Mold me each day, Lord, into what You would have me to be.

Mold me each day, Lord, into what You would have me to be.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

A Christmas Story...

Well, MERRY CHRISTMAS everybody!!! I hope that all of you have had a wonderful, amazing, warm and cozy, extremely exciting, fantastic, memorable Christmas!

This Christmas has been a bit different for us. We stepped away from tradition a bit this year (not by choice), and had a very different Christmas day than usual.

We go to my grandmother's house every year for Christmas on my side of the family. This year she is having some major problems with some vertebrae in her back, and she just could not have it at her house, and didn't feel like going to any other get-togethers either. So, our family, my parents, and one aunt and one cousin got together today. We had to try to decide on a meeting place, and it is very hard to find anywhere that is open on Christmas day! We ended up finding out that the China Pan restaurant was open three towns over from us. It is REALLY good. But, my hubby and my cousin both hate Chinese food! LOL! Well, as we got there today, we noticed that IHOP was open, but everyone was already at China Pan - hubby groaned... I completely and totally felt like we were in that movie, "A Christmas Story", only without the servers coming and singing carols at our table!

We ended up really enjoying the meal, even my hubby found plenty that he liked - while only biting into two things that he was appalled by. He left well-sated, and I think with a better view of Chinese food. It ended up being a really fun time...

I have posted a few pics for ya'll...

This first one is of our family at the restaurant...


This one is the pic of the kids that we put on our Christmas cards... :0)
Aren't they BEAUTIMOUS???


Jordan loves The INCREDIBLE HULK!!!



Noelle with her sweet baby Jane - thanks so much Tina!!! Love you!


"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night..."

Monday, December 8, 2008

Blessed Beyond Measure...

Hi there! I'm back! YAY!

Finally, I have been able to get reconnected online. Things have been, and are still, quite crazy around here; so I'm still not sure how much I will be able to post until January. This week is particularly crazy. This past Saturday we had practice for our church musical, then Sunday morning, praise team practice for both church services yesterday. We practiced again yesterday afternoon for the musical. Today, I had to do some crocheting, and this afternoon I had to practice again for a different event. Back in September I was booked as the entertainment for a Christmas dinner for several branches of one of our local banks. I am very excited about it, a bit nervous, and completely surprised at how fast it has gotten here. I mean, they called me in September, and now it's already time for the dinner! CRAZY! Time seems to be flying by in an awfully big hurry! So, we practiced for a couple of hours this afternoon for that, then the dinner is tomorrow night. On Saturday morning we will practice again for the church musical, then Sunday morning, AND THEN...THE MUSICAL Sunday night! YAY!

Some of you may know I started a new job too. I'm working nights at the same store as my husband as a night manager. I have a great schedule - Monday through Friday, so weekends off with my family - God is good, but you all don't need me to tell you that. I feel so blessed to have a job, as they seem to be hard to come by these days.

So, homeschool mom by day, businesswoman by night, crocheting creatively after work, and spending time with my hubby and children and singing as much as possible on the weekends.

God has met amazing needs for us, partly through blessing me with this job, and I find my faith building day by day. God is good, so much more so than we will ever comprehend. I'm overcome and overwhelmed by his goodness, by his grace, by his compassion, and mercy.

I have missed all of you my bloggy friends, and I hope to hear from you all soon.

Much love,
Aprille :0)

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Away For a Little While...

Hi there everybody. I'm sorry I haven't been on here for a while or been to visit your blogs either. We have had to cut out our internet service for a little while, along with a couple of other extra things that we could do without for a short time. I'm only able to get on the computer at our local library every once in a while, so I will be checking in when I can. Thank you so much for continuing to visit, and for those of you who are new to my blog, I apologize that I will not be able to post very often - at least for now. I hope to be back up and running again soon, but until then, thank you all for your friendship, for sharing your wisdom through posts on your blogs and comments on mine, and I hope to talk with you all again soon.

Please feel free to continue commenting anytime, I will be able to check in probably at least once a week.

Love to you all,
Aprille :0)

Friday, October 17, 2008

New Purses...

Hi y'all! If you get a minute, I hope you'll run over to my other blog and check out my new projects. I have three new purses that I have posted that were special orders, and will have at least one more by Monday or Tuesday. Let me know what you think!

Love,
Aprille :0

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

A Time For Serious Prayer...

I hope that ya'll will take a moment to go and visit Miriam's site, Redeemed by Love. She has posted about praying over the upcoming election, and how the outcome of that election will determine the direction our country heads in. This is definitely a time for serious prayer.

Click on the link below to read Miriam's post.

http://redeemedbyhislove.blogspot.com/2008/10/seeking-jesus-moretime-off-from.html

Thursday, October 2, 2008

A Touch of Fall...

Hi everybody! I have been off for a little while again, but wanted to drop in for a few minutes to say hello to all of you.


Some of you have been showing pictures on your blogs of the scenery around where you live, and so I wanted to share some of where we live here in Tennessee. Right now, there is hardly anywhere you can drive around here without passing by cotton fields. I have really been struck by what an amazing thing God has given us with the cotton plant. I mean, here is something that grows out of the ground, sprouts out like a beanstalk, and blooms like a flower - and we are able to make clothes and so much more out of it! What an amazing, fantastic miracle of God's creation. So, I just wanted to share some pics with you of this beautiful field full of cotton behind our house.



