Numbering Our Days

Last week, one of Joni and Friends Daily Devotional Scriptures was “So teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Very thought provoking - especially on the eve of my brother-in-law celebrating one year in heaven. Dean wasn’t planning to make the trip quite yet; but, as unexpected as a thief in the night, at the age of 50, God called him home. I couldn’t help thinking about that this week - we never know when God will tell us that we can come home. It’s not always the sick that go, the young and healthy are summoned every day too.

So...numbering my days this week made me do things a little different. I smelled the roses a little more so to speak, hugged my children a little closer and tried to keep eternity’s values a little more in view than normal. We baked pumpkin bread and gave away a couple loaves while the family just enjoyed the rest. We made caramel apples and enjoyed them. We made 48 cupcakes for the children we love so dearly in Junior Church. We went to Blooms and Berries for "Fall on the Farm" and bought pumpkins, mums and straw instead of fall cleaning. We decorated the outside of the house for fall. We worshipped like it was our last Sunday on earth and enjoyed His Creation with great admiration for His Handiwork. We still cooked meals, did endless loads of laundry and lots of schoolwork but it was a different week. Very enjoyable but very different. Less stress about temporal things and LOTS more enjoyment of eternal things. Maybe we can do this a little more often - after all this life is just a dressing room for eternity. James 4:14 and Isaiah 40:6-7 are thought provoking, too. When we get to heaven, we'll be surprised how short life really was.

Favorite Pumpkin Bread
3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3 1/3 cups flour

2 tsp. soda
1 Tbsp. baking powder

2/3 cup water

2 cups pumpkin
Mix everything together and pour into greased loaf pans or muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour for regular loaf pans; 15 minutes for mini muffins; 40-45 minutes for mini loaf size (makes 7 mini loaves).