Spending the day with Troy

Today I thought I'd blog about the day I spent with my sweet hubby on Saturday.  Nothing thought provoking or pondering in this post just mainly telling you about a typical day in our home.

We awoke to more rain here in the Panhandle of Florida.  Although I love love love the rain my hubby does not.  He likes to be outside sweating and getting things done around the house.

So what to do....what to do.....my ideas....get some home made laundry soap made, and figure out a way to put up two fabric panels on my soon-to-be curtain rod plus do some much needed cleaning and laundry in between working on said projects.  His ideas.....put up an antenna in the attic,  put up his crazy wife's idea for a curtain rods, & put fletchings on his arrows.

The day started out okay.  Really it did and then I am not sure what happened but before we knew it we had the kitchen table a mess with hubby's arrow fixing's; the kitchen counter full of detergent fixing's; a cable running down the stairs through the hallway and hooked to the t.v.; furniture moved with insulation on the ground that was out of the wall where the antenna wire was going to be fed into or out of; the upstairs landing had all the JUNK from the attached closet where the attic door is which is where hubby has to feed the wire from and I had fabric panels plus supplies on the coffee table proceeding to find a way to hang these panels as curtains on a rod that really isn't a curtain rod but a picture holder.  Whew!  Now is that clear or what?  No?  I didn't think so.  :)  But there you have it. This was our home on this rainy Saturday.

It would be nice to say it took us no time at all to get all these things finished. However that did not happen.  I made two trips to get the right things together to put grommets in my fabric.  Hubby needed stuff for his antenna project and arrow project.  I think we spent much of our time in the car going back and forth.

At the end of the day the curtain panels got hung up.  The t.v. antenna worked perfectly.  The arrows look fab and are ready for Elk hunting season.  The detergent got made.  Plus we got the house back in order.  I'd say that's a pretty good day and very satisfying.

The thing I learned was that my husband and I may be complete opposites on some things like our choice of rainy or sunny days.  However we are so much alike when it comes to the way in which we go about a project or two or three.  We like to go full force, make the biggest mess possible and never have everything we need ahead of time which makes for many trips to the store.  And you know what.....I wouldn't have it any other way.  Until next time....be blessed.

Picture holder as a curtain rod Before.

Curtain rod with fabric panel

I love love love the rain....

I awoke to the sounds of the rain on my skylights.....AGAIN!  Oh how joyful for me.  I love love love the rain.  Living in Florida I have seen buckets and buckets full of rain.  Being a native of New Mexico where it is dry and arid has taught me to appreciate the rain.  In New Mexico you can see the storms building up and coming.  You can hear the thunder and see the lightening and you just know it's going to be a gully washer.  The scent of a rain  is amazing and all your senses are heightened.....a good thing is coming.  Then it rains for like a minute and it is dry in no time and you think....really.....that's it! {growl} But here in Florida it pours.  It floods the yard, the street, and even your car if you have a convertible.  Hee!  Hee!  (Sorry just had to throw that one in there.)

My sweet husband on the other hand is not a fan.  He loves the heat and the sunshine.  I like the sun too but when it shines here it is unbearably hot and miserable.  We are total opposites about the weather all the time.   :)  Oops....I digress....where was I going with this.....?  Oh yes...I love the rain....especially rain first thing in the morning.  It's a great start to my day.

So I got to thinking..... another great start to my day is spending time with God.  Stopping and resting in His presence is wonderful for me first thing in the morning.  Like the rain He sprinkles me with blessings as I pray and spend time with Him. As I read His Word it waters my soul and renews my spirit within me.  Are you ever parched.....so thirsty you can't wait to get a clear cool glass of water?  Water is refreshing to our bodies.  His Word is refreshing to our souls & our spirit.  Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8 The rain reminds me that God blesses all of us...the lost and the saved. "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Matthew 5:45 He doesn't play favorites.  He loves us all.  He made us in His image. "those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." Romans 8:29  He made each one of us unique.  "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14 He gifted each one of us for different gifts to serve His kingdom.  "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work." 1 Corinthians 12:4-6  

Yes my friends I love the rain and all it has reminded me of today. But even more then that I love our Lord Jesus Christ who died for my sins, who rose on the third day and sits at God's right hand.  I am thankful for the reminder that I need you like water to a parched dry land. 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.  

Until next time friends....consider yourself sprinkled with a little rain infused "son-shine."  

Are you listening?

God's word tells me to be still......to know that He is God.  Sounds easy and yet I find this really hard to do. Not the knowing He is God part, because I know He is but it's the being-still-part that has me flustered.  Oh I can stop for minutes at a time and be still but................for hours!  Oh my, not hardly.  My body might be still but my mind isn't.  I want to listen to God.  I want to hear him and yet I find myself talking....blah....blah...blah....and oh God....this....and that.  If I am talking then I can't possibly be listening too now can I.

Listening is a skill.  It is a learned behavior.  It is others centered.  Anyone can talk but not everyone can or does listen.  Have you ever had someone really listen to you when you talk?  I have and it's a beautiful thing.

