dear blog...i am sorry..i have missed you, have you missed me?

i have missed you dearest blog..i have been quite MIA for some time now..sorry..in actuality..my husband has been "gone" for 2 months..yes, i have been ALONE for two long, lonely months..well, Simba, my very old, rickety doggie has been my constant companion..otherwise , it has been me, the dog and the thin air in this ol' townhouse !  but guess what?  as we speak type...he is on his way home, and is "almost" here..about an hour away!  woo hoo!
now, it isn't what you might think...we have not been seperated, we are not having marriage problems, or anything in between...he has been without a job for almost a year and a half..yeah, i know..NOT GOOD..it's been rough..but the Lord provides..and we haven't missed a meal or not paid a bill yet..so we go on, day by day.
but he did get an opportunity to go back to my hometown of Forest City Iowa and work for a farmer to help get the harvest in...and YES, that is where he has been...he loved the chance to operate farm machinery once again and get out in those fields and toil away!  he put in over 80 hrs. per week! they had a record year there in Iowa, with the weather being almost perfect for harvest and they got it done , and now he is coming home!...
well, there is the "update" my blog, my friend, and to those who read it (very few, by now)........while he was gone...i just did not have the gumption to blog..not sure why..i did good ol' Facebook..and that was about it..well..i am reading a book...in a Bible study..and crafting  and artsying away...but hey...i am here NOW, huh?
i have many ideas to blog about..but tonite i am going to start with the one i wanted to get out the most...
one of the projects i did whilst my DH was away..was to help Hannah with a chair.  we were perusing my local Goodwill store (becoming my almost favorite stop by now..wish i had time to tell you why)...and Hannah laid eyes on this:

 

she has a "good eye" for sure...i was quite skeptical at first...but she persisted...and oh my!  what a find!...it was clean as a whistle, heavy, sturdy...and had a down filled cushion...this clued us in to the fact it was probably "good" furniture in days gone by..it had wear..but it was "clean wear".....so we took it to my place and went right to work on it in my "back yard"...

actually, i did most of the "supervising" from an outdoor easy chair...Hannah did the work...it is well on it's way...it did take a drying time and another date in our back yard...then she took it home to finish it...and this is the outcome

above is the finished product!  i am SO proud of Hannah for doing this...since this venture...we have seen other similar chairs and they sell for well over $500.00!!!....what a great deal!  she paid $20.00 for this chair!!!  amazing, huh?  of course there was the cost of materials..but the paint was cheap, the batting was reasonable and she used cotton duck, which is sturdy, but thrifty!...i give her an A+!!!

guess what?  since this..Heidi has bought a bench to be done, Hannah has gotten 2 wingbacks...and they are all waiting to be done...!!!!..and they were all purchased at GW!!...

well, that's it  for now...i have more fun things to share with you...but this will have to be "it" for tonite!

Spiral Paper Rose Tutorial

http://www.scrap-a-little.com/2009/09/flower-tutorial-summary.htmlhttp://www.scrap-a-little.com/2009/09/flower-tutorial-summary.html

i had a wonderful day at Archiver's on Wednesday this week with my bestest scrappie friend, Ruthann....and we met some wonderful OTHER scrappies ....we all shared our ideas and a great day was to be had!  i had taken my paper flowers along..and they wanted some links..so i gave them my blog address..unfortunately..i am QUITE sure i gave them my OLD address..which should get them to this one IF they know their way around a computer..anyhoo...here are the links again...hope yall find me!  :)

Writing on a chalkboard tutorial

 i soooooo wish i could present this to you as MY idea, but, alas, i can't!....so visit this beyond wonderful blog and take a little look/see...she has many other tut-ies you will love too!  i PROMISE!!!

http://jonesdesigncompany.com/decorate/specifics-a-mini-tutorial/

and yes...here is yet another one..

September 30, 2010

Words

Lysa TerKeurst

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in God's likeness." James 3:9 (NIV)

         

Devotion:

A few weeks ago two of my kids were having a growth opportunity.  "Growth opportunity" is the new phrase us TerKeursts use for "fight."  It's like when people say pink is the new black. Growth opportunity is the new fight.

