The first full month of autumn is almost past! I don't know how it was where you were, but here we still had alot of warm weather but with some cooler times too; I especially noticed some cooler mornings. It was an enjoyable month! Here are some of my favorites from it, and I'd love to see some of yours down in the comments. :D A Favorite Story
Some Favorite Events
A Favorite SongI can't recommend every song done by this artist, but this was one that I enjoyed! A Favorite Verse"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." ~Psalm 103:1-5 How was October for you? What were some of your favorites during the month? Have you ever had to find directions for somewhere really close to where you live?
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So, around this time last year, I got to help announce a special collection, A Homewood Christmas (if you want to check that out, you can here: What If I Told You...? - Glorious Daughters (weebly.com)!) I thoroughly enjoyed every story in it! I thought that I would just have to read it again to re-visit the town and characters, but I was excited to learn about this... We can visit the town of Homewood once again in Another Homewood Christmas! Once again, each of the authors are "aunties" at the online King's Daughter's Writing Camp, and they've been working for almost a year to put together this collection set in nostalgic Homewood, Minnesota (with stories spread from mid-1800s to the 21st century)! So let's get into what all this book involves! Note: This book is not meant for nourishment, and not all advertising graphics necessarily reflect the product's intended usage. The picture above is for promotional purposes. ;P Another Homewood Christmas (By Courtenay Burden, Chelsea Burden, Erika Mathews, Bethany M. Griggs, Rebekah A. Morris, Olivia Godfrey, and Hannah Foster) Come back home to a small-town Christmas through the ages... From its founding to the present day, Homewood, Minnesota’s open arms always offer a shining Moravian star and a Christmas to remember. Journey with the first family to settle in Homewood as they embark from the East. Stick around when troubles threaten to turn Homewood into another ghost town. Follow a song of hope and an old violin in the aftermath of war. Sit with a hurting couple in need of a Christmas miracle to complete their family. Stay close to a young woman as she struggles to find hope in the midst of rejection. Witness an aunt learning how much family truly means. Visit with a new neighbor who isn’t sure what she is looking for. Throughout these seven heartwarming stories, watch Christmas light and love transform even the coldest places into a little corner of heaven on earth. No matter what the season may hold, the love of God sent to earth in the form of a human baby always proves abundantly sufficient—and the Christmas stars of Homewood live to testify of His story! The Collection at a GlanceTitle: Another Homewood Christmas Authors: Courtenay Burden, Chelsea Burden, Erika Mathews, Bethany M. Griggs, Rebekah A. Morris, Olivia Godfrey, and Hannah Foster Genre: Clean Christmas Fiction, both historical and contemporary Theme: Hometown Christmases with Strong Christian Messages Launch Date: October 23, 2023 Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196259566-another-homewood-christmas?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=SIdIlp69mm&rank=1 Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Another-Homewood-Christmas-Erika-Mathews- ebook/dp/B0CL79SNHN/ref=sr_1_2crid=1IQ8LP9DQYVDQ&keywords=another+homewood+christmas&qid=1697969309&sprefix=another+homewood+christma%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-2 Let's Get the Details! Another Homewood Christmas is more than just a collection of Christmas tales. It’s also a holiday treasure hunt that will keep you making surprise connections all the way through. Keep your eyes open for recurring characters, locations, and of course, the special Christmas star that pops up in every story! To Follow the Star (Courtenay Burden): Stella Quincey had been so sure this was God’s calling—so sure she was following His path. But when the trail flounders to a dead end in the heart of a winter wilderness, Stella finds herself grappling with doubts. Does God lead—only to abandon His children in their hour of need? Or is there a lesson for Christmas of 1831 that Stella has overlooked from the story of the wisemen and the star? The Star Over All (Chelsea Burden): Unable to forgive himself for a foolish mistake with far-reaching consequences, Reginald Quincey sees a visit to his mother’s family for Christmas 1875 as a way to escape—perhaps forever. But when a snowstorm and a fascinating stranger turn his plans upside down, will Reg be able to see the lesson hidden in a simple Moravian star? The Christmas Violin (Erika Mathews): With Faith Aldrich’s twin sister and her violin called overseas and troubling complications threatening to silence all music of the 1919 Homewood Christmas celebration, can Faith find the presence of God sufficient joy for a holiday that even her little daughter will remember forever? Advent for the Orphan (Bethany M. Griggs): Len Wilson and her family are done with foster care and the pain it always brings. But when a tearful little girl stands on their rug in need of a home, what choice does Len have? Will she be hurt yet again or will a Christmas miracle in 1976 complete their family? The Prince of Peace (Rebekah A. Morris): For Tricia Tally Wilson, Christmas of 1993 is supposed to be a time of family and joy, but will one more rejection shatter her peace? Or will her Prince of Peace work in unforeseen ways to bring a Christmas she'll never forget? Simple Gifts (Olivia Godfrey): Surrounded by her niece and nephews, Leah Peters’ aunt Gwen realizes how much she’s missed her family over the years. After helping dig into memories tucked into a leaky shed, she gets lost in the past. Will the family finally come together in Christmas of 2002 and learn that the future is as bright as the Moravian star glowing at the top of the tree? Friendship’s Gift (Hannah Foster): Perry wasn't sure what she was seeking when she inherited her aunt's old house in 2014. Hidden Treasure? Family secrets? Or just simple answers? When her neighbors volunteered their help, she finds something entirely different than what she was looking for. But maybe it was exactly what she needed and more. Meet the Authors
