During this 31-day challenge, I will commit to pushing myself beyond my first initial thoughts of my capabilities.  I will dive in and strive to dig deep within myself for content worth your time.  I will value you.  I will also value my need for reflection, inward contentment, and to just be.  This is the part of the challenge that perhaps will grow me the most.  I will commit to being still before the Lord.  As I do this, I would like to challenge you over the next 31 days to do the same, just be.  Make time for Him, make time for you, and make time for your soul. 

Be quiet.

Be calm.

Be thankful.

Remind yourself of His everlasting covenant. 

Sundays will consist of just that during this challenge, me making room to SELAH. 

SELAH.

Pause.

Consider the weight and value of His Word.

Sundays you will find me, sitting curled in my imperfect chair wrapped in a blanket of warmth reflecting on His perfect Words of life.  I will let each letter, each word pour over the pages of my heart, I will carefully and quietly ask Him to pierce through dark shadows casting over my heart with the way of life.  I would encourage you to do the same as well pause, listen, sit quietly before the Lord, give thanks, and just be.

“O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name, and make known

His doings among the peoples.”

1 Chronicles 16:8

His words hang on my kitchen wall; 

guiding this wandering heart back to the simple truth of what we are created for.

Do you have a wandering heart you to have to wrangle back in?  How do you make time to replenish your soul?  Do you believe making time for quiet can help infuse you with life everlasting?

Shop ahead, we are a week out and NO it is not to late to hit the stores, if you are not able to go early then my mother-in-love and I usually shop late at night.

Clean out your fridge ahead of time.  However, if you still don’t have room for all those leftovers, if the temperature is right outside you can open the door to the garage and place them in the garage.

Cut through the clutter and make copies of recipes or print them out from the Web.

•  Tape them to cabinets at eye level. (This will save precious counter space, too.)

•  You can also use a magnet and stick them to the hood above the range.

•  Slip the recipe sheets into plastic sleeves and file them in a binder so they’ll be ready next year. (http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-cooking-problems-solved/menu-problem)

Get conversation started with family members you only see once or twice a year by playing one of my family’s all time favorite games.  “Highs and Lows”.  One person starts the game with their high of the year, month, week, or day.  The same person then shares a low.  This game is a great conversation starter and a way to give thanks; even in the lows of life there are still highs to find and give thanks for.

I also included an easy link to my Pinterest Board on the right side bar for more Thanksgiving ideas, tips, free printables, and crafts for one of my favorite times of year.  

As you prepare for this busy time of year, I pray you remember to quiet your heart and give thanks for the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ.  He is our only Hope.  He is the strength our weary hearts desperately need during this exhausting time of year.

While others are celebrating, there are still some mourning and finding a new normal and way of doing life without friends and family.  Many are broken and alone.  Let us not forget we can be the Hope for so many this time of year.  Sharing a smile, prayer, kind word, or warm hug.  I challenge you to look for someone who needs Hope, and share your story of How His Hope change your life. 
Photo Attribution: All photos taken by Katie Kowalski.  


What about you guys what are some family traditions, games, movies, or just fun tips and tricks you pull out for Thanksgiving?

Today I found out a few things about this not so always lovely self.  I heart traditions! My heart was broken; shattered into tiny little pieces when I found out Wednesday night the ONLY pumpkin patch in town was now closed to the public! WHAT!? How could this be?  We planned this weekend for an entire month. The first weekend in November!  How were we to late?  We took our oldest last year.  We were taking our youngest this year for his very FIRST, pumpkin patch, hayride, and complete farm day experience.  The two of them together! Nope the farm is now closed to the public and only open for private parties until they re-open for Christmas events.  I was so sure they ran the pumpkin patch through the entire month of November.  BOY was I wrong.

Knowing my oldest would be just as heart broken he said, “It’s ok mom, we can go to the Zoo Farm and see all the zoo animals.”   So on to plan B.  Our Zoo in Memphis is amazing.  We love the Zoo.  An entire section of the zoo is like walking into a real farm.  With a train ride and everything this would not be the same but would suffice.  We can still take the boys pictures, ride the train, and create a NEW family fall tradition. 

His little big voice full of excitement burst into my room this morning, “MOM wake up, we’re going to the zoo today!”  Up, Up, and away.  Starting a little slower than usual from a late night Hallmark Christmas movie and a three thirty nursing session this morning I arose.  “Where is it?, “What?, replied my husband.  “J’s fall pumpkin onesie he wore on his first pumpkin patch extravaganza?”  I tore the house apart looking for my oldest son’s pumpkin patch outfit for our youngest to wear today.  Remember I heart traditions and I was franticly trying to salvage some piece of family tradition today. NOPE.  I couldn’t find the out fit.  Looked through five boxes of clothes and nowhere to be found. 

Now running late, with tears in my eyes I get myself dressed, trying to hold myself together and enjoy our family day with the boys.  I changed my own outfit at least three times.  Out the door we go, after waiting fifteen minutes in the drive thru line at McDonald’s for a breakfast burrito for J THEY ARE SOLD OUT! Are you kidding me, never mind that is all he will eat there.  So we leave and go to my FAVE Chick-fil-a.  Now we are ready nothing else can possibly go wrong. 

TRAIN RIDE, fall family day at the Zoo Farm here we come! NOPE.  The sign reads as walking up…. “Tram Rides, Train Rides, and Carousel CLOSED for the season.”  WHAT?  Is it January people!! How, Why is everything fall related closed in the middle of FALL!

We continue on and have a wonderful time.  I learned some things today, I heart traditions, but traditions are not what make us.  Our days together as a family, together with HIM this is what makes us!  I cannot always REMAKE memories.  I am not the mom who has her boys matching to a “T”.  My hair wasn’t fixed curled and ready for family pictures.  I ransacked my house striving to re-make a memory from the past.  I wear sparkly pearl earrings with flannel because I like the way they do not go together.  (Look for a post on “Pearl’s and Flannel” in the coming week!) I’m not at all well put together.  I am not even sure I put deodorant on today in the frenzy of it all.  Good thing, it was only 54 degrees.

The Lord taught me, I can wish for the days of old, the past or STAND in the present, day of GLORY.  I can STRIVE to re-make memories, re-create events of the past or when my plans fall through FALL into the PLANS He laid out for us from the beginning of time.  While no we were not at the pumpkin patch, His Glory was ALL around.  His presence is all that MATTERS.  He is with us.  We laughed as a family, explored all the creation around us, and made new family memories. 

I want to teach, lead my sons in the way of the Spirit in all we do.  The only way to this effectively is to lead in the present, not the shadows of the past.  Yesterday is gone and today is all we have.  Let us live by the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit.  Give thanks for today.