WFW- 1 Cor. 15:58b

Stellan's Going Home!

For anyone who's noticed I moved the "praying for Stellan" button down into my bloggy bling...it DOES NOT mean that I've ceased to pray for him. I just decided it was a good way to show rejoicing over his recent honorable discharge from the hospital in Boston. They are waiting for their flight home to be truly home. There are definitely still many things to pray for...that he'll stay home and out of SVT...that his heart will stay strong...
Go to My Charming Kids for the updates!

Memory Monday...1 Cor. 15:58b...

"Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

I think I'll choose something from Galatians for next week...

8 Things!!

I was tagged...*smile*...believe it or not I've never been tagged before! Sara over at Why Rinse Chicken included me in her 8 things!

Here's how 8 THINGS works:
- Mention the person that tagged you.
- Complete the lists of 8's.
- Tag 8 of your wonderful bloggy friends.
- Go tell them you tagged them!

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO:
-everyone being healthy again (Curious Georgette has pneumonia and Sweet Boobah has bronchitus and ear infection)
-growing tomatoes
-buying hanging plants
-having my own herbs and MINT
-canning salsa for LoverBrains
-mornings with God
-sunshine on my shoulders (and everywhere else)
-a nap (or just the kids naptime)

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY:
-changed my bloggy layout around a bit
-blurfed (blog surfed)
-checked on Stellan and prayed
-worked on structuring a prayer list
-cuddled sick babes
-took lots of Mucinex and Tylenol
-wiped noses many times
-went to ladies bible study and coughed the whole time

8 THINGS I WISH I COULD DO:
-take a pottery class
-take flying classes
-read more
-play the guitar really well
-smell (I have a bad cold)
-meet a bloggy friend in real life
-visit with my family without getting sick or sickening anyone :-)
-make a bosom friend that's the Diana to my Anne...

8 SHOWS I WATCH:
-Max and Ruby on Noggin
-Fox News (Fox and Friends and Beck)
-Sesame Street on PBS
-Angelina Ballerina
-Good Eats
-Barefoot Contessa
-Charlie and Lola
-Iron Chef JAPAN

8 BLOGGERS TAGGED:
Kayren @ Everything's Coming Up Daisies
Joanne @ The Simple Wife
Missy @ It's Almost Naptime
Becky @ Adult Deprived
Diaper Diaries
Andrea @ Under Grace & Over Coffee
Sarah Mae @ Like a warm cup of coffee
Ellen @ thelongthread

These 8 bloggers are a few of my favorites---some oldies, some newbies...but all goodies!! Looking forward to your responses, but if you don't feel like doing it, that's certainly okay too!

WFW- Isaiah 43:1

Checking In...finally, for March...

In case anyone was wondering if I'd given up yet...I haven't...

In March I read...Job, Ephesians, Esther, Exodus, and Philemon.

I've switched to using my NIV Study Bible...the one I got for high school graduation...because I found myself referencing it so much that it just seemed silly to stay in the other version...plus the NASB is getting to me with all its disjointed sentences. I find it nye on to impossible to memorize things with it and have to switch over anyway...

So far, in April I've read Leviticus (didn't want to save it for the end of year), Ruth, Hosea, and Numbers...and I'm just starting Mark. Yes, I know...totally no rhyme or reason...but it's working for me...and I figure...I'm READING and that's most important for now.

So, that's me...checking in!

Memory Monday-Isaiah 43:1

"Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."

Isaiah 43:1

Frugal Friday- Mug Pincushion...

So, I had this mug I loved...but it was HUGE...and then it chipped in two places ....

...I put it aside for crafting possibilities...(yes, I do that with a lot of stuffs otherwise considered trash)...

So, after seeing some pincushions on Etsy in cute bone china, etc. I decided to go practical...

...cut a circle (traced a Folgers lid)...from a fat quarter I already had....and sewed around the circle and stuffed when I created a little pocket....this was trickier then first thought...hahaha...

Here's my favorite part....I needed something to fill the bottom of the mug that was heavy to keep it solid when nabbing pins...I have LoverBrain's old tube socks with holes in the feet (more saved trashy treasure)...So, frugal little me...I duck taped the hole...cuz no one's gonna see it ya'll...filled with beans (cheap cheap)...and knotted the top....

...put the sock in the mug knot down...a little glue...smoosh roundy pillow on top (filled with that pillow fluff stuff), and Viola! I've had that hat pin for a while and wanted to show it off...yeah...now I can!!!

Word-Filled Wednesday...

Thought I'd try something new...and use my Memory Monday passages to create beautiful Word-Filled Wednesday posts with everyone else at 160acrewoods... Actually, I created this during the previous week...while working on the verse for Monday morning...it works for me!

TT- Be Still...

Memory Monday...Phil. 1:9-11

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you will be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God."

Woohoo...no mistakes! Happy M & M ya'll!!!

He is Risen!!!

Good (wow, this is an early sunrise service) Morning!!!

Here's MomE in her natural state...mouth WIDE open...hehehe!
Here are the lovely ladies....

Here are the handsome gentlemen....

Here are the haloed handsome gentlemen...

If you'd like to see the Resurrection Cookies 2009...you need to jot on over to my other blog...MomE & Loving It...

Happy Easter!!

Frugal Friday- Zoo Season has arrived!

Using blank t-shirts we already had...and a few inches (no joke) of novelty nursery fabric...I appliqued cute animals to shirts...

...bubble painted the edges...

...made Cheetah letters for our ZOO bag...added some hot pink edges...

...and delved through the cupboards for our summer water bottles....

And we are ready...

...ROAR!!!!

