this morning i read this verse, “sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”, written by the apostle paul as he sat in prison. i do believe it’s possible to experience peace and joy no matter your circumstances. although the past few years have been relatively calm for me, i do know what it is to go through extreme personal challenges with God’s peace. for me, if i don’t have God’s peace, nothing on this earth will make me happy….not success in a career, a beautiful home, not even a healthy, together family….something would be missing. i have to have God’s peace. it is my stability, my balance, the key to my happiness. and without peace, true joy is impossible for me. peace and joy are inseparable. i think it all starts with a grateful, humble heart, directly submitted to the Lord. billy graham said this: “ask God to open your eyes to all the blessings He has bestowed on you and to give you a fresh spirit of gratitude-not just in this season, but always”. i just love billy graham. today, i want to go forward with a fresh spirit of gratitude. no bitterness, no “poor me”, no excuses. there will always be something to lament about, but i don’t want the negatives to be a focus. if we are looking for things to be grateful for, it will change everything.
my list today is a little fluffy. nothing heavy. just some sort of festive things that i find comforting or enjoyable at this time of year.
i think this list fits in with the gratitude blog hop.
thanksgiving comfort & joy *b* list
- comfort food. i know some of us are probably more into comfort food than others, but even super health conscious people have comfort foods, right? one of my favorite comfort foods, which i don’t have often at all, but when i do i savor every bite is: bread pudding. bread pudding is one of those things that i think you either LOVE or hate. even the idea of a drop of moisture touching bread makes jared gag! there is no gray area with bread pudding. if you are a lover of bread pudding, i am going to share my very favorite recipe, from one of my favorite cookbooks, “the silver palate cookbook”. just click here. one more secret that i learned at carey cottage (of course!)….instead of bread, use day old croissants. i had croissants in the freezer from one of beth’s showers, that needed to be used….so i made bread pudding. one problem. i am the only bread pudding fan in the house. i’ve eaten my share and then some. i need to give the rest away.
- Christmas cards. i don’t like it when i hear people say, “i don’t send Christmas cards anymore”. i literally cringe. it’s one of the old traditions that i don’t want to see end! truly one of my favorite things about Christmas. i keep the cards we receive in a little box in the kitchen and every time i walk by them, i smile. plus, i love getting the mail in december! i have tons of cards to share that i’ve designed this year (for family and clients) but until i have more of them together, i’ll wait to share. however, i am very excited about the card i made for brooke, josh and the kids. i spent almost 6 hours putting it together….and i loved every minute! since it’s been really hard to do a full out photo session with them, i combined some of my favorites from the year. i take plenty of random shots, so this worked well for their card. i like it so much, i’m thinking i need to do one in this style for tom and i. i used the dreamy client template from photographer’s cafe for the inside and back. for the front of the card, i used components of swiss miss designs.
this is the front of the card….simple. we were thrilled to get a good family shot of the six of them. that is quite an accomplishment. for any of you with more than 3 children…you know.
the inside of the card is a nice little surprise : )
and the back too. i was almost jumping up and down as this came together! i can put a card like this together for you too….but it’s a little more costly than the average card : ) but for me, it’s a gift in itself to anyone you give it to.
- the comfort of hot tea. i think the ritual of afternoon tea is divine. with this bug i’ve been fighting, i’ve been drinking massive amounts of hot tea around the clock. i’m hooked on tazo green ginger tea. i was talking to erika yesterday and she suggested hot water with fresh ginger as an alternative…if i ever tire of the tea. i LOVE ginger. green ginger tea is so soothing to my dry messed up throat.
- for the love of ginger. if you truly love ginger the way i do, you must try archer farms asian ginger dressing. a little goes a LONG way. use it sparingly, even if you are a ginger freak like me.
- black friday sales. i know many people could argue about this being on a comfort and joy list. but for me, perusing the sale ads on thanksgiving day, chatting with my family about Christmas lists, and planning out our black friday stategy, is part of the joy of the holidays. i love the hustle bustle, festive atmosphere. tom and i work together on it and i get such a sense of accomplishment doing our shopping this way. i must admit that in the past few years, i am doing a lot of our shopping online…but we still have to go to a few stores and participate in the craziness! plus, we always stop for a nice lunch. for the past few years, donna and jamie have hosted a Christmas walk party that night. so after our shopping excursion, we come home to watch the game and i usually make “sausage and kale soup” for the party. i’ve shared that recipe many a time here too. it’s one that i got from my friend vicki’s sister jan…who is my friend too : ) donna makes taco soup and we have all kinds of savory and sweet bites too. now that donna and jamie moved out of the downtown area, we won’t be walking to the festivities, but they are still hosting the after party. i’m going to try to get my act together and have a little surprise waiting at the loft for our little group.
- making gifts. or at least buying from local artists or retailers. buyindie.net. i believe in it. not only from a selfish point of view, but because it makes me feel good to buy from independents and artists who take pride in their products and stand behind them. of course, i have my jcrew, banana, and target loves….but they aren’t my only loves. this year, i have great intentions of making some of my gifts….as well as giving lots and lots of photo gifts….which feels like a gift that has been given much thought and is custom and personal. i can’t share specifics right now : )
- decorating my home and visiting homes decorated for the holidays. i look forward to and put a lot of thought into my home and how it’s adorned for the holidays. i just came across some photos of our house at Christmastime last year….and i had forgotten about some of the details. that is why i highly suggest taking photos of your house all decked out. i used to totally make fun of my mom for photographing the Christmas decor in our house when i was growing up. at that time, i didn’t get it at all…now, i’m my mom! that goes to show, that the example we set in our homes does make an impression. even if our kids are making fun of us at the time! i can’t wait to start dragging boxes up from the basement!
- my church. i find comfort in my church all the time, but during the holidays, i think it’s even more so. i find comfort in the music, the people, the unchanging Word, corporate prayer and the presence of God. i feel it so strongly when i am in my church. just typing “my” church is comforting.
of course there are many other things that give me comfort and joy during the holidays, this list reflects on a few.
of course, i wouldn’t feel like this post would be complete without sharing a few peeks from a recent photo session. bianca and diego are brother and sister…11 months apart! their closeness is so sweet! plus they are both great looking…which doesn’t hurt.
we had a great time, shooting until it was pretty much dark. the shot above was the last. thanks bianca and diego!
God bless each of you and your day!
by admin
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