Simply Wonderful. Slow Stitching Sunday. Thank You!

Simply Wonderful.
This weekend was wonderful.  
Was there pain?
Yes.
Was there fatigue?
Yup.

But
I discovered a brand new quilt shop.
We celebrated my dad's 85th birthday with 
delicious food, 

romantic music...Sinatra, Cole...you know...

I slow danced with my husband as he serenaded me and whispered sweet nothings in my ear.

I got to see my newly engaged sister glow with happiness and love.

My cousin and I were able to have a heart to heart and maybe begin again....

And that was only Friday and Saturday! 
There's more!

Sunday we had a small gathering today to celebrate more birthdays.

I got to play and even sew with my grandbabies.

We had fun conversations
and a tea party!

My granddaughter asked if she could work on one of her two UFO's!  

She's only five but she already has a small stash and two UFO's at "Ama's" house!(That's what they call me.  It means love in Spanish.) 

And I even got a bit of Slow Stitching in!  

God is good.
Even in pain.
Even when exhausted.
Even when there's family fun, love and sharing.
My cup runneth over.....

https://www.etsy.com/listing/229772254/my-cup-runneth-over-psalm-23-art-print

Slow Stitching Sunday.
I made progress on my Grandmother's Flower Garden!  How lucky I was to be able to piece the red flower, a white flower, and some white "spacers".  Next week I believe the Hello Kitty flower will join in the fun!  :)

Thank you!
Thank you for reading this blog.  I know we all live full active lives, so I deeply appreciate everyone's views, encouragement and support!  You are the best.  Thank you!

http://www.birthdaydirect.com/tinker-bell-thank-you-notes-p-38155.html

Dear Friend, this is my truth!

New Bible Study Area. Philippians.

New Bible Study Area

My baby steps into Bible Journaling began with moving my devotional area into my sewing studio.  Honestly, perhaps I should come up with a new name for this room because it's my 

sewing studio,

crochet and knitting studio,

scrapbooking studio,

and.....

well, my Happy Place!

Hmmmm.......

Maybe that is the new name.....

Alas, I digress!

So, now as I write you and spend time with Jesus, His birds keep me company!

I filled one of my rolling stoarage carts with supplies.....

You see how it opens up?  When I close the lid, this neat little storage area become a mini cutting table complete with my 16" rotating cutting mat.  When not in use, this table slides right under my sewing table!  I'm blessed!

Philippians 1:1-11
To preapare for this study, I am reading and reading these passages several times a day, taking notes as I read.  

One of the characteristics of Paul's writing is that he writes in such absolutes!  Simply observe how many times he uses absolutes such as "all", "every"!   

¹Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

⁷It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. ⁸God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

⁹And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Another characteristic is his confidence - in our loving God and Savior, Jesus.  His conversion and trials were quite dramatic, Plus, I realize he is writing to a group of people who have supported him from day one:

http://inspire-others.com/verse-of-the-day-2015-01-04/

http://www.jeffrandleman.com/philippians-1-7-8/

So, naturally, his confidence would be pumped up, right?  

Not necessarily.......

Think about it.  

As we go through "chains" of trials, are we filled with confidence?  Are we writing letters of encouragement to others?  Remember, 

Paul was 

in jail

in chains

when he wrote this.

God gave him such grace to write these words during such a difficult time.  

As I go through my whole breast cancer journey, it's tough.  But, like Paul, I have had 

moments of great strength,

moments when I encouraged others.

http://pawliang.blogspot.com/

I've also had 

moments when I leaned heavily on others,

moments when I wept, 

moments when I wanted to give up.....

http://quotesgram.com/img/slowly-giving-up-quotes/K76jC77Tpd/

moments when I just needed to rest behind someone's shield of faith.

http://thewordsofencouragement.com/bible-verses-about-faith/

We've all had those moments - even our dear friend, Paul.

http://www.budgetlovingmilitarywife.com/2014/12/10/how-my-greatest-strength-became-my-greatest-weakness/

And that's when, my beloved reader, is when we are strong.  

http://68church.com/when-i-am-weak-then-i-am-strong/

So, whether you are in a point in your life where you are 

in chains, 

or 

defending the Gospel, 

lost and weak, 

or 

confident and strong 

YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.  

My dear friend, this is truth.

A New Direction Defined. Bible Journaling Clarified. Finished UFO!

A New Direction Defined.  
Hello there!  Remembered when I realized God was taking me in a new direction?  I have it and I'm so looking forward to following Him on this new path!  

https://nightshade130.wordpress.com/tag/listening-to-the-holy-spirit/

It has been a journey to discover where God was leading me mostly because I didn't really take the time to spend with Him just listening and exploring. 

