The Light of the Morning {Thankful Thursdays}

I am blessed to be living where we do. We have the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. No matter how many times I look out the windows in either direction to see the beauty God created there is always something different about the view in the sky. Each one is unique with many differences from the one before it.

Just a quick drive north in the still of the night, we are able to see more than the eye can behold, when we trek out to watch the Milky Way come into focus along with the Big and Little Dipper. The millions of twinkling stars and seeing an occasional shooting star while hoping to catch it on camera and facing the bitter temperatures to catch the northern lights. But there is something special about The Light of the Morning that comes just before the sunrise.

Seeing The Light of the Morning

Seeing all the beauty God created in the sky is amazing. Watching every morning as the planets line-up is thrilling to this astronomy lover. But there is something about The Light of the Morning when it floods the earth. I’m not a morning person, but having the opportunity to watch the light as it comes over the horizon is special. I can’t imagine missing out on one of the most beautiful displays created by God.

With each morning comes a new day with a fresh start. No matter how dark our night has been when the light of the morning begins to shine, we know there is a new day ahead and how we choose to live it is up to us. Yes, there are going to be uncontrollable things to happen, but how we accept those things is what matters. Will we keep our faith in the Lord, or will we lose our faith in Him? I can only pray I keep my faith in Him and not lose out because of Satan.

Then came the morning, night turned into day;
The stone was rolled away, hope rose with the dawn.
Then came the morning, shadows vanished before the sun,
Death had lost and life had won, for morning had come.

Living In A Throwaway Society

Paper, plastic, and disposable all are words we are familiar with in our daily lives. The thing they have in common - they are throwaways. Today, we live in a Throwaway Society. Look around you, how many things can you count that will eventually end up in the garbage? I’m looking at several things, but a spiral notebook is the closest. In days gone by a slate was used for writing on, something people don’t use any longer. Honestly, I’m thankful for the paper.

Living In A Throwaway Society

Sadly, we have moved on from throwing away diapers and plates to throwing away tiny humans and the older generation, lives that matter.

We’ve been told tiny babies are an inconvenience and are not important and can be exterminated as if they were a mouse or an insect. These tiny lives are being destroyed and then sold like a bottle of aspirin so their parts can be used for research. Our government has had a hand in this by continuing to fund an organization and those of us who have not said a word against these ghastly acts are just as guilty.

I can’t help but think about the thousands of families who would lovingly accept one of these tiny lives if only they would have been given a chance to live. I wonder have we killed the one life that would have discovered the cure for cancer just because he or she was an inconvenience; a life that could possibly have saved millions of others - a tiny life that mattered.

We live in a society where lives are not valued anymore. Many believe a tiny life will keep them from achieving great things while others believe an older life will keep them from achieving great things.

The older generation who cared for us when we were growing up made sure we had food to eat; clothes to wear and a roof over our heads are now being put into homes and allowing others to care for them. I am NOT talking about situations where a loved one needs full-time medical care or you are physically not able to care for them. I’m talking about loved ones who are placed in a home because they have become an inconvenience to our daily lives.

Once we depended on someone to feed us, to clothe us, and to wipe our behind when needed. They did those things out of love and necessity. I’m sure there were times when it felt like a burden, but they did it anyway because they loved us.

When I was in college, I worked at a nursing home and recently I worked at our local long-term care facility for a few months. I met some wonderful men and women, the stories I heard were remarkable! I’ll never forget the light in the eyes of those who had family to visit, the smiles that seemed to last for hours; the love they felt showed on their faces. I’ll also not forget the eyes that were dim and the faces that didn’t bare a smile of happiness. Those were the precious people who caught my attention. They were the ones to whom I extended my friendship and love. They were the ones who I sat with a little longer just so they could tell me that story about their children, even though I had already heard it several times. Lives who may not have won the Noble Peace Prize, but worked and cared for families; lives that matter.

