Welcome to my "Open Window"...a place of hope, encouragement, and adventure as we journey down the road from "Closed Doors" to the new opportunities God places in our pathway. I hope you will take the time to go back and follow the trail of mixed blessings and fears, failures and triumphs from the past and side-trips in the present. Perhaps it will conjure up some of your own special memories, and be an invitation for you to share with others. I look forward to spending this time with you!
What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!
Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 which you can do any day of the week you want! No time limit. It's frigid across Canada and America and winter is early this year. There are only a few days left until Christmas...how are you spending this time?
1.What are you up to in preparation for the holidays?
Too much to write about! LOL. This last week is filled with a lot of little things that keep me busy. Tonight our choir has the dress rehearsal for our Christmas Cantata, "Christmas Forever Amen". We will record tonight's rehearsal for our website, but it won't show up until Sunday morning. I will post a link to it next week. I pray it will go well. We've worked really hard on it!
Oh, there's me and my other alto friend now! We are practicing our duet that is in one of the songs of the cantata! LOL.
I've been finishing up my shopping, and now begins the great wrapping marathon...I will have to break it up into segments so I don't wear out my back.
And yes, I am working on Christmas cards, little by little. Not as many are going out this year just because I'm having some issues with my back again, and sitting for long periods of time and writing is difficult. So I try to do a few every day as I can.
The little family at Pamela's Victorian Cottage has been busy finishing up their decorations and getting their house all ready for Christmas:
Oh, and some dear soul gave them some kittens, so that adds to the merriment! You can can that the little Mother is perplexed by yet another addition to her large family!
The girls have been busy hanging wreaths and other decorations outside as well as inside the house:
And it looks like they are just in time, because already there's some guests knocking at the front door!
Oh! Those are the little angels who come down to visit every Christmas and help make the season bright!
Remember what is says in the Bible about entertaining strangers:
Hebrews 13:2 NKJV
2 Do not forget to entertain strangers,
for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.
I think it is a good idea to remember that especially during the Christmas season, because God may be sending special messengers to us to encourage and bless us in some way, and perhaps they could be "angels unawares", like the old King James Version says of this verse:
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
2. What is your absolute favorite holiday movie?
My favorite is The Bishop's Wife, with Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven.
3. What are your hopes for this coming season?
That we will focus our thoughts and attention on Jesus, the real "Reason for the Season"...our Savior Who came down from heaven as a little baby to grow up to live and teach us how to live, and to die for us so that we would know how to die and live for eternity with Him in heaven.
4. Tell us your view on the great tea/coffee/hot chocolate debate and do you want it with fruitcake or cookies? Come on own up!!
I wasn't aware that there was a great tea/coffee/hot chocolate debate? For me, it is always tea first, and hot Ovaltine as needed! I don't drink coffee in any form, and can't drink regular hot chocolate, but the Ovaltine does not affect me the way chocolate does. I do like home made fruitcake. My mother in law made a very good fruitcake, loaded with nuts and fruit. That cake probably weighed 10 lbs. when she was done with it, but it was very good. I've only made it once and took some to my mother in law when she was in the nursing home, and true to course, she told me I didn't do it the way she did, but she ate it anyway and I think she was pleased that I at least tried. I did tweak it a bit and used butter instead of "oleo" in the recipe. I personally liked it better, but she knew right away that something wasn't right! She was very sharp right up until the end at age 95!
Here is her recipe, in her own handwriting. It says "Nell Bateman's Fruit Cake Recipe", so apparently she borrowed the recipe from her friend Nell. To me it will always be "Vivian R. Steiner's Fruitcake Recipe"
Back:
I hope you've enjoyed this Advent Window for Day 17! Thank you, Annie, for coming up with these questions for our Tuesday 4 each week. Praying that you and yours will have a blessed and joyful continued Christmas season!!
Might as well combine the two days because I know I won't have time to do another post tomorrow...unless it is late in the day. Besides, a lot of what I am thankful for is in the pictures...well maybe, maybe not. Let's see how this unfolds.
This is a good place to begin, right?
(This is sign is another of our friend Barbara's from Sweet Tea and Sandals. We have it on a table as you come in the front door of the store as a good reminder!)
This huge flock of geese landed on Still Waters Pond the other evening. Have you ever heard a "gaggle of geese" before? Click on the video below if you'd like to hear what they sound like...I think they were all "talking" at once, trying to get everyone in order after their long flight, making sure no one was missing...
After a while they settled down and by nightfall I couldn't hear a peep. I think they took off again before dawn, however, because there was no sign of them in the morning. They have places to go and "people to see". We felt honored that they chose our little pond to land and rest a while.
Up on shore it appears that we have a new "lawn ornament" in the butterfly garden, keeping watch over the bird feeder...
