Trying To Get Back To The Job of Living

We are home now from our trip to Kansas to be with my sister whose husband died last week unexpectedly.   Another funeral.  Seeing people I haven't seen in years (and I mean years!).  To say goodbye again after saying goodbye to father-in-law last week.  The pastor at my brother-in-law's funeral had such a good message that I hope resonated with everyone who needed to hear.  He was talking about how wonderful and good my brother-in-law was.  Everyone who knew him knew they could count on him.  He had a wonderful sense of humor.  He helped anyone who needed help.  He was a fantastic carpenter.  As this message of how good my brother-in-law was, it came to a head in saying that being such a wonderful and good person wasn't what got him into heaven.  All of his good deeds didn't get him into heaven.  It was because my brother-in-law had a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ since 1966 and was born again and saved by grace.  That's exactly the kind of message that should be given at a funeral.  Death will come to all of us.  And everyone needs to know the message of salvation.  I truly believe that was the only funeral I've attended where the salvation message was given.  What a gift!  And it was my brother-in-law's request.  He didn't know his death was going to happen as soon as it did, but he had told the pastor a long time ago that if he was still pastor of the church when he died, he wanted the message to be the salvation message.  And "say it as strong as you can"!  : )   Along with caring for the physical needs of others, he cared for their souls too.  

Now, we need to get back to the job of living.  Life does go on.  It has to go on.  It may not be with much energy or zeal right now.  The waves of emotion will come and go.  The thoughts of those left behind will always be with us.  The memories are forever.  But there is something so comforting in knowing WHERE those loved ones are that help us to get through.  That while here on earth, we need to keep going, knowing that someday we will be reunited with them again.

At both funerals, Psalm 91 was read.  I would encourage you to read it too.  Great encouragement to those who trust in God.

Thank you for dropping by.  I will, hopefully, get back to posting about my love for homemaking and chatting about the day-to-day things that go on around here.  : )  God bless you!

Changes

Tuesday afternoon father-in-law died.  Wednesday afternoon my brother-in-law died.  We honored father-in-law yesterday by the gathering of friends and family at his funeral.  Tomorrow we gather as friends and family at, yet, another funeral.

First, I have never been in a room of anyone who passed away.  It was an experience I will never forget.  Second, I have never experienced back-to-back funerals of two people who mean a lot to us. This is hard.

It's easy to question God in these times.  What's going on?  Why?  But God is Sovereign.  He's the only One who can see the big picture.  And we may never have the answers to our questions this side of eternity.  But it's OK to ask.  He understands.  

Life changes in an instant. Remembering that God doesn't is a relief.  The two people who died this past week are in heaven right now.  That blessed assurance.  

May you experience God's presence and love today and during the upcoming week.  Remember, if you haven't given your life to Jesus yet, today is a VERY good day to do that.  Then you can have that blessed assurance too.  : )

The End Which Is Really The Beginning

Today, father-in-law (who would have been 95 in December) went to be with the Lord.  It's the temporary end for us, but the beginning for him.   He's struggled so much during the past year.  But, the Lord in His mercy, took him when everything was starting to get really difficult both in mind and body.  Because of our belief in "absent from the body, present with the Lord" for those who give their life to Christ, we know that we will see him again someday.  He is no longer in pain.  The suffering is gone.

Good-bye Ed, Dad, father-in-law, grandpa, papa.  We all love you and you will be missed.

Taking Every Thought Captive

Raise your hand if "taking every thought captive" (2 Corinthians 10: 5) is difficult for you.  I would be the first to raise MY hand.  To take my thoughts and put them into captivity - to put them away and go on is something I pray about every day.  You know, those thoughts that creep into your mind while you're in the shower, or putting makeup on, or scrubbing the tub, or laying in bed in the middle of the night.  Usually, nothing good can come from that.  Yet they're there.  And then different scenarios pop up and it's like a re-enactment just in case it really comes true and you have to be defensive.  It's awful.  And, it's sinful.  But it happens.

