The Gray Days of November - A Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

Here is an interesting and honest comparison of November of the year with November of life. As we age let us hope for and strive towards that riper wisdom and steadier mindset that our honorable aged folks in the faith so often attain. I am not an expert by any stretch, but I think that in order to attain this attitude, we have to want it and seek it at the feet of Jesus, hearing His word.

The Gray Days of November

The gray days of November

No plaint from me shall win;

I shut the fog and mist all out,

And shut the fire-shine in;

I draw my chair the closer

To where its warm glow cheers,

And, dreaming in the firelight,

Dream back across the years.

No happier days, no better,

My lost youth gave to me,

With flowers in every meadow

And songs from every tree;

That was the time of growing;

This is the time of rest;

Bloom falls, but fruiting follows,

And each in turn is best.

God giveth of His glory

An ever-changing view;

The old things pass forever;

He maketh all things new;

Life knoweth here no beauty

That shall not fade away;

Some better things He sendeth,

And these are mine today.

Mine is the riper wisdom

That comes with graying hair;

Mine is the fuller knowledge

Of God's great love and care;

Mine is the clearer vision;

Mine is the wider view;

And mine the hoarded memories

Of friendships kind and true.

Mine is the steadier patience

To bear the ills of life;

Mine is the sturdier courage

To meet the daily strife;

Mine is the faith serener

Than ever youth could know

To walk the way appointed

Through sunshine or through snow.

The gray days lead to white days

Of peace and silence deep,

A stiller hush of resting

When Earth and I shall sleep;

And then - a glorious waking

When broken ties all mend.

Through gray days of November

I wait the long year's end.

By Annie Johnson Flint

Psalm 92:13-15 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish
in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age;
they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD is upright:
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you,
who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow,
considering the end of their conversation. 

Evening Song - Heavenly Sunlight

November has been a very cloudy and dark month in our part of Texas. Some parts of the world have had snow early - or late snow in the Southern Hemisphere. I thought maybe we could all use a little Heavenly Sonlight. :-)

Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

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Evening Song - The Snare of Prosperity

This song is a good reminder as we enter the most intense period of Christmas shopping. This weekend kicks off some serious buying and selling in the U.S. I don't know how or if this happens to such a degree in other cultures that celebrate the Christmas season. But, for Christians it is a very good time to consider carefully what is really important. The deceitfulness of riches and the excesses of covetousness are in full play in the world. Don't let that snare catch you, my Christian friend. Psalm 119:110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.

Hosea 13:6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. 

Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. 

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 

Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

Verses in this video are in another translation of the Bible, so I have given them above in the KJV.

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Memories of Great Meals - One Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 107:1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 103:1-5 A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. 

Thanks We Give - A Poem

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

Thanks We Give

O Thou Giver of each blessing,

That Thy children here enjoy,

We would bring our humble tribute,

And our powers of praise employ;

Thou art good and Thou art gracious,

Full of mercy and of love,

Every perfect blessing cometh

Down from Thee in Heav’n above.

Thanks we give to Thee, our Father,

In the name of Christ, Thy Son,

For the bounties we are sharing—

Thou hast given every one.

Thou hast led us, Thou hast fed us,

Thou hast given homes so dear,

And the friends who freely love us,

Whose bright smiles our pathway cheer.

More than all we thank and praise Thee

For the Bible—precious boon—

For the boundless love unfolded

In the gift of Thy dear Son.

For the hope of life immortal—

That the blest shall live with Thee,

In the land where death comes never,

Through the vast eternity.

- G.T. Wilson -

Ephesians 5:18-21 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 

Are You Grieving? It's OK to Make Holiday Changes

Worth repeating.

Recently I've had a bad case of writer's block. Also, my extended family had more sad life changes to deal with in October, one of which was one of my mom's brothers unexpectedly going to heaven. And a dear friend's mother also got her promotion to glory earlier this year. So, it felt like maybe I should post this again this week. I apologize I didn't get it up on Sunday in anticipation of Thanksgiving in the U.S. This was originally published in 2021. 

Romans 12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

Dear Friend, 

So many people have lost loved ones over the past two years. The numbers are so high that it sometimes seems impossible. I was talking with a sweet older lady in our church assembly and she was remarking about this, and since she is in her 80s I know it isn't just my imagination.

Holidays, birthdays, and special family events can be especially hard when you have a fresh grief. Well, honestly, they can be hard even when the grief isn't all that fresh any more.

Thanksgiving is my family's biggest holiday of the year. Last year (2020) was our first one without my mom with us. It was hard, but this year was harder. Last year we changed things up quite a bit. My husband had to work most of Thanksgiving week, including the day itself. Some family was in town the week before and so we decided to celebrate then instead. Since we were having dinner on another day, we decided to get take out from a nice restaurant. It was Brazilian, so it was not at all like our traditional Thanksgiving meal. I think we had a homemade dessert or two. I chose not to move the table away from the window so that the table would seem full with five of us. It was a hard, but it went well.

