Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 95:1-3 "O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Here at AP31, we are all wishing you the happiest Thanksgiving, the safest travels, the most fun gatherings, the warmest hugs, and lots of yummy eats...

We are also wrapping up our Thankful Challenge today... Hasn't it been great? Counting our blessings, whether big or small, serious or silly, and being reminded daily of how awesome God truly is! I know I have enjoyed it immensely!

There are still a million things we are thankful for. And we will continue to practice daily thanksgiving to God, long after Thanksgiving is gone!

So what is the last thankful challenge for today? Well, hold on to your socks 'cause it's a comin'... (ha ha!)

Today, I'm thankful for my family. Yeah, yeah--I know... REAL creative. But in all seriousness--God made this family and put it together just for us, perfect for me. We all love each other tremendously and endlessly.

Thank you, Lord, I love my family!

~Page

Thankful Challenge- November 12th

As you know, we've been doing this "Thankful Challenge" and posting something we're thankful for each day until Thanksgiving. Will you join us? It's always a good idea to count your blessings, for it's far too easy to focus on the negative.


November 12- I'm thankful for the snow. I don't normally say this, but now that we have it I find it rather relaxing, purifying, and refreshing. As Ecclesiastes says, there's a season for everything. As much as I think I'd enjoy having Summer all year round, it wouldn't be beneficial. The snow has many advantages, one being that it causes us to really stop and when we slow down life, we have more time to reflect upon the things that truly matter. Winter may not be my favorite season, but I certainly realize that it has its place and I'm thankful that God knew what He was doing. ;-)

Happy Winter, Everyone! (and yes, technically in ND - Winter is here)

~Lauren

Thankful Challenge-November 7th

What are you thankful for today, November 7th?

I'm thankful for my freedom and pray that it will never be taken away! Freedom isn't free, someone paid the price and I'm forever grateful! I'm thankful for those who have gone before and given their lives for the cause of liberty.
I'm also thankful for my Lord, Jesus Christ, who shed his precious blood on Calvary's cross that I might be free from the penalty of sin! "Sin's curse has lost its grip on me, For I am His and He is mine -Bought with the precious blood of Christ."

~Lauren

Thankful Challenge- November 6th

November 6th -

I'm thankful for those in the Armed Forces that serve to protect us! My cousin (who is a Marine) had a friend who was killed last night in Afghanistan. Pray for our troops and do what you can to let them know that you support them and their families! They and their families sacrifice more than we'll ever know....

What are YOU thankful for? Join us in this "Thankful Challenge" by sharing what you're thankful for each day until Thanksgiving!

~Lauren


p.s. I'm also thankful for Daylight Savings time!! WOOHOOO -I mean, who doesn't LOVE an extra hour of sleep?!?

Thankful Challenge - November 5th

Psalms 30:12 "To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever."

Thankful Challenge -November 5th (if you're not sure exactly what this post is all about, click here to find out)

Lauren - I'm thankful for my salvation and how the Lord has changed me, and continues to change me to become more like Him. (2 Cor. 5:17)

Page - I'm thankful for answered prayer to unspoken requests. Even when we don't know how exactly to pray, the Lord knows our heart and makes intercession with the Father on our behalf. (Rom. 8:26)

Let us know what YOU are thankful for! Join us in this "Thankful Challenge" each day until Thanksgiving. Let's count our many blessings, naming them one by one.

~Lauren & Page

Thankful Every Day

Psalm 107: 1 "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."

As you know we've been posting these "Thankful Thursdays" for quite some time. They're to encourage us to keep a thankful spirit, since we all have SO much to praise the Lord for! I'm sure some of you have seen the "Thankful Challenge" where people are writing down a blessing each day until Thanksgiving. I really like that challenge, because it's too easy to focus on the negative instead of the daily blessings. Would you like to join us in doing this? We'll post what we're thankful for daily, until Thanksgiving. Feel free to leave a comment letting us know what YOU are thankful for!

November 4th - I'm thankful for the Lord providing exceptionally GREAT weather for us to travel by- our entire vacation!! We don't take that lightly considering that it is NOVEMBER in NORTH DAKOTA which often means there is SNOW. This is something my husband and I have been talking about a lot, since we're STILL on the road. What a blessing to have sunny skies and clear roads to travel by! Thank you Lord for keeping us safe!! We're almost home! (oh and it's supposed to be in the 60's this Saturday! Amazing!)

Have a Thankful Thursday, everyone!

~Lauren

"Gourd-geous" Candle Holders

Whenever I see these adorable baby gourds and pumpkins in the grocery store, I can't resist buying a few of them! I mean - they're wayy too cute to pass up!! They're small, colorful, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. However, once you get them home, they generally just sit on a shelf (and collect dust) as part of your Autumn decor.

What if I told you that I have an amazing craft that allows you to re-purpose these cuties and actually make them useful??

~This craft is fast, easy, and adorable - perfect for Autumn!..... it took me all of 5 minutes from start to finish (that's my kind of craft!).!

What you will need: 3 gourds (preferably with flat bottoms), tea lights, sharp serrated knife, and a spoon for cleaning out the inside of gourds.


Cut the tops off each gourd, and gently cut a hole in the top, cutting out the majority of the flesh. Take your spoon and scoop out the inside until clean. If your gourd doesn't "sit" level, feel free to cut off whatever you need on the bottom to allow it to sit nicely.

Votive candles also work in this craft, but tea lights are recommended. Fit your tea lights into each gourd, making sure that they fit snugly and securely. You now are the proud owner of some incredibly festive and unique candle holders!!


These would make a lovely addition to any table setting! Use them as part of your centerpiece for Thanksgiving!! Make a romantic and festive candlelight dinner for your love. Or simply use them to add a bit of ambiance to your seasonal decor. There's nothing quite like relaxing by "Gourd-geous" candlelight.

~Lauren