Getting ready for Thanksgiving!

Fun Recipes to try this Thursday:

Gingerbread ( Miss Gracie has a wonderful recipe for gingerbread!)

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles with Cranberry Butter (William Sonoma's Baking Cookbook)

Pecan Butterscotch Cake with Maple Frosting (Martha Stewart Living Magazine)

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Enjoy this blessed season with your dear ones~ may the Lord fill your hearts with things to be thankful for as you celebrate!

~Gayle & Gracy

A Young Woman's Hospitality

"Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

And the servant ran to meet her, and said, 'Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.'

And she said, 'Drink, my lord': and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

And when she had done giving him drink, she said, 'I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.'

And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.

And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; and said, 'Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?'

And she said unto him, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.' She said moreover unto him, 'We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.'

And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD."



I love this story. Not just because Rebekah's kindness ensures her a rich husband, either. ;)
Rebekah was an unmarried women with no house of her own~ however, she offered what she had to a stranger who was needy.


>She served him
>She served his camels
> She offered him shelter
> She poured out kindness and courtesy


But did these reflections point to Rebekah? Who were they to glorify?
ALL the glory was God's. Remember what Eliezar prayed for:

"O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:
And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master."

God answered the servant's prayer, miraculously, generously, and beyond what Eliezar had hoped for. Rebekah's willingness was used by the Lord in a way that she never could have expected!

May the hospitality we offer be a gift from God to those we minister to! No service is too small~ all Rebekah offered to do was give water to a thirsty man.

Gold Dust: Part II

To whom should we give our love and devotion?

First, to those of our own family, and whom God has given us to be our support and consolation.

There, in this little circle, may the heart’s daily work be done; if we only dry a tear, spare someone fatigue, or raise a smile. It need not be a great work, but is must be a daily one.

The day that passes without having done good to someone is a day wasted.

You can never be happy as long as you know that some member of your family is suffering under some trouble that you might have spared them.

Oh! Then, let your heart each day expand and overflow in kind words, comforting sentences, loving smiles, little gifts – ever so little though they be, still let it give! The heart needs as much the power to give as the lungs need air to breathe...

Gold Dust

My own Grandma left behind a tiny volume entitled “Gold Dust” which my father gave to me after her death. In the preface it says, “This little book is a translation from a collection of devotional thoughts published in France under the title of “Pailletes d’Or”…the value of most of the thoughts seems to me well to deserve the term of gold”. Chapter 28 (XXVIII) is entitled, “Give the Heart Each Day Its Work To Do.”

Part I

The heart has a life of its own, and this life requires nourishment. If you fail each day carefully to supply it, it will experience pain and torture, just as the lungs would suffer without air to breathe.

The nourishment for the heart is love - love given and love received. Love is the outflow in deeds, more than in words, of the kindness and goodness implanted by God in the heart of man when He created him.

True affection makes us ready to give help to everyone, to minister to the wants of those around us, to try and lessen their troubles, even at the cost of our own peace. Love consists in little acts of kindness, little attentions, little deeds of love. Love is generous – not only sharing, but giving all. It bears all burdens – lightens all troubles – sweetens every trial – nothing is an effort, and it knows no weariness. Our Lord is an example of perfect love. “He loved us, and gave Himself for us.”

Love and Blessings to you all!

~Gayle

Fall-Inspired Centerpiece

The weather is frosty & brilliantly hued...

A smoky fragrance touches the air; you can smell the change of season, as odd as it may sound. It's there- something softly hinting at harvest & hay, happiness and...

Hospitality!

You may not have expected that- but it is the perfect time of year to be hospitable. Company instantly feels at home in a warm, fire-lit house, filled with the perfume of candles & comfort food (like stews, yummy pumpkin & gingerbread desserts, & apple cider).

As you welcome company into your home, here is a fun & easy experiment to try- these will look lovely anywhere in your home- as a centerpiece, a delicate touch for a mantelpiece, kitchen, or table, or a sweet detail on a coffee table!

SPARKLY PUMPKINS!!!

Simply spray mini-pumpkins with adhesive, & roll in fine iridescent glitter.

The result= a delightful, easy project that will complement the festive fever of autumn!!!


Enjoy your fall days!

~Gayle