But today I did.
      Today something happened.
               I have direction and blessings.

http://favim.com/image/61360/

A few years ago, I hosted a small, short lived women's group in which we read and discussed the book of Philippians.  I loved it, but it simply wasn't the right timing. And that was fine.  I enjoyed the time I did have with my friends and continue to enjoy their friendship to this day.  

Then, in the beginning of 2016 our pastor asked us to read the book of Philippians 10 times during the month of January.

Are you seeing a theme?

In my walk with Jesus, this usually means He's directing me, so I pulled out my old Scripture Journal on Philippians.  

And you know what?  It feels 
wonderfully right, 
perfectly in line, 
fabulously amazing.  

As I reread the few completed pages in my Scripture journal, I saw that I actually worked on it in Houston the day before this post.    

So now, I'll move forward so my LORD can complete the work He began in me!  Will you join me?

http://dailyverses.net/philippians/1/6

Bible Journaling.
My Bible Journaling will begin with my Scripture Journal.  I'll be sharing that with you.

It's free.
It's a place where if I mess up, I don't care.
It illustrates my heart listening to His.

Finished UFO!
So, this Drunkards' Path block is actually a practice block for a $7.50 Club at my local Bernina quilt shop.


But, I certainly didn't want an orphan block hanging around....so I hit the Net again and saw some great ideas!  

My daughter suggested that blue would look nice with this block.  After shopping in my fabric stash I found the perfect blue batik for the backing and handle fabric.  A quick trip to Bernina for accent fabric, a day of sewing using this tutorial from Sweet Bee Buzzings as a basis and wala!  A finished UFO!

Oh Happy Day!

http://quotesgram.com/oh-happy-day-quotes/

Dear Friend, this is my truth!

Pain Free and Pain. Slow Stitching Sunday. Hope.

Pain Free and Pain.

Mornings are wonderful - totally and absolutely wonderful - especially the first hour.  There's minimal pain - I almost feel like I did before my cancer diagnosis!  

Healthy.

Strong.

Pain free.

So, today, I did a bit of Slow Stitching, then I cleaned my house!  Yup!  It was great.  My husband wanted to help, but I wanted to do it on my own.  He has a great job, but sometimes works long tiring hours.  And you know what?  It felt great to be "normal" for a couple of hours.  

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/477522366713310927/

And then the pain hit.  One day I will learn the above lesson.  

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/317292736219886178/

Thank God for Kathy's Slow Stitching Sundays!

Slow Stitching Sundays

This was my plan:
finish attaching the green and red hexagons,
then add the white ones.
I was able to complete the green and red hexies,
but not the white.
It's ok, next Sunday is coming! 

Here's what I finished, and I'm uber hopeful that I will finish the first row
by the end of the month!
Linking up to Kathy's Quilts Slow Stitching Sundays has really motivated me to sincerely work on my Grandmother's Flower Garden.  Maybe it will actually be finished by the end of the year! 

The row I'm looking to finish is the top row of white hexagons, and the Hello Kitty hexagon.  Do you think it's possible?

We also enjoyed a Sunday Family Dinner at my daugther's home where I got to see my grandson riding "with no training wheels!"  Yea!  Finished this dishcloth as well.  

My Mia is always close by me.  The towel you see is what my husband lovingly placed under my legs before he rubbed a pain relieving creme on my feet and calves.  He's so wonderful to me.  I'm truly blessed.  

Hope

http://www.ibelieve.com/inspirations/at-my-lowest-god-is-my-hope.html

Dear Friends, this is my truth.  

Facing My Artistic Fears. Bible Journaling. Psalm 46:1

Facing My Artistic Fears

I so enjoy cruising on the Internet admiring the various methods of Bible journaling.  I’m sure you’ve heard of it, but if not, a quick web search will show you how therapeutic and beautiful Bible Study can be.  Adding art can only enhance our time with God…..right?

I really want to get into this type of Bible Study!  I have the journaling Bible, the nice colored pencils and such.  But, fear keeps me from actually journaling IN my Bible.

I don’t want to ruin it.

I don’t want to do it wrong.

Fear Will Not Control Me

Or

My Time With God.

I had always heard this acronym and I love it!

http://ann-vu.com/post/49236937438/fear-is-nothing-but-false-evidence-appearing

But then a quick Google search yielded this acronym and I love it, especially for today’s purposes. 

http://quotesgram.com/life-of-fear-quotes/

I want to Face Everything And Rise! 

I'm fearful, but I want to beat down that fear.

So, I'm going to go for it.

