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31 Days {Challenge}

October 31, 2012 by April

Day 31 of 31 Days! Amazing. I honestly didn’t think I’d make it through, but I tried and found I really enjoyed it. I expected this challenge to be one I’d take on and then dread. I didn’t. I didn’t dread it even once! There were days I was really late in posting – just the hours in my day went away, or I spent a lot of time processing before I could write it here.

But I wanted to write. So I did anyway.

I didn’t worry about following grammar rules or doing things right. I just wrote. This challenge came at a good time for me too, helped me stay focused. I know this, but always forget — I do not like October. October is a particularly hard month for me, it is an icky month. It’s not fall. It’s not winter. Everything is dead. There is no color. It is too dark. And as I mentioned in other posts, October carries some life turning point baggage. I like to remember October when I spent the years of 7-14 living in northern Wisconsin. Then October was good. I feel so excited that tomorrow is November 1st. {Confession: I started listening to Christmas music this last weekend just to get through and finish up the month.}

I will definitely be more consistent with blogging {at least for a while}. After all – I did not finish all the house projects I wanted completed. They are close, but not 100%. I have been collecting pictures though. Some of the projects started four years ago!!!!  Really, that is pretty ridiculous – but a lot has happened. Anyway, I will get those up for you to see. Eventually.

Mt. McKinley in winterMt. McKinley in the dead of winter. So pretty!

I still have a hard time believing I did it! 31 Days of blogging. in a row! While I won’t keep it up forever, I am feeling the need to continue just a bit more. I’ve decided I want to focus on Thankfulness as we enter the Thanksgiving season. {I LOVE this time of year – from here on out. I can’t believe we are here again already! A year ago our family was coming in one week. This year will be MUCH quieter.}

 This is not a new idea, but I’m going to post something I am thankful for each day leading up to Thanksgiving.

Anyone want to join me?

I don’t know how to do linky’s. If there is an interest and a reason to figure out the linky process – I will. At the very least, if you are going to post regularly on what you are thankful for – will you please leave me a comment so I can visit and share in your thankfulness and blessings with you?

**okay – the wind is howling…. I’m going to quit editing, I’ve already lost power once & had to re-calibrate the modem. It took me 45 min to get modem back on & into WordPress again. So I want to get this posted before my power flickers again. Please excuse stupid sentences or obvious what? mistakes.**

31 Days {Blessings}

October 30, 2012 by April

Wow! Day 30 of 31 Days — totally can not believe it. Today is reflecting my thoughts on blessings. I so want to be this sweet, innocent and trusting of my Heavenly Father. I imagine each leaf being a burden in this life. I want to be buried in them – yet resonate peace and trust. What a blessing to see the faith of a child.

buried in leaves

I don’t often succeed {at staying so well focused on Him} – but that doesn’t make it any less my desire. I am actively working to not feel as if I’m drowning in burdens. After all, each burden to me is as a dry leaf to my Heavenly Father. Little weight. Crumbles without much effort. Pretty insignificant, when there is a big pile they might look bad, but they really aren’t they will disperse quickly. Yet, even when they look like a big pile, they are really nothing. These, to me, are an incredibly comforting thoughts. Some burdens have been particularly awkward to hold up to Him. Medical, friendships, parenting {making me particularly weary}, waiting on decisions to be made {also making me particularly weary}, repercussions of other decisions {again, making me particularly weary, not all my decisions} – just to name a few. It makes a person very weary. The weariness tends to cloud my vision.

What I really want to remember is I have so many blessings. My children are with me. I live in a free country. My memories are in tact. My house is in tact. There is not water where it does not belong. There is not sand where it does not belong. My home and so many of the sights I’m familiar with were not destroyed by water, rain, and wind. I’m not having to start over right now. My mind is trying to grasp so much devastation, so many people, and in general trying to make sense of Hurricane Sandy. The pictures are mind boggling to me. I can not even imagine. I just keep reminding myself – He is in control at ALL times. None of this comes as a surprise to Him. I can do nothing physically to help anyone – yet there is one thing I can do, and it is the most powerful, I can pray.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

And because today proved our FALL IS OVER:

  • It never warmed up – {I did not get the shed painted, by the time it quit raining and dried out it was too cold to paint.}
  • It’s been cold {as in 8*} for lots of days, it has been too cold to snow.
  • The winds have returned. I’m eternally tired of wind. I’ve taken to running a fan at night {even though we are not hot} so I hear the wind less.
  • Fall is OVER. There isn’t hope of it warming up to be fall’ish any more. {Reality is it’s been over for a couple weeks – I’m just finally admitting it.}
  • It did warm up enough to snow this morning. The sun did not come out. The snow is here to stay. Now I just hope we gets lots more of it so it can at least be pretty out.
  • I have resorted to wearing my winter jacket.
  • I discovered this weekend my children do not have snow gear :-(.  As in, no snow pants, boots, or mittens. How did they grow out of everything?! They are fine for short errand trips, but this is not a good thing. We get stuck. It’s too cold to do much without the right gear – especially with the wind.
  • I can not get warm.

