Recycling

This might be one of my absolute favorite recycling projects!!  Look closely and you'll see what I recycled....yep, a dog food bag (that plasticky kind).  You can find out how to make one for yourself by visiting this website  And here's mine...just used it in harvesting stuff from the garden....worked great!!!  Can't wait for my dog to finish up the next bag so I can make another one!!

Waiting on the Bridegroom

Okay, so God, at times, gives me these pictures in my head that I then write in my journal, describing to the best of my ability (though the picture always seems so much more than I can describe)  I believe God wants me to share this one from December 2005.

Matthew 9:15 " And Jesus replied to them, 'Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is still with them?  The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them and then they will fast.'"

The guests are here, waiting now on the arrival of the bridegroom.  They are not eating, out of respect and honor for the bridegroom as well as their own eager anticipation.  And in this time of waiting...?  They are checking things over, making sure all is ready, making things as welcoming and honoring as possible; they are sharing stories of their relationship with the bridegroom, and inviting others to come celebrate the bridegrooms return with them.  There is no "sitting-at-the-table-and-waiting" going on, but rather a happy, eager busy-ness.   Preparations are under way to honor the bridegroom on His return.

wedding fun for my SIL

So I offered to make a doily covered ring bearer's pillow and a garter for my SIL's upcoming wedding.  I still have to put the pillow together, but I've finished 2 garters for her (one to throw, one to keep).
"Something Blue" is a knitted lace garter (pattern here)

Next I wanted to crochet a lacy garter, but couldn't find a free pattern that I liked, so I made up my own!
Springtime Lace Garter is a quick and simple crochet project.  (pattern here)

As soon as I get busy and finish up the ring bearer's pillow I will post those pictures as well!

Chocolate Harvest Bread recipe

It's that time of year again!!  :)  I've pulled 4 zukes off of just one of my plants in the last couple of days and that got me remembering this yummy recipe I found in Sesame Street Parents magazine in the summer of  2000 (so you know it's good, I've had it a while!)

Yield: 16 muffins, 1 large loaf or 2-3 small loaves
1 med. Zucchini, washed and stems trimmed
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup milk
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup walnut pieces (optional)
********************
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease and flour the loaf pans or line the muffin pans with cupcake liners.  Peel and grate zucchini until you have about 1 cup.  Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and baking soda.  Using a fork, toss the ingredients until they are well blended.  In a separate, smaller mixing bowl, combine the milk, butter, eggs and almond extract.  Add them to the dry ingredients and stir until blended.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

so, where were we?

Some of you may not know that I have PMDD (basically, severe PMS) which shows up in depression, irrational anger, and craziness like that.  I take meds for it which kind of helps, but then, I still have a few days each month where I'm in "the pit of despair" and everywhere I look, life looks gray and hopeless.  Being a Christian, I KNOW it's not hopeless, and I know that this feeling will pass, but at the same time, it is SO overwhelming that it becomes my "reality" for a time.  Couple that with my quirky personality (seriously, I have tried to be serious, and it just isn't me), and we can have some interesting conversations....that is when I'm not hiding from the world.  But this last time around, when I was sitting at the bottom of that deep dark well, all by myself, and not wanting anyone to find me there, God reached His hand down into that slimey, stinky hole and just held me.  I was SO "unholdable" (is that a word?  well it is now!)  You know when a little kid doesn't want to be held, they're all squirmy and at the same time trying to pretend that you're not there and that they don't care....yeah, that kind of unholdable.  And you know you are truly loved when you get held anyway, even with all the squirming and stoicism.  And He sent friends to encourage me in the climb out of that pit, to let me know that they did notice I was MIA, and that I do make a difference, and life isn't always that gray cloud.  Whew!  Seriously, I cannot imagine living without knowing that GOD IS FOR ME!!  SO WHO CAN STAND AGAINST ME? (not even myself can be against me!)

I am a kept woman!

A friend emailed this to me and I just LOVE it!  Great reminders!

I Am a ' Kept ' Woman?

You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind,
But GOD kept me sane. (Isa. 26:3)

There were times when I thought I could go on no longer,
But the LORD kept me moving. (Gen 28:15)

At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong,
But the LORD kept my mouth shut. (Psa. 13)

Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough,
But GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc.., (Matt. 6:25 -34)

When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up.
When I thought I was weak, HE kept me strong! (I Pet. 5:7, Matt. 11:28-30 )

I could go on and on and on, but I'm sure you hear me!
I'm blessed to be ' kept .'

Are you...or do you know a ' kept ' woman ?
If so pass it on to her to let them know they are ' Kept '

I'm Kept by the Love and Grace of God!

I still stand amazed!!!

The kids and I went with Big D’s new friend, Chris, and his wife Heather to their church this Sunday as Glenn had to run the soundboard at the chapel.  The services was really nice, great worship music, good sermon and such, but at the end, they did a baptism.  They had 6 people come to the front who had requested to be baptized, however they also invited anyone else who wanted to be baptized.  A guy came forward and while the other baptisms were happening, he was talking and praying with the guy….turns out the guy had just during that service accepted Christ!  And he wasn’t the only one to come forward!  When all was said and done, I think there were at LEAST 20 people who got baptized, some brand new believers, some had believed but hadn’t yet been baptized.  A young girl of about 12 came forward to be baptized and I kept staring at her as I thought she looked familiar, then another slightly older girl came up to her after she was baptized and I KNEW I KNEW these girls (the older sister then got baptized as well).  These 2 girls and their Dad had attended New Harvest church (our old church that had closed) with us!!  They’ve got kind of a hard life, but the Dad really tries to live right.  And they were there!!!  And they were baptized on a Sunday that we were at the same church!!!!  Just blew my mind how God works even in the littlest things like that!!  And then, as we were leaving, another newly baptized new believer was walking out ahead of us, and I commented, “Wow, look at that smile!”  and he turned and looked at me and said, “I haven’t smiled in a long time either!”  I told him that smile was truly the most beautiful Easter smile I’d seen!  I am just amazed and astounded!!  Also there was a Dad standing up front watching with 2 little girls (looked about 5 or 6 years old) and their Mom was one of the original people to be baptized, and when it was her turn, those little girls were jumping and dancing, and squealing, and I just KNOW they were just a small picture of what it was like up in heaven this morning as new souls entered the kingdom!!!  Oh so very, very good!!!!!!!!!