Tuesday 4~ Things to Ponder

 

Things to Ponder


Welcome back to another of Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 memes.

From Annie, our hostess:
"Across much of the USA autumn has come early.
It's so nice and chilly here that I made myself a nice cup of pumpkin spice coffee today, an autumn treat I really enjoy, While I enjoyed my cuppa I was pondering a rew things I want to do with my home."

Here are some questions for you to ponder:


1. If you could live in the world of any movie, which one would you choose and why?
I had to "ponder" this for a minute or two...and finally decided upon "Anne of Green Gables". Why? Well, because I loved her story, and as many of you probably already know from previous posts, Anne was one of my mother's favorite characters, and when I was born and my mother saw that I had red hair, she wanted to name me after Anne. So my name became Pamela Anne, with an e!   I still hope to actually visit Prince Edward Island someday and see all the places where the story came from, even though Anne is a fictional character, her story took place there where the author, Lucy M. Montgomery lived.  

2. If you could have coffee or tea with a woman from history or from fiction come to life, who would that be and why?
Oh goodness, I'm having to "ponder" that thought as well! There are so many wonderful women in history...I think of Queen Esther from the Bible book of Esther, I think of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and even Mary Magdalene, who was the first one to actually see the Risen Christ, but on a more personal note, I think I would love to meet and visit with my Great Grandmother Alberta "Birdie" Sowers Milsom. She was my paternal grandmother's (Elva Sowers Hill Mursch) birth mother, but she gave up my grandmother for adoption when she was just 5 months old.  My grandmother never knew her birth mother or birth father, but through Ancestry.com and my personal DNA studies, I have discovered who she was, but I've never been able to find a picture of her.  I would love to meet both her and my great grandfather, William Frederick Milsom.  I've written their story HERE, "Elva's Story, a Story of Sacrifice and Love", at least the story that I was able to figure out based on the genealogy documentation. I would love to find out just how close I was to the real reasons why she felt she had to give up my grandmother for adoption.  Hopefully my grandmother has already met her birth parents in heaven and she now knows the whole story.

3. If you could create an autumn-themed festival, what unique events or foods would it feature?

You've probably already seen these photos from the past...Click HERE for the story for these pictures

Way back when we were young and full of energy, we often had some kind of fall party or festival at our churches.  Since churches didn't really celebrate "Halloween" per se', we still wanted to have some kind of fun activities for the children and families.  So these pictures are from what we called a "Hobo Party", where people dressed up like Hobos and we played fun games like bobbing for apples and other similar fun activities.  We've also had a fall festival with different kinds of "booths", kind of like a little carnival, with outdoor games, ring toss, dunk the youth pastor in a tank of water, or a fish pond where children could "fish" for prizes...all kinds of fun things.  

There may have been a cake walk where the winner gets the prize cake.  Children may wear costumes, but preferably the non scary or gruesome type. One time the kids had to dress like their favorite Bible Character and we had to guess which one they were.  I know a lot of churches nowadays may have a "Trunk or Treat" kind of activity, where cars open up their trunks full of treats for the kids to come and get candy in a safe environment, where there will also be games and other food.  

Yes, that's me, the old Hobo, with our youngest son Scotty!

This picture below was way back when I was an almost teenager. My girlfriends came to my house for a Halloween party, and we dressed up like "Beatniks" (who remembers those?) and we played games and just had a lot of fun being silly. I'm the one on the right with the nylon stocking on my head and the Bongo drum.

If I were to try something like this today, first of all, I'd have my head examined. Second of all, I'd enlist as many younger people as I could to help.  We'd have apples, Hot apple cider, apple cider donuts, pumpkin spice muffins or cake or pies, maybe a pumpkin carving contest. If we could do this outside where there is a fire pit, we could roast hot dogs and also make s'mores. There would be baked beans and probably coleslaw available, and chips or whatever people want to bring to make it a fun time.

4, If autumn had a personality, how would you describe it, and what kind of friend would it be?

These questions today are sure making me have to think! I guess that's what "ponder" means! LOL.  

If Autumn had a personality, it would be warm and cozy with just the right amount of spice and welcoming fragrances of baking apple pie, filled with cinnamon and nutmeg and maybe just a hint of mace.  Mulled Apple Cider simmering in a pot on the stove, and perhaps even a pumpkin pie baking as well.  Her outside air would be crisp and fresh, with just a hint of smoke from a wood fireplace or bonfire or the burning of autumn leaves wafting in the breeze. Autumn would cover me with a comfy flannel shirt or sweater, blue jeans and hiking boots, and together we would walk through the woods and watch the falling leaves as they crunch underneath our feet along the trail.  My friend Autumn would make me feel revived, refreshed, and renewed, after a long hot, muggy summer that was filled with health issues and hibernation from the heat.  Autumn always makes me want to get outside and enjoy the beauty of the her glorious colors before they disappear and fade into winter.  She gives me energy that I'd long forgotten I could still find.

In the rural areas of the country, Autumn is a time of harvest. The crops are all gathered into the barns and stored away, so that the animals and people may have plenty of grain for the coming winter months. In the Bible, Jesus talks about the harvest time from a spiritual sense.  Many seeds have been planted in the hearts and lives of the people. There is a harvest time coming, when Christ will return to redeem all those souls who have had His Word of truth and life planted in them.  Like good farmers, Christ is depending on those of us who have already believed and received His Word  to be busy in the fields, sharing His love and planting more seeds among those who may not have heard the truth yet.  And, just as the farmer plants, nurtures and tends his crops and gathers them in during the harvest time, we should be helping to nurture those who are still tender plants in need of care, and helping to encourage them to full growth and maturity so that they will be ready for the harvest time that is coming.

