It's Time For A Break!

Well, not really a coffee break...
more like a bloggie break.
I just wanted to let y'all know

that I'm taking this upcoming week off

from blogging, commenting, etc...

I'll be keeping busy with schoolwork

and revival at church,

so I would like to spend it computer-free. ;o)

I hope you all have a great week and

I'll be back in October

(that sounds funny...

it's only a little over a week from now)!

"Return unto thy rest, O my soul;

for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee."

~ Psalm 116:7

(I couldn't resist posting these photos of my 2 favorite birds,

a mourning dove and a cardinal.

Photos are from allposters.com)

He Didn't Throw The Clay Away

My friend gave me a cd today
(by The Rejoice Singers
from Pensacola Christain College)
and as I was listening to it,
I came across this song and it blessed my heart.
I hope it will be a blessing to you as well...



He Didn't Throw The Clay Away

Empty and broken, I came back to Him.
A vessel unworthy; so scarred with sin.
But He did not despair-
He started over again,
And I bless the day He didn't throw the clay away.


(Chorus)
Over and over He molds me and makes me.
Into His likeness, He fashions the clay.
A vessel of honor I am today-
All because Jesus didn't throw the clay away.


He is the Potter and I'm just the clay,
But molded in His image, He wants me to stay.
When I stumble and I fall, my vessel breaks-
He just picks up the pieces,
He doesn't throw the clay away.


Over and over He molds me and makes me.
Into His likeness, He fashions the clay.
A vessel of honor I am today-
All because Jesus didn't throw the clay away.


(Here is a link to a short SAMPLEof the song)


So many times I fail
and so many times He picks me up again.
He never gives up on us.
Sometimes it seems all our strength is gone
and all hope of holiness is vanished:
But Jesus is standing there,
ready to give us the victory if we ask Him!
Oh, the Lord is SO good!
He is so merciful, loving, longsuffering...
I just can't comprehend why He is so good to me!

"Wherefore I desire that ye faint not
at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
For this cause I bow my knees
unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
That he would grant you,
according to the riches of his glory,
to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;
that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints
what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge,
that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."
Ephesians 3:13-19

Sleepover Fun and Finished Projects

Yesterday, friends came over for our
Friday Pizza Night and they spent the night.
We spent some of the time during the day
cutting out fabric for some quilted pillows
we are making for the ladies at church.
We started sewing some last night while my other friend
was having fun using her new art set...



We stopped after a while to make lemon bars :)



And this morning we finished them up...




We had a bit of fun with the fluff!





LOL! It's great to have friends you can be yourself around!
Here are the finished projects...











Hope you all have a wonderful Lord's day tomorrow.

He Went A Little Further...

Sometimes we are
content just not
going to hell.
But shame on us!
We need to want to
be one of His disciples,
and want to follow Him
wherever He leads.
We are, as Christians,
commanded to follow His steps.

For us, Jesus was
betrayed, mocked,
beaten, and whipped horrendously.
But did He stop there?
No.
He went a little further.
He picked up a cross,
and walked all the way to Golgotha.
He could have stopped there,
said it was enough,
and ascended into heaven.
But He didn’t. He went even further.
He was nailed to a cross to hang there,
our sins were poured on Him, and He was forsaken by God.
But He didn’t stop there! He went further still.
He gave up the ghost and was put in a tomb.
He didn’t stop there, praise the Lord!
He rose and lives forever now, but He’s
going even further and is coming back for us!

Now the least, the very least we could do
is go a little further for Him.
Let’s become what Jesus saved us to be.
Many of us tend to agree to serve and
surrender only parts of our lives.
We draw a line and say “That’s as far as I go”
or “I’m staying where I am”…
but the best joys, God’s best blessings,
and the best of our lives is right over that line.
We are never completely happy
unless we surrender everything to Jesus.
5 points to going further for Him were listed:

1. We must be willing to go alone.
It’s easy when others go, and if we obey, others may follow us;
but we still must be willing to go alone.
God’s waiting for us to come to Him,
love Him more, and surrender all.

2. We must be willing to humble ourselves.
Do you want to be like Jesus?
Gotta humble yourself!
He was made a bondservant;
a happiness and a blessing comes with serving Jesus and others.
There are hundreds and thousands of lost ones
waiting for us to humble ourselves.
God won’t fully bless us unless we’re willing to humble ourselves.

3. We must be willing to pray “Thy will be done.”
The motto of the Christian life!
‘Ordinary’ Christianity isn’t it.
We must be seeking and willing to do what the Lord wants.
“And he went a little further, and fell on his face,
and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will,
but as thou wilt.” verse 39.
Nothing more or less than His will.
The happiest place is in God’s will.
God’s will is perfect and wonderful!
If we go one step toward Jesus, He’ll take you all the way.
Let Him know, and He’ll guide you through.

