My Quilt Blocks

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniuities will I remember no more. Hebrews 10:16-17

Ok, so it's been more than just 'tomorrow'... and I'm still not getting the full story in tonight, but I do have a good reason this time. My monitor is acting up on me and trying to die. Over the weekend I noticed that my screen was quivering... it was the strangest thing! But I rebooted and after a bit it seemed to be ok. Then a few nights ago my hubby was on here (which he almost never is) checking out his family's MySpace pages, and I peripherally saw a flash like a power surge on the screen. After it happened a few times, all of a sudden it just went black. I finally got the monitor back on this morning, but I still left the computer off til I knew whether it was hgoing to stay working or not. So far, so good.

So anyways... I am still quilting. And building my fabric stash. I think this is the longest I have ever done any one 'craft' and I am really happy with that! Usually I last about a month before I'm on to something else, but I have been quilting since August! Love it!

I have discovered that I much prefer to hand-piece wherever I am and make a lot of different blocks using different fabrics rather than doing the same thing over and over in one place by machine. So when I'm home, I try to get as much fabric cut into squares as I can. As long as I have my squares cut and prepared, all I have to do is grab some of them, choose a block pattern, and put all what I need into my quilt tin and go. I try to keep two or three in que just in case I end up going somewhere for longer that I expected. I'd rather have too many than to run out and get caught with none to work on.

Anyways... as soon as I can figure out what glitch is not letting my resize them, I will show you some of the ones I've done. They're not all the best, because while I have figured out how to choose fabrics that go together, I still have a problem with the values. So I end up with two different fabrics that go together very well, but there is no contrast because they are the same value. At least it's something that I am aware of, so I am working at improving. It also helps that I have gotten more fabric cut which gives me more variety.
But on the flip side of that, I am stitching between 10 to 12 stitches per inch... so the quality is pretty good even if I am still learning about the fabric choices.

Victor Borge... the page-turner

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine..." Proverbs 17:22

Quilt Update

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8

Well the quilt is coming along great. I have gotten all the blocks cut and sewed into strips, and 4 of the strips sewed together. I'm really happy with how well it's turning out. I figured that when I sewed the strips together, the corners would be all wonky, but on the contrary, my corners are all eith perfectly matched or else no more than 1/16 of an inch off. I have decided that now that I'm looking at it together, I'm not as happy with the fabrics I used. It's beautiful, but the colors are all blending in together. The rail block are almost the same value as the tulip blocks, with the contrast only in the difference of the print size. But oh well! LOL I still like it and am proud of it for being my first quilt ever!

I decided though, that I wanted to post a bunch of links to some quilt sites I have come across that I like... most with either lots of block patterns or else great how-tos. So here goes!

Quiltville - my favorite quilting site! Look at all the links down the left side

Ideas For Quilting - main page

Ideas For Quilting - Quilt block patterns

Warm Wishes Quilt - This is the one I'm making, only in pastels

Sew A Quilt - Great place for a beginner to start

Free Quilt - links to hundreds of quilt patterns

UFO-rphanage For Quilters - for all those UnFinishedObjects

Denver Fabrics - Wahing information for quilters

Quilter's Cache - a wealth of how-to information

Quilter's Cache patterns - almost anything you could imagine

Tulips & Daffodils

Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

Well, I'm off on another venture. Yes, I was doing boxes (and I will go back to them), but I got a hankering to learn to quilt. So all my paper has been put aside for a bit as I pull out my fabric. Seems like most of last week was spent with an iron in my hand! I'm totally new to it all, I din't have all my fabrics washed. Then I went and bought more for this new quilt I want to make. I could have used the other that I have, but I wanted my first quilt to be beautiful colors and fabrics that I really love working with. So I had to iron all of those too.

Now that's done and I'm scared to death to try to start cutting on it to make the squares! I don't really know how to use a rotary cutter... and when I did try it, I din't do it right... so I'm so afraid I'll cut it wrong, or not cut through all the layers, or the fabric will shift, or something will happen that I will ruin it.