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This first picture was taken on September 25.





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The second picture was taken today, October 2, what a difference!
There is hardly any green left on the plants - just lots more cotton!





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I wish ya'll could see the trees better in the background.
They are just starting to turn beautiful fall colors now!
THIS IS JUST MY FAVORITE SEASON!!! :0)





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My kids think this is so cool!




Well, I hope that you have all enjoyed this little peek into our scenery around here. Hopefully, I will be able to post some more fall pics soon!

Friday, September 19, 2008

New Purse...

Hi ya'll! If you have time, drop by and see my latest purse on my other blog. If you haven't had a chance to visit for a while, there are a few new projects. I'd love to hear what ya'll think!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Subscription Confusion...

Hi everybody! I just wanted to let you know that for those of you who tried to subscribe to my Creations by Aprille blog, for some reason it subscribed you to this blog. So sorry! The problem is fixed now, and if you would like to subscribe to my craft blog, please go back now and subscribe again. This time you will be connected to the correct blog.

I apologize for the inconvenience!

Much love,
Aprille :0)

Monday, September 15, 2008

Check out Dianne's Giveaway!!!

I would encourage all of you to go visit Dianne at Majestic Mountains, Rolling Hills, Gentle Streams and check out her fantastic giveaway! Dianne has a lot of wonderful posts on traveling, recipes, family, and just the wisdom of a Godly woman! Go visit her, and add her blog to your favorite list because you're gonna love it! Good luck to all of you in the giveaway!!! :0)

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

A Little Time Off...

Hi everbody! I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit your blogs in a few days. I'm swamped with craft orders right now! YAY! I will be dropping in as often as I can to your blogs, but I will not be able to post for a few days most likely. Also, I will have new projects posted on my craft blog by the end of the week, so I hope you'll check in over there in the next few days to see what's new!

Also, an update on my last post. I weighed on Saturday, and found that I had not gained half of my weight back, but OVER half my weight! Aaaaggghhh!!! I had to keep quoting my post to myself, "I am more than the mirror tells me...", LOL - I know that probably sounds crazy to you! Anyway, I have lost four pounds, and am officially back to the halfway point again! And to top it off, I'm doing it in a HEALTHY way! :0) I'm eating good foods, I'm not skipping meals, I'm doing it the right way and it's working. I'm not going by any particular eating plan or diet or anything, just making good choices. Now, if I could just fit a workout in there somewhere....

Thanks to all of you again for all of your encouragement and prayers. You have touched my heart with your kind words and I cannot tell you how much what you have said to me has helped. For those of you who were no able to send comments, but emailed me or called me - thanks to you too. I'm truly blessed to have such a circle of friends!

Hope you're all having a great week!
Love,
Aprille :0)

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

The Truth Will Set You Free...

This is a very personal post (and a long one!) about something that is close to my heart, and I realize that by putting it out here in the blogosphere it will now be the equivalent of my wounds laid open for all to see. But, we all know that the truth will set you free..........and I refuse to wear these shackles a minute longer.

Some of you have been following my blog ever since it started, back when it used to be called Aprille's Weight Loss Journal. It was a daily diary of my food intake, exercise regimen, and weight loss. I also posted about things going on in my life, pictures of my family and stories about them, what God was doing in my life, etc. However, I began to feel that since I was blogging under the guise of being a "weight loss journal", that probably I should just be talking about my weight loss journey. So, when I had not lost any more weight or when maybe I had gained a pound or two - whatever the case may have been - if there was no progress, then I felt like a failure and that what I had to say was not worth reading. I began posting less and less, and Michelle began hijacking my blog more and more trying to get me to post, etc.

Finally, I decided to change my focus. I didn't want my blog to be all about my weight because it was not doing my self-esteem any good. Also, I felt like my weight should be a very small part of who I am, not the main part of who I am. So I changed the name after much consideration to "Clay in the Hands of the Potter", to remind myself and everyone else that I am being molded and shaped daily - that we are all being molded and shaped daily - into what God wants us to be (if we let Him, that is).

Feeling better about this, I got back to posting regularly, and in the meantime, my weight has been creeping back up - I now have gained back half of what I had lost originally. Depression began to creep back in as events have unfolded in my life. I can honestly say that "Life happened" in 2008 - maybe that doesn't make sense to you, but it just seems like my life in so many aspects was turned upside down, inside out, and to me in so many ways it just seemed unrecognizable. I began to turn to food instead of God, and I have had some really low points...........of course if you're judging by Weight Watchers - I guess that would be "high" points! LOL!

Using food as a crutch was a new thing for me. I have had an eating disorder for many years, but the disorder apparently switched from one end of the spectrum to the other. My usual mode of thinking would be to do without food, so leaning on food is really a big change. I was diagnosed with anorexia in college, and rather than actually talking to me about it or at least tell me what his concerns were, the doctor sent a letter to my parents. I had no idea of the diagnosis until my parents informed me. My parents didn't mention it to me at first, but they were asking me about my eating all the time while I was 7 hours away, "are you eating good?", etc., etc., all the while I didn't really even realize that I had a problem. Then, one day I made the mistake of asking a friend if they thought I needed to lose weight, and they said that it wouldn't hurt. That was all the excuse I needed - I immediately fell into full-blown anorexia. When I came home finally for spring break, my parents thought I looked like I was on drugs. Pretty, huh? Anyway, I have battled this mindset for years, although never actually falling back into it completely. I'll lose a little weight, put it back on and then some, and cycle around again. Always though, keeping myself from actually going back down that dark road (well, most of the time anyway).

