Sabbath Praise

Let's Be Ready

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  As you all know, I have been reading through "The Conflict of the Ages" by Ellen G. White. I have been reading in the last book of this series, "The Great Controversy" for the last month. I am going a bit slower on this book than I have been. It is a book of history. 

   As I read through "The Great Controversy" I realize that ever since Jesus was crucified - the evil force in the world has doubled it's efforts to smother the Truth. We truly are lucky to live in a country that -at the moment- allows us religious freedom. This will not always be the case - and as I watch the little bit of news that I watch - I can see more and more of our freedoms being taken away. Jesus is coming soon- Let's be ready when He comes!

Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

Couldn't have said it better myself! :O) 

Another Area of Acceptance

This is a thing that is going around on Facebook right now. 

And I have to say that it is very true. It seems to me that too often when you share what is on your heart, those around you want to fix you or tell you to get over what ever it is. And the truth is that when we are going through something tough, we need to be able to have the freedom to process it. That way we are better able to learn, what ever it is that we are to learn from that trial. Prayers, hugs, love, understanding and acceptance are all wonderful tools to use when dealing with someone else's fragile heart. 

Entertainment for a Long, Hot Summer(hoping we don't have one though)

Here is the latest puzzle that we have finished. Another 1,000 piece puzzle. This one is really cool! It is a Joan Steiner's "Can You Find?" puzzle. So you make the puzzle and then you see if you can find the 158 hidden items in the puzzle(number may vary on different puzzles.) The puzzle pieces were funky and it was challenging, but was very enjoyable. 

Yesterday we hit the triple digit mark, just like they said. And it looks like we will be doing the same for the next several days. I sure don't want a repeat of last year. One of those long, hot summers is enough for us, we sure don't need a repeat -this soon. We know some folks that live up in Lamar/Holly Colorado area and they have been having triple digit temps off and on for the last couple of weeks. I don't think that is normal for them. Ya'll try to stay cool. Find some fun things to do inside - like puzzles and quilting - to name a few. lol :O)  

Dog Days of Summer are Here....

Summer is officially here and it looks like today will be the first triple digit day of the year. 

 Not looking forward to the hot dog days of summer. 

Ya'll stay cool and hydrated! :o) 

Sabbath Praise

This is such a great song. I hope you take the time to listen to it "For every broken heart there is healing in Jesus' name"

I Shall NOT Be Moved

"1 Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved."Psalms 62:1-2 
    "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved ." Psalms 62:5-6
What an excellent Bible passage. I love how in verse two he says he will not be greatly moved and then down in verse 6 he shall not be moved. I have been here before - sadly many times - where I don't have very much faith. But we can learn a great lesson from David about where that confidence comes from in verse 6. David learned to totally rely on God. He realized that what ever trial he found himself in to totally put his trust in God. And as I like to say totally surrendering his live to God.  
In this sinful world it is easy to let our trials get us down. And when we begin to spend a lot of time worrying about these troubles - our focus is no longer on God. We have taken our lives into our own hands trying to be in control. And many times that leads us to be working against what God is trying to do in our lives. 
    "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.8Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us." Psalms 62:7-8 

Friday Funny

Just a little something I wanted to share. This was going around Facebook and I thought it was so cute and wanted to share. I hope it brought a smile to your face as well. The week end is almost here! Yay! Ya'll have a great one. :O)

Take it Easy and Enjoy the Ride

Take it Easy and Enjoy the Ride - this is what a friend ended her e-mail to me and it got me thinking. 

In this day and age many times we get caught up in all the things that we need to get done and we forget to enjoy the ride.

 Sometimes we get too caught up in the negative things that are going on in our lives and we forget to enjoy the ride. 

Sometimes we get so caught up with life that we forget to take it easy sometimes.

 So please remember - Take it Easy and Enjoy the Ride. :o) 

Andrews Study Bible

Here is a Youtube video about the Andrews Study Bible that I talked about in the last post. Believe me, it is an awesome Bible!

