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.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
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?
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!
On The Blog Again...
Hello fellow bloggers! Remember that country western song from back in the day called....."On The Road Again" (by Willie Nelson)? It's an oldie but goody talking about how he can't wait to get back on the road again...making music with his friends. Well friends I don't know about the music part but I have sure missed writing down my thoughts and hearing from my blogger friends. With this being January of 2012 I figure it is time to get back on the road to blogging. This year I am going to try and write more about what God is doing in me, be more transparent/honest with you about my struggles and share with you His grace in my life. Plus I'd like to share some poetry, some recipes, with a little crafting projects thrown in for good measure. I am hopeful that as we travel this blogger road we just may trip on something we have never seen before. Or maybe we will find a treasure.......a nugget of truth we hadn't heard before. Most of all I pray we just enjoy this road of life we find ourselves on and share a little. Sounds like a good road to be on don't ya think?
Monday, May 18, 2009
Help or Hinder...
Good morning Bloggers! Well it's been ages since I have blogged....not that I haven't had ideas and things to say or ponder because I have. Today's blog is on being a helper -vs- a hindrance.
In Genesis 2 verse 18 it says this.............. The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." You know how you can read something many times and not really read it. That's what I did this week. When I read those words I thought........what is a helper, am I a helper suitable to my husband.....and then on the heels of that thought was..... am I more of a hindrance? Ouch! I am sad to say that lots of times I can be a total hindrance. I don't have his best interests at heart. But I should. I was made to be his helper. That is my roll as a wife. How do I do that with a right heart and not try and see what's in it for me?
This week my husband asked me if I would go to the deer lease with him and some friends to go four wheeling? At first my gutt reaction was to say no way. Why in the world would I want to go out to the lease where I know it's going to be HOT and there will be bugs. But instead of going with my first reaction.....I said yes instead. I could tell I surprised him. I think I surprised myself too. But I did go and it was fun and I think it pleased him very much. Such a simple request. Too many times all I can think about is....what about me...what about me. UGH! I get tired of hearing myself. Ha! So this time I did what he wanted and you know it really was a blessing. I praise God for our time together. Is this being a helper? Yes I think it is....it's putting his needs or wants above my own. That's servanthood my friends.
There are so many ways in which we as women can please our husbands but we don't always do that. In fact a lot of times we won't be kind or respectful to them until they have been loving to us. Talk about a wrong attitude of heart. I have to constantly be intentional about praying for my husband, be an encourager not a hindrance. I need to be my husband's "cheerleader" after all God made me for him. NOT the other way around. Humbling I know but the truth. I realized this week that I can't do this by myself. I need Christ to help me in this area. I have prayed and I know that God will give me the insight and wisdom to be a helper to my husband. I thank and praise God for helping me to see the word helper this week and really ponder it's meaning. So are you a helper or a hindrance to your spouse? I pray that you are a helper. But if you aren't....don't loose hope...help is just a breath away. Until next time....be blessed.
In Genesis 2 verse 18 it says this.............. The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." You know how you can read something many times and not really read it. That's what I did this week. When I read those words I thought........what is a helper, am I a helper suitable to my husband.....and then on the heels of that thought was..... am I more of a hindrance? Ouch! I am sad to say that lots of times I can be a total hindrance. I don't have his best interests at heart. But I should. I was made to be his helper. That is my roll as a wife. How do I do that with a right heart and not try and see what's in it for me?
This week my husband asked me if I would go to the deer lease with him and some friends to go four wheeling? At first my gutt reaction was to say no way. Why in the world would I want to go out to the lease where I know it's going to be HOT and there will be bugs. But instead of going with my first reaction.....I said yes instead. I could tell I surprised him. I think I surprised myself too. But I did go and it was fun and I think it pleased him very much. Such a simple request. Too many times all I can think about is....what about me...what about me. UGH! I get tired of hearing myself. Ha! So this time I did what he wanted and you know it really was a blessing. I praise God for our time together. Is this being a helper? Yes I think it is....it's putting his needs or wants above my own. That's servanthood my friends.
There are so many ways in which we as women can please our husbands but we don't always do that. In fact a lot of times we won't be kind or respectful to them until they have been loving to us. Talk about a wrong attitude of heart. I have to constantly be intentional about praying for my husband, be an encourager not a hindrance. I need to be my husband's "cheerleader" after all God made me for him. NOT the other way around. Humbling I know but the truth. I realized this week that I can't do this by myself. I need Christ to help me in this area. I have prayed and I know that God will give me the insight and wisdom to be a helper to my husband. I thank and praise God for helping me to see the word helper this week and really ponder it's meaning. So are you a helper or a hindrance to your spouse? I pray that you are a helper. But if you aren't....don't loose hope...help is just a breath away. Until next time....be blessed.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Pictures of Birthday Banner!