This year was different...

Continue Reading.

Evening Song - All Thanks to Christ Our Sacrifice

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Galatians 3:2-3 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 

James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 

Galatians 2:20-21 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. 

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 

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FREE Scripture Printable for Thanksgiving - Paper Crafts

I realize this is a little bit late, but I wanted to share these graphics with you for use in paper crafting or card making. They are autumn themed and would be good for Thanksgiving greetings or name place cards or autumn décor or for other greeting cards. These graphics are all made with my original photography and my graphic design.

The sheet of graphics to download from my graphics site is a little smaller than 8x10 inches so that you should be able to print it with a program that offers 8x10 as an option. My program printed it just fine, although I did have to try more than one program to get the coloring to turn out the way I wanted it. You may have to tinker with the settings on yours to get good color.

Download the printable size graphic here.

Click the download icon on the left. It is the arrow pointing down.

Here are a couple examples of cards I made with two of the images. 

The background of this card was stamped with a bubble envelope and a foam leaf sticker. I placed the scripture graphic on a blue background and added a leaf sticker with some gold highlights to give it a little sparkle. 

The photo is crooked, but also, no, my lines are not perfectly straight. Because this is an imperfect world and I don't cut straighter with my paper cutter than I do with scissors in some situations, so I let things be what they are. I learned this quote from a YouTube crafter: "Don't be too hard on yourself." Yup. That is good advice in many situations where perfection isn't likely to happen - from paper crafting to cleaning up the kitchen. ;-) 

This card also has a background made with the bubble envelope (I'll try to put up another post about that soon - I hope.) I used some glitter paper behind the scripture graphic and some leaf stickers. It was really quite simple.

The glitter paper is more red in real life than in the photos. I usually would use it more sparingly as I tend to try to stretch my more expensive stuff, but I've had this awhile and I just decided to go with it. :-)

The Thousand Word Project - Hello, Punkin!

 

And the prayer, which my mouth is too full to express,

Swells my heart that thy shadow may never be less,

That the days of thy lot may be lengthened below,

And the fame of thy worth like a pumpkin-vine grow,

And thy life be as sweet, and its last sunset sky

Golden-tinted and fair as thy own Pumpkin pie!

- excerpt from poem by John Greenleaf Whittier

Glory Be to Him Who Loved Us - A Poem by Horatius Bonar

 

Glory Be to Him Who Loved Us

Glory be to Him who loved us,

Washed us from each sinful stain;

Glory be to Him who made us

Priests and kings with Him to reign;

Glory, worship, laud and blessing

To the Lamb who once was slain.

"Glory, worship, laud and blessing,"—

Thus the choir triumphant sings;

"Honour, riches, power, dominion,"—

Thus its praise creation brings;

Thou art worthy, Thou art worthy,

Lord of lords, and King of kings.

Glory to the King of angels,

Glory to the Church's King,

Glory to the King of nations,

Heaven and earth His praises sing:

Glory ever and for ever

To the King of Glory bring.

Glory be to Thee, O Father,

Glory be to Thee, O Son,

Glory be to Thee, O Spirit:

Glory be to God alone,

As it was, is now, and shall be

While the endless ages run.

Horatius Bonar

Revelation 4:10-11 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Evening Song - Such Love!

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 

Galatians 1:3-5 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

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The Thousand Word Project - On the Ground

 

Again the leaves come fluttering down,

Slowly, silently, one by one,—

Scarlet, and crimson, and gold, and brown,—

Willing to fall, for their work is done,

And once again comes the dreamy haze,

Draping the hills with its filmy blue,

And veiling the sun, whose tender rays,

With mellowed light come shimmering through.

Ellen P. Allerton

excerpt from Indian Summer

Twenty Years of Pain...and Thankfulness - By Martha Snell Nicholson

 

Twenty Years of Pain...
and Thankfulness

by Martha Snell Nicholson
[lightly edited]

I am looking back over more than twenty years of illness and thanking God for them. Does that sound strange? Ah, but they have brought me gifts, those weary years. I do not enjoy sickness nor suffering, nor the nervous agony and exhaustion that are harder to bear than physical pain. And an invalid must bury so many dear dreams which have death struggles and refuse to die decently and quietly. But God has a way of taking away our toys, and after we have cried for awhile like disappointed children, He fills our hands with jewels which “cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.” [Job 28:6]

And what friends He has given me! Are there more loyal friends than those who stand by the sick through the years? My family and friends have prayed for me, encouraged me, quietly sacrificed for me, washed my dishes, rubbed my aching head, offered me everything from new books to their very life-blood for blood transfusions. I should like to speak of a very devoted and tender husband, but that is a matter too personal.

Continue Reading.

Evening Song - 'Til the Storm Passes By

 
Psalm 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. 

Mark 4:37-41 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? 

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Texas Memories - November Flowers

Goldenrod

Wild Petunia

Horse herb