This is so strange for me! Usually when I try out a new craft I jump right in with both feet, and have no fear or trepidation at all. I look at how it's supposed to be done and just do it. Not this time! I look at how it's done and see all the reasons why it won't be done like that when I do it! LOL

But honestly... I don't think I'll have any (much) fear once the cutting is all done. I'm mostly a newbie when it comes to sewing too, but as long as I'm only sewing in straight lines, I'll do fine! ROFL I've done a little bit of sewing... such as curtain toppers or worship flags, so this should be a breeze, right??

Anyways... I went into PSP, scanned all my fabric and played around trying to create the layout I want. I think I mostly have it... what do you think? It's from the Tulips & Daffodils line of fabrics.

Pretty Paper Boxes, Baskets, Dishes and Vases

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

If you come here on any kind of regular basis at all, you will know that I have not posted anything in over a week. Here is why...

See the mess?? LOL I've been paper crafting!
I have been making these unique, one-of-a-kind, little boxes and containers, and have decided to sell them! They are really fun to make, have lots of uses and look so cute! Wanna see?

11 & 80

This one has family sayings on it, such as...
"Nothing says home like a family together"
"In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future."
"Nothing is crazier than family"

94, 58 & 24

These are more for guys. They are brown with simple drawings of surveyors... not like you can really tell unless you're looking... I thought they were golfers! LOL

46

This one is one of my favorites. It's not the only piece, though. I'm going to do several more matching pieces. It's too pretty not to!

