Give Thanks

1 Chronicles 16:8-13 (New Century Version)
8 Give thanks to the Lord and pray to him. Tell the nations what he has done. 9 Sing to him; sing praises to him. Tell about all his miracles. 10 Be glad that you are his; let those who seek the Lord be happy. 11 Depend on the Lord and his strength; always go to him for help. 12 Remember the miracles he has done, his wonders, and his decisions. 13 You are the descendants of his servant, Israel; you are the children of Jacob, his chosen people.

As I thought about my Thanksgiving Post this week I went over in my head what I was thankful for?And who I was thankful to.

First Thanks be to God for the countless miracles he has done this year in my life.


I started this year thinking I was losing a baby as rivers of blood rushed from me and I spent the next 8 weeks on bed rest. But Thanks be to God I hold in my arms Riley Kristopher a who will someday be a Valent Fellower of Christ as his name procliams.

I am thankful for each breath I breathe even when they are painful. Sometimes I think the pain is a reminder that I am alive. Dead people don't feel pain..

Even with all my health problems I have faced this year looking back I am thankful for Gods hand in it all and each lesson I have learned or faith that was built in me and my family and friends. God sees the big picture his word tells me his plans are for Good and I am countinuing to believe and stand on that!

My heart is over run with Thanksgiving for a Husband who loves me more then I am worthy. Children that lay in bed with me and lay hands on me and pray health for their mother! I thankful for my Parents and Brothers and Sisters( inlaws too) and Church family that cleaned my house, homeschooled my kids, fed my husband and kids real food. Reminded me of Who my God is and what he is able to do. The list is to long of prayers and hands that held us thur this year. Without them The list this year would have been very diffrent. Thank you.

Beans view is full of Thanksgiving and praises..

Normal people?

Normal what is it?

Who defines it?

Is there such a thing as normal people?

Do I know any normal people?

Am I normal?


Questions about this term normal have come to me over and over again the past few weeks. I went to winkipendia to see what it said about this term Normal. Here is the link if you want to read the whole page...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normality_(behavior)


"In behavior, normal refers to a lack of significant deviation from the average. The phrase "not normal" is often applied in a negative sense (asserting that someone or some situation is improper, sick, etc.) Abnormality varies greatly in how pleasant or unpleasant this is for other people. The Oxford English Dictionary defines "normal" as 'conforming to a standard'. "

So normal people don't deviate from the average people? Normal people according to this conform to a standard.

Ok so this brings up two new question for us to ask.

Do I have to be average to be normal then?

And who set it and what is the standard for normal?

Bean is wondering what is your view is on Normal?

Braggin on my LIttle Sister... Check her stuff out

Picture of my son Riley taken by Crabigail

My Baby sister who is no baby anymore takes my breath away with her wonderful eye for photography!It is a God given gift! She is self taught and has been told by old hat pros that she blows some pros pants off... love you Stinkerbell.. for today enjoy her view not mine BEAN

http://crabigailjane.wordpress.com/2009/11/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crabigail
http://www.imagekind.com/MemberProfile.aspx?MID=07aea21b-e56d-43b6-8508-887838da36f6

Want to Win a gift?

Need a free Christmas gift for a child in your life?!!
Go to one of my Fav blogs to read
http://newlifeonahomestead.com/?p=3158
and read her post about how to win a NEW Crayola Color Explosion Glow Dome!
It looks like a fun toy for kids of all ages and it looks really cool!Christmas is just around the corner and I am sure we all could use a free gift!,

The Crayola Color Explosion Glow Dome is sure to bring wide-eyed wonder to kids’ faces when the lights go out and they watch their artwork glow and spin on a moving, two-layered dome of light. Kids control the “glow-motion” fun and can dial up slow, medium or warp speed to create a wild, animated scene. For ages six and up; suggested retail price is $29.99.
Crayola is also hosting the Give The Gift Of Creativity Sweepstakes where you can enter to win a 7-night Caribbean cruise for a family of four on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. Check it out HERE! http://www.crayola.com/gifts/vacation/home.cfm

Good luck! Bean like to view free stuff

Are you preparded?

What a cool thing I came across.. Thanks http://newlifeonahomestead.com/!


http://preparednesspantry.blogspot.com/ has this wonderful tool to log inventory of your pantry and also be able to shop for needs so you are always ready in Emergencys. You can log in how many people you fed in your house hold. Be able to better set goals for food storage this new year and your goals for your familys needs. Nursing Moms need more calories per day so keep that in mind if you are bf. Children and Adults have diffrent needs too. Maybe your like me and live with or have Diabetes or some type of dietary guidlines. Those with dietary guidelines will have greater needs for proper food during an Emergency.What a cool tool to help us plan and spend less tobe able to met our familys needs in a Emergency. I live in vermont and history has show that with in a matter of hours you can be trapped in your house because of a good old New England Nor'Easter storm. Better Safe then sorry...
Beans View today is What do I need to stock up on?
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Thanksgiving

My Husband and oldest Son just left to go help My Father(also Our Pastor)Move tables and chairs for our Church Thanksgiving Dinner tonight. This is a dinner our church has been hosting for 25 years. We have all the fixings of Thanksgiving served. Homemade Rolls with homemade butter, Peas & Carrots, Homemade Stuffing ,Squash and Mash potatoes with REAL gravy,Pickles and pie.

