An Arboretum PhotoJournal

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from HS Coffee Break helps fuel this blog. 

It's been a minute since I did a photo album here, especially for a field trip! But on Sunday we visited the Dawes Arboretum and spent the afternoon walking through some of the grounds, and I expect we'll be visiting there frequently since we have a family membership. You might wonder what there is to see at an arboretum (that's a botanical garden devoted especially to trees) in late February when there aren't leaves on the trees! There are signs of spring to see, and the reason we chose this particular day was so that we could go on the Maple Syrup Tour. You see, this is the time of year when the sap is running!

Most of the world's maple syrup is produced in Canada (about 70% of it!), and most of that comes from the province of Quebec. Vermont and New York are the top producers in the US, but several other northeastern states get in on the game as well. Ohio is one of them, but to be honest, there's not a whole lot produced here. The growing conditions for the particular type of maple tree are more suitable further north. No big surprise that the Sugar Maple is the most suitable for tapping, but other types such as Black and Red Maples can also be tapped. So can other trees, like birches!

The sap starts flowing in early spring, and the season lasts for about a month to six weeks. The conditions needed are nights that are below freezing temperature and days that get about ten degrees above freezing. Tap holes are put into the trees, with a spout and either a bucket or hoses to collect the sap. At this point the sap is mostly clear and watery. We were invited to taste the sap and it is very slightly sweet water, and I thought it tasted like some of the vitamin infused bottled waters you can buy. 

The collected sap is filtered and boiled down to make syrup and other products. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of syrup!

This cabin has been on the property for about a hundred years and has recently been the sugar shack, but recent windstorms blew a tree onto it, so it's currently closed to visitors.

The Maple Syrup Tour at Dawes is a very short guided walk, and once we had reached the sugar shack cabin (and had tasted the sap and some syrup), we could continue on our own. We decided to walk out to Dawes Lake at the southern end of the grounds, and to climb the observation tower beyond that. I didn't take a lot of photos, and can't identify all of the trees in my photos either. But as I said, we'll go back, so perhaps I can focus more on tree identification photos on another visit!

We didn't see many birds although the song sparrows were very vocal! This chubby robin didn't have much to say, but was good enough to hold still while I took a photo.

Looking down at all the stairs I just climbed . . .

. . . and taking a selfie to prove I was up there.

Can't make it out clearly, but the hedge spells out Dawes Arboretum.

Let me return to the maple trees again. I mentioned that it takes forty gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup. The average sap from one tree per season is between ten and twenty gallons. It seems like a lot of sap until you think about how much it must be boiled down before it's syrup. In addition, there's a relatively short season to collect the sap. A tree should be at least 10 inches in diameter before it's mature enough to be tapped, which means that it should be around 40 years old. Although the tap itself doesn't hurt the tree, it does leave a wound. If the same tree is tapped year after year, the new holes should be spaced to allow the tree to heal those wounds. 

God gave those trees the ability to grow over those wounds, and to produce enough sap to feed themselves and still allow humans to enjoy a plentiful harvest of maple sap! As long as we take good care of those trees, they can produce sap to share with us for many years.

It's a pretty good example of good stewardship. God gave mankind all the plants and trees as resources and food, and he also intended for mankind to tend the Garden of Eden and to be stewards of all of the earth's resources.

Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

~Genesis 1:29~

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

~Genesis 2:15~

God instructed mankind to "rule over" or "have dominion over" all the birds and fish and animals too. Not to greedily use everything up or waste it, but to look after things wisely. I've heard it said that God blessed all the creation he made and instructed living things to multiply, then blessed humans and gave us the authority to make sure all the creatures receive the blessing and are following instructions. It's as if we are God's on-site managers. The Bible even uses the image of a gardener to show how God looks after his people, and how God wants us as his representatives to care for others and for the gifts he's given us. We tend the garden, we do the work of good stewards, and God make things grow.

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God's service; you are God's field, God's building.

~I Corinthians 3:7-9~

Good stewardship is being careful to take care of God's stuff the way he wants us to. It's ALL his stuff! But isn't he generous to allow us to be blessed by all of his gifts to us?

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

~Luke 16:10~

If we show good stewardship with maple trees, we can enjoy maple syrup for years to come. When we show we can be trusted with simple responsibilities in God's kingdom, he will allow us to do great things in his kingdom, and what better blessing than to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

This post will be linked at Pictorial Tuesday, hosted by Peabea Scribbles.

Pictorial Tuesday

This post is part of the Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge hosted by Anita Ojeda. Find all my posts for the 2023 challenge here: Write Something Somewhere

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to HS Coffee Break by email 

 ©2006-2023 HS Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

 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.

Adapt and Grow

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from HS Coffee Break helps fuel this blog. 

Usually on Fridays I share and link up a Five Minute Friday post, but that link-up is taking a holiday break for three weeks. Oddly, as it turns out, I discovered that I missed writing on three words way back in February when I did the Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge. My theme was Coping With Change, and it also turns out those three words are perfect for the most recent changes in life that I've been coping with. Bonus words to write about for five minutes (or more) during the holidays.

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One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

adapt and adjust

adapt to suit

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The measure of intelligence is the ability to change. ~Albert Einstein

To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. ~Winston Churchill

Why do I tend to feel sorry for myself when I'm the one that is expected to adapt and adjust? Maybe we all tend to be a bit disgruntled when we are expected the change something that we hadn't planned on. It's not fair to be the inflexible, immovable person all the time either, and so we all do what we need to do. We all give a little bit and negotiate a bit and change happens. And sometimes change happens whether we're on board or not, and we are forced to adapt just to survive. 

Adaptability is a survival skill, I suppose. Being able to adapt our skill sets helps us succeed in a changing job market. Being able to adapt our communication and relational style helps us maintain good relationships with family and friends. Being able to adjust our expectations helps us stay reasonable and grounded.

To survive and even thrive in a changing world, nature offers another great lesson: the survivors are those who at the least adapt to change, or even better learn to benefit from change and grow intellectually and personally. That means careful listening and constant learning. ~Frances Arnold

Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live. ~Marcus Aurelius

Sometimes, though, there's a fine line between adapting and giving in. Between adapting and compromising. Healthy adapting shouldn't mean conforming to what everyone else is doing, going along with the crowd, or giving up our own identity or principles so we can fit in. 

The world around me has changed, and I have learned to adapt but not change. But I'm changing into the woman I am meant to be. ~Aurora

I have been adjusting my expectations of what my life would look like at this stage. I'm adjusting my expectations of what my home will look like and how I'll spend my time. I've been trying to adjust my attitude when I find myself feeling grumpy or like I've been hard done by. Adapting to change by making the little course adjustments when needed but not abandoning ship. I'm learning more and more that I need to allow the Holy Spirit to show me what needs changing, so that the adaptations will make me a better person and more like Jesus.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

~Romans 12:1-2~

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

~II Corinthians 3:17-18~

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You know I wasn't going to end without at least one more humorous quote, right? I have no idea who this guy is, a singer or a comedian probably, but I got a kick out of the quote.

Adapt to yourself, bro. What I wanna say is don't let nobody tell you that you should stay in your lane, bro. ~Ski Mask the Slump God

Which led me to include this bonus music video:

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For the recent Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge, I had decided to explore the theme of living well and with purpose during times of change. A few years ago, as I neared the end of my years as a homeschool mom, I realized my world would change when my youngest graduated. My roles in the homeschool community and in my social circles were affected. Things changed in the workplace. Things are ever changing at church. And as my children grew up and the nest has begun to empty, family dynamics are changing. To our surprise, my husband's job ended at the very beginning of 2022, which brought another round of changes to consider! (He started a new position in February, and moving was a change we did not have to deal with after all!) Fast forward to the fall of 2022, and the new job ended, and we did have to make a move and cope with a lot of changes! I know very well that writing about coping with change is not the same as having all the answers. I'll do my best to share what I'm learning and experiencing, and I'd love to hear from others in the comments. I didn't finish writing and posting everything at the tail end of the challenge, so I think maybe these last couple of prompts were serendipitously left for me to write about now, as I'm reflecting on the most recent changes I've had to cope with.

This post is part of the Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge hosted by Anita Ojeda. Find all my posts for the 2022 challenge here: 28 Days of Coping With Change

Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better. ~Sydney J. Harris

Although not linked at Five Minute Friday due to the holiday break, this post more or less follows my usual Five Minute Friday format.

This post will be linked at Inspire Me Monday, at the Sweet Tea & Friends Monthly Link-up Party hosted by Simply Coffee & Jesus, and at Let's Have Coffee hosted by Joanne Viola: Days and Thoughts

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to HS Coffee Break by email 

 ©2006-2023 HS Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

 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.

Strength When We're Tired

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from HS Coffee Break helps fuel this blog. 

Usually on Fridays I share and link up a Five Minute Friday post, but that link-up is taking a holiday break for three weeks. Oddly, as it turns out, I discovered that I missed writing on three words way back in February when I did the Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge. My theme was Coping With Change, and it also turns out those three words are perfect for the most recent changes in life that I've been coping with. Bonus words to write about for five minutes (or more) during the holidays.

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One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

sick and tired

too tired to care

bone tired

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Life is one long process of getting tired. ~Samuel Butler

This has been quite a year. So many ups and downs and unexpected twists and turns on this roller coaster of life. And honestly, I'm just tired. Some days I'm just exhausted and weary and not sure how I'll find the motivation to do what needs to be done. I think we all experience that one way or another, and some of us suffer more than others.

We get bone tired. Physically tired and achy. Our bodies have limits and as we age or deal with health problems, we just start to wear out and few of us have as much energy as we did when we were in our twenties.

We get tired of trying. Emotionally drained. It feels like nothing is going right or that we somehow keep getting the short end of the stick. We keep trying to do better, to mend a relationship rift, to find joy and purpose, but we can easily get discouraged and lose our motivation.

Tired minds don't plan well. Sleep first, plan later. ~Walter Reisch

Physical changes, circumstantial changes, emotional upheaval can all combine to make us feel tired. And perhaps right after Christmas, we feel it even more. I often do, and I certainly do this year! It's cold and my joints ache, and gloomy weather makes me feel sleepy. I'm emotionally rather worn down by all the things related to the move and trying to settle into a new home. And we don't yet have friends or a church home locally to help with the burdens. And so, I feel tired, and even discouraged.

But when I am weak, Christ is strong. When I can't, he has already made a way. When I'm weary, he does provide rest and renewed strength.

We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength. ~Charles Stanley

I'm reminded of the disciples gathering around Jesus to report all their ministry successes, being interrupted and bothered by a crowd, and Jesus says, "You need to get some rest." He knows what we need.

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 

"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

~Mark 6:30-31~

When I'm tired of all the change and all the trying, Jesus offers rest and renewal. 

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strenght.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

~Isaiah 40:28-31~

Perhaps here, at the end of the year, is a good time to rest. To pause and reflect. To remember all the times God has been faithful and carried us through. Use our tiredness as a reminder to stop and rest in him, and to receive the renewal we need to head into a new year. Selah. 

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See my related posts: Ease The Burden and Dear Homeschool Mom . . . Come To A Quiet Place

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For the recent Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge, I had decided to explore the theme of living well and with purpose during times of change. A few years ago, as I neared the end of my years as a homeschool mom, I realized my world would change when my youngest graduated. My roles in the homeschool community and in my social circles were affected. Things changed in the workplace. Things are ever changing at church. And as my children grew up and the nest has begun to empty, family dynamics are changing. To our surprise, my husband's job ended at the very beginning of 2022, which brought another round of changes to consider! (He started a new position in February, and moving was a change we did not have to deal with after all!) Fast forward to the fall of 2022, and the new job ended, and we did have to make a move and cope with a lot of changes! I know very well that writing about coping with change is not the same as having all the answers. I'll do my best to share what I'm learning and experiencing, and I'd love to hear from others in the comments. I didn't finish writing and posting everything at the tail end of the challenge, so I think maybe these last couple of prompts were serendipitously left for me to write about now, as I'm reflecting on the most recent changes I've had to cope with.

This post is part of the Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge hosted by Anita Ojeda. Find all my posts for the 2022 challenge here: 28 Days of Coping With Change

Although not linked at Five Minute Friday due to the holiday break, this post more or less follows my usual Five Minute Friday format.

This post will be linked at Inspire Me Monday and at Let's Have Coffee hosted by Joanne Viola: Days and Thoughts

 

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to HS Coffee Break by email 

 ©2006-2022 HS Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

 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.

Unexpected Changes

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from HS Coffee Break helps fuel this blog. 

Usually on Fridays I share and link up a Five Minute Friday post, but that link-up is taking a holiday break for three weeks. Oddly, as it turns out, I discovered that I missed writing on three words way back in February when I did the Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge. My theme was Coping With Change, and it also turns out those three words are perfect for the most recent changes in life that I've been coping with. Bonus words to write about for five minutes (or more) during the holidays.

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One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

this is unexpected

an unexpected blessing

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Back in February, when I started the Write 28 Days challenge, my husband had just unexpectedly lost his job, and to our surprise he was able to find something else that allowed us to stay in our house and not move. An unexpected blessing! But once again, we faced an unexpected job loss at the end of September, and at that time, we did accept a new job offer that meant a move. And all of that was unexpected. A lot happened, and a lot changed, and all very quickly! A lot of change to cope with!

Often the most unexpected, unpredictable moments in life are the ones that leave the biggest impression and that teach us to roll with the punches. ~Natalya Neidhart

Although the suddenness presented a lot of challenges, in some ways I think it did make it easier for me as well. I didn't have time to mentally and emotionally prepare for it, so the feelings of grief and loss hit hard and sometimes at unexpected moments. But I also didn't have the dubious luxury of indulging in long pity parties or wallowing in my sorrow at moving away from my kids and friends and beloved home. We didn't have time to do a lot of planning and preparation for the logistics of the move either, so we've had to just complete moving tasks as we thought of them or as they came up. That has been unsettling and worrisome, but again, without time to overthink and second-guess everything, we've just gone ahead and got it done. It also forced me out of my default position of procrastinating on tasks that intimidated me.

If you so choose, even the unexpected setbacks can bring new and positive possibilities. If you so choose, you can find value and fulfillment in every circumstance. ~Ralph Marston

I won't sugarcoat it - I have cried more tears than I thought possible, because I am not a crier by nature. The feelings of loss and loneliness have been overwhelming at times. This has been HARD. But my family and my friends - and most importantly, my God - have been proven faithful and loving. Because I've learned to trust God, I've been trained to be willing to follow his leading and to look for the good he has for me. The unexpected blessings.

Nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me. ~Carl Sandburg

Sometimes life drops blessings in your lap without your lifting a finger. Serendipity, they call it. ~Charlton Heston

 Most of us are celebrating Christmas this week, and thinking about how the Son of God entered the world as a baby. How unexpected! For his earthly parents, Mary and Joseph - what unexpected hardships and challenges, but what blessings and honor! The shepherds were given a very unexpected announcement from the angel, and their astonishment at finding everything just as the angel said must have been great. The wise men who traveled so far to find a new king must have been surprised to see the star stop over an ordinary house in which there was a humble young couple and their little child. How unexpected! 

God often doesn't do things the way we expect. But he always does things the way he has planned. It's unexpected to us, but never a surprise to him.

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts;

neither are your ways my ways,"

declares the LORD.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

and do not return to it without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the LORD's renown,

for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever."

~Isaiah 55:6-13~

Whatever unexpected challenges or blessings come your way this season, remember that you are in God's capable hands. Trust him to lead you through the challenges, and give him glory for the blessings.

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For the recent Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge, I had decided to explore the theme of living well and with purpose during times of change. A few years ago, as I neared the end of my years as a homeschool mom, I realized my world would change when my youngest graduated. My roles in the homeschool community and in my social circles were affected. Things changed in the workplace. Things are ever changing at church. And as my children grew up and the nest has begun to empty, family dynamics are changing. To our surprise, my husband's job ended at the very beginning of 2022, which brought another round of changes to consider! (He started a new position in February, and moving was a change we did not have to deal with after all!) Fast forward to the fall of 2022, and the new job ended, and we did have to make a move and cope with a lot of changes! I know very well that writing about coping with change is not the same as having all the answers. I'll do my best to share what I'm learning and experiencing, and I'd love to hear from others in the comments. I didn't finish writing and posting everything at the tail end of the challenge, so I think maybe these last couple of prompts were serendipitously left for me to write about now, as I'm reflecting on the most recent changes I've had to cope with.

This post is part of the Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge hosted by Anita Ojeda. Find all my posts for the 2022 challenge here: 28 Days of Coping With Change

Although not linked at Five Minute Friday due to the holiday break, this post more or less follows my usual Five Minute Friday format.

This post will be linked at Inspire Me Monday.

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to HS Coffee Break by email 

 ©2006-2022 HS Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

 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.

Five Minute Friday - Witness

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from HS Coffee Break helps fuel this blog.

One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

can I get a witness

eyewitness account

reliable witness

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A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful.

~Proverbs 14:25~

 

I counted seven other statements in Proverbs that say basically the same thing. A faithful or truthful witness is so important. The laws given in Exodus were clear that bearing false witness - lying - was a sin, especially in what would be the equivalent of a court case. If someone was accused of wrongdoing, they could not be convicted or executed unless there were at least two witnesses. If a witness was false, deliberately trying to get their neighbor in trouble, the sentence for the liar was the punishment he was trying to bring on the neighbor. Being a trustworthy and reliable witness was obviously very important before we had fingerprinting, DNA testing, and time stamped security video. The word of reliable first-hand witnesses had to be trusted.

If we are to be reliable witnesses today, we must tell the truth about what have seen and heard. Not just if we are called to the stand in a court case. We must tell the truth about what we know about God and his Word. Our faithful testimony can save lives if we tell the truth about how we've been changed by Jesus. The truth about what the Bible says. The truth about the consequences of rejecting God. And our lives should line up with our words, backing up our word. Not that we have to be perfect, because we can't be, but we ought to live like we believe what we say we do. 

Every Christian must be convinced of his fundamental and vital duty of bearing witness to the truth in which he believes and the grace that has transformed him. ~Pope John XXIII

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

~Acts 1:8~

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

~Luke 2:15-18~

The shepherds were faithful witnesses. They told the truth about what they had seen and heard and how it lined up with what they had been told by the angel. I wonder how many lives were saved because the shepherds were faithful.

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(I must say that I think the songwriter could have made a much better choice than Samson as an example of being a witness!)

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Witness".

 ©2006-2022 HS Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

 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.

Five Minute Friday - Simple

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from HS Coffee Break helps fuel this blog.

One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

the simple life

simple pleasure

keep it simple

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

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A few years ago we decided we needed to declutter, get rid of some of the accumulation of stuff in our house. Wasn't the first time we'd made the effort, and we knew it wouldn't be the last. It's funny that we know we don't need all the stuff we keep, but for some reason we keep it anyway.

When we packed up to move, we weren't sure what kind of place we'd get, but we planned on renting so we knew we'd have less space. In a way, it was so good, because it made me think about what things I actually needed or wanted badly enough that I would make room for them. I even looked forward to starting fresh with only those things and having a simpler pared-down home. Some of the decisions about what to bring were not easy!

So here we are, still working our way around boxes and things. We haven't decided where everything goes and how to arrange it, and there are still a couple items of new furniture we're waiting on. We're not quire sure what to do with all the empty boxes. I haven't decided where to hang any pictures on any walls yet, because I want to know where the furniture goes first. And I don't have any picture hanging hooks and such anyway. We put up the tree but I still haven't decorated it.

And it's okay. It's not a race and there's no one to impress. I really think I should get the tree decorated tonight, but I know I'll use far fewer ornaments than usual. I kind of like the tree with just the lights. Over the next week or so, we will get the rest of the furniture, and most of the things that are still sitting out will go into the shelves or dressers or cabinets where they belong; and we'll get the empty boxes looked after. We might even get some pictures hung on the walls. 

Speaking of simple pleasures . . . 

And I wonder if I'll continue to be content with simple decor and fewer things? I hope so. We don't need to impress anyone with all the things we have, and people whose good opinion is worth having aren't impressed by all the things anyway. 

A simple life is not seeing how little we can get by with - that's poverty - but how efficiently we can put first things first. ~Victoria Moran

Simple pleasures are the last healthy refuge in a complex world. ~Oscar Wilde

Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough. ~Charles Dudley Warner

In other words, simplicity has much in common with humility and being content. 

And Mary said:

"My soul glorifies the Lord, 

and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me -

holy is his name.

~Luke 1:46-49~

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 

~I Peter 3:8~

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'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,

To bow and to bend we will not be asham'd,

To turn, turn will be our delight,

Till by turning, turning we come round right.

~Shaker song by Joseph Bracket, Jr, 1848

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Simple".

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