She just makes herself right at home there. I've noticed that she often arrives way before sunrise, but usually is gone after a couple of hours of bird watching. Then sometimes she reappears at night, tripping the motion detector light on our back porch. I guess she feels safe here...
And here is one of her friends from the neighborhood, sitting out there this afternoon, just watching and waiting...Isn't she beautiful? I don't know if these cats actually belong to anyone, but I do know that one of our neighbors feeds them. They look healthy.
A few weeks ago I told you about the damage to our church property after Hurricane Ian passed through HERE. You will recall that a large tree fell onto our very old log storage building, landing on the roof and causing considerable damage. Thankfully no one was around at the time and no people or vehicles were damaged, as this is also our church parking lot. Well, now the demolition of the building has begun, and I've been trying to get some pictures throughout the week to mark the progress. Here's a few pictures so you can see what the extent of the damage was:
The big tree was cut up, and you can see that it was rotten all the way through.
Do you see the little Wren above? He was hopping around and inside the logs, looking for bugs I am sure.
This 100 + year old building was built from palm tree logs, which are very strong and dense.
This is a picture of the logs, and how they were cut to fit together. The logs themselves still look pretty good. I do not see any rot in them:
Inside the building was this old pulpit. I am hoping someone has decided to remove it and not let it be destroyed...
It's a miracle it wasn't crushed:
This is the other end of the building, which was added at a later time, and it was not under the tree when it fell. But I think it is still going to be torn down.
Another view of the section that was crushed:
I am still amazed at the strength of these palm logs:
This pulpit, from whence the Word of God was preached for many years, reminds me of the Word of God that is everlasting...
Isaiah 40:6-8
6 The voice said, “Cry out!”
And he said, “What shall I cry?”
“All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
Amen!
Now, for a little story from this morning's time spent at Dixie Cottage. No pictures of this...you'll have to just picture this in your mind's eye.
Hubby and I were having a quiet morning at the store for the first hour. Then it seemed as though everything broke loose at once! First we saw one large van pull into the parking lot, and it turned out to be one of our new vendors and her husband coming to add some more items to her little booth. We had not met before, so after introductions were made, we had a little bit of business to discuss while she worked on her booth. Just as we were talking another couple of people came in the door, and it turned out to be another of our vendors, also coming to add some things to her booth. However, this particular person had previously discussed with my son that she had a little problem with this new vendor not following all of the "rules" for what they were allowed to bring to sell at the store. The new person had not totally understood all of the rules, but that is what I was discussing with her and explaining what needed to be changed. Everything was fine until this other person started saying negative and rather snarky things under her breath, but loud enough for the new vendor to hear her. I was caught in the middle of a tense situation. I tried my best to diffuse the matter by talking to each person individually, but it was getting very uncomfortable. (picture "cat fight" in your mind...I was trying to keep it from getting there...) On top of that someone came in to pick up a sign that she had ordered, and she was being a little bit difficult in that it wasn't as big as she thought it would be (it was exactly what she ordered), and the lettering wasn't as dark as she thought it should be (again, exactly what she ordered), and I could see she was going to be a little unpleasant, but I then had the pleasure of telling her that her sign was free because she actually is a person who finds estate sales and good used furniture for us that we purchase from her to restore and sell in the store. When I told her the sign was a gift, she changed her whole demeanor and attitude and the sign was just perfect! LOL.
Anyway, meanwhile I could feel the tension growing in the building while the ladies were working on their booths and both sputtering things as they worked... I whispered a prayer to the Lord, "HELP ME!" All the while, other people came and went...I helped a customer find something he was looking for...my husband was keeping the one lady's husband occupied in conversation, Finally, the 2nd lady was ready to leave and she actually had a piece of furniture that she had purchased from the store that needed to be loaded in her truck. (Where is our strong son when we need him???) My hubby and I got the dolly and loaded the piece onto it and managed to get it to the door and out onto the sidewalk, but we weren't too sure how we were going to get it up into the back of her truck without damaging the piece of furniture. This lady also came over and apologized to me privately, but not to the other lady, but at least she knew she was wrong for her attitude and said so. Anyway, with all of this happening at once, I honestly was feeling so stressed and was really not sure how on earth we were going to get that furniture in the back of her truck. Then I looked around and this very tall (at least 6'6") big African American man stepped out of nowhere and asked if he could help us. My husband and I both just gasped with joy and said "Oh, yes! Please! and thank you!" He took over with my husband (and also the other woman's husband joined in to help as well) and they got that furniture in the back of that lady's truck with no problem.
