Memorial Day, Mopping, Music Lessons, Messes & More!

Ok, I'll start off in chronological order.

Yesterday, we spent our Memorial Day,

mostly, at home.

The younger ones did a project,

in which I assisted.

Then we had a great time

of food and fellowship at our Pastor's house!

I was so glad that I could, actually, run

to catch and throw a frisbee!

I haven't done that in SO long!

Anyway, for some reason I woke up

today at 6:00 and couldn't find sleep.

So I got up, had my quiet time,

and enjoyed the peace (and the birds).

Then I, suddenly, felt in the mood to grab

a Mr.Clean Magic Eraser

and 'erase' the linolium floor

in the dining room hallway.

It looks much nicer now.

I was going back and forth from that,

making coffee, cleaning the dining room,

reading room, and living room,

and spraying the squirrell with water

every time it jumped up on our birdfeeder!

Yes, I do that.

I already cleaned the kitchen the evening before,

so there was no point in cleaning it.

Ok, my day has mostly been cleaning,

but I REALLY enjoy cleaning!

I also started piano lessons with my brother.

He was thrilled as I assigned him lessons to practice!

He did so well for his first day...

Also, I assisted mom in moving

the children's bedrooms around,

which was a real chore

trying to get the beds into the other

room in two narrow 90 degree angles upstairs!!!!

But I got to break out my favorite tool... the allen wrench.

I also tried moving my furniture around,

but couldn't find any other way that would look right,

save the way it already was.

So, after 7 months of living here,

I finally got the decorations on the walls, instead!

(Since now I know where I'm keeping my furniture.)

A view from walking in the doorway... (My closet is to the right)

A view from my bookshelf and closet opening...

Well, I thought I'd share! I hope everyone's having a great week!

Dangers of the Dating Method

Transferred from my previous blog

In continuation of my notes and thoughts
on my current reading...
In the years preceding marriage,
the majority of Americans
do something they call 'date'.
This is actually a new concept...
not the same approach we see throughout history.
And now, it's quite easy
to be comfortable with it because
we're growing up with it,
are familiar with it, and surrounded by it.
But this is very dangerous.
Because of dating,
many marriages end up in divorce...
few are truly happy,
and many enter into marriage with scars.
Many Christians are also suffering from this
and from a past of dating.
Why is this happening?
Because everyone planning to marry 'someday'
have high standards of who they are going to marry,
but they don't keep to the same standards
when they date.
"It's only a date", they'll say,
without even realizing the emotional bonds
that form so quick and easy.
Then they experience the pain of breaking up,
or marrying someone who's not strong in Christ,
or maybe not even a Christain at all.
This pain and heartache is not pleasing to God,
nor is it His will for us!
He wants us to be happy
and appreciate His will for us.
What can be better than a couple
that God Himself brought together!

But, how will I ever get married if I don't date?
Well, God gives Scriptures
that are filled with principles and concepts
neccesary to making the right decisions
in this area (as in all areas).
All I need to do is wait for God
to bring the person in His timing.

I don't know if or when I'll get married,
but it's a comfort that God does.
He has made it quite clear
He has work for me as a single young maiden.
I don't even need to date, flirt,
consume my time thinking of boys,
or even search for a husband.
The Lord is perfectly able to do it without my help.
And when God brings the right man into our lives,
He'll give the opportunities essential to get aquainted.
But it is neccesary to remember
there is no other reason
to have a romantic relationship
for any other purpose but marriage.
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit and
ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."Galatians 5:16

Scheduling, Schooling, & Sewing... Phew!

It's been a few days since I last posted

but now I have something to post about. *Ü*

I've been pretty busy lately trying to schedule myself

and finish up my education for this year.

And today I found time to do that and sew, too!!!

We bought some really nice fabric a while back

and I decided to use it today.

I was busy around 11 and just finished an hour ago.

I thought I'd share...

I ran into a problem, though.

I retraced the pattern beforehand,

adjusting it where needed...

after cutting, sewing, and all of that other fun stuff,

I was excited to try it on and discovered

that I made it A LOT larger

than what it was supposed to be :(

So I used an additional 45 minutes fixing it.

ugh! phew!

I also had to get out the seamripper twice!

But I am glad I'm finished!

I'm also working on a crochet project (an afghan)

but will wait a little while before I post a photo :)

Well, at least until I can figure out

the confusing-to-me instructions

of attaching the green to the rose.

Oops, I slightly spilled the beans!

Well, I'll be going.

Good night!

Missing Persons in Christianity...

Yesterday, I found a book on our shelves entitled
'A Heart For God' by Paul Chappell.
I've heard him preach
and was interested in reading a book by him.
After reading one chapter so far,
I already reccommend it!
I thought I'd share something that really stuck out to me...

He writes...

"In my mail each week,
I receive the picture of a beautiful child, a little boy or girl.
The card tells the size, age, and hometown of the missing child.
Below the photos are the words 'missing person.'
How the parents across the country must weep
for those missing persons!

