My Favorite Things….October!

 

Hello, Friends!

October was such a fun month although if you asked me for many specifics, I’d struggle to give you a list of what I did! The kitchen has been my roost and I feel like I have been cooking nonstop for 31 days straight. Apple crisp, pumpkin bars were both made many, many times. And I also whipped up a new favorite Apple Bars that were delish.

One thing I remember for sure, this has been a month of blessings!!

It’s been awhile since I shared monthly favorites with you, but I love reading them, so here we go!!!!

Favorite Book…..

I have read several great books this month, but one that is knocking my socks off and doing something in my heart is Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. This book has been suggested to me for years but I’m just now getting around to reading it, and I can’t recommend it enough. If you need a reminder of the LOVE and GRACE of your Heavenly Father, this might be the book for you!

 

Favorite Product……

Oh my goodness, aging is an adventure, isn’t it?

Did you know that gravity even affects our EAR LOBES????

I love big earrings and was gifted a gift certificate (thank you kids and Karen, my sister!) and used it to buy a couple a few things from Kendra Scott, including a couple of pairs of bigger earrings. I had no idea they were going to be so heavy though and I was afraid that my earlobes were going to be hanging down to my shoulders if I wore those earrings very often.

Someone invented a product to help our aging earlobes to stay in place and I’m thankful!!!

Here is the product I have, but I see now there are copycats that are cheaper…..Lobe Wonder

Big Earrings Forever!!!!!

Favorite Hurt So Good……

Learning about myself through the Enneagram has been a good/hard thing.

Oh, friends, who am I fooling? This has been the best hard thing I’ve done for a long time. I’ve been sick to my stomach, convicted, and enlightened by it, and now that I am aware, hopefully, I’m getting “healthier” because of it.

Earlier this month, I was searching for a specific podcast and The Typology Podcast popped up. I was curious so I started listening, and since then I’ve spent hours learning more about this ancient personality typing system.

I see God’s hand all over it and it’s implications for the Body of Christ. We all have strengths and weaknesses in how we see the world, but if we were all operating in the high end of how we were created, the church would have every “body part” it needed to operate in love and be the change we are supposed to be in the world.

Just another reason to trust the Father’s plan!

Taking the test, I learned I am an Enneagram 2, The Helper. That sounds all noble and good, but when I read the dysfunction of this type, I wanted to go curl in a ball in the corner. I’ve “sat” in all of this…..rather than run from it and dismiss it and argue with it, like I wanted to do.

Soul searching and self reflection has been occurring and I’m praying that the Holy Spirit will transform this, too.

And I’m so thankful for GRACE!!!!

Interested? Take the quick test HERE.

Listen to podcasts to learn about your type HERE.

Our kids and daughters-in-law have taken the test, and Brad and I are busy learning about them, too. It is VERY INTERESTING! I can’t wait to discuss it all with them.

Favorite Thing to Do on Friday Morning…..

Our Fall Bible study is over now and it was such a BLESSING!!!! Eighteen women from many different churches gathered for 6 mornings to study the first half of The Good and Beautiful God, and it was wonderful. This was the first study we have done with this group that didn’t involve video teaching and lots of homework, and I was a bit nervous about leading it.

But I shouldn’t have been. God is so gracious to us!!

We were able to gather on Debbie’s beautiful patio and enjoy nature, God’s word, fellowship and our hearts.

Favorite New Music…..

Contemporary Christian music is my go-to, but this month, I have really enjoyed listening to a new-to-me artist Sleeping at Last. 

I love his arrangements, comforting voice and inspiring lyrics. The songs aren’t overtly “religious” but they are certainly worshipful, at least to me.

You can find this on Spotify, or I suspect, your favorite way to listen to music!

Favorite Memories from my Gratitude Journal…..

If you haven’t started keeping a journal of your blessings, what are you waiting for? You will feel so LOVED by writing down all the ways God shows his WONDER to you!

I really can’t choose favorite memories from this month, but here are just a few……

• Brenda at the IGA always telling me to have a blessed day.
• Singing around our dining room table. A table can be HOLY GROUND!
• A crazy busy week with lots of company….over 60 people in and out of our house eating at our table
• Grandma Mary’s cooking school
• Unbelievable corn and bean yields
• FFA boys setting up a fall display in our yard
• Hungry men, happy to receive my  Apple Crisp
• Band competitions, soccer games, little girl giggles, shopping, popcorn and movies, card games, time alone with each of my granddaughters
• Riding in the tractor with Brad while we pull the grain cart with two of our sons working beside us, knowing the third one would be, too, if he could
• Betty hugs
• Seeing Eagles multiple times
• Blessing Droppers
• The beautiful night sky as I rode home from the field in the Jeep
• Poison Ivy is even beautiful in the fall
• Psalm 23

I could go on and on and on…………let’s live our lives AWAKE to the majesty and wonder and kindness of our GOOD GOOD FATHER!

What are YOUR favs from this month? Please share with us! We need to know!

 

P. S. If you want to read about some related posts….. Monthly Favorites-February Edition 

Snoozing and Jesus      Chasing Fall-Beauty and Pumpkin Butter  Favorite Things I’m Loving in January