Imparting Grace

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage

Valentine's Party at Decor Chick

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage

Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest

Show and Tell at Be Different, Act Normal

Easy and delicious: Mini Sticky Buns

2012-01-24T10:24:00.003-05:00

Cereal for breakfast is everyday fare at our house, with the occasional omelet or batch of pancakes thrown in. Every now and then, though--usually when begged by my boys--I love to make these wonderful Mini Sticky Buns. They're very easy to make, and they couldn't be any more delicious to eat.

Here's how to make them.

Mini Sticky Buns

Ingredients:

2 containers crescent rolls (any brand is fine)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
chopped pecans, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two 8" or 9" square pans liberally with non-stick cooking spray.

Melt butter. Combine with brown sugar and corn syrup. Divide evenly and spread in bottoms of the two prepared pans.

Open crescent rolls. Unroll dough as one sheet. Pinch perforations together so that you have a seamless sheet of dough, then roll into a rectangle of about 9" x 15" (don't worry; it doesn't have to be measured precisely).

Note: If you can find these packages of Crescent seamless dough sheets, they're perfect for this recipe.

Sprinkle sheet of dough with half of the cinnamon sugar. Then, starting with one of the short ends, roll the dough up jelly-roll style. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the roll into 9 one-inch rolls. Place rolls in pan, right on top of the brown sugar mixture, in three rows of three. Be sure not to crowd them too much; they'll rise in the oven.

Bake at 375 degrees for 13 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, then serve by scooping a roll along with the yummy sticky mixture underneath and flipping it over onto a plate, thereby placing the sticky mixture on top of the roll. I suppose you could also invert the whole pan onto a plate so that the sticky part would be on top. However you serve it, you're going to want to eat it right away!

If you have any leftovers, they'll still be delicious later. You'll just have to warm them a bit in order to serve them, because the gooey topping gets fairly hard when it gets cold. If you're like us, though, you might not have any leftovers.

I keep all these ingredients on hand, so these are perfect for a snow day. . . except we haven't had any snow days this winter! We're all longing for a lazy day inside. What about you?

**I'm joining Beth at Home Stories A to Z for Tutorials and Tips. There's a lot of inspiration there!

Instant relief for chapped hands

2012-01-20T08:43:00.005-05:00

Earlier this week I wrote a post about making fresh flowers last longer. I included a photo of my hand to show the pollen that gets on your hands if you remove the anthers from the flowers.

When I went back and read that post, I was appalled at the shape of my hands. I knew they felt rough, as they often do in the wintertime, but I didn't realize they looked quite so bad. But quick relief was easy to find. I simply took the kosher salt from my cupboard (plain old Morton's; we always have this on hand):

and mixed it with this dreamy-smelling stuff:

I haven't used Hawaiian Tropic oil on my body for many years, but I just love the way it smells. The coconutty scent transports me to the beach. (If you don't want to buy any suntan oil, you can simply use olive oil.)

Simply squirt some oil into a small bowl of kosher salt. The oil won't melt the salt; it'll just form a paste. You could substitute turbinado sugar for the salt, and if you have lots of cuts and scratches on your hands, you might find that more soothing. I like the salt because sugar tends to attract pesky little ants at our house. This will keep indefinitely (salt is a great preservative); mine lives in a little crock that I found at the thrift store. (If you use salt, be sure to store in a non-porous container.)

To use the salt scrub, simply scoop up a glob and massage into your hands. The oil will feel wonderful and the salt will slough away dead skin cells. Massage as long as you like, then wash your hands with soap and warm water. Dry hands and follow with your favorite hand lotion if you like.

And now for the proof: an actual, unretouched photo of the same hand (minus the pollen, of course) AFTER using the salt scrub:

My hand isn't wet. It's just well-moisturized and no longer chapped. Of course, my hands are nearly 50 years old, so they have lots of little lines and wrinkles. . . but they don't have to be dry and chapped!

Do you have any tips for keeping your skin soft and smooth during the harsh winter?

**I'm sharing this at the Tutorials and Tips party at Home Stories A to Z.**

Community

2012-01-18T09:28:00.004-05:00

Have you noticed how much people talk about community in the blogosphere? Successful bloggers talk of building community. Satisfied readers talk of being part of a community. Others talk of longing to be part of a community. It's the same wherever you are--people want to belong. They long to know and be known. They want to love and be loved.

With all the talk of community, you might think there was no need for a new opportunity to build relationships. But that's just not true. We all talk about community, but many of us don't actually have one! There is a need, and as of today there's a new answer to that need.

Introducing. . . Sisters in Bloom!

Sisters in Bloom is a brand-new website. At its heart are 33 Christian writers, all of us very different, but all of us united in a desire to glorify God and to encourage other women. As our founder Denise Thompson states, "The writers of this site are ordinary women who seek an extraordinary God. . . . We are seeking a deeper walk with the Lord, and we're on a mission to encourage your heart as we share ours."

The 33 writers on the team are not the community, though--we're just the start of the community. Our goals? You'll find them in our tagline: "Growing together, connecting hearts, creating community." Our earnest prayer is that YOU will be a part of this community and that we'll all grow together.

Click here to find out more about Sisters in Bloom. Or watch this video to learn a little more about us.

I'm so excited about this new venture! I hope you'll join us on the journey!

Tiny tip: making cut flowers last longer

2012-01-17T09:38:00.005-05:00

On these grey January days, cut flowers are a real treat. Whether they come from the florist's shop or the grocery story, flowers are a cheerful addition to any decor. Here's are some tip for making them last longer.

Remove flowers from their packaging. Cut the stems and remove any foliage that will be below the water line.

Fill a vase with water; add a couple of drops of chlorine bleach to the water. The bleach helps to keep the water fresh and will make the flowers last longer. Be sure to replenish the water if it gets low.

When flowers open up, remove the pollen-producing anthers.

Warning: you'll get pollen on your hands when you do this; be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterword.

Here's how the flowers will look with the anthers removed:

If you follow these simple steps, your flowers will stay pretty for quite a long time!

**I'm joining Beth at Home Stories A to Z for her Tutorials and Tips party.**

Super-easy Valentine's pillows

2012-01-12T12:44:00.007-05:00

Christmas decorations have finally come down and Valentine's decorations are appearing all over the place! I doubt most of us know a thing about St. Valentine, but we surely love to celebrate the day that's named for him, don't we?

I made two Valentine's Day pillows so easily and cheaply that I just had to share them with you. The pillows are for my front porch, which is furnished as an outdoor living room.

I made the pillows from drop cloths. I simply took two pillow forms, cut two pieces of drop cloth one inch bigger on each side (I like 1" seam allowances because I'm not a very good seamstress!), and stitched the pieces together on three sides to form pillow cases. Then I stuffed the pillow forms inside and stitched the fourth sides together. Easy as pie.

To make the Valentine's pillows, I used these felt ornaments that I bought at Target on after-Christmas clearance. The original price for these was $1.00 for a package of three, which made them 10 cents for a package of three in the 90%-off clearance sale. (By the way, this is still going on at my Target store!) I'm a big spender, so I bought six packages. 60 cents! If you don't have heart-shaped ornaments, you could easily cut heart shapes out of felt, which would also be very inexpensive.

Then I simply spaced the hearts out on my pillow forms and hot-glued them in place. (I just used three dots of glue per heart--these pillows won't see too much wear and tear, so a tiny amount of glue should be sufficient to hold the hearts in place. You could also adhere the hearts with fabric glue or Stitch Witchery, or you could sew them in place.)

And that's it! Super-easy Valentine's pillows! What do you think?

I'm joining these fun parties:

Show and Tell at Be Different, Act Normal

Home Goals 2012

2012-01-10T16:48:00.010-05:00

I've stated here that I'm not very good at making goals. But I'm trying. And I was thinking about what I'd like to do in my house this year when I came across these words:

Source: Kari Machal's Etsy Shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/karimachal)

Thanks to Kari for sharing this!

Boy, is this ever true for me. Here's my house (this is how it looked all decorated for Christmas):

Here it is in the snow:

And here I confess that my attitude about this house has usually been one of two things: either I've felt guilty or greedy.

(By the way, this post is brought to you by the letter G.)

Seriously, I've tended to feel guilty that I have such a lovely place to live--I know I don't deserve it! Or else I've felt greedy--such as when I've looked at my kitchen and thought, "I really just don't have enough storage space." Sheesh.

When I really stop to think about it, I realize that neither of these attitudes is doing me or anyone else any good. So my house goal for 2012 is to adjust my thinking. I want to replace the guilty and greedy thoughts and feelings with two new "G" words:

grateful and

gracious.

I want to spend every day of this year being grateful for all of God's blessings, including my house. I think maybe if I stop to be grateful for this gift, I'll take better care of it. And I want to open my home to others. In any way I can, I want to share this gift. I want my home to be a place of grace.

So my specific goals include:

getting rid of piles. (I'm a terrible piler. I need to break this habit, or at least go through the piles on a regular basis so that the piles don't become mountains.)
adopting a regular cleaning schedule that I can and will actually stick to.
keeping the house orderly enough to be glad to open the door to anyone, anytime.
keeping the guest room clean, so that overnight guests are always welcome.

My hope is that I'll begin to recognize that the care of my home is an issue of stewardship. Maybe instead of being "house proud," I'll be "house humble." And then other home projects will be a bonus!

Yes! I have goals! Do you have any suggestions for how I might reach them? Do you have goals for your home? Join the Nester for her Home Goals Party!

Post-holiday issues

2012-01-09T16:52:00.003-05:00

You know how the Grinch hates Christmas? That's not me. Not at all. I love Christmas.

Source

But I've discovered something about myself. I am a New Year's Grinch.

I especially despise New Year's magazines. It seems that EVERY SINGLE ONE includes a plan for losing those extra pounds we all gained at Christmastime. Everywhere I look there's a weight loss plan or an exercise plan or a healthful eating plan. Ugh.

Today, as I was pondering how much I hate focusing on diets and scales and dress sizes, I was reminded of this old poem. I hope it'll bring a smile to your face, too.

Methusaleh ate what he found on his plate,

And never, as people do now,

Did he note the amount of the calorie count;

He ate it because it was chow.

He wasn't disturbed as at dinner he sat,

Devouring a roast or a pie,

To think it was lacking in granular fat

Or a couple of vitamins shy.

He cheerfully chewed each species of food,

Unmindful of troubles or fears

Lest his health might be hurt

By some fancy dessert;

And he lived over nine hundred years.

Anyone else gain a couple of pounds at Christmastime? Are you a New Year's Grinch, too, or do you embrace the chance to start fresh?

Easy New Year's wreath (for free!)

2012-01-05T13:20:00.006-05:00

I love the order and cleanliness of my house without its Christmas decorations. But somehow it always feels a little sparse and lonely without the festive decor. This year, I took the leftovers of my favorite Christmas decorating element--magnolia leaves--and made a New Year's wreath. Here it is:

Here's how I did it.

I pulled the magnolia leaves off the branches and spread them out on boards. Using spray paint I had on hand, I sprayed some of them shiny silver:

some hammered silver:

and some white. When the white ones were dry, I doused those with spray adhesive and sprinkled on Epsom salts. Some white glitter would have been nice, too, but I didn't have any, and I was determined to keep this project free.

Then I simply used one of my wreath forms and my glue gun and layered on all the various kinds of leaves, including a few that I left in their natural green. And voila! A pretty, wintry wreath!

This photo points out very nicely that my front door needs to be refinished, but let's just ignore that, shall we?

Epsom salt snow may be all we're going to get this winter. By this time last year, we'd already had three beautiful snows, including one that fell on Christmas Day. This year? Not a flake.

One more shot, just for fun.

How about you? Are you all finished taking down your Christmas decor? Any fun winter decorations? I'd love to see!

I'm joining these parties:

Crafting with Leftover Christmas Items at The CSI Project

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage

Thoughts from a Blogging Mother

New year's resolutions: a word for the year

2012-01-03T09:39:00.008-05:00

Everywhere I look these days I see the same messages:

Happy new year!

