Blessed Femininity

2012 Scripture Memory Challenge: Week 4

2012-01-23T15:20:00.008-06:00

Week 4 Memory Verse:

"Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;" ~Deuteronomy 7:9

It is such a comfort to me to know that our God is a faithful God. He is absolutely, completely faithful and dependable, and He always keeps His promises. There is absolutely no doubting that. Believers are not left to wonder if God will maybe keep His promise or if maybe His Word is true. God is a faithful God. The God that saved Noah and his family, that saved Isaac at the altar, that preserved Joseph's life through every fiery trial, that raised Christ from the dead....He is our God! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and His Word and His promises will never change. They are available to all. I am just so thankful for this. No need to doubt. No need to worry. All who are saved are sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. This promise and this offer is salvation is true and available to every generation. What an amazing and merciful God!!!

Anyone else working on memory verses this week?

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Weekly Memory Verses
Week 1 ~ Psalm 86:12
Week 2 ~ Proverbs 30:5
Week 3 ~ Psalm 139:23-24

Gift Baskets

2012-01-19T13:21:00.010-06:00

One of my most favorite gifts to give is a gift basket. Oh how I love to pour creative effort into making up a goodie basket for someone else. It gives me so much joy! I collect baskets from garage sales, thrift stores, and clearance racks. Baskets have many uses in my home in various rooms, but I also keep them on hand to put a gift basket together. I love picking a theme ~ a color, an occasion, a sentiment ~ and making up a personalized basket for the recipient.

Gift baskets do not have to be expensive. I like to use decorative ribbons and papers that I already have on hand. Adding some candy, handwritten notes, and other fillers really don't cost much at all. Use a paper bag and stamp it to put a little surprise in. It's really about the thought that's put into it that counts.

I look at baskets like I look at cardmaking or scrapbooking. I see a blank canvas and envision what I want it to look like. Then I just get to work, thinking the whole time about how I want to personalize it especially for the one I'm giving it to.

This is one basket I put together last year for a very dear lady. This basket was about blessings and friendship. I chose red as my color theme and used decorative accents I had on hand, such as the place mat liner, the gingham tissue paper, and the polka-dotted ribbon. We were going to meet at an adorable french restaurant (however that didn't work out), but that's kind-of the inspiration I had in mind. The front decorative cherries took just a few seconds to tie on. I saw some vintage Coca-Cola bottles at the store and had an inkling that the recipient liked that soda. So I thought it would be cute to tie a ribbon on a bottle and include it in the basket. Very inexpensive! This basket was a lot of fun to create!

This is a very simple gift basket I posted on last year. If you want to check out all the details, check out this post. I simply took chocolate bars and made homemade tags to write encouraging words or memories on them to my lovely grandma. I had the basket and the ribbon, and it was so easy and fun to put together! I might have to do another one of these baskets again soon. Thinking up old memories and writing them down is half the fun of putting together a basket like this!

When my husband was a manager at a corporate office, he had some employees that recently had babies. We recently had a baby too, and I had some extra baby items around. It didn't take very long to put together a little collection of infant items to bless the new family with and have fun decorating it. Another simple idea for a family who has just had a baby is to make up a meal basket. I have given breakfast baskets, and it's really simple to include sealed bags of homemade waffles, bottled syrup or jam, oranges or other fruit, etc. and include any little items to make it special.

This was a basket my children and I put together for my beloved hubby before he deployed overseas a few years ago. We made a video on CD put to the song "Proud to Be an American" with various pictures of us for him to bring over and watch while he was away. We included patriotic stamps, envelopes, and notecards for him to have all ready to write us letters back home. (I later learned many combat zones don't require postage for service members to write home! Never a bad idea to include them just in case. :) We also made a "scarecrow" stick-figure bug for him to put in his sand tent in hopes to scare away the resident camel spiders and scorpions native to the area he was staying. My oldest son also made a countdown calendar for him to cross off each day that went by to remind him he was one day closer to coming home. This basket was not expensive in the least but was filled with lots of mighty love poured into it.

Gift baskets really are so easy and fun! I'm thinking ahead to Valentine's Day this year, and I am just itching to make up some special baskets for each of our children. How fun to watch our children grow and learn about their personalities so I can make personalized goodies tailored to their interests. When I pick a theme, it's so fun to think up items to include!

Ideas for frugal basket fillers: (Possibilities are only as limited as your creativity!)

Handwritten notes ~ seal in a decorated envelope or roll it up and tie it with string
Framed handwritten Scripture ~ have an old frame on hand? If not, make one!
Votive candles ~ pick a favorite scent!
Wrapped candies ~ soooo many options here...
Homemade cookies in wax paper and twine ~ make a batch for the family and some for the basket
Small lotions
Marshmallows/Hot Chocolate packets
Tea bags
Small bags of flavored coffee
Book/magazine
Stationery items, stickers

Do you enjoy making gift baskets? Is there anyone you could bless this week with a few items made by your hands? :)

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." ~1 John 4:11

Linked to...

"Whatever You Want Wednesday"

2012 Scripture Memory Challenge: Week 3

2012-01-17T02:21:00.002-06:00

Week 3 Memory Verses:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." ~Psalm 139:23-24

This is my daily prayer. I want nothing to stand in the way of me and my God. I want the Lord to expose those things to me that are not pleasing to Him, things I may not even be aware of. When I think back on my life even five years ago, ten years ago, there are so many things the Lord has done in my life to mold me and shape me into the person I am in Him today. The Holy Spirit often convicts me to change to become more like my Savior. As my profile states, I am very much a work-in-progress and will be until the day I'm called home or the Lord Jesus returns! I want to grow closer to my Lord, and I know that in order to do that, I need to make changes daily to resist the temptations to live for my flesh and instead to trust in Him to teach me to walk in the Spirit. Oh, that I would ever be grateful to first and foremost bring glory to His name in all that I do. Glorifying God is my purpose here on Earth. When my mind and heart embrace that priority, that truth permeates into everything I do. I live not for myself but for my Creator and Savior. If I bear the name of Christ, am I to walk in His ways, fully trusting and obeying Him? Absolutely. I cannot do that without Him. Thank you, Lord, for not leaving us astray but for leading us step by step through every moment of our life that you may receive all the glory. You are the Almighty God!!!

