Suited to a Tea


Welcome to my tea. Please, have a seat; let me pour you some Lady Grey; one lump or two; cream? ....


Tea Time

Welcome to the Ladies Tea Room
 
October 7, 2013, 7:00 PM
 
"Fall into Autumn" WHBC Ladies Semiannual Tea
 
 
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."
 
 
The ladies enjoyed another good time of food and fellowship as they gathered around tables of "the King's" teacups and saucers and white linen.
 
The tables were centered with red apples carved for tea lights, then placed on piles of autumn leaves. This arrangement was surrounded by a multicolored array of  green, orange and brown gourds with candy corn strewn sporadically about. This Fall spectacle would induce anyone's longing for a sweater, scarf, and brisk walk outside in late October breezes.
 
What makes this time of year so special?  How about the apple orchard's harvest of apples busheled in baskets spilling out as a main feature on the dessert table.  What aromas do you smell?   Some freshly popped popcorn perhaps, to put you in the mood for cooler weather.
 
It's a season of Number 2 pencils, book-bags and cheery young voices headed off to their first days of school.  For this tea's theme, "Fall into Autumn," we invited the ladies to bring a grade-school picture of themselves; a fun way to remember in years gone by their first days of school.  The pictures were then pinned to a cork board where each guest could compete by guessing who's who in each photograph.  The special lady who got all but one of 17 pictures correct won the first prize: a cookbook, authored by one of our very own Missionary wives in attendance.
 
 
 
As a special treat, we also asked each lady to enter our baking contest where they could showcase their skills in the art of "comfort" baking.  The dessert table was lined from one end to another with delectable delicates and overindulgent goodies.  The ladies were having a hard time "judging" all of the entries that ranged from: loaded brownies, cream-cheese pound cake with berries, monkey bread, strawberry cake delight and coconut pudding cake-just to name a few. The winner of this "bake-off" of sorts was the loaded brownies entry, she also won the Missionary wife cookbook.
 
 
 
This casual setting was a sweet time of interesting conversation with interesting ladies.  To conclude our Tea, our Pastor's wife gave a short devotional.  In keeping with our theme, she took her verse from Proverbs 25:11, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." She spoke about how she had a love for fine literature and how good literature paints a very descriptive picture for the imagination. As a way to honor God's word she chose this passage for its ability to not only paint a vivid picture of beauty; but also, its ability to convey a very profound yet simple truth. She spoke about how easy words can communicated in our modern society, i.e. Facebook, email, twitter, and texting.  She spoke of how easy it has become to just say the first thing we think, instead of thinking before we speak.  Because of technology and its ability to convey messages so quickly, it's easy to say things then have regret later because we didn't think of the consequences of the words we used.  She then posed a question to the ladies, "How do you use your words?, What are they like?" A good way to guard our speech is lining up our words with what the Bible says about our words. To answer this question, she gave us an acronym for the word APPLES. 
 
Are our words (like A-P-P-L-E-S):
A- appropriate, Pr. 15:23, "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!"
 
P-pleasant, Pr. 16:24, "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."
 
P-pure, Pr. 15:26, "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words."
 
L-lovely, Php. 4;8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
 
E-encouraging, Pr. 12:25, "Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad."
 
S-soft, Pr. 15:1, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."
 
What a great ending to a great evening, now we can use this clever acronym to think of before we speak in whatever form of communication we take.
 
(On a personal note: I really thought that this devotional was directed right for me...I'm so guilty of entering into a room "mouth first!")
 







Hope to see you next time!
 
 
 
 
 


September 10, 2012,  7:00 p.m.

First Tea

The Ladies of Windsor Hills Baptist Church really enjoyed their first Tea.  This first gathering was themed for Fall. We wanted to get everyone in the mood for cooler weather; a great reason to sip that hot cup of tea even more.  We had a wonderful turn out of ladies, over 70 in attendance.  If I can remember correctly we had over 10 varieties of tea.  I enjoyed some mint tea and also one of my favorites, Earl Grey...Our snack table seemed endless. All the Ladies who brought food really out did themselves.  We had, of course, a "tea hat" competition, which was a lot of fun; one of the Ladies at my table won!!  Our Pastor's Wife gave a great devotional about  how the Aged Women should teach the Younger, given out of Titus Chapter 2.  She asked some ladies to bring their Wedding photos, each photo representing a generation.  I was included in this, which was neat, who doesn't enjoy showing off their wedding picture?  She asked each of the us to tell her a story of some kind example of us getting advice from someone older.  She shared each of these stories in her devotion. 

As a "younger" wife,  I really do take advantage of what it says in Titus about following after the example of  those women who have been down the mommy and wife road a little longer.  This area for me is especially important because of the fact that my own mother is no longer here.  I really feel like even though this is a sad thing, the Lord, who is faithful, has supplied me with wonderful ladies in my own life who I can turn to for practically anything if it be for advice in the area of mothering and being a wife.  And the memory of my mother has been served well because almost half of the cups used in the Tea were hers!  I'm sure she is smiling down on it all. 

I can't wait for the next tea!!  See you then...





















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