4. We must try to encourage others to do the same.
When a person truly loves Jesus,
they naturally encourage others.
We must stand up and lead somebody else.

5. We must be willing to stand in the face of the enemy.
“And Jesus said unto him [Judas], Friend…”
Our heart needs to stay stirred.
We should be saying “I don’t care what comes.
I’ll be faithful and take another step.”
Jesus is our example and motive.
We mustn’t be willing to die someday for Jesus
if we’re not willing to live for Him.
It’s time to go a little further.

A Ribboned Dress...

Last night we purchaed and washed some fabric
that I've been wanting for a while.
This morning I set my alarm for 7:30,
and put it across the room so I'd have to
get up in order to turn it off,
(a tip I've learned from a friend:)
but somehow I was in too deep of a sleep to hear it.
So I awoke at 8:45 and started cutting out my dress at 9.
I just finished it a few minutes ago and thought I'd share.



It was the first dress I added ribbon to...


I added the ribbon to the sleeves, the bottom hem,
and used it as my tie.
I, also, finally added pockets to one of my dresses!
Mom always sews pockets in hers and tries to convince me
that they're worth the extra work... so I tried it.
They are pretty handy!
I'm glad I was able to finish it so I could
wear it to church tomorrow.
Mom also worked at tracing a pattern
and cutting a dress for herself.

Tonight and tomorrow we're supposed to
be getting the effects of a 'sub-tropical storm'
in the Atlantic Ocean. We sure could use the rain.
Well, turkey is for supper and I'm hungry!
Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow.

My Finished Crocheted Project

Well, I finished my project today so
I thought I'd share some photos.
I've been working on it for a
few weeks now and it was my first blanket
(a quilted-crochet with a border)...





I made it for a couple in our church who
just had their first baby... a girl.
I didn't really use a pattern;
just made up my own from getting the
main idea on the back of a yarn wrapper.
Now I hope to start finishing up my afghan!

I hope to respond to comments tomorrow
or the day after... It's been busy, busy, busy!
Tomorrow I go see the chiropractor again!!!
Have a lovely week.

Labor Day Grill-Out and a Visit to the Chiropractor

Yesterday we went over to our friends' house
for some delicious grilled ribs, shrimp and corn.
I, suprisingly, had a huge appetite because
I ate 2 ribs, about 20 shrimp, and 4 ears of corn!
We played a game of chess while we were there...



After that and eating, we sang around the piano for a while.





My friend captured the moms and I in one of our
'candid' moments, as my mom puts it!



After that we went to frost the cake for my friend's
birthday that her mom asked me to make...



I also decorated it with some colored frosting
using my new cookie press / cake decorator.



Here we are with the birthday girl holding her cake...


We had a great time of fun and fellowship.

Today I went to see the Chiropractor.
I had a wonderful time!
He thinks much of my condition is caused from
when I was in a car accident about 6 years ago
and I wasn't treated as I should have been.
I had some message therapy done and
was aligned... and it felt SOOOOO good!!!
I go back to have it done again Thursday.

Today I hope to finish up a crocheting project,
so I'll probably post about it tomorrow!
Have a great week!

Castaways

I've had a specific song on my heart lately
and thought I'd share the words of encouragement.
It reminds me of how when we try to achieve victory
over sin on our own, we soon lose the battles
and stop looking to the Lord and not depend completely on Him.
And it's so sad that we see so many Christians today
turning away from the Lord, who once were on fire for Him.
This is why it's so important to keep sweet fellowship with Him
and to remember that without Him we can do nothing.
It is so wonderful to know is that He is always faithful
and will give us victory if we ask for it!


Castaways

We hear of it every day;
One who serves God turns away.
He yields to temptations that come his way.
No longer used of God;
He goes the way of the world.
And then he is known as a castaway.


(Chorus)
God will make a way to escape each temptation
So let us run to Him when we are weak.
We must take heed lest we fall
when we think we're standing.
It's the strength of the Lord we must seek
Then we will not also become castaways.


How sad to see the one who once lived for the Lord.
But now he sits sidely on the shelf
And it all goes back to the day
When they became castaways;
They chose not to serve God, but self.

The most tragic part of all
Is those who watch them fall,
And are caused from Almighty God to stray.
As the Holy Spirit pleads
We must all stay on our knees,
Then we will not also become castaways.


(Chorus)
God will make a way to escape from each temptation
So let us run to Him when we are weak.
We must take heed lest we fall
when we think we're standing.
It's the strength of the Lord we must seek.
Then we will not also become castaways.

(Chorus repeated)


Then we will not also become castaways.



