CHOOSE: SEASONAL CONTENTMENT

Sitting at the breakfast table looking out at the patio it would be easy to bemoan the "leaf situation." That is,  if I were the resident"raker." 

But....I have never even turned on a leaf blower so my thoughts were more positive than hubby's who tries to calculate the number of leaves left on the trees against the meteorologist report for upcoming rain. Then he weighs all of that against the arrival of the first grands on Monday for Thanksgiving.

I, on the other hand, am grateful for the God-designed seasons (Genesis 1:14) and think about what fun those Texans will enjoy running through those leaves and hearing them crackle beneath their feet. And our little New Yorker will love them as well as there is ground beneath theses leaves and not asphalt an just throwing leaves in the air and watching the wind blow them can be fun.

This morning as I remembered  Genesis 8:22, " While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease,"  I was content to sit with a cinnamon stick in my cuppa and watch the leaves dance. In this season of my life, I'm thankful that the Lord has chosen for me to dwell in a part of the country that has a bit of all the seasons to enjoy. (Acts 17:26) 

That's my Friday choice----seasonal contentment with a leaf strewn view.

A TEXAS AUTUMN

Fall in Texas can greatly vary in temps but it NEVER varies in football. Football---a part of a Texan's DNA. In the Liles family it includes practices (lots) and games in BIG stadiums. Football is it's own season in the Lone Star State.

Certainly the glory of young men is their strength as Proverbs 20:29 states.----and I would add ENERGY!  

If injured, cast up, cover in bubble wrap and hit the field!

The conclusion of Proverbs 20:29 states that gray hair is the splendor of the old---a great reminder of how grateful I am (as I "cover up"my gray) to still be able to travel and spend time in Texas in the fall.

CAFETERIA LUNCH

Cafeteria Lunch from 10:30-1:00 today!

I know that phrase does not bring to mind "fine dining" or grand spiritual truths----at least, NOT for me!

But God....showed me my wrong thinking. These boys are a "crown to this aged woman" (Proverbs 17:6) who is "older than Pop-Pop!" "And a reminder that have no greater desire than to see His righteousness lived out in their lives. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and His righteousness with their children’s children" (Psalm 103:17, emphasis mine)

What a privilege to have one-on-one time with 3 "grands" on a stage in the midst of Olsen Elementary's busy cafeteria. 

How else would I have been able to learn his kindergarten teacher had taught 2 of his older brothers, or the music teacher's name, or that this was the first time Andrew had eaten "on the stage" ......

....or I would not have understood John Parker's "take" on God's power in all of weather and the chances of tornados developing out of "Matthew Hurricane" and sharing with him that usually one uses the word hurricane to precede the name because that really gets the listener's attention before one actually names the hurricane.......

.....or would I have noticed that Caleb's new cast was on a different arm, or measured the size of the sandwich concoction which he could stick in his mouth, or have learned that science was 5 times harder in 5th grade than it had been in 4th. 

So much more cafeteria info, some just between a grandboy and his grandmother!!!

Cafeteria lunch. A blessing indeed!

CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

A coaching son. 5 Spring Sports with "playing" grandsons.  

Soccer. (1) Baseball. (1)  Football. (2) Basketball. (3) The weekly schedule resembles an algorithm---I couldn't even begin to inter the data needed to implement said schedule to fit all 5 kids, all sports and factor in a dad who must arrive early to coach each one on different teams while holding down his "full-time" job.

Arrival times at practices and weekly games with Daddy coaching each one of them is a logistical nightmare to me----but....day by day, step by step and with a carpool here and there, they work it out.

This week the season was over for the final sport and "all" participants were winners even though only one made it to the playoff finals.

Completion made it a championship season. Winning or just learning----all were champions!

However, the 8th grade boys' Tiger team actually got the shirt to prove it with Coach Buddy (Daddy) smiling on!! (Oldest grandson, Nathan, front left)

A Love Transfer

Love isn't put in your heart to stay;

Love isn't love 'til you give it away. (Unknown)

Not sure when or where I learned that little ditty, but it was ringing in my heart this morning after Andrew, our rough and tumble 5 yr. old grandson, (ck out the bruised eye & band-aids) came sneaking up on me while I was having a "quiet time" on the patio.

