We’ve been having a contentment problem in our home. It looks different depending on who, but it seems like we’ve all dealing with “I wish” or “if only I had” or “I can’t wait until” or… you know.

One night J challenged us to share three things we had been consciously grateful for that day. It was a good kick in the pants, because some of us couldn’t think of anything for which we’d felt or expressed gratitude. One of our problems, I think, is the great abundance we live with every day and take for granted.

I decided to make a list of Abundance I’ve been blessed with in recent days.

1. I’ve been fighting an infection and unable to kick it with my own doctoring. Tuesday morning I called the Urgent Care line that our insurance provides “free” with our premium and in five minutes, had a prescription. An hour and $10 later, I had an antibiotic in hand and I’m feeling much better. An accessible doctor and inexpensive medication, all in an hour’s time…that is Abundance.
2. The weather has been bitter cold, for this area. We’ve had almost a week of below freezing temps now. We had stacked a big pile of firewood in preparation and our house, even on the single digit nights, has never gotten below 66 degrees. That is Abundance.
3. I stocked up on groceries today. I didn’t really NEED groceries. Our family could easily live for a month or more on the food that is stored in canning jars, freezers, and pantry shelves. But we have the resources to buy things we want or feel like eating–mandarins, bananas, yogurt, chocolate, potato chips. That is Abundance.
4. A good school for our children. (Ha, and the fact that they’ve been going to school this week, when the public schools have been closed.)
5. A local library that keeps us stocked with books and puzzles for cold winter days.
6. Amazon, that continues to deliver even in bad weather.
7. Customers who choose our business.

I could go on and on. Our lives overflow with abundance–physical and spiritual. Good gifts from the Father. If you’re having trouble with discontentment, I encourage you to start making a list. It has been a good exercise for me.

(That was written last week. I haven’t edited the time markers.)

How about this bit of outright luxury? J’s latest auction buy. Our recliner fell apart several weeks ago, leaving an empty space in the living room just right for the massage chair. It has seen almost constant use since he brought it home. Supposedly it is for me, but let’s just say I share it a lot more than I use it. 😉

A local weather forecaster posted today that “Harrisonburg has now had snow on the ground for 18 straight days, our longest such stretch since 36 straight days in 2010.” Those days in 2010 were particularly memorable because they were right over the time of our wedding. J and I celebrate sixteen years today. He’s an especially good gift in my life, and I am grateful.

Last Sunday morning I posted about a storm that seemed to be under-delivered. Compared to the forecasts of what might be, could be, probably would be, our accumulation wasn’t that spectacular on Sunday morning. We had a couple inches of snow, followed by hour after hour of sleet pouring down. About six inches of sleet, by the time the storm passed in the early evening. J isn’t one to stay home in snow–hop in the truck and go to Grandma’s house or whatever–but a drive on Sunday afternoon had him saying the roads were the most treacherous he ever remembers driving on.

Then the cold settled in. All week we’ve had temps in the single digits at night, and only rising into the teens or twenties during the day. The sleet settled and froze into heavy, solid “snowcrete.” A sad number of farmers lost farm buildings and poultry houses because the weight was too much for the roofs. The only way to shovel is to hack out a block and carry it away. I felt like I was building an igloo or something when I tried to clear the patio at the Airbnb.

“In the bleak midwinter…earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.” I keep thinking these lines.

A couple years ago, the local river had a “once in a lifetime” freeze. Apparently not, because it is frozen again, and the kids enjoyed skating (water like a stone, check). Today I observed a group of kids in skates, skating across a corn field. No ice needed; the snow is just as good. People, animals, small equipment…it all glides across the top of the frozen snow without leaving a dent.

It makes for wickedly fast sledding. Honestly, on my first slide the speed was almost terrifying. No way to slow down, and if you and the sled part ways, you keep right on sliding. I took three rides–three crashes and I was out, with a bruised, strained, or fractured something in my ribs that reminds me of my age (earth as hard as iron, check). Today the kids were sliding over half a mile down a hill and across a corn field, past those red barns in the upper right corner. I never saw anything like it. A four-wheeler provided conveyance from the bottom, since walking almost requires crampons.

“I can’t wait for the warm weather tomorrow,” J said this evening. The forecast? High of 37, low of 18. It’s all about perspective, in the bleak midwinter.

A large portion of the eastern US spent the past week preparing for a huge snow storm. “Catastrophic Snow and Ice!” shouted one headline I saw. In our area, forecasts of 20+ inches of snow, followed by sleet, freezing rain, and then a week of below freezing temperatures had everyone in a flurry of preparations. Grocery store shelves emptied. A friend who delivers bread sent us the picture above on Wednesday, days in advance of the snow. J’s phone rang off the hook–over 100 calls to/from his phone on Friday alone–as people tried to buy generators or asked for service to ensure their equipment was in ready condition. I rode with him to a job on Thursday and we noticed several propane and off-road diesel filling stations with cars lined up around the parking lot and even out onto the road. A storm was predicted and people were making great effort to be prepared.