Time for a fresh start!

Out with the old, in with the new!

Choose a theme word for the new year!

And I look away. Or wince. Because I am the world's worst at making new year's resolutions. I stink at goal-setting. I'm awful at making plans. And if I'm completely truthful, I'll admit that I'm prone to dragging my heels when it comes to things with which I struggle so much.

Can you make a new year's resolution to get better at making resolutions? How does someone who's bad at goal-setting set a goal to get better at setting goals? How can I choose one theme word for the year when a thesaurus dances around in my mind?

source

I pondered this while I was taking a shower, which is where I do a lot of my pondering. As the water washed over me, I was reminded of one of my favorite psalms:

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin!

(Psalm 51:1-3, ESVUK)

I've always loved that picture of being washed clean. So after I dried myself off, I looked up the 51st psalm and re-read the whole thing. This part caught my eye:

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence,

and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit.

(Psalm 51:10-12, ESVUK)

And suddenly I, the horrible goal-setter, had my theme word for this year:

willing.

I doubt that I shall suddenly be transformed into an expert planner. I will probably not become an excellent goal-setter, much less a great goal-achiever. But the one thing I do want to be is willing to change. When I think about my situation honestly, I know that God doesn't want to change me into something I'm not meant to be. He created me to be Richella, not anyone else. But if I'll cooperate with Him, He's able to help me become the very best version of myself.

So there you have it. Not a new year's resolution, exactly, but a new year's prayer.

And just for grins--or maybe food for thought:

What about you? Do you have special hopes for this new year? Check out Layla's party for lots of inspiration!

My favorite posts of 2011

2011-12-31T17:12:00.006-05:00

As 2011 draws rapidly to a close, I find myself thinking about this past year at Imparting Grace. I can scarcely contain my gratitude to have been part of the blogging community this year! What joy I've derived from friendships with the wonderful people who are part of this blog--those who drop by occasionally, those who visit often, and those who read every post. I am reminded of the words of Alfred, Lord Tennyson: "I am a part of all that I have met." Who would have ever believed that so many of us could meet in the blogosphere? What a blessing!

If you're interested in strolling down Memory Lane with me, here are a few of my favorite posts of the year.

This Week in History

Expert Advice: The Key to a Good Marriage

Long Days, Short Years

Lessons from a Fire Hydrant

My Inner Martha

To you, my blogging friends:

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you" (Philippians 1:3).

**What were some of your favorite moments in 2011?

Best of 2011

2011-12-28T05:00:00.003-05:00

As this year draws to a close, I find myself grateful that the calendar is about to turn. My biggest memories from this year will definitely be my husband's open-heart surgery in April and his subsequent re-hospitalization in May, capped off by my son's emergency surgery in November. Whew! We're thankful that all of us are healthy here at the end of the year!

Of course this year has also included some fun memories, like my middle son's high school graduation and his going off to college. I think I've laughed more and cried more this year than ever before!

As I looked back over my posts for the year, though, I remembered that I did manage to complete some fun projects. Here are a few of my favorites:

No-Sew Faux Roman Shade

Table Transformation

Leaving a Red Dining Room Behind

Guest Room Update

What about you? Was 2011 a year of big accomplishments for you? What was your favorite project? I'd love to know!

I'm joining Rhoda's party at Southern Hospitality. She's been the best example of grace in 2011. Blessings, Rhoda!

Christmas haul

2011-12-26T08:31:00.005-05:00

I can scarcely believe all I got for Christmas, but I'd like to share with you. The list is just too exciting to keep to myself! I got

Love

Peace

Joy

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-Control

Sound too good to be true? Well, I haven't received large portions of all of these yet. But this is what I'm getting. These are the things that are being given to me--the fruit of the Spirit of the Lord that lives within me--all because of the greatest gift ever given (Galatians 5:22).

Jesus.

The same gift was given to you, too. So even though the "big day" is over, we still celebrate Christmas.

"I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).

What did you get for Christmas?

Reflections on a Christmas tree

2011-12-21T12:25:00.003-05:00

Today is December 21, and our Christmas tree is STILL only partially decorated. Perhaps you're not quite finished decorating, either. If so, you might enjoy this reflection I wrote last December.

As I considered the fact that our Christmas tree is still not finished, I thought to myself, "I feel guilty that we haven't already finished the decorating and put all the boxes away."

And then I realized how many times over the past few days I've heard people speak of feeling guilty.

"I feel guilty that I didn't put up a tree this year," or "I feel guilty that our tree is artificial," or "I feel guilty that we cut down a live tree for Christmas."

"I feel guilty that I haven't made any Christmas cookies," or "I feel guilty that I've eaten too many Christmas cookies."

"I feel guilty that I can't give my kids what they want for Christmas," or "I feel guilty that I've bought my kids too much for Christmas."

Is there no end to it?

Of course, we feel guilty because we are guilty, and we know it. Every single one us is flawed. We all come up short. Not one of us is perfect.

But the very reason we celebrate Christmas is that the Lord of all Creation loved us enough to save us. He didn't leave us in our flaws and shortcomings. The Christ of Christmas is the One who came to earth and lived as a human in order to show us what a life without shortcomings would look like. And then He gave up his life in order for us to released from the guilt of our own sins. The Christmas story is the beginning of the greatest story ever, the story with the most amazing ending:

Our guilt is gone!

I think the words of the old hymn put it best:

When Satan tempts me to despair

And tells me of the guilt within

Upward I look and see Him there

Who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died

My sinful soul is counted free--

For God, the just, is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me.*

Flawed and full of shortcomings though we are, our guilt has been taken away--cleansed by the One whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.

Do you have guilt you need to lay aside this holiday? Whatever it is, Christ was born to make that possible for you.

My prayer this season is that our Christmas tree be more than a symbol of beauty and merriment. May it be a tree of life for us.

*"Before the Throne of God Above" by C.L. Bancroft

Home for the Holy Days

2011-12-18T22:00:00.006-05:00

Christmas is coming! Folks all over the world are preparing to celebrate what for many is the most wonderful time of the year. "Happy holidays!" we say, often forgetting that the very word holiday is derived from Old English words for "holy day."

With all the busy-ness of preparing for our Christmas celebrations, though, it can be easy for us to miss the awe-inspiring holiness of Christmastime. Many traditions are connected to Christmastime, but none more important than the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

Here are a few things we do to keep our focus on Christ at Christmas.

Our Christmas decorations are centered in our living room, which is where most of my cross collection is found.

One of the first things we put out every year is this Nativity set. It's an inexpensive porcelain set we purchased when our sons were very small. These figures have moved with us five times, and so far nothing has broken. I like displaying it here by the crosses, commemorating both the birth and the death of Jesus.

Other Nativity scenes can be found in our decorations, too, like this primitive wooden one:

It's on display in our living room, too. If you look closely, you can see that the figures are hot-glued onto the stable floor. I don't remember when I did that; I'm sure it's when the boys were very young.

This year we added these Nativity candles from DaySpring; aren't they beautiful? (I read about these at Nesting Place and ordered them from DaySpring.com; I'm not sure if they're still available.)

When my boys were small, we read lots of Christmas books. The boys loved books about Santa and Rudolph, of course, but they also loved B is for Bethlehem, The Legend of the Candy Cane, and The Crippled Lamb. Whenever I read The Crippled Lamb, one of the boys would look at me as I turned each page--to see if I was crying yet. They knew what was coming! I still get these books out each Christmas, and I read them again myself.

One of the most important things we do to keep Christ first and foremost in our Christmas celebrations is to gather with our church family. Our church's assistant pastor, Chris Breslin, wrote a Advent devotional book this year, and he told me that I could share it with you. If you need a good Advent devotional, click here to download one free of charge. There's also a kids' Advent devotional book. I get to help plan our church's candlelight Christmas Eve service, which is one of the most meaningful services of the year.

What do you do to keep the focus on Christ at Christmastime? Link a post about your Christmas decor, traditions, favorite books--anything that's special to you. If you've written a a Christmas devotional, I'd love to read that, too! Be sure to link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. And please include a link to this party. (If you don't have a blog, feel free to link to a Facebook post or leave a comment describing your traditions--I'd love to hear from you!)

My favorite things

2011-12-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

Melissa at 320 Sycamore is having her annual "My Favorite Things" party today. It's such fun to see what people like!

Now that winter's here, my skin care favorites are even more important than they are in summertime. I swear by two products, both very affordable and both made by Olay:

images courtesy of Olay.com

Want pretty skin? You need to do two things: moisturize and protect. And you don't have to spend a foturne. The body wash with shea butter is the most moisturizing, nourishing product I've ever tried. And Olay Complete moisturizer is a fantastic sun block as well as moisturizer. I have no affiliation with Olay, but I use these great products all the time.

image courtesy Google.com

As much as I love reading blogs, at Christmastime I like to have real books in my hands, and the Southern Living books have always been among my favorites. Lately I've enjoyed pulling out my old copies. I have Christmas with Southern Living 1985, which is from the year I got married. Now I've started looking for copies from the years my sons were born. It's such fun to see what was fashionable during those important times in my life!

image courtesy sncmusic.com

One of my favorite things to do during December is to listen to music. Two years ago, my guys and I saw Straight No Chaser live at Christmastime. Now it's an annual tradition for us! We'll see them in concert in Raleigh, North Carolina, this Saturday, December 17. They always put on a great show.

Lastly, my favorite thing to do in December is to reflect on the most precious gift ever given: the gift of God's son. In fact, I'm having a party on Monday, December 19, to celebrate ways to mark the occasion. I'd love for you to join me here for "Home for the Holy Days."

So what are your favorite things? I'd love to know!

My inner Martha

2011-12-13T10:11:00.007-05:00

"I'm no Martha," we say, "but look what I made!" Or, if we really want to compliment someone, we'll exclaim, "You're a regular Martha!" or "Martha would be proud!"

Surely Martha Stewart is to be congratulated for inspiring and empowering women to embrace the domestic arts. Thousands upon thousands of us look to her for ideas and inspiration.

In the midst of all my efforts as a wannabe Martha, though, I was reminded of another Martha--the Martha who must certainly have been a homemaker par excellence, and a wonderful, faithful woman into the bargain. Martha of Bethany, friend of Jesus, busied herself and bustled around to make her home welcoming to Jesus. What a great woman! Her sister Mary, on the other hand, seems to have languished a bit when it came to homemaking, preferring to sit and listen to Jesus talk and leave the lion's share of the work to Martha.

Truth be told, I've always felt a lot of sympathy for Martha.

And I think Jesus probably felt a good bit of sympathy for Martha, too. Martha must have felt awfully comfortable with Jesus to be able to voice her concerns to him. Luke 10 tells us that Martha said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself? Tell her to help me!"

She was right, wasn't she? There was work to be done. Jesus needed a meal, and that meal wasn't going to prepare itself. Many hands make light work, Mary. Chop chop.

Jesus's answer is very tender, but it gets right to the root of the problem. "Martha, Martha," he says, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her."

Ouch.

Quite frankly, I want to be a Martha. I want to have cool projects to blog about. I want people to ooh and ahh over my creations.

Let's be honest: Mary doesn't produce page views. She doesn't get retweeted. Her hanging out with Jesus doesn't produce pictures that will be pinned to Pinterest.

Yet Mary is the one who has chosen the better part. Even at a busy time, she chooses to spend time with Jesus, and the Lord of Lords says that she has her priorities straight.

And so, this Christmas season, while I really want to be a Martha, I'm going to try to be more of a Mary. Maybe, just maybe, I need a little less Christmas--

and a little more Christ.

I'm grateful to be called back to what's important by sharing Tuesdays Unwrapped with Emily at Chatting at the Sky. And I'm joyfully joining Amanda at Serenity Now for Weekend Bloggy Reading.

Christmas house tour

2011-12-12T08:30:00.008-05:00

A Christmas tour of homes is one of my favorite things. I'm glad to welcome you to our house.

We're all ready for a blanket of snow!

Our front porch is our outdoor living room. The decorations here are simple but festive.

Now the front door is open wide--come in!