Hiding something in his hand behind his back, we played a guessing game of sorts and he revealed he had found something special on his walk with PopPop.

Eventually, I gave up and he showed it to me announcing, "This is for you."

A treasure---just as he had said. A heart-shaped leaf.

God's gift of creation (Gen.2:9a) lovingly transferred through the grimy hands of a young boy.

Brown and a little crispy.....and I loved it! Of course I did.

Next week when we head for home, I won't leave my heart in Texas. 

I plan on taking it home with me, pressed between the pages of my journal.

SAD-urday

Pinkness came......in her pink tutu pajamas.....

....Pinkness.......captivated her cousins from the youngest to the oldest.....

......and all the ones in between.

Pinkness conquered....right down to her pink-tipped socks in the cousins' "good-by" picture.
Saying good-by to all these "grands" made this a real SAD-urday!

FORAGERS

Foodies search far and wide for the "best food." Brooklyn offers a plethora of restaurants, diners, food trucks, open air cafes and even grocery stores for said foodies. We found such a grocery store in DUMBO, (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) near Brooklyn Bridge Park, Foragers.

With the BEST house roast beef on ciabatta for Pop Pop and a baked bialy for Lucy, we had a bench picnic at the park before going to ride Jane's carousel.

With Josh and Megan as our guides, we have been foragers, searching all of Brooklyn for unique food. Seek and ye shall find---especially with a good guide. Fresh oysters with mignonette, blue crab rolls, lobster potato salad and the BEST EVER crabcakes served with pickled corn and arugula. YUM! All of that was just at one place, Brooklyn Crab, in the Red Hook area.

Believers are also foragers when they seek truth and are willing to search the entire word of God---wide and deep. (Proverbs 30:5-6)

One "kids" himself when he says he wants to "find" truth and yet does not bother to study the whole word of God. Not just picking and choosing out of context, making God's word say what one wants it to say. A pretense. Pretending he/she wants to be led to truth but not bothering to truly seek that guidance.

Spiritual fodder. Fodder for the soul. Feeding truth to one's innermost being. (John 17:17)

DONUT DAY

What a way to begin a day--- donuts with Lucy from Doughnut Plant in Brooklyn.

Oh my....so-o-o many choices.

Guess who chose chocolate!

A yummy way to begin our day!

Tea with Lucy

Here, there and everywhere. Tea with Lucy is a treat.

A new tea set for Lucy. Would you like a cup of tea with me? Sure!

 Pets are served too as I discovered when I went into Lucy's bedroom this morning. She must have had a tea party after hours.

Bitty Baby likes to be served tea as well.

Plus, we had "Teatime in the Tub?" When it's pretend, why not?

Even sipping from Shug's real tea is a tub treat!

WATER BUDDIES

Neighborhood pool provides a refreshing respite for John Parker and Andrew from those TEXAS TEMPS! (Which locals think aren't as HOT as some years) 

The 3 older boys were all at different Performance Course conditioning workouts. 

To me, that's brutal in this heat, but....that's what "sports" folks do in Texas. 

So.....tomorrow I'll once again choose to accompany my water buddies to the "cool" pool.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: ENJOYING THE DAY!

11/20/11

GRANOLA....left at my backdoor......now, I can share with family without making it....I love Aunt Marge's recipe.....what a gift......from JoLynn, who would never "overtoasts" anything she cooks!
WHAT A GREAT WAY TO START MY DAY!

SUNDAY TREAT---eating out at Formosa.....Fun & somewhat ironic fortune cookie comment for one who lives in a modify mode---Today alone I'm already to Plan Q----meaning I've quit even trying to plan---just trusting Him to cover all my preparation bases.

PTL for an audio cord----now all 13 versions of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" can ring out from my iPod through my car radio, much to my delight.

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER FOR THE NEXT 6 NIGHTS????

Pillow prizes (animal flashlights) for all who will "dwell" here this week.