It brought to mind another prediction. Actually, this event is not just predicted–it is promised. Jesus has told us that one day he will return (John 14:2-3, Matt. 24:30-31. We’ve been told what to do to be ready (John 1:12, Rm. 10:9). We’ve been given signs to watch for (Matt. 24). We’ve been given warnings of tragic consequences for those who are unprepared (Rev. 20:11-15). We’ve been given tasks to do while we wait (I Thes. 4-5). The timing is unknown, but the event is sure. Why is it then that so few of us consider with any regularity our readiness for the Lord’s return?

This morning we woke up to several inches of snow and steadily falling sleet. In our area, at least so far, this storm is over-predicted and under-delivered.

One great and glorious morning (or noon or night), Jesus is going to appear in the clouds. Not one promise will be under-delivered upon. Are you ready?

Often our holiday celebrations end up spread throughout the month of December and by the time Christmas day rolls around, most things are done and over. This year it ended up that pretty much all of our holiday plans were packed into the days right around Christmas.

I guess that was good, because if there’s any one thing we’ll remember about December, at least J and I, is that our business suddenly went crazy. I’d ask J when he got home, “How many people did we hire today?” It was kind of a joke and kind of not. Between onboarding people and getting offices set up and another truck purchased/outfitted and beginning work on a website and trying to get phone and email systems in place and choosing a payroll service and meeting with a new accountant and a never ending list of things to do and countless phone calls and also trying to get paying work done, we didn’t have much time or energy leftover.

I did a terrible job of taking pictures over the holidays. What you see is almost all there is, but they catch most of the highlights.

Annual cookie baking with a friend.

Snow! Two snow days and several delayed starts…unusual for December. These two were out before the crack of dawn–apparently it is easier to wake up early on snow days than it is on school days. 🙂

The kids’ school Christmas concerts. B’s choir sang selections from Handel’s Messiah, arranged for young voices. They did a great job.

My parents came home from AL for two weeks and stayed in our rental house. It was fun to have them around. We enjoyed family time with all my siblings on Dec. 23-24.

On Christmas Day, out of town guests joined us for brunch and part of the afternoon. J decided to burn a big brush pile and in the process, A ended up needing stitches for a chainsaw wound. Oops. It could’ve been much, much worse and we are grateful for God’s mercy. We’re also thankful for a friend who cleared off his operating dining room table and fixed A right up.

We had been planning to leave for OH to visit J’s family on the 26th, but when our friends left at 3:30 on Christmas Day, J turned to me and said, “How about we leave now?!” Thus commenced a flurry of packing and bonfire tending and such, and at 5:20, we pulled out of our driveway. That meant a late night arrival, but it was nice to have the extra time with family on Friday.

We got home Sunday evening and brought a nasty sick bug with us–most of the people who were together in OH got it, but so far only me from our family. That has slowed down my week in some disappointing but also in some needed ways.

And just like that, 2025 is over. I could feel stressed looking at the year ahead, but what do I know about the days to come, other than that God is sovereign and faithful to supply what is needed for the callings He gives? I’m asking God to help me to rest and work in His strength in 2026.

Here’s a three-part story about government taxation.
Part 1:
I got a letter in the mail last Saturday from the state of Virginia. It said they assessed my 2024 income tax return and either full payment was not received or the return was adjusted, resulting in additional money due. The amount owing was $1.00. And since it is now November, I owe $9.66 interest. How ridiculous is that?! When I read the letter, I laughed, but then it almost made me mad. Seriously, a dollar?! Then I got to thinking, if the state would assess every return (they claim to have received 4.2 million of them in 2024) an extra dollar, plus $10 dollars of interest, they’d make almost $50 million. Maybe it is a new revenue scheme.

Part 2:
I went online Monday morning and paid the $10.66 they said was outstanding.

Part 3:
I got a check in the mail Monday afternoon from the state of Virginia–an tax relief payout. They kindly reduced my check by $10.66, the amount owing on my account. I supposed now they’ll have to issue me a refund check, since the $10.66 has now been paid twice.

Melisma Giveaway
I’ve been hearing B using the word “melisma.” That’s a word I’d never heard, and it was fun to learn it from my youngest.

This is kind of like Balderdash (or Dictionary, or whatever you call it). Give me your best guess/definition. “A melisma is ______________.” If you’re a smarty pants and know the answer, kudos to you–just say, “I know what a melisma is,” so you don’t reveal the answer to others. I’ll pick a random winner from the comments on Monday evening, Dec. 1 and send a prize related to the word.

Some fun things from the past month.

Celebrating National Pretzel Day on October 22. The meal featured pretzels, of course.