Gems in Philippians

Earlier this week, I was talking to a friend about how the last 3 1/2 years have been the hardest years of my life. Don't get me wrong, there have been good times and happiness, but there has been a lot of different tough things to deal with. Some of them I have shared, some of the things I can not share. 

This morning during my quiet time, I ended up in the book of Philippians. As I was reading chapter 4 of Philippians I found a treasure. This is one of my favorite verses, as I am sure it is to many others as well. 

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 

Philippians 4:13

Well I was reading out of my Andrews Study Bible and so I looked down to the bottom of the page to see the notes for this verse. It said, "do all things. Cope with every situation." How cool is that? Especially when I am dealing with a situation in which I have no control, it is reassuring to read that God will help me cope with every situation. 

I am also learning about acceptance. It seems to be that when you accept a situation - it might mean that you approve of it, but acceptance of a situation does not mean that you always approve of what is going on. No - the acceptance that I am talking about is more the acknowledgement of the facts of the situation. There are situations in our lives that we have to learn to accept. These are also the situations that are best to just let go of and give them to God. There are burdens that we were not created to carry. And we have a loving God who is willing and ready to carry them for us. And I am so thankful for this. 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."Philippians 4:6-7 
By the way, in my Andrews Study Bible for the word "Understanding" they say : ExpectationIsn't that a cool thought? I sure thought so. :O) 
If  you are interested in learning more about the Andrews Study Bible just click on any of the links provided. I will be sharing a bit more about this Bible later. Have a great day and may God bless you! 

Puzzles, and More Puzzles!

This is the first puzzle that my husband and I worked from the puzzles that I found at Goodwill for $1.15. It looks like there are 2 pieces missing - the outer edge one - the light above was glaring on it so it looks like it was missing but was not. The other piece - well that is a little funny story. So we get the puzzle done - 750 pieces and we are thinking well for only paying the $1.15 - it is really a good deal even if one piece is missing. So we take the puzzle apart - mark on the box what piece is missing. A day or two later - I notice that there is a puzzle piece behind our couch, I got it thinking it had been a piece from the newest one we were working but no - it was that missing piece. So so far we are having great luck. This puzzle was challenging, but fun.  

Here is the puzzle we are working on now. It has been so much fun! We have loved it. There is all sorts of different little details that make finding pieces a lot of fun. We have teased each other that we need to set up a limit of 20 pieces and then it's the other persons turn. But to be truthful my husband would end up with the shortest turns since he has an eye for puzzle pieces. 

I am so glad that once we are done with this 1,000 piece puzzle - that we have 3 more to work on. All of which are 1,000 pieces! 

My Father...

My Heavenly Father that is: 

Remembered By...

I have been thinking quite a bit about genealogy this afternoon. I decided to look up the word. I found the following information on Wikipedia ~
"Genealogy from Greek: γενεά, genea, "generation"; and λόγος, logos, "knowledge")  is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members. The results are often displayed in charts or written as narratives.
The pursuit of family history tends to be shaped by several motivations, including the desire to carve out a place for one's family in the larger historical picture, a sense of responsibility to preserve the past for future generations, and a sense of self-satisfaction in accurate storytelling.<sup>[1]"


What got me thinking about genealogy? Well earlier today I talked to someone that I know that is doing a lot of work in genealogy. As she told me about how much money people made, what they did for a living and such -it dawned on me that those are not the things that I want to be remembered for. There is so much more to live - so much more than how much money a person makes or their career. These things are temporal and in the long run don't amount to a hill of beans.</sup> 

Years from now, I would much rather people have a way to find out that I loved Jesus! That I had finally learned to totally depend on Him. And that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is very important. Those are the things that I want them to know - Jesus - lifted up.

I really don't know how to go about having that be a message to have for future generations, but I do know that I can spread the message now. That I can do what I can do now - to spread the message that Jesus Love Us and wants a personal relationship with us.

