Life Lately and Some Favorites

Still no Grandbaby news... Our sweet Sarah is five days past her "due date" and we're all feeling a little impatient. We've been taking walks, getting pedicures, continuing to nest, and getting lots of suggestions on how to convice this baby to put her pretty Mama into active labor. We hope tonight's Cajun Tator Tots help!

We are all trying to wait patiently on the "little woman" which made me think of  the Brad Paisley song. We are also trying to wait patiently for our kitchen to be finished. It's looking doubtful that it will happen before Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow I'll be heading over to the "Festival of Hope," the fairtrade marketplace at our church. Please check it out! It's such a great way to shop and help others around the world.

Here are this week's favorite things:

Book: I finished The Bookshop at Water's End, by Patti Callahan Henry. It was SO enjoyable and delved into the relationships between friends, mother and daughter, love, and small town life in the South. The story went back and forth between the present and past. (Sort of like "This is Us" does.)

Worship Song: "The Breakup Song," by Francesca Battstelli. Fear you will never be welcome here, and yes, there is somebody out there like you!

Quick Campbell's Soup Recipes: Since our daughter and son-in-law live with us, he mentioned some favorite meals his Mom made him. I've done two of them this week (Easy chicken and rice, and beef stroganoff) and they were both a big hit although not super low-calorie. You can find the recipes here on their website.

Friendsgiving: What fun it was to join a lot of my girlfriends from bible study and their husbands for a delicious early Thanksgiving meal. The atmosphere and food were delicious and the company was fantastic. Thank you Lott family for your hospitality! Have you participated in a Friendsgiving before? We've also been hosted by dear friends in the past when we didn't have a working kitchen and/or were in transition. (Thanks Davis and MacIntosh families!)

Holiday Blog Tours: OK, so if you know me, you know I'm kinda/sorta addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. While I watch them I am knitting baby girl's little blanket. If I have time to search around on the computer, you will find me getting decorating inspiration from bloggers. I love seeing their homes. Check out "Home Stories A to Z." At the bottom of Beth's post are 15 other homes you can peek into. I like how they often share where they found their products. I won't really need to purchase ANY decorations though, because last week my daughter and I went through ALL our Christmas boxes and took inventory. Then we had to put it all back in the garage because I live with a man who doesn't believe in decorating for Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. I recommend everyone do this before heading out to any Holiday stores or to buy any new decorations. I realized I don't even have room in my home for what I own, let alone anything new! I do hope to switch up the way I use my sentimental collections of Santas, Nativity sets, Snowmen, trees and Nutcrackers.  

I am counting my blessings, and praying for California. I am trusting that God will show his faithfulness to all the victims and their families.

"To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory." Isaiah 61:3

Thank you for reading "See Jane Learn" and I wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

In His Grip,
xo Jane

I will leave you with a photo of my happy husband in his brand new recliner chair that we named "Mr. Comfy." We haven't picked our couch, but at least HE is happy! It should be interesting to see all the guys "fighting" for a turn over the Thanksgiving weekend.

I am NOT the Conductor

Back when I was in Junior High, in Carmel, Indiana, I "played" the flute in our band for two years. I had heard a friend of my oldest sister play the theme song from Romeo and Juliet at a talent show and I decided then and there that I HAD to learn how to play it too! 

Photo source: Google.com

Playing this instrument did not come naturally. It took me practicing on the top of a Coke bottle just to make the sound. I kinda, sorta, learned the fingering enough to make my band teacher think I was reading and playing the notes, but I'm sure he knew better. (When you're a flutist, you sit in the front row so it's difficult to fake it.) 

Once I'd mastered the Romeo and Juliet song, and had met the requirement of two years (the school's rule, or my parents?) I quit the band. I did gain a few lessons though, that I started thinking about today on my walk after talking with a girlfriend.

This may or may not come as a surprise to those who know me, but it's been brought to my attention that I like to "orchestrate" things. As in...be in control of the outcome. I over think things and try to micro-manage relationships and basically attempt to direct as if I'm the conductor. 

In a symphony or band, the music is superior if the musicians are directed by a veteran conductor. You can read more about that here. He or she knows all the details. I, however, am NOT the conductor; in my family, or friend group, or life. 
I know who is... 

GOD

"The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." 

Psalm 37:23

So, what other lessons am I learning?

• I have a part to play in God's story, but it's not my job to control outcomes, I just need to participate. 
• Rather than worrying about what others around me are doing or thinking, I need to focus on following the conductor.

"I keep my eyes always on the Lord.

    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

Psalm 16:8

• Just as I should have spent more time practicing my music, and memorizing the fingering, I need to spend more time in and memorize the word of God.
• If a Junior High band conductor can take a bunch of kids, some of whom have zero talent, and with time and patience use them together to make music, then our GOD can certainly be trusted with using little old me as a member of His masterpiece.

I am grateful for the nudge from a friend and the Holy Spirit today. Granted, I have some multi-tasking skills since I was a Kindergarten teacher and raised four children. If you ever see me pulling out the invisible conductor baton, you have my permission to remind me that it's not my job.

I will leave you with this beautifully played version of the song that initiated my short band career. I didn't ever sound ANYTHING like this, nor did I play a solo anywhere except my groovy bedroom. 

Alexandra Mukovnya (flute) - https://vk.com/id97736490

In His Grip,
xo Jane