Lately though, as I felt things unraveling all around me, and I began to shovel food into me as if my stomach was a bottomless pit, I started turning back to my old friend, Ana. I would plan and plot ways to do it without my family noticing. Yes, I was actually planning it out, ways and means to an end...to the end.

Thankfully, God reeled me back into reality. And the reality is that I cannot go back to that lifestyle, any more than an addict can in good conscience go back to her drug. There is nothing about that thought process or lifestyle that leads to any good at all. You end up pushing away the people that love you because you become so obsessed with the control you feel you have, but that you really don't have at all.

Well, some of you are losing weight in healthy ways (Michelle, Terri, Dianne, Tina), doing healthy things, things that make you feel better, not just look better. So, I have decided to stop this cycle now, and begin fresh tomorrow morning. I will be a good steward of this body I have been given so that I can be the best wife I can be, so that I can be the best mom that I can be, so that I can minister effectively, and be the kind of Christian that people want to be around - not someone that they dread to see coming because of the chasm of dark misery that seems to follow behind.

And so, in wrapping things up, I just want to share a few truths with you...

The truth is that I am overweight.
But also, the truth is that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
The truth is that I feel bad about myself.
But also, the truth is that I am a princess, a child of the King of Kings.
The truth is I have a real lack of self control.
But last and best of all, the truth is that HE IS....

HE IS my strength to turn away from the refrigerator and to my knees in prayer.
HE IS my resolve to not fall back into old, bad habits.
HE IS my confidence that I am more than the mirror tells me.
HE IS THE WORD that speaks life over me and hope, not eating disorders and death.
HE IS my victory, and through Him, I am an overcomer.


For some of you, this may be more information than you wanted to know, and if so I apologize. But I hope that this will speak to someone who maybe is fighting this same war within themselves. Don't give up, don't give in, and don't give the enemy another inch because we are overcomers by the blood of the Lamb.

Special thanks to Michelle, who has stood with me through all of these years of ups and downs. Thank you for being my forever friend, my sister in Christ, for being real with me, for loving me even though you know all about me, for helping me to stay level when you know the directions my thoughts sometimes lead me, for threatening bodily harm to me if you even see the slightest inkling of old habits slipping back in (LOL!), and for always telling me the truth, even when I don't want to hear it (but need to). I was truly blessed when I met you, and had no idea what an impact you would have on my life, and that all of these years later it would seem like we're family.

To Misty, who has been in my life for the past three years, and what a blessing you have been. Thank you for becoming a mentor to me, for guiding me and teaching me in ministry, and pushing me to become all that God would have me to be, to be the warrior that He has called me to be for Him. Thank you for seeing the potential in me that God has placed there, even when I have continued to doubt. Thanks to you and to David for allowing me to minister in your church, and for always believing in me. Thank you for your encouragement, for your wisdom, and also for telling it like it is - but always with kindness and a gentle spirit. You are a woman to look up to and I have been so blessed that God brought you into my life.

To Marla, You have been in my life for most of it, even though we didn't get to be good friends until the last few years. Thank you for your prayers that have meant so much. Thank you for always reaching in to my deepest reserves to try to pull out my fullest potential. You have so much to offer, and God is using you mightily to help stay-at-home moms get to stay at home! Thank you for always building me up, and for not allowing me to accept the lies that the enemy would try and spoon feed me about myself. Thank you for allowing God to use you without worrying about what anybody will say or think, but just walking in obedience.

Lastly, to all of you, my bloggy friends - thank you for all of your kind comments. Thank you for your encouragement. Thank you for your prayers.

Love,
Aprille :0)

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Close to Nature...

Many of you probably feed the hummingbirds during this time of year in this part of the country, but today I was able to get up close and personal with our hummingbirds with camera in hand.

One of the hummingbirds actually flew round and round me while I was filling up the feeder, I think he thought I was stealing his food! LOL!




This first little precious bird is very plainly colored, kind of taupe and off-white. This one seems really gentle, and actually ate while I was standing right there nearby - seemingly with little concern. You can see in the pic above that she is peeking around at me in between drinks just to keep an eye on what I might be up to...




Another drink, another peek out of the corner of her eye! LOL!

This second little bird is a bit more colorful, both in plumage and in personality. He doesn't like to share the food, and he was very concerned about my standing so close-by! I actually took some video with my camera and I wish I knew how to load it on here; if I figure it out I'll add it later. Anyway, I have footage of him zooming around the feeder, afraid to land because I was too close, and then he got brave and started dive-bombing me! I just knew I was going to get pecked in the head. The sound of a hummingbird zooming down and around your head is unique indeed! Anyway, he is not nice to the other little bird either. He runs her off , actually hit her once as he chased her while I was watching. Don't be deceived by his seemingly quiet and unassuming manner in the picture below! LOL!



This next picture is of him flying. It is a bit blurry, as he was moving REALLY fast! you can just see the blur of his wings. It amazes me how fast they can move!