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Weekly Memory Verses
Week 1 ~ Psalm 86:12
Week 2 ~ Proverbs 30:5

Magnet Makeover

2012-01-12T07:16:00.004-06:00

I tend to collect things that I think may have a use later in the future. If I can envision some sort of purpose for something, I have a hard time getting rid of it. A collection that has been growing in my kitchen drawer over the past decade is a bunch of old advertising magnets ~ the free ones that you get from your doctor's office or that show up in the mail for a product or service. I always knew I could use them for craft projects, homeschooling games, or something other than just holding a piece of paper up on the fridge.

Here is the sea of magnets that were just waiting for some special purpose in our home.

As I came across this magnet pile the other day, I knew the purpose I wanted these magnets to fulfill. This past year, a desire has grown in me to memorize God's Word. I have been looking for new ways to help hide God's Word in my heart for the 52-Challenge I'm participating in. I also have been looking for new spots around the house to display the Bible verses I'm working on so I can see them as I go about my daily business. That's where these magnets come into play. I'm going to decorate these magnets with my memory verses! :) I have almost just enough to write all of my verses for the whole year. Now, I won't always endorse holding onto things that produce unnecessary clutter around the house, but I would recommend turning an old, unused magnet into a tool to hide God's Word in your heart! ♥

Here's the first of my magnet makeovers...

I selected a magnet that was the right size for the verse I was memorizing.

While this magnet is cute and brought me an occasional chuckle,

I'm grateful for the more meaningful purpose it's about to take on. :)

I traced the shape of the magnet on some cardstock and cut it out.

I glued the cardstock cutout onto the magnet. (**Editing note: I would recommend using a gluestick or double-sided tape as alternatives. About an hour after the magnet was finished it curled up a bit. I flattened it back out by placing a heavy object on it, but I wanted to comment here and save you all the trouble.)

Now, I have a new clean canvas to write my memory verse.

I chose to simply write my verse out, but I easily could've typed it up on the computer and printed it in a fancy font. I might do that for future verses.

I grabbed just a few embellishing items and decorated the magnet a bit.

The magnet is finished!

BEFORE AFTER

Now, it can be posted on three places I visit often:

The refrigerator...

The dishwasher... (Yes, thanks to your encouragement Melissa, I have used this a few times...yay!!)

...and the washer.

Using those three spots alone, I think the opportunities for me to glance at God's Word in my home just increased greatly! Yay for repurposing! Now, how many magnets do you have lying around the house that could be turned into beautiful displays of God's Word? ♥

"And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." ~Deuteronomy 6:9

2012 Scripture Memory Challenge: Week 2

2012-01-09T17:21:00.003-06:00

Week 2 Memory Verse:

"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him." ~Proverbs 30:5

I love that every word of God's Word is pure, dependable, trustworthy, and true. I'm praising the Lord that I can trust His Word. It does not waiver; it is not lacking. It does not return void. It does not give false hope. God preserved His Holy Word through the ages, and the very Word I hold in my hands is a precious message written to me and all of mankind to give us a way to be reconciled to Him. That, my friends, is a blessing from a merciful God. His Word tells us of eternal salvation, which is a free gift to all who believe and put their trust in Him. Who could ever reject such a precious gift? May I always value His Word as I should.

2012 Goals

2012-01-08T07:00:00.013-06:00

I have a pretty good track record of setting goals, but my track record for completing them is not as grand. I have found, however, that this blog is actually a pretty good accountability tool. Therefore, I'm going to list some of the primary goals I want to accomplish this year. I hope to reflect on this post as the year goes on in order to keep me on track. Lord willing, at the end of the year, I'll look back and evaluate my progress to see where I need some work.

Spiritual

Put the Lord God first in everything: in my priorities, in the management of my time, in the desires of my heart, and in all of my decisions.
Seek His wisdom more, trust Him more, and attempt to glorify Him in all I do.
Read through the Bible in 90 days. Following this plan.
Memorize one Bible verse/passage per week. Participating in this challenge.
Consistently carry out family devotions at suppertime daily. Using this guide.

Marriage

Pray more intentionally for my husband and ask him more often how I can be praying for him.
Pray with my husband more, respect my husband more, and ask him how I can meet his needs daily.
Read two books on marriage.
Attempt to go on monthly (at least quarterly!) date nights ~ praying for childcare options.
Surprise husband with love notes in unexpected places and at unexpected times.

Mothering

Pray more intentionally for my children focusing on their growth in wisdom and stature, health, safety, salvation, sanctification, and service to the Lord. Utilize this calendar for daily prayers.
Pray with my children more. Use this system.
Be more encouraging and less critical. Praise their efforts.
Spend one special day each trimester with individual child alone celebrating his/her life.
Teach one new life-skill to each child weekly.

Homeschooling

Complete 3 large Read Alouds before end of school year and 4 themed schooldays.
Complete one field trip per month.
Begin music lessons three times per week.
Add one new and fun activity to each child's workboxes per week.
Complete all documentation for school promptly both in paper and online.

Homemaking

Learn how to make 3 new soups from scratch (looking for a good potato soup, creamy chicken/wild rice soup, and broccoli/cheese soup if anyone has any tried/true recipes to share??)
Master how to cook Orange Chicken, Black Pepper Chicken, and Sesame Chicken Chinese dishes.
Sew a skirt for myself and my daughter.
Create a weekly cleaning schedule for myself and children and implement it.
Create an atmosphere within the home of love, peace, and grace for those within and all who enter.