Courtenay Burden is a homeschool graduate, Victorian fanatic, and author of historical fiction. She loves working with yarn, devouring history, playing the occasional game of chess, and discovering new ways to cook the humble potato. She is passionate about good and great literature—writing that embodies both literary and spiritual excellence for the glory of Christ. Connect with Courtenay: sawpublishing.com. Chelsea Burden is a homeschool graduate, a first-generation Anabaptist, and a passionate word-lover who enjoys dabbling in etymology (not entomology!) and routinely adds bona fide words to spellcheck! She loves books, people and Jesus—and a lot of other things too, including chickadees, hymns, snowflakes and having a good time with friends. She lives in Canada and spends her days writing and doing whatever else comes to hand in her three-generational home. Connect with Chelsea: sawpublishing.com Erika Mathews writes Christian living books, both fiction and non-fiction, that demonstrate the power of God in ordinary people, transforming daily life into His resting life. The author of the kingdom adventure fiction series Truth from Taerna, she’s passionate about encouraging others to intimately know Jesus. She enjoys playing with her children, editing, anything outdoors, being organized, autumn, apple crisp, and sunrises. Connect with Erika: restinglife.com Bethany M. Griggs is a writer of Christian contemporary fiction and blogger of simple living, who lives in Texas with her family. She enjoys crafts from paper, coziness, and creativity. Oh, and alliteration! As someone with multiple chronic illnesses, she loves encouraging people through the rough places, rejoicing with them in the good ones, and pointing them to Jesus her Savior. Connect with Bethany: arubyintherough.com Rebekah A. Morris is a homeschool graduate, an enthusiastic freelance author, and a passionate writing teacher. Her books include, among others, Home Fires of the Great War, The Unexpected Request, Gift from the Storm, and her bestselling Triple Creek Ranch series. Some of her favorite pastimes, when she isn’t writing, include reading and coming up with dramatic and original things to do. The Show-Me state is where she calls home. Connect with Rebekah: readanotherpage.com/blog Olivia Godfrey was raised in rural Arkansas. With her husband they are thankful to be able to maintain a lifestyle in the countryside for their little ones. As much as she enjoys writing, Olivia also loves card games, learning odd bits of history, otters, and Italian food. You’ll usually find her outside with her kids, reading historical fiction or fantasy, and attempting to keep up with housework. Connect with Olivia: goodreads.com/user/show/87910387-olivia Hannah Foster lives in Idaho with her husband. She writes Christian contemporary fiction, using her words and stories to point her readers to the foot of the cross, reminding them of the hope, joy, forgiveness, and grace they have in Jesus Christ. If she is not reading or writing, she may be found baking, working as a barista, watercolor painting, playing tennis with her husband, or thrifting. Connect with Hannah: hannahfosterwrites.wordpress.com I hope that you'll think about getting and reading this collection during this upcoming Christmas season (and perhaps getting a copy for a friend or family member too)! And if you haven't read the first book, A Homewood Christmas, you can check that out here: A Homewood Christmas: Amazon.com: Books. Note: I have not read every story in this collection, so I cannot necessarily give my full approval of them. However, I did particularly enjoy A Homewood Christmas, as well as one of the stories in this new collection that I have read ("To Follow the Star"). I'm looking forward to Lord willing reading the rest of the stories in this collection! Give the graphic below a click to be taken to the book's Amazon page! Have you read A Homewood Christmas? Are you thinking about reading this new collection?
Most of us have probably experienced some type of waiting season before. It's not easy to wait. It doesn't involve alot of things to do, but our minds tend to want to know what's going to happen. And it's hard when they don't. There are several verses that have specifically helped me in a waiting season. They're not all what you might necessarily first think of in regards to waiting, but they are all encouraging. Here are some of them, in addition to a few others! Psalm 55:22"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." Psalm 28:7"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him." Psalm 27:13-14"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." 1 Peter 5:7Psalm 139: 17-18"How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." Note: All of Psalm 139 is so good in a season of waiting! James 4:8a"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." Psalm 56:3"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." Psalm 91:14-15"Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him." Psalm 94:18-19"When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul." Psalm 37:4;6a"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass....Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him..." Psalm 37:23-24Psalm 91:4"He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler." Romans 8:28-29"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." James 5:11"Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." James 1:5"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Hebrews 13:5"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Lamentations 3:25-26"The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD." Isaiah 40:31Note: The verses before this one go along with this thought and are really good for waiting seasons too! Psalm 39:7"And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee." Exodus 14:14"The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Are there any specific verses that you have found helpful during whatever type of life season that you are currently in?