NOTE pickles and pie are not served together..

The Head of our Mercy Minstry(food and clothes)heads up the dinner. She had been working for months on gathering Turkeys I believe around 30 are being cook as i write.
100s of pds of veggies and even giving out apples to be cooked into yummy homemade New England Apple pie.

Everyone in our church body takes part in this dinner. The doors open at 5 pm but long before that our body has been in the doors. You see unlike alot of Church Thanksgiving dinners this dinner is not for our body. Yes we all come and enjoy the yummy homemade treats that were made in love. But I was thinking this morning as my Son and I talked about him serving tonight.

What my favoite part of this dinner is? Its not the Stuffing(which I love!) Or the Apple pie!

So why do I love it so much? Its a few things.. Let me draw you a picture of what my view will be tonight.

As soon as I walk up the side walk I see men and woman with children lined up waiting for the doors to open. The aroma of Thanksgiving is in the air even if it kinda smells like smoke,beer and sometimes unbathed people. But still Thanksgiving lingers thicker then the gravy cooking inside. I walk thur the door greeted by one of our men minding the door for the night. As I pass the kicthen I see many busy hands at work loading food into hot boxes to be sent upstairs.
When I walk in the Worship Center I see not chairs lined in neat rows but rather tables and chairs to seat about 500 thankful people. Then I will see men and woman of all walks of life in aprons with spoons in hand ready to fill the some 500 plus people plates that will shortly be lined up. As the doors open people filing in with smiling beaming. As I write I can picture one of the homeless mens who loves pickles. Each year always asking if he can have a extra pickle. Or the little dirty faces of little boys and girls as they grab just one more piece of pie.Or the Moms who say thank you so much to each people who serves them.

The aroma of Thanksgiving is my favotie thing about tonights dinner. It runs off those we serve like water coming out of a cool spring. The terms meaning aroma fragrance, and scent, are used primarily by the food and cosmetic industry to describe a pleasant odor.


I think the reason I love this dinner so much is because I don't often smell the aroma of thankgiving in our world.

When the Colonists gave thanks to God for rain after a two-month drought in 1623 that was the aroma of Thanksgiving. True Thanksgiving is being Thankful for Gods providing for your family. Most of us will sit down at a table this week with our family and eat way to much food. Watch football until we fall asleep on the couch.Maybe visit some family far away but will the aroma of Thanksgiving fill your house?

I am Thankful that tonight I get to sit at a table or spoon up mash potatoes to someone who oozes the Aroma of Thankgiving.

Thankfulness, Gratitude, or appreciation is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.

What Aroma will fill your house this Thanksgiving?
Thankful for My view today BEAN

Chocolate,Marmite Toast,and English Tea OH My?

Chocolate,Marmite Toast and English Tea OH My?





We have this lovely young lady in our Church Body from the UK. She lives as I learned last night near Christpher Robin and Pooh old stomping grounds! The kids just loved that! She has joined our small group on Thrusday nights. She came last night with a few English treats for us To quote her "For us Crazy Peanut Butter loving Americans to try!" For those luckier then I who have never tried Marmite it is made from yeast extract, a by-product of beer brewing, and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans[1].The British version of the product is a sticky, dark brown paste with a distinctive, powerful flavour, which is extremely salty and savoury with umami qualities, somewhat comparable to soy sauce. This distinctive taste is reflected in the British company's marketing slogan: "Love it or hate it."

Well some of us at small group loved it then there was me.. Which I found funny because My Dh tellls me all the time I use to much salt! But this blacklish brown sticky stuff on my toast was not complment for the fine English black tea and Yummy Cadbury Milk Chocolate! This peanut butter loving American was thinking yea some Peter pan with this would be just the thing! One of the young men that is in our small group said something that hit me funny last night. He said as he took a bite of his Marmite and toast,: My Jaw is not use to the new taste yet. I think I need to eat more before I know if I like it or not.


Marmites slogan is "your love it or hate it "

But somethings in life are not that easy. Sometimes it takes a while to see your true feelings about new flavors. I am not just talking about Marmite on toast or Peanut butter on Toast. But Sometimes God may give us a spiritual bite into the mouth of our hearts. We may spit it out right away and say like i did to the Marmite OH my thats to salty! Or we may ask for more the warm sweet goodness like Chocolate and English Tea. But sometimes we have to take more then one bite to understand our feelings. Chew on it think about how it taste.Think about how it settles in our gut. How often has Gods word tasted like a big spoonful of salt but after awhile it settles in our spirit. Maybe Just maybe we will see the goodness and long for more. FACT you die for a lack of salt before a lack of water! I was thinking as I was laying in bed tasting the Marmite roll around in my gut. Gods word is like that sometimes it tastes like salt and in the end is better for us but often we long for sweet water which taste good but won't keep us well in the long run.

Matthew5:6

6"Blessed arethose who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.


Righteousness is one of those salty bites God feeds us. Right Living?

The reward for of Right Living may be sweet but the first few bits are bitter and salty to swollow. I think the young man last night said it best. I need to eat more of this before I know if I like it or not. So next time God puts a salty bit into your mouth take a few more bites before spit it out. You may grow to like it..



Will I try Marmite again? Maybe... Thats Beans View for today