Femininity

Read 1 book each on hospitality, etiquette, and biblical femininity.
Study the women of character of the Bible and make a list of the qualities they display.
Host a tea party.
Try three new feminine hairstyles.
Put together more feminine outfits using the clothes I already have.

Physical

Do aerobic exercise M,W,F for 30 minutes.
Do physical education with children M,T,W,Th,F each day ~ add fun units to teach new sports, activities, games.
Set up swimming lessons, sports lessons and gymnastics for the children for the spring and summer.
Eat more beans and veggies ~ eat less sugar and fats!
Go on more family walks, weather permitting.

Service

Serve my own family with my deepest gratitude and my best abilities.
Pray for more service opportunities at church and heed those callings.
Seek out one new person/family to serve or help per month as a family.
Invite one new person/family to dinner monthly.
Evaluate my priorities and activities monthly, and cut out anything interfering with my primary service to the Lord and my family.

Personal

Prepare to move and seek out the Lord's will for new residence.
Obtain state pharmacy license.
Pray, seek His will, set aside time, and write first draft of book.
Write one new person a letter of encouragement each week.
Make and keep doctor and dental appointments.

"Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established." ~Proverbs 16:3

2012 Scripture Memory Challenge: Week 1

2012-01-01T14:35:00.004-06:00

I am SO excited to partake in the "52 Weeks, 52 Verses" Challenge! What a worthy investment of time. It is my goal this year that I would not only hide God's Word in my heart, but that I would use these verses to change my life to glorify God in all that I do, think, and say. I'm planning to use my blog as an accountability tool to keep me disciplined in this study of His Word.

The first verse I want to commit to memory is Psalm 86:12:
"I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore."

I selected this verse because I think it lays the foundation for all that I want to accomplish in this challenge and all that I want to accomplish in every aspect of my life. I pray that I would live my life according to God's Word, knowing that I am an ambassador for my Savior, and living a life that is worthy of bearing the precious name of Jesus Christ. I want all the words that are typed into this blog and all the words that come forth from my mouth to be pleasing to my Lord God and Savior. I want to truly show my love for God not only to those around me, but especially to Him, who I owe everything.

I'm off to check out the verses that others are committing to memory this week! If you want to join in the fun, check out all who are participating here. Happy New Year!

God with Us

2011-12-25T04:50:00.002-06:00

(From our 5 year old)

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." ~Matthew 1:21-23

From a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures...

2011-12-22T14:10:00.002-06:00

Our 5 year old daughter LOVES to teach our 2 year old son. When she is finished with her Kindergarten lessons for the day, she has taken it upon herself to teach any and all things to her little brother. She tells just about everyone that she is his teacher. She sits him down in a little desk and goes over the vowels and letter sounds with him, and, thus far, he has been a very willing participant as her student! Well, she not only has taught him letters, numbers, and how ~~not~~ to share, but she also teaches him Bible verses! She often tells me that she is teaching him how to be saved, too, because she wants him and everyone to go to Heaven. Just wanted to share one more thing with you all before Christmas this year. Hope you enjoy the clip below! Nothing like the precious Word of God out of the mouths of precious babes!!!!

"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." ~2 Timothy 3:15

Merry Christmas 2011!

2011-12-21T14:44:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and post this before many of you travel. You each are a blessing!

Will be taking a bit of a break...

Merry Christmas!!! Jesus Christ is LORD!

Scripture Memory Challenge

2011-12-21T10:45:00.002-06:00

Remember how I was nudged to memorize Scripture more intentionally and systematically this past year? Well, I stumbled upon a wonderful Scripture Memory Challenge entitled, "52 Weeks, 52 Verses" recently and signed up to participate in the challenge for 2012!

Since I've been a Christian, I've loved reading and memorizing God's Word. However, I've been very sporadic about the timing and content of what I choose to memorize. Only this past year was I convicted that I should be more systematic about how I go about it. One of my goals for 2012 is to be very intentional about hiding God's Word in my heart and in the hearts of my children, so that ultimately we can obey and apply it to our lives and share it with others more readily! I'm hoping to draw nearer to the Lord with each passing day.

I'm so thankful to have found this challenge! I think it will help keep me accountable to stay on task, and I know it will be so encouraging to watch others meet their Scripture memorizing goals as well. There are several people signed up already, and it's been fun to meet new like-minded friends to cheer each other on! If you are interested in joining along, go read about the details here.

Just wanted to spread the word in hopes to spread God's Word!♥

Praying you are all enjoying the love of our amazing Savior!

Christ is Coming!

2011-12-15T08:26:00.005-06:00

(Lots of company arriving soon!)

(Idea for hanging letters on mirror found here!)

As we prepare to celebrate the first coming of Jesus Christ, may we remember the reason He came to our earth ~ to provide a way of salvation for sinners! May we also remember that He is coming again!! Let us all be ready to receive our King!

"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing." ~Matthew 24:30-46

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." ~John 20:31

Winner of the Gingham Cottage Christmas Apron!

2011-12-14T04:27:00.012-06:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2011-12-14 09:51:51 UTC

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Comment #28 was selected from the Random Integer Generator at random.org. Comment #28 was Laura (Laurasu82@)!

Laura said...

I love the Christmas Patchwork bag!

December 9, 2011 7:38 PM

CONGRATULATIONS to Laura, winner of the Christmas Apron Giveaway from Mary Ann at The Gingham Cottage! An email has been sent. Please check your inbox to confirm so I can send out your prize!