"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth
take heed lest he fall."
1 Corinthians 10:12

"...But God is faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted
above that ye are able; but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
1 Corinthians 10:13b


(Click HERE to listen to this song)
It is unknown to me who wrote this song
but the above link is sung by Gregg Nash

Falling in Love With Jesus

While so many young maidens long for romantic relationships,
few realize that it’s already there!
We are loved with an Everlasting Love,
and our ‘Prince’ is waiting for us with His arms open.
We long for someone who loves us, understands us, listens to us,
protects and cares for us – is crazy about us!
As I mentioned in a previous post,
this is a good desire… a God-given desire.
Doesn’t it only make sense that the One who instills
these desires knows how to fulfill them?
What is important to realize is that marriage on Earth
represents our relationship with Christ.
Everything that we desire in marriage,
we have completely in the Lord!

A while ago I was searching for some ideas,
and came across a ‘Divorce Proofing Your Marriage’ list
and got some ideas of how to fall in love with Jesus.
I altered some of the list and added some of my own to fit my subject.

§ Make our relationship the most important thing.
§ Go the extra mile to serve.
§ Be a good listener –
read His ‘Love Letter’ to us. (the Bible)
§ Spend quality time alone with Him –
Just go to a quiet place and talk with Him. Have ‘dates’ with Jesus!
§ Say “I love you” a lot –
frequently tell Him of your love and affection.
§ Make Him our best friend.
§ Praise, and not criticize –
don’t complain or be angry with Him when something didn’t
go our way; rather thank Him for what He brings upon us.
He uses troubles to draw us closer to Him.
§ Be quick to ask forgiveness.
§ Go places / do work together –
do things with Him, keeping Him in our mind and talking to Him.
I frequently find myself just talking out aloud to Jesus…
He’s really there and does listen!
§ Give gifts to Him –
surrender what He asks for (our time, talent, etc...).
§ Look the best we can for Him –
He is a neat and orderly God. When I get dressed, I like to think,
“Lord, what do you want me to wear?”
§ Tell others about Him –
A bride-to-be has trouble finding anything else to talk about
then that she’s getting married, and all about her fiancé!
How much more should we tell others about the One Who has won our heart!
§ Take an interest in things that interest Him –
Funny how a girl ‘in-love’ starts to take interest in her
‘special someone’s’ interests, that, maybe,
she never really thought of before! – “Study” Jesus.
Get to know Him better and enjoy the things
He does as well as despise the things He hates.

Falling in love with Jesus isn’t some make-believe fantasy…
it’s not just something to help us ‘survive’ until a husband comes along.
Knowing Jesus… it’s a real thing – He’s not a ‘pretend friend’.
He’s there… always was, is and will be.

“Delight thyself in the Lord;
and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
Psalm 37:4

"Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest
the desire of every living thing."
Psalm 145:16

Sparrow Rescue and A Trip To The Ocean

Yesterday while my friend and I were preparing lunch,
the children came in yelling,
"A bird is stuck! It's trying to get out of the birdfeeder
but it can't! Come see!"
We followed them outside and they pointed to
the neighbor's yard where there was a sparrow
with its head stuck inside of the feeder.

I climbed over into their yard and
looked inside to see that its head was shoved
all the way in and bent under a metal piece.
There was blood on his side where he was cut
(just a little) from the metal.
I took the top off and gently pushed its head over
so that I could easily slide out its body.
It scared me a bit, because if he tried to resist
or I pushed too hard, it could have really hurt (or killed itself).

But in a few minutes of working with it,
I pulled him out, safe and sound.
He stayed on the ground and rested for a while.
It was so neat to rescue it!
And birds are much softer than they even look!


Today, the Lord gave us a beautiful blue sky
and a wonderful cool breeze.
And we decided to go to the ocean to enjoy it.
Before we moved here, we used to do a lot of 'beachschooling',
which I posted about on my previous blog,
and I have missed the beach.
So I was glad to go!
We went to Subway and picked up some food
to eat at the park across from the ocean.



Afterwards, we headed across the road to the ocean...



My friends were eager to get me to the water,
so that we could walk and get our 'feetsies' wet.





Poor Carolynne wasn't very comfortable with the strong waves,
so I went out with her and she enjoyed it.



As we looked out on the horizon,
we spied 2 battleships way out there.



We didn't intend on getting very wet,
but when one person 'falls' in, another usually follows. :o)
So we all ended up getting completely soaked.
It was a lot of fun in spite of the fact
salt water kept getting in my mouth and nose.

All of us


Beth


Will

My friend and I enjoyed finding the big waves
and then diving into them ...







Carolynne was quite satisfied with staying on
the shore and just getting her feet wet.



The moms had a blast as well.



And I thought I'd share this photo because we all thought
it looked like we were about to go down a waterfall...


It was a wonderful day and now I'm completely exhausted.
Oh, backtracking to one more unusual thing about yesterday:
As I made the lasagna for supper,
I used a bag of sauce in the fridge that I thought was leftover.
Well, as it turned out, it was really pizza sauce. :o)
It didn't make much of a difference in taste, though!
And we all had a good laugh!

I hope everyone's having a great week,
and I'll try to get around to responding to some
comments tomorrow or the day after.