Stewardship

"Bringing our body under subjection doesn't begin with diet and exercise, but with searching for and confessing idols of the heart that interfere with the discipline to which we have been called and which grace makes possible. You see, the stewardship of our physical body is not an addition to our gospel ministry calling; it is a significant part of of it." 

~P.D. Tripp, "Lead"

As I'm trying to jog more, my knees have been rebelling. I've added a simple turmeric latte to my daily routine. Using this inexpensive turmeric with black pepper extract, I use one caplet for every 1/3 cup milk. Drinking this helps me pause each afternoon, something I often forget to do. And my knees are happier, too!

In addition to stewarding our bodies well, we strive to serve our community effectively. Sometimes that looks like standing in line to vote.

And sometimes it looks like buying from local farmers who work hard to grow sustainable meat and produce. Our Thanksgiving turkey once again came from Shaky K Farms. I sure do love this farmer friend!

Carrot Cake Oatmeal always shows up on the menu when the days get colder. Saturday breakfast on the back patio is a treat and a refreshing way to begin the weekend.

November is for...

Backyard Greek lessons

Brilliant Ginkgo leaves

Harvesting produce from the garden before it freezes.

Even the beautiful baby beans.

Going on walks with Grandma during golden hour.

Marriage Monday - Days 21 & 22

So we obviously didn't hit our "Forty Dates for Forty Years" goal this year. But we DID have a lot of fun trying new adventures together. 

In November, we snuck away to explore some trails at Queen Wilhelmina State Park. We had never been to this part of Arkansas before, and its beauty astounded me.

The slow mornings at the Air BnB were exactly what we needed to promote conversations and sharing our hearts.

The autumn colors and cooler temperatures rejeuvenated our souls.

We've recently discovered "The Art of Spousing" podcast, and we're enjoying perusing the resources they offer for our marriage toolbox.

Hiking along the Ouachita Trail for the first time, we decided that we need to come back more often.

The Friends of the Ouachita Trail do a phenomenal job of maintaining the trail in addition to offering shelters and information for hikers. 10/10 would recommend!

 

Kickin' off November

Once November began, the days and weeks flew by. The month started with a sweet bonfire/potluck/worship session with some of our favorite people.

As the weather turned colder, I realized I needed to find some wool clothes, especially skirts. America Jane Vintage to the rescue! The owner, Tina, is a sweet friend who shares many of the same experiences.

With Halloween behind us, nobody wants pumpkins and winter squash anymore. So the prices are dropping, and local bounty is easy to find. To save time, we'll take a monster pumpkin, peel and dice it, then measure it out and label it for specific recipes throughout the week. 

In addition to my old standby Chicken and Pumpkin Goulash, we're often making Butternut Squash Hash with Apples, Sausage, and Kale for breakfast.

Halloween

My friend, Lauren, found these peanut butter and jelly costumes for us at a flea market. Such a good analogy for our marriage! 

But the first Halloween costume I utilized was for the gym. With the help of one of the trainers, I snuck an old name tag and dressed up like Mason, who works at the gym I attend. The look on his face when I walked through the door was priceless.

As the light began to fade, our house had several visitors. The first ones were a family whose oldest two study cello with me.

Then we delighted in some of our neighbors and friends who call me JoJo. The Davis kiddos are adorable.

The last of the small ones were Lauren's kids, another set who refer to me as JoJo. Hugs and candy all around!

As the evening progressed, the ages of the trick-or-treaters went up. Seeing high school students dress up and participate in the festivities makes me happy.

These orch dorks sure know how to bring a smile to my face. And just when we had decided to turn off the lights and take off our costumes, I got a text...

"Are you still awake?" (they know me well!) 

"We're in your driveway!" So I grabbed the candy, turned on the light, and popped back out on the porch for some quick hugs and a visit with these cello students.

Presence and Beauty

I've been reading "Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human". I love how Comer frames how we spend our time as a way to make God's presence and beauty visible. For me, that looks like strengthening my body as Katherine and I go to the gym together. It looks like savoring the one Arkansas Black apple that survived this year (unlike the bumper crop we had recently). It also looks like one of my cello student's parents getting out of her car week after week to delight in the beautiful monarchs that continue to flock to our lantana and zinnias. 

"The Anglican writer John Stott said the kind of work we're called to is 'The expenditure of energy (manual or mental or both) in the service of others, which brings fulfillment to the worker, benefit to the community, and glory to God.'

Most of us get the first part of that definition: 'Fulfilment to the worker' -- ideally, your work should be a vocation, a calling, work that you feel God made you to do and that you love. And a lot of us get the second part: 'Benefit to the community' -- it should make the world into a more Garden-like place. But what about 'glory to God'? How do we do that?

Well, if God's glory is his presence and beauty, then, as I see it, we glorify God by reshaping the raw materials of the world in such a way that, for those with eyes to see, God's presence and beauty are made visible." ~John Mark Comer

Autumn Delights

Basketball season has begun, and I'm thrilled to watch my favorite basketball player, Evan, reap the benefits from his summer of hard work in the gym.

Our local farmers continue to provide amazing produce to share before the freeze. For the first time, we tried dehyrdrating squash and zucchini. They are so yummy! And our soups will be happy this winter when we add the sunshine of summer veggies.

"La Fiesta Orquesta" is one of my favorite concerts because we get to watch every single orchestra perform in one night. This year, the high school premiered a new piece by Bud Woodruff, a composer friend of the orchestra, and one of the violinsts choreographed a dance the she performed as the orchestra played.

 

Autumn Kitchen Goodness

Some precious little people let me come over and make my favorite apple cake recently. My friend, Lauren, said this recipe is very similar to the one she enjoyed as a child.

The kiddos did a fabulous job chopping the apples and helping me put all of the ingredients into the mixing bowl.

While the cake cooked, we rolled out sugar cookies and cut out fall shapes. Both of these preschoolers are experts in the kitchen because their mama gives them lots of opportunities to cook.

Before I returned home, I had a few minutes for snuggling and reading books. A day full of lovely Autumn activities!

Pumpkin Patch

One of our favorite families with little ones asked if I wanted to join them at the pumpkin patch.

Observing all of the experiences through the eyes of a preschooler brought me such joy. Animals to pet, long slides to conquer, a hayride to make us bounce up and down.

We all picked out pumpkins and winter squash. My mantle is now full of them, but the numbers are diminishing as we eat the yummy gourds day after day.

Maybe living overseas for so many years without seasons gives me a particular delight in soaking up every bit of the autumn weather, but I love not having to create my own version of cooler weather and changing leaves. Especially when I get to spend time with cuties like these.

Sweet Sabbath

"Sabbath is an invitation to receptivity, an acknowledgment that what is needed is given and need not be seized." ~Walter Brueggman, "Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to a Culture of Now"

"What is needed is given"...reading this sweet reminder makes me breathe a big, happy sigh. God is the one doing the work in my heart, He is the one fighting on my behalf, He is the one wearing the other half of the yoke, He is the one leading the way.

Day before Thanksgiving 2024

Molly's Pilgrim is a sweet little read-aloud that pairs nicely with working on an autumn puzzle. This year for Thanksgiving, our house wouldn't be as full as usual.

Sarah drove in from Dallas, Olivia and Connor made their way from NW Arkansas, coffee was consumed and chatting began.

With the abundance of American ingredients, Sarah created beautiful and delicious pies. She continues to tweak her traditional recipes, this year she produced pecan, pumpkin, and caramel apple pies.

At the end of the day, we gathered on the back patio, bundled up in blankets expecting our first freeze of the season, devoured s'mores, and continued sweet conversations.