Here it is Wednesday...the week before Thanksgiving already! As my mind is still grappling with that fact and making mental preparations for the big day, I wanted to share some special "treasures" with you and express my thanksgiving to God for wonderful friends and unexpected surprises.
This past Sunday at church a dear sweet friend said she had a box of some things in her car she wanted to give me. I was totally taken by surprise as I had no idea what she would be wanting to give me, and also I was reeling from the shock that we had just learned that this friend and her husband have listed their house for sale and are planning to move away from our area whenever it sells. They have family living further north of here and other family concerns regarding their elderly mother, so they said it was time to "move on". 
So, as you can imagine, I was a bit taken off guard by receiving this box filled with very special items that she wanted me to have. (see above picture and below). It appears to me that this sweet lady knows me very well, even though we have not really spent all that much time together one on one...mostly just at our church ladies' functions...but each and every item definitely seems to have been selected especially for me.... The delightful miniature tea set above is absolutely perfect in every detail...and a devotional book entitled "Tea Time with God"...
Some lovely tea table linens!
Let's take a look inside this "Quiet Moments with God Devotional" book and see what we can share...
I love that the verse quoted for this devotional is from Psalm 23:2-3~
"He leadeth me beside the still waters; He restoreth my soul..."
How perfect is THAT for me????
I especially like what it says on this page:
"...There may be times when the pressures of the day come to bear in late afternoon. Our spirits long for a little peace and refreshment in the presence of our loving Savior. Just as enjoying a muffin with a few sips of tea can give something of a lift to our lagging physical energy level, a quick prayer or the voicing of praise can give our spirit a lift.
Set aside some time in the middle of the afternoon to turn your attention to the beauty of life that the Lord has set before you. Find beauty and comfort in the people around your, the flowers on a table, or simply the delicious aroma of tea brewing. Create a few moments away from the hustle and bustle of your life before returning to the tasks that await you. Give thanks to the Lord for sharing His presence with you."
Don't allow the busyness of preparation for our Thanksgiving dinner and guests rob us of the joy of spending time with loved ones and friends in a spirit of gratitude...
Lily Grace and all of her friends are also getting in the spirit of Thanksgiving...
This young fellow has the right idea...
Let us "come before His presence with Thanksgiving"
Psalm 100
1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
Amen!
Happy Thanksgiving!
And a special thank you to my friend who was so very thoughtful in sharing these gifts with me. I hope you enjoyed them as well.
What incredibly thoughtful gifts these are, Pamela; I know you will treasure them always! And I do love Psalm 100, so thanks for sharing that with us, too. I think taking a break with a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon, and spending that time with God, is a most excellent idea, too. Let us slow down as much as we can in this holiday season and simply give thanks to God for all His blessings.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha. Maybe we can sit down with our cup of tea in the afternoon and share our thoughts from a distance. Would be nicer in person, but still it's a nice thought to do. And yes, Psalm 100 has been a favorite of mine since elementary school, when we learned it in public school and recited it for a Thanksgiving program. Those were special times that I will never forget. Sadly, that will never happen again in a public school. Will you be seeing your family over Thanksgiving? Thinking of you and wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving whatever you do!
DeleteBeautiful gifts! The paper doll book would be nice as a coffee table book, especially sometime when you are having ladies over for a visit. I used to play with paper dolls (with a more modern wardrobe) by the hours when I was in grade school. It's good to see the ladies all dressed and ready for the Thanksgiving holiday.
ReplyDeleteThat's a nice idea. It's been so long since I had ladies over for a visit...somehow "life" gets in the way and we don't take the time to do the things we love to do. Or maybe we are doing things we love to do, but things are different as we get older. Oh, I can imagine you and your sister probably enjoyed playing with Betsy McCall and other paper dolls, just like my sister Doris and I did. Those were sweet times. Happy Thanksgiving to you and Gary! Do you still have your Mr. and Mrs. Pilgrim? I was just thinking about them! Take care my friend and be blessed...
DeleteWhat a lovely set of presents you received from your friend. Some of them may well be valuable antiques; like that book of paper dolls for instance. Especially if it has not been used. Special prayers for your friends.
ReplyDeleteBy the way ... I have responded to your point about bats on my Blog.
God bless always.
Thank you, Victor! Also, I appreciated the answer about the bats. I guess I knew that about the sonar, but I hadn't thought about it. It's good to know they won't bump into me! That could be quite a scene!!! LOL. God bless you too!!
DeleteWow! What a wonderful gift. She does know you well, and I think she knew that those things would be so appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI love that Psalm. I remember my daughter memorizing it when she was in 1st grade and I can still hear her reciting it. :)
Thank you, Mari. You know, it must've been a "thing" to recite the 100th Psalm back in 1st or 2nd grade, because I also remember doing that back then...and this was in public school! Sadly, that would never happen in today's public schools. Things have changed too much, and not for the better. But I am glad we had that early life experience.
DeleteMy goodness, I'm amazed how every one of these treasures look just like that which you love! I'm guessing your friend follows your blog? Her generous heart is really something, isn't it? I vaguely recall having paper dolls -- but making a ridiculous mess; their shelf life was pretty brief. I think Barbara's suggestion is a good one. More so, your reminder to pause during all the hustle and bustle and enjoy a cup of tea while conversing with Mr. God.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Myra. I never knew my friend followed my blog...but it sure seems she knows me better than I knew she did! What's sad is now she's moving away and I feel sad that we really haven't been able to spend that much time together. "Life" just seems to get in the way of being as hospitable as we'd love to be these days. I really need to change that...