To the left of the front door is my husband's study.

Here is the stone fireplace that you see on the front of the house. I love the stacked stone, and I keep the decor very simple here.

Back to the foyer, where magnolia leaves and poinsettias take the spotlight.

This is the first year we've had a blue dining room. I like the way the blue walls work with our traditional red and green Christmas decor.

The front windows are hard to photograph because of the light, but here's a glimpse of the window decorations. I made the swags from boxwood and magnolia cuttings from our yard, then added ornaments strung on lengths of ribbon. These I simply stapled to the top of the window frame.

The primitive sideboard holds an angel and the Christmas carol plaque I created last year plus some pretty satin-finish ornaments.

Every year I display these Lenox "Trees Around the World" plates on my mother's china cabinet. The plates are from 1991, 1993, and 1997--the years my sons were born. These were their Christmas gifts from me those years.

My mother's tea table in the corner gets a little Christmas cheer, too. I love to display white lilies and Christmas greenery in this lovely pitcher my husband gave me for Christmas two years ago. A bit of ribbon dresses up plain red candles.

The living room is the site of our Christmas tree, which is still a work in process. I'll share that later this week. The living room fireplace is the one we gather 'round for Christmas morning, so it's where our stockings hang.

The topiaries are simple to make--you can see the tutorial here.

Cocoa and Snickers like to sit by the fire, too. It's not often that they'll share this chair!

Next stop on the tour: the kitchen.

The window over the sink usually wears a faux Roman shade, but it's sporting a festive garland and a homemade "NOEL" for Christmastime.

I like a Christmas centerpiece on the island, but any decoration must be non-fragile and must leave lots of workspace. The antique wrapping paper holder and scale fill the bill.

The kitchen table centerpiece is a LEGO creation of my youngest son, who is known on YouTube as LegoLee329.

Click here if you'd like to see more of my kitchen.

And our last stop is the screened porch, which is two stories above the ground. It feels a bit like a treehouse.

Click here if you'd like to read more about my porches.

Thank you for joining me for a Christmas tour of my home!

SPECIAL NOTE: Next Monday, December 19, I'll be hosting a linky party called "Home for the Holy Days." It'll be a chance to share ideas and inspiration for keeping the emphasis on Christ this Christmas. You can read all about it here. I'd love for you to join me!

I'm joining these tours:

Holiday House Tour at Hooked on Houses

Christmas Home Tour at The Inspired Room

Christmas Tour of Homes at Nesting Place

Holly Bloggy Christmas Home Tour at The Shabby Creek Cottage

Show Us Your Life at Kelly's Korner

Party announcement!

2011-12-11T17:12:00.004-05:00

In his book God Came Near, Max Lucado writes these words about Bethlehem at the time of of Jesus's birth:

The city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he has just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility. Those who missed His Majesty's arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren't looking.

In the midst of the hustle-bustle of this busy time of year, it's all too easy to miss the most important thing.

I don't want to miss it.

In fact, I'd like to focus on the ways we can celebrate the birth of Christ. So on Monday, December 19, I'm hosting a linky party called "Home for the Holy Days."

Do you have special decorations for commemorating the Nativity? I want to see them! Does your family have special traditions for Advent? I'd like to know about them. Do you have favorite books or other resources you could share? This party will be the place to share them.

Please mark your calendars and join me! The link will go up at 10:00 P.M. Eastern time on Sunday, December 18. I'm looking forward to seeing what's going on in your home during these holy days!

Home for the Holy Days

at Imparting Grace

Monday, December 19

Will you come?

Special note: **My friend and kindred spirit Kristin from Kristin's Veranda designed this button for the party. Thank you, Kristin!**

Christmas in the kitchen

2011-12-09T09:54:00.014-05:00

No doubt about it--the kitchen is where I spend most of my time. My kitchen is adjacent to the living room, so I can see the Christmas tree from here, but I also add some Christmas decorations especially for this space. Welcome!

One of the great things about my faux Roman shade is that it can be easily removed. I took it down for Christmastime and replaced it with a simple garland. Come January, it will take just a few minutes to put the shade back up.

I also created a "NOEL" inspired by Pottery Barn's beautiful piece. Mine is simply letters from Hobby Lobby spray-painted black. This was a super-easy project, and I'm happy with the way it turned out.

I simply glued pieces of wood to the bottom to keep the letters together:

I have tall lamps on each side of my kitchen sink. Snowmen hang out underneath the lamps at Christmastime, like this Fitz and Floyd fellow:

Most of the decorations I use in the kitchen are snowmen. A dear friend (Grace's mom) started my snowman collection years ago with the gift of these wonderful plates:

One of the most-used spots in my kitchen is the island. It's a challenge to come up with a centerpiece that's pretty and fun but not fragile.

This fall I found an old scale at an antique store. For Christmas, it's weighing a sack of candy canes.

Beside the scale is another antique store find--a wrapping paper holder! Can't you just see this on the counter of a general store? The roll of Christmas paper was on the holder when I bought it--and the cutter works perfectly!

The main decor in the breakfast area is the table which proudly holds my son's LEGO creation--a Christmas village.

Beside the table is my mother's antique dough cabinet. For Christmas, it holds several snowmen (plus a stereo for playing Nat King Cole and Perry Como!)

Last is the stairwell, which leads down to the terrace level. Sorry about the glare from that light--that's my DIY wall clock you see in the background.

I decorate it simply with a lighted garland accented with some rusty snowmen and red and green houndstooth bows.

Christmas in our kitchen will soon involve the making of many pounds of fudge--I wish I could have you stop by and sample a piece. What's cooking in your kitchen?

**I'm joining the "Christmas in the Kitchen" Party

with Vanessa and Heather from At the Picket Fence.**

Christmas on the porch

2011-12-09T07:08:00.009-05:00

Today I'll share my outdoor decorations with you. We're blessed to have both a front porch and a back porch, and they're both now dressed for Christmas.

First, Christmas at the front door:

The "outdoor living room" to the right:

The side entry has a pine cone wreath made for me 15 years ago by a dear friend in Michigan:

I added felt snowflakes to the back side of my autumn leaf pillows to make them ready for Christmas.

On the back of the house, two stories in the air, is our screened porch.

Lanterns sport festive bows:

I hung a trio of stars between the lanterns:

The eating table is decorated very simply:

The seating area gets a few Christmasy additions--a Christmas plate and tiny trees.

Here, also, I've made a pillow do double duty. I free-handed "joy to the world" in black Sharpie on the back side of my "give thanks" pillow. (Tutorial for that pillow here.)

The North Carolina weather is often mild enough to sit on the porch even in December--I wish you could join me here for a cup of homemade cocoa!

I'm joining the Blogger Block Party with Heather and Vanessa At the Picket Fence. You'll find lots of inspiration for doors and porches there!

Christmas mantels

2011-12-06T16:05:00.008-05:00

Christmas decorating is finally in full swing around here. Today I'd like to share my Christmas mantels with you.

We're blessed to have two fireplaces, so that's double the Christmas decorating fun!

Our living room fireplace is in one of the most visible spots in our home. Around this fireplace is where we gather most every evening, and it's where we spend Christmas morning. So it has the honor of being the place where "the stockings are hung by the chimney with care."

No fashionable neutral stockings here--these are the stockings that we bought each of the boys when they were babies, and these are the ones that get stuffed each Christmas Eve.

The Flemish floral oil painting above the fireplace is one of my favorite pieces of art in our house, and it stays here year-round. So at Christmastime I simply decorate around it.

I made the moss topiaries--click here for a tutorial. This year I added the double topiaries made in the same way; I simply added a smaller sphere to the top. I like the fact that these are really tall.

I wanted lots of chunky candles on the mantel, but I only had three big candlesticks that matched. When I dug through my candleholders, though, I discovered that I had three more that I wasn't using because I no longer liked their color. That's an easy fix! I spray painted them with oil-rubbed bronze spray paint so they'd all match. A couple weren't quite the height I wanted them to be, so I elevated them. (The truth is that I didn't have anything pretty to set them on, so I turned ramekins upside down and set them on those. I knew that the ramekins would be hidden in the greenery. Shhh. It's our secret, okay?)

The greenery is my favorite part of the mantelscape. I don't use a garland in here; I just stick in clippings from our Christmas tree and from arborvitae, white pine, and boxwood in our yard. The red berries are fake, but I can't resist having pops of red amid the greenery.

This year I added some decorations to the hearth, too--more greenery in an old bottle:

and our collection of Christmas books in a basket. B is for Bethlethem is one of my favorites. I bought it the Christmas that I was expecting our first child. I think the story of Christ's birth is particularly poignant for expectant mothers.

A large mirror (so large that it won't fit above the fireplace!) hangs at the opposite end of the room; I love the way you can see the mantelscape reflected there.

Our second fireplace is in Jack's study. This room is his sanctuary, and I keep the decorations here pretty simple. I don't remove any of his things--he chose most of the accessories in this room, including the artwork, the photos, and the picture frames.

Here's the other side of the room:

The stacked stone of this fireplace is one of my favorite features in our house. I simply add a garland and a few red pieces to the mantel:

I also add a poinsettia to the hearth, right beside the Lego Imperial Warship that Lee built for Jack. Jack is a history buff and particularly loves to read about the history British Imperial Navy. The artwork above his fireplace and sofa are antique prints of British ships. Lee is proud that his dad showcases the Lego ship in his study.

Our fireplaces are ready for Christmas. I wish I could have you come sit by the fireside with me!

I'm joining these wonderful parties:

Holiday Home Mantel Party at Southern Hospitality

Mantel Link Party at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Mantel Party at The Stories of A to Z

Christmas tablescapes

2011-12-05T08:50:00.008-05:00

Christmas parties are getting underway in the blogosphere! Today's celebration includes Christmas tablescapes.

I first painted my dining room red back in 1991. This year, I finally made a bold change, and mynew blue dining room is enjoying its first Christmas season.

I love a pretty tablescape. I've always wanted to be the kind of hostess who throws lovely dinner parties with the table decorated to the nines, complete with fresh flowers, sterling silver flatware, place cards, and a favor for each guest. Unfortunately, I am not that kind of hostess. When I throw a dinner party, I try to make the table look nice, but I usually just end up with candles on the table; the rest of the space is always taken up by the food!

I do decorate my tables for Christmas, though, so I'll share some photos with you.

My blue and white porcelain footbath is usually holds a live plant, but at Christmastime I fill it with ornaments. A small collection of crystal candlesticks adds some holiday sparkle with very little fuss.

This photo gives you a glimpse into the foyer beyond, which is starting to look festive:

The dining room is pretty at night, too:

The centerpiece on the everyday dining table is compliments of my youngest son, known on YouTube as LegoLee329. Last year he asked to create a Lego winter village to be used as part of our decor. My idea was to cover a tray with white felt so that his vignette could be moved safely out of the way when we need to use the whole table. He added to the winter scene this year, so he needed a large board to hold it:

Just look at all the toys around the village Christmas tree!

And one of my favorite parts is the Christmas tree lot:

So how about you? Do you create lovely tablescapes? I'd love to see!

I'm joining Layla and Kevin at The Lettered Cottage for their Christmas Tablescapes party. Check it out for lots of beautiful tabletop inspiration!

A special treat

2011-12-05T08:17:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite blogs in the whole wide blogging world is Serenity Now. Amanda is a blogging friend who has become a real-life friend. Amanda is well-known as one of the nicest women in the blogosphere. She's kind and fun and funny, too--all in all, an unbeatable blogging combination!

my house wearing last year's Christmas snow

Today I'm privileged to be a guest blogger for Amanda. I'd love it if you'd pop over to Serenity Now and read my post about staying joyful (and sane) during the holidays. And please let Amanda know I sent you!

Christmas is coming

2011-12-02T21:41:00.004-05:00

It's December!

And though the events of our Thanksgiving week put me behind schedule, it's beginning to look a little like Christmas around here.

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation--
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a Child and yet a King.
Born to reign us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit,
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Now tell me--have you done your Christmas decorating? Have you posted about it? If so, please let me know--I'd love to gain some inspiration from you!

