I must confess! I do not miss California one bit! And so glad we moved here. Mr. Darling keeps saying we should have moved to the Mid West even 20 years ago. The Lord is good and surely had His reasons for bringing us through all that we have been through in the last couple of decades. We are just so happy He moved us here now. Our new church and church/family are such a delight. I have said this before and I will say it again....I have prayed for this for sooooo long that God would answer my prayers and give us a church/family and friends that love us unconditionally, who will lift us up and pray for us every day, who won't judge us, or make us feel like we live in a glass house watching our every move waiting for us to do something wrong then point their fingers, and who will be your cheerleaders by our side etc...
We have felt that love and have been accepted here in Indiana with open arms by the flock. My heart swells with joy. It has been a long journey and so much of that I am so grateful for. Even the bad and hard times. I know it is hard for some people to see or even comprehend the hard or bad stuff in life as good. But, for me...The picture is clear. I have grown and learned the hard way through the last several years of wrongful betrayal by others toward my precious little family & I. After a year of healing I can now say with full confidence and assurance that I am glad and grateful to God for what we went through. I have learned to see how some characters truly are. I have grown in so many ways through the many trials we endured. It has made me a stronger person for it. He has brought us through some dark times...He has eliminated certain folks out of our life yet, It has taken years of the word, sanctification, prayer, grace, faith, trust, hope and forgiveness to get here. In this season I am finally able to see more of the picture and it's a beautiful one. As broken as this life is the good outweighs all the bad and injustice in this world. I have been so very happy and fully content with our journey and new life here. And looking so forward to seeing what God has in store for us in the coming years with the work here and our growing relationships with God's people. I am eager to walk with this flock and hope that in return our family will be able to express our love that we have for them and to be an encouragement to them through their walks as well. With Thanksgiving in just a handful of days it is a good time to reflect on the things your are grateful and thankful for in this life. Ultimately giving our Lord the glory and thanksgiving He deserves. We should more often reflect on these things not only during Thanksgiving but, every day of our lives.
On a lighter note...I have really bee enjoying cooking in our kitchen making good, wholesome comfort foods. Foods that remind us of the Autumn. The smells of spices and the tastes of the season give me a comforting sense of home with the ones I love. Food that nourishes our bodies and brings back memories of certain times. Lately I have been cooking a lot with all different squashes, roots and spices. I pureed pumpkin, roasted squashes with parsnips, carrots, and cranberries. I have used a lot of seasonal apples and pears in dishes as well. Plus experimenting with new recipes which have now become favorites in which I will defiantly make again come next Fall, I have also added in some delicious soups...Nothing screams Autumn and Winter like a good soup to warm you body and soul. A scrumptious roasted butternut soup or a quinoa chicken chili soup will do the trick! i have planned to make soups for supper as often as possible during the Winter months. Number one it is cheap and number two it is filling. I especially enjoy a lovely soup on a really chilly day. I can't wait!
This weekend we had church family over for supper and fellowship. I used my Amish Apple Butter which I whipped up earlier in the season as a sort of compote on top of pork chops...Oh boy was that a delightful pairing. I also served rice pilaf, a medley of squashes, sweet potato, cranberries and parsnips, which I roasted with local honey, brown sugar and cinnamon glaze...Yummy! I also served a mixed salad with raspberry vinaigrette and candied almonds, cranberries and feta cheese...It was a really good supper, thought the fellowship was even better!
This has also been a great time seeing a classic play called Our Town and enjoyed even a symphony. We will be seeing The Christmas Carol this Winter as well as Three Musketeers, Jungle Book and Peter Pan in which my daughter will be performing in.
I love that we are already making some great memories!!!
Lastly, we enjoyed a little Winter teaser of snow flurries over the weekend. Oh how I have missed snow since our years in Washington. My daughter was a bit sad that the local Kitty was cold outside. Sorry Kitty, Mr. Darling won't let you in..... Now I am dreaming of a White Christmas!!! LOL! Well I am off! Come on back, I will be sharing another Home Sweet Home Tour!