The worst part of it is when those thoughts turn into words.  And how hard it is to bite one's tongue.  I come from a long line of people who just need to get things out in the open and then regret it later. And isn't it even MORE difficult to get things right again?  It's okay to think.  And think things through. And, yes, once in a while things HAVE to be said.  I'm definitely a work in progress.  I feel deeply about certain things and my sinful nature wants to be heard and wants to be understood, but it's not what I want that matters.  

I love the verse in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 - "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands........."   Also, in James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to him without finding fault.........."  I don't have a problem with leading a quiet life and working with my hands.  I enjoy that.  It's the minding my own business and lacking wisdom sometimes that I keep coming to the Lord with.  And I'm constantly amazed at how patient the Lord is with me.  

Taking every thought captive is a struggle.  I need to be reminded of Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers, whatever is TRUE, whatever is NOBLE, whatever is RIGHT, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is ADMIRABLE - if anything is EXCELLENT or PRAISEWORTHY - think about such things."  (emphasis mine)

THAT'S why it's important to read the Bible.  "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."  2 Timothy 3:16 & 17

May God bless you in the upcoming week.

Little Touch of Fall

Since I was cleaning this morning for the upcoming weekend, I thought I'd just bring a little touch of Fall out.  I'm doing the bare minimum this year but wanted something, especially in the living room:

There is also a lighted pumpkin in the kitchen and a scarecrow on a shelf (which I forgot to take pictures of).  I also need to buy some mums for the front steps and a few pumpkins but that is about all I'm going to do.  When I was younger, I used to go all out - cut paper leaves out and hang them in all the windows, decorate every nook and cranny and shelf.  Some years are like that and some are simple.  This is a simple year.  I have a feeling Christmas will be the same.  : )

Like I mentioned above, today was the "before the weekend" cleaning day.  The laundry is done and put away and ironed, bills that came in all week have been paid, the tomatoes are dried and stored away and now I'm looking forward to a relaxing evening.

Thanks so much for dropping in - I love visitors.  God bless you in your homemaking efforts!  It all matters.  : )

Thursday Craft Day

I took today as a craft day again.  I'm hoping it becomes a regular thing.  : )  I decided to work on another penny rug, but today it was a penny rug candle mat.  I switched out the tiny gray circles around the edges for brownish buttons:

This is the finished product which will also go into the shop tomorrow.  : )  This took all day (from 9:30 in the morning to 4:30 in the afternoon) again doing the laundry in between in order to just get up from the chair once in a while!

After finishing that project, I thought I would do this:

I'm cutting circles out of my fabric stash for good, old-fashioned yo-yo's.   When made, they can be fashioned into pretty pillows, bedspreads, or something for the table tops.  If you don't mind a project that is a little tedious  (you have to cut a LOT of circles out in order to make anything) then this is a good project.  It's also a good project to take along anywhere to work on because it doesn't take up much space:

Just put your pre-cut circles into a baggie along with thread, needle, and small scissors and it can easily fit into a purse or bag.  When you find yourself having to wait, just pull it out and you will be able to do quite a few in a short period of time.  I've decided to wait on the actual hand sewing, I'm going to just devote my time to cutting the circles out and then I have them.  This is really perfect if you have a lot of scraps of fabric around that you don't want to make another quilt out of.  

That was pretty much my whole day!  You would think that when all you're doing is sitting and crafting, the time would slow down to a crawl, but unfortunately that didn't happen.  The day flew by just as fast.  Maybe if I got up really early in the morning and went to bed really late at night, that might not happen.  But getting up really early in the morning and going to bed really late at night isn't going to happen either!  So, I'll be satisfied with what I accomplished.  : )

The only other thing I did today was to FINALLY use the dehydrator we bought a couple of months ago.  I had a couple containers of cherry tomatoes that I knew I wouldn't be using up so I sliced them in half and they were in the dehydrator for about 9 hours.  They will now cool and then I will store them for the pantry.  I think tomorrow I may do the celery.

For my Bible reading this morning, I was in 2 Samuel Chapter 8 where David is king of Israel.  I loved the verses (6 and 14) - "The Lord gave David victory wherever he went."  God's favor was on David.  And it can be on us as well through obedience.  But the only way we will ever know what God wants from us is to read His Word.  And praying for victory in our lives as well.  I don't know about you, but I need victory over several things in my life right now.  And only God can grant that to me.

