fog

It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord speaks so clearly to me.

we made a get-a-away to the mountains this past weekend. the first day we were there, it was beautiful with clear skies. the second morning was verrryy foggy. I spent majority of the weekend curled in a chair by the wood fire stove with my bible and my Lord. (and the occasional hot cocoa).

the devotional out of Jesus Calling (on the morning that was so foggy) was this:

Nov. 16th:

'As you look at the day before you, you see a twisted, complicated path, with branches going off in all directions. You wonder how you can possibly find your way through that maze. Then you remember the One who is with you always, holding you up by your right hand. You recall My promise to guide you with My counsel, and you begin to relax. As you look again at the path ahead, you notice that a peaceful fog has settled over it, obscuring your view. You can see only a few steps in front of you, so you turn your attention more fully to Me and begin to enjoy My presence.

The fog is a protection for you, calling you back into the present moment. Although I inhabit all of space and time, you can communicate with Me only here and now. Someday the fog will no longer be necessary, for you will have learned to keep your focus on Me and on the path just ahead of you.

Psalm 73:23-24  1 Corinthians 13:12

I stopped for a minute after reading the part about the 'peaceful fog' settling in. I glanced out the window at the what would normally be a breathtaking view of the mountains but that was currently covered in a dense fog. and I thought, "wow, Lord. you had to actually give me physical, real-life fog to make me listen this time. ...I truly believe that sometimes the Lord uses subtle reminders, little "nudges" if you will, to talk to us or get us to listen. and other times, He uses very obvious, smack in the face reminders. This 'ole fog was one of them.

now, I am not a worry wart. however, I have been wrestling lately with the uncertainty of the future and what it will hold. the Lord knows this. He also knows that when these anxious thoughts begin to creep in my mind, that I tend to be pretty good about pushing them out and putting my trust back in Him. we humans (well, at least this human) can only handle so much. this wonderful, screamingly obvious nudge was wonderful at settling my mind and calming my anxious heart. and reminding me that thankfully, I only have the path just ahead of me to focus on.

so instead of thinking of fog as a negative thing that obscures my view, I now know that it is God's way of protecting me and caring for me. It is God's way of talking directly to me and saying "I've got this, my child. Take it one day at a time, I am only giving you today to think on for now. Turn to me. Look to me. Focus on me."

so I ended my time praising God for the fog instead of grumbling about it.

I think a lot of us struggle with this from time to time. we like to know exactly what our life will look like and how we will get there. the truth is, we can't handle all that. and not knowing exactly where life is heading, forces us to put our trust in the One who does know. and I think back often to my hubby's favorite verse: 'For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' Jeremiah 29:11. ....Hallelujah to that!!

have a blessed day!

xoxo, Landrum

sweater season

the days have gotten shorter and darker...:/

plus side?? getting to snuggle up in some cozy sweaters. beating the blues this morning by sharing some of my favorite cozy sweaters.

    happy sweater season!

xoxo, Landrum

 

**all images via pinterest**

a break in the fall

this past (long) weekend, the hubs and I took full advantage of the fact that he still gets "fall breaks." we headed to Pawley's Island for a few relaxing days to rejuvenate.

sun, sand, and beautiful sunrise/sunsets, one after the other. so much beauty. I can't help that every time I get near the ocean, scripture just flows through my mind...and I love that.

here are a few snaps of our quick trip. (sorry there are no humans in these pictures, we don't do well with the "selfies". hehe)

no fall leaves but still fabulously fall :)   ....have a wonderful week!

xoxo, Landrum

pumpkin goodness

I know everyone is on pumpkin overload right now. I get it. as much as I love pumpkin goodies myself, I agree sometimes its a little much.

but, hang with me for a second. I couldn't let Fall pass me by and not have made pumpkin muffins/bread. so I put a little twist on the normal pumpkin muffins.

I found a super duper easy recipe online that I changed up a little. the recipe uses all natural ingredients. very refreshing. most of the pumpkin muffin recipes I have used in the past call for the yellow cake mix (nothing wrong with that), but I just wanted to try something a little different.

what you need:

3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 cups granulated sugar ( I actually used half granulated sugar and 1/2 brown sugar )

1 can (15 oz) of 100% pure pumpkin

4 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water (I fresh squeezed orange juice instead here but used same amount, 1/2 cup)

the prep:

go ahead and preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease muffin cups (I like to be old-fashioned and use butter like my mom always does :) ) plus, I think it adds to the flavor.

combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. then combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil, and OJ in another large bowl. stir/beat until blended. I then slowly added flour mixture gradually (because I mixed by hand) to the pumpkin mix. stir until the two separate bowls of ingredients are fully blended. then place mixture into muffin cups. (about 3/4 full)

bake in oven for 25-30 min. or until fork comes out clean when placed in center of muffin.

I even had enough extra batter to make a loaf of pumpkin bread! you could also do mini muffins/jumbo muffins/bread pan, etc. whatever you wish. the batter is just "lick the spoon" delicious. :)

I really think the natural ingredients (including the freshly squeezed OJ) made such a difference in taste. this batch was head and shoulders better than last years.

enjoy, friends!

xoxo, Landrum

it's okay...

it's ok....?

do y'all remember those pages in one of the magazines (can't remember the name of the mag) that would say "It's ok"....and have a list of things that people would usually be afraid to admit? I always thought those were so funny.

I decided to make a list of my own and hope you will add to this list. I have been feeling guilty (and a little silly) about some of these things lately and just decided that IT IS OK. hope some of you can relate. :)  P.S. some of these are a little embarrassing but I decided to expose myself anyway, haha.

so, it's ok...

to go skipping up the steps of one of the houses on the battery jiggling your keys pretending like you live there? (hey, a girl can dream right?)

to reproduce canned items to make them look like you're own homegrown creation? (but I did hear Rachael Ray say that sautéing certain canned veggies such as corn helps bring out natural sugars and flavors, so there. )

to scream into a pillow as loud as you can every once in a while

to live for The Voice on Monday and Tuesday nights

to get ridiculously crazy excited for every new changing season

to spend majority of your days off in 'work out' clothes but hardly ever working out?

to live at the beach but long to be in the mountains? (esp. in the Fall)


please add to the list! I know I'll be adding quite a few to this over time. It's fun and keeps life light :)

have a good one!

 

xoxo, Landrum

 

 

 

 

 

fall fancies

well, yesterday marked the first official day of fall. can't believe how fast summer flew by! here are some fall-y things I have been ogling over for the season. 

 

happy fall, y'all!

 

xoxo, Landrum

 

 

 



**all images via pinterest**