A huge thank you to Mary Ann who sewed and donated the apron for this giveaway! Thank you also to all of you that entered the giveaway ~ I loved reading your yummy recipes and reading about ways you plan to share the Good News this Christmas. I loved that many of you tied the two together by baking some goodies and giving a Gospel tract with them!

****Don't forget, even if you didn't win the giveaway, Mary Ann has graciously set up a discount for her etsy shop, The Gingham Cottage, that is good until the end of the year for all of my blog readers!! Simply enter the code, KATIESBLOG11, at check out for a special discount.♥ Code expires 12.31.11. She has some darling items, including adult and child aprons, available right now, and she does arrange for custom orders ~ just contact her! Plus, all proceeds from purchases made until 12.31.11 will be donated to a special mission in India ~ if you're purchasing a gift for someone, you'd be giving two gifts in one! Thank you Mary Ann for this gracious bonus discount!****

Thank you all! This was so much fun! May all of you know the amazing love of Jesus Christ ~ He is LORD! Have fun sharing the Gospel ~ be creative! ♥ Surely you know someone who needs to hear the Good News ~ pray for the Lord to guide you and follow through! Praying for each of you as you plant seeds for God's glory.

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." ~Mark 16:15

Christmas Cookie Favorites

2011-12-13T04:58:00.002-06:00

Making some of these...

and these...

I've also been having fun reading some of your favorite Christmas cookie recipes in the comments of the Christmas Apron Giveaway! Thanks for all the yummy ideas! Oh, and TODAY is the last day to enter the giveaway!

Pondering all that Christ has done for me as I go about my baking. What a treasury of gratitude stirring in my heart!

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." ~1 Corinthians 2:9

Christmas Apron Giveaway from The Gingham Cottage!

2011-12-09T01:30:00.220-06:00

**GIVEAWAY CLOSED.**

Winner here.

♥ Who's ready to bake some Christmas cookies? ♥

One of you lovely homemakers is going to win this festive, cheerful, reversible Christmas apron courtesy of Mary Ann at The Gingham Cottage!

My sweet blog friend, Mary Ann, graciously created and donated this apron just to give away to one of my blog readers!! This apron is absolutely darling and reversible ~ which means it's two aprons in one! Wear one side while you're baking and when it gets all full of flour and other ingredients, simply flip it over just in time for company to arrive to wear as a lovely hostess apron! Maybe you are not into aprons but you know someone that would be thrilled to receive this lovely hostess gift for Christmas when you arrive at their house for dinner?

This apron is high quality. The red and green striped material is a heavy-weight woven cotton, and the red and white snowflake material is a quilters cotton. It is machine washable and can be tumble dried.

A close-up of the cute snow flakes!

I own some of Mary Ann's beautiful handmade aprons. See here. I've been very impressed with the quality of the stitching and durability. Everything she makes is surely sewn with love and care! Check out her lovely etsy shop, The Gingham Cottage. Everything I have purchased from her shop has been shipped promptly and packaged as cute as can be. She's often adding fun items as other ones go. She takes custom orders also! Lastly, all of the proceeds from her etsy shop sales through the end of this year will go toward funding mission work in India!

**DISCOUNT SPECIAL: For EVERYONE (whether you win or not)...if you head over to The Gingham Cottage and purchase something by the end of the year, be sure to use the Coupon Code "KATIESBLOG11" for a special blog reader discount! This coupon expires 12.31.11.

Mary Ann also blogs about practicality, frugality, simplicity, and life over at Mary Ann's House. She's a Christian wife and homemaker, and she's very creative. She comes up with delicious menu plans and frugal toddler activities, just to name a few. Last year, I learned how to make a simple fruit syrup with fresh fruit by watching a fun video she posted from her kitchen! If you've never been to her blog before, pay Mary Ann a visit sometime ~ you are sure to be blessed! (And she's very humble, so she's probably blushing reading all of my observations of her! I truly am grateful for your friendship, Mary Ann!)

Ok, so I suppose you might be wondering how you can have a chance to win this lovely apron?

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

There are FIVE ways to enter this giveaway. Do one or all!

Leave a comment sharing why you would like to win this darling apron.
Leave a comment sharing how many aprons you own and whether or not you like to wear them.
Leave a comment after you go visit "The Gingham Cottage" telling me an item you like.
Leave a comment sharing one way you could share the Gospel with others this Christmas.
Leave a comment sharing a favorite Christmas cookie recipe you would bake while wearing this apron!

ENTRY RULES:

*Include your email in the comment or have it accessible in your profile.

*Leave all comments by Tuesday, December 13, 2011, Midnight, CST.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

A random winner will be selected December 14th.

Stop back 12.14.11 to see if you are the winner!

Happy Homemaking!

Tell someone about the hope of Christ this Christmas!

Apron Amore!

2011-12-08T05:59:00.010-06:00

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I've had a growing affection for aprons since I was a little girl. The picture above is my collection of aprons. These aprons are my go-to garments that complete any outfit and help me function in my day. I wear them while cooking, cleaning, homeschooling, or hosting. Those pockets can carry so many essential tools to make my life easier as I go from room to room about my daily duties. Plus, aprons really just make the mundane seem marvelous! It's all in perspective, right?

My apron collection began back in my girlhood days. I mentioned in this post that I sewed the following apron in middle school. This was one of my first sewing projects. It now belongs to my daughter.

A few years ago, I sewed my daughter a very simple half apron made from the material of an old pillow case! I love all things gingham, and this just seemed like a fun piece for my daughter to wear while helping me in the kitchen. When it's time to help in the kitchen, she grabs this without any prompting ~ she just knows it's time to get to work!

My daughter received this adorable apron/chef's hat set from her aunt and uncle. She loves to put this on whether she's just playing and pretending to cook or really helping me ~ she agrees that aprons do make things just a bit more fun. :) Thank you, Jodi!