As I write, it is evening, it is already dark, and it is raining softly.  Before it got dark, the sun was casting an unusual light in the east and this is what I saw:

Do you see the faint rainbow?  Actually, off to the left, it was a double rainbow but I was unable to capture both in the picture.  So pretty.

About 15 minutes later as the sun was setting in the west (of course) the sky was deep red (which I didn't get a picture of).  So, I'm hoping that we will hear the rain throughout the night as it lulls us to sleep.

Good night!!!!  : )

Busy, Busy And Then.....Relax

I'm just feeling so blessed lately that I've been getting things done around the house (and sometimes even more than I had planned).  It's a blessing to feel good and feel motivated and have the energy. There are those times when I would much rather do something else or I feel overly tired or the aches and pains kind of take over.  But last week and the last couple of days have been days of sticking with the work and seeing it through. 

I had time last night to finish the third little penny rug pillow and they all look like this:

They will go into the shop tomorrow.

So, like the post says "Busy, busy."  But then this afternoon ........relax.  : )  My friend, Violet, came over for a cup of coffee and conversation.  SUCH a good break from the normal routine.  : )  So nice to just sit and talk.

Tonight's meal:

Taco salads w/cheese, sour cream, corn, sauce

Tortilla chips w/salsa

Fresh blueberries and yogurt

That's all there is to report!  Nothing out of the ordinary that all of you aren't doing as well.  So, thank you for stopping by and God bless.

We Remember

We remember, don't we?  September 11, 2001.  A day that changed us forever.  I remember waking up on September 12th knowing that nothing will be the same.  Those few days after the horrific terrorism attack, churches were filled and legislators in Washington, D.C. were on the steps of the nation's capitol singing "God Bless America."  What do we have now?  Fifteen years later.  What do we have now?  Church attendance is down.  People are divided.  Government wants to take God out of everything.  Our pastor said it correctly this morning - "the heat of the moment has now grown cold."  

But we still remember.  We HAVE to remember.  We WANT to remember.  It wasn't a movie.  These were real people who lost their lives, not actors.  They had friends, they had families, they had a future to look forward to.  

Evil exists in this world - we have seen it through the centuries.  We see it today.  Every generation have had men who are bent on destroying other people to satisfy their evil desires.  

Our ONLY hope is in Jesus Christ who has overcome the world.  When Christ comes back, EVERY knee will bow, EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!  Doesn't that just give you a sense of hope and encouragement in these difficult days we live in? If Christ comes back today, are you ready?  We will all stand in judgement.  Are you ready?  It's an important question to answer.  If you have any doubt, today is the day to get that question answered.  Come to Christ.  Because if you look around, you can see that the world is not the same world we all grew up in.  It's changed, it's different, and it's not good.  We need hope that someday when this world is no more, we will be with Jesus.  Forever.

So, as we remember the awful tragedy that happened fifteen years ago, let it be a vivid reminder of how fast things can change.  God bless the families today who look back in pain.  Let's all cry out to the Holy God of Heaven for mercy.  

The Weekend

Well, the past week has been a good one for us.  We got quite a bit done around the house and that's always such a good feeling.  The last thing my husband had to do to be completely retired was give his work truck back so now we absolutely feel retired without that hanging over our heads.  I think it was hard for him.  It was a very nice pickup truck. There's something about a guy and a truck. But it would have been way too expensive for us to own.  So, it's out of the driveway now and we are back to our old 2002 vehicle which is still in good shape and runs just fine.  Simplify!!!!!   : )

Since we took our crafting day on Thursday, yesterday was spent in cleaning the house for the weekend:

*Deep bathroom cleaning

*Laundry/Iron

*Dusted/vacuumed

*Washed rugs

While my husband:

*Edged the lawn

*Ran a few errands

*Took the side door of the garage off and planed it down because it used to stick

*Washed the sides of the house after all this rain (all the little leaves seemed to have stuck there)

I even had time to work on another one of my little penny rug pillows.  Two finished, one more to go. 

I'm holding off on putting our Fall decorations out until next week when it officially begins.  This morning we are waking up to Fall-like weather with cool temperatures, so it does get me in the mood for it.  The only thing I'm having a hard time with is that when I look at the trees I'm not quite ready for them to turn color because that means the leaves will fall off and then we have nothing.  Everything around here is so pretty right now.  The trees are full and green, the grass is lush, the flowers are at peak.  Our neighbors across the street did such a good job on their gardens this year and it's so beautiful that I'm not quite ready yet for that to all be gone.  I guess I don't have much to say about it though, do I?  LOL

Today (hopefully) will be:

*Doing some outside work

*Cleaning the basement

*That's it  : )

Our meal will be:

*Baked fish

*Loaded mashed potato pancakes (from leftovers the other night) 

*Steamed broccoli

God bless your homemaking efforts.  It really does matter to build a house/apartment/condo into a home.  It should be a joy not a drudgery.  Remember to be thankful and grateful for the ability to do it.  Have fun with it.  Make something that will smell good - brownies, cookies, beef broth, bread, etc. Create something pretty - a floral arrangement, a painting, a shelf.  Provide something nice to listen to - classical music, a CD with nature sounds, or just plain quiet.  Have something soothing to touch - a comfy blanket, a soft pillow, wonderful soaps.  All of these things make home something special and you can put your personality into all of them.  Do it for your family, or your friends, or just yourself.  It DOES make a difference.  : )  

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Taking a Crafting Day

As my husband and I try to figure out our new schedule now that he is retired, we've kind of decided that Thursdays will be our "work on something enjoyable" day.   For my "enjoyable" craft, I felt like working on a few penny rugs.  The ones in the photo are fairly small and will be stuffed with batting to make three little Fall pillows just for accents in a home.  When I'm finished, I'm pretty sure they'll be going into the Etsy shop.  

Penny rugs have been and, I think, always will be fun for me to work on.  I love applique anyway but working with wool (where there are no frayed edges) is especially nice.  They take a long time to finish.  I'm still not finished with the one above and I began early this morning and finished late this afternoon (although there were a few breaks throughout that time).  Anyway, I was very satisfied with my crafting day.  : )

My husband worked on this -

I've always wanted to grow a few herbs in the kitchen but have no space.  He cut and painted a shelf for our kitchen window and there you have it!  : )  It looks so nice and he did a nice job.

That was pretty much our day.  Nothing great but a couple of things that were fun to do.

Take care and God bless you all.  

Just A Thought

Do you know how a thought just comes up out of the blue and you're saying to yourself "where in the world did THAT come from?"  Well, I had one today.  Just one mind you.  : )  But it happened while my husband and I went on an afternoon errand - he was driving and I was doing my thing by looking around.  Then it happened.  A line from a movie that was out years ago and I didn't even see the movie!  The only reason I knew the line to the movie (which I can't even remember the name of) was because while watching TV, they would show previews to movies that were "now showing" in the theaters and they would play this one line over and over again.  Seriously.  This was like 10 - 15 years ago. How and why I would ever remember this and it would come to mind while out on an errand is so strange.  So here it is - this actor was sitting in a fancy restaurant with the actress and he looked at her and said "you make me want to be a better person."  That's it.  That's the line that came into my head.  Back all those years ago, and me being a romantic kind of person, I thought it was a wonderful thing for a man to say to a woman.  But, today, that's NOT where that line took me.  I thought that line would be a wonderful thing to say to God!  To get up every morning and look up towards heaven and say, "God, you make me want to be a better person today."  And then go on with the day with that thought in our head and see if, indeed, we could be better than we were the day before.  What "better" means is a personal thing to each of us.  I know what that would look like for me - what would it mean for you?  Being more patient?  Being kinder?  Being gentle?  Showing love?  Just have better manners?  Being helpful?  Thinking of others?  Being quick to say "I'm sorry?"  What would it be?

Like the title of my post says - "just a thought."  : )

Today happened to be a very good day which I hope to always look back on at the end of the day and be thankful for.  It was a major grocery shopping morning so it took quite a while and it always feels great to have it done and put away.  Three loads of laundry were washed.  A batch of banana nut muffins were baked.  And a new Basil plant was re-potted and is perfuming the kitchen.  I LOVE the smell of Basil.  : )  And supper consisted of:

*Leftover shredded beef (from the freezer) smothered in onions and gravy served over hot mashed potatoes.

*Fresh corn-on-the-cob with lots of butter

*Watermelon slices (the last one for us this summer)

Kind of a high carb meal, but boy was it good.  : )

That's all I have to share with you this evening.  Thanks, again, for dropping in!  

After A Long Weekend

In the United States, we just enjoyed a long three-day weekend.  Labor Day weekend.  Some people stayed put, some people went out of town, some people still had to work, some people didn't. But it's always kind of a special feeling when it's a "holiday."  An extra day to do something (or do nothing if you so choose).

For us, we got a few things done around the house which is always good.  We visited with friends and family.  We rested and relaxed.  We even went out for lunch.  : )  One of the things I did yesterday (Monday) is to take a stack of magazines that I've saved up, made a cup of pumpkin spice coffee, sat in the rocking chair with a notebook and pen and scissors, and wrote things down that I wanted to remember and cut things out that I wanted to save.  Doing that is one of my favorite things to do. Having one day to just take my time and really read articles and look at pictures (with a little snooze in between) felt almost luxurious.  The ONLY domestic thing I did all day was the laundry!

But, of course, days like that aren't the norm.  Today, it was back to work - and that's okay too.  : )  

*Paid bills/went through budget

*Menu/grocery list

*Ironed

*Light housecleaning

So, after a long weekend, we switch gears and prepare ourselves for the upcoming week and all the things that go into it.  I hope it will be a good one for you as well!!!  

Thank you for stopping by.  I love visitors.  : )

Sunday Morning

When Mercy Found Me

I can't count the broken roads I've been down
But all I know
Something had to give
Something had to give

'Cause living my life so wild and free
Finally caught up
Oh it left me broken, left me hopeless
But that's where I met Jesus

And in one moment everything changed
Who I was got washed away
When mercy found me

My Savior's arms were open wide
And I felt love for the very first time
When mercy found me
When mercy found me

All those days and all those doubts
They don't seem to matter now
His grace is all I need
Oh, His grace is all I need

And the chains that I was in before
They don't hold me anymore
His love has rescued me
Oh, His love has set me free

And in one moment everything changed
Who I was got washed away
When mercy found me

The words to this song is the story of my life.  I'm so glad I came to Jesus when I did.  He changed me. He forgave me.  He gave me life.  He gave me hope.  And he can for you too.  Please don't wait until you think you're good enough. We're never good enough to come to the throne of the Holy God in Heaven. But He loves you.  He cares about you and cares what happens to you.  If you've never invited Christ into your heart, please do it today.  This may be the only day you have left.  His grace and mercy abounds. Trust in that.  He will meet you where you are - just ask.  He's waiting.  : )

Saturday Morning

Good Saturday morning to you.  It's been such pretty weather here lately.  Such a wonderful respite from the hot and humid we've been having.  My husband set up our screen tent in the backyard for the weekend so that we could enjoy being outdoors and still be protected from the mosquitoes.   So, hopefully that is where we can eat a few meals and lounge about on this holiday weekend.  : )

I wanted to make sure that I follow up with a couple of things on the apple cider vinegar underarm deodorant -

*the article I read said to apply it twice a day.  I only did that once during the past week, but so far applying it once in the morning after a shower seemed to last all day.

*the article also said - "nothing says 'ouch' like applying apple cider vinegar to the underarms after shaving" and that is true.  You will need to use something else for that first day.

I also wanted to share with you the recipe for homemade ketchup that I tried the other night that we liked so much better (no cloves):

6 oz. tomato paste

1/4 c. honey

1/2 c. vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Combine in saucepan until smooth and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.  You'll need to partially cover it as it will spatter.  Stir a couple of times while cooking.  Pour into a jar and keep refrigerated.  If it thickens too much in the fridge just add a tiny bit of water.  This really was very good and a keeper.  : )

Here is the finished puzzle we put out a while back.  It's gorgeous.  If you can, I recommend always having a puzzle out somewhere in your home where either you, your family, or friends can work on. It's so fun.  Thanks, Violet!  : )

For the past couple of days (and evenings) I have been spending some time down in my work space trying to go through all the sewing and craft things I have.  Last night I finished sorting out all of my card-making supplies and putting them into separate boxes.  NOW I need to take those separate boxes and go one step further in going through everything and sorting them by categories.  For example, one box says "assorted pictures."  These would be pictures that I choose to go on the front of the cards.  But I need to sort them into Christmas pictures, floral pictures, Autumn pictures, etc. so that I don't take so much time in looking through them all when I just want to sit down and create a card for a certain occasion.  The same will be for the box that says "stickers."  There are floral stickers, alphabet stickers, rhinestone stickers, etc..  I would like to get them into the appropriate categories as well.  So, a lot accomplished, but a lot yet to be done.

I have several to-do's on my list today.  Whether I get to all of them is quite another thing!  I hope I can get to most of them though.  And I hope that you have a wonderful day too.  That you can get out and enjoy the day.  Create a little beauty.  And work in your home.  To have some kind of balance that will rejuvenate you and make you want to do more.  

Thanks for dropping by.  I ALWAYS appreciate it.  May God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and give you peace.

September

Wow.  It's here!  September.  Labor Day weekend.  Back to school.  Autumn.  And a whole new month of to-do's:  : )

*Clean out gutters

*Remove dead limbs from trees and bushes

*Lubricate doors/windows

*Plant fall mums

*Plant trees/shrubs

*Aerate grass

*Flip mattress/wash all bedding

*Clean windows

With all the work that needs to be done around the house, I hope you will remember to enjoy the days too.  Maybe this Labor Day weekend (in the U.S.), you could go on a picnic, ride bikes, pray for the upcoming school year for your kids or grandkids.  

For the beginning of Autumn, rake leaves together and save some pretty ones for pressing and framing.  Have an outdoor fire with friends and serve donuts and cider.  Take lots of pictures.  Pick apples and make a pie.  Have a pumpkin carving party.  Build a scarecrow.  Go for nature walks.  Go camping one last time (even if it's in your own backyard).  Build memories.  : )

Today was going to be more of a crafting day but it turned out to be rather frustrating.  Nothing I did turned out the way it should have and whenever I started something I had to go and do something else so there are half-done projects and I feel like it was a wasted day.  Something that I don't like.  I'm kind of a "seize-the-day" type person, so when very little gets done, it makes me a little sad.  Maybe after supper I can try again and see what I can accomplish.

Speaking of supper, here's what's on the menu:

*Hot dogs with the works (onions, pickle relish, mustard, ketchup) on buns

*Corn-on-the-cob

*Watermelon slices

*Cookies for dessert

I tried a different homemade ketchup recipe for tonight - if we like it, I will share it.  : )

Something else I wanted to share with you is an underarm deodorant.  Yes.  Underarm deodorant.  It seems as if every year, I add another health issue to the list.  This year it is sensitive skin.  I've never had sensitive skin.  Ever.  But I've had to go to a dermatologist already for a sensitivity on my leg and then a couple of weeks ago I broke out under my arms.  Ugh.  I have been trying medicated cream that the dermatologist gave me for my leg, but then I got a little nervous because I don't want medicine so close to the lymph nodes and breast tissue.  I tried organic coconut oil but that didn't help with the odor.  Then a thought came the other night and I looked it up on-line and YES!  Organic apple cider vinegar.  The article I read said that not only will it clear up the rash under the arms, but it will probably be the only deodorant I would ever use again.  And they were right.  The rash is clearing up, and there is no underarm odor all day long!  You just dip a cotton swab or pad in the vinegar and apply.  Let it dry.  That's it!  Yes, you will smell like a pickle for about five minutes, but the smell goes away and away you go.   I don't use an antiperspirant just deodorant so this is perfect. Again, I'm not a health professional - just a homemaker looking for better ways to do things and see what works and what doesn't.  : )

Oh, yes, here is the recipe:

2 Tbsp. of Organic apple cider vinegar

4 Tbsp. of distilled water

Combine in a small jar and there you have it.  I also use this on my face as a toner.  Apple cider vinegar restores the natural PH balance to your skin and THAT is a good thing.  

I think that's about all I have for you today.  Is there anything homey that you would like to share?