I’m not writing this to throw stones at anyone. Like I said earlier, this is not for those who can’t be the caregiver of an older loved one. (My mother in law was in a personal care home during the last few months of her life, it was a hard decision that had to be made.) This is written to those who are raising a family of their own and feeling the pressure of daily check-ins with an older loved one. As long as they are independent and care for themselves, don’t talk them out of their independence. Don’t make them feel as if they can’t live on their own if they still have the capabilities of doing so. Getting older comes with loss of memory and the inability to do something that one time came easily. Many elderly individuals enjoy their life and will not want the constant reminder they are no longer in their own home.

If you do need to place a family member in a home, don't forget about them. Don't leave them there until an emergency arises. Call them, visit them, and take them out to eat if possible. Whatever you do, let them know you have not put them there to forget about them.

Remember you will one day be in your loved one's shoes. There will come a day you will need to depend on someone for a little help. Getting older is a part of life, it is something we all have to look forward to. If we want our children to lovingly care for us, then we need to show them how to lovingly care for our older family members. The example we set for them is how they will respond to us.

Just because society tells us tiny and older lives are an inconvenience,

they are all lives created by God; LIVES WHO MATTER.

A Strong Tower {Thankful Thursdays Linkup #42}

Are you troubled? Are you in the middle of one of life’s messes? Are you fearful of the future and what it holds? We have all been there and know that feeling; a feeling that is overwhelming and scary at times. But you know what; we don’t have to dwell in the middle of the chaos. We have a STRONG TOWER we can run to in our time of need, a Strong Tower who will be there when we need Him, a Strong Tower with enough room for many more.

During the middle ages, castles with towers were built by nobles. The tower was the strongest defense point for the castle. I found it interesting that the word tower has not always been used, but the word KEEP. A keep was used as the last defense if a castle was being invaded. While it was not kept empty, it was used as the owner’s residence or as guest quarters; the tower was used as a HOME.

I’ve recently read the words “we need to run to our Strong Tower as the last resort”. I have to disagree with that statement. We shouldn’t face the day without the Lord, ever. He is our Guide, our Protector, our Strong Tower and if we face the day without Him, then we are trying to live through our strength and we can’t do it. Before our feet hit the floor in the morning, we should turn our day over to the Lord not after the problems begin. Even in the good times, we should be able to run to our Strong Tower and feel at home while receiving his blessings.

The Lord is our Strong Tower, our Keeper,
and we can be at Home with Him at all times.

Pintos and Sausage Stew

The only thing I truly love about the winter season is the winter foods. It’s the perfect time of year for a good soup or stew. The warmth coming from a pot of something good on a stove is comforting. This Pintos and Sausage Stew is just that, comforting and so good.

Pintos and Sausage Stew

This past week we dealt with frigid, arctic temperatures of -20 degrees for several days. I spent the early part of one of those days cooking this recipe and I am so glad I did because it is out of this world. The stew is healthy and loaded with protein – lots of protein.

Living where we do, I know there will be some recipes that I have to improvise on ingredients because they are either not carried or delivery trucks are not on schedule. This was the case with this recipe. Chard, yeah none to be found in Miles City, along with the smoked sausage and Habanera pepper. So I used turnip greens, polish sausage, and a jalapeño pepper. I can only image what this stew must taste like with the called for ingredients. I’m sure it is like my Jambalaya which calls for Andouille sausage – we’ve come to tolerate it with polish sausage.

Since I was cooking this while my husband was at home, I decided to precook my pinto beans so I would not have to wait for them to cook in the stew. I also grated the carrot for our taste, but I’m thinking the next time, I will slice it and give it a try that way. When the beans were finished cooking and ready to add them to the other ingredients, I reserved a half of a cup and mashed them so they would help thicken the stew.

After eating two bowls of the stew, my husband suggested serving this with rice. I cooked a cup of rice and tried them together. It was very good, the rice helped carry the flavors of the sausage and the pepper a little more.

Which ever way you decide to serve the stew it will be fabulous!

Pintos and Sausage Stew

Ingredients:

•  1 cup of dried pinto beans or 2-3 cans of pinto beans
•  ½ cup cooked beans reserved
•  2 tbsp oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small carrot, shredded
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (seeds removed)
• 1 package, polish sausage, sliced
• 5 cups of chicken broth
• ½ cup cooked turnip greens (drained)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook pinto beans until soft, don’t drain.