9 &1/2 years ago I met a sweet lady named Sandy Pennington and God bless her she asked me to lunch and proceeded to listen to me cry & talk for hours.  I don't remember her saying much.  But I do remember her heart. She cried with me.  She heard the sadness, the loneliness, and the pain of what I was going through.   She heard me.  She prayed for me. Then because of what she had learned about me, she made a phone call to a leader of a bible study group who called me and invited me to join.  The group was called "Busy Hands & Warm Hearts."  I was (am) a crafter and this group met once a week to study God's word, have lunch together and then share a love of crafting.   Oh my heart I am so thankful to God for showing me what it meant to be truly heard.

Slowly with God's help I have learned how to listen.  My mantra is.....Be slow to speak and quick to listen.  When I am frustrated I say that passage over and over praying for God to help me be slow to speak.  Listen...just wait and listen.  There is a lot being said even during the quiet.  And that's when it hits me.  I can learn so much more from God if I will be still......quiet my soul.....let the Holy Spirit speak to my heart.  Then there is this blessed Peace..........the peace that passes all understanding that comes over me.  It isn't some thing I can do or bring about myself.  It's God speaking to my heart.

I am beginning to realize that relationships flourish during the listening part of a conversation.  Now don't get me wrong, I still like the talking part too.  :)  But now I love to listen to people share their life with me.  It's a gift.  It's a little bit of them that they are entrusting me with.  What I do with it, is up to me but if I listen to God's promptings....well who knows where this conversation might lead.

Until next time be blessed!

Going banner crazy

I am going banner crazy these days.  Have you been on PINTEREST lately?  There are ideas for banners all over the place.  I like them.  At first I wasn't sure what they were used for. But the more I see, the more I like them. I realize that they can be used for anything.....to celebrate a birthday, a holiday, a family, etc.  Or they can be used to declare ones favorite team, declare your faith, shout out your family name.  They are used to decorate a mantel, as a valance, party decoration, wall art, name plate etc and the list goes one.  The first one I made was for a friend to celebrate her ordination.  It didn't take too long and I was able to use scraps of fabric plus use up some of my scrap book paper in the process.

I love being able to use things I already have.  The next one I made was for another friend who had decorated her home for the 4th of July.  She is patriotic about sharing our nations independence and keeps up her decor for the whole month of July. So I made this one saying the word Freedom.

I used paper scraps for it and just regular old glue to piece it together.  It came together so fast too and now has a place of honor in my friends home.........at least for the month of July.

Then I decided to try my hand at making one for a babies room.  I have a friend who is having a boy who gave me some fabric she had purchased to make her little guy a quilt.  I thought......I can make a banner using their last name with the scraps.  Again I used fabric and paper for this one that says P R I D G E N.

I noticed I was having trouble see the letters on some of my banners like this one here.  I needed to use a very dark contrasting fabric so that the letters will pop. I can barely see the letters in this one.
Fabric and paper were used plus my trusty sewing machine and glue.  I used a template to make the wonky rectangle pattern.  Plus I used old ribbon I found at a collectible place to sew the banner squares on.  It went together quite easily.  The last thing I did on this one was try to antique the letters with shoe polish.  I will not be doing that again.  I don't like the look of the shoe polish.
S M I T H  is what this one says.

Here is one that I don't like the look of.  I made it using old quilt pieces and paper  Here is it but I am thinking of changing it somehow.  It's just not right.  :)

One morning before going off to work I tried my hand at this one which I must say was my favorite.  It has our family name on it and I adore it.  I adore it for several reasons.  #1 Americana one of my fave themes.  #2 It went together super duper fast, like less then an hour.  #3 I got to sew it all which I love.  #4 The squares were already cut pieces of quilt squares I got at a yard sale years and years ago....so it's cheap.     #5  They do not have a finished edge and are vintage with are my favorite.  #6 The squares do not match each other.

All the banners have a theme in mind and all go together.  I like this look most of the time.  But I LOVE the new styles I see a lot where nothing matches.  I love to use different textures of fabric, colors, styles, genres to make an item for my home.  Oh I know this isn't for everyone but for some reason I really like it.  Anything goes with the decor and I don't get hung up on it not matching.

There is a gal whose blog I stumbled upon via PINTERST and her name is Dottie Angel.  http://www.dottieangel.blogspot.com/   She is the one really who jump started my now crazy banner journey. She makes banners out of old vintage notions, doilies, bits of this and that.  Her stuff is truly wonderful, whimsical and fun. Check her out when you have a moment or two.  She'd be proud of the banner I am currently working on.  Here's a sneak peak at some of the flags......



And that my friends is all I have on the subject of my banner making for now.  Sewing for me is relaxing.  I do a lot of pondering as I put my fingers to my task at hand.  Sometimes I pray for the person to whom I will be sprinkling a little cheer into their day.  God teaches me things along the way too.

I am striving to be a model of the Proverbs 31 women who sews for her family to help along the way.  Even if it's just a pretty thing to be placed in a friends home for a while to cheer them, I pray it brightens their day.  I leave you my friends with the scripture from Proverbs 31.......