81

And last but not least (for today, anyways)... When I was sitting there making them, Jess decided she wanted to try it. So I gave her some sheets of paper that I wasn't going to use for her to practice on. This was her second one, but her first turned out just as perfect! Actually, if it wasn't for the paper being something I knew I wouln't use, I wouln'tve remembered who even made it. I'm so proud of her!

~~~~~~~~

Anyways, they are really cute to set around. Most of them I am making into sets... of anywhere from two pieces to... well, right now I have a purple set that has 7 pieces, and probably could go to 10 or 12 if I wanted to.

They can be used for so many things!
You can put potpourri in the little baskets, fill the paper 'jars' with glass stones to hold pencils in place (the only one I have pictured is on the craft table, but it's hard to see).
The open-top boxes with the slanted sides can hold hair accessories like barrettes, hairbands and bobby pins.
Fill them or the baskets with the little colored glass stones and slip one of the battery operated tealights in each one.
You could also put a sticky note pad in one that matches a pencil holder jar.
I used one of mine to keep my favorite fingernail polish bottles together.
I use the box with the lid and divider piece for my rings and bracelets when I take them off at night.
The candy dish one is a little obvious... peppermints and butterscotches... but it can also be used for pushpins and paperclips, too.
The taller ones that look like a vase are perfect to use as a miniature trash can... for paper scraps or tissues when you're watching a chick-flick. *smile*
The boxes with lids without the dividers (I haven't made as many of those) can also be used to hold hair accessories or office supplies, or as gift boxes.
You could put buttons or beads in a jar, cotton balls or Q-tips in a basket, loose change in an open-top box, and Bible promises written on folded up pieces of paper could go in any of them.
I kept one on my desk as a catch-all for all the little stray things that somehow ended up there, such as batteries, keys, pencil erasers, marbles, etc.
I'm sure you could some up with a lot of ideas, too!

They are on average, between 4"-5" wide. Some have smaller bases and are wider at the middle or top, and all have varying heights. If you see some that you are interested in, email me at KittyJo@ymail.com with the number, post title, and description. Also, please feel free to email me if you have questions or would like to see more detailed photos of them. I aim to please!

The prices are $1.50 for the boxes with lids, and only $1 for any of the others! (plus shipping, which will be only what it costs me to actually send it to you.. I don't jack up the shipping cost to make the extra money.)

Just a few notes...
I generally do not take orders, but will consider color suggestions.
I am unable to ship outside the US.
I can only accept paypal... or cash if you want to send it or live close enough to pick up. *smile*
Also keep in mind, that they are only made of paper so they are somewhat fragile, so please use caution when handling them, especially if you fill them with heavier things such as the glass stones, buttons, beads, fingernail polish, etc.
If you see one here that you like, since they are one-of-a-kind, contact me immediately! Once it's gone, I cain't make another like it!

More designs coming soon!!

--<{@

What Is Worship?

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. John 4:23

What does it mean to Worship God?
Growing up in a strict Christian home, I never really thought much about it. I mean... I always thought it meant to love, serve and obey God, go to church, cry and shout like the other people did. Basically, if you told God you loved Him and got emotional about it, you were worshipping Him. As I got a little older, this dictionary.com definition described what I though it was:

wor·ship -n.
1. reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.
2. formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage: to attend services of divine worship.
'They attended worship this morning'.
3. adoring reverence or regard: excessive worship of business success. to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing). –verb (used without object)
4. to render religious reverence and homage, as to a deity.

And all that is well and good... but dictionary.com doesn't quite tell it all. When you go to the Hebrew or Greek and see what the the word means, it's a little... more... It's not like just standing to say the pledge with your hand over your heart to show that you honor the flag. Too many people just say the words and don't even take time to really think about what they're saying. It's the same in church. We just stand (or even sit) and sing the songs and don't think much about what the words we are saying REALLY mean.

This past Sunday in church, we were singing "Holy is Our King" (written by Rita Springer). The lyrics are:

Angels gather round your throne
and around your throne they bring
Praises to the Living Word
To the awesome One they sing

Crying Holy...Holy...Holy..Is our King.

Elders bowing at your feet
And at your feet, they bend their knees.
All creatures on the earth below
Bow before you now.

Crying Holy...Holy...Holy..Is our King.

I'll be honest and admit... at first I was like most of those around me... just singing and not paying attention to it. But about the time we got to the second verse, Father arrested my attention. Immediately I could 'see' what the song was portraying. The Elders were bowing down on their knees in worship, and the whole earth was bowing down before Him.
So today I went to the Strong's Hebrew & Greek Dictionaries to see what Worship meant before it got translated. In the Old Testament, there are only 3 Hebrew words used that were translated to the English word Worship. The word ‛âtsab (pronounced aw-tsab') means properly to carve, that is, fabricate or fashion; hence (in a bad sense) to worry, pain or anger:—displease, grieve, hurt, make, be sorry, vex, worship, wrest. and was only used 1 time and was in reference to a pagan goddess. (Jeremiah 44:19) And if you notice, the word worship doesn't even seem to fit with the other meanings. In only the book of Daniel, only the word segid (pronounced 'seg-eed') is used, corresponding to H5456: sâgad (pronounced saw-gad') meaning to prostrate oneself (in homage):—fall down. Every other reference in the Old Testament were to the Hebrew word shâchâh (pronounced shaw-khaw') which means to depress, that is, prostrate (especially reflexively in homage to royalty or God):—bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.