Now, for the pieces I've acquired, I will begin with the apron that I purchased online that renewed my appreciation for aprons a few years ago. I bought the following apron that says "be happy", and, when I'm wearing it, I usually am!

My lovely mother learned of my renewed appreciation of aprons, and she soon gave me a beautiful apron made by someone in my hometown! There was a cute little note that came with this that said it was made by someone whose mother and generations beyond wore aprons as they went about their days and that holding tools and drying tears with aprons were just a few things common to them. I really enjoy wearing this and am so thankful to own it! Thank you, Mom!

One of the benefits of blogging is that you sometimes stumble upon the blog of a kindred spirit and make a new friend. Meeting Mary Ann was just that! She blogs about practicality, frugality, simplicity, and life over at her blog, Mary Ann's House. As I've grown to know her a bit, I noticed that she is very talented in the sewing department. I discovered she had her very own etsy shop, The Gingham Cottage, and I immediately noticed the darling aprons she created!! Over a year ago, I purchased this fun gingham and strawberry print apron from her shop and was so tickled!

...and it's reversible to boot!

Last year, Mary Ann and I were paired up as "swap partners" in the fun Sister Shoebox Swaps hosted by Monica and Carrie. The theme of this swap was "JOY". Mary Ann knew already I was fond of aprons by my purchase above, and she also knew I had a young daughter. I was so delighted to open up the fun box I received from her to find matching mother-daughter Christmas half aprons!! How thoughtful! I especially like the darling fabric flower and button embellishments. We sure had fun making Christmas cookies in those last year. Thank you, Mary Ann! You can see more about the aprons and the swap here.

Well, this past year, my daughter turned five years old. I wanted to get her something extra special from mommy. :) I remembered Mary Ann's etsy shop and took a peak at what was available. I was absolutely thrilled to find beautiful matching mother-daughter full aprons. The colors and patterns were just adorable, and I was already so pleased with the quality of the aprons I've received from Mary Ann in the past. I quickly decided after purchasing them this was what I wanted to give my daughter. She was thrilled, as was I!

These are reversible too!

So, there you have it. My daughter and I each have five aprons. All of my daughter's aprons were given to her by me or someone else as gifts (aprons make such a delightful gift!), and all but two of my aprons were gifts as well. That is how my collection grew, and I'm extremely grateful for each and every stitch that went into them, every thought behind them, and every memory made with them. A delightful and simple way to enjoy homemaking!

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Now, here is a gift for one of you!!!!!

When Mary Ann spotted me wearing one of her aprons in this post and commented, I mentioned to her that I had been planning to do a post on aprons and homemaking soon and that I wanted to showcase some of her beautiful work. I never expected the gracious note I received back when she asked me if I would want her to sew a fun Christmas apron just to give away to one of my blog readers!!! Isn't that just the sweetest thing???

I am cordially inviting all of you to stop back tomorrow morning to see the darling Christmas apron Mary Ann sewed with love just for one of you and to enter the giveway! There will be 5 ways to enter and it begins tomorrow! What a wonderful gift to win for yourself or to give to someone else!

Linking to...

OREO Snowball Deliciousness

2011-12-07T01:27:00.011-06:00

Quite possibly the most delicious treat ever! :)

Last Christmas, my sister-in-law, Laura, introduced me to these goodies. We made one batch, and when those disappeared almost instantly, we headed back to the grocery store to get the ingredients to make several more batches! There are only three products required to make these in four simple steps!

Ingredients:

1 package OREO® Cookies (Reg. Size ~ 3 rows)
1 block Cream Cheese (8 oz.)
1 package Vanilla Almond Bark (12 oz.)

Directions:
1. Crush up OREO Cookies in food processor or blender into a fine powder and transfer to mixing bowl.
2. Add softened cream cheese to OREO powder, mix well, cover bowl with cling wrap, and chill the mixture in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
3. Shape chilled mixture into small balls (roughly 1 inch diameter). Chill these in refrigerator for 1 more hour.
4. Melt entire package of almond bark in separate bowl and carefully dip chilled balls into almond bark, and place on wax paper to harden.

ENJOY!!!

If these are not all ~~devoured~~ eaten immediately, store any remaining in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I didn't count how many snowball cookies this recipe yielded (probably because they were disappearing faster than I could count), but if you are making these for a crowd, you may just want to triple or quadruple the recipe so everyone gets to taste the yumminess!

Now, I do not take credit for this recipe at all. As I mentioned, my lovely sister-in-law introduced me to these last year, and I believe it was her sister that gave it to her. Also, since that time, when I've mentioned these bites of deliciousness to other people, several already knew the recipe or had tried some and called them "Oreo Truffles" or "Oreo Snowballs". I like to call them snowballs since we make them in the winter! Anyway, whoever the person was that conjured up this dreamy combination, I personally want to commend them for their scrumptious creativity!!!! YUM!

So, there you have it. One of my new favorite treats that my family was asking me to make in the middle of summer last year. Truly a delightful treat!!! I only forewarn you that one OREO Snowball doesn't satisfy. My own appetite craved many many more. "Temptation" just might as well be the fourth ingredient in this recipe ~ it is unmistakably there ~ so just enjoy in moderation and don't say I didn't warn you! :)

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P.S. As we take a moment to remember the shock that occurred to our nation 70 years ago today, I personally want to thank all those who have served in our nation's military defending the freedom we all enjoy in this country. I am so grateful for your sacrifice!!! It is my prayer that you all may know the sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the freedom He offers to all mankind! ♥

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." ~Galatians 5:1

We're HOME!

2011-12-06T13:26:00.002-06:00

Greetings!