I went back inside and tried to make amends with the new vendor lady and we talked and I felt like we had everything cleared up and she was okay and calmed down and seemed to be at peace with the situation. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the big man had walked around through the store and then was headed out the door. I felt badly that we hadn't really had time to wait on him or ask him if we could help him with anything. So before he went out the door I called over to him and asked him if there was anything we could help him with, and he said, "No, I just wanted to see what this place was." And I said to him, "Well, we thank you for coming, and I really believe you were an angel sent here by God today." He looked at me with a rather strange but I would say knowing look and smiled and went out the door. And that was that. And after all this crazy stuff was settled and we came home for lunch I told my husband that I honestly believed that God sent that man to help us just at that moment because God knew we needed some divine intervention in more ways than one. Do I really believe he was an angel? Well, let's just say he showed up out of nowhere at just the moment we needed him most, and then when everything was taken care of he just disappeared out the door. I do think he was driving an old pick up truck, but he was nicely dressed and had the look of someone extra special. An angel? Could be...what do you think?
Hebrews 13:2
"Do not forget to entertain strangers,
for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels."
Some things to ponder tonight. And I am very thankful for God's power to take care of us in difficult situations as well as during the easy peaceful times.
I shared this video on Facebook last night. Our choir is going to sing this song on Sunday morning. I can't get this message out of my head. It's very meaningful and comforting. I hope you will enjoy it.
Here are the lyrics to the song by David Haas:
I will come to you in the silence
I will lift you from all your fear
You will hear My voice
I claim you as My choice
Be still, and know I am near
… I am hope for all who are hopeless
I am eyes for all who long to see
In the shadows of the night,
I will be your light
Come and rest in Me
… Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine
… I am strength for all the despairing
Healing for the ones who dwell in shame
All the blind will see, the lame will all run free
Let's discuss tea parties. Okay! Here's a topic I enjoy talking about!
1. Do you invite people over for coffee or tea? I certainly have in the past, but this year has kind of put a damper on having people over for any kind of fellowship. Hopefully that will change in the New Year. However, I often have "virtual tea parties"...or a tea party for one (or is it three? me, myself, and I?) just for the fun of it.
My Christmas carolers are all ready for a tea party:
Here is a LINK to my most favorite Tea Party. We had so much fun with these precious little ones. I need to do this again someday, before they grow up too much and aren't interested in tea parties with "old ladies" anymore.
2. Entertaining is a good way to serve others. The Bible encourages it in talking about how to be a good person:
Isaiah 58:6-7 "“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? "
My favorite is Hebrews 13:2 "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels."
"A Tea Party with the Angels"
Do you entertain often? Not as much as I used to. But as a Pastor's family in the past we have had many gatherings in our home with friends, strangers, neighbors, family, church members, missionaries, kids young and old. I love to have people in our home. I am not a great cook or decorator...but when we get together with people we care about no one seems to mind that things aren't done according to specific rules of entertaining and etiquette. They just want to have a good time of fellowship and fun. Our home tends to be the family gathering place for holidays and birthdays as well.
3. What kind of refreshments do you offer to guests?
When we have large groups, everyone brings a dish of something to share, kind of pot-luck style according to whatever the season or holiday or theme may be. I normally provide the main course (meat), beverages, and other side dishes as necessary, but because we so often have large groups I have always found that people don't mind bringing something to share and it makes it more fun and interesting for all. (and not as much work for me so I can enjoy the party!)
4. Do you enjoy tea and/or coffee? How do you take it?
I am a tea-totaller myself. I like hot tea or unsweet iced tea. Hot tea with a teaspoon of sugar (or honey) and lemon if available. Iced tea, unsweet with lemon and lots of ice. I also enjoy different flavors of teas/herbal teas, etc., but my normal everyday tea is Lipton black orange pekoe tea.
My tea "station" in our kitchen, where I fix a pot of tea every morning to make a pitcher of iced tea later, and a cup of hot tea for my morning wake up cup. I have never liked coffee, but my husband does, so I make him a pot of coffee every day.
If it is in your power to entertain friends and family, do so often. People get lonely and need to be with others. You have more to offer than you know! Giving of your time and self is priceless.
I totally agree! The only thing that has held me back this year is this crazy "pandemic". People have not been as eager to visit in homes and I feel we have really lost something very precious and beautiful. My goal in the New Year is to get back into doing more entertaining, but probably on a smaller scale. I love having smaller more intimate tea parties with ladies...tea for two can be just as nice as tea for more. And if you prefer coffee, that's not problem at all! It doesn't have to be a formal tea party either...just a meeting of friends...sometimes to talk about personal issues, or perhaps a study of the Bible together...encouraging one another in our faith and daily living.
"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
Hebrews 10:24-25
Thank you for joining in this little visit today, as we talked about having tea parties. For more stories about tea parties and tea times you can click on the links on the right side column under the heading of "Some Special Topics".