So….rewind several years & here are a few pictures of when the kids were supposed to be raking leaves. Ya, right! They were having way too much fun :-D!

Pure pleasure. I love this smile. I love this girl – greatly. I am blessed to call her ‘my’ daughter.

{I say ‘my’ because she is a Child of God, I’ve been entrusted to raise her here on earth to look to Him for everything. It is my job as her mother.}

Well — I have several other pictures ready to go. But apparently WordPress has decided to not upload them. I’m tired of fighting it, so I’m giving up. Vince was there with her and I have such sweet pictures of them as ‘babies’…..but I guess I won’t be posting them.

31 Days {Wisdom}

October 29, 2012 by April

Some lingering words/thoughts/ideas from my James Bible Study. This week we’re studying James 3:13-18 on wisdom.

To some degree this is what I envision the inside of my brain to look like: Tangled thoughts, ideas, visions, choices – all mixed together with mind-numbing snow {fear, indecision} and God’s light shining through. I want others to see God’s light through me and the decisions I make. The big picture is really pretty – I want to imagine God thinks the branches of my life – all the decisions and outcomes – are pretty. Of course, I have ugly sin I make the choice to keep covered by Jesus’ blood and God’s grace. I have to choose to look at the pretty and not focus on the sin. He has provided the opportunity, I just have to choose to accept it. It’s a gift already there, provided for each of us.

[13-16] Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

[17-18] Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. [James 3:13-18, The Message – emphasis mine]

Today I’m keeping it really simple – picture and scripture. My mind is pondering lots and I’m off to sew.

I chose to write my series about 31 Days of Life. Today is day 29 of the 31 Days series.

31 Days {Question}

October 28, 2012 by April

 Happy Rest-full Sunday to you! 

It is already the LAST Sunday of October – how is this possible?! Today’s post is about an important question. What is God’s will for me? 

I often wonder what God’s will is for our life. My children and mine’s life. What is His plan, what does He want me to do? I tend to get paralyzed with options and fear. I forget how incredibly simple His commands are. Here is an example:

It’s pretty simple. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances. The doesn’t mean we have to rejoice about all circumstances. We can rejoice in our gift of grace; praying keeps us communicating with our Father; and choosing to give thanks IN all situations, doesn’t have to be for all situations. So – when we find ourselves in an “impossible situation” — make sure to choose to rejoice; stay praying and communicating with your Provider, constantly; and choose to give thanks for what you do have.

Have a blessed and restful Sunday. I intend to rest – [mightily!]

Today is day 28 of the 31 Days Series. My series has been about 31 days of Life and today is about a question.

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Jeremiah 29:11

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I know I don't do social media well, so I do not have separate accounts for business & personal. This is my business Instagram feed. It's still me posting. Just not me strung out trying to keep up with two accounts. #limitsofanintrovert Thanks for being gracious & understanding! :-)

april.c.keller

Visual Communication = Graphic Design | Layout for Print & Web; Document Formatting; Copywriting.

April C Keller
The power is out. Now is when it’s REALLY conven The power is out. Now is when it’s REALLY convenient to read eBooks (& you have fully charged devices). The orange glow to the right is from the collection of candles I had handy. 
Super duper thankful for the gas fireplace!!! The temp was 43° earlier today, has dropped to 15° & supposed to continue dropping thru the night.
#thankfultonotreadbycandlelight
#gasfireplacesareawesome
#eveofchristmaseve2020 #decemberinwi
Dec 22, 2020 at 7:39am😍😍😍 No need to say Dec 22, 2020 at 7:39am😍😍😍
No need to say more.
#decembersunrise #wisconsin #wearegaininglightnow
December 21st is the shortest day of the year. As December 21st is the shortest day of the year. As a lifelong Alaskan my body & mind are very tuned to this date - we now gain daylight each day. Living WI has had many benefits & blessings - the least of which isn’t even how I will see the daylight before I get to work. 😍😍😍 I am not sad about this in the least!

