planted, but then I don’t tend to it afterward.  Instead of nurturing it as it starts to grow, I let worldly things in and before I know it those worldly things have taken over my time I should be spending with God and in his word.   It doesn’t even have to be anything big just anything that I put before God.  Before long that seed, instead of producing the fruit God intended, becomes choked out by all the worldly things!  We I need to guard my heart against the things of this world and keep my life “weeded out”!
4. Good Soil:

   And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred. Mark 4:20

     This is the soil I’m striving to have!  The soil that has been carefully tended to and is ready for the seed to be planted!  Ready to take God’s word, apply it to my life, and be fruitful for Him!

Tomorrow starts a new associational year for our association (Blount County Missionary Baptist Association) and it’s also our first Sunday with a new pastor.  It’s my desire that my soil be nurtured, weeded-out, and ready to receive God’s Word!  How about you?  What kind of soil will you be taking to church in the morning?

A Message Throughout the Ages

So far this week in our Good Morning Girls Group we’ve covered 1 John 2:12-14. 

I write unto you little, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.  I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.  I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one.  I write unto you little children, because ye have known the Father.  I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.  I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

Notice in these verses John addresses the little children, the young men, and the fathers.  I believe he’s talking in a spiritual sense here writing to everyone from the very young in Christ to the elders.  He’s writing to the “little children” those that have just came to know the Father and been forgiven for Christ’s sake.   He’s writing to the “young men” those Christians that have been in the way for a little while and already won some battles.   They have God’s word in them and at this point in their lives they also still have their strength.  Finally, he’s writing also to the “fathers” those that have “known him that is from the beginning.” 

It doesn’t matter what age we are God’s word has something for us!  Isn’t that amazing how it can speak to the very young of heart on up??  It never gets old!  We can read a passage at one point in our lives and apply it - then read it later and see even deeper in His word and apply it to our lives again! 

No matter where we are spiritually there’s always room for us to grow in God’s word.  Peter said “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.”  (1 Peter 2:2)  I love that word “desire”.  If we want to truly grow from one spiritual stage to the next we must desire to know more about God’s word.  We must not just read it but apply it to our lives to that we may be fruitful and become the Christian God wants us to be.  

Abby from Trusting in Him, who’s in my GMG group, said it best when she said yesterday, “I’m glad God always knows exactly where we are, and His word gives us exactly what we need, when we need it most!”  I’m so thankful for his powerful Word and pray that I will always apply it to my life so that I can grow spiritually!  Have you seen what He has in store for you in his Word today?

Tot School - Week 5



Week Five:  Orange

Last week was a crazy week of Tot School and we didn't get near as much done as we usually did.  In fact, we really only had one "normal" day (whatever that means).  The rest of the week I just squeezed in activities when we got a chance.

Tabel Time:  We colored an orange crayon, played in our fall sensory bin sorting our orange objects (pumpkins, gourds, leaves, spiders),

Floor Time: Sorted pumpkins according to size, went on an orange toy hunt

Snacks:  We had an orange picnic at Camp Sumatanga and ate cheese puffs, cheez-its, and oranges.   

Music:  Itsy Bitsy Spider



Field Trip:  Our Field Trip was to the Imagination Place.  They shopped at "Piggly Wiggly", visited the "doctor's office" and "fire station", worked at a "construction site", visted "The Exchange Bank" and "Grandma's House."  They had a blast and didn't want to leave!




Our Orange Picnic

 

 

 

Sorting our sensory bin items



Singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" with her orange spiders





Working at the "construction site" with "Sour Patch Kid"



Showing me the orange

Ready to shop!

No Tot School this week. :( 

We have LOTS going on-several "field trips" planned and hopefully some things we can share later :)

Here are some links for things I'm hoping to do the rest of the month:

Pumpkin Printables and More

Fall Crafty Corner

Once Upon a Book-Biscuit Visits the Pumpkin Patch

Fun Stuff with Spookley the Square Pumpkin (My FAVORITE pumpkin book!)

A Whole New Light

Brethren I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning.  The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.  Again a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you:  because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.  1 John 2:7-8

      Have you ever had your mind completely made up about something then prayed about it and came up with a whole new perspective?  If you have, then good for you!  I know I have!  Sometimes God has a way of opening our eyes and allowing us to see things in a whole new light-His light!      
     
      We know John is writing this letter to the new church; some that I’m sure were still struggling with Christ’s resurrection, death, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.  I believe John is telling them here that God’s word is still the same.   I can’t tell you how many messages I’ve heard where the preacher has started off with “I don’t have anything new, the message is still the same.”  If they said they had something new I’d be tempted to leave because God’s word hasn’t and won’t change.  

      So what was different for the churches John was writing to?  The word had come to life through Christ’s walk on earth.  The word was still the same but the light (Christ) had shined upon it giving it a whole new meaning!  They’d passed from the law to grace.

      Just to give one example, John says later:

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.  Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother…Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  (1 John 3:11, 12, 16) 

 “Love one another” had been taught from the beginning but Christ really shined the light on that one by giving His own life even when he knew we were sinners and would let Him down!  That definitely gives a whole new meaning to “love!” 

      I’ll leave you with what a quote from John Piper:  “Nothing is truly understood until it is understood in the light of God.”  How true that is!   Is there something in which you need a better understanding?  Then perhaps it’s time to get on your knees and have some light shined upon it!

Tot School - Week 4

Week Four:  Apples

Last week we learned about apples and also reviewed everything else we'd learned for the month of September (red, circle, body parts).  After our trip to the apple orchard "Miss Priss" LOVED our activities this week!

Tabel Time:  We made apple prints with red paint, made " circle apples" for our apple tree on our play-doh mat, made an "apple man", Johnny Appleseed coloring sheet, counted holes (up to 4) on apple die-cuts and placed the same amount of gummy worms on the apples

Floor Time: grocery store/kitchen, apple sort (by color)

Snacks:  Apple slices, apple juice and cider, Made apple pies (using apple pie filling and canned biscuits)

Music:  "The Apple Tree"

Making apple prints

A few of the gummy worms got eaten while we were counting :)

Showing off her apple man

Adding play-doh "apples" to her tree

Making apple pies

I was really hoping to do our first lap book this week but we just didn't have time!  Maybe next month! 

Our October theme is going to be fall.  Our weekly themes will be:  orange, pumpkins, square, and leaves.  I LOVE fall so this is going to be a FUN month!!

A Sinner Perfected Through Christ

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.  ~1 John 1:8-10

    We ALL sin (Romans 3:23).  I recently had a friend call me to tell me about something going on in her life and she said she didn't want to tell me because my life was perfect!  Talk about a punch in the gut!  My life is NOT perfect!  I am a sinner and I live in a world filled with sin which means yes, I have problems too! 


   Everyone sins - it's what we do about our sin that differentiates us.  According to these verses we have two options:  (1) We can deny we have sinned, deceive ourselves and make God a liar; or (2) We can confess our sins and he will forgive us.  Seems like such an easy choice doesn't it?  Yet it's so difficult for us to admit we are wrong!


   However, as difficult as it may be, it's necessary for us to grow.  Proberbs 28:13 says "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."   This verse takes it a step further and says not only to confess but forsake sin!


    If I confess my sins then "he is faithful and just to forgive".   Then and only then comes the true peace and contenment of living a life for Christ.   So while my life isn't perfect, I am perfected through his ultimate sacrifice!  (Hebrews 10:14)  What does that mean?  Trials and sin are going to enter into my life but I have somewhere to turn.  When I give it all to Christ, then I can experience peace, joy and contentment.  That's as close to perfectionism as I'm going to get!