Another cup of coffee, please.....

 Yes, thank you.  I WILL have a second cup of coffee this morning.  Flavored, perhaps, since I am more awake than I was when I first started.  I can relax and enjoy this cup, yes?  Hubby has already left for his men's group breakfast so I had to get up and do it myself - which isn't a bad thing.  I have a cup of caramel coffee sitting next to me right now, cooling down, and I will relax and enjoy it. mmmmm the smell is delicious!

I've calculated out my time this morning and I think I have another hour before I need to jump into the shower and get reading for the ladies luncheon today.  Still don't have a clue what I will wear.  The information I have received from the pastor's wife was that it was to be a special occasion, that there was going to be a 'red carpet' for us to walk down and have our photos taken.  Picture this for about the 80 women plus they are expecting to attend.  I jumped online last night to check out for more information.  We were told that an email would go out giving more information as to dress (I guess in the past many have come in jeans as it was just a ladies' gathering), what was planned, etc.  I checked my emails again.... zero, zilch.  No email.  But something else stood out on the website that caught my attention.  Gift exchange.  What?  I hadn't heard about that.  WHAT gift exchange?  How many women go to the website to get information?  I wouldn't have usually, but wanted to know what was going on since I haven't been before.

I text'd one of the women in our 'group' and asked if she knew what it was about. Nope. She hadn't heard anything about it either.  It was never announced, from what we figured.  So then we both had the question.. do we bring a 'gift' for the exchange?  What about all the women who won't?  It will make things awkward.  At first I told my friend no, I wasn't, but she said she would find something to take.... so I thought I would too.  After all, I always overbuy on some thing and have stuck in a drawer.  But I didn't want something that couldn't be used; I didn't want to choose a book (which I love, but how many women read the books I read?); I have a teacup that I hadn't put up on the shelf yet (too late, put it up while my coffee was brewing).... what can I take?  I remembered a small chest I had bought a couple years ago and had planned to put gift cards in it for hubby for an anniversary gift, I think it was.  I never did.  I decided to go with the chest, and I will stop by the drugstore on the way to the luncheon and pick up some candy and fill it up.  If I can find a bag big enough to put it in, then I'm set, right?  It will work.  And if we don't do a gift exchange, I can bring it home and.... well, I may just set it out.  Afterall, it will have candy in it.

Did I mention how much I am enjoying this second cup of coffee....along with the quiet of the morning and I still have about an hour before I need to jump into the shower and get ready?  How I wish I had this every morning!  

If you had to narrow it to one, what emotion would best describe how you feel right now?

I read that question in one of the books I'm reading this morning.  I stopped for a moment to ponder that question.  Hubby is gone. I was still on my first cup of coffee. I am relaxed. I'm warm (bundled up in my blankie).  I have plenty of time for the things I want to do today.  If I had to narrow to one, what emotion would best describe how I feel right now....

My first thought would be peaceful.  Although there are things I could jump up and do at this moment, I am choosing instead to sit here, write in here, and then perhaps read a bit more.  Oh, and sip on my coffee. No one is interrupting me. I could ask Alexa to play some instrumental music, which I do enjoy, but right now I am enjoying the silence of the morning.  No one is here but God and me, as I sit here in my room.  These are the best times.  Never long enough, and it always leaves me hungering for more.

Another emotion, if I really had to dig one out, would be the word 'hunger'.  No, I'm not hungry for food, but hungering to learn more, hungering to dig deeper, hungering to seek more of Jesus.  For some of you, you won't understand that feeling.  I get it.  I've been there.  But when you have once had that hunger for more of Him, you remember that feeling of intense longing to just know more of Him, and to just sit with Him, and as you remember... you get that deep longing, that deep hunger, to feel His Presence, His Peace all around you.

John 14:27 (NKJV):  "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

There is nothing like the peace of God to fall upon you, upon your home, your surroundings, that you are at peace with everyone.

I am thinking this morning (as I have paused here to reflect on things to write about), that I need to sit down and actually write out a list of things I want to get for people for Christmas.  I always like to buy something that is useful, but it isn't possible most of the time because I don't see family that often to know what they may enjoy at this time of their life.  I've gotten the men t-shirts for years - surely they have enough of them and get bored when they see another one.  But what can I do to replace that?  I want them to look forward to coming to open gifts on Christmas.  But what?  

I have found out that one grandson and his fiancee will be here Thanksgiving, and not Christmas, this year.  I've already gotten their gift and have it wrapped.  Will give to them sometime over Thanksgiving while they are here.  Maybe meet up with them for breakfast - but the day after Thanksgiving may be crazy.... but still.... if we go early.  

The day after Thanksgiving we are starting a new tradition, I think.  We have a few single friends who do not have family here in town.  I'm going to cook a Thanksgiving meal and have them over for dinner, sending the leftovers home with them.  Even if they go to someone's house on Thanksgiving day, I'm sure they will enjoy the extra attention.  (Of the three single friends from my work and church and Bible study (we have so far thought of to invite, none have plans for Thanksgiving.... 'it's just another day')  Thinking about inviting our pastor and his wife if they don't have plans... but hubby is concerned if we can find a chair large enough for our pastor.  I think we can figure it out, but.... will see.

I have bought way too many toys for the great grandchildren.  Seriously.  I just got carried away.  I'm not going to give them all to them, I don't think.  Maybe donate to someplace the extras so that other children can have.  I'll have to think about it.  I still have so many to buy for, which is why I'm thinking about creating a list.  Yeah, back to the original comment I made 3 paragraphs ago.  I need to either go out and buy them, or get online and order them.  I want to get done soon cause I also have to wrap.  If I go out, I end up buying MORE things... whereas if I do it online, I generally stick to what I am looking at.  Make sense?  Same with going to the grocery.  I love going online and ordering my groceries.  I spend a lot less than I do if I go to the store and 'remember' that I am low on something and grab a couple cans.  I do need to go get lots more stewed tomatoes for the salsa.  I am going on the assumption that all the grandchildren will want salsa as before.  I did buy a case of quart jars last week while I was out.  But I can't make it until just before Christmas or it will ferment.  Three weeks max and it will start bubbling.  When it does that - just throw it away.  

Well, my time is slipping away from me so guess I will jump in the shower and wash my hair.  Now that I have cut it shorter, I have to dry it and curl it, which takes longer for me to get ready.  But the end result is that I'm beautiful - right? :-)

I pray that your day is full of peace and joy, that you will feel the peace in the midst of any storm, will know His peace as you go through your day.  And may your day be full of His awesome and wonderful....

Blessings!