DeleteWow, perfect gifts for you! How really thoughtful of that friend to give you such nice quality gifts that are treasures.
ReplyDeleteYes I played with paper dolls and adored them. I made a post about my moms paper dolls here. https://www.from-my-house.com/2022/04/paper-dolls-anyone.html
Those uncut paper dolls are worth something - not that you have any intentions of selling but I always find it fun to see what old keepsakes are worth on eBay. I don't know what year they came out but they look awfully old.
Ohh I remember having so much fun with my paper dolls. They were always easy to pack when I went with my folks to a boring house with no kids. I'd sit for hours playing with them.
The tea set is lovely. Wow, you have some really sweet friends who truly appreciate you. If I haven't said it before, I appreciate you as well. It's always so pleasant to come here to visit, always with a smile and a cheery message.
Thank you so much, Debby. I appreciate YOU as well. And I want to go read your post about the paper dolls now. My sister and I used to play with the Betsy McCall paper dolls and we had some others too. Yes, we could entertain ourselves for hours with those sweet and simple "dolls". That was a sweeter and simpler time of life. Blessings to you and Happy upcoming Thanksgiving!
DeleteI would say your friend from church knows you very well! What wonderful gifts and perfect for you!! The paper dolls are precious! I played with them some but was never really "into" paper dolls. Definitely don't cut them!! I enjoyed your post, Pam (always!)!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Terri. It's sad that my friend from church knows me so well and now she's moving away. But that is the way life is, especially as we get older. It seems like we are too busy with everyday life to really set aside time to just be 'friends'. I need to change that in my life. I miss that kind of fellowship. And no, I'm not going to cut these paper dolls, even though it is tempting...
DeleteSuch beautiful gifts and perfect for you. Thanks for sharing them with us. I remember Betsy McCall in the McCall's magazine. I'm not sure how often I cut them out but I loved looking at them.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cathy. I remember Betsy McCall too. My sister and I used to play with them for hours and couldn't wait for the next issue of the magazine to come out for more! Those were simpler and sweeter times!! I don't know if little girls would enjoy paper dolls today the way we did. Sad. Have a blessed day, and enjoy the beach for me!
DeleteYou did recieve some beautiful gifts from your friend. That tea set is so pretty and delicate and my favorite color! The paper dolls are so fun! I remember playing with paper dolls when I was a little girl. Oh the adventures my dolls had. My mother-in-law has always talked about cutting up the catalog for paper dolls.
ReplyDeleteI, too, think that having tea and time with Jesus in the afternoon is a very, very good idea. It's always a good idea, but especially now.
Blessings and love,
Betsy
I'm glad you remember playing with paper dolls. My sister and I used to play with Betsy McCall and couldn't wait for the next issue of the magazine each month to see what Betsy was going to be doing! Those were simpler and sweeter times. Thank you for taking time to visit. I know you are getting ready for company, and you will have special times with your sweet family! God bless you all, and Happy Thanksgiving.
DeleteSomeone recognized that you would take care of her lovely pieces and enjoy them. I don't have a tea time, but I do try and sit and have a cup of decaf coffee in the afternoons. IT is my stop to rest and slow down time.
ReplyDeleteWhat a special gift! For someone to know you well (through your testimony no doubt) and to lovingly put together so many special things! I know you will enjoy those things well!!
ReplyDeletePam: We had to memorize Psalm 100 when I was in the fifth grade. I love the words. Your gifts are beautiful. I am working on a project for Christmas. Jim and I will have a small Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday and Roger will be here on that Saturday, we are not certain what we will have then. Jim has requested I make cranberry muffins and I saw a recipe in our paper for homemade cranberry sauce. I hope to try to make it. Peace and blessings to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteOh my, what a precious box of gifts for you to enjoy. It's like they were meant to be yours from the start. Be still my heart....Pamela's Victorian Cottage is so cute, I would love to have something like that. I've been shopping for a while, maybe someday I'll find one the right size for the right price. And I loved seeing Lily Grace and her friends enjoying the new tea set. A very lovely post today. ☺♥ His mercy endures forever, Amen.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE ALL THESE PICTURES, Pam! so many beautiful things! Wow, your friend blessed you with things that surely look like they should be in your care. I love that purple tea set.....that is gorgeous! and that bird bowl, just so pretty. So many pretties----the tablecloths are so hard to find nowadays! I'm always on the lookout for the old fashioned ones. I used to find them alot at the thrift stores. Oh YES, I spent many many hours with my paperdolls back in the long ago child days. I love them. I had so many different ones, Bride, Movie Stars, Nurse, Dolls, Fashion Model, Stewardess, etc. So much fun. Oh yes, I loved Betsy McCall! I made Fairy Granddaughter an album of Betsy McCall adventures and pictures for Christmas a few years ago. My Mom didn't take McCalls, but my Ma-Maw did, and she saved all the magazines for me so I could get the paperdolls. My Mom took Ladies Home Journal and Good Housekeeping. I still take Woman's Day and Good Housekeeping. I miss Ladies Home Journal. Redbook used to be good too. Hugs!
ReplyDelete