An Exchange of Wills

I want my heart so cleared of self

That my dear Lord can come

And set up His own furnishings,

And make my heart His home.

And since I know what this requires,

Each morning while it's still,

I slip into that secret room,

and leave with Him my will.

He always takes it graciously,

Presenting me with His;

I'm ready then to meet the day

And any task there is.

And this is how my Lord controls

My interests, my ills,

Because we meet at break of day,

for an exchange of wills.

By Anna Jane Granniss

WW--Herbs in my windowsill!

Tube Tuesday-- Ave, verum corpus...

Ave, verum corpus
natum de Maria Virgine,
Vere passum immolatum
in Cruce pro homine,
Cujus latus perforatum
unda* fluxit (et)* sanguine,
Esto nobis praegustatum
in mortis examine.

Hail,true body
born of the Virgin Mary(should be lower case...uh hem),
Who truly suffered, sacrificed
on the Cross for man,
Whose pierced side overflowed
with water* and blood,
Be for us a foretaste**
In the test of death.

Memory Monday...Eph. 6:10-18, Col. 4:2 and a fuzzy box!

To start out this week, I'd like to share my fuzzy memory box with ya'll. As you know, I enjoy the feel of things...the fabric of a journal, the weight of a good pen, and the fuzzy of a memory box. I have all my verse cards (for bible studies, book studies, and memory Monday...all color coordinated) inside. I haven't printed them out nicely like Joanne...hehehe..but ya never know...it could happen!

Here's me petting the box! Oooooo...sofffttt!

Eph. 6:10-17-NASB, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the ruler, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up (I had 'put on') the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, take up the shield of faith with which (I had 'so that') you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18.(switched to NIV)(because I couldn't get the NASB to flow in my brains) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Col. 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving."

Next week, Phil. 1:9-11.

Happy snowy Spring day....WHAT? Yup, snow folks...snow...icky icky!

All Glory, Laud and Honor!!!

All glory, laud and honor,
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.

Thou art the King of Israel,
Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s Name comest,
The King and Blessèd One.

Refrain

The company of angels
Are praising Thee on High,
And mortal men and all things
Created make reply.

Refrain

The people of the Hebrews
With palms before Thee went;
Our prayer and praise and anthems
Before Thee we present.

Refrain

To Thee, before Thy passion,
They sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise.

Refrain

Thou didst accept their praises;
Accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
Thou good and gracious King.

Refrain
All glory, laud and honor,
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.

Thou art the King of Israel,
Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s Name comest,
The King and Blessèd One.

Refrain

The company of angels
Are praising Thee on High,
And mortal men and all things
Created make reply.

Refrain

The people of the Hebrews
With palms before Thee went;
Our prayer and praise and anthems
Before Thee we present.

Refrain

To Thee, before Thy passion,
They sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise.

Refrain

Thou didst accept their praises;
Accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
Thou good and gracious King.

Refrain
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Frugal Friday...cereal magazine holders

I saw someone do this with a UPS box...they said maybe you could do it with a cereal box...so I tried! Well, it is too narrow for magazines but works well for books and Reader's Digest...etc. Maybe those mega boxes would be the right width...check it out.

Yes, you could use fabric but I was feeling stingy with mine...and wanted the color oddity of the ends being different...do what makes ya happy!

No, the edges aren't perfect...I trimmed them up with scissors...worked fine...they are high up on a shelf by the ceiling...no one can tell...

Voila! It almost makes the border bearable...ugh...I hate border!!! I heart good 'ole paint!

R.S.V.P....God is waiting....

I just finished reading "Misplacing God...And Finding Him Again" by my good bloggy buddy Joanne Heim. I'll admit that when I first read her request for people to review the book...I was excited for many reasons. I'd read her other books...and loved Living Simply. I like her and follow her blog regularly. As odd as it seems, I consider her a good friend...a good example. So, it really came as a surprise that this book would hit me right between the eyes...that it was something that God really knew I needed to hear. Isn't God neat like that?
So, in order to give ya'll incentive to go order her book now....I shall elaborate. The first thing that yelled out was when she talks about "choosing to praise Him midst the humdrum and ordinary tasks." That's so my life right now...and it is a CHOICE! She included a quote from Brennan Manning "Our controlled frenzy creates the illusion of a well-ordered existence. We move from crisis to crisis, responding to the urgent and neglecting the essential." I use this constant state as an excuse. Shame on me.

Later, she writes about putting quiet time first...and when you do...later in the day you can remember that God met your needs already...It gives peace. She is so open and understanding about individuality and different people types. She makes it clear that it's not about doing it HER way...it's just about putting God first for you. That might mean getting up at 5...it might mean using the kid's nap time for God time, it might mean staying up later. BUT, God has to come first!!!

The thing that hit me hardest...was a tiny bit of the book on control. I've always known I have these issues but children have really made them SHOUT at me. She recollects a time when a friend told her that control was an idol. OUCH...oh man...that hurts...it makes me cry even as I write this. It was something I needed to hear...I know that I have to "give control to God each day. To see it clearly as something to hand over to him, to open my hands and not grab at control until my knuckles turned white with the effort."

She gives a bold challenge to meet with God...to RSVP...which she reminds means Repondez, s'il vous plait...respond please. What I love about Joanne's challenges are that they come with her open honesty about her own struggles, her own imperfections, her own ongoing walk with Christ. It makes it so much easier to take...to be encouraged by a fellow runner of the race.

So, this morning my alarm went off at 5 (and the coffee pot downstairs kicked on because of auto set, PTL)...and I padded downstairs to meet with Him...in the quiet...because I had RSVP ed. Will you?

Wordless Wednesday of the past...

Spring 2008