Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable ― if anything is excellent or praiseworthy ― think about such things.
~Philippians 4:4-8~
The secret to having peace in the midst of anxiety-provoking situations is to take our fears and our needs to God in prayer. With a thankful heart. And then to accept the Holy Spirit's help in disciplining our thought life towards things that are good and true and godly.
All easier said than done, granted. But all of that is possible because of the grace of God and the power available to us through salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
May we rejoice always with grateful hearts for all the blessings God gives.
We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction. ~Henry Allen Ironside
Prayer doesn't bend God's arm but it's guaranteed to bend our hearts toward His will. Worry less. Pray more. ~LeCrae
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A hodgepodge is a jumble or assortment of things that might not appear to belong together. Joyce at From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly link-up called Wednesday Hodgepodge that is a little collection of questions for bloggers to answer just for fun and to get to know each other. I always look forward to chatting with friends over coffee, so pour a cup of your favorite and let's visit for a few minutes!
Here are this week's questions - and my answers - for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.
1. Marilyn texted me (Joyce) something that inspired this question, so thank you Marilyn! Of the following sayings, typically associated with the (American) southern way of speaking, which do you most relate to right now? Explain.
Bless your heart - too big for yer britches - madder than a wet hen - you're preachin' to the choir - knee high to a grasshopper - oh my stars
Any other time, I might say "bless your heart" but so far this month I think I'm in my "oh my stars" era. It's perfect for being pleasantly surprised, like when something went particularly well; or for being unpleasantly surprised or dismayed, like when another hour went by without me getting seen at the ER. It works pretty well as an exclamation of pain and discomfort, like every time I try to reach or bend and it hurts, or when I cough and it hurts. Also works for exasperation and frustration, like at work as programs aren't working the way they are supposed to. A very versatile expression!
2. The Hodgepodge lands on (US) Veterans Day this year. Are you a veteran? Have a family member who's a veteran? If you answered yes, tell us something about them. Will you do anything to mark the day in some special way?
I am not a veteran, and the only family member of mine that is a US veteran is my uncle who passed away a year ago. He joined the Air Force as a very young man (I'm not sure, but I think he was actually underage when he joined) and later worked for NASA. He spent some time volunteering to help his local Civil Air Patrol chapter which was a neat thing to find out because my youngest son was in Civil Air Patrol for several years.
I don't have any particular plans to mark the day, but having grown up in Canada where November 11th is Remembrance Day (and was formerly Armistice Day), the practice of taking a moment of silence at 11AM on Remembrance Day is rather ingrained. I will be at work, so my moment of silence might not be right at eleven on the dot, but I will be pausing in respect and remembrance. (I wrote this in the morning but didn't get it published. I did indeed take my moment of silence at 11AM)
3. Is breakfast for dinner a stroke of genius or a sign of total household collapse? Is breakfast for dinner a regular thing at your house? Are all family members on board?
I love breakfast for dinner, and I love a restaurant or diner that serves breakfast all day! So I land on the possible stroke of genius side of this question! I hope it's not a sign of collapse because we do it often at my house, and always have. I wouldn't say "regular" in that we do it every other Tuesday or something like that, but it's not at all uncommon for us to have omelets or bacon and eggs for dinner. Nobody has ever complained. We raised our kids to love bacon, for one thing!
One of my favorite breakfasts that we do not have regularly is Waffles and Awesome Sauce. Awesome Sauce is the name my boys gave the thin custard-like vanilla sauce that we traditionally make for a topping on waffles. Like many breakfast-y foods, it's comfort food. I shared about it on a Homeschool Coffee Break post years ago: Waffles and Awesome Sauce
4. How do you see the world?
Wow, talk about a short question about a huge topic! Let me set a timer to limit how long I could talk about this. Haha.
I know very well that the world is broken because it is populated by broken, sinful people who constantly make dumb decisions and poor choices. But I also know and believe with all my heart that God loves us all and offers forgiveness and grace and wisdom to all. The reason everything is broken is because of sin, and the reason things go wrong in our lives and in the world around us is because our sin has damaged the good God has planned for us. (I'm not saying that every time something negative happens to you it is a direct result of you doing something bad. Just to clarify.)
