Amelia McNeilly

Pink Patriot - My desire is to share with you the journey God has me on. Whether in joy hardship, I hope that my blog offers a place of respite, and bring joy to your heart!

Articles, Christian Living, Devotionals, Hope a Little More Daily Quotes, Hope a Little More Series

Happy Thanksgiving 2017

Hey friends today is one of my favorite days of the entire year. As I dwell on the year I’m reminded of all those who have prayed and encouraged me. The support I’ve received makes me think of the following Bible verse.

I thank God every time I remember you” ~Philippians 1:3.

This year has held both joy and sorrow, and has been difficult to say the least. However, Jesus has given me the strength each day to endure, and surrounded me with His protection. I thank God everyday for the wonderful people He has blessed my life with in 2017. I am forever grateful to my parents who have been my caregivers, my Gran who stays with me twice weekly, and to my friends and family who have encouraged me on the hard days. I thank God for each of you and you are a gift to me.

Also, please check out my my other Thanksgiving post from yesterday here.

Oh but this post would not be complete without giving my aunt Ellen a shout out and sharing a fun family memory/tradition. Auntie I do apologize for not sharing this in yesterday’s post because I know how much you love this (insert sarcasm here..ha)!

When my mom and aunt were younger my mom and other family used to sing this song to Ellen and she pretty much hated it. It’s one of those cute, stupid things that families laugh about for years.that no one outside the family understands but it’s funny anyways. So here goes –

“Today is turkey day it’s Ellens holiday and we will laugh and sing and do all kinds of things.”

I hope each of you are able to laugh today and enjoy quality time with those you love. As one of my favorite verses states,

“in everything give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

~1 Thessalonians 5:24

For some encouraging devotionals and posts on gratitude, be sure to read my series – “31 Days of Thanksgiving.” I have been so grateful for each person who participated in this series by sharing their stories. The Lord has used each of them to comfort my soul, and I pray they do the same for you.

Hsppy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Articles, Holidays, Hope a Little More Series

Hope a Little More Series – Thanksgiving Eve – Recipes to be Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving Eve. Tomorrow is my most favorite holiday of the year. I have always enjoyed it. Spending the day with my family and eating my mom’s Thanksgiving meal leaves me with a full and happy heart. I am biased but my mom is the best cook ever. I will never measure up to her culinary skills. We would be in trouble if the meal was left up to me to cook. I would probably have it catered…ha!

This past year has been the hardest of my life and it has included many ups,  downs,  and ugly cry moments. However, the Lord keeps reminding me that I still have so much to be thankful for — now more than ever.  My suffering over the last year has given me reason to take more pleasure in the little things and to never take a moment for granted. That being said, I am looking forward to this Thanksgiving more than all the others as there have been moments where I wondered if I would make it to this day, but praise be to God that He never lets me down and gives me the strength to press on.

Life is short and none of us know what the future holds so it is important to be intentional and grateful for every second the Lord gives us.  No matter our circumstances, Thanksgiving gives us reasons to hope, rejoice, and allows us to spend time with our loved ones.

On a lighter note, besides spending quality time with family, there is always food to enjoy. One of my favorite Thanksgiving desserts is my mom’s pumpkin cake. It is probably my favorite cake ever. Everyone in the family loves it. I faced timed with my sweet Lexi girl earlier this week and she is only 5 but the thing she is looking forward to the most is the pumpkin cake. My mom’s dressing and the cake are my two favorites. Oh  and another one of my favorites  that I eat year round is chocolate peanut butter oatmeal no bake cookies. Thanks to my aunt Ellen who is bringing those. They are so simple yet delicious. What are some of your favorites in the Thanksgiving meal?  Comment below and share them with us.

Below is the recipe for the famous pumpkin cake.

Ingredients:

2 cups white sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups canned pumpkin

4 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts (Optional)

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12×18 inch pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread batter into prepared 12×18 inch pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

For icing the recipe recommended a cream cheese icing but we just used a confectioners sugar glaze

Articles, Holidays, Hope a Little More Series

Hope a Little More Series – Thankfulness – An Act of Worship

I am so thankful to have one of my dearest friends Sarah,  guest posting for me today. This post is the perfect reminder as this is the week of Thanksgiving. I know these words will encourage your heart like they have mine. 

If your life is anything like mine, then you might be riddled with busyness, chaos, and distractions. As a mother to 4 boys (aged 6-2), every day that goes by feels FULL. My to-do list never ends, there is always someone who needs me, and stillness seems to elude me. In these seasons of life, a prayer of thankfulness is often distant from my lips. As a good Father, the Lord graciously hears my pleas for my needs. Yet, how much more should He also receive my songs of thanksgiving? After all, life itself, the good and the bad, is a gift. Despite the constant full throttle speed of life or even in the monotonous mundane, the worshipful act of giving thanks should always be present. 