Oh by the way, I hope I have not offended anyone who likes to work on their Family Tree and learning about their past. That was not my intent. It is really cool to learn about our kin from years ago, I just wish there was a way to learn more personal things about them. And that their legacy could include their belief in Jesus Christ. Because I want future generations to know how much I love Jesus.

Sabbath Praise

Such Soothing Lyrics...

His Sheep Am I 

1.•In God's green pastures feeding by His cool waters lie;
Soft in the evening walk my Lord and I,
All the sheep of His pasture
Fare so wondrously fine; His sheep am I.

•Sisters: Waters cool,
Brothers: In the valley;
Sisters: Pastures green,
Brothers: On the mountain,
Sisters: In the evening
Brothers: In the evening
Everyone: Walk my Lord and I.

•Sisters: Dark the night,
Brothers: In the valley,
Sisters: Rough the way,
Brothers: On the mountain,
Sisters: Step by step...
Brothers: Step by step.
Everyone: My Lord and I.

2. •Through the streets of the city in the darkness of the night,
Far from the fold, He heard my lonely cry.
Now I sit at His table in the palace of light;
His sheep am I.

A New Pass Time Activity

A couple of weeks ago, I was going through a cabinet and found a puzzle. This started a new craze around here - puzzle making! My husband went and got a small table that we had stored behind a door in my sewing room. The table was not quite big enough so he made a board to lay over the top of it and began to put the puzzle together. I would help every now and then. He finished that one. He asked me to get him another puzzle. I did. Sorry I don't have a photo of the first one he put together but I do have a photo of the second one. A Thomas Kinkade puzzle:

This Thomas Kinkade puzzle might eventually be glued together and make into a photo. We really like his work. And now that he has passed away his art work which was already way out of our price range will probably be even further. 

So this brings me to this last week - I stopped by Goodwill to look around and see what treasures I could find. Well I found some great treasures! Puzzles for only $1.15 each!! 

This is the one we are working on now. The very day that I found these puzzles I came home and got to work on it. I got the entire outer edge put together and a few other pieces before my husband got home. Oh - the puzzles that had been put together prior to this one were 500 piece puzzles. Now - 750 pieces. I am so glad that I have my husband to help. It has been fun to take turns. 

And once we are done with this one - we will be kept busy for quite some time. We have 4 ~ 1000 piece puzzles to put together. 

These puzzles are for sale at Walmart and are about $10.00 a piece -give or take a bit. I was thrilled to have found them for $1.15 each! What treasures! Praising God for having me at the store at the right time to find such great treasures! Do any of you enjoy puzzles?

Quilting Corner

This post - I will allow the photo's to speak for themselves. This is the newest block that I have made. I hope you enjoy. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. :o)

Spread Some Sunshine

"Flowers Leave Their Fragrance on
The Hand That Bestows Them"

This old Chinese proverb, if practiced each day, Would change the whole world in a wonderful way - It's truth is so simple, it's easy to do And it works every time, and successfully, too. . . For you can't do a kindness without a reward, Not in silver or gold, but in joy from the Lord - You can't light a candle to show others the way Without feeling the warmth of that bright little ray. . . And you can't pluck a rose, all fragrant with dew, Without part of its fragrance remaining with you. Helen Steiner Rice

Glorifying Him Rather Than Criticizing His Sheep

Lately - I have noticed something that bothers me. It is the fact that way too often Christians bad mouth other Christians~ criticizing what they do, what they say, any area of their lives that they think does not meet their standards. It is a real shame.

I have been at the grocery store and heard a conversation and it broke my heart. I thought what if there are people around who are not Christians listening and being turned off from God because they do not want to be a part of sometime like that. I have even seen this kind of thing on blogs~ Christians criticizing other Christians. And in fact I hesitated to even write this post - realizing that it is going to sound as if I am doing the same thing. But I really felt that it is important that I write this post. I think that since we are followers of Jesus Christ and that our purpose on this earth is to glorify Him, that maybe we might want to examine our own hearts and our motives before we criticize other people. Allow God to be the judge of other people. Try to find the good traits in our fellow man and uplift them rather than pulling them down by criticizing them. Just a thought.