And last, but certainly most obnoxious, is the nasty red wasp. I truly got a nature show while standing out by the little feeder. A red wasp would fly up while the birds were feeding at different times, and would chase the birds away. Then, another red wasp decided it was hungry, and tried to feed. Well, these critters apparently don't tolerate one another either - sharing is definitely not in the vocabulary. I cannot even describe it to you in a way that will really give you a true picture of what it looked like. One red wasp would fly at the other, and they don't mind hitting each other, then they would actually lock up like a couple of kids fighting - even a few times hitting the ground and rolling on the ground fighting. I cannot tell you how much it looked like people fighting - it was HILARIOUS! I was remaining very still during this whole event - as still as possible that is - with the occasional duck of the head. I finally stepped back a few feet because a couple of angry red wasps were not exactly something I wanted to come into contact with me accidentally! They would probably forget all about each other and start stinging me! Well, maybe not. It wasn't a risk I was willing to take anyway.


It was very upsetting to see the wasps chase off the birds, and very upsetting to see one bird chase away another bird, but that's how it is in nature I suppose. I'm just glad to have had my brief little glimpse today into the wild kingdom of rural America, and to have had a chance to get so close to some of God's creatures - although I have no desire to ever again see the red wasp any closer than I did today!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

This One's For You Vols Fans!...

Here is my fourth purse, it's a University of Tennessee Volunteers purse. I'm so excited about this one, I'm a big fan, although I can't even come close to being as big a fan as my hubby!




This is all done in single crochet with Simply Soft yarn. I did the handle a little differently than I have been doing on the other purses, just for a change! I did the "T" with needlepoint. The liner is done in a Tennessee Vols printed flannel fabric.


Update...

I just wanted to update ya'll. I will be posting a new purse this evening. Sorry I haven't posted, I've just been really busy! So, I hope you'll come back and visit later on to see my newest project!

Happy Thursday everybody!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Take a Moment to Stop By...

I just read a really good post over at Pinkshoelady, and I would like to refer all of you over that way if you have a moment. Pamela has some really good wisdom that she shares on her site, and I think this is such a good post. Here is the link...

http://pinkshoelady.blogspot.com/2008/08/counterfeit-castles-and-fake-pearls.html

Saturday, August 16, 2008

My Third Project...

Well, it is 3:41 a.m. and I have finally finished my third purse. I made really good progress and got the body of the purse done at the first of the week in one night. But, I was doing some different things with this one, so it took a bit longer than I had expected.



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I used a shell stitch for the body, which I had never done before. The handle was crocheted using two strands of yarn together, which I had also not done before in my purses.




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I decided to do a bit of decoration on the stitching, so that took a little while, but wasn't very hard. The flap for the purse needed to be angled (at least I wanted it to be!), so I had to learn how to do that, and my mom also showed me how to do the button loops in a different way than I had done before, which I liked much better, and stronger.




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I also got my first order for a purse yesterday. A lady asked me how much I was charging for the purses, and told me what color she would like, etc. Also, Misty suggested that I start a separate blog for my purses, so I will be putting that up shortly. I am deciding on a name and trying to get the details worked out before I put up the new site. This is SO exciting!!!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

"It's a Slow Fade..."

I just wanted to share this very powerful song with all of you. Many of you may have heard it already, but for those of you who have not, please see/listen to the video on YouTube. It is called "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns. Even if you have heard the song, just take a minute if you can to read over the lyrics - very powerful! I have also added it to my playlist so you can hear it while you read! :0)

Here are the lyrics:

Slow Fade
By Casting Crowns

Be careful little eyes what you see

It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

Chorus
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

Bridge
The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Our choices truly affect other people, whether we realize it or not. Secret sins don't stay that way. We have to live a life of no compromise every day, knowing that our children are watching and following our every step.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

My Second Project...

Here it is...



This is my second purse (if you missed the first one, please see my last craft post). I started it on Wednesday night, and got through with the purse and liner (used the Winnie the Pooh fabric again) by Thursday night. However, it has taken me the better part of the past three days to complete the rest - the two handles, fastener, button, and the two flowers on the bottom left-hand corner. This purse is just a little over twice the size of the last purse I did, and my mom has taught me some new stitches since I made the first one. My last purse was all done in single crochet, while this one was done with single and double crochet. I might be able to go faster with a pattern, but I'm just not quite ready for that yet! My mom sat down and showed me how to do the flowers, and I have made three so far - I really like them! This is a close-up of a the flowers and button (below).



Thank you, ladies, for your encouraging words about my last purse. Your craftiness has been a big factor in my yearning to learn to crochet. You are all inspiration to me and precious to my heart. And this does not just go for those of you who crochet or knit or sew, but to all of you who take care of your families with such zeal and love, and share bits of your wisdom online for the benefit of all. I love you all. Great BIG ((HUGS)) to all of you! You have blessed and enriched my life through your friendship across the miles.


Thank you, mom, for showing me through my whole life how to be a christian, a wife, a mom, and for setting an example of producing things like this with your own hands. You have helped to shape my personality and every aspect of my life. You are amazing, you are a rock - just a mountain of strength. I love you!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

How Many Times Have We Circled This Mountain?

Do any of you struggle? Do you struggle with temptation? Do you struggle with old, bad habits? Do you struggle with negative thinking? Do you struggle against yourself constantly?

Well, I ought to have some pretty built up muscles, because it seems as if I struggle against myself quite a lot.

