Well-Seasoned Sundays #9

Happy Fall Y’all

Happy Fall Y’all! We have just entered my favorite season of all…Autumn. I probably went a little link happy again because there is just so much to share but take your time to peruse all that is here for you. Remember this is about how we live our ordinary lives in an extraordinary way. In whatever you do—eat, play, love— don’t forget to season it with JOY!

Hello, favorites! I just got back from an amazing time up in Columbus, Ohio at our annual Wealth with God Big Event where I had the privilege of sharing, with the most amazing parents on the planet, the family discipleship curriculum I have recently published in partnership with James Baker and Wealth with God called Wealth with God for Kids. I created it to go along with the adult course on Kingdom Wealth Building.

Anyway, it was the most fantastic week and I am still high on a kite about what God is doing in families. I made all sorts of amazing connections and new friendships and was inspired to take my blog to the next level as well as finish up my herbal certification program before the end of the year. I would love to hear what interests you and how I can best serve you and your family. 

Books I am Reading: 

Wow! This book I am reading now by my friend Mary Baker is next level. Mary is a worship leader at Zion Church in Columbus, Ohio. She truly lives the message and title of her book, God’s Glory on Display. Through Mary’s book, you will embark on a journey to true Oneness with the Three in One. You will unwrap what the glory of God is and how you too can reflect heaven to earth through that Oneness. What makes her book so special is that after each chapter she includes a link to activate what you just learned. Mary leads you through each activation in an unhurried time devoted to just you and God.

With beautiful soaking music and questions that stimulate and direct the conversation, not only are you receiving great information to increase your knowledge of Him, but each chapter includes an invitation to really talk about what you are learning with the Father. Mary has written and released not only a book for such a time as this but has somehow encapsulated the ability to lead one into the Presence through worship in the pages of this book. It is like no other book I have ever read. It has a breaker anointing for the church to bridge the gap between the bride and her Bridegroom. Taste and see. Press into His glory and see for yourself the goodness of God.

For the Kiddos- Every season I change out the children’s books in my book basket and each fall my boys and I head down to Landmark Books in downtown Franklin to purchase a new book for our fall collection. This year we purchased The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry, a delightful book about friendship and the JOY of helping others. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is heartwarming. 

Quote, I am Pondering:

This one is not necessarily a quote as much as it is a contrast in perspectives from my friend Jim Baker: First perspective—”You need to look at the roots…you need to look inside yourself to solve problems” = trying to fix the old fallen man. 

Better perspective—(Under a New and better Covenant) “Keep your eyes on Jesus” = focusing on Christ which allows the Holy Spirit to minister the things that Christ accomplished for us on a daily basis. 

I am not saying we shouldn’t seek healing from our past and learn from it. But sometimes that can feel like an endless journey, a rabbit hole with no apparent end in sight. The constant naval gazing, searching for the answers within ourselves becomes a trap and has the potential to fix our attention on the wrong “savior”. Rather, meditating on the fact that the old man has been crucified with Christ and focusing more on what Jesus purchased for us instead, draws our gaze to the Source of our redemption.

Don’t hear what I am not saying. I have benefited deeply from counseling, SOZO, deliverance & inner healing, AFT(Aroma Freedom Therapy), as well as Heart Sync. They all have had their place in getting me to the core of my beliefs, but there comes a time when we are confronted with what we believe and why, and we need to decide to believe what Jesus meant when He said, “It is finished.” 

As believers, we don’t remain at the cross. Jesus was resurrected. We are living a resurrected life now, not trying to hold up an old man that was buried in a tomb. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Spending our time meditating on what was purchased at the cross and resurrection and our inheritance through the covenant of grace directs our gaze on truth and what is real rather than what is shifting and left up to a broken perspective. It all comes down to BELIEVING. It is imperative that we get free of beliefs that are contrary to God’s truth, beliefs that are holding us back. We were created to live our lives with our souls on fire!

Products I am enJOYing:

It is officially Fall y’all so I have a few “favorite” new products to share with you. Just an FYI, I am not making any money on any of these links so I don’t want you to feel like I am trying to shove products your way. Personally, between girlfriends, I just love passing along my favorite things and when I find something amazing, I just love to share it with my favs. 

For starters, I was looking for a pop of color for my couch this year and purchased this beautiful burnt orange throw blanket. We are all fighting over it on movie night. Truly, it is not a heavy, dense blanket, but light, yet warm, and so femininely (is that a word?) soft and beautiful.

Autumn is also a time for the soft glow of candlelight. At 4 o’clock, we transition from the busyness of the homeschool or workday into the evening. Candles are lit and dinner preparations are underway. The window candles are turned on to welcome Daddy home or the neighbors driving down our lane. We set the atmosphere wherever we go in the Kingdom and peace is the declaration over our home. 

This year, we are enJOYing Hello Fall by Sweet Water Decor along with the accompanying safety matches to bring our glow. You can easily set up a beautiful fall display with a candle, matches, a wooden tray, and a simple fall pop such as a pitcher with flowers and/or mini pumpkins. Check out my post, Transform Your Home Into a Seasonal Haven for more ideas. 

I also diffuse my favorite fall essential oil blends by Rocky Mountain Oils in the diffuser. This year their limited edition blends come in a Fall Latte Kit and include the blends Pumpkin Spice Latte and Peppermint Mocha. You can use code HAPPY25 for 25% off this month (October 2022).

