Dying to Live

I haven’t posted anything here in weeks, because I’ve been working feverishly on building and designing a website that is due to go live on Monday!  As you can see, I did manage to make a trip to the pumpkin patch, where I got a little carried away and ended up bringing home 10 [yes, I said TEN] pumpkins of various shapes and sizes!  As you may know, I like simplicity, and that applies to my choice of seasonal decor as well. So my pumpkins are simply set in various pieces of white stoneware.  I have always been enamored with the use of white space, so I am, especially, enjoying the two little pumpkins that are sitting in a bowl on my dining room table, pictured above.

Leah organized a bake-off on Sunday evening, so Jenna, armed with a spring form pan, showed up at the door ready to bake with us.  We made several fall recipes, including Aunt Cindy’s FABULOUS sugar cookies and cut them out with the beautiful copper leaf cookie cutters that my sister, Becky, gifted me with years ago.  Those cookie cutters coupled with that recipe are one of the delights of fall in our home!  If you read my old blog,  you have seen cookies made with this recipe decorated here  and  here   …it is a timeless classic. And in case you didn’t read my old blog, I’ll share the recipe with you:

 We also made a yummy Paula Deen Pumpkin Cheesecake, that would be great to take to a Thanksgiving dinner, because if you keep it at home  you might be tempted to eat the whole thing all by yourself   That’s why on Monday night Jenna’s whole family came over to cut the cake.

Can you tell that Autumn is one of two of my favorite seasons?  You might think that strange coming from a Florida gal, who never gets to see leaves change or feel the chill in the air like you northerners do.  I notice little subtleties like the slant of the light and slight drop in humidity and the wind picking up.

I was reminded of the spiritual type that fall represents in creation as I spent time this morning quietly reading the Word asking the Author to speak His truth to me in a way I could understand.  This is what He showed me today.  Principles I’ve known that he reminded me of again today.  I sat and sketched a diagram of these truths and then made one on the computer to share with you.

Jesus learned obedience through the things He suffered  [Hebrews 5:8]
He became a great leader through suffering  [Hebrews 5: 9]
We, too, learn obedience through suffering
For obedience to be tested and manifested there must always be a cross…His will crossing my own
The cross always implies suffering and death….either death to self leading to true LIFE or natural life leading to spiritual death
Mature Christians are those who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between what is right and wrong and then do what is right.  [Hebrews 5:14]

click on to print 

I like to think of myself as “dying to live”….how about you?