I was just sitting there today thinking about the fact that once we have victory over something, once we have resisted temptation, once we have broken an old habit, once we have kicked out all of that old negativity...why do we allow it to slip back in? Why do we have our old sinful nature, our bad attitude, our untamed tongues, pinned down in a tight hold - defeated, only to allow them to creep back up and get us in a choke-hold again?

Are we gluttons for punishment? Do we enjoy the constant struggle?

I don't. I really don't, and yet, as I said before - I continue to struggle.

Well, once again, I picked up my handy Joyce Meyer devotional calendar, where God had a word just for me today, and I hope that it will speak to your hearts too...

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"Tuesday, August 5...

The people of the nation of Israel wandered around in the wilderness for forty years, a journey that should only have taken eleven days. Why? We really shouldn't look at the Israelites with such astonishment, because most of us do the same thing as they did. We keep going around and around the same mountains instead of making progress. The result is, it takes us years to experience victory over something that could have and should have been dealt with quickly.

Deuteronomy 1:2 It is [only] eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea [on Canaan's border; yet Israel took forty years to get beyond it]."
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There have been so many times that I have looked at the story of the Israelites and wondered "How, after all of the amazing miracles that they had seen, could they ever doubt that God would deliver on his promises?"

And yet, today, I find myself again in the position of one of the Israelites. I find myself once again circling the same mountain one more time.

God has made us overcomers. He has given us victory over every single weapon Satan would use against us, and He has given us victory over our old sinful nature. We are a new creation and old things are passed away, so let's stop looking up at the mountain and walking in circles, and focus our eyes on what is ahead, moving forward through His strength, into His promised land.

I'm tired of circling the mountain - I'm moving on...
Thank you, Jesus.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

My First REAL Project...

I am SOOOOOO excited!!!! I have not posted this week because I wanted to wait until I had my first project to post.


My mom had told me at the first of the week that I should try a different yarn, just to try something new and see what the different types of yarn are like. I also used a different hook. My mom had brought me a bag of some leftover yarn of hers, most of it was baby yarn. There was some HomeSpun yarn though, that was leftover from a project she had done for my son, so I tried it first. I thought this would give me a chance to use a bigger hook too (K). I found that I really did not care for that type of yarn much at first, it's not smooth, and I thought I would have a hard time with it. I actually ended up liking it pretty good.


I was just practicing with it, but I kept going until I had a pretty good sized square. I took a few minutes trying to figure out what I could do with it. I didn't just want to sit around crocheting for no reason...I wanted to MAKE something!!! So, it came to me as I looked at it; I would make a purse! Nothing fancy of course, but I knew exactly what I needed to do. I didn't have a pattern or anything, I just went by what I had in my head.



Well, I just finished it a little while ago, and here it is...






I had some material in my craft stuff that would go just perfect, I thought, with the yarn. It was an off-white fabric with Winnie the Pooh characters on it, very cute.





I found some really cute big buttons at Wal-Mart and made just a really basic loop fastener to go around the button. In retrospect, I think maybe I should have used a different color yarn for the loop, but I'll have to save that for another purse - I'm not changing this one now! The loop works fine and is easy to see in person, but I think it would have made it a little prettier to put a different color fastener on.





So, please let me know what you think! I certainly know it is far from perfect, but it is my first project and I'm so, so happy to have completed it. I have such a sense of accomplishment just from completing this purse! I already have more ideas for what I will be doing next.


Also, this purse is fairly small because the width was already set before I decided to even make a project. I definitely plan on making my next purse BIGGER!

Thursday, July 31, 2008

I Got An Award!


I got this award from Michelle. She is my dear forever friend, and she has an amazing blog. If you have never checked her blog out you have GOT to!!! She has some really good insight and wisdom as a Christian, as a wife, as a mom, as a teacher (homeschool), and just general multi-tasker. Love you Michelle, thank you for nominating me!

Now to the award instructions:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/ her blog.
2. Link to the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links to those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you have nominated.


I am nominating:

1. Tracey at Babaloo.

2. Michelle at Walking My Way to Health.

3. Shauna at ...That They May Be One...

4. Lynn at All Things Bright and Beautiful.

5. Tracy at Beyond My Picket Fence.

6. Pamela at Pinkshoelady.

7. Jennifer at Blessed and Scrappin'.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Trying New Things...

I feel like I have had a really productive day today!

My interview went okay (I'm not a good judge of how these things go), I am supposed to find out something by Friday. Please continue to pray. I'm definitely still praying! There were some very interesting developments which I will share later with you all. Suffice it to say that GOD IS GOOD!!! Amen? Amen!

My mom brought my kids home today. They went unexpectedly to spend the night with she and my dad last night. My parents had just come by to visit yesterday and my daughter started begging to spend the night, so I relented. Anyway, my mom was going to start teaching me to crochet when she came back with the kids today. EXCITING!!! That was new venture #1. It went okay, but about three or four stitches in, I thought it would be too hard, and considered giving up. However, my mom really encouraged me to keep going. So, here is my progress as of this evening. You all may laugh, you may think this is pitiful, but I was really pleased with my progress. I CAN FINALLY CROCHET!!! Albeit, in an amateur sort of way...
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We went to the library and I picked up lots of Spanish stuff for kids, as I'm starting to teach my kids Spanish this year. They kept asking, "how do you say that stuff?", so I decided there would be no better time to start teaching them than when school starts and while they are so young! Right? I think so too.