For easy meal prep with all those cozy soups and stews this fall, I am in total infatuation with my newest kitchen gadget, the Mueller Vegetable Chopper. Oh my goodness, not only does it make chopping a quick easy peasy breeze, but everything is cut the same size for even cooking. One of my daughters, who will remain nameless, does not like to cook. Gasp! I know. Anyway, she recently started a health reset and needed to do a meal prep day that included a week’s worth of rice, soup, salad, and fruit. Most of these things required ample amounts of chopping, which she would rather poke out her right eye. I offered her my new kitchen chopper and she actually had fun and was looking around for something else to chop. See, cooking can be fun. There is hope yet. 

Lastly, my new sipping favorite is Super Amazing Coffee by Superfoods Company. Loaded with twelve power-packed superfoods and mushrooms, it is a great way to boost metabolism, help with brain fog, increase your energy, and sip on something warm and cozy. Personally, I like to dip my favorite Chocolate Almond Biscotti in it and just take a mom moment to drink in all that I am grateful for. Even hubby is asking me to make him a mugful.  Super Amazing Coffee does contain caffeine due to the green coffee, green tea, and matcha, so I drink mine in the morning after breakfast to start my day. I just add a scoop of collagen for healthy skin, add a dollop of cream, maybe a hint of coconut sugar, whisk it with my favorite hand-held Zulay Milk Frother, and I am on another planet for the next few moments. Ahhhh. I am literally sipping on it right now. Wish you were here to share a mugful. 

What we are Eating:

Isn’t fall the coziest time to eat? I look forward to pulling out the crockpot, cast iron skillet, or dutch oven and indulging in those savory flavors and spices of autumn. For starters, my family and I can’t get enough of the Skillet Chicken and Biscuits. I have made it every week now. If you like that, try my Savory Beef Stew with Horseradish Cream Sauce. It is so good I have even served it for Christmas dinner. If you are up for something a little lighter, Salmon Burgers with Cucumber Mustard Sauce is one of my top five favorite meals.

Depending on where you live, if you are trying to find ways to use up that summer produce, particularly any tomatoes or peppers, my Fermented Jalapenos, Summers Best Bruschetta, and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta are winners around our table. 

My daughter Abby and I created a post for her favorite Caramel Frappuccino. I guess she has decided she is all grown up and wants to have her Starbucks coffee now… but at home. That’s my girl. Ingredients at home are always better anyway. 

Lastly, in the fall, Saturday morning pancakes transition from Buttermilk Pancakes to either a harvest pancake or these yummy Buckwheat Pancakes with Cardamom-Orange Honey Butter. The kids always know the pancakes are ready when The Muppet Show Soundtrack comes on. 

How we are Playing: 

If you haven’t seen my post 55 Ways to Get Cozy and EnJOY Autumn with Family then definitely check that out for a little autumn inspiration. From everything to Fall Decorating to Scavenger Hunts with friends, it is a great way to navigate the blog and check out the goings on in the Bramblet household this fall. 

For some herbal fun with the kids, consider taking your children through the Herb Fairies course. Herb Fairies is a monthly immersion experience into one new herb a month through the medium of a story. There are wonderful recipes to prepare as well as adventures to explore with each specific child-friendly herb. Learning and discovering along with my children has enriched our relationships as well as passed on a wonderful herbal heritage to them. 

I also highly recommend the board game Wildcraft. My kids pull it out often to play. Not only are they learning about the herbs all around them, but they are learning to work together in a cooperative game. It also comes with a beautiful downloadable pocket guide that details each herb used in the game. Great family fun!

Ways we Can Love: 

Let’s not forget about our feathered friends as the days grow colder. We can love God’s little flying creatures by preparing these Bird Seed Ornaments to hang in the trees during the fall and winter months. Not only are they fun and easy to make, but the birds love them. Taking care of the birds is a wonderful way to connect to nature, learn about God’s beautiful world with your children, and have fun in the process.

Living Holistically: 

Well, it’s that time of year again when we bring in the harvest and prepare our home remedies to help build our immune system and strengthen us during the winter months. In our home, we focus on living a healthy lifestyle year-round and boosting immunity with healing herbs, roots, and spices. One of my favorite herbs to grow and prepare home remedies with are Elderberries. There is just so much you can do with them as they are power-packed and beautiful plants. 

This week I prepared a batch of Elderberry Syrup which is great for the respiratory system. Elderberry Syrup is a simple, honey-sweetened, delicious way to support the immune system with the powerful antioxidant properties of elderberries, stimulating ginger, vitamin C-rich rosehips, and other beneficial herbs and spices. The kids will love it! I also prepared a batch of Elderberry Winter Immunity Tincture. This tincture has to steep for 4-6 weeks so October is a good time to begin the process. Tinctures are highly concentrated and good to administer daily to keep your immune system strong. I hope you prepare some of these amazing natural remedies. Involve the children. They will love to learn and participate in their own healing journey. 

As a postscript, if you haven’t yet checked out my post on The JOY of Learning at Home, check it out for tips and resources to help in your homeschooling journey.

That’s it for this Well-Seasoned Sunday. I would love your response, what things you are interested in knowing, and what lights you up… let’s keep the conversation going!

Rebecca

Remember…

In everything you do -eat, play, and, love- may it always be Seasoned with Joy!