That sets the stage for how I see the world. I am generally an optimist and because I'm also a disciple of Jesus, I see that God is working in our lives and in the world and that his purpose will prevail. Nothing happens that takes him by surprise or thwarts his ultimate plan which is to eventually make all things right and new and perfect for all who trust him with their lives. So while I'm an optimist that believes that things will work out in the end, I don't have rose-colored glasses. Rather my personality-based optimism is bolstered and grounded in my understanding that God is good, that Jesus has victory over sin and death, and that no matter what happens, God's plan is for our good and for his glory.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ~Romans 8:28
5. And this week's gratitude question - what's something about your surroundings (home, neighborhood, city) you're grateful for?
I think I can name a few things . . . I'm grateful for this house and all the many good things about it. I'm grateful that we have big trees nearby, including oaks in the back and a (currently) red maple tree out front. I'm grateful to live in a safe and relatively quiet neighborhood, and in a suburb city of Columbus where there are so many things to do and see, and where we can easily get downtown for a concert or a hockey game without it taking hours.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
I've been back to work this week, but have had to leave a bit early each day. I'm still moving really slow and run out of energy pretty quickly. My incision sites are healing okay but they are wierdly itchy and uncomfortable - thankfully not painful most of the time. So that's my recovery report. I'll keep my random thought to just that for this week since it's late.
How would you answer any of these questions? Leave a comment and let me know!
This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
When we think about integrity, almost all of us have heard some version of this quote:
Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. ~C.S. Lewis
Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not. ~Oprah Winfrey
The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
~Proverbs 11:3~
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convnience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Times of challenge describes what our men and women serving in the military face. They show great courage, character, and integrity in their service, and I want to honor them on this Veteran's Day, as well as remember those who gave their lives in the service as Canada and other nations mark Remembrance Day today. You can read more about these observances here: Remembrance Day ~ Veterans Day on Homeschool Coffee Break
Thank you to all veterans for your service!
Honor the legacy and memory of those who gave their lives in service.
May integrity and honesty protect me,
for I put my hope in you.
~Psalm 25:21~
When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost. ~Billy Graham
People with integrity walk safely,
but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.
~Proverbs 10:9~
With integrity you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt. With fear and guilt removed you are free to be and do your best. ~Zig Ziglar
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Wednesday Quotes is a bi-weekly opportunity for bloggers to share their writing, poetry, photos, or stories inspired by our theme. We've chosen the themes as a starting point for your creativity, and the only requirement is that your post include at least one related quote. Feel free to combine or "double-dip" with other writing or photo challenges as well. Of course, we'd appreciate a link back to us, if you'd be so kind. Add your link and please visit others and leave a comment! The link is open for two weeks.
Thanks to Marsha at Always Write for introducing us to the Wednesday Quotes challenge, and for passing the hosting duties along so we can continue sharing great quotes! Wednesday Quotes is co-hosted by Kym at A Fresh Cup of Coffee and Sadje at Keep It Alive.
Quoting reminds me there are other people in the world besides only me.
And other thoughts besides mine, and other ways of thinking.
On the 10th of each month, Marsha In the Middle asks ten questions for us to answer in as much or little detail as we wish. As you can see, this month's question is a lighthearted and fun one - we get to talk about our ten (or so) favorite Muppets!
As a kid, I encountered the Muppets on the show Sesame Street, but when The Muppet Show had its run on TV, that was prime time for me! We watched it faithfully, and watched the reruns every time we had a chance, and our kids watched and loved the shows. So much classic and hilarious material! We watched The Muppet Movie(s) and The Muppets Christmas specials and never get tired of it. We watch clips on YouTube and never get tired of those either. What a gift Jim Henson gave us when he created these characters!
Narrowing my list to just ten favorites is hard, but I've chosen some characters from The Muppet Show that I love, and another collection of my favorites from Sesame Street too. Yes, I did watch Fraggle Rock for a time in my teens, my nickname among some of my friends was "Wimberley" inspired by Wembley from that series, but that show didn't stick in my heart and mind in the same way. My kids watched The Muppet Babies occasionally but we didn't really connect with that. Anyway, I think my list works out to approximately ten characters or character groupings, and I hope you'll indulge me if I have a few more than ten. In no particular order . . .
Rowlf the Dog - One of the reasons I adore Rowlf is how realistic his reactions are, despite him having a fixed expression and eyes! He is genuinely surprised when things happen around him as he plays, distressed when he hits a wrong note, panicked when he loses his place in the music, and moved emotionally by the music as well.