Taking Life For Granted Or With Gratitude

G. K. Chesterton said, “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”  I must confess that my heart sometimes does take many aspects of life for granted. The constant busyness can often cause me to get lost in the moments and take for granted how God has blessed me. Rather than see every moment- joyful or difficult – as a gift of God’s grace, I can circumvent my own desires or expectations and completely miss an opportunity to give God a thankful heart. Instead of being thankful for God’s provision in being able to pack lunches for my sons, I take for granted the gift of caring for their hungry bodies. Or being distracted by the myriad of to-dos become times where I “me focused” and forget about the God who has blessed me with ways to serve others. My heart should radiate thankfulness because in all things He is faithful to provide and offer His help. And if I take things for granted, the I ultimately fail to worship the giver of all of life’s moments.

Thankfulness In Struggle

Taking the simple things of life for granted is easily done. But what about the bigger moments of difficulty or suffering? In God’s sovereignty and goodness, He has determined what He will allow to come to our lives. And one thing that all humanity has in common is our shared grief of suffering. Our levels of pain may vary, and only God’s divine wisdom knows why, yet we have an opportunity in those times of difficulty to offer our thanks. We can remember that it is His peace that calms our weary hearts (Philippians 4:7). We recall His faithfulness to never forsake us (Matthew 28:20). We rejoice that He promises that our present sufferings are but a shadow compared to the eternal glory we will inherit (Romans 8:18). But most importantly, we can give thanks for trials because though we may suffer incredible loss, through them we gain Christ. 

Philippians 3:8 reads, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” When we suffer loss, and for each individual this will look differently, we have an opportunity to redirect our hearts from this cursed world and its terrible consequences to the eternal truth of Jesus’ love for us. The heartache we endure is a reminder that this world has nothing for us, but in Christ we gain everything. And in that we can be most thankful. 

A Thankful Heart Is A Worshipful Heart

When we are tempted to take life for granted or concentrate so much so on our circumstances that we neglect to give thanks to Jesus, we are essentially failing to worship our Lord. The Bible is very clear to command us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Whether we are living with chaotic distractions, mundane monotony, or heartbreaking struggles we can always offer hearts of gratitude to Jesus. It was He who purchased our hearts and offers us a glorious joy

About Sarah: 

To learn more about Sarah and her family visit her blogs here –

https://themcleans.wordpress.com/

https://thefigtreeandthevine.wordpress.com/

 

Articles, Books, Hope a Little More Series, Uncategorized

Hope a Little More Series – Books to be Thankful For – Christy

Happy Thanksgiving week my friends. Below is my review of the new release of the book “Christy” by Catherine Marshall. If you need a good read over the Thanksgiving holiday this would be a great choice.

About the Book:

New edition of Catherine Marshall’s inspirational classic! 
The train taking nineteen-year-old teacher Christy Huddleston from her home in Asheville, North Carolina, might as well be transporting her to another world. The Smoky Mountain community of Cutter Gap feels suspended in time, trapped by poverty, superstitions, and century-old traditions.
But as Christy struggles to find acceptance in her new home, some see her – and her one-room school – as a threat to their way of life. Her faith is challenged and her heart is torn between two strong men with conflicting views about how to care for the families of the Cove.
Yearning to make a difference, will Christy’s determination and devotion be enough?
My Thoughts:
In my opinion this is one of the best books that have been written, and I was so excited when I heard and updated version being released again. I  have fond memories of reading this as a child, and I also remember the shows that aired based on the book. However, the books are always better than the shows, and that is true in this case. These days it seems harder and harder to find well written literature that is suitable for the entire family, but this story accomplishes that beautifully. If you are a fan of this book already, read it again and if you have never read it, add it to your must read list. With the holidays nearing this would be a perfect gift for the book lovers in your life. This book is a delight as well as informative as the novel shares the experiences among the folks in the Appalachian Highlanders. The stories shared will keep you turning the page as you read the journey of the folks in this simple mountain town. Even though this was written long ago, the experiences shared and the deep faith that was described throughout will encourage your heart. This is definitely a story I will continue to go back to for years to come.
I was given this book by Litfuse to review.  To read other reviews of this book visit here – https://litfusegroup.com/author/cmarshall
About the Author:

Catherine Marshall (1914-1983), The New York Times best-selling author of 30 books, is best known for her novel Christy. Based on the life of her mother, Christy captured the hearts of millions and became a popular CBS television series. Around the kitchen table at Evergreen Farm, as her mother reminisced, Catherine probed for details and insights into the rugged lives of these Appalachian highlanders. Catherine shared the story of her husband, Dr. Peter Marshall, Chaplain of the United States Senate, in A Man Called Peter. A decade after Dr. Marshall’s untimely death, Catherine married Leonard LeSourd, Executive Editor of Guideposts, forging a dynamic writer-editor partnership. A beloved inspirational writer and speaker, Catherine’s enduring career spanned four decades and reached over 30 million readers.

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