Happy Monday Morning! I hope you had a good weekend during these waning days of summer. The sunlight has definitely changed in the past week or so. The backyard shadows are coming earlier each afternoon and it’s not nearly as light when we have breakfast. We lit the window candles for the first time Saturday evening. I won’t use them every day yet, but I look forward to using them regularly throughout the fall and winter.

Thank you for the positive response to the video I posted on Friday (Negative World – High Profile Christians Bend the Knee & Embrace the False Woke Gospel {Sallie Video}). It was a funny confirmation I wasn’t expecting. Over the spring and summer I’ve watched videos by Christian women who make them in such a way that the listener can do housework or handwork while listening. I thought it was a neat idea but wasn’t sure. So it struck me when a few of you said you listened while cleaning your kitchen, working in your kitchen, etc. I took that as a little affirmation from the Lord that I was on the right track.

Why are we surprised when God answers our prayers, even the ones about topics we haven’t specifically targeted?

I’ve been praying specifically about something else the past few weeks and God has clearly been answering it. I mean really clearly. As in it could not be more obvious and there is no way I could have influenced the situation at all. Why am I surprised?

For me at least, I think when answers coming quickly and obviously they surprise me because some of my prayers have taken many years for visible answers. So I wrongly assume that every prayer is going to take forever to receive an answer. Then when answers come quickly I’m surprised. But it encourages me because it tells me I’m on the right track with what God wants to be doing and my heart and thoughts are in the right right place with His purposes.

Anyway, thank you for the encouragement with the video and content.

Preparing for a Cozy Autumn and Winter

Now that I see the squirrels burying seeds and the chickadees looking for places to stuff seeds on our deck, I know that it’s time for me to also be preparing for the winter. I love this cozy attic passage so much from Little House in the Big Woods.

We don’t have an attic, but the cold wind definitely howls around the corners of our two story home at times. So it’s time to start thinking about gathering in what we need for the cold months, especially with all the uncertainties ahead.

My Trick for Saving Money on Amazon

If you order from Amazon, here is something I’ve learned. I keep dozens of items I want or need in my Cart and Saved for Later. I check that page on Amazon each day because the prices can fluctuate a great deal from day to day. For example, I wanted to buy more Borax. I had a four pack in my Saved for Later because I didn’t need it right away. When I signed in this weekend, the price had dropped by $7! So I immediately bought it.

Conversely, we’re reading aloud all four volumes of The Story of the World this year. I have purchased the first book and am waiting for it to arrive. I had the second book in my cart and it was marked down quite a bit (around $8 off). I didn’t buy it though because there were other things I needed more so I moved it to my Saved for Later. Now the price has jumped back up again. I’ve put the third book and fourth book in my Saved for Later list as well and I’ll keep an eye open for a price drop at some point in the coming weeks.

And so it goes all the time with products. If you plan ahead and take a few minutes each day to check prices, you can save a lot of money over the course of a year by doing this. If you have Prime, you don’t have to worry about shipping so you can buy whatever you want when the price is the best.

Reading to Learn with a Highlighter

Last week I made peace with the fact that I can’t properly read for learning without a yellow fluorescent highlighter in my hand. Yellow. It must be yellow. I’ve tried the bracket with pencil thing over the years so it messed up the books less and it doesn’t work. I need to highlight things. In yellow. Fluorescent yellow.

I don’t know if it is a hold over from the college years or simply the way my brain is wired. But I have to highlight as I read. I retain so much more reading a physical book and highlighting.

So I decided from now on I’m going to highlight and learn. And not worry about keeping my books looking lovely. LOL!

Mother Culture

This week I’m focusing on Mother Culture by Karen Andreola. I mentioned it previously in From My Book Pile – Homeschool Mom Encouragement Edition. The inside is lovely and it seems incredibly wrong to highlight it up, but that’s what’s going to happen.

Booklets About Christ

I’m also reading two more short booklets this week. Last week I mentioned Jesus is Family. These are two more that have been on my bookshelf for a long time that I’m finally going to read.

Christ Minimized? A Response to Rob Bell’s Love Wins

First is Christ Minimized? A Response to Rob Bell’s Love Wins. This is a very short booklet and I’m about a third of the way through.

Christ Alone – Five Challenges Every Group Will Face

The second booklet is Christ Alone – Five Challenges Every Group Will Face.

This book is actually a compilation of three essays:

• Christ Alone: Five Challenges Every Group Will Face by Jon Zens
• The Mistaken Identity of God’s Written Word by Dennis J. Mulkey
• All Things in Christ by T. Austin-Sparks

Good food for thought this week.

So that’s my week ahead along with homemaking, homeschooling, and work. I hope to record a few videos this week.

What is going on in your home lately? I hope you’ll share in the comments!

Artwork: “Girl Braiding her Hair” by Albert Anker