Last Updated on June 20, 2024 by Michelle
This Christmas, I’ll only have a few simple gifts to prop under the tree for each family member. But my life is overflowing with rich bounty, and my heart is overflowing with thankfulness. Thankfulness that my children will all be under our roof together, after I pick up my eldest from the bus station this afternoon.
Thankfulness that my parents have not only survived some health scares this year, but have made the trip to New England to spend the holidays with us and our extended, feathered and furry family.
Thankfulness that my husband–the boy who has put up with me from our youth and the man who is the love of my life–gets up early every morning.
He drives a long, winding commute into work while encouraging me to stay home with my daughters and read, learn, bake, farm, and create together all day.
My grateful heart keeps circling back to my riches. Not items that the world would claim as valuable, but immense riches nonetheless.
I see the details of my life shine in all of their intended glory, I see the little things as the riches that they are, when I ask for eyes that are not the world’s and a vision that is not my own…
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father, I, Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Be Thou My Vision is one of my life hymns.
I pray He is your vision amidst this holiday season, hope you’ve seen a muddy cow or two in a nativity this December, and wish you a truly “rich” New Year.
Merry Christmas from our meager Restful Falls Farm to your blessed abode, and from my family to yours.
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Please take a second to follow along here on SoulyRested to catch up on a few of my memorable mishaps, discover fascinating things about my centuries-old farmhouse, glean a little parenting/homeschooling insight from this momma who’s been failing at the effort for almost 2 decades, or enjoy the inside scoop on the secrets other legit homesteaders might not tell you.
I hope my focus always encourages you, because simple joys require hard work. Let’s face it, we all need all the encouragement we can get! As soon as you subscribe (in the box at the end of this post), you’ll have immediate access to my Resource Library, which includes many useful printables, including helpful ones related to backyard maple syrup. And, destined to be the most popular item in my Resource Library–A SWEET TASTE–this giant, full-color, 5-chapter, 33-page eBook is my gift to you… a tiny introduction to Sweet Maple, which will be available in print any day now! (Insert crazy lady doing happy dance.)
Your FREE copy of A Sweet Taste includes:
— 8 Questions everyone should ask before they tap trees.
— Amazing recipes using all-natural maple syrup.
— Numerous reasons that maple should be your favorite sweetener.
— A long list of what makes sugar maples so special.
Plus, it’s a wonderful little peek into Sweet Maple. If you enjoy your complimentary copy of A Sweet Taste, you’ll LOVE Sweet Maple.
Glance at my Resource Page if you’d like to get a glimpse of all the supplies I use and recommend for everything from gardening, to homeschooling, to chicken care, to nature journaling, to maple syrup making.
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Merry Christmas
I hope that you have time to slow down and savor the everyday joys this holiday season, I pray that you personally know what I know about that very first Christmas, and I sincerely wish you a truly blessed, very merry Christmas.
Do you have a nativity scene? You’ll love this post: a newbie homesteader ponders the first Christmas.
Don’t forget to subscribe for access to my Resource Library. There you’ll find my FREE EBOOK–A Sweet Taste–as well as amazing recipes for things like whoopie pie cookies, maple sap switchel, and Grandmom’s perfect pie crust.
Heck, before you even subscribe, I have a free eBook for you. Download Maple Goodness right here or just click on the eBook image below. Your family will truly love the Best Ever Maple Scone recipe in this free eBook.
Then type your email address in the box below for the 33-page eBook, A Sweet Taste, and so much more.
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This is truly beautiful!
I agree beautiful. Hope you have a joyful Christmas.
Thank you, Rosemary. I have, indeed, had a very joy-filled Christmas Day. I wish the same for you.