Sam the Eagle cracks me up. He is so serious with his patriotism and tries so hard. He's gruff and often exasperated with his castmates as one of the few "adults" in the room, but I think he's also lovable. My favorite line of his is "why am I here".
Along the same lines, Waldorf and Statler are favorite characters as well. Because they say what they think with no filter and it's usually hilarious. Again, they are critical and grouchy, but it seems to me like their jabs are good-natured and the crusty exterior is a bit of a cover.
I'm going to group The Swedish Chef, Animal, and Beaker together because my all-time favorite bit is the three of them singing Danny Boy. I post the video on my Facebook page every St Patricks Day!
Okay, now my Sesame Street favorites!
Cookie Monster! I love him because he does what he wants and enjoys his cookies with so much abandon and enthusiasm! I wish I could eat cookies all the time and not pay the price with my weight!
Oscar the Grouch is so great! He doesn't even apologize for his grouchiness and negative attitude and he is comfortable with who he is. And the rest of the neighborhood is okay with it and just accepts him. He's hilarious and is another character who is crusty but also lovable.
I love Count von Count and he's so very quotable! Ah - ah - ah! He's so delightfully enthusiastic about his obsession with numbers and I love that about him.
I chose this clip of The Count to share because it also features the very great Sir Patrick Stewart.
Ernie and Bert are fun odd couple flatmates and their friendship is a great example of how very different people can still get along. Ernie is very funny, and Bert is often unintentionally funny. I remember having a record when we were kids that was Ernie in the bathtub with Rubber Ducky and his friends kept coming by for a singalong. Poor Bert is called upon to provide snacks and find room for everyone, and then to pay for the ice cream when Mr Hooper delivers it, and he's so frustrated, but in the end he joins in the singalong as well. Classic album!
Big Bird obviously makes my list because he is the Muppet face of Sesame Street. Childlike, sweet, generous, and neighborly, he must be on everyone's list!
My final add to the list is H. Ross Parrot. He was the most wonderful parody of the presidential candidate in a way that was cute and funny but not insulting at all. I loved him cheering and encouraging the kids to say their alphabet all the way through and his positive energy!
By the way, The Muppet Show has given us so much great music too! And the Muppet Movies. In fact, one of my favorite singalong songs is Man or Muppet. It's on my serious Spotify playlists and we turn it up and sing along with all the emotions.
Which muppets are your favorites, and which muppet moments stand out in your memory? Leave a comment and let me know!
This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
It's been a minute since I had the time to participate in The Flower Hour link-up, so I think I have a little catching up to do. About a month ago we spent a little time the Boardman Arts Park in Delaware, Ohio and these photos come from that visit.
This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
The Sunday Stills monthly color photo challenge is focused on leather browns and burgundy this week. I didn't have anything in the recent camera roll that fit the bill so I searched "brown leather" in my photos and based on what came up, I was prompted to share these photos from two of the Frank Lloyd Wright houses we've visited.
I'm surprised at myself that we've twice visited The Westcott House in Springfield, Ohio, and while I've shared photos, I've never done a post specifically about this property. Next time we visit (I'm pretty confident there will be a next time since it's only an hour or so away) I will have to remedy that. Anyway, "leather brown" did bring to mind the rich and cozy atmosphere of the Westcott's library sitting area, living room, and dining room. The walls here are the type of textured and painted plaster Wright often used, and the color is a deep warm and leathery brown.
If peace had a smell, it would be the smell of a library full of old, leather-bound books. ~Mark Pryor
Wright usually designed furniture specific to his houses, but the Westcotts had a couple of pieces from other design houses that they insisted upon keeping, and this leather armchair was one of those.
The same rich brown plaster continues throughout the entire living area including the dining room, with its instriguing dining table with built in lamps; and the hearth sitting area with the beautiful grand piano positioned nearby in the window.
I also remember that The Duncan House at Polymath Park had some beautiful colors. The flooring in the dining area and living room area is probably not quite burgundy, and Wright called this specific color Cherokee Red, but it's close enough in my mind! The warm tones of this easy-care flooring bring together the entire living area of this gorgeous Usonian home which was originally located in Illinois.
This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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