After a lovely two week plus visit with family and friends, we have arrived home. ♥ What a blessing the Lord gave us to grant us the opportunity to spend so much time with my parents (who spoiled us!), my brother and sister-in-law and darling niece and nephews, my grandparents, my extended family members, Pastor and Karla, our northern church family, my CHERF friends, and a dear friend I haven't seen in over a year! It was so neat to spend time with everyone, and the time really flew. I love y'all and hope across all the miles we can continue to keep in touch at the click of a button! :) Thank you, Mom and Dad, for ALL that you did for us and all the love you poured out! Thank you, Matt and Jodi and kiddos, for all the fun times we had! Thank you to all my aunts and uncles and cousins that gave us warm greetings at Thanksgiving ~ we sure miss y'all! (A special *shout out* to Sandy, Stacie, Jenni, Kenzie, Jessica, Jaime, Beth, and Stephanie that I learned all keep tabs on this blog ~ I'm humbled!) ♥

Well, with delightful music in the background and laundry piles being folded, we are making our house a home once again to return to the old routine. We arrived home safely last night only to wake up to beautiful snowflakes in the air this morning! God is so good!

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to stay tuned....I have a simple and scrumptious recipe to share with you tomorrow and a fun giveaway announcement to share on Thursday!!! (I'm slightly excited!)

"Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen." ~Psalm 72:19

Traveling Break

2011-11-17T15:47:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure if I'll have much of a presence in the blog world in the next two weeks. However, Lord willing, I am teaming up with a kindred spirit and have an exciting giveaway planned just in time for Christmas!!! I'm so excited and can't wait to share about it! You will definitely want to stay tuned and stop back the first week of December!!

Remember to pull that turkey out of the freezer this weekend!!!

Until I'm back, please join me in giving thanks and praise to our wonderful God from whom all blessings flow. Count your blessings ~ I count each of you among my own! Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

"Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms." ~Psalm 95:2

Handmade Treasures

2011-11-16T07:35:00.003-06:00

I've mentioned in previous posts that my grandmother was very talented with her hands. She crocheted, sewed, knitted, cross-stitched, painted ceramics, and I have been the blessed recipient of many treasures! Well, last year, I wanted to thank her somehow for all of the many, many hours and love she poured into each project she gave me over the years. I put together a little book to highlight just a sample of the items she has given me. I'll post a few of the pages of the book ~ mainly for my memories ~ but also for my children. I simply took pictures of several of her handmade items, pasted them on some cardstock, wrote a note of admiration or gratitude on each page, added some little decorative stickers, and then slipped the pages into a little album. It was a very simple project, but the goal was to show her my appreciation. She is not able to work with her hands much anymore, and, as I look back and see all the time she took to create these pieces to be a blessing to me, I truly am so very grateful. This was my little way of expressing my gratitude to her. ♥

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." ~Colossians 3:15

By Faith in Jesus Christ, Alone

2011-11-15T06:54:00.008-06:00

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that that diligently seek him." ~ Hebrews 11:6

Hebrews is such an encouraging and challenging book of the Bible. In Chapter 11 of Hebrews, we read of examples of faith. "By faith Abel...", verse 4 begins. Several other verses begin this way as they tell of Old Testament individuals that acted in faith and trusted God to bring them through uncertain or almost unbelievable circumstances. I so want to model their actions in my own life, fully trusting in God, acting out in faith, with the goal and justification of pleasing God, my Heavenly Father.

As I stopped and read verse 6 above, my mind was stayed on this one verse and still is. Without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is. I stopped right there. I pondered a truth that really resonated as I read those words over and over. As a Christian, it is my goal and my deepest desire to please God out of a heart of gratitude for what He has done for me, namely what He did for me which was accomplished through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ in his blood being shed on the cross. I stopped to think about all the people on Earth who are also trying to please God...but have not yet asked Jesus Christ to save them. This verse clearly states that "for he that cometh to God must believe that he is". A person must believe! A person must believe that He is the one true God! And if a person believes that He is the one true God, then they also must believe that every word of His Holy Word is true! His Word tells us of our creation, our nature, our sinful status, our need for a Savior, our hope in and through Jesus Christ, our need to repent, our need to simply believe, our free gift of salvation by His grace....if we only have faith and believe. I know in my own life before I was saved, I truly thought I was both trying to please God and somehow was pleasing to God by the good deeds I had done. I was so sadly mistaken. And I think so many people are deceived today by God's enemy and the world that we can please God in our own way. No! No! Verse 6 of Hebrews 11 again states that "but without faith it is impossible to please him"!!

I spoke with someone recently and asked this person, "If you were to die today, do you know without any doubt that you would go to Heaven?" This person's response was, "Well, I hope I would. I really haven't done that anything wrong in my life. I would hope I've done enough good things." Saddened by this response that I've received before by others, I went on to explain that no one on this Earth can ever do enough "good things" to let them earn their entrance into Heaven because we all are sinners and we have broken the laws of a Holy, perfect, righteous, and just God. Romans 3:23 states, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;". Romans 3:10 states, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:." There are so many good, kind, caring people out there that still need a Savior. Our society today has really adopted this notion of "to each his own". I hear all the time "I respect your way. Your way is fine for you. But my way is different. And that's alright!" No! No! No! It's not alright. I hear all the time about "tolerance" and "acceptance" and "no one truly knows what's right, so no one can judge my beliefs". No! No! No! It's not my way; it's God's way ~ the only way!

John 14:6 states, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Read Hebrews 11:6 again...."But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith in what or whom? Read Hebrews 12:2. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Faith in Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith!! He went to the cross to pay the penalty for the wages of the sins of anyone who will believe. Romans 6:23 states, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The wages of sin is death...death in hell for eternity. But read the good news at the end of that verse. "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Eternal life is not just a gift given by anyone or through anyone ~ the Scripture is very clear ~ it's given to everyone that will believe BY GOD and THROUGH JESUS CHRIST! If you are a born-again, saved Christian, you know and must believe that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone and not any other person, method, or way!!!