Sabbath Praise

My Favorite Things..

Today I wanted to share one of my favorite things. 

Several years ago, my husband bought me a Sony Under the Cabinet Radio for our kitchen. I love it. I love that I can preset stations and just hit what ever button to get to the station I want to listen to. It is also a CD player and has a weather radio station on it. It sounds great too. And it does not take up much room for what you get.

I had told my husband that I wanted one of these radios for my sewing room. So when Mother's Day came along - guess what I got? Yep- I got one for my sewing room. It is great! Well worth the money.

What are some of your favorite things?

Never Too Old to Learn

Today will be a photo heavy post. But I really think it will be helpful for some of you so I don't think you will mind that much. 

Earlier this week, I went on a field trip! I went to a Farm, a Tomato Farm. I am calling it that because this year alone as of Monday night they had harvested 3,500 pounds of tomatoes! Wow! 

 At the very beginning of the tour, they had this display of some of the recently picked items from their gardens. The tomato section of the garden is the largest area. I wish I had have thought to stand way back and get a good photo to give you an idea of how big the garden it. Each section is 30 ft and they have a 30 ft section then a walk way and then a second 30 foot section in each row. I did not count how many rows of this they had but I am going to guess at least 7-10.

 This is how they grow the tomatoes! Do you notice the string tied to the top 2X4 at the top. Well they tie the piece of string - a thick string at the top and measure it to where it touches the ground.

 Once the tomato plant starts to grow they will start connecting the tomato plant to the string every 6 inches with this black clip. This clip is called a vine clip. 

On these rows they had not quite gotten the top wood attached so they used string across the top. They just started this method this year, so have not gotten it all done yet. 

I don't know if you can tell in this photo but they have the dirt mound up with an indention in the middle. There is a pvc pipe all the way down the 30 feet rows. And on these pipes there are holes drilled so that they can water the row. Notice how each row has this pipe coming up with a hose attached to it. And there is a switch to turn the water on. 

You can read more of the details of how to do the pipes in this photo. 

They have a recipe of a pre-plant mix. At the end of this post - I will have a link to their website so you can get the recipe for this mix. 

These photos are the different ingredients for the fertilizer recipe. 

There is a lot of important information at there website(below). 

By the way, this is basically the Mittleider Method of gardening. You can google this and get a lot more information.
If you would like to go to the website of the place that I went - click HERE. 

So you see - you are never too old to learn.

Benefits of Being Grammy

My little granddaughter loves to play on our bed. And this past week end when she was here - we were in my room and she was on the bed. Then then said "night, night" and crawled under the covers. There was a moment of silence and then a little fake snore.  I love moments like this. Things that make memories and bring lots of joy! I hope you all have lots of moments that bring you joy too! Have a wonderful day! :o) 

The Bible Has the Power to Transform

Today I was reading the chapter of John Wycliffe in the book I am reading. What an interesting chapter. 

I learned some very interesting things. 

"As a professor of theology at Oxford, Wycliffe preached the word of God in the halls of the university. So faithfully did he present the truth to the students under his instruction, that he received the title of "the gospel doctor." But the greatest work of his life was to be the translation of the Scriptures into the English language. In a work, On the Truth and Meaning of Scripture, he expressed his intention to translate the Bible, so that every man in England might read, in the language in which he was born, the wonderful works of God." GC 87

"Wycliffe was one of the greatest of the Reformers." GC 94 

He steadfastly stood for truth. 

I love this last quote that I would like to share today. 

"The character of Wycliffe is a testimony to the educating, transforming power of the Holy Scriptures. It was the Bible that made him what he was. The effort to grasp the great truths of revelation imparts freshness and vigor to all the faculties. It expands the mind, sharpens the perceptions, and ripens the judgment. The study of the Bible will ennoble every thought, feeling, and aspiration as no other study can. It gives stability of purpose, patience, courage, and fortitude; it refines the character and sanctifies the soul. An earnest, reverent study of the Scriptures, bringing the mind of the student in direct contact with the infinite mind, would give to the world men of stronger and more active intellect, as well as of nobler principle, than has ever resulted from the ablest training that human philosophy affords. "The entrance of Thy words," says the psalmist, "giveth light; it giveth understanding." Psalm 119:130."  GC94 

I love what can happen when a person allows the Holy Scriptures to transform their lives, but a person has to spend time in the Scriptures in order for these changes to take place. This quote really shows the importance of spending time in God's Word and the power it has to transform those who do. :o) 

If you are interested in reading this chapter - Click Here. 

On to Number 5

"Men have been unwearied in their efforts to obscure the plain, simple meaning of the Scriptures, and to make them contradict their own testimony; but like the ark upon the billowy deep, the word of God outrides the storms that threaten it with destruction. As the mine has rich veins of gold and silver hidden beneath the surface, so that all must dig who would discover its precious stores, so the Holy Scriptures have treasures of truth that are revealed only to the earnest, humble, prayerful seeker. God designed the Bible to be a lessonbook to all mankind, in childhood, youth, and manhood, and to be studied through all time. He gave His word to men as a revelation of Himself. Every new truth discerned is a fresh disclosure of the character of its Author. The study of the Scriptures is the means divinely ordained to bring men into closer connection with their Creator and to give them a clearer knowledge of His will. It is the medium of communication between God and man." GC 69 

On May 27th, 2012 - I finished reading book number 5 "The Acts of the Apostles." And I began to read the next book in the series, "The Great Controversy." This books dose not look that much bigger than the last one I read but believe me - the writing is a bit smaller and more is fit onto each of the 678 pages. And there are no photos. This book is basically a book about the conflict between good and evil - through out history. Since this is a book about history - there are quotes throughout the book from other sources. And periodically through the book - it will refer you to the appendix to read more from where the quote was gotten from. The Appendix adds another 15 pages of reading material. And like all the books in this series - it has a lot of Bible quotes, which I really enjoy. This book will be a bit more difficult for me to read because it talks about the persecution of those who stay faithful to the Word of God throughout history. If you would like to check this book out you can actually read it on line- Here!  Or if you are interested in buying this book or any in this series you can usually find them at many places on the internet like  - Amazon or  Ebay. Or Here. Or as a new saying that my MIL uses - is you can google it! 

Quotes to Think About

"When people are wrapped up in themselves, they make small packages."

"If people swept in front of their own doors, this world would be a cleaner place." 



"When someone don't fit into a neat little box, the answer isn't to squeeze them in there a little harder, you build a bigger box."


These are some quotes from the movie, "Joyful Noise." When I watch a movie - I really like it when I find awesome little treasures - things thing make you think - or that just make your laugh. One movie I watched had a cute little quote - "Adventures make me gassy" this was from a cute little Kermit the frog and friends movie. Can't think of the name of it right now. Anyway I hope you all are having a good week end. It is getting quite warm here in Texas. I think that my MIL said that she had heard on the news that this year we have had the warmest spring that we have had in quite a while - if not the warmest ever- don't remember. But most days lately have been in the 90's. Oh I pray our summer is not like it was last year. We are still recovering from that. 

Sabbath Praise

Last week my husband and I watched the movie "Joyful Noise." We enjoyed the movie. There were some great quotes in the movie- I will try to share those tomorrow. Anyway this song was sung during the movie and it is a sweet little song. I hope you all have a great week end! :o)

Unexpected Find

A while back - I shared about this sweet music box that I had found and bought from a Goodwill. My granddaughter loves it. 

Well today - without even really looking for it - I found the sweetest little thing that matches it! I thought it was adorable and for $2.00 - bought it to add to the little table I have the other one on. Well you can not imagine my surprise and joy when I got home and took the tape off of it so I could open it up....

And found this:

Isn't that the sweetest thing?! I thought so. Just a little blessing special from God to make my day. :o)