Matthew 9:37-38 NKJV

37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 

38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

If Autumn were a friend and personality, she would be an encourager and helper in the time of harvest, both in the physical and the spiritual sense.  This life is short...and for many of us we are in the autumn of our lives...and we need to be ready for winter and the true harvest that is yet to come.

That's a Sycamore tree leaf! I told you before it was big! Now you see it for yourself next to my size 9 shoe! LOL.

Jeremiah 5:24b

“Let us now fear the Lord our God,

Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season.

He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.”

By the way, that reminds me that we've been getting some nice rain the past few days, and more on the way! Praise God!  Still Waters Pond is soaking it up like a sponge! Hopefully there will soon be enough to make her overflow with gladness!!

1

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

2

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

3

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Okay, I think I've pondered this subject long enough.  Now let's go visit our friends and see what they've been pondering about this today! Thank you for visiting and for your friendship always.  

Update on It's Harvest Time...Reposted for RJD

Today is Random Journal Day, which means that many of my blogging friends are digging into old journals and posting their personal "blasts from the past" for you to enjoy.  This particular post I have already had on here before, but the content is drawn largely from my old journal writings from many years ago, so I believe it qualifies for "Random Journal Day".

I just noticed that the leaves are starting fall from my sycamore trees in the front of our house, so even though it isn't autumn yet technically, it has started.

This is a repost just for the "Fall Lovers" out there... like me...who are stuck in Florida where true autumn doesn't really exist except in our minds and hearts!!


Nothing like being buried in the Autumn leaves!
My three sons... (Scott, Benton, and Matthew)...many moons ago...How I wish I could go back there again...
 (Nova, Ohio, 1979...wow...where did the years go?)

My Youngest Son (Scott) now...planting fall mums for his "Mum" (me) on my birthday! (this picture was from 2011..another time, another house)

Proverbs 31:16: "She considers a field and buys it. From her profits she plants a vineyard."

I must say I've considered lots of fields and have often wished to buy them, but, alas, right now our field is of a different form. It can't be bought and sold. It's the field of the Lord, and it is "already white for harvest!" (John 4:35)

Quite a few years ago when we lived up north, our favorite thing to do on a fall Saturday morning was to get up early and get a cup of coffee and tea and a bite of breakfast at the local drive-thru, and take a nice slow ride out into the country. After a hectic week of planning sermons, visiting the sick, elderly, and newcomers, (my husband's job); preparing the bulletin, typing letters, and attending ladies' meetings, taking care of the family at home and the church family, etc....(my job), it was so refreshing to just get away from the phone, the traffic, and hustle bustle of our modern suburban living and get out into the country where people really know how to live! Our favorite route passed by many small farmsteads with fields of corn or hay or soybeans ready for the harvest. We usually wound up at one of the many local apple orchards for a cup of hot cider and fresh warm donuts and a brisk walk through the orchard. The apple farmers were just as busy as the grain farmers gathering in their crops before the winter. It's such a joyful time of year. People are excited about gathering pumpkins, squash, gourds, Indian corn, and other fall decorations to bring the beautiful fall colors into their homes. The big thing in that area was for kids to take a wagon ride out to the "pumpkin patch" and pick their very own pumpkins. I saw a lot of adults rather enjoyed it as well.  Here in Florida we don't see the real live pumpkin patch like you do up north, but we do have pumpkin patches where the pumpkins have been trucked in from other places so the kids can still have that fun experience.

Deep in my heart I longed to just linger on the farm and become a part of it. I guess because I was born on a farm I've never gotten it out of my system. The sounds, smells, and activities of farm life really make me hunger for that kind of life. But God has called me to a different kind of farm, and a different harvest field. The crop is far greater than corn or wheat or apples. It is the souls of men and women and children. Although I don't think that my particular spiritual gift is "soul-winning", there are many steps that must be taken before the harvest can be reaped. Someone must plow the field, others must plant the seed, still more are needed to water the seed and yet others must pull the weeds and watch for pests who come to destroy. All are an integral part of God's plan, and none are more important than the others.

Christ said in John 4:36-38 that "he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: One sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."

Maybe someday I'll be able to buy that field and plant a vineyard, and even though we are no longer in "the ministry" in the same way as we were in years before, I still remain in God's  harvest field and must do my part to prepare the way for His return. Perhaps someday you and I will rejoice together as sowers and reapers who have seen the fruit gathered in for eternal life! That will be a glorious day!

Matthew 9:37-38 "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

 

Isaiah 6:8 "Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying: 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'"

 

Are you willing to go out into God's harvest field today? He may be calling you!

This was on my Grandpa's farm back in the early 1940's. My Grandma Tedlie is on the far right. The other people are some of my cousins and my Aunt Belle. It was harvest time. Most of these people are already enjoying their eternal reward in heaven.

Now That's What I Call Autumn Leaves!

I hope you enjoyed these gleanings from the memories of my past. May your harvest days be full of joy and blessings and peace.

Now skip on over to my friends at http://beneaththesurface-dawn.blogspot.com/2013/09/random-journal-day-link-up-september.html and see what memories they have stirred up.