I've heard some Christians say that, "Well, I believe that Muslims have their way to God and Hindus have their way to God and every religion really has the same God and an all-loving God wouldn't condemn these people to Hell." No! No! No! If you have come to God and believe that He is the one true God and that every word of His Word is true, then you must unashamedly and unmistakingly believe that salvation is in God's Son, Jesus Christ, alone! Acts 4:12 states, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." None other! God does not condemn us. The Law, God's Holy Commandments, condemn us. The commandments given in the Scriptures are given to us to point out our sin! God knew this. God knew this and loved us anyway and made a way for us sinners who are not able to keep His Laws to be reconciled to Himself through salvation in His Son. No one can be saved by keeping God's Laws because at some point, each person will have broken one of them. James 2:10 states, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." I truly think that so many people out there believe that if they keep just enough of God's Laws, they can earn their way to Heaven. But the Scriptures are clear that if a person has broken even one of them, they are guilty of all and in danger of hell as a punishment. God is a just God. He cannot allow sin in His presence or in His dwelling place.

I've heard several good analogies over the years comparing this scenario to an earthly court and earthly judge. Say you were caught breaking some law. You were guilty and went to court and the judge gave you your due sentence or fine which you could not escape. Would you be able to tell the judge that you hoped he would relieve his sentence from you because you had done five good deeds earlier in the week and that it should cancel out this one bad deed you had done? No. I think everyone would agree the judge would probably laugh or tell you to be silent. How about if you said you were really sorry though? If you told the judge you were sincerely sorry and even shed some tears, do you think you could convince the judge that you were sorry enough for him to just say, "Oh, I guess it's ok. You don't have to pay your fine." No! I don't think anyone with any good sense would disagree that the government of our land has established laws in which its citizens are to abide by, and if those laws are broken, there are penalties to incur and fulfill. Well, it is no different and far more serious with God and His Holy Laws. God, through His Word, has outlined His Holy Laws for living. If we have broken even one of His Laws, we have to face Him, The Righteous Judge of all judges, in His Holy Court someday. We have to stand before Him. His Word clearly lets us know what the penalty for breaking His Laws are. Again, Romans 6:23 states, "The wages of sin is death." No one will be able to tell God that they had done thousands of other good deeds to cancel out the bad deeds we have committed. There is no amount of good deeds that could sum up to cancel the ones that were bad. The Law is the Law. God is Holy and demands and deserves righteousness and justice. If you break the Law, the fine has to be paid. Likewise, if you pleaded to God that you were truly and wholeheartedly sorry, the fine still would have to paid. Do you agree? So what are sinners to do? Is there hope? Yes! Yes! Yes!!! Romans 5:8 states, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." So now, realize just how much God loves you and just how much Jesus Christ sacrificed for you. Picture that court room again on earth. Say you were caught breaking a law for which you were now delivered a fine you could not pay, and someone enters the courtroom from the back. They speak up and announce to the judge that they will pay your fine! You can be set free from your fine because someone, in your place on your behalf, has just offered to pay your fine. Now consider Jesus' death on the cross. With the sacrifice of His life and the shedding of His blood, Jesus offered Himself to pay the fine of your and my sins!! We can be set free from receiving the death sentence of breaking God's Laws if we only do one thing. If before we die, we confess and acknowledge that we have transgressed God's Laws and are unable to pay the fine for those transgressions, and then put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, alone, to be our personal Savior from those sins. He offered His very own life so that you and I do not have to suffer an eternity in Hell because we are not able to keep God's Laws.

If you are a Christian and you want to see your loved ones, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers go to Heaven, don't ever let a single person fool you that "they are OK ~ that they have their way, and they'll make it to Heaven by their own definition of getting there." No!!! Love them enough to share the truth of God's Word!! That the only way to Heaven is through faith in God's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ! No matter how hard to say, no matter how much courage you must muster, don't hold back from sharing a truth that could cost them an eternity in Heaven. John 3:16 states, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Whosoever believeth!!! This gift of salvation is open to anyone that will believe in Jesus Christ God's Son to save them from their sins. John 20:31 states, "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

Bottom line....
1. If you have come across this post at the click of a button and you have made yourself to believe that you can get to heaven by your own good works or good deeds or through the works of a church or through any other method, please consider what the Scriptures say. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) Accept His free offer to save you!
2. If you have ever been afraid to tell others that Jesus is the only way, please ask yourself if you would warn a person from running into a burning building if they didn't know it was on fire. If you would want someone not to enter a building that you knew was on fire and had danger they did not see, how much more should each of us want to warn those around us of the danger of the fire of hell for all of eternity? If you are a Christian, you have the hope and the message that they need to hear!! We need to act out in faith and trust in God that He will give us the words to say to obey Him and to help others be warned of the danger of their sins, and He will do the rest!

I'm saying all of this to me. I used to be #1 above. I also have been guilty of #2 above. Oh, that my heart may ever be compassionate to help others be saved and that ultimately every thought, word, and action I have might be pleasing to God....by faith.

For the trumpet shall sound...

2011-11-12T20:15:00.009-06:00

Tomorrow begins a series of special meetings at our church. An evangelist will be preaching and playing his trumpet. Have I mentioned that my brother uses this instrument to praise the Lord? My brother is not only one of the most sincere Christians I know, but he is also the most wonderful trumpet player and teacher I know. He would never tell you that, though. :) He is a very humble soul. But anyone who has ever heard him play would tell you it was a blessing. There's just something about the crispness of the trumpet's sound.

I did an interesting word search of the King James Version Bible and found out that "trumpet" is listed 104 times. Wow! From the Old to the New Testament, it is an instrument used to make special announcements or warnings.

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In the Old Testament, we read of this several times. Many times people were to heed the warning of the trumpet sound and follow instruction.