And when God looks down from Heaven and sees
missing persons in Christianity, it must break His heart.
There are too many Christians today who have taken
back the hearts they once gave to God.
We should determine to have a heart that has a desire for God,
that fixes itself on God, that follows God even through the valleys."

Desiring the Best Marriage

A while back, upon finishing reading my book,

"Before You Meet Prince Charming", by Sarah Mally,
I encountered some life changing facts.
I had decided to read the book all over again

and take notes to share with other young maidens
struggling with today's views

on marriage, dating, courtship, etc...

Below are my notes and elaborations:

Most young ladies like to dream about romance.
And as a daughter of the King of Kings,
our Heavenly Father has the best in store for us!
From the very beginning, before we were even born,
God created a perfect match for each one of us.

But many young maidens are consumed

with dating and thinking of boyfriends,
and, thus, wasting the years of their youth,

which could be used fully for the glory of God.
Temptation is the biggest snare

in the boy/girl relationships

that Satan tries to use in purpose to destroy

the lives and testimonies of Christian young people.
A true maiden realizes this danger,

and sees a need of protection.
This is not evidence of weakness or fear,

but rather of courage;
For it takes courage to do things God's way.

We must desire the absolute best marriage,
& be willing to make the required sacrifices

and wait for His best.
Marriage is a picture

of our relationship with Christ;
God created marriage to be
the most beautiful, joyful,

and fulfilling earthly relationship

that we will ever experience.
A good marriage is priceless.
It's sad, but many young people are willing to forfeit

God's wonderful plan of a beautiful marriage,

in exchange for short-term thrills.
If we could grasp how wonderful God's plan is for us,

shouldn't we be willing to wait
and enter into marriage pure

(emotionally, spiritually, and physically)
rather than with scars?

Satan tries to use the situations we see around us

with those who are unhappily married,

and tries to make us believe

that there are few or no happy marriages.
Even though all marriages have trials to work through,
God's design for them is successful, fulfilling, and joyous.
Of course, NO marriage will be absolutely spot-free perfect,
but we need to choose to desire the best,
and refuse to lower our standards

to settle for something average.

Also, there are many benefits from parents help.
Even though some may come from hurting families,

or have one parent, or parents may not be Christians...

God has placed each one of His children
in the exact families and situations that He wants us in for His will.
He will never neglect us and will guide us

in our need of help and leading.


"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him:
for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath
made herself ready."
Revelation 19:7

God Wants to Hear You Sing

Yesterafternoon, my back was hurting,
so I decided to go upstairs and listen to some music
while applying accupressure to relieve it.
I decided to try a new cd
so I went through some cds we had and came across
an album called "We Preach Christ" by Westcoast Baptist College.
So I put it in and was really enjoying it.
Then when it came to number 7, it really spoke to my heart
and it brought tears to my eyes.
This was a really good song, and now I'm catching
myself singing it constantly since yesterday!

Here are the words below...
(and at the bottom of the post is a link
for a brief clip of the song)


God Wants to Hear You Sing


Their chains were fastened tight
down at the jail that night;
Still, Paul and Silas would not be dismayed.
They said it's time to lift our voice;
Sing praises to the Lord.
Let's prove that we will trust Him, come what may.


(Chorus)
God wants to hear you sing
When the waves are crashing round you,
When the fiery darts surround you,
When despair is all you see.
God wants to hear your voice
When the wisest man has spoken,
And says your circumstance is as hopeless as can be:
That's when God wants to hear you sing.


He loves to hear our praise
On our cheerful days;
When the pleasant times outway the bad by far.
But when suffering comes along,
And we still sing Him songs;
That is when we bless the Father's heart.

(chorus)
God wants to hear you sing
When the waves are crashing round you,
When the fiery darts surround you,
When despair is all you see.
God wants to hear your voice
When the wisest man has spoken,
And says your circumstance is as hopeless as can be:
That's when God wants to hear you sing.

Such beautiful words, aren't they?
How much the Lord deserves our praise in
the good times, as well as through the trials.
We never have to worry that He's not there,
or wonder if He still loves us. He is and does!
He's always there when we're ready to turn to Him,
He wants to hold us and comfort us,
He wants us to enjoy an abudant life,
at peace in Him, while serving Him.
He is SO good to us and deserves our continual praise!

Click here to hear a 30 second clip

"I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live:
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being."
~ Psalm 104:33

Finished Project and Answered Prayer!

Lately, I've noticed how I need some new dresses.

So I was going through Mom's fabric collection

(which occupies drawers of a few dressers)

and I found some fabric I really liked.

So I started on my third homemade dress and finished it today.

I just wanted to share some photos...

Here I am pinning to cut.

Notice the thing on my right arm?

It's a pincushin bracelet.

We found it at a Hancock's Fabric store and it's really convienient!

Here I was doing some of the sewing
and today, I finally finished it...

I lengthened it and adjusted it here and there.
I’m glad I was able to finish it so that
I could wear it tomorrow to church.
Mom also is working on a dress for herself,
so it was really nice getting out both sewing machines
and having a mother and daughter sewing time!

