Autumn ..Warm Memories..Aglow

This photo was taken a year ago in the home of Texas friends. They have many guests in their home and we were blessed to be able to stay with them more than once last year. They shine with hospitality much like this glowing candle captured one evening in their home.!

Today, we are enjoying the warmth and beauty of a blazing fire on a quiet Sunday afternoon with family, good books, and hot chocolate ( homemade marshmallow atop). 

Both thoughts, past and present, are shining pleasures this autumn season. 

Fall At Our Place

 This is a picture taken in October at our place in mid-western MN. The leaves are on the ground and the produce has been taken in for the year.  The goats are producing very well and we are looking forward to the advancing season of less daylight with cold temperatures and white sparkly snow!

There is a light dusting of snow mixed in with the fallen leaves in this photo of the morning sun shining on our  pump house "hill".  It is a quaint little building standing like a sentinel over our place.

*Sentinel - [French sentinelle, from Italian sentinella, probably from Old Italian sentina, vigilance, from sentire, to watch, from Latin sentre, to feel; see sent- in Indo-European roots.]

Thanksgiving All Year Long

“Christian thanksgiving is the life of Christ in the heart —  transforming the disposition and the whole character.

Thanksgiving must be wrought into the life as a habit—before it can become a fixed and permanent quality.

An occasional burst of praise, in the midst of years of complaining, is not what is required. Songs on rare, sunshiny days; and no songs when skies are cloudy—will not make a life of gratitude. The heart must learn to sing always.

This lesson is learned only when it becomes a habit which nothing can weaken. We must persist in being thankful.

When we can see no reason for praise—we must believe in the divine love and goodness, and sing in the darkness.

Thanksgiving has attained its rightful place in us, only when it is part of all our days and dominates all our experiences.”

J. R. Miller, 1912

Fragile Humility

"Humility is timid. Write about it, talk about it, and it flees."  
                                                                        -Ann Voskamp

A Trip ...

Can you find at least one hint in either of these pictures 

 of our destination state?

Fall

 Walking down our driveway with the little dogs.

 Some leaves near the house in the early morning light.

Later in the day...

We have many trees around our home and therefore many leaves to rake. We have enjoyed the pleasant fall weather the Lord has given us this year.