Bible Journaling With Stickers

Then I saw this blog entry by Rachel Wojo.  Have you heard of her?  I have participated in her powerful monthly Bible Reading Challenges.  

http://rachelwojo.com/study-bible-stickers/

When I read her entry, I thought, “I have stickers, I can draw those designs….I can do this!”

So, I am.  

I might even be courageous enough to share them with you.

Maybe...........

And then I found this website!  I absolutely relate to 
Jenny!  My art skills are similar to hers.

She made some deep points:
Bible Art Journaling is not about perfection - it's about spending time with God.

Amen!
Off I go to grow and spend time with Him.  

Psalm 46:1

Here is another scripture I added to my Alphabetical Scripture Memorization Cards.  Thank God He is there - an EVER PRESENT help in times of trouble.  Are you facing trouble today?  Are you feeling a bit lost and unsure.  

He is your ever present help.  

He hears your cries in the deep, dark night.  

He hears you.

Yes, you.

When He starts working, power moves in your life.  

Peace comes.

Even if our circumstances don't change, 

He brings the peace that passes all understanding.

http://lighthousebiblestudies.com/katy-kauffman-blog/guest-post-erin-elizabeth-austin-it%E2%80%99s-wonderful-life

Trust Him, go ahead!  What do you have to lose?

Dear Friend, this is my truth!

Comfort Food: Sopa de macarron. Passing "IT" Down. UFO Update!

Comfort Food:  Sopa de macarron

Every family has that special recipe that Grandma made, those dishes that everyone remembers.  One of ours is Sopa de macarón – basically macaroni and cheese with a twist! 

On Sundays my paternal Grandmother used to make it with her fabulous red chile enchiladas!  Yum!

I have never seen this sopa offered in restaraunts, so I’m wondering if it’s becoming a lost art? 

My daughter was elated when she mastered the recipe – and so was I!  You’re in for a treat – I’m sharing the recipe with you today!  Now, I don't follow a recipe, but thank God my daughter remembered exactly what she used!  

Ingredients

* 1 12 oz box of pasta (She used bowtie because that's what she had on hand.  I normally use "conchas" - shell pasta. Either one works.)

* 1 cup shredded cheese (She used munster and cheddar - again what she had on hand.  I use the Colby Jack mix.)

* two 8 oz cans of tomato sauce

* 2 tsp. consomate de tomate

* a generous 1/8 tsp of cumin

1.  Boil the pasta according to package directions.

2.  When finished, drain and set aside.

3.  Add the tomato sauce and the spices to the pan.

4.  Bring to a low boil, stirring.

5.  Add the pasta to the tomato mixture.

6.  Add the cheese.

7.  Stir and savor the scents!

8.  Once the cheese is melted, enjoy!

Passing It Down
My daughter is such a special young lady. She said that passing this recipe down from generation to generation is wonderful.  A more important part of our lives we can pass down, is our faith.

Most of my family, to include my Grandmother, was Catholic.  I remember her always wearing a simple chain with medallions of the saints around her neck. She had great faith.  

I am a Protestant, but her faith, as well as the faith of my other family members, was passed to me.  And I have passed it along to my children, much like a cherished recipe of comfort food.

But, let us remember that Jesus is the best "comfort food" there is!

http://www.firstcovers.com/userquotes/64441/taste+and+see+that.html

UFO Update

I added a project and completed it, so my percentage of completed UFOs is 12%!  Awesome!  

I'll be sharing that completed project soon!

Dear Reader, this is my truth!

Trouble Sleeping? DIY Alphabetical Scripture Memorization Cards. A Morning Prayer.

Trouble Sleeping?

Do you have trouble sleeping sometimes?  I do.  Sometimes it’s because my brain won’t turn off, but, lately, most of the time, it’s the pain in my feet.  At times, I despair laying there in desperate for sleep, but unable to do so due to the pain in my feet. 

In my 12 Step Program I learned to mentally go through an alphabetical Gratitude List.  I wholeheartedly believe that gratitude lists are extremely powerful, but the other night, it was not working for me.

http://www.eliteprep.com/blog/why-i-keep-a-gratitude-list.html

I sensed the LORD speaking to me in a still small voice, “Why not an alphabetical Scripture list? “  But of course!

So, I started with

A – All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

B – Be still and know I am God. Ps. 46:10 (I knew this scripture reference.)

C, D, E – I skipped because I didn’t have a Scripture offhand to remember. 

F – For I know the plans I have for you…..

Get the idea? 

I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep within minutes.  Didn’t even make it to Z.I fell asleep in the warm comfort of my Father’s arms.  Did the pain leave?

No.

But I had peace anyway.

The next morning, I woke eager for my time with God and here’s the result.