Also, I have news…
I’ve been feeling quite "abnormal" today and yesterday…
but in a good way!
I actually feel good! Not bad, or just OK… GOOD!
Wow! It feels great to feel so good!
I haven’t felt this well in about 5 months!
Thank you all for your prayers!
I’m so happy to see the Lord’s healing me!
In fact, I’ve felt great enough to play the piano,
sing, sew, and, yes, CLEAN!!!!
I even jumped on the trampoline this morning,
a little, with my brother!
Oh, praise the Lord, I hope and pray this continues getting better!

I hope y'all have a great weekend!

What in the World Should I Wear?

Today I read a book/booklet entitled
“What in the World Should I Wear?” by Mrs. Cathy Corle.
I really enjoyed reading it and refreshing my convictions on dress.
If anyone has ever struggled with or wondered what to wear,
this is a very encouraging, challenging, and convicting book to read.
She presents the issue using history, human logic,
not to mention a little matter-of-fact humor,
and uses Scripture, lining it all up with the Truth in God's Word.

A Day with Strawberries and Friends...

Yesterday was a really fun day

that started out pretty cold and windy.
We headed out of the house at 8:00am

to go to our field trip.

It was at a farm where we got a nice tour of it

and got to pick lots of strawberries!

Here are some photos:

The strawberry field...

Here's what we were picking...

I was showing my younger sisters what exactly to do...

They finally got the hang of it...

Here I was, filling up the big red bucket...We also got to eat the strawberries right there in the field!

Here's what we picked...

There were more...
but Mom took some out and put them in the fridge.

Afterwards, we went to my friend's house to jam some of the berries.

The moms did the "jamming" while we fellowshipped outside.

It was really nice out with the cool, strong winds

so we mostly sat on the grass and chatted.

We also weeded the garden and walked around their big yard.

Clouds came and the wind and coldness picked up,

so we went inside to sing.

I played the piano

and everyone sang hymns and other special music...

Here's what the moms were busy making...
I'm so proud of them for their first time "jamming"!
After that, we went out to eat
and enjoyed the rest of the windy night!

Early Risers Capture the Birds (on video!)

This morning was a rare one;

where I woke up at 5:30!!!!!!
The only reason why

was so that Mom could drive Gramma to the airport.
So I decided to arise and have a nice lengthy hour
outside to spend time with my Jesus.
It was so nice and refreshing watching the sun rise
and hearing the birds sing praises.
After my quiet time, I sang some songs with the birds

and watched them come to our feeder.
Then I remembered the video camera!!!
As ‘my buddy’(the cute little cardinal)
was eating, I went in to grab it.
But to my disappointment,

he flew away before I got back.
After a few minutes though,

a Tuffed Titmouse came along, so I recorded him.
And see who else came along...

(To see the videos,

you'll need to click play twice)

Here were the House Finches.
The hubby and wife are always eating together and it’s so cute!

Now this bird was really interesting.
He kept looking at the camera as if posing on purpose...!

Just thought I’d share them!
I also wrote out a schedule so that I can have my
schoolwork finished by the end of May!!
And then I’ll be excited to start again in June (hopefully)!!!
Hope you’re all having a great week.

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”
Psalm 8:3-5

Shopping for Souls...

Today was a hot first day of May!
The temperature got in the upper 80s
but we didn’t mind the heat so much
because we went shopping at a store
and then ate supper in a new-to-us restaurant.
When we went to the store,
I really didn’t feel up to walking around,
so I stayed up front near the entrance
while everyone else went shopping.
I was planning on reading,
but then I remembered my big stack of tracts in my purse.
When the idea first entered my mind, I started feeling nervous,
but then I prayed and realized my nervousness was really selfishness.
So I made up my mind to pass them out to people
as they were exiting the store.
With the first 3 people, I was really nervous.
But then I was enjoying it and wasn’t nervous at all.
It was such a blessing to be able to pass them out to people
who were willing to receive them!
It’s amazing what a friendly “How are you, today?”
and a smile can do!
I even started a conversation with one man and invited him to church!
I passed out over 20 tracts and when we were ready to leave,
I had none left!
This was my first time ever passing them out like this,
and I’m praying that they will read them, and accept His free gift.

I hope everyone’s week is going great so far.
I just got my glasses yesterday and I’m so glad
that I can see/read with comfort now!
Well, I really should stop typing now.
Thank you all for your prayers…
I’ve been able to use this time
to draw closer to my Jesus and spend more time with Him.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial
which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings;
that, when his glory shall be revealed,
ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
1 Peter 4:12&13

The Lord uses trials and tests to draw us closer to Him.
I encourage all of you going through hard times and situations
to lean on Him and grow closer to Him.
Every time there’s a trial, He’s never failed to be there for us.

“And we know that ALL things work together for good
to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28

Warm Welcome...

A warm welcome to my new blog home!

My prayer is that the Lord Jesus will be glorified

and that you will find a blessing here.