The end of November

2011-11-30T20:52:00.005-05:00

I find it hard to believe that today is the last day of November 2011. 11/11 is over? Really?

My husband just turned to me and said, "Is Christmas three weeks from Sunday?" I nearly choked on my drink.

But here we are. 2011 is winding down. Tomorrow will be December, which in some ways doesn't even seem like part of the calendar year--December is a world unto its own, don't you think?

The last couple of weeks of November didn't turn out as we expected. Many of you prayed for my son, Preston, as he faced emergency surgery on November 20. Preston was discharged from the hospital on November 26, and he is recovering at home. If this semester had gone as he'd planned, he'd be attending his final week of class at UNC-Chapel Hill and getting ready to take his first batch of college finals. Instead, he's sitting at home, trying to eat a regular diet again, weaning himself off prescription pain medication.

To paraphrase Robert Burns: The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry.

But as I consider the events of the past couple of weeks, one thing stands out very clear to me, and this I want to share with you.

Preston came home on Saturday, 11/25, just to borrow his brother's camera. He was planning to go right back to campus. Back to campus--where he would have been by himself in a dorm room, for his roommate had already left for Thanksgiving. While he was here, his stomach started hurting. He was so uncomfortable that I suggested he spend the night at home. The next day, the pain was no better, so I took him to Urgent Care. His blood pressure was so low that was transferred to Duke Hospital via ambulance, and he had emergency surgery to repair a stomach perforation a few hours later.

When I think what could have happened if he had followed his plan to go right back to campus--well, I can't think about it. Instead, I think about this:

God is good all the time. And all the time, God is good.

Preston was at home when he got sick. In other words, he was just where he needed to be. God provided everything he needed.

Preston wasn't following his plans, and spending Thanksgiving week in the hospital wasn't following my plans. But this detour from the plans meant life and health for Preston.

Have you ever had to take a detour from your plans? In retrospect, can you see that God was providing for you every step of the way?

God is good all the time. And all the time, God is good.

Won't you join me in thanking God for His protection?

No-sew bolster pillow: a tutorial

2011-11-24T16:42:00.009-05:00

I recently revealed my guest room updates, with most of the changes coming from new accessories sewn by me. Here's a glimpse of the room:

One of my favorite features of the room is one of the smallest: the new bolster pillows made from the bold checked accent fabric. I love these babies!

There's a secret behind these bolsters: they're completely NO-sew creations. Here's how I made them.

First I cut the fabric to go around my bolster pillow form. Actually, I had an old pillow to recover. I cut a rectangle of fabric 25 inches wide x 29 inches long to go around my form, which measured 15 inches long and 7 inches in diameter. No precise measurements here--just be sure to have a big enough piece of fabric to completely cover the form. Turn under one of the long sides of the fabric and press well. This will end up being your "seam" line on the bottom of the roll, so you want it to be nice and neat.

Then I wrapped the fabric around the pillow form so that the wrong side of the fabric was facing out. As you can see, I used backed silk for this pillow, which worked well. I think you could use any medium- to heavy-weight fabric. With the fabric wrapped around the pillow form, secure the two ends as if you were wrapping a piece of candy. I used rubber bands for this. You could use string just as well. Here's what you'll have; I think it looks kind of like a giant Tootsie Roll.

Take the pillow form out of the wrapper. Here's what the ends will look like:

Now, turn the cover right-side out. The bunched up ends will disappear inside the cover.

Once the cover is right side out, stuff the pillow form back in. Pull the fabric good and taut around the pillow, then use the method of your choice to close the seam. I used my glue gun. You could also use fabric glue or Stitch Witchery. Or if you're good at hand sewing, you could sew the opening closed. My glue gun worked fine. As you can see, I pinned as I went along so that the fabric would stay in place while the glue dried. Tip: Be sure the remove the pins before the glue dries completely--you don't want a straight pin stuck in your pillow!

You can leave the pillow like this or add a finishing touch of some kind to the ends. I wanted covered buttons for the ends of mine. You can find covered button kits at any fabric store. The directions are super-easy to follow. You can then sew the buttons onto the ends of the pillow or do what I did and hot-glue them into place.

Voila! A beautiful bolster pillow for just a few minutes' effort!

That's it! Super-easy, and so pretty in front of the large square pillow!

I'm joining these great parties:

Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios

Giving thanks

2011-11-23T15:11:00.007-05:00

We had planned to have the Thanksgiving of our choice, the celebration of our desires, looking something like this:

The turkey would be cooked beautifully by Preston, Alton Brown's greatest fan:

And who better to head up the celebration? Preston has had a lot to be thankful for this year--graduating from high school, getting in to the college of his choice, being initiated by the fraternity he hoped to join, making lots of new friends at UNC.

Our Thanksgiving plans were interrupted, though; Preston exchanged his graduation cap and gown for a hospital gown.

And our Thanksgiving didn't turn out as we expected. Instead of turkey and dressing at home, we'll be lucky to have Jell-O at the hospital.

But our list of things for which to be thankful is not shorter--no, it has grown longer. Along with thanking God for all the other blessings he has heaped upon us this year, we can add the events of this week--events which have been scary and worrisome, but over which God has presided. God has provided in a new way, just as he said he would.

This I recall to mind,

therefore I have hope.

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,

"Therefore I hope in Him!"

Lamentations 3:21-24

On this Thanksgiving Day, we are reminded that God is good; that His steadfast love endures forever. As Preston heals from his surgery, we are grateful beyond telling for God's love and care for us. So with all of you, we sing:

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;

Who, from our mothers' arms, hath blessed us on our way

With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,

With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;

And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;

And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;

The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest heaven;

The one eternal God, Whom earth and heaven adore;

For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

--Martin Rinckhart

Happy Thanksgiving!

Prayer request

2011-11-21T10:51:00.003-05:00

Hello friends.

Many of you know that my family has experienced a number of health problems over the past few years, including three open-heart surgeries. The photo below shows me with my husband (who has had two heart surgeries) and my 18-year-old son Preston (who had open-heart surgery in 2008).

Last night, Preston had to have emergency abdominal surgery. He was in a great deal of pain, so we ended up in the Emergency Department of Duke Hospital. A CT scan revealed air in his abdominal cavity. He had surgery to locate and repair a tear in his stomach.

Preston's care is complicated by the fact that he has an artificial heart valve. He is doing okay this morning, although he is very uncomfortable. Surgeons have told us to expect him to remain in the hospital 5-7 days.

Would you please pray for Preston? I would really appreciate it.

Thank God for his care.

New guest room!

2011-11-17T15:55:00.014-05:00

One of the greatest joys of the holidays is hosting friends and family from out of town. I am grateful to have an en suite guest bedroom and bath. I've made some changes to my guest room that I'm excited to show you.

Here it is:

Here's how it looked before:

I still loved my upholstered headboards, matelasse coverlets, and accessories, but I wanted more color in the room. Specifically, I wanted more blue. I needed to use the same wingback chair, so I kept looking for fabrics that would bring in more blue but still include greens, reds, and golds. I'd almost given up, when one day I found these at Not Just Linens in Durham, my favorite fabric store:

Bingo!

I made new curtains, bedskirts, Euro shams, and bolster pillows. I'm so pleased with how they all turned out! Plus I realized that a rug I already owned looked great with these new colors, so I moved it into this room.

This long, narrow room is tricky to photograph, so I'll just try to show you all around.

I love having twin beds in a guest room. This makes the room versatile--it's good for a couple or for two singles to share. We've had as many as four college guys sleep in this room--one in each bed, one on a cot, and one on the floor.

Close-up of the pillows I made. I'm not a very good seamstress, so this took me awhile! Click here for a tutorial for the NO-SEW bolster pillow.

Moving to the sitting area. The rug helps to break up the long room, I think.

The end of the room opposite the beds includes the doorway to the guest bath. I love the way my new fabrics coordinate with the shower curtain I made several years ago.

Here's a photo of the shower curtain. I still love this fabric.

One more wide shot:

Now I'm ready for company! Who wants to come visit?

**I'm joining these parties:

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage

Show and Tell Saturday at Be Different, Act Normal

Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now

Best DIY Projects of November at Beneath My Heart

My Favorite Post of 2011 at Home Stories A to Z

What to do with leftover turkey

2011-11-15T15:35:00.005-05:00

If you roast a turkey, you're probably going to have leftovers. It's just a fact. We're not very good with leftovers at my house: Jack says I package and refrigerate leftovers just so I can throw them out weeks later after they've turned into science experiments.

But turkey?? That's a different story!

First of all, you can use leftover meat that's been carved to make the best sandwiches. If you've made homemade cranberry sauce (and you should--just follow the directions on the package of cranberries!), use the cranberry sauce as a condiment on your sandwiches. Divine.

Or you can make Kentucky Hot Browns--the wonderful dish originated and made famous at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Here's the recipe if you've never tried this dish--it's delicious!

As for that big old turkey carcass, you can use it to make a couple of delicious dishes. First, put the whole turkey carcass in a soup pot, cover with water, and boil the water. After the water is boiling merrily, turn down the heat to a low boil. Cook on low for a long time--four to eight hours. You'll create lots of delicious turkey stock.

Remove the turkey from the water. Pour the stock through a strainer. When the turkey has cooled, pick all the meat off the bones. You'll be surprised at how much meat is there! Now you can use the meat and stock to make wonderful turkey soup or turkey pot pie.

For soup, I put the turkey meat back into the stock and simmer. I add spices to taste (usually just salt and pepper). I add some flour to thicken the stock a bit. I also add carrots and celery; you can add whatever vegetables you like. Toward the end of the cooking time, I add egg noodles or rice.

To make turkey pot pie, I follow the same procedure as for making soup, but I add more flour to make a thicker gravy. Then I pour the gravy into a baking dish, cover with biscuits, and bake in a 400 degree oven until the biscuits are nice and brown.

My boys love this dish; it's a special treat!

What do you do with turkey leftovers?

Talking turkey

2011-11-14T18:13:00.005-05:00

The other day I was telling a girlfriend about the three meals I'd cooked from an inexpensive turkey I bought (yippee for November turkey prices!). She was surprised that I fixed a turkey on a weekday; I was surprised that she'd never fixed a turkey. I can see how that might happen, though--lots of people travel to their parents' homes for holiday dinners, so they've never had occasion to cook a turkey themselves.

In talking with several women, I've learned that turkeys intimidate many cooks. We want to serve a turkey dinner that looks like this:

But we're afraid that we'll end up with a turkey dinner that looks like this one from Christmas Vacation:

Turkey is a tasty, economical meat, but it mystifies many cooks, so I thought I'd do a little Turkey 101 here.

First, you must buy a turkey. A good rule of thumb is to purchase a bird that is 1 1/2 pounds per person (this will provide plenty of leftovers). So if you need to feed 8 people, you'll want a 12-pound bird. If you're just feeding your immediate family, you'll probably just have to buy the smallest whole turkey you can find. Any kind is fine--I've used fresh birds, frozen birds, even go-to-the-turkey-farm-and-choose-a-bird-from-the-flock birds. It's all good. If you select a frozen bird, thaw according to package directions (be sure to keep the bird cold while it's thawing, either by thawing it in the refrigerator over the course of several days or by thawing it in cool water). Remove the neck and the giblets from the bird.

The next step is simple, but it's absolutely crucial to producing the most flavorful, moist turkey: brine the turkey. You don't need a special brining mix or anything fancy. I simply run a quart of hot water in a clean cooler and mix in 1/2 cup or more of kosher salt and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. If I have orange juice in the fridge, I pour in some of that. You can add other spices if you like. The most important thing is the salt. Mix everything together well to dissolve the salt and sugar, then add cold water (2-3 quarts should do it) and ice cubes. Now plop your turkey in. Add more ice water if needed to completely submerge turkey and close up the cooler. You can brine your turkey for any amount of time. For best results, you want it to soak at least 8 hours, but it's fine to soak it for longer: just keep adding ice if necessary to keep the turkey good and cold. I usually mix up the brining solution the night before I cook a turkey and let the bird soak overnight. (If you don't have a cooler that will hold your turkey, use a bucket or large pot and keep it in the refrigerator.)

