Home Feels Especially Cozy in November

The Thanksgiving countdown begins! Around our house the cold weather is keeping us inside longing for hearty food, warm blankets, and some cozying up on the couch. Although Pharmacology is putting one of those things on hold till tomorrow.

This past weekend we spent in Des Moines with Jeremy's family and road up to Fort Dodge to see Chris run at states. For the meet, I dressed in 6 layers of clothing- 2 pairs of socks, long underwear, multiples sweatshirts, and a coat. Exactly how I would dress for snow days growing up in Maryland (with a few more pairs of my warmest socks). I told Jeremy that we could really use one of the snow hats my brother used to cut eye holes out of and pull over his head! That would have been a little scary though. In Fort Dodge, two hours north of Des Moines, it was windy and fiercely cold; the type of day that can cause a throat ache simply breathing in the air. Feel no sympathy for me in my six layers(really). Christopher and all the other runners on his team wore tiny track shorts to run their 5k! Somehow he managed to pull off a great time and passed several other runners at the finish.

The night before the meet was October 30th and in Des Moines this is known as "Beggar's Night". This traces back a ways to a suggestion made to steer Halloween away from the night of vandalism it had become. As suggested, begging began to take place the night before Halloween and kids were expected to perform a trick or tell a joke to get their treat. There are two trick-or-treaters left at the Brady house- Seth went as a ninja, Grace went as a cat, and Jeremy and I were left to hear lots of knock-knocks!

On Sunday we had supper with friends before hitting the road. We were sent home with enough cookies to last till Christmas and provisions for our home. What a blessing! Then this week has been a combination of babysitting, job interviews, job hunting, and of course Pharmacology. The interviews have gone well. It's funny to think that I've had two this week and three prior to that and yet I may still go through ten more before I actually hit the job God has for me. This time around I am being more careful to be thankful for the opportunity whether or not it is the job for me & to just keep on applying. The last interview I went in for I left really wanting the position & when the rejection letter came it was a big let down. That Sunday our pastor said something that really hit me- the way you react when things aren't going your way is an expression of how much your life is centered around yourself. Hmm... that seems like a life long struggle that I need to start on right away!

I was just reading Sally Clarkson's blog, I Take Joy, one that I stumbled upon a while back. I really like reading other people's blogs- it's one thing I've found to help me stay focused on living purposefully. This particular post was about fear and overcoming difficulties:

"As I study the stories of scripture, it was when people looked at their obstacles in life--the storms, the giants, the battles, that they became fearful and useless and defeated. But when they looked at God, instead of their fears, they became strong and conquered in their battles and storms and difficulties. Peter saw Jesus walking on water and started out toward him andfound himself walking on water! But when he turned his eyes to the waves, he became scared and began to fall."

There is so much more good stuff in this post alone & in the rest of her blog. You should check it out if you're in the reading mood.

Yours from the land of corn,
Leanne