There are even more Greek words translated to mean Worship, but I am not going to put them all here. The one that is used most in reference to true worship is proskuneō (pronounced pros-koo-neh'-o) meaning to fawn or crouch to, that is, (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):—worship.
Somehow I get the impression that to worship means to bow down in humble reverence to God.
So then why is it that we can so casually talk and sing about worshipping God and yet will so rarely bow down prostrate before Him in reverence and adoration? I understand that there are some who literally cannot physically kneel, much less lay prostrate in the floor, but what of the rest of us? Is it pride? for fear someone might think we're weird? or maybe that we just don't think that is necessary? maybe we don't know what to do while we're laying on our face before God? I don't know... but I do know that, like God said, "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 (Interestingly enough, that word 'humble' is from the Hebrew word kâna‛ (pronounced kaw-nah') meaning, among other things, to bend the knee)

PS. This was as much for me as for anyone, if not more. I need to be on my face before Jehovah way more than I have been. He is Holy, He is Righteous, He inhabits our praise, He lives in our worship!


This is the song that I wrote the lyrics to up there ^... it's not the original, but it will give you an idea of what the tune is. I'd like to have the mp3 of the songwriter, Rita Springer, singing it. I think it would be even better than the one I have by Rick Pino.

A Golden Sunbeam by Carrie Bender

If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5

A Golden Sunbeam -book 5-

Blessings of family, friends, and farm warm Miriam's heart. Martha comes from Germany to live in Miriam's home. She keeps things lively with the children and with her romantic ups and downs. Miriam and Nate's faith is tessted when close friends leave on a mission assignment, taking along Dora, who is like a daughter to Miriam. Then Miriam's patience is stretched when she is suspected of child abuse. Yet inner peace anchors Miriam. She and her family press on toward the goal of God's heavenly call.

Potato Puffs

If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. John 15:7

Potato Puffs
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
2 cups refrigerated mashed potatoes, heated
½ cup sour cream
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp. white pepper

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. In medium bowl, beat egg yolks until smooth and add warm potatoes. Fold in sour cream, cheese, and white pepper, then fold in the beaten egg whites. Pour into 2 quart glass casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes until puffed and brown. Serves 4

A Treasured Friendship by Carrie Bender

God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

A Treasured Friendship-book 4-

With Nate and their four children, Miriam revels in the seasons and interactions on their Amish farm. However, some of her friendships are strained. A trail of trouble follows a schoolteacher lodging in Miriam's home, disrupting the household. Meanwhile, Miriam tries bookish tips to improve her relationship with her husband, with mixed results. Through it all, Miriam treasures the promise of faith and learns the power of words that can wound or heal.

Thursday Thirteen

It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace. Hebrews 13:9

It took me a bit to think of what I wanted to list today... a few days ago, I knew, but by the time I sat down to write, I forgot. Anyways, here it is:

Have you ever stopped to think about the sounds, sights, tastes and smells you enjoy but usually don't pay attention to? Well, I guess if you don't pay attention to them, then you obviously haven't stopped to think about them, huh? LOL But once in awhile, I do.

...the dusty smell of rain, a few minutes before it starts
...a tiny yellow butterfly fluttering by
...the gentle ripple of water over the rocks in a crick
...the taste of fresh picked corn on the cob dripping with butter & salt
...the tantalizing smell of a BBQ in someone's backyard (preferably my own!)
...Hollyhocks and Morning Glories growing up among the Ivy
...the chirping of many songbirds waking up early in the morning
...funnel cakes at fair time
...the smell of a brand new box of crayons that takes me back to my childhood
...the quiet mew and soft fluffyness of a tiny kitten
...big white poofy clouds against a rich bright blue sky
...a big glass of really cold iced tea on a 98° day (or any day!)
...the sound of treefrogs in the evenings accompanied by the twinkling of the fireflies

Wordless Wednesday - Did you ever lose something behind a chair?

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy that it cannot hear. Isaiah 59:1

Ultimate Transformation Dance Team

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 1 John 2:1

This is the youth dance team at our church. It is one of the best ones they have done... I just wish my camera (and my shaky hand) could have done them justice. It's been at least a year since they first did this, but it still gives me goosebumps when I watch it! God was all over this one!

Trust

2 Samuel 22:31-33
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him. 32For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? 33God is my strength and power: and He maketh my way perfect.

As for God, His way ...course of life or mode of action... is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried ...from the Hebrew word tsaw-raf' meaning refine, cast, refiner, founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away, try... He is a buckler ...protector, defense, shield... to all them that trust ...confide in, have hope, take refuge... in Him. 32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock ...refuge, sharp edge, strong... save our God? 33 God is my strength ...defense, fortress, fortified place... and power ...a force, host, might, riches, strength, army, virtue, valor: and He maketh my way ...journey, course of life, mode of action... perfect ...complete, full, sound, upright, whole...