Here are pictures of my birthday banner from the Nevins bunch in Missouri! I love how this turned out. I hope it blesses you like it did me.
One year older.....
Well I guess my address for this blog is all wrong now since I turned 50 yesterday. Oh well I think I will be on a holding pattern from here on out. :-) Yesterday was truly a great day. Before 9 a.m. I had heard from each of my three kiddos. I even got to talk to some of the grand kids for a while. My mom called too but she had forgotten it was my day. Oh well that is okay....someday I will forget her day as well. That's what happens when you get older. Ha!
I love birthdays! I love celebrating life actually. I love giving gifts too. Any excuse is a good excuse to gift someone with love....it tells them they were thought about and loved. I think I am a much better giver then a receiver. Ha! I always feel awkward saying thanks because I am overwhelmed first of all that they thought of me. Yesterday my family and friends outdid themselves. Between face book posts, emails, texts, and phone calls as well as gifts........I felt the love that everyone has for me. It was humbling.
I don't feel I should warrant that kind of affection. After all I am just a human with human failings. I let people see what I want them to see about me. Actually I am not even a nice person inside. That was tough realization for me but it is true. I realize though that Jesus has changed that part in me that was not nice. Nice thoughts, feelings, actions come more readily these days. Praise God for that! So I think when others celebrate me........they really are celebrating the good in me and that is pure Jesus! :-) How cool is that?
Let me tell you about my day...it started the night before really. I have a group of craft gals that meet with me every Monday night to catch up on life and just share in our craftiness. Plus we get a lot of forgotten projects done. This Monday the gals had gotten together and threw me a mini party. There was a pretty cake one of them brought. Plus one of them sent flowers. One girl brought me a huge bag of bias tape she had gotten super cheap when a blanket factory went out of business..............to me this is just too cool! I love things I can make something out of. I am a true crafter I guess. One girl made a broach using felt and buttons that I just adored. Two of the girls gave me special things that they knew I would treasure and I do. We had a nice time celebrating my pre-birthdate. Then that night as I was trying to fall asleep my sweet hubby was making enough racket to wake me. Ha! He thought I couldn't hear him. Who can't hear a 180 pound man putting together a craft table upstairs when our bedroom is below. Ha! I got up to check on what he was doing and he looked so sheepish and sweet. He was trying to surprise me. He knows that every morning before I go walking I get on the computer. So the table was set up where I would see it as I walked up the stairs. I was very touched first for his thoughtful-ness.....I had mentioned to him weeks before that I needed a new sewing table for my machine. Secondly I was touched that he was trying to surprise me. I went to sleep with a smile on my face. :-)
My birthday began really early. It hit me that I was really 50...this was no dress rehearsal but the real thing. Ha! Troy had a very sweet card waiting for me on my dresser and had written sweet words that this wife of his loved. The phone started ringing about 9 and didn't stop till late that night. I talked to each of my kiddos, my daughter Kari plus the grandkids. They were all so sweet. They were hopeful I had received their gift in the mail but at that point I had not. So it was on to cleaning the upstairs craft room cuz I had to make room for the new table. Now that's my idea of a fun morning. After much moving and rearranging the table looks great in there. I feel like I have a new room. Then it was on to the church for our bi-montly staff meeting. One of the gals had a made a huge sombrero cake. I can't remember the actual wording but it had something to do with being over the hill. The cake was in honor of several birthdays not just mine. We had five staff members with b-days in April. Lunch was brought by J.R.'s here in town. It was so yummy! A couple other staff friends gave me a funny purple cane that was a huge joke with a horn on it, old man repellant spray bottle etc. Plus they gave me bran flakes and pudding. Ha! Soon the meeting was over and I was homebound to read more emails, Face book wall posts and open packages. I even had a present all wrapped in pretty pink paper on my back porch from a dear friend. She gave me the nicest Pampered Chef bowl and spoons. It was awesome. Yes I got the package my kiddos sent. Inside was a card from each of them plus this HUGE banner that stretched across the length of my living room and part of my dining area. They made a poster celebrating 50 things they love about me. I laughed and laughed but by the time I got to the end.....this grammy was crying. I was so touched. All four grand kids had put their special handy work to this banner. They all had input into the things they love about their grammy. I have taken pictures and will post them after this post if I still remember how.
Last but not least we had our young couples small group meeting last night. There were only supposed to be four of the couples there as we have birthed off a new group .Well the new group came and marked out front of the house so I didn't know they were all there. When we arrived LATE which was on purpose....Troy did that and I hate being late.....Troy practically pushed me in the door. When i walked in they all yelled surprise. They were ALL there. So touching and sweet. They had cards and gifts for me plus a homemade cake by one of the young gals who told me she DOES not bake. It was all wonderful. We made it home around 9ish and there was a birthday message from my other daugther Becky. Awe.........a perfect ending to a perfect day.
