I LOVE JANUARY!!

It's a great time to get some closets and drawers cleaned out, catch up on some sewing projects and just not feel any stress. Today I thinned some clothes from my closet....just the beginning. I still have more to get rid of but I have to gather my courage! I also got my desk drawers cleaned out and organized, tossed some brochures and magazines AND went to the nail salon for a color change. I like the fact that I can go every 2 1/2 to 3 weeks for a color change for $15 and don't have to get a manicure. I always get gel (shellac) polish because it lasts and doesn't chip. Last time I had gray glittery polish that turned turquoise when cold, but look what I got today!

warm hand

I ran the tips under cold water to change the color

And here they are after a bit more cold water. Isn't that fun?? They have lots of new polish that have this ability to change colors. Can't wait to try a new color combo next time. Life is short....LIVE A LITTLE!

Over the weekend I did some sewing and got TWO projects finished. The first one is a Bionic Gear Bag which was tricky to put together but I think it came out pretty good. I will be using this one for sewing supplies to take to future classes. I may make more of these because they are really neat little bag to use for a variety of purposes. Look at all those zippers! I didn't need to purchase any fabric for this bag. I just chose coordinating fabrics from my stash. LOVE IT!

The other item is a rigid-sided, folding, hand sewing "table" that has pockets to put your project in. This will be a good item to use when flying or in the car when I need to do a bit of hand stitching, which I almost never do. BUT, I have a teensy project in mind that will be a fun one and this little thing-a-ma-jig will be a great aid. 

And that is why I like January! I still have the pantry to clean out and reorganize but that will happen later this week. My aunt has been in the hospital for 6 days and is being transferred to rehab this evening because she is too weak to go back home. Tomorrow I will go see how she is settling in to her new temporary digs.

"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you...

with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."  Colossians 3:1

It is a simply thing to accept Christ as Savior. Just a few words in prayer, seeking God's forgiveness and admitting that Jesus is Lord. There. Now I have salvation and will be with Him in heaven. Whoa....wait a minute! This simple act of contrition  and acknowledgement doesn't mean we go on with life as we know it and just make sure we attend church on Sunday. Or at least, it shouldn't!

I need to be IN the Word, or rather have the Word DWELL (live) in me. If I don't read God's Word, how am I supposed to hear Him speaking to me? How can a believer know how to live their life if they never crack open the Bible and study? Hmm. I know of people who think they are Christians because they believe in God, but have no understanding of what is actually said in the Bible and how it all fits together. Yes, I believe the simple truth of John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." I also think there will be many who "make it" to heaven by the skin of their teeth.

I cannot judge who is saved and who isn't. Thankfully that is not my job. My job here on earth is to know God, love Him and serve Him.....and be a witness for Him. You may have a different thought about this and that is fine, but hopefully we can agree that we need to follow scriptural commands.

So back to the Word dwelling in me....Many, many years ago I put together a 3x5" box to help me memorize scripture. I decided I need to revive that box! I have 7 indexes for each day of the week; Sunday through Saturday plus one marked DAILY that I keep in the front of the box. Then I have 31 index cards marked 1 through 31 representing each day of the month. Sounds complicated! I also have 85 3x5" cards with one scripture verse on each with the reference written on the back. These verses have been ones that I have memorized in the past, but as you can imagine by now they are all familiar but I can't remember them word for word or attach a book, chapter and verse. And most of these were memorized in the NIV but now our church uses the ESV.  I guess I will just stick with the NIV.

So what I do is place one card in the Daily spot and one in each of the day of the week spot as well as one in each day of the month spot. The extra's are placed in front. Each day I take out the Daily card and practice that verse. Then I remove the day of the week card for review and then review the appropriate day of the month card.

The next morning, I move the Daily card to the appropriate day of the week spot (moving the one in that spot to the appropriate day of the month spot. If you find over time that you have more than 3 verses in your day of the month spot, just move them out to the front of your box. In time, verses will be memorized for those times when you need them.

There you go! A painless way to work at memorizing bible verses.

Two Projects Finished!

I'm well on my way to actually finishing a bunch of knitting/sewing/quilting projects that are started or planned but just stacked up awaiting my attention.

The top has been finished for a few YEARS! Finally got the binding sewn on and a label stitched to the back. Beemer seems to like it.

This is the Azel knit pullover that I made for Charlotte. It doesn't look like much laid out on a flat surface, but check out the next photo to see why I made it.

This little girl reminded me, with her blonde hair, of how cute this would look on Charlotte.

One of my friends recommended this book. She said she couldn't put it down, but at 500 plus pages, I really have to get cracking to finish it. I checked it out from the library (Kindle version) I guess Francine Rivers is a great author and storyteller.

It looks like a romance novel, but my friend says it isn't. I don't like romance novels. We shall see. This is what it says on Amazon "A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love."

It's a New Year - Priorities and Practices

I have rarely kept my past resolutions for a whole year. Good intentions are just that. Intentions. I am pleased with myself that I actually followed through for ALL of 2016 with a photo a day posted on my blog. Well, I did have a couple of goofs, like right in the beginning when I missed Day One!

But here it is 2017 and I made no resolutions, so no worries about failing. I've been thinking though. Thinking about what is truly important in my life. What do I value? Where are my priorities? How do I spend my time? A bit of introspection, if you will. Wikipedia defines it thusly: "Introspection is the examination of one's own conscious thoughts and feelings. In psychology the process of introspection relies exclusively on observation of one's mental state, while in a spiritual context it may refer to the examination of one's soul."

So there it is, both the mind and the soul. One cannot be untangled from the other. My "conscious thoughts and feelings" are definitely tied to my soul. What do I think about? How do I feel about things? Once again, my favorite source (Wikipedia) defines soul: "In many religions, philosophical, and mythological traditions, the soul is the incorporeal essence of a living being." 

Where am I headed with this? I am simply questioning just "who" I am or rather "whose" I am. I'm almost 70 for crying out loud. I really know who I am, warts and all. Ah, but "whose" I am is the more important word to ponder. I know, I know, I am a child of the King. I was snatched out of the grip of the devil and presented as clean before my Lord and Savior. That is the easy part. I know that He is mine, but am I HIS? I mean really His?

What do I think about during any one 24 hour period? How do I spend my time? How much time do I spend in His Word? I think I could do a better job of showing the Lord that I am really His. You know what they say "actions speak louder than words." My mind is pretty active, so I am definitely viewing my "thoughts" as active and very important to God. My thoughts certainly say something about my "essence" (soul.)

Now to the bottom line. I should be continually striving to be more Christ-like, seeking both the mind of Christ and the actions of Christ. This is what I will continue to ponder and work on in 2017 and until the Lord calls me home.

As I have been studying the book of Colossians, I am struck by the reality of this verse and how well it plays into what I have been dwelling on lately.

"And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard,which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven...." Colossians 1 21-23

Thank you, Lord, for your saving grace. May I fully look to you in all my ways and seek your face.

Day 366

YAHOO! LAST DAY OF POSTING PHOTOS

every day

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I made a chocolate babka. YUMMY!

Annual New Year's Eve pinochle party...SOME of the food

and this is the dessert table

And a fun time was had by all.