Alphabetical Scripture Cards

Just a note:  Now there are great tutorials out there for using paint sample cards for all kinds of crafty projects.  However, I do suggest that you explain your project to the employees at your local hardware store before picking up some cards.  Also, take only what you need.  Though they are free to us, they did cost the company money to produce.

So, a while ago I went to my local Lowe’s to pick up a few paint sample cards for another project and let an employee know what my intentions were.  Turns out he was a Sherwin Williams paint rep and he offered me a slew of paint chip cards!  I loved them because they were so perfectly shaped and were hole punched!

For this project, you need only a few items.

Paint sample cards, 3X5 notecards, even cardstock will do the trick.

Markers – I found that Sharpies are best for these particular cards.

Alphabetical stickers (or you can write the letters on using markers)

Washi Tape – or not!  Make it yours!

A Key ring

1.        Place the cards on the key ring in whatever order you chose  

2.        When you find a scripture, decorate a card.

3.        Label it with the letter of the alphabet the verse you’ve chosen starts with.

4.        Write your corresponding scripture on the card.

5.        Memorize it. 

6.        Recite it and the other verses you choose to yourself and fall peacefully asleep in your Father’s arms.

Now, I’m not necessarily adding Scriptures in Alphabetical order, just going where the LORD leads me.  

A Morning Prayer

I wanted a distinct cover for my cards, but wasn’t sure of how to create it.  Then I read Psalm 90:14!  What an awesome way to begin the day! 

Blessings to you!

Dear Friend, this is my truth!  

Oh Baby! Follow up Test Results. Lovely Morning Chat. Cleaning House. Slow Stitching.

Oh Baby!

I know it’s been quite on my little corner of the internet…..Guess what!  Bright and early on the Fourth of July, my daughter gave birth to our fourth grandchild – a healthy little boy!

https://thecraftyladyincombatboots.wordpress.com/2016/07/04/happy-fourth-of-july/

Follow Up Test Results

Great news!  All my follow up test results are wonderful!  

http://askadifferentquestion.com/prayer/prayers-parched-worship-father/

My diagnostic mammogram is cancer free, bone density shows no ill effects from chemo, bone scan is clear and the nerve conduction test showed only mild neurapathy.  

So, why am I having so much pain in my feet and fatigue?  My rheumatoidologist believes the severe pain is a combination of the neuropathy and fibromyalgia.  All of my doctors recommend exercise.  

So, my daughter and son-in-law generously offered to loan us their elliptical.  Despite the pain, I’m going to try and work out everyday.  I am overweight, so I’m thinking if I lose weight, naturally that will reduce the stress on my feet.  Makes sense theoretically….I hope I can put it into practice! 

As I begin this journey, I wanted you to know what fibromyalgia feels like:

http://quotesgram.com/fibro-positive-quotes/

Gotta love Calvin!  

Lovely Morning Chat. 

Oh my!  Isn’t it wonderful when God gives us a gift?  This morning, my husband and I simply sat on our porch swing, drinking coffee, enjoying our yard, the sound of our waterfall and reminiscing while I worked on my Grandmother’s Flower Garden.  Oh!  It was so delightful!

When it got warm, we came inside and began our day.  And that’s where the weirdness started…..

Cleaning House. 

I just HAD to clean my house.  I definitely wanted to clean my living room because that is where the elliptical is going to be.  But, somehow my one room cleaning plan morphed into a whole house cleaning project!  Which is uber strange because my cleaning lady is coming this week!

And yesterday, I rearranged my grandbabies' toy room - moved furniture and everything!  

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/530510031076384555/

My husband thinks I’m nesting…Do grandma’s nest?

Slow Stitching. 

I absolutely love Kathy’s Slow Stitching Sundays!  Last night as I put away my machine sewing project, I cleaned my machine and organized a bit.  It felt peaceful knowing I would be slow stitching.  I felt eager and…..less rushed. 

I worked on my Grandmother’s Flower Garden.  That will be my Slow Stitching Sundays project for the foreseeable future.  I was able to finish stitching on a flower, some single hexagons and begin stitching on another flower! 

My hope is to finish the first row by the end of August.

My Dear Reader, after two days of heavy cleaning, tonight was a wheelchair evening, so much pain in my feet.  But, life is good, isn’t it? 

Despite

triple negative breast cancer,

fibromyalgia,

weight gain after cancer,

pain,

there’s

new babies,

a loving husband,

lovely morning chats,

beautiful gardens,

generous children,

a clean house,

Slow Stitching Sundays,

and more importantly,

God, my strength.

Life is good!

http://quotesideas.com/life-is-good-quote-motivational-wallpaper/

 Dear Reader, this is my truth!

                                Linking up to Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts!