Welcoming~

 

Fall is one of my favorite

times of the year.

The colors and textures of the season

are so appealing to me.

 

 

The rich jewel tones can be found

in many things from nature.

 

Gourds to pumpkins

and sometimes even in the unexpected.

 

like the left-overs in the garden ~

dried okra

 

 

 

it is amazing what we can find to decorate with

even on a budget

 

 

my seasonal decorations are used from year to year

but, just regrouping or placing something

in a different place can add newness

 

 

vignettes can be created by adding

items that have meaning

from a hand painted greeting card framed

to an old decoy that belonged to a grandfather

 

 

 

my desire is for our home to be

 welcoming and relaxing for our guests

 

 

this can be accomplished with

our sense of smell~

 

 autumn and fall have many smells

which are comforting and

hazelnut being one of them for me

 

 

hazelnut coffeebeans were placed

in the candleholder and

 then a candle was added

 

 

it doesn't take much to add a touch

of fall into our homes ~

 

 a bowl of fruit salvaged from a wreath

 

acorns, horse apples, fall leaves, pinecones,

branches, and cotton are just a few things

that come to mind that are easy to find

 

place them in your favorite or most

special bowl and add some

warmth to your home

as a reminder of the

changing of the seasons.

I am linking to
Richella at
Imparting Grace
 

 

and to Courtney
at Women Living Well

 

 

To everything there is a season,

and a time for every matter or purpose

under heaven.. Ecclesiastes 3:1

 

Father, I ask you to open my

eyes to the beauty you have

surrounded me with,

may my heart feel

your touch

and our home reflect

Your Presence with

those who grace us with a visit.

~Karen

 

 



Joy ~

 

 

 

 these past few weeks

a three letter word has continued

to appear

 

 my eyes are seeing

my ears are hearing

my thoughts are lingering

 & even my emotions

are being drawn to

this word

 

Joy

 

Am I a Woman of Joy?
I've worn the T-shirt that read
Women of Joy
 am I really?
I'd rather not be labeled something,
that I'm not!

my latest devotional book
which appeared "right before my eyes"
at the book store, has the title
Choosing Joy by Angela Thomas

Do I choose joy?
Joy just doesn't happen!
If your "living life", is kinda
like mine, it doesn't fall in your lap.

Trials & Tribulations
you are either in one,
coming out of one,
or fixing to go into one.

Joy is a Pursuit - you have to
pursue joy in the midst of "living this life".

K-Love tweeted a statistic recently,
40% of your happiness comes from
intentional behavior:
things you can do on a regular basis.
Be intentional about seeking God. (and Joy)

We must seek Joy
 because happiness is not enough.
  Happiness is short-lived,
and brought to us from things & people.
 We should all know by now,
"things" will never be enough
and people will disappoint us or
 we may possibly be left to finish
the journey without them.


Joy -  a source of Happiness
Webster's definition

Joy has much more depth than Happiness
it is the source of happiness

My Bible Study was directed to
Joel this past week
Joel was giving the Israelite people
a warning about complacency & being self-centered.
They had turned from God to things (idols) and were
seeking satisfaction & happiness.
Joel 1:12 describes the fruit trees being dried up
and then Joel adds, oh and by the way
surely your Joy has withered too!

Who have we allowed to steal our Joy?
What has robbed us of our Joy?
(do we allow circumstances to dry up our Joy?)
When did our Joy leave?
Where did our Joy exit?

Questions that we can ask ourselves
and then re-visit the place we
allowed Joy to exit.
Sometimes the exit is painful
to return to, but healing comes
when we face it head on
and let the Lord get us back
on the road to this
Journey He has placed us here to travel.

Are we "thriving or surviving"?

My lips will shout for Joy
when I sing praise to You,
because You have redeemed me.
  Psalm 71:23

Lord, I pray for so many things,
but, I fail to ask you for Joy.
Give me new eyes to see
the things you place in my path,
that will bring the deepest joy my soul desires.

I pray you seek
Joy in the Journey~
Karen
 

 

Weekend Wanderings~

some weekends you just need to
slip away

slow and take the back roads

 soak in the air
and look for the hidden

smile and enjoy the simple

 

let our minds rest and change our focus

 

a change of scenery
always does the body good
 

rest & a new perspective
is hoped and prayed for those who are need...
~~~

Better a handful of quietness
than both hands full,
together with toil and grasping for the wind.
Ecc. 4:6

may your weekend be filled with a handful
~Karen
(all photos were taken on a recent visit
to the Aimish Country outside of Lawrenceburg, TN)
 

~Time spent at The Grove Park Inn

It seemed we had just arrived,

when it was time to leave.  :(

If you have not read my previous post about
my recent trip to Asheville, NC,
you might like to scroll down to
~On the Road Together

My husband's conference was held at
The Grove Park Inn in Asheville and I tagged along.
You may click the link to view more
history & details about the Inn.

the rear view of Grove Park Inn
which overlooks the Spa Facilities

We had a nice dinner with others attending the conference
and watched a beautiful sunset from the
 Sunset Terrace Restaurant .

the hotel is noted for the spectacular views
 from any area

one of the many hallways
each rocking chair you see on the left
had a view

The grand stone entrance to the hotel

I really don't know how I captured a picture
without someone sitting in one of the rockers,
this was a favorite spot for the guests.

the flowers on the grounds were amazing
if that is not a container flower garden

I watched these friendly girls
each morning, while I drank my coffee.
  They would stroll onto the golf course.

 
one of the large fireplaces in the lobby
notice I said "one"
look at the beautiful inlay in the ceiling
and the light fixtures

 fresh flowers in the lobby each day
this one was my favorite
- especially the tall silver container

could not resist getting a close-up of the flowers
I could not begin to name each one
but, the orchids caught my eye

The entrance to the Inn
Notice the guy in the red vest to the right ~
he greeted you upon arrival
and I even captured a picture of him doing a little dance
He must love his job.
  I do know he enjoys visiting with the guests.

I could not help but end this post,
with one of the quotes
inscribed in the large stone of the fireplace. 
The Grove Park did have charm and I do hope
 to return one day for a special occasion.
~~~
It was a busy trip for my husband
since he was there for a conference,
but we were able to have one
morning together to sight-see.
I will share those pictures on another post.

The Association who conducted
the conference also provided
a guided tour to the Biltmore and dinner there.
That was my first time to see the Biltmore.
I loved it!  It was raining, so that meant
no really great pictures.

One day I did hang out at the Spa,
all by myself.  The other wives/girls went shopping.
I would choose spa over shopping any day.
  It was Breath-taking to say the least!
Of course no pictures were allowed in the area,
for privacy sake.You can view pictures on line
from the link I have shared.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the pictures
and I was not too wordy with this post.