Saucy Chicken

Thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly. Matt. 6:4


Saucy Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups salsa
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. honey dijon mustard

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients and place in 13x9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked. 6 servings


I made this today for the first time. I absolutely LOVED it!!! The rest of the family liked it well enough to eat it again, but maybe not enough to request it for a meal.

Going temporarily offline

Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
Philippians 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us"


I've been blogging for one whole month! And I am proud of me... I've been pretty consistent with it and posted, on average, every other day. I'm lovin' it!

But it's all come to a halt as of tonight. This is our last night in this house. Tomorrow we are packing everything else in this house and moving it to the storage unit. As of right now, we don't have a place to go, so I will be packing up my computer and all that is around it and storing it also until we find a place to live where I can have internet again. That is gonna be kinda hard for me... to not have my computer, with or without internet! But ya know... I have already discovered a long time ago that although I'm on it a lot, I can actually do without it and be fine. It's not my whole life, and I'm really not as addicted as I used to be! LOL But all that aside... I will still be back to post updates every chance I get or as soon as we get a place and internet. *grin* Be back soon!

Regardless

Just to summarize, for those who don't know me...
The owners of the house we are in have decided to put it back on the market and resell it. We have been trying to find someplace else to move for awhile, but now it has come right down to the wire and this is our last week here, even if we haven't found somewhere else to live. Which we haven't. So we're packing our stuff and moving it to a storage unit this weekend, and they will come to change the locks on Saturday once we have everything out and get it ready for the real estate people or the buyers or whoever. We will take the kids to my parents house and I don't have a clue where Dave & I will go. We cain't stay at my parents' house because one, there really isn't room, and two, she won't allow my dogs in the house and doesn't have a yard for them to be outside (as if you could put a Yorkie outside anyways!), and three, there could be some serious physical repercussions from the tension and stress of us staying at their house for more than one night. We cain't really afford a motel at $50 a night, and still save any kind of money for a house. But we cain't find a house either. We have driven up and down streets in every town that is within decent driving distance of Dave's work and the kids' school and have driven over all the country roads between those towns and there is nothing for us. We need a single story, 3 br. house for rent. (I have physical problems that prevent me from getting up and down stairs. Besides the fibromyalgia, I have been having problems with my knees to where it causes pain if I put any weight on my leg when it's bent.) We can find one, but not both. If it's single story, it's not a 3 bedroom. If it's a 3 br, it's not a single story. If it's a single story and 3 br. it's for sale, not for rent. And the two times that we actually did find something that could possibly work, they weren't gonna be ready til at least June! So while we both really hate the idea, but we're even looking for apartments now. But I'm finding that it's near impossible to find a 3 br. apartment, much less a decent one! Right now, unless God intervenes, it seems like the only option we have is to buy a tent and an air mattress and rent a spot at a campground until something opens up for us.
So like Job said, "...the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21)
Regardless of the situation we're in, regardless of whether we become homeless or not, regardless of what the enemy tries to do to destroy my faith...
I WILL STILL PRAISE THE LORD FOREVER! He is my King, He is my Deliverer, He is my Refuge. He said it best to me one Sunday morning... He said "I am God Almighty, but I am your Daddy and I love you!" I can talk to Him about anything and I can ask Him for anything, just as my kids can talk to me about anything or ask me for anything. I'm always there to listen, help, encourage, or give, and always to love, and so is my Daddy always there to listen, help, encourage, give, and always love me.

God's got it!

Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgnent thou shalt condemn, this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their rightrousness is of Me, saith the Lord.

God is awesome!

Just to bring you up to date on what's been happening lately...
We have been looking for another place to live for some time now, and the more time passes, the more urgently we need to move. (Father knows this... and I know that He has it all under control.) We have driven down every country road in about a twenty-five mile area between Dave's work and the kids' school , and I have checked every listing from every realty website I can find in the area. For the most part, there is nothing __N_O_T_H_I_N_G__ that fits our needs. But a few weeks ago, we found a really awesome place. It's almost 5 acres, it has a two acre pond out the front window across the driveway, and it has the Sandusky River out the back door and down a slope. There are a lot of trees, and good yard. I was not impressed with the house, but it wasn't bad, and with it priced at $53,000 (!?!), we could get enough extra to fix it up and make it work. All we're waiting on is to hear back about the financing and get the letter of approval for our loan.

Jump to today...