I hope this has inspired you to think about ways you can encourage others by opening your home for little friendly gatherings. It will make a difference in someone else's life when you include them in your life!
(Note: I apologize for the strange formatting and mixed up fonts in this post. Couldn't seem to make it right, but hopefully you can still read it and enjoy it!)
Dear Friends, It is with great joy that I write to you today, Wednesday, Sept, 13th, 2017, 3 days after Hurricane Irma stormed through our state and beyond...we survived!! Praise God!!! I have so much to tell you about how gracious and kind and merciful our Lord is...I hardly know where to begin!
If you read my previous posts regarding this storm HERE (Just A Quick Check In) and Here (The Calm Before the Storm), you will know that we were as prepared as anyone could be for such a monstrous storm. After watching the forecasts for over a week of how powerful and dangerous Hurricane Irma was going to be, people would be very foolish not to be prepared as much as possible. But I know that not everyone is able to purchase generators and gas stoves and other items...the most important thing is to just get somewhere safe and stay there until the storm is over.
Irma roared over our community during the night Sunday and early Monday morning, and was still blowing pretty fiercely off an on all day Monday. Our power went off around 10:30 p.m. Sunday night. We listened to it howling, with tall pine trees in the forest next to us popping and cracking and falling all night long, which sounded much like a war zone, and just prayed that nothing would crash into our house and that our roof would stay intact. When we got up Monday morning at first daylight we assessed whatever damages we could see, and we were so extremely thankful that no "evil" had "befallen us", (Psalm 91:10-11)...and that it appeared God had indeed given His angels charge over us and our home...and even our neighborhood...and had spared us the worst of the storm.
Soon other vehicles tried to drive down our road, and we all realized that it was impassable due to the many fallen trees. What I love about our community is that people all look for ways to help one another...
And soon neighbors who didn't even know one another were out there with chain saws and chains and trucks and pulling the trees out of the road...
And then the real miracle happened for us...one of these neighbors whom we have never met turned out to be a kind of "angel in disguise" for us. When my hubby mentioned that we needed some help in hooking up our generator to our house so that we could run our well/pump as well as keep our refrigerator going, this wonderful young man spoke right up and said that he was an electrician, and that he had the necessary parts to connect it, and would be right back to do it!
Within the hour he had gone to his home, got the parts, and came back and expertly installed it...and refused to take anything for his work...(but we insisted and paid him anyway).
You, know, I learned something about "don't judge a book by its cover". Sometimes we have a tendency to look at those who are all "tatted" up and think judgmental thoughts...and God taught me a valuable lesson here...Sometimes angels come with tattoos, beards and blue jeans and ball caps in the middle of a storm...
This huge pine tree (on our property) fell on the power lines next to our property...but did not break them so there was no live wire hanging, Thank the Lord...
The trunk of the pine tree you see laying down below is right next to our kitchen window/end of house. I have watched that huge pine tree leaning for sometime and was concerned that it could fall on our house. Thank the Lord again...it fell away from our house...
This picture is just typical of the many tall sand pines in our woods that snapped and cracked and fell all night long...
This pine tree tree is just barely held up by a smaller oak tree, and is dangling precariously across the road. We pray it doesn't fall on any vehicles driving under it. We need someone with a larger chain saw than ours to cut it.
This is the tree (below) that fell on the power line beside our shed. Thankfully it missed the shed.
Clay Electric came and cut it off the line.
Thank you Clay Electric, and all the others who came from far away to assist in getting our area back up and running again...
Amazing...
After the storm, this molting cardinal discovered our new bird bath and decided to take a nice cool bath...
Isn't he interesting looking with his funny molting feathers?
Our #3 son cooking an omelette on the Coleman Stove for breakfast...
This Male Cardinal wants to know what all the fuss has been about...
The butterflies have been enjoying the wildflowers...and don't seem at all concerned about the storm we just passed through...
We had hot dogs and beans for supper...
Hubby enjoying our picnic on the back porch...where it was much cooler than inside the house...
Me cooking our supper and pretending to be 'camping out'.
And today...so thankful that we finally got our phone, cable, wifi back on...and then while I was writing this our power came back on!!! Praise the Lord!!
So many things to be thankful for with this storm.
None of our family members or friends throughout the state suffered any real damage or injuries that cannot be fixed.
God truly had His hand upon us and sheltered us "under His wings" (Psalm 91:4).
He provided everything we needed to get through this time without extreme discomfort or inconvenience.
He brought strangers to our door to help us with the things we needed...perhaps "angels unaware"
(Hebrews 13:2)
and taught us to open our eyes and see how He can provide for us from unexpected sources.
I know this has been a long post. I apologize for being so verbose,
but I cannot withhold my praise and thanksgiving to God for how He has provided, protected, and blessed us through this whole ordeal.
