A Sleepover at Nana's House

Good morning! It is 6:45 AM and here is one of the 3 reasons I named my blog Nana's House: Maya spent the night at our house, so that I could watch her this morning while her Mommy, Daddy and Grandpa got up early and went shopping on Black Friday! (A very wild and crazy thing to do, I think!)
The pictures turned out blurry, partially because Maya was moving and partially because I was blurry from waking up at 3AM and not going back to sleep. (not Maya's doing; I have a nasty cold) I hope they bring me a vanilla decaf (yes, I know, decaf) latte when they come home! Maya is quite cheerful in the morning and was ready to have her milk and catch Curious George on PBS so that I could cuddle with her. (She is 19 months old and catching some cuddle time requires a little tv; I do not apologize!!) As for the other 2 reasons I named the blog Nana's House, they (Jack and Eli) live in Minneapolis and, God willing, they will be coming to Nana's (and Grandpa's) House for Christmas, where they will stay at Camp Nanapapa for a week of unapologetic spoiling!

Giving Thanks

In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Every Thanksgiving, my son-in-law John would talk us into watching the movie, Planes, Trains and Automobiles; not my favorite movie, as John knows, but it was more about tradition than the movie. They live in Minneapolis now, so I haven't had to watch it for a few years, but last week I experienced my own, real-life journey via planes, trains and automobiles; I was blessed to be able to fly to Minneapolis for our grandson Jack's 6th birthday, take the train to Wisconsin to visit my mom, sister and brother-in-law, and then return by train to MN to spend more time with our daughter Erin, son-in-law John, Jack and Eli. I flew home to MT on Saturday. Whew! It was a wonderful trip, and I am so thankful that my dear husband Lauren encouraged me to go, even though he needed to remain at home for his job.
Here are a few pictures of our Minnesota family and my Wisconsin mom and sister:
Jack and his Aunt Anne, who made his treasure cake for his pirate birthday party with his friends...
Eli and his new friend, Snickerdoodle, the Golden Retriever puppy from IKEA...

My mother, Doris, and my sister, Karilyn, at Karilyn's home in Wisconsin...
Erin and Eli at the park near their home...


I am so very thankful for my family, near and far. My husband and I have so very much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We are grateful for all the Lord has provided for us and we trust in His promises and bask in His love. Happy Thanksgiving!

Honor and Honor Flights for Our Nation's Veterans

Today is Veterans Day, and I want to pay tribute to my father-in-law, Lawrence, who served in the Army during World War II. Recently, he had the privilege of going to Washington D.C. through Honor Flight Network, an organization that provides transportation and tours for World War II veterans of the war memorials in our nation's capital. Lawrence took his very first airplane ride early in the morning that day, with a total of 350 veterans on board. They arrived in Washington D.C., toured the memorials and flew back home, all in 1 day, a day that will be full of memories for this Iowa father of 4, grandpa of 8 and great grandpa of 13. Today, he did what he has done for many, many years, visiting a few area schools to share with the students what Veterans Day stands for, and I am sure all over America the same scene took place, along with Veterans Day observances with speeches and prayers for those who served our country.
Today, we thank and honor living veterans who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime.

Waiting

Lucy, our Golden Retriever, loves to watch out our livingroom window at the goings-on outside when she cannot go out to explore it all. We can all relate at sometime or another to this waiting; waiting and watching for a loved one to come home, waiting for a baby to arrive, waiting for a phone call or an answer to prayer...we wait and we wonder why the wait seems to take so long.
A few years ago, I came upon this wonderful little book, a poem actually, written by Russell Kelfer. The description of this book is found on the back, as follows:
Every once in a while, a rare poetic treasure emerges and speaks to us in a profound and meaningful way...the kind of piece you keep close by to share its gentle wisdom. For more than 20 years, Russell Kelfer's inspirational poem, Wait, has ministered to countless individuals, yet the author's identity was always unknown until now. Russell Kelfer speaks to our human desire to hear God's plan for our life and our subsequent frustration when we feel we are met with His silence. What we often hear as God's "no", however, is God's "wait". "Wait...for My timing. Wait for Me to work in you. Wait while you learn to trust Me."
This wonderful poem has circulated the Internet, with the author listed as "unknown". But Marianne Richmond found the poem and contacted the late Mr. Kelfer's wife, Martha Williams Kelfer, for permission to create this "poetic treasure". It is a short, simple message that shares the heart of God, and how, when He asks us to wait, we in turn come to know Him so much better, so much sweeter, even in our times of pain and sorrow.
So, Dear Readers, if you are waiting for an answer to prayer, take a moment to read this poem, and if you know someone who is waiting, share this poem and this lovely book with them. You will be blessed and so will God.