When you're ready to cook your bird, remove all but one rack in your oven. Move that rack to the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, you read that right: you want to start cooking the bird at very high heat.

If you have a turkey roaster, now's the time to use it. Or you can use a large baking pan with a wire rack placed in it. Or you can use disposable roasting pans (you might want to use two stacked together, since the turkey is heavy). If you like, spray the pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the turkey liberally with oil (I prefer canola). Be sure to coat it all over. I do not recommend stuffing the turkey with anything. Place turkey, breast side up, in the roasting pan. Now, before you put the turkey in the oven, tear off a large sheet of aluminum foil. Fold it over so that you have a triple-thick sheet large enough to cover the top of the entire turkey breast. Place the foil on the turkey breast and use your hand to conform the foil to the shape of the turkey, creating a little foil tent. Now REMOVE the foil and set it aside; you'll use it a little later. Put the turkey in your 500 degree oven and let it roast, completely uncovered, for 30 minutes.

While this part of the roasting is happening, dump out your brining solution and clean your cooler thoroughly. I use bleach to do this.

After 30 minutes, remove the turkey from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Take your foil tent and carefully put it on the turkey breast. You've already formed it to just the right shape, so you should be able to simply lay it in place. Be careful not to burn yourself on the hot roasting pan. Now stick a meat thermometer right through the foil tent into the thickest part of the turkey breast and put the bird back into the oven.

Roast the turkey at 350 degrees until the thermometer registers 161 degrees. Depending on the size of your bird, this process will probably take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. But you can't rely on your timer for this part--the meat thermometer is the only way to insure that your turkey is done enough without being overdone. (Note: The USDA recommends that you cook turkeys to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. I suggest you remove the turkey from the oven when your thermometer reaches 161 degrees. The internal temperature will continue to rise due to residual heat. If you allow the turkey to reach 165 degrees while it's still in the oven, it will probably reach 170 degrees after you remove it--and at that point, your turkey will be a bit overdone.)

Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Cover the turkey loosely with foil and allow to rest 15 minutes before carving. I allow mine to sit for 10 minutes, then I lift the turkey out of the roasting pan onto a cutting board or platter. Then I pour the pan drippings through a sieve into a sauce pan. I heat the drippings on the stove top to boiling. While the drippings are heating, I mix a couple of tablespoons of flour with a bit of water in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. When the drippings are bubbling merrily, I use a wire whisk to stir my flour-water mixture into the drippings. Ummmm. . . mouth-watering turkey gravy. A word of caution: if you brined your turkey, your pan drippings will be salty. Be sure to taste the gravy before adding any seasoning. If the gravy is too salty, add more water and cook to reduce.

Click here for ideas for turkey leftovers!

I'm linking to

Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios

11/11/11

2011-11-11T10:15:00.004-05:00

It's Veterans' Day. A very special Veterans' Day, in fact: 11/11/11. Dates like these don't come around very often.

Veteran and Purple Heart recipient holding his newest grandchild

I was named for my favorite veteran in the world: my Uncle Richard, my mother's younger brother. (My mother's brother was Richard; her mother was Luella. If you take the first half of Richard and the last half of Luella, you get Richella.) My uncle was nearly killed in Viet Nam when I was a girl. I have vivid memories of the months after he came home. Thank God, he healed enough to work. He met the lady who would become my beautiful aunt at work; their wedding in 1972 is one of my best memories from childhood. Uncle Richard is now retired, the proud father of two wonderful kids and three beautiful grandchildren.

My Uncle Richard is my favorite veteran, but I'm thankful for ALL veterans. It's impossible for me to imagine what our world would be like if not for the faithful, generous service of men and women in uniform.

Who's your favorite vet?

**Special question: who knows why Veterans' Day is celebrated on November 11?**

Open House!

2011-11-09T12:36:00.005-05:00

You know how we in the blogosphere love parties, right? And one of the nicest parties around is the weekly Open House hosted by the lovely Sherry of No Minimalist Here. Every week, Sherry gives us a tour of someone's house and then invites us to share a post about what's going on in our own homes.

I'm shaking a little bit right now, because Sherry is featuring my home this week! I'm so excited!

If you haven't before visited Sherry's blog, you should run over there right now and say hello. You'll love it. For instance, here's a little peek into her family room. I know this will make you want to see more. Isn't it beautiful?

If you're visiting here from Sherry's blog, WELCOME! I'm so glad to have you! I just baked a batch of pumpkin bread, so I'm all ready for visitors. Please make yourselves at home!

"Give thanks" pillow tutorial

2011-11-08T09:18:00.013-05:00

The days in November are short and sweet, and I love to decorate our house for Thanksgiving. I decided to try my hand at making a Thanksgiving pillow using supplies I had on hand. Here's what I came up with:

Here's how it's made:

Materials

drop cloth

ruler, yardstick, or other straightedge

black Sharpie marker

sewing machine, Stitch Witchery fusible tape, or fabric glue

Procedure

Wash your drop cloth in the washing machine and dry it in the dryer. I added some bleach to the wash. After being washed, the drop cloth fabric is much softer. Iron the drop cloth fabric you want to use for your pillow so you'll have a smooth surface to work with.

Choose a pillow size (I measured a pillow insert I had on hand). Cut two squares of fabric two inches bigger than your pillow size. I wanted an 18" x 18" finished pillow, so I needed two 20" x 20" squares of fabric.

Decide on placement of your words. This pillow has the wording on the bottom half of the front, so I started at the bottom and worked up. To make a pillow like mine, measure up three inches from the bottom of your fabric and three inches over from the right hand side. One inch on the bottom and one inch on the side will make up your seam allowance, so you're really measuring two inches in from the sides of the pillow. Using a straightedge, draw a line with a pencil. Then draw another guideline for the tops of your letters. Just like in elementary school, you'll make your letters between the top and bottom lines. My guidelines for "give thanks" are 1 3/4 inches apart.

Using the Sharpie, write your letters. You can pencil them in first if you like, but I just took the Sharpie and went for it. Just write the letters to begin with, then go back and make them as full and fat as you like. I wanted the word "thanks" to end in the bottom right corner of the pillow, so I started with the letter s and worked backward, writing s-k-n-a-h-t. Note that the t, the h, and the k all extend above the pencil lines.

Once you have your "thanks" looking pretty good, measure up a bit and draw guidelines for the word "give." I left 3/4" of blank space between the bottom guideline for "give" and the top of the tall letters in "thanks." Again, I worked backward, writing e-v-i-g, then going back and filling in the letters to make them big and bold.

Measure up again from the top of "give" and draw smaller guidelines in pencil for "in everything." For these words, I drew 3/4" tall guidelines. This time, I wanted the "in" to land in a certain spot, so I started there and worked forward. I simply wrote these letters in a print designed to look like an old-fashioned typewriter print; I didn't fill them in to be any fatter.

Note: I simply free-handed all these letters, loosely basing the writing on Chancery script and Courier type. I'm sure you could simply create a Word document mixing different fonts and sizes and come up with a pattern that suits you.

See the pencil lines?

Once you have all your letters printed, step back and take a look at the total composition. You might even want to snap a photo and look at it. You'll probably see a few places that need a little more filling in; that's easy to do with your Sharpie. Once you like the overall look, simply erase your pencil lines.

Turn your pillow squares right sides together and pin in place. Stitch up the sides with a 1" seam allowance (or use Stitch Witchery or fabric glue). Why a 1" seam allowance? This is what I allow because I'm not a good seamstress. I have the one-inch line marked on my sewing machine with a line of tape. I simply place my fabric on the sewing machine and and keep the edge of the fabric along the edge of the tape. This way I end up with straight seams. I could never sew a straight seam without the tape to guide me. For best results, press open your seams as you go and trim the corners so that they'll be neat. Leave an opening in the bottom of your pillow cover for stuffing the pillow.

When you're finished sewing, turn your pillowcase right side out and press. Then stuff your pillow, sew the opening closed (or use glue to close the opening, like I do).

For a fuller tutorial on sewing a pillow cover, click here.

The finished product:

I'm using the pillow on my screened-in porch, where all is now ready for Thanksgiving!

I'm happy as a clam to have created a fun new accessory for $0 and just a little time! What do you think?

Linking to these wonderful parties:

Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios

Thanksgiving Projects at The CSI Project

Show and Share Day at Just a Girl

Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest

Head to Head Showdown at I Can't Stop Crafting
Home for the Holidays at Uncommon

Customized Fall Decor

2011-11-05T13:55:00.004-04:00

Here I showed how I've decorated our house for fall, including a bit of fluffing around the fireplace.

Well, this past week that decor got customized a bit, with this addition.

To be honest, I think someone just brought the football inside because it needed to be aired up, and it happened to land on the hearth.

But you know the best part? My husband asked my youngest son about the football, and Lee replied, "I think Mom put it there as a decoration."

No, Mom did not put it there. But it fits, don't you think?

A new project

2011-11-03T10:42:00.005-04:00

After writing so many posts in the month of October, I was fairly stupefied the first couple of days in November.

Until I walked into my favorite discount fabric store and spied these beauties:

The sun shone. The angels sang. I skipped my way to the cutting table. Then I realized why these colors spoke to me so strongly.

Autumn leaves, Carolina blue sky. . . could any color combination be prettier?

Time to get out the sewing machine. Any guesses what I'll be making?

The Best of 31 Days Link Party

2011-10-30T21:00:00.001-04:00

When the Nester invited all bloggers to take the 31-Day challenge, over 700 of us responded. The complete list of bloggers writing about their passions is amazing.

Image courtesy of Nesting Place

To tell the truth, there have been so many 31-Day series that many of us haven't been able to keep up! This party is a chance for catching up.

If you wrote a 31-Day series this October, please link your favorite post of the series below. Is there one post that stands out as a particularly good representative of your series? Link that below. It doesn't have to be Day One or your "landing page"--just link anything that will give us a good flavor of your series.

If you will, please enter the permalink to your favorite post, not your blog's home page. Please visit some of the other participants--you might find a new series that you really need to read! And please include a link back to this post, so that others can join the fun.

I look forward to getting a taste of lots of great series!

Spiritual Formation: Day 31

2011-10-30T19:46:00.000-04:00

Writing about spiritual formation for 31 days has been an eye-opening experience. When I started this series, I thought I had a lot to say. I've learned that talking about anything for 31 days straight is hard work! And I have a new appreciation for the authors who have made teaching their life's work.

Some of you may be eager to learn more, and I'd like to point you to the best resources I've found. There's quite a lot written about spiritual formation these days. Some of it is very good, but some of it is not. Here is a list of books that I've found to be the very best.

By Richard J. Foster:
Celebration of Discipline
PRAYER: Finding the Heart's True Home
Streams of Living Water

By Dallas Willard:
The Spirit of the Disciplines
The Divine Conspiracy
Renovation of the Heart

By James Bryan Smith:
The Good and Beautiful God
The Good and Beautiful Life
The Good and Beautiful Community

By John Ortberg:
The Life You've Always Wanted

Thank you to everyone who joined me on this 31-day journey. May God guide us all as we seek to become more and more like Jesus!

This post is part of a 31-day series on spiritual formation. To see all posts in this series, click here. Or click here to see all the bloggers participating in the 31-day challenge!

Spiritual Formation, Day 30

2011-10-30T17:23:00.003-04:00

I spent a lot of this weekend on college campuses, visiting one son at Duke University and another at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Suddenly it hit me: when I'm on a college campus these days, it's as a parent, not as a student.

I don't feel old enough to have two kids in college, but a quick look in the mirror confirms that I am. Grey hairs and wrinkles don't lie.

All those myths about the fountain of youth are just that: myths. Time marches on, and we all get older.

But that's one of the wonderful things about being a new creation in Christ. Read these wonderful words from II Corinthians 4:

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day" (II Corinthians 4:16, NIV).

Do you hear the triumph in those words? This is why we are interested in the formation of our spirits. Our hair turns grey; our skin wrinkles. Our physical bodies age and decay. But our spirits? They're eternal. The Spirit of the Lord works in us and renews our spirits day by day. There's no fountain of youth for our mortal bodies, but our spirits are renewed every day!

This is good news. Hear it and celebrate it.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (II Corinthians 3:17-18).

Together we pray:

Finish then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
'Til in heaven we take our place--
'Til we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Charles Wesley

**I'm having a "Best of 31 Days" link party tomorrow! If you've written a 31-day series, please join and link up your favorite 31-Day post.**

Spiritual Formation: Day 29

2011-10-29T11:54:00.002-04:00

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2).

"You have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him" (Colossians 3:9-10).

Your first freedom is where you will put your mind. Choosing to allow your mind to dwell on that which will nourish your soul is more than important; it's essential.

The Thinker: photo courtesy of wikipedia.com

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things (Philippians 4:8, NIV).

**So today, I ask you: what are you thinking about?**

Spiritual Formation: Day 28

2011-10-28T18:24:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I talked about the corporate disciplines: those soul-training exercises that are done not by individuals Christians alone but by Christians in community with other Christians. I can hardly stress enough how much fellowship with believers is necessary for spiritual formation.

Today I want to remind you of one of the reasons fellowship with others is so important. This is really quite elementary, but it's easy for us to forget, I think. Here it is:

Not one of us knows everything.

Not one single person is perfect. No one knows it all. We all need each other. Those of us who love God, who listen to God, who spend time learning about God and talking to God--all of us need each other.

My friends from evangelical churches revere the Bible and know it well; I have a lot to learn from them. My friends from liturgical churches have a deep reverence for God and are gifted at deep, contemplative prayer; I have a lot to learn from them. My friends from charismatic churches are great at worshipping God in spirit and in truth; I have a lot to learn from them.

Different Christian traditions all have different strengths, and we can be grateful for all of them. Although each of us must choose one church to be our "home base," isn't it wonderful that we can have fellowship across all denominational lines? This is a foretaste of heaven, I think.

More than that, though, we can learn from one another. We honor God and our souls benefit when we pay attention to one another and share our strengths with one another.

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1-6

**What kind of church background are you from? How have you learned from Christians of other traditions?**

This post is part of a 31-day series on spiritual formation. To see all posts in this series, click here. Or click here to see all the bloggers participating in the 31-day challenge!

Best of 31 Days: An Announcement

2011-10-28T08:11:00.004-04:00

When the Nester invited all bloggers to take the 31-Day challenge, over 700 of us responded. That's right: seven HUNDRED bloggers have been diligently writing about their passions every single day of October. All eight of last year's 31-Dayers included a huge linky party listing all the 31-Dayers. If you haven't seen the complete list, you should take a look! It's pretty amazing.

There have been so many of writing that some of us haven't been able to enjoy as many of the other blogs as we'd like to. And some of us will never be able to get through that long, long list of 31-Dayers. So here's what I'm going to do. On Monday, October 31, I'm going to have a "Best of 31 Days" linky party.

If you've written a 31-Day series this month, please come here on Monday, 10/31 and link up your favorite post from the series. Is there one post that you feel really captures the essence of what you've been trying to say? One post that best represents your series? One post that will make us want to come back for more? Link up that post on Monday!

Hope to see you then!

Note: I'll post the linky party at 9:00 PM Sunday night. I'm looking forward to reading your best posts!

**I'm joining Amanda at Serenity Now for her Weekend Bloggy Reading party.

Spiritual Formation: Day 27

2011-10-27T13:04:00.007-04:00

The spiritual disciplines or soul-training exercises we've been discussing all have one thing in common. They're all things that a person can do all alone.

That's a good thing, really. All of us spend a good bit of time on our own, one way or another. Even if we're usually in a crowd of people or a houseful of children, we're often on our own when it comes to exercising our bodies, minds, and spirits.

But being alone isn't enough. God designed us to interact with one another in many different ways. Even a deeply introverted person cannot do everything for himself. And some aspects of our spiritual development must come about in community.

Spiritual disciplines which require the involvement of more than one person at a time are sometimes called "corporate disciplines"--that is, those things we do as a body of people rather than as individuals.

Some of the corporate disciplines may involve large groups of people. For instance, one of the most important things we do is to worship God. "Worship is the human response to the divine initiative," writes Richard J. Foster (Celebration of Discipline, p.158). Jesus teaches, "God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).

Image courtesy of St. Andrews Assembly of God

Over the course of 2000 years, Christ-followers have worshipped God in many different ways. Some of those forms of worship are acceptable to certain believers and objectionable to others. But the form of worship has never been the most important issue. Most important is the object of our worship: we worship God. "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve" (Matthew 4:10). Also important is the attitude of our hearts in worship. We must realize that worship is the act of our spirits responding to the Holy Spirit. We come into the presence of God humbly and adoringly, giving glory and praise and honor to God. The Bible does not prescribe one particular form or formula for worship, but it does require that we worship God alone and that we worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Worship is good for our souls. The action of joining with brothers and sisters and together affirming the goodness and greatness of God is a powerful thing. It is good for us all to be reminded that God alone is worthy of worship. Among many other benefits, worship reminds us that we are not the center of the universe. Sometimes our issues and problems feel so significant that they blot out all other thoughts. The act of worship pulls us back into understanding that nothing supersedes God. No power is greater than his; no love is greater than his; no goodness is greater than his. What a relief to be reminded that our great and good God is on the throne!

Others corporate disciplines involve small groups or just two individuals. For example, confession usually takes place with one person confessing sin to one other person. Some churches ordain individuals to serve as priests; those priests serve in such capacities as hearing the confession of church members. Protestant churches cling to the idea of the "priesthood of all believers" as described in I Peter 2, so any believer may hear the confession of another. Regardless of the particular form that confession might take, it involves more than one person. And what a powerful thing it is for one Christian to be able to confess his sins not only to God but also to another human being! "A man who confesses his sins in the presence of a brother knows that he is no longer alone with himself; he experiences the presence of God in the reality of the other person. As long as I am by myself in the confession of my sins everything remains in the dark, but in the presence of a brother the sin has to be brought into the light" (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, p. 116).

Our spirits are shaped as we journey through life. If we desire that our spirits be formed into the likeness of Christ, we practice the way of living that Jesus modeled and taught. That way of living involves a loving cooperation with others. What a great thing to have fellowship with other people! Wasn't it good of God to design corporate practices that are so nourishing to our souls?

Question : What soul-training exercises do you practice in the company of other believers? How have they helped you?

This post is part of a 31-day series on spiritual formation. To see all posts in this series, click here. Or click here to see all the bloggers participating in the 31-day challenge!

Spiritual Formation, Day 26

2011-10-26T11:34:00.004-04:00

Perhaps the most important of all the spiritual disciplines is prayer.

We often think of prayer as an act of worship--something we offer to God to affirm his greatness and our dependence upon him. And while this is a good thought about prayer, it doesn't go far enough. Prayer is more than worship.

Simply defined, prayer is conversation with God about what we and He are doing together. We talk to God and we listen to God principally not because we fear him or respect him, but because we like him. We love him. We want to spend time with him. We want to talk with him about things that are important in our lives and the lives of others. And we want to know what is important to him. We listen for his voice.

Now, it's an amazing thing to be able to talk to the Creator and Sustainer of everything, the King of Glory, the Ruler of the Universe. If we wished to have an audience with the king or queen of a nation, we probably would not be able to gain it. If it were possible to gain the opportunity to speak with an earthly ruler, it might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance. But God, the Ruler of all, makes himself available to us all the time. Any time. Day or night, in good times and bad, we can meet with God and talk with him about everything. "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 14:16).

How do we pray? There are a number of answers to that question, many of them very good. For instance, many Christians like to pray according to the acronym ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Each of those facets of prayer is important, and the ACTS acronym is very helpful to some believers. Some Christians particularly benefit from using a prayer book (e.g. The Book of Common Prayer). Some folks use the ancient prayer book of God's people, Psalms. I myself have found it beneficial to "pray the psalms"--that is, read the words of a psalm as a prayer--especially in times of stress. Some churches have special prayer ministries wherein folks who are particularly gifted in intercessory prayer will pray for people. Some groups meet especially for prayer, such as the "Moms In Touch" groups that meet in many schools. Many Christians through the centuries have benefited from the using "breath prayers" (prayers that can be uttered in a single breath), such as "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

As I see it, the form of prayer is not nearly so important as the attitude of prayer. The humble heart, eager to spend time with the Lord, is free to approach God. Prayer "ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father," writes Richard Foster (Celebration of Discipline, p. 33). "It is the discipline of prayer that brings us into the deepest and highest work of the human spirit."

Jesus's friends and followers asked him to teach them to pray (Luke 11). His instruction to them was to pray not for show or for other people to see. He gave his disciples a model prayer, and for 2000 years followers of Jesus have prayed these words of Jesus:

Our Father, which art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come,

Thy will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.

Amen.

The teaching of Jesus on prayer is a reflection of the life that Jesus offered. The familiar words "Our Father which art in heaven" does not mean "distant, fearsome deity who is far away in space and time." Instead, it means "loving father who is right here with us, always near us." Just let that sink in for a moment! Because of Jesus, the Kingdom of God is available. Just as Jesus talked to God when he lived here on earth, we can talk to God. Although some people see the recitation of this model prayer (called "The Lord's Prayer" or the "Our Father") as a dry, lifeless exercise, that certainly doesn't have to be the case. The simple act of praying this prayer as a beginning to each day can have life-changing results.

And that's the real aim: life change. As with all the spiritual disciplines, prayer brings us into communion with God, who changes our hearts.

How about you? Do you pray? How has prayer impacted your life?

**Note: There are many good books on prayer, and reading them is extremely worthwhile. The very best I have ever read is Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home by Richard J. Foster. I recommend it most highly.

This post is part of a 31-day series on spiritual formation. To see all posts in this series, click here. Or click here to see all the bloggers participating in the 31-day challenge!

Spiritual formation, Day 25

2011-10-25T13:25:00.004-04:00

Today I'd like to talk about one of my favorite spiritual disciplines. Oh, yes! I have favorites!

Unfortunately, the very thing that makes this one of my favorites also means that it can be dangerous and easy to misuse.

Now I've got you wondering, don't I?

It's the discipline of study. Oh, I love to study things. If I'm interested in a subject, I find great pleasure in studying it. I love to look things up and run references and amass information. I find it a very satisfying exercise.

And Bible study?? Study of spiritual things? Oh, yes, please. If I can look things up and run references and amass information about God, so much the better. Bring it on.

How easy it is to fall into the trap of attaining knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Or for the sake of feeling good about our knowledge. Or for the sake of trying to prove that we're right, or good, or enlightened, or well-educated.

The spiritual discipline of study does lead to knowledge. As we study the Bible, good books, and the world around us, we do attain new knowledge. We learn more about God. But the purpose of study is not so much to know about God as it is to know God. This difference is critical. There are some profound scholars who know all about God and the Bible but have no faith in God at all!

Understanding that we are not working just to amass information, we do well to approach study seriously. Many of us are helped by enrolling in an organized study, such as Bible Study Fellowship or Community Bible Study. Churches may offer weekly classes. Home-based groups may use published materials from trusted authors. Participation in one or more these kinds of groups may be extremely beneficial.

I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes!
Psalm 119:11-12

At their core, though, the spiritual disciplines are things that each of us must do for ourselves, so simply signing up for a Bible study will not be enough. We do well to concentrate our efforts. For instance, when studying a book of the Bible, it's very helpful simply to read through the book one or many times. If we're studying a short book, we may wish to read the book through every day for a week or a month. We may want to read it in several different versions of the Bible. Then we might read a commentary on the book. We might choose a portion of the book to memorize. All of these methods can be effective ways of practicing the discipline of study.

Even more than the other disciplines, the practice of study requires a humble heart. Students learn from masters when they first admit that the masters know something worth knowing--and then when they approach the learning of that subject with a teachable spirit.