A wife of noble character who can find? 
    She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value. 
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³ She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands. 
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy. 
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

God bless!

Be of Good Cheer

 Today I wanted to blog about being of good cheer. What does the word cheer mean anyway?  When I searched online this is what I got.....

cheer/CHi(ə)r/

Verb:	Shout for joy or in praise or encouragement: "she cheered from the sidelines".
Noun:	A shout of encouragement, praise, or joy.

Oh yes I like that.  To shout for joy or praise or encouragement...as in a cheerleader.  I was a cheerleader once upon a time back in the day.  Yes friends I was.  I am sure for most of you that does not come as a shock but for those of  you who may stumble upon my pondering blog you may ask what does this have to do with anything. Well let me tell ya.....but I must go back to a time when I was young & didn't understand the path God was setting into motion.  

I grew up listening to my mom tell stories of her glory days as a cheerleader in the 1950's.   I'm not sure how it came about that it was my dream to cheer too but I remember practicing all the time. At my parents home they had these big sliding glass doors in our den that led to the outside yard.  I would practice in front of those doors where I could see my reflection.  I yelled.  I tumbled.  I jumped. When I was in 6th grade I tried out for cheerleader before the student body and I lost.  I remember being so upset but more determined then ever that the next year I would win.  So I tried out again in 7th grade and I lost.  My mom was waiting for me with a hug and tears. We sat down over a snack and I cried while she talked....counseled...and.cried with me. I was not to give up.  I just needed to practice harder, longer and get a tutor.  (Yes she got me a High School cheerleader to come by my house that summer and tutor me in cheering.)   :) Mom also told me that I had to learn to be more outgoing.  Believe it or not (and many of you will not believe it) I was VERY shy. I never looked people in the eye and I rarely smiled big.  I was quiet when around people I didn't know. I was different with family of course.  


I practiced all summer before I started 8th grade.  It was wonderful to have a tutor who knew the ropes & could teach me things I was unable to teach myself.  She was very patient and kind with me.  

My first day of 8th grade came and before I knew it was ready to get on the bus for my first day of the new me........Right before I walked out the door, my mom said....now honey don't forget to smile at people with your teeth and with your eyes.  And call them by name.  Ask how their summer was etc.  I don't remember what my thoughts were but I do remember being scared yet determined.      


This was a turning point in my life. Every person I had said hello to, smiled and asked how their summer seemed to change right before my eyes. Their face would light up and we would talk.  I didn't just ask the popular people.  I asked the ones who were shy, ordinary kids....just like me.  When I got home that night my mom asked me if I had done what she has encouraged me to do.  I said yes I had.  Then I said............my face hurt. Ha!  Ha!  The muscles in my face had never been used quite to this extent before.  

The rest of the story.....I tried out for cheerleader my 8th grade year and I won.  I cheered for  three years.  Mama was right....it was fun!



For years I have told this story and didn't realize God's hand in this  Oh I know it is just a silly story about being a cheerleader.....a little girls dream to attain something that she was fearful yet determined to do.  But looking back it was more then that.  There are so many life lessons in this.  With wisdom God gave my mother the wisdom to teach me to never give up....to endure....to strive and to seek council from others who can help.  God also taught me to take a step of faith by looking people in the eye, touch their life in some way and call them by name.

My gift is hospitality.  The word hospitality really means to be kind to strangers.  My gift is a person....the person of Jesus Christ.  He gave me this gift long ago.  He cultivated it in me at a growing time in my life.  He used my passion for cheer leading to spur me on to achieve what He wanted for me............to use that gift for His glory.  

So what does it mean to be of good cheer?  For me it means putting my best foot forward even when times are tough.  To smile and greet people like they are special.....because really they are special!  To not take myself too seriously.  I am human after all and I make mistakes all the time.  I need to grant others mercy and encourage them when they have a rough day.  The older I get the more I realize there are so many hurting and lonely people out there who just want to know that someone knows their name.  Don't we all!  I pray that you won't ever discount the power of a smile....a touch.... or  word of encouragement.  They mean the world to the person to whom they are directed.  So Friends be of good cheer...God can and will do wonderful things with your life.  Till next time. 

Believe what the Word says....

How do I start this blog....?  I have so much on my mind early this morning that I want to get it on paper (so-to-speak) but I am not sure how to start this post.  Prayer first....oh yes I am praying as I type this that the words of my heart and the meditation of my mind will be pleasing in God's sight.  After all it is ALL about Him and not so much about me which I tend to forget on a daily basis.  Hence the Bible the written Word of God, a love letter to me......His child who is fearfully and wonderfully made.  I am loved but I forget that through out my days.  It comes home to me at the oddest of times.  Like right before falling asleep or at first morning light. It's that in-between time that gets me.  Yet I know that I am to BELIEVE what the Word says.  I am not of this world.  I am a child of God.