2. Heat the oil and sauté onions and carrots until soft. Add the garlic, jalapeño pepper continue sautéing for about 3 minutes, add the sausage and cook until it begins to brown. Pour in the beans, broth, turnip greens and salt and pepper, mix until well combined. Cover, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. For a thicker stew, mash the reserved beans and add to the pot. If the stew is thick enough, just add the beans. Before serving, taste and adjust salt if necessary. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve with toasted bread, crackers, or even rice.

If you use precooked or canned beans, you won't need to cook for 30 minutes; just long enough for them to be heated through and the flavors to blend together.

2016 Goals: They Are Finally Made!

I’m a little slow this year at making my 2016 goals. We’re already on the 18th day of the month and I’m still a little hesitant about what I want to accomplish this year. It wasn’t until last Monday when I began thinking about this and while there are lots of things I would love to do, I wanted to set goals that would be meaningful for me and things I would continue on in the future.

My 2016 Goals

Read More – I’m a little surprised at how slack I have become with reading. I think my love for reading has fizzled a little because of an e-reader. While I like the idea of convenience and a large amount of storage of books on a small device, I love the feel of real books. I love the smell of real books. I love the sound of real pages as they are being turned in real books. This year, I’m planning on reading a lot more. There have been many books recommended from several blogging friends and I want to utilize those books to better myself so I can be the kind of person I need to be.

Knit More – I finally realized I love knitting more than any other handcraft I do. With this love, my goal is to create my first knitted pattern this year. I’m planning on a baby sweater and have the idea in my head, all I need to do is put it into action. As soon as I am finished with the baby girl things I working on now, my needles along with pencil and paper will be chomping at the bit.

Sew More – Last year, when I planned on making a quilt, I really thought I was going to love it. Sadly, it’s not for me. Since I’m not one to start something and not finish it, this quilt will be completed whether I learn to love the art of quilting or not. My sashing fabric is in the mail and I can’t wait for it to get here. I am looking forward to finishing the quilt top.  I like sewing! I have a pile of UFOs I need to complete. Small projects are my thing when it comes to sewing.

Stay On Top of School Papers – I normally work a little at a time on keeping papers up to date. Every six weeks, I do an overhaul on them and file them away.  The last time I did this, I realized we are on the backside of this school year’s mountain. With this year’s transcripts needing to be worked on this spring, I’ve decided to finish this year out keeping everything up to date weekly and filed away on a bi-weekly schedule. High school transcripts give me the jitters since they are the tell-all of what my son has accomplished during his high school years and they can be the make or break of college scholarships.

Did you make goals for 2016?  I’d love to hear or read about them, leave a comment with your goals or a link so I can visit and read about your goals.

An Unchanging God {Thankful Thursdays}

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like change. I like the security of my comfort zone because most of time it's Unchanging. That comfort zone is like my favorite fuzzy blanket I use during the winter - comfortable, safe, and secure. I was reminded of this, this week while dealing with our internet company and their new “state of the art” services that will be provided in the near future. My husband pointed out to them those wonderful new changes are in fact regressing to the early days of DSL services for other parts of the country, but that’s life living in the middle of nowhere.

I couldn’t help but think how things in life may change, our God doesn’t. We serve an Unchanging God.

We Serve An Unchanging God

It’s reassuring to know the same God that David and Daniel prayed to, I pray to Him also. The same God, who directed Noah, protected Jonah, prepared Moses, and guided Joseph. He is the same today as He was the day He hung the stars in the sky. (Psalms 102:25-27)

It’s a comfort to know the God I serve is the same God who promised Adam and Eve while in the Garden of Eden to send a sacrificial Lamb. He’s the same God who sent his Son to be born for a purpose – to die on the cross and to be raised from the dead for our sins. (Genesis 3:15)

I have hope in knowing the promise of peace and the return of Jesus that was given to his disciples, is the same Jesus I sing about when the words Jesus Loves Me passes across my tongue. (John 14:1-4)

While uncomfortable changes are made every day in our lives, there is ONE who does not change. I’m thankful I serve an unchanging God.

Time is filled with swift transition,
Naught of earth unmoved can stand,
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.