Lastly, I see on some of your blogs all of these little tags and pics regarding Jane Austen books, and well, please do not throw rocks at me or gasp in horror as I tell you the following truth about me... I HAVE NEVER READ A JANE AUSTEN BOOK...there I said it. I'm so glad I finally got that off of my chest! LOL! I don't have a lot of time to read, so I check out audio books as much as possible. I picked up Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma. So, please wish me well as I branch out into a new avenue of literature, not to mention a new section of the library.

After my new experiences, I came home and made a beef stew (yummy!) for supper with some buttery rolls (heavenly, Michelle!), and sat down to work on my new project - a crocheted something or 'nother...

Goodnight all.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Where's My Soap Box?...

I'm about to delve into more medical reports, but wanted to take a moment to post something that I feel is very important...

...give me just a second, I have to pull my soap box out to stand on...

James 3:2 "We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." NIV

I am not going to tell you where I was, or when I heard this, or who even said it. I am just going to give you the circumstance of what was said, and how it made me feel.

I was sitting down, and two people were behind me talking... The first person said "oh, there goes so-and-so"...The second person said "my, he/she has really put on weight, he/she used to be so slim"...

OUCH!

No, they weren't talking about me, but it hit me just as hard. Since I got married I have gained quite a bit of weight. So, when I go somewhere, especially a place where people have known me for years or even for most of my life, I'm a bit self-conscious. I'll admit it. I am concerned that they think "boy, has she put on the weight".

Am I alone? Do we all have these insecurities?

I dare say we do.

Then why, why, WHY???, do we say things that point out others' insecurities, others' weaknesses? Why?

What if this conversation took place in church? What if these two people were talking about someone that was my relative, and I overhead them? What if I came into church feeling a bit insecure, visiting for the first time, and I heard this conversation taking place behind me? How would I feel? Is that a church I would want to continue to attend?

People hear us that we don't always realize are listening. These two people obviously did not think they were talking loud enough for others to hear, but they were.

This really applies to every place we frequent, even in our homes - because our children are picking up on everything we say and do. If I talk about somebody, they hear it, they learn it, they MAY even repeat it... I saw a good sign outside a church this week that said (this is as close as I remember it), "if you only say nice things about people, you never need whisper."

The book of James has so much great teaching on taming the tongue, and I need to learn it as much as anybody. What happened in this story I told above really was an eye-opener for me, and I hope that I will learn not to make this same mistake...

Friday, July 18, 2008

Just an update...

Hi everybody. I know I said I was going to be off of here for a few days, but I just wanted to extend the prayer request...

The company I am hoping to get hired on with contacted me this morning to set up a time for an interview. We got it set up for this coming Wednesday, July 23, in the a.m. Please continue to pray; I truly, truly appreciate your prayers.

Thank you all for your encouragement! God is GOOD!!!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Waiting for an Answer...

I will be taking a little time off for the next few days or so and I covet your prayers during this time. Some of you know that I am a medical transcriptionist, and have been for the past seven years. I have been able to work from home, keep my kids at home, and we have just completed our first year of homeschool. The clinic I have been working for is a large one here in our area, having multiple branches. They have been slowly phasing us out as they move toward computer voice recognition, and as of the first week or so of May, I ran out of work.

Sooooo, I have been unemployed for two and a half months now, and it has hit us hard. We certainly do not live an extravagant lifestyle in any way, shape, or form, and things were tight as it was. Now, it's getting just plain unliveable.

I have been putting out resumes and applications online over the past week, and have interviewed once so far. I am praying that the right job will open up by God's hand, and that all other doors will be closed. And so, I wait...

A couple of weeks ago my employer of seven years sent me an email asking if I could take one day of work a month, as the doctor I had been working for had requested that we continue to do one particular day a month when he was not working in the clinic, but was making rounds. I was happy to take that one day, but again, it would not be sufficient. However, this helps me in that I can still say I am employed.

Then, this morning I got another email from her asking if I could take some dictation that another employee normally does. It is for a different clinic, and she needed it done ASAP! I said I could take it (happily!!!). I went to pick it up and it was several days' worth of work, and so I have plenty of work to keep me busy over the next few days here. Hopefully, during that time I will hear from one of the other jobs that can offer me full-time work.

So I am asking you please, if you think about it, pray for me as I am awaiting news on a job opening. I was so encouraged by Terri's post the other day (click on her name to read the post) and how God so plainly gave them the answer they needed and the provision they needed.

I will be back online when I can. I appreciate your prayers! :0)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Time to be Silly...

I just would like to say for those of you who have young children that taking time to read a Dr. Seuss book is always worth while. My mom had a Dr. Seuss collection for me when I was a kid and she used to read them to me, and I had such a love of books! I learned to read early and began reading everything for myself, Dr. Seuss and everything else I could get my hands on. I still have that collection of Dr. Seuss books - How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Horton Hears a Who, Horton Hatches the Egg, And to Think That I Saw It All on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Circus, etc., etc.

My daughter wants me to read these to her all the time, and even my son likes them. I try to make them fun for her too. I do different voices for the characters and I just really get into the story with her. It's fun for her and it's fun for me. I can be tired and not really feel like getting into a book or reading out loud, but once I get started it's way fun!

To me, Dr. Seuss books get better with age. The way he wrote and rhymed, and all of the creativity; I love these books just as much now as I did as a kid.