Wait
by Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate . . .
And the Master so gently said, "Wait."

"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.

"You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply."

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting for what?"

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine . . .
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence are all you can see.

"You'd never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

"The glow of my comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you.

"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still . . . Wait."

© 1980 Russell Kelfer. All rights reserved.

The Breath of God

As I have been working on our computer this morning, it would seem that it is just about on its last breath, wheezing and groaning and moving very slow. I am trying to back up our files just in case it dies one of these days. Even though it is only 4 years old, in computer years this is apparently ancient. We have done what we could to prolong its life, adding memory, a new battery, etc, but it seems to be on the way out. I am hoping it lasts awhile longer, as getting a new computer involves so much - money, time adjusting to a new computer and probably a new program.

Thankfully, God isn't like that. His word is alive and will live forever. "For the Word of God is living and active." Hebrews 4:12 The Word also tells us that, "All scripture is God-breathed..." As Beth Moore writes in "Voices of the Faithful", "...we might say that every breath comes to us still warm from the mouth of God. As if He just said it." Imagine this! I get very excited thinking about this, and even more so every time I read in the first chapter of the Book of John: "In the beginning was the Word, (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning."..."The Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1, 2 and 14)

I have long admired Ruth Graham, who went home to Jesus in 2007. A poem she wrote expresses the very nature of God, unchanging and eternal:

Unchanged
A poem by Ruth Bell Graham


Above the clouds
thick, boiling, low,
appear the peaks
she came to know
as Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost.
Often when she
sought them most,
they would be hid,
in clouds, from view.

Distraught by cares,
she always knew,
silent, unseen,
they still were there
like God Himself—
unchanged, serene;
and knowing this,
she gathered strength
for each day’s journey
—length by length.

It is very windy outside today; the leaves are blowing every which way in the street, and dust hides the mountains in the distance. But they are there, just as Ruth Bell wrote about the peaks in this poem. God Himself is always there, unchanging, and His Word is the one thing in this ever-changing world that is constant. Each time we read His Word, God speaks to us, His words "still warm...as if He just said it."

Handmade gifts web sites to check out

I must admit, I love the idea of handmade gifts, but I do not really have the "gift" of making gifts as much as I would like. But, alas, all is not lost; there are some great web sites to check out that have wonderful handmade gifts. Here are two sites to check out:
www.etsy.com
www.buyhandmade.org
(Click on the I Took The Handmade Pledge button to connect and check more out.)

Etsy is such a fun place to browse and the few things I have gotten from there have been very well made. There are also wonderful vintage finds to buy; I bought a vintage serving tray for a very reasonable price and it came just as it was described.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

For any of you who may have looked at this blog recently, I apologize for the many background changes I have made, but just when I think I like one, it seems too busy for me and I try another. I intend to keep this one through Thanksgiving. If you know me very well, you know that I tend to like things quiet and that apparently goes with my blog backgrounds!

I love the music addition, but if it drives you crazy, just mute it! It's fun to discover all of the things that can be added to a blog to share a little of what I like, and music is definitely one of them, although like everything else, I usually like it quiet. Sometimes I do like to crank it up though!

I love fall, and even though an early cold snap wiped out all of our fall colors and most of the leaves dropped green, it is still my favorite season. (If you have any photos of the fall colors around your area, please email them to me so that I can see what you saw this year!) I love looking for new recipes to try for fall comfort foods, and now I am on the hunt for Thanksgiving feast goodies. Tonight I made a potato gratin that I love, because it has sweet potatoes and Yukon golds.Here's the recipe along with another one for Apple Popovers:
Two-potato Gratin:Recipe: Two-potato gratin
Apple Popovers: Katie Brown - Where's Katie

I think I'll try making Butternut Squash Soup next!