How about you? Have you found a particular approach to study to be especially beneficial?

This post is part of a 31-day series on spiritual formation. To see all posts in this series, click here. Or click here to see all the bloggers participating in the 31-day challenge!

Spiritual formation, Day 24: Grace Imparted

2011-10-24T08:25:00.004-04:00

I was having one of those weeks that felt devoid of grace.

I couldn't seem to get anything done--no projects, not even the normal day-to-day stuff. One of my dearest friends had to put her precious dog to sleep, and my heart ached. My friends from high school celebrated our 30th reunion, and I couldn't go. And then the kitchen sink started leaking.

Ever feel like your entire life needs a vitamin supplement?

To be honest, I was tired and cranky.

But then Jack came home from an extended out-of-town business trip. Preston came home for Fall Break. The sun shone brightly. The leaves turned awesome shades of red and gold. I made a new friend at church. Jack and I went for a long walk. I made pumpkin bread and two batches of cookies for Preston to take back to college with him. So many good things to enjoy.

Just look at that blue sky!

And I was reminded: there is no life devoid of grace. Even when I'm feeling tired and lethargic, the world is still full of God's goodness. Even when I don't have eyes to see, God still has goodness aplenty. He pours grace into my life day after day.

Do you have a story of God's grace to share? I'd love to hear it! This linky party is dedicated to celebrate the gifts, large and small, that God gives to us. (Click here if you'd like to read more about it.)

Spiritual Formation: Day 21

2011-10-21T10:46:00.004-04:00

If you put into practice the first two disciplines we've talked about, Solitude and Silence, is there anything you should DO during that quiet time alone?

Many Christians speak of having "quiet time." Often, they think of their "quiet time" as the time during which they do their Bible study or practice intercessory prayer. Both of those are very good things to do, but "furiously busy time" might be a better description of those sessions than "quiet time."

In this furiously busy, at times frantic world, meditation is just what our hearts need.

What is meditation? Simply put, meditation is contemplation or reflection. It is continued thought on one matter. Some Eastern religions are famous for their meditative practices, and rightly so. These folks have learned the value of quieting their minds and calming themselves. But Christian meditation does not stop with the idea of detachment from the world. Instead, Christian meditation is a tool for detaching from the confusion and noise of the world in order to attach fully and richly to God. Richard J. Foster writes, "Christian meditation leads us to the inner wholeness necessary to give ourselves to God freely" (Celebration of Discipline, p. 21).

Christian meditation is the practice of stepping away from the noisiness of our sometimes frantic world, calming our minds, and developing "the ability to hear God's voice and obey his word" (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, p. 17).

So how can we do that? Again, putting things very simply, we first choose to practice. Meditation may come quite naturally to some people. Those who have introverted personalities, for instance, or those with an artistic bent may find meditation a very easy discipline to practice. Those of us who are more extroverted or more action-oriented may find that we must force ourselves into a position of quiet calm. There's no magic way to meditate--you don't have to sit in a certain position, hold your hands any particular way, or have your eyes closed. You might meditate best sitting under a tree, gazing out at the beauty of creation. Or you might meditate best sitting in a chair with your hands in your lap.

Perhaps the most helpful thing I've found is to choose something upon which to meditate. For me, the very best thing is to meditate upon a passage of Scripture. Now, I don't mean to study a passage of scripture, although that's an excellent thing to do. I mean to allow a short passage to speak to you deeply. Remember, Scripture is the word of God, described as "living and active" (Hebrews 4:12). It's important to remember that God loves you passionately and completely, and allow his word to communicate that love to you. In the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ". . . just as you do not analyze the words of someone you love, but accept them as they are said to you, accept the Word of Scripture and ponder it in your heart, as Mary did. That is all. That is meditation" (The Way to Freedom, p. 59).

I'll give you a personal example of how meditation has helped me. For several years, my family has faced real struggles with health. My 14-year-old son had open-heart surgery in April 2008. Then in February 2009 my husband had open-heart surgery. And then in April 2011 my husband had to have a second open-heart surgery. Of course these surgeries took place right in the middle of our everyday, busy lives. At one point I was so stressed that I wished I could take a class in time management. There was so much to do, so many lists to be made and tasks to be carried out. How on earth was I ever going to get everything done?

Precisely at this time of frenetic activity, I was advised to spend time meditating on the psalms. At first I balked: how on earth was meditating on the psalms supposed to help me get through my to-do list? To be honest, I was frustrated at the very thought of it. But I submitted to the wisdom of my advisor, and I meditated on the third psalm. Let me tell you, friends: in the surgical waiting room, these words meant much more to me than any completed to-do list ever could have: "Thou, O Lord, are a shield about me; my glory, and the lifter of my head" (Psalm 3:3).

Again quoting Richard Foster: "What happens in meditation is that we create the emotional and spiritual space which allows Christ to construct an inner sanctuary in the heart." You see, Jesus is the master builder. We don't have to design or construct the sanctuary; he does that work for us. We only have to give him the space to work.

What about you? Is meditation something you've practiced? If so, how has it helped you?

This post is part of a 31-day series on spiritual formation. To see all posts in this series, click here. Or click here to see all the bloggers participating in the 31-day challenge!

Spiritual Formation: Day 20

2011-10-20T10:18:00.002-04:00

The next spiritual discipline or soul-training exercise I'd like for us to consider is meditation.

But today I'm not feeling up to writing. I feel empty myself. So I'll just share with you this passage; perhaps meditating upon it will bless both you and me today.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Spiritual Formation, Day 19

2011-10-19T15:49:00.003-04:00

Closely related to the discipline of solitude that we talked about yesterday is a practice that is so linked to solitude that it's not usually listed as a separate discipline. Yet it's one of utmost importance, so I'm dedicating a post to it.

Silence.

Oh, mercy. I was on a retreat once and our group's director decided that we would all observe three hours of silence one morning. Now, some folks had signed up for a "silent track" at this retreat; they wanted to be silent. Kind of like monks, you know. Guess who had not signed up for a silent retreat? Guess who struggled the most with those three hours?

Yes, that was me.

I love to talk. That's one of the reasons I like blogging so much--it's like talking to people all over the world. And I love to listen to people talk. People are so interesting! I love to hear their stories and learn all about them. It's fascinating!

But with all the talking and all the listening and all the general noise in my life, guess whose voice I have trouble hearing sometimes?

Yes, indeed. That would be God's.

Richard Foster writes, "Jesus Christ is alive and here to teach his people himself. His voice is not hard to hear; his vocabulary is not difficult to understand. But learning to listen well and to hear correctly is no small task" (Sanctuary of the Soul, p. 9).

Why do we not hear God's voice more clearly? I think it's mostly because we're not usually listening. We're talking. We're filling all available space with our own needs and desires and interests. We're busy, for crying out loud. And the result is that we don't give God a chance to get a word in edgewise.

I think perhaps we keep up a steady stream of noise because we have some ideas about God that are not true. We're afraid to listen for his voice, because we don't trust that what he has to say will be good for us.

One of the great benefits of practicing silence and listening for God's voice is that, when we hear it, we'll be amazed at the goodness in it. Richard Foster also writes, "The quality of God's voice is one of drawing and encouraging. The spirit in God's voice is all grace and mercy. And the content of what is being said is always consistent with what God has said before--we have a huge biblical witness upon which to test our leadings" (Sanctuary of the Soul, p. 11).

More than anything else, practicing silence has demonstrated to me that God is completely trustworthy. His voice, whether speaking through the written word of the Bible, the spoken word of a good teacher, or directly to my heart, is always one of goodness. Furthermore, keeping silence has sometimes deprived me of being able to speak up for myself. I tend to jump at the chance to defend and justify myself. When I practice silence, I have to trust God to protect me--and I learn that he is trustworthy in this way, too.

Solitude and silence--what do you think of them? Do you practice them? If so, have these practices helped you? Please share!

This post is part of a 31-day series on spiritual formation. To see all posts in this series, click here. Or click here to see all the bloggers participating in the 31-day challenge!

Spiritual Formation, Day 18

2011-10-18T16:00:00.003-04:00

We've been talking about spiritual formation for awhile now. With this groundwork laid, we'll turn to discussing the spiritual disciplines, or soul-training exercises, we can do.

So often we wish we could be more like Jesus and we even try to be more like Jesus, but we neglect to do the kinds of things that Jesus did.

Once again, let's remember: Jesus was the smartest man who ever lived. Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).

So what did Jesus do? Is there anything Jesus did that we can do as well?

In a word, yes.

We don't know everything there is to know about Jesus's life on earth. But we do know some things. If we give Jesus his due, we'll consider that he lived his life on earth just as he meant to do. He could have chosen any time, any place, any situation for his time on earth. He lived his life as a man on purpose--both to give his life as a ransom for us and to live his life as an example for us. He is our Savior and our Teacher.

So in the next few days we'll be talking about some things that Jesus did as he lived his life here on earth. We'll also talk about some habits that Jesus-followers down through the centuries have found helpful.

To begin with, let's look at a practice that Jesus practiced often:

Solitude.

Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? But even a quick look at the gospels will show that Jesus often "withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Luke 5:16). I think perhaps it is easy for us to focus on what Jesus did when he retreated from the crowds and overlook the important fact that he sought solitude.

Of course, Jesus was not completely alone during these times of solitude, and that is precisely the point: he withdrew from the company of other people so that he could commune freely with his Father. The discipline of solitude is not valuable just because it gives us a break from being around other people (although that's sometimes very helpful!). It's valuable because it gives us freedom to be only with God--and what riches await when we clear our minds to focus only on him!

You may be at a stage of life when solitude sounds like a unimaginable luxury. I can remember times when my children were small that I felt like I had no time to myself at all. If I'm honest, though, I'll admit that there were times when the kids were asleep or safely occupied in an activity that didn't require my presence every minute. Perhaps the same is true for you. Of course, it's tempting to fill every such moment with activity--to do a project, catch up on a chore, call a friend, read some blogs, or whatever. Those activities are all good, of course. But your soul needs some space to breathe, and that's best found in solitude.

I invite you to see what you might gain from taking some time to be alone with God. I know you have a long list of things to do and places to go. I know you may feel as if you can't possibly afford to spend time being still. But I urge you to try it, even if it's for just a few minutes. Remember the words of the psalmist: "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). Leave your to-do list and quiet your heart. Be still and know--for he IS God, and he will be so glad to spend time alone with you.

This post is part of a 31-day series on spiritual formation. To see all posts in this series, click here. Or click here to see all the bloggers participating in the 31-day challenge!

Super-easy fall vase

2011-10-17T17:34:00.007-04:00

The other day I wanted to take some flowers to a friend, so I came up with a super-easy and attractive vase to hold the blooms.

Here's how to make your own out of these humble materials:

1. Measure the height and circumference of your jar. Cut a piece of burlap the width of your jar's height and a little longer than your jar's circumference. Mine was 6 inches tall and 11 inches around, so I cut a 6" x 12" piece of burlap.

2. Holding the burlap very straight, hot-glue the edge of the burlap to the side of the jar. Be careful! Hot glue will bleed straight through burlap, so you need to be extra careful not to burn your fingers.

3. Hold the burlap tight against the side of the jar and wrap all the way around. Turn the side of the burlap under to create a neat seam and hot-glue the burlap in place.

4. If you like, add a raffia bow or another embellishment.

5. Cut off the stems of your flowers so that just the blooms show above the top of the vase. Fill the jar with water, add a few drops of bleach to keep the flowers fresh longer, and place the flowers in their cool container.

This quick project cost me nothing but a little time and I think it was a real day-brightener for my friend!

**I'm joining these parties:

Grace Imparted

2011-10-17T08:28:00.004-04:00

As I've written these posts on spiritual formation, I've joked with myself that I could have called this series "How to Fail at Blogging" or "31 Days of How to Kill Your Blog."

After all, just because I want to talk about spiritual formation doesn't mean that anyone wants to listen to it. I know this. I've always known that my posts about faith don't generate as much traffic as my posts about homemaking or decorating. Still, I felt called to write this series, so I forged ahead.