Anyhow, back to the two kids who love each other but didn't like each other very much in the heat of the moment.  I pulled out my proverbial soap box, got my hand positioned just right on my hip, and told these two young teens to look outside the window of our home.  I told them that outside our home a world exists of people who may or may not be nice to us. There are no guarantees.
"But, inside this house," I continued as I turned them toward one another, "there are certain guarantees.  Since the day I birthed you, I have preached one sermon about the words spoken in our home.  It is a simple sermon.  Before you part your lips to speak, you must ask yourself this question:  Are my words kind, necessary, and true?"
"If the answer to all three parts of that question is yes...proceed ahead."
"If the answer to any part of that question is no...stop the words from coming out."
Does that mean there is no room to address hard issues with one another?  No. But it will always be done with a spirit of kindness using only words that are necessary and true. 
I then ushered these precious teens outside to a bench in my front yard and instructed them to figure out their issues between the two of them.  But they were not going to bring words into our house unless they were kind, necessary, and true.  Thank you very much. Have a nice time on this warm little bench on this warm little day.
Be sure when reading that last paragraph to do it with the mama attitude.  I'll wait right here if you need to go back and re-read with attitude. 
There are some verses in James I'm considering writing on the palm of my hand.  Think of how handy it would be just to flash my palm up in the midst of my people's growth opportunities with this verse in bold ink: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My people, this should not be" (James 3 9-10).
That same chapter of James goes on to read, "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice" (verse 16).
Have mercy. I do not want disorder and every evil practice to be invited into my home.  And if envy and selfish ambition (which are where ugly words come from) are the key that opens the door for all that evil mess, then I will do everything with the power of Jesus in me to tame tongues. 
And all my Jesus girlfriends said, Amen! 

Dear Lord, help me to know how to teach my children how to be more like You. Help me to model You in my actions, my reactions, and in every word I say. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

i concur

Composed and Quieted

Van Walton

"O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me." Psalm 131:1 (NASB)

Devotion:

I watched the young mother deftly work in her kitchen, amazed at all she could accomplish with one hand. In her left arm she tenderly cradled her little one. With her right hand, elbow, shoulder and hip she opened drawers and shut doors; she pulled out cups, saucers, and spoons; she scooped coffee and poured water.

While Juan Valdez's aroma filled the air, she gathered pastries from her pantry and other refreshments from her refrigerator. When silence replaced conversation, she hummed a quiet melody into her baby's ear. Finally we sat down to enjoy our mid-day visit and I realized her tiny infant had slept through it all, mindless of the constant noise and swirling activity.

Oh, to rest in such peace while all around me chaos reigns. What secret lay hidden in that little heart?

The chapter which contains today's key verse offers the answer- such a short and simple Psalm, yet it says it all, "Surely

I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother..." (NASB).

I long for an escape from life's challenges. Sometimes the force and frequency with which my trials torment me threaten to undue me.

I've been tested and tried this year to the point that I thought, "If the barrage doesn't let up, I am a goner." I held up my hand in the stop position and screamed out to God, "No more! Have mercy. I'm undone! How am I supposed to juggle all this?"

In that instant God whispered, "Like a child rests against his mother, quiet your soul."

Then the Master Artist sketched for me the picture I described earlier. His reminder recalled a young mother tenderly and safely holding her baby, while all around, life's responsibilities increasingly swelled.

Sweet friend, do you feel like you are losing your footing? Are you struggling to conquer the chaos? If you are like me you are on the brink, throwing up your hands and screaming, "I give up!"

That's good! Give up.

Yes, that is what I said.

Give up and like a child in her mother's arms, trust and rest.

Some matters are too complicated for us to figure out. Let God open and close the doors. Believe that He will prepare and provide. He created you, His precious child. He is protecting you in the crook of His strong right arm.

Father God, Your Word assures me that You are a strong shelter. You don't give me more than I can endure. Out of obedience I believe You and rest. In Jesus' Name, Amen

something appropriate for me, how about you?

I'm Not Good as New

Glynnis Whitwer

"He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them."

John 12:40 (NIV)

         

Devotion:

Years ago, I decided to save money and learn how to cut men's hair. With four males in my home, I figured electric clippers were a good investment. They were. After a few "oops" and "uh-ohs," I got the hang of it and have been cutting their hair ever since.

Recently, after finishing a trim, I dropped the clippers on the floor, knocking the blades from the holder. A quick examination revealed a very small piece of plastic had been chipped away. But the blades seemed to fit on fine, so I cleaned up the mess, brushed the clippers, and stored them in their box. Good as new, I thought.