Last night my hubby and I were watching a movie on T.V.  We rarely watch movies that I consider "guy" movies.  My husband is so sweet to watch films that don't bother me or cause me to be upset.  My mind just can't take brutal films.  My heart aches and I almost feel sick at scenes that are harsh.  Yes I guess I am a Pollyanna of sorts.  I don't like to listen or see the hurting in the world even if it's just in a movie.  I am very picky about what I watch when it comes to guy flicks and the times in which I'll watch a movie like this one.  I am thankful my Troy indulges me in this area.  Anyway it sounded good and I knew hubby would enjoy it so we started watching it.  Or should I say I listened more then watched.  It was a movie about war and was based on a true story. Towards the climatic part of the movie I had to leave the room.  The gore and the story content was too much for me.   I apologized to Troy and went upstairs to my craft room where I could loose myself until the scene that was being played out could finish.  I came back down shortly with a project in hand that would continue to keep me sort of plugged into the film but distracted enough that I wouldn't take IN the scenes.  It wasn't long after that the movie ended.....not happily like I like but like real life where many died a horrible death and justice did not prevail until much later in life.

Then we went to bed.  (I don't know about you but I can't just fall asleep after a movie like that.  Hubby on the other hand....no problem.)  I was awake and thinking.  I thought.....I need to pray.  And as I prayed I kept thinking....how could men (the world in general) inflict such pain on each other.  We as a people never stop thinking of ways to hurt one another.  We cause pain with our words by bullying. There have been insurmountable number of ways in which people cause death through torture.  Or we do nothing, we aren't a parent to our children, or a friend to people, or a provider for our spouse, or a lover of others....we just love ourselves by being totally self absorbed.  We cause pain to our bodies by overeating, not exercising, taking drugs or alcohol, and the list goes on and on.  YUCK!  I was struck anew at the depravity of man.....me. As the film in my head kept going over all the ways in which I have seen this depravity in people (this week alone) my spirit was overcome with hopelessness, with sickness, with sadness over how bad we are......how bad I am.  Oh my soul hurt.  I cried out to God.    I asked for peace in my spirit, to be renewed again in my soul.  Crying....crying....realizing that I needed to believe what God says.....again as I forget so easily.

God is my Hope.  He sent Jesus to die for my sins.  He alone is worthy of any and all praise & worship.  I can and have done awful things with my hands, my words or in my mind.  I need Jesus.  It's as simple as that.  I need Him to be my breath of life every moment of the day.  I need Him to fill me in the places of my lonely heart.  I need him to restore those parts in me that are sick with His healing.  I need His love and His peace that passes all understanding.  I need His joy to fill me till I am overflowing and must share it with others. This life I am leading is all about Him.....the author and finisher of my faith. And with these thoughts...........came blessed PEACE....peace like a river flowing.  Peace like stillness......his Word says.....Be still and KNOW that I am God.  Be still Pammi....I am here.  I am God.  I have your life covered......covered by the blood of Jesus.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made.  I love you.  You don't have to worry about what you could become because I have you.  Your name is written on the palm of My hand.  Oh praise God the lover of my soul.  He loves me.  He loves me.  Thank you Father.  Thank you Jesus for the peace that passes all understanding. And with these thoughts in my head.....I slept.....at least till early morning (4 a.m.) when I felt this tug in my spirit....you need to write this down.  So here I am writing.

I don't have it all together.  I may look put together on the outside but on the inside where it counts....I know me.  I will come to this place again but know that God is there always.  He isn't going to leave me because of a doubt.  Instead He will finish the work He has begun in me.  He will be renew my spirit.  He will fill me with His love, joy, peace, and all those things I need to begin and end my day with.  He loves me.  I must believe what the Word says......God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Amen and Amen!

I'll leave you with some of his precious word.  Believe what the Word says......

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.  Psalm 139:14



Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.  Psalm 25:5

Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone. Psalm 33:22



The LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness. The upright will behold His face.  Psalm 11:7

The words of the LORD are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.  Psalm 12:6

I have trusted in your loving kindness.  My heart shall rejoice in your salvation.  I will sing to the LORD because He has dealt bountifully with me.  Psalm 13:6  

Remember............When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. Psalm 94:19

Till next time....be blessed!  God's got you covered!

You can never have too much fabric.....right!

I am crafter.  I love to sew, to crochet, to glue stuff, work on scrap booking, embroider etc.  There is just something about putting my hands to nothing and making something out of it.  I love the satisfaction in a job well done too.

When I start a new type of craft I make sure I have every gadget and tool that can help me to accomplish the goal.  This is all well and good till the collecting of such gadgets and what-not's takes over the room.  I am blessed that  I do have a craft space upstairs in a nicely decorated little room.  There is a scrap booking station, a sewing station, an embroidery station and a sitting station where I read and ponder things.

Many years ago when I first started sewing and crocheting, my love of fabric had me at yard sales, estate sales, and of course fabric stores.  My mom made quilts back then so she had quite a stash of fabric holed up in a closet that I seemed to help myself to whenever I came for a visit. Slowly but ever surely my stash of fabric grew and grew.  I had to sort it by color just to keep it straight and I managed to put it all in clear plastic totes so that I could see what I had.  Not only did I collect fabric but kits as well to cross stitch, or embroider etc..  You name it I found it and bought it.  I purchased many magazines and books to show me how to make things.  Honestly those books and magazine were more of an inspiration then they were a guide to making things.  It became increasingly obvious when we moved 9 years ago that I had collected quite the assortment of things in which to "craft" with.

About a year ago a dear sweet friend called me up to tell me she needed me to come by her home because she had some fabric she wanted to give me.  Oh joy!  I love fabric....after all you can never have enough...right?  I went to pick it up and she too had a craft room with sewing machines and gadgets all around.  She also had three tables set up with stacks and stacks and STACKS of fabric.  I zeroed in on the smallest of the tables thinking this must be the stack of fabric she is giving me.  NOPE!  She moves her arms to encompass the whole room and says "I want you to take ALL of it."  WOW I about passed out and then was quite humbled at her generous gift.  I asked her if she was sure and she told me she was tired of making quilts and knew that I would put the fabric to good use.  Together we loaded up my now new stash of fabric that filled up the trunk of my car as well as the back seat.  When I got home I sorted it by color and had it all laid out for when hubby got home.  He was impressed but he said "what are you going to do with all this?"  Sew stuff I thought.  But then reality started to press upon me that I would never be able to use all of it.

I sorted through every piece and had about half of it to give away to my "Crafting Chica's" who meet in my home on Monday nights.  I took the rest of it upstairs where it basically sat for the next year or so untouched.  Oh I'd look through it ever now and again.  But every time I thought about actually sewing some of it, the shear amount of it all would stop me.  I didn't have room to store it properly where I could see it so I had it in totes.  Clear totes mind you but totes none-the-less.   

Fast forward to this week.  I wanted to sew.  My craft room was a mess again and I had this smell coming from inside the craft closet where my gift tote was stored.  It wasn't a bad smell but it wasn't a good smell either. It turned out to be several smells that were just not right.  I decided a good cleaning out was in order to figure out the odor. Once I was on a roll I cleaned like crazy.  I found what was stinking.  It was four little tins of flavored lip balm and a candle I had bought from a kids fundraiser. I rearranged things and then started to sort through other bins packed into this small closet.  In the middle of it all it hit me that I really can have too much.  I didn't know what all I had but I knew one thing...............I had yards upon yards of beautiful fabric that I had stored for over a year.  No one had used it. Least of all me.  Why was I holding on to it?  There are many who would use it.  I have been of the mindset for many years that you really can't have too much fabric. It was a joke my MIL and I would say when we were out and about shopping for one more piece of fabric.  She even made me this pretty little wall hanging for my craft room that says just that---------->

Can you have too much?  

A person can have too much of anything.  And this person a.k.a. me had too much.   

I decided that I would clean out my whole craft room, not just the craft closet.  I would ask myself three questions:  Do I really like this fabric?  How long have I had this piece of fabric or craft kit or do-dad?  Do I even like this project that isn't finished?  Will I really finish it or start this?  And on and on it went.  I was honest with myself too.  If I didn't like it or I knew I'd never finish something, it went into piles to give away.  Some of the things I had were not worth giving away so they got trashed.  It's amazing to me how a crafter will keep every bit and bob of this or that. Seriously what in the world was I thinking.  (I wish I had taken before and after pics to post here but alas I did not.)  The transformation of the room and the freedom it gave my spirit was wonderful.  I have so much more room to work. I want to work in that space again. Yea!

Then I got on Facebook and started putting blurbs out there to my local friends that I had craft kits, fabric etc to share.  It felt really good to give away totes full of wooden projects together with paints to some kiddos to work on this summer.  It was humbling and sweet to see a young mom dig through tubs of fabric exclaiming over what projects she'd be able to make with her finds.  I have two totes full of fabric left but I have several more friends who want to sort through them.  Then the rest will go to a local quilters guild to be used up making quilts for others.

I realized through this exercise in cleaning that God was teaching me something.  He was showing me that I shouldn't store up treasure here on earth where moths and rust will destroy.  That's what I had been doing...storing treasure and where did it get me.  Nowhere but frustrated.  Giving it away felt right and good.

I told my hubby that I wouldn't be "making" him go into any of the fabric stores around town for a while.  He was relieved but like me he knew I'd be in those stores again for a bit of this or that.  I wish I could say I'd never buy another piece of fabric but I hope that in the future I am more careful.  Because after all you really can have too much fabric.............and anything else if not careful. 

Being a Proverbs 31 woman...is it the life for me?

My sweet husband and I in Florida!

Good morning from sunny warm Florida! Today marks the second day of an online study on Proverbs 31.  I have never done a study online. I am a bit apprehensive and nervous about it.  I noticed that most most of the women doing this study are much younger than I am.  This is a bit daunting perhaps but I feel very young at heart. I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me after all.  Right!





We are using a method called S O A P.  


"This is copied straight from the site.....useing a spiral notebook or journal of your choice and use the SOAP method to work through the verses each day: 

1. S- Write out the scripture passage for the day.

2. O- Write down 1 or 2 observations from the passage.

3. A- Write down 1-2 applications from the passage.

4. P- Pray over what you learned from today’s passage."



Let me get started.............yesterday I studied the first two verses of Proverbs 31 which are:

Scripture

1  The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.

² Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb!
    Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers! 

Proverbs 31 are words that long ago one mother taught to her son.  He was to be king one day so this little boy wasn't just any little boy.  I wonder if the mother of the future king taught him like moms today teach their sons?  Raising a child is difficult at best but for the mom who knew her child would be a leader of a nation how would this impact what she taught him?

Observation

I find it interesting that the son wrote down the words his mother taught him which tells me that they were of value. If I may read between the lines here I see that  his mother had to have repeated this many times over the years.  (Being the mother of 2 boys, now adults, I remember their attention span not being long.) I see Lemuel's mother as being persistent as well as strong minded in her thinking. She wanted to make certain she steered him correctly.  I hear urgency in these words as well.  I also think she must have modeled being a Proverbs 31 type of woman for her son to believe what she said.

Action

I realized that my words and action go hand in hand.  Even though my children are grown there are friends, family, as well as people I do not know who are watching my actions.  They need to match my words.  This will effect my walk.  I need to be more disciplined about how I use my time for Christ.  I want there to be fruit.

Prayer


Heavenly Father thank you for your wisdom and guidance.  Thank you for speaking to my heart and helping me to see how I can improve and strive to be more like a Proverbs 31 woman.  Forgive me for not taking being a wife and mother more seriously back in the day.  Help my actions to follow your words spoken to me be full of truth and life.  Thank you for changing me. Thank you for helping me be the woman you want me to be.  Amen

And this marks my first day of study............yesterday on P31.  Yea!  Later today I'll post what I learned this morning in my quiet time.

It's easy to give something away when you like it but what about when you love....it ?

Today I was getting stuff together for Easter.   By that I mean I was getting packages ready to mail to my grandchildren all over the place.  Every holiday I try to make a handmade card to send to each of them with a gift of some sort like money or a book etc. I enclose a picture of Grandpa and I in with the goodies as well. (One time I forgot the picture and heard about it from them...so I won't do that again.)   Giving gifts to my grands is so easy. I love giving them things.  It is fairly easy to find things that they will like.  After all they are young and pretty much love anything their grandparents send for now.

What is that saying...it's better to give then to receive.  Well I don't know about you but I love receiving gifts too. There is just something special about getting something from someone.  It means you were thought of.  For just a moment in their day they wanted to bless you with something special to cheer you or to just let you know you are loved.  I am sure there are many other reasons why people give gifts but for me these are the two reasons I usually have......to cheer or encourage a person and to let them know they are loved and thought of.  In scripture it talks about giving all through out the bible.  God gives us good gifts.  He commands us to give ourselves away.  He leads us by example with his giving nature.  We are told to give generously.  Oh I love the word G E N E R O U S L Y.......don't you?  But what does it mean to give generously?  Do I do that?  Or do I just give enough to look like a great giver?  Where's my heart when I am giving?  I am not suppose to store up treasures here on earth as moth and rust will destroy them right.  Oh how I want to be a generous giver.  But I must confess that some times I am not. Don't get me wrong I give good gifts but sometimes I don't put a lot of thought into a gift or just pick something up quickly without thinking to give to someone. Those don't have the right heart in them.For the past few months God has really been placing it upon my heart to give things away that I have.  These things aren't ordinary things but things that I treasure.  Ouch!  In the past I have ignored these promptings but recently I have heard it more often.  It's still a small voice but it is a voice that says...why don't you give your friend this ________.   I have two choices.  One to ignore or one to be obedient.  Thankfully I have been obedient these past few times.  I find it amazing how wonderful it feels to obey these promptings.  I find myself thinking...what else can I give away.  :)    But then on the heals of that thought.....is oh dear what else will God ask me to give away.  Eek!  Are there things in my home that I am holding on to that I would have a really hard time JUST giving away?  (I am afraid yes there are.)  God knows what they are and why I treasure what I do.  I realize that He will show me and help me to give up those things when the times comes...if the times comes.   It may be painful but it will also be for my good.  I don't want to hold on to things for the sake of having them.  I realize I have been blessed with more than enough. As a follower of Christ it is right for me to give and give and give......GENEROUSLY!    

Spring Cleaning

Yesterday was the official day of SPRING. This is the time of year I start to open windows.  I clean out dressers and closets.  I file and shred things and just plain get myself organized for the year.  What is it about spring time weather that motivates me so? You'd think I'd do that in the winter when it's cold out and rainy so that I wouldn't be going stir crazy. But no I wait till Spring to SPRING into the season.  Of course our winter this year has been like spring so it has really taken me a while to get into the "mood" to clean.  Yes I must be in the right frame of mind to get anything accomplished.

And this is where my blog begins.....my frame of mind this week.  Over the weekend I was a cleaning fool.  I found things I forgot I had and it was wonderful to sort thru all the junk.  With each old thing I got rid of, I was creating breathing room for other items.  I was allowing my mind to see what I had and take inventory of it so maybe this year I could actually wear that cute blouse that just might fit me right since I am dieting.   There is just something cleansing about getting rid of the old, unused, not needed things just hanging out taking up space. 

It is time to do some Spring cleaning in my head as well.  Yes spring cleaning in my mind, the place of knowledge....the brain, where I think and ponder.  :)  I have lots of old, unused and not needed things just taking up space in my head these days.  I have old ways of thinking that need to be discarded and replaced with truth.  I have unused areas as well where I have not been disciplined in with scripture, or prayed  Psalms.  I have so many thoughts that are not needed. They are taking up space like. ....What makes you think you are of value in this area?  How in the world can you glorify God this way? Or why don't you have more faith? Honestly... I don't want to be a hypocrite saying one thing but thinking another way. I want to be different and yet I realize I am a mess.  I don't have it all together. I may smile and act all sweet but on the inside where it counts I am hurting.  I am struggling to make sense of where I find myself today.  I want answers to why this?  Why now?  I wept for what I saw of myself and my circumstances to be.  


BUT then God.........(awe don't ya just love that phrase.....but then God) He reminded me I am dearly loved. He reminded me that FAITH isn't about seeing.  It is about believing what I know to be true regardless of what my circumstances are.....His truth.   He reminded me that I am His child. He reminded me He wants to talk with me.  He reminded me to come to Him when I am weary and burdened.  He will replace those old ways of thinking with His ways of thinking.  He loves me just the way I am. He isn't surprised that I am having these thoughts. He knows there is junk in my mind that needs thrown out and He is just the person for the job.  So he starts to clean out those unused things and replace them with Him.  He reminded me of  scripture I already knew and I spoke it out loud with my mouth. As I threw away my wrong thinking of lies, I replaced them by breathing in the Word of God. My focus changed from me to Him.  I was worshipping in spirit and in truth.  God is so good.


And just like that I felt His presence.  I felt cleansed.  I felt new.  I felt loved.  But more importantly I knew.....I was still and KNEW He is....He was...He will always be.  Be still my child and know that I am God.  Awesome breath of life.  I love that He meets me where I am.  

So friends as you go about your spring cleaning of your home as well as your life, remember not to tackle it alone. Ask the Lord to help you see those things that need thrown out, replaced and renewed.  Until next time enjoy your spring cleaning.    

Thank you Heavenly Father for your redeeming Word. Thank you for being more than enough. Thank you for guiding me to speak the truth with my mouth so that my mind hears which causes my heart to comes into agreement with your truth. You are my joy.  You are my peace. You have my life under control.  My HOPE is in You always. Thank you for spring cleaning my mind, my heart, and my soul.  Amen!  

It's not about the destination but the journey!

Do you ever have those times when you stumble across an idea and think.....that would be so easy?  What started out to be simple, fast and save money may not be so.  But then again........
I was on PINTEREST last night and found where someone had posted a picture of a spritz bottle filled with homemade stamp cleaner.  Oh wow I thought I can make that!  It only has three ingredients. 
For some of you, you may not even know what kind of stamp I am talking about.   Let me back up a bit..........About a year or so ago I joined a scrap booking club where I got to purchase scrap booking supplies from a friend who sells "Close To My Heart" items.  The products are FANTASTIC and I have purchased all sorts of gadgets & items I didn't realize I really needed.  Over the last year I have collected many ink stamps for my projects.  I also purchased a stamp cleaner box that holds two sponges. I spritz a little cleaner on one side to clean the stamp & the other side is used to dry the stamp. It is very nifty and I have enjoyed using it a lot.  I am almost out of cleaner.  They sell a replacement bottle so I know I am going to have to restock my stash one day.  HENCE....when I ran across this recipe for making my own, I thought I'd save a little money, make extra for friends and have fun at the same time.  NOTE:  The cleaner is NOT expensive so I am not sure why I thought I really needed to do this.  But hey I am a crafter and I love gifting people with things I put together myself.  :--)  Okay...ya caught up with my story? 
Sooooooooo today after my laundry-mat-breakfast experience with my friend (that's another story for another time) I go to one of our super stores to purchase the items for this project.  I get there and totally forget what it was I was shopping for.  Of course I have to walk around looking until my brain remembers what it was I wanted to purchase.  In the meantime I find all sorts of clearance items that are just too good to pass up.  (Yes you can see where this story is going.)  I finally remember what it is I am looking for but cannot remember the EXACT ingredients for the handy dandy homemade stamp cleaner but I do know that one of them is baby shampoo.  So I pick up a bottle of that before checking out. I search for the recipe on my smart phone that apparently isn't that smart cuz it couldn't find the sight. (Or maybe it is me.)  I pay for my purchases and when I get to my car I find the recipe which is just distilled water, glycerin, and baby shampoo.  My next stop is the pharmacy where I know they will have glycerin.  They don't but the one across the street does and I pick up the distilled water as well.  But I have no cash and I hate to use my debit card for such a small purchase so I pick up a couple more things.  Now I have all I need to make my homemade stamp cleaner.  But wait..........I don't have any little spritz bottles to put the stuff in.  Hmmmm I wonder if the Dollar store might have some for cheap.  They don't have anything that will work for what I am needing so I start to head out of the store when out of the corner of my eye I see tote bags.  (You see where this is going right?)   I purchase 25 of them for an upcoming women's retreat.  BUT......I still don't have my bottles so I head to another store because I am pretty sure they have them.  In the meantime I make a phone call to a friend telling her about the GREAT deal for the totes and tell her about my morning. She asks if I will pick up six of something for her while I am at the store and I say sure no problem.  :)  I find the spritz bottles and they really are cheap which makes me really happy.  I get almost all the ones they have.  (Not sure why cuz I don't think I really have that many scrapping friends but they are such a good deal.)   Then I remember I need labels for the outside of the bottles.  It would be so cute to put the recipe on the label with some clip art of a stamp.  I find some on clearance that really are a good deal so I buy several packages of labels.  Only one of them is for this project but the others will be great for work.  To the check out I head when I remember my friends request.  I then spend the next 15 minutes or so trying to locate them which never happened even after asking two associates that work in the store.  I finally check out.   Whew I am tired! 
I get home and I make the stuff which really did take maybe five minutes to make and 10 minutes to fill all the bottles.  YEA.............success!!!  I am so happy.  I go upstairs to find the template for the labels I bought. Since I am not a computer geek, this takes me some time to get everything done and printed. But I do get it done and they look fantastic.  I start to put them on the bottles and they are looking good.  I realize the labels are clear which works but one of the bottles was damp and the ink is now gone in some places.  Note to self:  make sure to wipe and dry all the bottles.   :] Oh well they are homemade after all right!
The Recipe is:  1 cup distilled water + 2 Tablespoons glycerin + 1 teaspoon baby shampoo=your own homemade stamp cleaner.  I found this on eHow.com.
Do you ever have day like this?  What started out to be simple, fast and save money may not be so if you look at just one aspect of the day.    Not only did I find all the items I needed for this project and accomplish the task at hand, but I now have baby gifts for many friends.  I have enough labels to last me months at work or to use for AGAPE.  I also have tote bags for my ladies retreat.  After all it's not about the destination but the journey right.  I met some wonderful people today on my shopping adventure..........divine moments where God blessed me with some GREAT deals and a chance to sprinkle a little joy into the lives of the people I came into contact with.  Blessings gotta love Him.  Yes.....All in all I feel like I really have had a productive day.   Be blessed friends!  Until next time  :)

Whisper to the heart....

I love how God speaks to me. It's not with a loud "SHOUT" but with a whisper to my heart. A lot of the times I don't hear him for various reasons....too busy....hardened heart/rebellion, etc. His word says to be still and know that He is God. I don't know about you but this is really hard for me. I think of being still as being idle & non-productive. But it is in the stillness that He speaks to me.

All over the Bible it talks about waiting upon the Lord. Waiting, being still, quiet......all these words or actions are really hard for me to do. I want to be still. I want to be quiet. I want to wait upon the Lord. I want to do what it is He wants me to do. Instead I rush to this or that. I start another project and I think about what I want to do....someday....sometime....tomorrow maybe.

One of the things I love about a dear friend is their capacity to listen and to talk with me. NOT at me but with me. Jesus is my friend. I know he wants to hear my voice. I want to hear His voice too. Be still Pammi and know that I am God. He is is sprinkling His blessing upon me as I speak and as I listen. He is filling my heart with just what is needed today.....His love.

Thank you father for the stillness and for the quiet. Thank you Father for answering my prayer to hear me, to love me, to guide me. It is you who gives me the passion to know you. It is you who gives me the grace to hear you. Giving you praise today as I go about my daily duties. Help me to stop and listen. Because it is in the quiet that I hear your whisper to my heart.

Out with old and in with the new

One of my favorite things to do is rearrange stuff.....furniture, nick knacks, wall art....you name it and I have moved it around. I love cleaning out closets, throwing away things that have seen better days, and donating items. My favorite thing to do is to give something new life.

Last year I bought some really cool fabric to cover my dining room chairs. I got this idea from magazine pictures of dining chairs all being different. I love the peeling paint, old worn, shabby chic look. However my chairs match the table and the hutch. (My husband says there is no way I can paint them either which I find sad. I'd paint them in a heartbeat but he'd have a heart attack so it is just not worth it.) :) A few years back I recovered the chairs alike with this really thick country style dark fabric--------> . It was a lot of work but they turned out good. That was 7 or 8 years ago. My tastes have changed and I wanted something new. Since I can't afford nor want a whole new set I thought.....let's just recover the chair pads again.

Recovering chair pads is a lot of work. I did the first three okay but it took me FOREVER. I finally humbled myself and asked my hubby to help me. We got the other three done in an hour. An HOUR!!!! Seriously I learned I should always ask for help. It is more fun and you can get done a lot quicker.

I recovered each chair in a different fabric and then covered the fabric with a thick clear vinyl for durability. The fabrics do not match but I LOVE them. Later in the week I made the sweetest chair covers to go over each chair back. They are different and yet tie in with the chair covers. And here are the finished chairs. What do you think?

I have a little leftover fabric that I just might make a table topper. So it is OUT with the old and in with the New!