Until last week, when I was just about ready to give up. I was just about to tweet something like "Anyone else wish they hadn't done a 31-day series?" when I received a letter.

A reader wrote to say "I've been following your blog for awhile now, and am especially blessed by your 31 Days of Spiritual Formation." She went on to explain that she's going through a really tough time right now, and these posts have been very helpful to her.

Whoa! Did God know that I needed a bit of encouragement right then?

Of course he did. Just as he always knows what we need, and he always provides. It's his grace imparted to us.

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

I'm glad that this series on Spiritual Formation is punctuated each week by a time to stop and celebrate God's gifts. Do you have a story to share? Big or small, every good gift comes from his hand. I'd love to hear about it!

Spiritual Formation: Day 15

2011-10-16T14:54:00.007-04:00

It bears repeating: spiritual disciplines or soul-training exercises are a means to an end. Our goal is to become like Jesus, not to be good at exercises.

It would be very difficult to talk about the spiritual disciplines without referring to one of the best and most comprehensive books ever written on the subject. Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster was first published in 1978, and it remains a most trustworthy guide to understanding and practicing the disciplines.

Before we talk about specific exercises, we need to consider what Richard writes in the first chapter of Celebration of Discipline. He calls the disciplines the "door to liberation." Read these words of his, as fresh today as when they were first penned.

Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.

The classical disciplines of the spiritual life call us to move beyond surface living into the depths. They invite us to explore the inner caverns of the spiritual realm. They urge us to be the answer to a hollow world. John Woolman counsels, "It is good for thee to dwell deep, that thou mayest feel and understand the spirits of people (The Journal of John Woolman, Citadel Press, 1972).

We must not be led to believe that the disciplines are only for spiritual giants and hence beyond our reach, or only for contemplatives who devote all their time to prayer and meditation. Far from it. . .

Nor should we think of the spiritual disciplines as some dull drudgery aimed at exterminating laughter from the face of the earth. Joy is the keynote of all the disciplines. The purpose of the disciplines is liberation from the stifling slavery to self-interest and fear.

Freedom from the slavery of self-interest and fear? That sounds like a good state of affairs to me. But trying to attain that freedom through our own efforts is doomed to fail. Listen again to Richard:

When we despair of gaining inner transformation through human powers of will and determination, we are open to a wonderful new realization: inner righteousness is a gift from God to be graciously received. The needed change within us is God's work, not ours. The demand is for an inside job, and only God can work from the inside. We cannot attain or earn this righteousness of the kingdom of God: it is a grace that is given. . . God has given us the disciplines of the spiritual life as a means of receiving his grace.

The apostle Paul says, "He who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life" (Galatians 6:8). Paul's analogy is instructive. A farmer is helpless to grow grain; all he can do is provide the right conditions for the growing of grain. He cultivates the ground, he plants the seed, he waters the plants, and then the natural forces of the earth take over and up comes the grain. That is the way it is with the spiritual disciplines--they are a way of sowing to the Spirit. The disciplines are God's way of getting us into the ground; they put us where he can work within us and transform us. . . They are God's means of grace.

**There's something important I want to say here about the authors I'm quoting in this series. As you know, we learn about Jesus mostly from reading the Bible. Christians throughout the history of the church have done the same thing, and many of them have developed rich insights into the life of Christ. So from our 21st century vantage point we have both the Bible (always our primary guide) as well as the writings of Christians throughout the centuries. We are blessed to have such a wealth of material at our disposal!

I would recommend one test for any materials that you might use to guide you in your walk. Since our desire is to become like Jesus, I would recommend materials written by people who have walked that path--not people who are concerned simply with studying Jesus or even mimicking his actions. We want our hearts to be changed, and our best guides are those who have experienced or are experiencing that kind of heart-change in their own lives. The authors I'll recommend in this series are all people who are deeply committed to Jesus.**

This post is part of a 31-day series on spiritual formation. To see all posts in this series, click here. Or click here to see all the bloggers participating in the 31-day challenge!

Spiritual Formation, Day 14

2011-10-15T14:35:00.005-04:00

Now we move into talking about soul-training exercises, or spiritual disciplines. The best definition of spiritual disciplines I've ever heard comes from Dallas Willard: "A discipline is an activity within our power--something we CAN do--which brings us to a point where we can do what we at present CANNOT do by direct effort."

Did you get that? A discipline is something we can do right now, using our bodies, minds, and hearts in their present state, that will eventually enable us to do something that we cannot currently do.

This obliging creature landed right on my front door, as if it wanted to have its picture taken!

As we think about this, I want be sure that we understand a couple of things.

#1. The soul-training exercises, or spiritual disciplines, are not the point in and of themselves. They are the things that we can do so that eventually we will be able to do what we cannot currently do by direct effort. Here's an example: A coach might have basketball players run laps. Every day, they may run a lot of laps. But the point is not for the players to become good lap-runners. No, the coach wants the athletes to become good players, and he understands that part of being a good player is having the cardiovascular fitness and stamina to last through a game. He can't wave a magic wand and give his players stamina instantaneously, but he knows that they will develop stamina if they'll do what he says. So he prescribes the lap-running. The players might not like the lap-running, but they trust that the coach knows what he's doing, and they know that if they'll obey his instructions they can become good players. If all the athletes ever did was to become good lap-runners, they would have missed the point. Similarly, if we practice spiritual disciplines as if practicing the disciplines were the point, we might become good practitioners--but we want more than that. The point is for us to become Christlike. The disciplines are a means to that end.

#2. While the disciplines are not themselves the point, they are indeed things that we can do in order to become more like Christ. We cannot change our own hearts. That is the work of God. But we can do some things to put ourselves in the right position for being changed. Consider the caterpillar: it doesn't become a butterfly because it wishes it were a butterfly. And it doesn't change itself into a butterfly. It does, however, do what it CAN do--form a chrysalis--so that it's in the position for the metamorphosis to take place. The caterpillar might really, really want to be a butterfly, and it might wish that it could become a butterfly instantaneously. But that's not how it works. The metamorphosis is God's work, and it doesn't happen until the caterpillar submits to the process of change. Now, we're more complicated than caterpillars, but the same principle is true for us. We don't just wish we were Christlike and expect God to change us instantaneously. There are tried and true things that we can do so that we're living a life open to God's work in us, and that is what we'll discuss next.

Questions? Comments? I love to hear from you!

This post is part of a 31-day series on spiritual formation. To see all posts in this series, click here. Or click here to see all the bloggers participating in the 31-day challenge!

Spiritual Formation, Day 13

2011-10-13T16:17:00.004-04:00

Jesus is our Savior, Lord, and Teacher. He was the smartest man who ever lived.

So how DID he live? Can we live as he lived? That seems to be the question.

Perhaps, though, the real question is not whether we CAN live as he lived, but whether we WILL live as he lived.

My need is to consider how Jesus would live my life if He were I. Your need is to consider how Jesus would live your life if he were you. If we are truly interested in becoming apprentices to Jesus, we need to honestly consider the habits and patterns of our lives in relation to the way Jesus lived--and be willing to eliminate the things in our lives that prevent us from living as he did.

I wonder what those things might be?

Just to spur your imagination, I'd like to suggest that you watch the following video. I'll bet you remember this scene from Walt Disney's classic film Mary Poppins. Remember how Michael wanted to spend his tuppence to feed the birds, but his father wanted him to put that money in the bank? The movie was filled with lessons about how some things are more important than money in the bank, a prestigious job, a beautiful house, or political causes. Feeding the birds was symbolic of all the joys of life that can be missed by someone whose mind is filled with material things--even good material things.

Watch this video, and see if you can imagine yourself feeding the birds. Whether you have the money for the bird food is probably not an issue. But could you take the time to do it? Could you "waste" some time doing something as simple and sweet as feeding birds with children? Or are you too busy?

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,

for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14).

**What do you think?**

This post is part of a 31-day series on spiritual formation. To see all posts in this series, click here. Or click here to see all the bloggers participating in the 31-day challenge!

Spiritual Formation, Day 12

2011-10-12T16:01:00.005-04:00

As we consider Jesus to be not only our Savior and our Lord but also our Teacher, we need to realize that Jesus knew what he was talking about.

Let that sink in for a moment. We can learn how to live from the person who knows best. He came to earth and lived down here as one of us.

I want to share with you some words of Dallas Willard's. Dallas has made this point so well that I can't possibly improve upon his words, and I think they're worthy of your consideration. So here they are. I do hope you'll read them.

Our commitment to Jesus can stand on no other foundation than a recognition that he is the one who knows the truth about our lives and our universe. It is not possible to trust Jesus, or anyone else, in matters where we do not believe him to be competent. We cannot pray for help and rely on his collaboration in dealing with real-life matters we suspect might defeat his knowledge or abilities.
And can we seriously imagine that Jesus could be Lord if he were not smart? If he were divine, would he be dumb? Or uninformed? Once you stop to think about it, how could he be what we take him to be in all other respects and not be the best-informed and most intelligent person of all, the smartest person who ever lived (emphasis mine)?
That is exactly how his earliest apprentices in kingdom living thought of him. He was not regarded as, perhaps, a magician, who only knew "the right words" to get results without understanding or who could effectively manipulate appearances. Rather, he was accepted as the ultimate scientist, craftsman, and artist.
The biblical and continuing vision of Jesus was of one who made all of created reality and kept it working, literally "holding it together" (Colossians 1:17). And today we think people are smart who can make light bulbs and computer chips and rockets out of "stuff" already provided. He made "the stuff"!
Small wonder, then, that the first Christians thought he held within himself "all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). This confidence in his intellectual greatness is the basis of the radicalism of Christ-following in relation to the human order. It sees Jesus now living beyond death as "the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. . .the first and the last, the living One," the one who can say "I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more, the master of death and the world of the dead" (Revelation 1:5, 18).
The Divine Conspiracy, p. 94

**Have you ever thought about Jesus as the smartest person who ever lived?**

This post is part of a 31-day series on spiritual formation. To see all posts in this series, click here. Or click here to see all the bloggers participating in the 31-day challenge!

Baby showers don't have to be pink

2011-10-11T15:38:00.010-04:00

**I'm writing a series called 31 Days of Spiritual Formation. (Click here to see those posts.)

Today I'm sneaking in an extra post just to share some fun.**

This weekend I had the chance to host a baby shower for my dear friend Rachel. She's expecting her first baby, a little girl, in November.

I love baby showers, and I was delighted to host this one. I've been out of town a lot lately, though, so my co-hostesses and I devised a plan: I would provide the house, the shower decorations, and the paper products. They would do everything else. These were some awesome co-hostesses!

I was excited about decorating for the shower, but I had trouble deciding what to do. Somehow all those cute little napkins with rattles and stuffed animals on them just didn't seem right. Maybe because it's autumn. . . maybe because Rachel is not a frou-frou or cutesy kind of girl. Her principal nursery color is marigold, so I wanted to use that somehow. To be honest, I was stumped for awhile. I went to five different stores looking for inspiration. Finally, a helpful saleslady said, "Why don't you just go with something that matches your house?"

Yes.

I spread a cloth on the table and then layered on some wheat-colored burlap. I also swirled on some wheat-colored tulle for a little extra texture. Into the tulle I nestled some bird's nests--I didn't realize I owned so many!

In the largest nest I placed a single pink egg to symbolize Rachel's baby girl. Now then. That's some pink. Even though the shower took place during the day, I added some little candles just for sparkle and fun.

The large flower arrangement I created myself using grocery-store flowers (see this post for an outline of how I arrange flowers). Since Rachel's color is marigold, I added lots of goldenrod to the arrangement. I found the goldenrod growing by the side of the road, so I just cut a bunch and tucked it in with the other the flowers.

Now, just to prove that it really was a baby shower:

The sunshine was awfully bright that afternoon; sorry for the glare. That's the darling honoree sitting in front of the windows in the striped dress. It took her quite awhile to open all those presents!

There you have it. Proof positive that it doesn't have to be pink (or perfect) to be beautiful.

I'm joining these fun parties: