Thanksgiving

More Than A Day As Thanksgiving Day rolls around,
It brings up some facts, quite profound.
We may think that we're poor,
Feel like bums, insecure,
But in truth, our riches astound. We have friends and family we love;
We have guidance from heaven above.
We have so much more
Than they sell in a store,
We're wealthy, when push comes to shove. So add up your blessings, I say;
Make Thanksgiving last more than a day.
Enjoy what you've got;
Realize it's a lot,
And you'll make all your cares go away. By Karl Fuchs

Thanksgiving is a time to count our spiritual blessings. As we were reading Psalms 100 and 103 recently we were amazed at the characteristics of our heavenly family. God is Good! That's my favorite verse. No matter what trial comes our way, we can be assured of those precious words in Scripture that God is good! We are also reminded that He pardons our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems us from the life in the pit, and satisfies our years with good things. Another of my favorite verses is Ps 103: 8 "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness." One blessing I am overwhelming thankful for this Thanksgiving is found in vs. 10 "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. " What more can we be thankful for than to have our sins washed away by the blood of Jesus! Praise God this holiday season that He is merciful and forgiving!

New Family Member!

The Collins family is growing! We've added another family member--a hairy one! Snickerdoodle has joined our family. He's a cute little doggy who loves his new family. Amy and Sarah have been pleading for a dog for months and this little guy just "appeared" at the SPCA the day we were there looking at dogs. "Snickers" for short, loves walks and couches. He already knows how to sit, shake and stand on his back legs and beg like a squirrel. He's pretty mellow in the house, only lifting his head from a nap to bark when hearing a knock on the door. This well mannered little guy is a a Lhasa Apso/Terrier mix who is about three years old. He joined our family on October 30 and is certainly "Man's Best Friend" in this house. He's an adorable addition to our family!

Country Hoe Down

Fall is Harvest Time. At the Collins House that means celebrating the Harvest Season with a Country Hoe-Down! Live music was part of our celebration this year with guitar and fiddle. New games were introduced and the traditional doughnut on a string and square dance were part of our evening with Grace Bible. Macie challenged the women in the 18 & older age group and continued her traditional win--even with a chocolate coating on the doughnut. The guys, too, were serious in their challenge to win cheered on by everyone. Bryce Hammond came on strong to take the lead of the kids' contest and hold on to the Hammond status. Many familiar faces from the past reappeared for the night which was a true delight! One of the biggest blessings of a small church family is the opportunity for ALL to gather together for a fun night of fellowship with a potluck dinner, games and a campfire.

Autumn

Charlotte L. Riser

When the trees their summer splendor
Change to raiment red and gold,
When the summer moon turns mellow,
And the nights are getting cold;
When the squirrels hide their acorns,
And the woodchucks disappear;
Then we know that it is autumn,
Loveliest season of the year.

Amy's Birthday

Amy turned 13th on October 5! We now have three teens in this house! Although they eat nonstop, they are each a joy to have. Amy had ten friends over for a sleepover to celebrate her 13th birthday. Their biggest goal for the evening was not to devour three Costco pizzas, but to solve the riddles and search the town in a Scavenger hunt. Clues were given and they not only had to solve the clue and drive to the store, but when they arrived at the store they had to something specific and have their photo taken. For example, Clue: Fly like an arrow straight and true
to the red and white without the blue. Then when they got to Target (that's the answer to the clue) they had to take a vote of their favorite chips. Take a photo of your group with the bag. Buy them and eat the whole bag before opening your next clue. It was a race through town that proved to be a fun adventure.

As Amy turns 13 and is a teenager, she is also becoming a young lady. She is growing in grace and kindness. Amy is one who is a hard worker, loves to serve and help when needed. She's the best big sister in the world to her younger sibling, Sarah. Amy's creativeness and eagerness is sure to be used by the Lord in the years ahead. I'm so proud she's my daughter!