"And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice." ~Exodus 19:19

"And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him." ~Joshua 6:5

"Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;" ~Joel 2:1

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In the New Testament, we read about the trumpet making the important announcement of the Lord's next coming!

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." ~1 Corinthians 15:52

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." ~1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

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Doing this little study on the trumpet in Scripture has blessed my heart. I'm praying that through the preaching of God's Word and the glorious sounds of the trumpet this week, many hearts will be changed. I cannot even begin to fathom how glorious and triumphant the "trump of God" will sound on the day our Lord comes!!! I get chills just thinking about it! Oh, how I am looking forward to meeting my Savior in the clouds!!! Blessings to all of you as we prepare our hearts for the Lord's Day.

"With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King." ~Psalm 98:6

Thank You

2011-11-11T07:54:00.006-06:00

Our family is deeply grateful for the sacrifice of our military members, past, present, and future. We stand behind you, support you, and pray for you! Thank you to my husband, my father, my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, my uncles, my grandfathers, my grandfather-in-law, my friends, my neighbors, and strangers who have served to protect our nation, our freedom, and all that we stand for. I'm sure a simple "thank you" to a veteran would mean so much, but for some other ideas, feel free to click here.

May we never forget the sacrifice of our military for our nation and her people. May we also never forget the greatest sacrifice of all. May the Lord, Jesus Christ, be our guide, our strength, our Savior. I urge you to believe on Him today and accept the free gift of salvation that was made possible by the sacrifice of His life.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." ~John 15:13

Special Time with the Lord

2011-11-10T08:51:00.002-06:00

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." ~Mark 1:35

As I'm striving to improve my prayer life, I'm looking to an example given to us by our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ. When I read Mark 1:35 above, I am so intrigued that He found a quiet place by Himself early in the morning and prayed to His Father. When I get up in the mornings, I do endeavor to always spend time with the Lord both in His Word and in prayer in a quiet place. Some mornings are more successful than others depending what time I rise up and the littles rise up. :) However, if I don't begin my mornings alone this way, there is a longing in my soul to spend that special time that I missed, and I make a point to fit that time in later. I do keep an open heart inside and an open Bible nearby, so as we begin our days together praying as a family, I soon do what I can to find a quiet spot to spend time with the Lord as our littles begin their schoolwork and activities. I keep my main Bible open in our kitchen all day long, so I'm often running over to it to work on a verse I'm memorizing or to refer to some truth that applies to a situation or question that has arisen. I also continually am reminded of the verse to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and I do find myself praying as I'm cooking, cleaning, or doing just about anything. I've really done away with praying as a ritual or out of habit but praying as oft as I'm led! What a privilege it is that our Father is always there, always available, always waiting for our prayers to be lifted heavenward!

Now, morning is the time I have chosen for my personal devotions, but I know that mornings may not always work out as I had hoped. Schedules change, fatigue sets in, and life happens! I'm flexible to do them at a different time of day, whenever quiet is available, but my preference is the morning for that special, uninterrupted time in His Word and in prayer. I truly enjoy beginning my day that way, and I find that I'm more focused on God and His goodness and grace throughout the day if I do so. I find many things to meditate upon. How about you? Do you have a preference for this special time?

Filling up on The Word

2011-11-07T08:18:00.011-06:00

"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." ~Psalm 42:1

Have you ever not been able to get enough of God's Word? That's really the way it should be always, right?! I have been learning so much in my devotions and through the sermons at church. I found myself telling someone at church last night that "I just can't get enough!" The pastor will be done preaching, and I'm sincerely sad that time is up! How thankful I am that I can take God's Word with me anywhere and learn on my own and with my family. How truly grateful I am also to be hearing the Word of God preached so powerfully. What a privilege and freedom that I pray never goes away!

In addition, I've thoroughly been enjoying taking the time to memorize Scripture on my own and via Memverse. Have any of you checked out Memverse yet? I'm very close to having Psalm 103 memorized, and not by anything great I have done, but by simply taking the time to practice it. The various methods offered on Memverse have really been helping. And I've found, that by treasuring these Words in my heart, the Holy Spirit is bringing verses to mind easier while I'm hearing the Word preached. For instance, yesterday, our pastor was preaching on Joel 2:13. What a great sermon that I don't want to forget. It was all about personal transformation and rendering our heart unto God and not our garments. My understanding was that we are to truly love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and be internally sincere in our service and commitment to Him, instead of simply having our outward actions and appearance creating a ficade that we are. May my life truly be one of genuine service and gratitude and not hypocritical useless effort! Anyway, where I was going with all of this, was that while our pastor was preaching on Joel 2:13 and it mentioned in that verse..."for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness"....I immediately remembered Psalm 103:8 that I've been working on..."The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." I've memorized verses in the past, but never by any systematic method. I really hope I never tire of hiding God's Word in my heart because the Holy Spirit truly can create an internal cross-reference right in my memory! If only I make the time. I remember our pastor in Wisconsin used to say that in order for the Holy Spirit to bring a verse to remembrance, it would have to first of all be placed in one's memory! How can something be remembered if it wasn't first known? Indeed! ♥

I'm thinking the blog might be a little quiet around here for a bit. These next couple of weeks already have much planned on paper, and I also want to quiet my heart to prepare it for some special meetings we're having at church next week. Lord willing, my days will be full, and I want to make certain they are full of Him! Since I do use this place as a journal of my walk with the Lord, I'm actually hoping to get a few posts in as time allows so I'm able to record nuggets of wisdom I don't want to forget. :) I also have a few posts already scheduled for the upcoming weeks, so those should post at their appointed time. I guess I'll chime in when I'm able as the Lord wills!

Hoping each of you are as blessed by God's Word as I have been! What riches God's Word contains!

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" ~Romans 11:33