Time for the next haircut arrived, and I retrieved the clippers from their box. I put the cape around my son's shoulders, snapped on the correct guide and proceeded to turn on the clippers. However, instead of hearing the normal electric purr, we heard a metallic grating. Apparently, that broken piece of plastic was actually important. Without it, the clippers didn't work right.

As I considered that incident, I realized many of us are like those clippers. At one time we have fallen emotionally. We've been hurt, betrayed, left out, overlooked. We carry scars from past relationships, jobs and bad choices. Most of us have been trained to pick ourselves back up and move on. We've been conditioned to put on a smile and pretend we aren't broken. The problem is most things that are broken don't fix themselves, and they don't work right until they are.

In the month between haircuts, that piece of plastic never jumped back on the clippers. Likewise, a leaking faucet doesn't just stop leaking one day. Buttons don't sew themselves back on. In every instance where something is broken, I've had to attend to it with care.

Sadly, I see many people walking around broken, pretending they are okay. Instead of acknowledging hurt and seeking healing from the One who can give it, they ignore it. Instead of seeking professional help when needed, they bury the pain, and hope it's deep enough to not bother them again. But the pain never really heals. It always pops up. And it affects current relationships and commitments when it does.

The truth is, none of us is as good as new. We are ALL broken in some way. We all have hurts we've buried and tried to move past. But that brokenness doesn't completely heal by itself. Thankfully, there is good news if you feel broken.

We serve a God who loves healing and wholeness. He knows it's painful to deal with past hurts. But He's willing to help. While we will never be "good as new" until heaven, we can be emotionally healed here on earth. Maybe we need to pick up our broken pieces, carry them in tender hands and present them to Jesus.

It may not be easy, and it will probably take time. But emotional healing is possible. After all, the One who conquered death, can certainly mend our brokenness.

 

Dear Lord, only You really know the depths of my pain and desperation. I've tried to hide it, even from You at times, but I won't any longer. Today I openly admit my pain and hurt, and ask You to heal me. Please give me wisdom to know other steps I need to take. Thank You for what You are going to do in me and through me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

God's Chisel - posted by The Skit Guys (skitguys) - tangle.com.flv

the day we visited with the goats..oh!...and a baby deer!

last Saturday we went to a GOAT FARM in the mountains near Jasper, Ga.....yeah, we are classy like that!  actually, Larry and i used to raise a few goats...we raised them for the milk, since both Heidi and Peter had milk allergies as babies and children
...goats are sweet, gentle animals...mostly anyway...we have fond memories of our goats...i even "HAND" delivered a baby goat and saved it's life...and possibly the mother's life...seriously i did...i delivered it VET style..with my hand..up the mother goat's...(you know what)....i PULLED the baby goat out...i think i have told this story somewhere..either blog or Facebook...

ANYHOO

we had discovered this goat farm and went to their website..(i will edit and put it in here as soon as i can find it)...it looked wonderful and we really wanted to take the g-kiddos....

it was a great day..the farm was spectacular...it had a beautiful lake...
  the HIGHLIGHT for me was the added bonus of a baby deer who had been "dropped" off on the farm after finding the mother deer dead on the road...this darling little baby deer was right at home with the goats...and she was SO SO darling!...i truly wanted to take her home!...oh my goodness!...the owner of the farm said the deer is free to roam and will probably jump the fences and go back to the wild when it is ready...i want to see if that happens...it was so tame and endearing...the kids were kissing it...no kidding...it came up to me and tilted it's head for some attention...i didn't KISS it...but i sure did HUG it....i loved the experience!

well...here are some pics that capture the day...just for your information...we were nasty dirty when we left!....(and we probably had a few smells circling us too -wink*)

we were jumping

we were swinging

it was a great day!

a LITTLE RED WAGON idea!

Just Something I Made: Funky Junk Friday Fix-Up: Red Wagon Tray

gettin the kids up on the wall again

so...i know for sure i would get a prize for procrastination...ugh..i hate it...it plagues me...it haunts me...it is disgusting..and STILL..i do it...

BUT!!!

ALAS!!!

i finally got one little thing done that has been on the P list...i got those photos up from Christmas 2009...i mean, really..i thought i better hurry...especially since the kids have already changed from that over a year ago photo!...(d'ya think?)...i ask myself....

so , here they are..AGAIN...center-stage in my little living room  watching over their Nana/NeeNee/PapPap...and we, adoringly looking at their little darling faces!!!