I’m so thankful for this morning’s living/dining/kitchen views. I love the glow of Christmas lights & the way they immediately stop my thoughts in their tracks and cause me to remember to be thankful.
#christmas2020 #ak2co2wi #mondaymornings #thankful #blessed #christmaslights
😍😍😍 Como Park Conservatory = eye candy ev 😍😍😍 Como Park Conservatory = eye candy every time. {{sigh}}
We caught the sun low in the sky & it was simply beautiful! When we walked out it was the setting sun on the glass building & the flag blowing in a lazy breeze. #coldbutbeautiful #perfect 
#comoparkconservatory #midnovember #eyecandy #soulfilling #breathtaking #thankfulfortheopportunity #americanflaginthebreeze
Just a tiny note to share how much I am absolutely Just a tiny note to share how much I am absolutely LOVING the sunrise pink at 7am in mid-November! 😍😍😍
It’s a whole 25° & supposed to start snowing within the hour. (Do you see the neighbor’s pink window reflections?)
#happymonday #blessings #itsanewweek #wintersunrisebefore8
Hi guys! April’s daughter here. Due to an unkind Hi guys! April’s daughter here. Due to an unkind comment and a hard week behind the social media wall she deleted the post. After a good talk and encouragement I am here re-posting with permission. Remember that what’s seen on social media does not reflect what goes on behind the scenes. The intention of the post was to share a personal struggle and encourage others who may feel the same. A difference of opinion does not require a comment. 

The repost:

Are you an American? If so, voting is your civic duty. 
🇺🇸To not vote is the same as voting against your freedom.
🇺🇸To not vote is the same as voting against your right of citizenship. 
🇺🇸To not vote is the same as disregarding every American soldier and his/her family’s sacrifice for you. 
I promise – no matter what you think – YOU ARE NOT TOO BUSY to vote! This year especially, they have made it so easy (not interested in debating the right/wrongness of this, just stating fact) and it’s not as if the deadline has been a surprise date. If you choose to not vote, there is no excuse other than being lulled into apathy by the privilege you take for granted. Don’t be lazy.

For those who think I’m being too harsh – these are the things I had to remind myself of in the not so distant past as I was overwhelmed by figuring out the simple-yet-not-so-simple-process of how to register as a new resident, where to vote, and who to vote for. And then again today as anxiety joined me when I’d parked at my polling place & it was time to actually stand in line with all the others.

Side note, 2020 brought yet another first for me: I’ve never voted on a non-Alaskan ballot. Instead of boroughs & districts, I navigated counties & wards. 
Even so, the ballot looked the same. 😊 

And then I went for a beautiful country drive through harvested fields and looked at barns. Feeling thankful & blessed for the freedom and ability to do so.
A little crisp & foggy outside, but perfectly cozy A little crisp & foggy outside, but perfectly cozy inside.🍂🍁

#september2020 #fall #thankful
So...not exactly a surprise!😊 Take your own qu So...not exactly a surprise!😊

Take your own quiz at holleygerth.com/introvertquiz
 
You definitely should go check out more about The Powerful Purpose if Introverts by @holleygerth 
#introvertpurpose #introvert #godmadeuseachunique
🍂Fall is coming! 🍂 This change of the season 🍂Fall is coming! 🍂
This change of the seasons is the first one I’ve felt alert for since moving here 🍁🍂 & it’s all so pretty (the 5 trees I’ve seen starting to change)! But I’m not in the least ready for it, it’s the 1st time in 18 years I haven’t needed school supplies of some sort - for either of the kids (homeschooling) or myself (college). Now, I just get to enjoy all the school supplies simply because I love them!😊

The first pic is just for enjoyment because I know the majority if you can’t possibly understand what the 2nd & 3rd photos mean to me. 😊

As an introvert who has been transitioning from work-from-home to working-at-the-office-everyday, on a team & working on a variety of projects, I often feel as if I’m majorly failing at simply being nice. 

I’m too often in my head, processing all I’m trying to remember to do/get done & short of smiling in passing, there isn’t a ton of other interaction. BUT the 2nd photo is evidence of while not having more than a handful of non-work related conversations, I have a co-worker who knows me incredible well! On Tues, she brought me one Pantone color book & yesterday she brought me SEVEN more!😍 
I never dreamed I’d get to touch one of these little color charts in real-life, let alone have a set of them living at my desk!!! 

2020 will never be forgotten, for so many reasons. Big & small.
#seen&known #itsthelittlethings #littlethingsadduptobigthings #blessed #thankful
It’s no small secret I’m a hard-core introvert It’s no small secret I’m a hard-core introvert & not by just a little bit. Social distancing has always been my norm. I can’t say I’ve seen this as a blessing in life 🥴. 

Ironically, while 2020 has required so many social appreciators (extroverts) to stay at/work from home, life in 2020 has required me to learn how to work out of the home full-time. After working from home for the last 20 years, this has not been a small adjustment!

I have lived in WI for 8 months now, and I’m just starting to feel semi-human in daily life. I totally & completely underestimated the toll an unexpected 2nd large move, traveling over Christmas, wrapping up my senior year of college/degree, having my oldest graduate college, and working on a team of people out of the house full-time would have on me. #notenoughhourstorecovereachday

You will likely see me in this space more as I’m on the book launch team for The Powerful Purpose of Introverts, the latest book by @holleygerth. I’m really looking forward to learning how being an introvert can be a blessing & strength.

 #introvertpurpose #createdinhisimage #lovedasiam #nothingtoprove #introvert
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