Tuesday Folder: Blessed Simplicity--Nov. 17
I am up late, writing this just- barely- late- Tuesday Folder post. If this week had a theme, it was Blessed Simplicity.
The past week was busy and wonderful. The weather at the beginning of the week was gorgeous--skies that were so pretty they did not even look real and perfect temperatures with no need for a jacket and a much welcomed and appreciated reprieve from the heat. So, all conditions were right for park days--just our family and playdates with friends. How perfectly lovely and refreshing to visit with a like-minded mom while watching happy children play together in God's creation. Thank you, Lord for such simple blessings!
Playing horse races!
He's so loved that he doesn't get to slide alone that often.
The latter part of the week was all about PIE. Women of our parish joined forces to host a fund-raiser over the weekend which included a book fair and pie sale. God smiled down upon us throughout the entire endeavor. Thursday, three of us made homemade pie dough. Friday, the fun continued. Over twenty women took turns at different shifts making fifty homemade pies. We used both church kitchens; one was for cooking and assembling pecan pies and baking, the other for rolling out dough and assembling apple pies. It was just so feminine and domestic to visit while rolling out dough. Cooking events like this used to be so common amongst women and it needs to become a regular occurrence again. Aprons, flour, laughter...simple and beautiful.
What might seem like a simple event had spiritual significance for me. I was the organizer for the baking and I fully intended to arrive at the church at 6:30 Friday morning. I was going to have all the prep work done and hopefully, have a few pies in the oven before people began arriving at 9:00. That didn't happen though, and I arrived at church just past 9:00. The first pies did not go into the ovens until after noon and we had a deadline of 6:00 for using the kitchen before a wedding rehearsal caterer arrived! I must confess I began to despair. Despair is so sinful, because it always shows a lack of trust in God. I was trying to get it all done, by myself without trusting in Him and seeking His strength through it all. I was too busy to pray. How horrible that sounds and rightly so. I had others praying for me, though, and praying for our work in the kitchen and finally, before those first pies were done, peace came to me and I acknowledged I had despaired.
Another reason for the peace? The simple truth came to my mind: they're just pies. Even if they didn't get done, they were just pies, with no real significance in the great scheme of things. A further blessing came later in the day when there was a lull in volunteers in the "cold" kitchen. I was left alone to clean, to "find God in the pots and pans," as Saint Theresa of Avila reminds us. It was so peaceful to occupy my hands in the silence.
As always, God worked everything out for good. Just the right number of people showed up at just the right times. Everyone jumped in and started working with willing hands and cheerful spirits. And by 6:00, 50 pies were baked and stacked in the kitchen. Order out of chaos--isn't that always His way?
Then, last night I had a great time with my new bunco group. I was not able to join the group when it originally formed because of my husband's class schedule and I have subbed occasionally. When several openings occurred, I joined and last night was my first bunco as a permanent member. Oh, the laughter we shared! We also shared thoughts on our blessings and those things for which we are thankful. It was wonderful and I left so refreshed. Thanks be to God for beautiful women who refresh our spirits and inspire us to be better wives and mothers. And thanks be to God for his blessed presence in all aspects of our lives, even the most simple.
The past week was busy and wonderful. The weather at the beginning of the week was gorgeous--skies that were so pretty they did not even look real and perfect temperatures with no need for a jacket and a much welcomed and appreciated reprieve from the heat. So, all conditions were right for park days--just our family and playdates with friends. How perfectly lovely and refreshing to visit with a like-minded mom while watching happy children play together in God's creation. Thank you, Lord for such simple blessings!
Playing horse races!
He's so loved that he doesn't get to slide alone that often.
 | ||||||
| Lord, help me to stop, slow down and enjoy these precious moments instead of rushing about to the next task. |
The latter part of the week was all about PIE. Women of our parish joined forces to host a fund-raiser over the weekend which included a book fair and pie sale. God smiled down upon us throughout the entire endeavor. Thursday, three of us made homemade pie dough. Friday, the fun continued. Over twenty women took turns at different shifts making fifty homemade pies. We used both church kitchens; one was for cooking and assembling pecan pies and baking, the other for rolling out dough and assembling apple pies. It was just so feminine and domestic to visit while rolling out dough. Cooking events like this used to be so common amongst women and it needs to become a regular occurrence again. Aprons, flour, laughter...simple and beautiful.
What might seem like a simple event had spiritual significance for me. I was the organizer for the baking and I fully intended to arrive at the church at 6:30 Friday morning. I was going to have all the prep work done and hopefully, have a few pies in the oven before people began arriving at 9:00. That didn't happen though, and I arrived at church just past 9:00. The first pies did not go into the ovens until after noon and we had a deadline of 6:00 for using the kitchen before a wedding rehearsal caterer arrived! I must confess I began to despair. Despair is so sinful, because it always shows a lack of trust in God. I was trying to get it all done, by myself without trusting in Him and seeking His strength through it all. I was too busy to pray. How horrible that sounds and rightly so. I had others praying for me, though, and praying for our work in the kitchen and finally, before those first pies were done, peace came to me and I acknowledged I had despaired.
Another reason for the peace? The simple truth came to my mind: they're just pies. Even if they didn't get done, they were just pies, with no real significance in the great scheme of things. A further blessing came later in the day when there was a lull in volunteers in the "cold" kitchen. I was left alone to clean, to "find God in the pots and pans," as Saint Theresa of Avila reminds us. It was so peaceful to occupy my hands in the silence.
As always, God worked everything out for good. Just the right number of people showed up at just the right times. Everyone jumped in and started working with willing hands and cheerful spirits. And by 6:00, 50 pies were baked and stacked in the kitchen. Order out of chaos--isn't that always His way?
Then, last night I had a great time with my new bunco group. I was not able to join the group when it originally formed because of my husband's class schedule and I have subbed occasionally. When several openings occurred, I joined and last night was my first bunco as a permanent member. Oh, the laughter we shared! We also shared thoughts on our blessings and those things for which we are thankful. It was wonderful and I left so refreshed. Thanks be to God for beautiful women who refresh our spirits and inspire us to be better wives and mothers. And thanks be to God for his blessed presence in all aspects of our lives, even the most simple.
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