I have to say that I don't have any of the primary books like Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, or One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish; only the larger books.


So, if you get a chance go check one of these out at the library and read one to your child. I think you'll both really get a kick out of it! And if you don't have small children, bring out the kid in yourself and take a break with a Dr. Seuss book. Read it out loud so you can really appreciate the rhyme and rhythm. It'll give you a little taste of childhool again.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Being Molded Daily...

I just want to share something today that I read off of my Battlefield of the Mind calendar that sits on my desk. I have a calendar in the kitchen that I write things on, and it shows the entire month, so I use it most of the time. Therefore, my Joyce Meyer calendar sits on my desk and end up having to read to catch up because I don't use it as much.

What is always so amazing to me is that when I go to catch up, or even when I sit down and read the right devotion for a particular day, it is always so timely. That can't just happen to me, does it happen for you too? Doesn't it seem like God has something special for us to read, whether it is on someone's blog or on a calendar, maybe on TV or in a book, and most especially - in his Word?

Well, I just wanted to share one day of what I read tonight. It is actually tomorrow's devotion, but I wanted to read it anyway. God was really speaking to me through this and I wanted to soak up all I could...

"Tuesday - July 15

You are changing for the better. Every day you're growing spiritually. God has a plan for your life. These are the truths you must think on. This is what you are supposed to be doing with your mind! Think deliberately according to the Word of God; don't just think whatever falls into your head. Rebuke the devil and start going forward by thinking right thoughts."

"He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ (right up to the time of His return), developing (that good work) and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. Philippians 1:6"

Man, that is good stuff. We are constantly being molded into His image. He will continue the good work he began in us until it is brought to completion - to perfection.

As you think about your day, maybe you made mistakes (I sure do!), and maybe you did some things you're proud of and some things you're not. Maybe you were snide with your spouse and had a bad attitude, knowing it wasn't right, but chose to ignore it. Maybe you acted ugly to someone who cut you off in traffic. Maybe you were short with someone on the phone who was only doing their job. Maybe you were hasty with your children and punished unjustly or spoke unkindly. I've done these things, I'm not perfect. But I'm working towards perfection.

Instead of beating ourselves up over our faults and wallowing in our own unworthiness, let's remember the sacrifice Jesus became on the cross so that we could be worthy through Him. Let's not abuse his grace, but let's treat it with the value it deserves. It is by grace that we are saved, and nothing else. Our works CANNOT save us. What we are to do is read God's Word, seek His face, hold tightly to His hand, and do our best to become more like Him each and every day. He will take care of the rest. He will mold us into a beautiful vessel. He already knows what our finished product will look like. We see flaws and scars, but God sees a beautiful and unique creation.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Even the Little Things...

You know God really cares about the little things. He cares about every aspect of our life, no matter how big or how small it may seem. Our needs matter to Him and our desires matter too.


Two weeks ago I was very concerned about how I was going to be able to get our homeschool curriculum in time for school to start. It just didn't seem doable. This was a "big" matter to us - school is really important, obviously. But, as usual, God was working things that I couldn't see yet, and He already had a blessing on the way. Thankfully, we will be able to get the curriculum on time, and will be able to get started when we need to! That is a big PRAISE THE LORD as far as I'm concerned! God is so AWESOME!

So the school stuff was a need that I was concerned about, and God took care of it!



For the past two or three years the kids have used the same pool at our house, and they have a blast in it. It's just a small pool with collapsible sides - but still great for their age. They love it. At the end of last season, when we took it down the last time, my husband noticed it had a hole in it. So, that was the end of that. We do have another pool that is BIG and inflatable, but we need a pump in order to inflate it, which we will have to purchase when the time comes. It is a great pool with two slides, way fun - but definitely need a pump! So, the bottom line is that we had not been able to replace the pool that tore up last summer, and also had not been able to get a pump for the new pool. My kids had gone to my parents' house to spend some of their summer vacation there, and their cousin lives next door. He is the same age as my son and they have a pool, so after they came home all I heard about was "when are we gonna get a new pool???" I honestly didn't know when it was gonna happen for them, and there was no way that it could be at the top of my priority list...Pay electric bill...buy swimming pool...hopefully toilet tissue... HA! No way. The pool was way further down the list.


Okay, so long story short...the day after I got the answer about the curriculum I got a call from a local business. The last time I had gone in I had registered for a giveaway they had going. I had registered before for a grill/charcoal/etc., and didn't win. But that day I was on my way out the door and happened to see in the window a swimming pool just like the one we had (the one with the hole in it), a cooler, and some beach towels. I ran back in and registered, and low and behold WE WON IT! The kids were so excited - you just can't even believe it.



So the pool was a want, a desire of my heart for my kids, and of course their desire probably even more so!


No, we don't have to have that little pool. Yes, we can get by without it! But my Daddy in heaven cares about every aspect of my life, the big and the small. A blessing is a blessing, and I felt such a boost in my faith from that. It just reminds me that my God loves me and my family and this whole world SO much. He cares enough about us that He will meet our every need if we just trust Him. He offered up His own Son to meet my ultimate need, the need for salvation.


I don't believe that we get everything that we want, especially when our wants are sometimes selfish. Phillipians 4:19 says that "my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."(NIV) So we know from that verse that our needs will be met. But as far as wants, James 4:2 says "...You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."(NIV) So, I believe that we get some of our wants, but it definitely depends on our motives.