So I am one year older. I don't feel older at this moment but there are times when I realize wow I can't do that anymore. God has blessed me so much. He has given me a wonderful family and tons of friends who love me dearly. My cup runneth over.....until next time be blessed.
I love birthdays! I love celebrating life actually. I love giving gifts too. Any excuse is a good excuse to gift someone with love....it tells them they were thought about and loved. I think I am a much better giver then a receiver. Ha! I always feel awkward saying thanks because I am overwhelmed first of all that they thought of me. Yesterday my family and friends outdid themselves. Between face book posts, emails, texts, and phone calls as well as gifts........I felt the love that everyone has for me. It was humbling.
I don't feel I should warrant that kind of affection. After all I am just a human with human failings. I let people see what I want them to see about me. Actually I am not even a nice person inside. That was tough realization for me but it is true. I realize though that Jesus has changed that part in me that was not nice. Nice thoughts, feelings, actions come more readily these days. Praise God for that! So I think when others celebrate me........they really are celebrating the good in me and that is pure Jesus! :-) How cool is that?
Let me tell you about my day...it started the night before really. I have a group of craft gals that meet with me every Monday night to catch up on life and just share in our craftiness. Plus we get a lot of forgotten projects done. This Monday the gals had gotten together and threw me a mini party. There was a pretty cake one of them brought. Plus one of them sent flowers. One girl brought me a huge bag of bias tape she had gotten super cheap when a blanket factory went out of business..............to me this is just too cool! I love things I can make something out of. I am a true crafter I guess. One girl made a broach using felt and buttons that I just adored. Two of the girls gave me special things that they knew I would treasure and I do. We had a nice time celebrating my pre-birthdate. Then that night as I was trying to fall asleep my sweet hubby was making enough racket to wake me. Ha! He thought I couldn't hear him. Who can't hear a 180 pound man putting together a craft table upstairs when our bedroom is below. Ha! I got up to check on what he was doing and he looked so sheepish and sweet. He was trying to surprise me. He knows that every morning before I go walking I get on the computer. So the table was set up where I would see it as I walked up the stairs. I was very touched first for his thoughtful-ness.....I had mentioned to him weeks before that I needed a new sewing table for my machine. Secondly I was touched that he was trying to surprise me. I went to sleep with a smile on my face. :-)
My birthday began really early. It hit me that I was really 50...this was no dress rehearsal but the real thing. Ha! Troy had a very sweet card waiting for me on my dresser and had written sweet words that this wife of his loved. The phone started ringing about 9 and didn't stop till late that night. I talked to each of my kiddos, my daughter Kari plus the grandkids. They were all so sweet. They were hopeful I had received their gift in the mail but at that point I had not. So it was on to cleaning the upstairs craft room cuz I had to make room for the new table. Now that's my idea of a fun morning. After much moving and rearranging the table looks great in there. I feel like I have a new room. Then it was on to the church for our bi-montly staff meeting. One of the gals had a made a huge sombrero cake. I can't remember the actual wording but it had something to do with being over the hill. The cake was in honor of several birthdays not just mine. We had five staff members with b-days in April. Lunch was brought by J.R.'s here in town. It was so yummy! A couple other staff friends gave me a funny purple cane that was a huge joke with a horn on it, old man repellant spray bottle etc. Plus they gave me bran flakes and pudding. Ha! Soon the meeting was over and I was homebound to read more emails, Face book wall posts and open packages. I even had a present all wrapped in pretty pink paper on my back porch from a dear friend. She gave me the nicest Pampered Chef bowl and spoons. It was awesome. Yes I got the package my kiddos sent. Inside was a card from each of them plus this HUGE banner that stretched across the length of my living room and part of my dining area. They made a poster celebrating 50 things they love about me. I laughed and laughed but by the time I got to the end.....this grammy was crying. I was so touched. All four grand kids had put their special handy work to this banner. They all had input into the things they love about their grammy. I have taken pictures and will post them after this post if I still remember how.
Last but not least we had our young couples small group meeting last night. There were only supposed to be four of the couples there as we have birthed off a new group .Well the new group came and marked out front of the house so I didn't know they were all there. When we arrived LATE which was on purpose....Troy did that and I hate being late.....Troy practically pushed me in the door. When i walked in they all yelled surprise. They were ALL there. So touching and sweet. They had cards and gifts for me plus a homemade cake by one of the young gals who told me she DOES not bake. It was all wonderful. We made it home around 9ish and there was a birthday message from my other daugther Becky. Awe.........a perfect ending to a perfect day.
So I am one year older. I don't feel older at this moment but there are times when I realize wow I can't do that anymore. God has blessed me so much. He has given me a wonderful family and tons of friends who love me dearly. My cup runneth over.....until next time be blessed.
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