After dinner we divided into pairs for a challenge–You’re stranded on an island in the middle of the ocean. Build a craft out of pretzels and marshmallows to carry you off the island to safety.

It doesn’t look like much, does it. 🙂

A and a friend taking off on a 17 mile bike ride from Singers Glen to Keezletown. It felt like a growing up and letting go thing, to send him off on an adventure like that.

Making apple butter with our church family.

J’s Sunday school class was studying about Noah and the flood. That inspired an afternoon hike to the top of a mountain ridge in our area where almost all the rocks have marine fossils in them, an “in our backyard” illustration of a worldwide flood.

So cool.

I was privileged to spend a couple days with these dear friends at our biannual getaway, a tradition that started the year we turned 40.

Making fall treats with Aunt C.

I looked back over the Thankful Thursday posts I’ve written and realized that Thanksgiving Day is usually a work day for our family. I’m not sure what that says about us, but we’re maintaining the tradition this year too.

After a sleep-in morning and pancake breakfast, J and the boys went to pull wire at a job our business is working on. M and I stayed busy here at home, baking pies and rolls for supper, scrubbing the showers (me) and unearthing a bedroom floor (her).

The guys got home mid-afternoon and we partook of our Thanksgiving feast for supper.

After cleaning up the kitchen, we watched several Michael Macintyre “Unexpected Star” YouTube videos. When the video selection changed to off-road rescue episodes, M and I chose to play games instead. After losing three games of Mancala, one of two games of Sequence, one game of Uncle Wiggly, and one game of Rummikub, I quit. 🙂

I am blessed and I am grateful.

I’ve been enjoying our BSF study of Ezra the last couple weeks. One thing that has stood out to me is the hand of the Lord at work in the lives of both his people and pagan kings.

“The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia…(Ez. 1:1)”
“Then rose up…everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord…(1:5)”
“Now the prophets…prophesied to the Jews…in the name of the God of Israel who was over them…(5:1)”
“But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews…(5:5)”
“The king granted [Ezra] all he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him…(7:6, 9, 28)”
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king…(7:27)”
“And by the good hand of our God on us…(8:18)”

I could’ve also added to the list answers to prayers and specific acts God performed on behalf of his people. That’s as far as we’ve gotten in the book of Ezra; I’ll be watching for more as our study continues.

Seeing God’s sovereign hand working in Ezra’s time gives confidence that God is working now. Two questions from our lesson were particularly thought provoking for me and I’ll leave them with you.

What challenging situation is God calling you to address, in His strength? (obedience)
and
How is God calling you to trust Him with what only He can do? (trust)

God, I invite your hand to work in and through us as we trust and obey.

I’ve racked my brain trying to think of a tip to share today and haven’t been inspired.

The only think I can think of you’ve probably heard a hundred times, but it bears repeating in this time of increased grocery prices. Shop sales. Yesterday I went to Food Lion to buy a few things we needed. Sweet potatoes were on sale, so I bought a 40 lb. case for $10. My bill total was $36, qualifying me to buy a turkey for $.29/pound, so I added on a turkey that cost me $4.48. After swiping my loyalty card and getting discounts on some items, my total purchase was $35.66. In the process, I also earned a $5 “Shop & Earn” cash reward. Seven pounds of carrots, a gallon of milk, 40 pounds of sweet potatoes, a turkey, and a few other random things for $30? Yes, please!

For something a little more interesting, here’s an abbreviated Daybook entry.

Outside my window…dark wetness. I’m thankful for rain that came today.

I am learning…a bit about website design, as we start into that new frontier for our business. I’m thankful we’ve hired someone else to do the work.

I am thinking…about voting, since M is in a debate about whether Christians should vote and be involved in political process. She’s on the “no” side. I’m thankful for a school that helps kids think about things like that and for the discussions it opens up at home too.

I am listening…to my kids playing happily together in the basement. I’m thankful for that after a scrappy evening.

I am wearing…a striped blouse and a denim skirt.

I am praying…for some good help for our business. I’m thankful for one that accepted an offer today.

I am reading…picked up The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben Macintyre at the library today. Not sure when/why that got added to my TBR list, but I’ll give it a try.

I am planning…to finish painting the main living area of our house. I did the living room in the spring and then never got around to the kitchen/dining room. I’ve got paint now, so maybe that’ll be a Thanksgiving weekend project. I’m thankful for our well-lived-in home and for relatively simple ways to freshen things up.

I am going…to SC with J for his cousin’s 50th birthday party this weekend, then on to TN to buy a work truck. I’m thankful for the time we’ll have to talk while we drive.

I am looking forward to…having my Christmas shopping done. I’m thankful my kids are old enough to be responsible for shopping for the names they drew in school/family exchanges.

Around the house…bedtime. Zzzzz….