The kids having a pool was honestly not something I remember praying for. It was something that I really wanted them to have though because it is really, really hot where we live! Now, if I pray for a brand new car that might be a bit more selfish for me! Not because it is wrong to pray for a new car, but because I have a car that is in working order, it runs good, it gets fantastic mileage; if I asked for more it would be a selfish request at this point because my need is met. Not to mention it would tack on a bill that we could not pay!


I say all of this because I'm feeling so blessed right now, but I have been struggling in the faith area for a little while now because I just couldn't see how certain things were going to fall in place, how certain needs were going to be met, etc. But I have to say that every time I look at that little pool in the backyard I remember that God cares about everything that I'm going through, everything that I'm facing, every answer I'm searching for, every need, every want, and even the little things.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Taking Time for You...

It has been a busy weekend here and I feel like I'm heading into Monday just a wee bit behind. Not good, right? Well, in honor of feeling behind I have decided to take a little while to relax. I am having a cup of hot chamomille tea as I work on chapter three of my book. That is so relaxing to me! It really does so much good to take a little time for yourself to relax. Yes, it is late, it's 10:25 p.m., and I really should be in bed, but this is time I need to take for myself. Once I get on a roll writing it is hard for me to stop until I am completely done with the chapter, so I will probably be up for a while yet. But, this is excellent quality time for me.

Below is a picture of my favorite tea cup. My mom has a really fantastic collection of tea cups, including antique ones and lots of really pretty decorate china cups. I am not a collector of tea cups, just someone who enjoys tea. This particular cup was given to me as a gift. It's glass, not china, but because it was a gift drinking out of it makes it that much more enjoyable.




I took the time to stop and post about this because I think it is important for all of us to take some time for ourselves. We want to be at our best at all times, and we are more likely to be that if we are taking the time with the Lord that we should be taking, and also taking some time to take care of ourselves. I'm not just talking about taking care of ourselves as in putting make-up on or exercising or dressing up...no, I'm talking about taking care of ourselves mentally - getting the rest we need and time to unwind, a little time alone.

For me I like to drink hot tea and write, especially while listening to a bit of classical music. But for you, maybe it's a rich cup of coffee, or maybe curling up with a good book, possibly even a decadent chocolate chip cookie that is still a bit warm and gooey. For each of us our needs are different. So go, soak in a hot bubble bath, drink a cup of hot tea from your best china cup, or take five minutes just to go stand outside and watch nature, even go so far as to take a nap.

We should always remember that taking care of the people we love means also taking care of ourselves.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

You asked for it!!!

Okay, this is my second post for today, so if you're just reading this one scroll down and check out the other one first (Pulling His Weight...). Tina asked me to post some pics of my mom's projects. I am not crafty in this department, but my mom cross-stitches, crochets (does NOT knit!), sews in every way that you can I guess otherwise though. She used to make my clothes when I was a child, and all of the other kids were so jealous! She has made some clothes for my kids, but pretty much just pajamas. She lives too far off to get to do very many fittings. Those are packed up until winter, so no pics. I have lots of things she has made, but have only taken pics of a few to share with you all. Hope you enjoy these! Wish I could take credit for them, but my mom is sooooo talented in this department - not me!

These are the curtains she made for Noelle's room, Disney Princess curtains, she made them with the valance attached and the panels split so that they can be pulled back when we wish to do so. The curtain rods were from Wal-Mart, there is a pretty pink ball on each end with pink feathers around each one, and I think it sets the curtains off perfectly. And right beneath these are the curtains for Jordan's room, they match his sports themed room and are made exactly the same as Noelle's. We have not put up his decorative rod though - it's really cute with footballs on each end.

These are Jordan and Noelle's baby blankets (folded). Jordan's is the blue/white sparkly baby yarn with white trim, and by the time Noelle was born my mom had found a new yarn - not sure what it's called, but it's got a kind of soft terry sort of feel to it; pink and white of course.

This is actually a toy passed down from me to my daughter. My mom made this sheep for me when I was little and it is just precious. I wish you could see his little blue button eyes - really sweet. He is up on a high shelf in the playroom where I keep a few stuffed toys and dolls until my little girl wants to play with them, so I took the best pic I could with my arms outstretched!

And this is the last one. My mom made this for Noelle and I think it is just gorgeous, it's my absolute favorite afghan she has made - ever! She is making one like it for Jordan too, with just two different shades of blue and a maroon, I believe, which will match his room really well. Noelle's doesn't match her room, but it's just so BEAUTIFUL anyway!



Isn't my mom crafty??? Love you mom!

Pulling His Weight...

Okay, so once again I am a couple of days behind....

On Tuesday, Michelle and her family had dentist appointments, so I kept her littlest boy -Nate - for a few hours. When they got home I had my kids and Nate outside playing, so Jacob and Amber came out to play with them for a few minutes before we had to leave. It turned into longer than a few minutes, it always does! But that was mainly because Michelle had to help me with some computer issues before I left! Anyway, while the kids were playing somebody spotted a strange event. We saw a red ant pulling a bee across the driveway. The bee was obviously dead, but it was just so amazing to see this tiny ant pulling this huge bee!


He was working so diligently and not giving up....




Hmmmm, could there be a lesson in this somewhere??? :0)


Certainly one I need to learn from!