This morning, Father literally was my protector. I had to keep the car and take Dave to work, then take the kids to school, because mom & dad cain't drive their car til they get the break line fixed. So I dropped Dave off and was on my way up Rt. 4 about a mile outside of town and there's a string of 5 or 6 cars coming toward me in the other lane. The one on front cuts over into the passing lane. There's still room to pass a car and get back over before I get there, but there was just one problem. She was not passing anyone, and she din't get back over! So here she comes, over toward my lane headed straight for me. I start going off onto the shoulder away from her, but the farther I go, the closer she comes. By the time she gets to me, she is totally in my lane and I am completely off the road, off the shoulder, and into the grass. I say 'she' because by this point, she so close I can see her salt & pepper hair! As I'm pulling back onto the road, I look in the rear-view mirror and watch her go off the shoulder into the grass behind where I was, then she must have woke up or whatever, because all of a sudden, she's swerving wildly to try to get back on the road into her own lane. All I could think afterward, was how calm the Lord kept me, and how He protected us! Later I was thinking about it and realized that there couln'tve been a better stretch of road for that to happen. There was no ditch, there were not telephone poles, no signs, no mailboxes... nothing! Maybe I'm repeating myself, but God is AWESOME! And satan is STOOPID!!! he knows that God has a plan, and we are getting so close to our breakthrough, and he is going out of his way to destroy us. As if the near-accident wasn't enough, on the way home, I check my messages and find out that someone else put a contract on the aforementioned house. Now we're back at square one looking for a house again.
NEWSFLASH, satan!! IT WON'T WORK!!!!!!!!! We are gonna praise our way through this, and STOMP ON YOUR HEAD!!!

Jeremiah 32:27, 17

27. Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
17. Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, [and] there is nothing too hard for thee:

Nothing much to post today... I have to get to bed soon because I have to get up early to take Dave to work so I have the car to take the kids to school. I guess I won't get to do as much tomorrow. I'm gonna try to take the time I DO have and really focus on getting this blog fixed how I really want it.

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This is my family with Mima and Pipo... Marfa's parents.. and my 'other' parents.

My Baby is 12 Now!

John 11:40 "Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?"

Twelve years ago this morning, I went in the hospital.
I wasn't sick, I wasn't in pain... there was nothing wrong with me......... except that I was tired of being pregnant and wanted that baby OUT!!! So Dr. Hedges Ok'd it (on the grounds that it was getting really hard for me to sleep) and I went in for them to induce labor. This all started I think around 9am, and after 2 epidurals, the first of which din't work, and the second of which kicked in at precisely the right moment and to the right degree, and at 4:55pm, a beautiful little baby girl (well, if 8 lbs 4 oz can be considered little) was born to the Pierce family! We named her Jessica Shannon Rose Pierce. Jessica, because I had promised a young friend of mine when I got married the first time that I would name my first daughter after her. Shannon and Rose..... I was told that when you name a daughter, her names should mean wise and beautiful. Shannon means small but wise, and of course, a rose is beautiful! I had to wonder though... whether I had done the wrong thing by naming her Shannon. Maybe I should've found a name that only meant wise instead of small also! By the time she was 1 year old, she was still in her size 0 newborn shoes and step 1 diapers! And a year or so later, when most kids are in step 5 diapers, I was potty training her out of her step 2s! Do you realize how hard it is to find panties for a little girl that tiny?? I had to find the little diaper cover rhumba panties in 9-12 months! LOL

So fast forward 12 years...

This morning Jessi and I got up early and went to a Christian seminar in a small local church where our friend Wendy was scheduled to speak. It was kinda long, (like 5 hours long, which would have been nothing if we were at Mansfield) but when Wendy got up there to speak, it was awesome! I video recorded it with my camera (in several 7 minute or so segments) til the battery went dead, so maybe if I get myself in gear, I might get them uploaded to YouTube.
After that was over, we went back and picked up Dave and Drew and went to Cici's Pizza place, then to Walmart to get her a cake and some ice cream, and to walk around a little bit, then back home. Dave started feeling miserable last night, and only felt worse today, but he really was a trooper, putting himself through much more than he should have, being sick like that, just so he wouln't ruin our date on Friday night or Jessie's birthday today. I'm not sure exactly what he has, but it's down in his chest and he's running a low-grade fever. He said it felt like pneumonia. I REALLY hope not!! I'm not feeling so good either.. I have the beginnings of a chest cold coming on. Blech!

Now... as for my plans for this blog. I plan to get in the habit of writing in it first! After that has become habit, then I plan to add other things. Some graphics to pretty it up (definitely gotta fix that stupid header image!), maybe some scrapbooking or other freebies once in a while, some music, whatever else I can find to make it cool!

Ok... the Nyquil is starting to kick in, the fibromyalgia is causing some pain, along with being on my feet in heeled cute-boots too long today, and it's 2am. I'm going to bed!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHIQUY ROSE!!!

I Will Praise The Lord

1 Chronicles 23:30
And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even;

1 Chronicles 29:10-13
Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

Nehemiah 9:5-6
Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be Thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. Thou, even Thou, art LORD alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth Thee.

Psalm 7:17
I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

Psalm 9:1-2
I will praise Thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in Thee: I will sing praise to Thy name, O Thou most High.

Psalm 22:22
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Psalm 28:6-8
Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.