First of all, no, I'm not going crazy. I'm not talking about getting rid of everything you own except the clothes on your back and maybe a bed. Instead, I'm just talking about simplicity. Everyone's personal preferences on what this balance of simplicity is is different, and that's a wonderful thing (because the world would be alot less interesting if we were all the same)! But I think that we can all agree that at some point, there comes a point where the things we own make us feel a bit stressed out, maybe even a bit trapped. I like the way that Dawn over at The Minimal Mom YouTube channel puts it: it's just "too much to manage." Every single thing you own is something that you are responsible for. Because of this, I've found it important to choose wisely what I want to be responsible for and what I would rather give or throw away (depending on if it would be useful to or wanted by others). The bonus is, when you simplify the things you own, there tends to come a feeling of freedom of having less things to think about. This then frees up mental energy to focus on the things that are actually important (partly because, who feels motivated to get on to the work they need to do when they look at a room full of things that they wish weren't there?) So, with all that said, here are several tips of things that I've found it personally helpful to simplify! SocksDo you have socks that don't have matches? That might be a good place to start. Or how many socks do you actually wear before the laundry is done? Having extras in case of a trip or the laundry getting postponed by two or three days is a great idea, but having twenty-two pairs of them might not be. Pens/Pencils/Desk ItemsDid you know that most people can't practically write with more than one pen or pencil at a time (mind-blowing, huh? ;P). Because of this, it's probably not necessary to own ten pens in every color. ;P This idea applies to sticky notes or paper clips or other desk items. Do I actually use them? If so, do I actually use or want as many as I have? Shoes
Everyone is not the same, and some people really do enjoy having multiple choices of shoes for various activities, but I've found that I actually enjoy owning one pair of each type of shoe/for each type of activity (dressy, sandals, tennis shoes, etc.) better than keeping up with several. CollectiblesThese are the things that just get set on the shelf that we don't actually care much about. Seashells, rocks, figurines, and things of that sort can clutter up areas really easily. Keep the ones you actually want and care about if you can, but if you don't actually have attachment to it, maybe it's time to give it away. JewelrySometimes it's easy for jewelry to accumulate to an amount that you don't even wear it all. If it doesn't have special meaning, why not free up the space and responsibility of having it? Take pictures of things you don't want to forget.I had this kind of situation come up not that long ago. I had a coffee cup that I had gotten as a gift, but it had gotten broken. It was special to me, so I kept it awhile as a pencil holder. But when I got a pencil holder that I liked better and that was more practical, I was faced with what to do with the cup. My mom suggested I take a picture of it, and then go ahead and throw it away. Then I could tape the picture in my journal and still have the memory there to look back on, but it wouldn't be another item sitting around. BooksNo, I am not saying it is necessarily wise to get rid of every book you own! In fact, books are one of the most special things to me that I have. But books that sit on the shelf and aren't read or enjoyed in any way can be ideas of things to pass on to someone else who would use them. Also, if you're just trying out a book that you're not sure you'd love, why not buy the ebook or borrow a copy from a friend or the library (then it's not sitting on your shelf for more than the time that you are borrowing it). If you really end up loving it, then maybe you could order the paperback. ClothesClothes is probably the biggest thing that accumulates for me. But if I only wear the ten shirts that I actually like before the laundry comes back clean, then why do I have more than that hanging in the closet? If you don't wear them over several months' time (for a reason other than that the weather isn't right for it yet), it's probably a good time to consider passing them on. Miscellaneous papersPapers from schoolwork, a to-do list, the list of things that you need to get for a party coming up. All of these are examples of things that tend to pile up into piles that you don't know what to do with. You don't want to just throw them away, but you don't want them sitting there either. This is where I've found that a miscellaneous notebook or binder comes in handy. Anytime you have something random to write down, pull out the miscellaneous notebook and write it down! An extra binder could come in handy for miscellaneous papers that need a place, but don't belong to a certain category (this could even be divided into more specific sections like "school," "finances," or "to-do"). Stuffed animalsSome girls really like to collect these and feel happy to get to see them lining their headboard or closet or wherever. But if you're not one of these girls, they might just be clutter sitting in your room. For sure keep the ones that are special and mean something to you if you can, but if it's just something sitting there that you probably wouldn't even remember if you gave it away, it might be time to pass it on. PursesUse containers.Dedicating a certain container for a certain type of item can be a great way to organize it and remove it from being visual clutter. For instance, I've found having a letter box and a letter basket to be helpful in organizing my letter materials. The box is for envelopes, stamps, stickers, letters I need to respond to, etc.; the basket holds the letters I receive. I also put a box on the shelf in my closet to hold any thing that I don't know where else to put but don't want sitting out, like my headphone charging cord or my coloring book. If all of those things were sitting in my desk drawer, they would probably get on my nerves; but now I only see them when I go to look for them. Being purposeful about the things that you own, as well as not being afraid to purge the things that you don't actually want, can create more mental as well as physical space. Do you have any tips or things that have worked well for you as far as organizing or minimalizing areas goes?
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