Psalm 9: Part 3, Literary Living, Finding Joy

Hello There,

    Welcome, and thank you so much for stopping in! Has Spring sprung in your neck of the woods? Here in Southern New Mexico, we have had a mix of hot, cool, and perfect temperatures.  I'm finding recovery slow going, probably due to a sinus infection developing a few days after I was diagnosed with strep.  Talk about a 2 for 1!

    This week, I am happy to guest host Melva’s (from Melva Loves Scraps) Sew and Tell link-up. You will find the link at the bottom of this post.

    Please grab your favorite beverage, sit back, and enjoy this post. You'll read about the continuation of our study of Psalm 9, progress on various projects, books I’ve read and picked up this week, and photos of what brought joy into my life lately.

Take good care and, as Daddy used to say, 

"Make memories; it's later than you think."

HERE'S A WORD

As I prepped for this study, I simply highlight all the words that describe what God does for us in my Bible.  Then I make a list of them.  I'll follow the same format here.  We read about verses 1-6  two week ago and, last week, verses 7-10.  Let's move onto verses 11 - 12.

Psalm 9 ^a, b

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.

1I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

2I will be glad and rejoice in you;

I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

3My enemies turn back;

they stumble and perish before you.

4For you have upheld my right and my cause,

sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.

5You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;

you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.

6Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,

you have uprooted their cities;

even the memory of them has perished.

7The Lord reigns forever;

he has established his throne for judgment.

8He rules the world in righteousness

and judges the peoples with equity.

9The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.

10Those who know your name trust in you,

for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

11Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;

proclaim among the nations what he has done.

12For he who avenges blood remembers;

he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.

13Lord, see how my enemies persecute me!

Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,

14that I may declare your praises

in the gates of Daughter Zion,

and there rejoice in your salvation.

15The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;

their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

16The Lord is known by his acts of justice;

the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. ^c

17The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,

all the nations that forget God.

18But God will never forget the needy;

the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

19Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph;

let the nations be judged in your presence.

20Strike them with terror, Lord;

let the nations know they are only mortal.

• He is enthroned in Zion
• He avenges blood
• He remembers the acts of evil 
• He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted

    At first, I thought these verses should have been included in last week’s post, but the more I studied, the more I became convinced they stand alone beautifully. Verse 11 calls us to praise God and testify about what He has done. If we re-read Psalm 9, we see that it is about David praising God and testifying to how He has saved him.

    Verse 11 tells us not only to praise God but to proclaim to the nations all He has done! Can you feel David’s joy and elation? Can you feel the energy behind his words? Is your heart racing as you read them? Yes, let us praise and thank God for all He has mercifully done in our lives, but let us also remember to testify to others about our heavenly Father’s mercy and goodness!

    Verse 12 changes tone a bit, moving from the amazing works God has done to show that He is also our avenger of blood. He remembers the harm that was inflicted on His children and will avenge us. Romans 12:17-19 lets us know we need not waste time plotting our own revenge—heavens no!  Our Father is our avenger.  

17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. 
Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. 
18If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.
19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved,
 but leave room for God’s wrath. 
For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”b

    God hears us. He remembers us. He also remembers the enemy’s acts. He will listen to us and judge righteously. We will be redeemed, or He will work through our situation to help us grow. Either way, we are still blessed and can praise Him for His eternal goodness!

    Naturally, when God does something amazing in our lives, we praise and thank Him. Let us remember to share God's work in our lives with others so that they may be encouraged. That’s exactly what the Psalms are all about—encouraging anyone who reads them with an open heart. I’m not sure about everyone else, but the Psalms are where I turn for encouragement. I’m wondering, what is your favorite verse from the Psalms? Please share it in the comments.

Please know this:  

You are loved.  You are not alone.  You are being lovingly prayed for.

FIBER FUN

I broke down my "To Dos" into three categories:  Finish, Focus, Prep/make a kit, and Be Kind = Soft Deadlines.  FoF represents the Fields of Fancy BOM, which I'm doing with Liberty of London Tana Lawn fabrics.  FBF represents the Flower Box Friends BOM

Last Week's List

1.  Finish

- frame this project This will carry over to this week as I was too ill to go out shopping for a frame.

2.  Focus

- Complete 200 - 300 stitches on Darth Vader using this cross-stitch design at RinaStitchesPatterns Done!  

Here's the difference between last weeek and this week.  It's hard to believe there's only three colors in this design.  Even though this is 16 ct. Aida, I wish I had used three strands instead of two as the white is peeking through.  Or maybe it's intended to be like that?  

- Even though I couldn't go to our  First Saturday Sit and Sew, I spent that time at home embroidering some of the details on the Bee Humble leaves and bees. I love this little sewing kit, I made, but for the life of me, I cannot find the tutorial.

3.   Prepare/make a kit

This week I plan to attach and begin binding to the Disappearing 9 Patch quilt.  Done!

I’ve been wondering:  Do I find as much creative satisfaction in making my kits as I do in the actual sewing?  Hmmm. I get more accomplished by taking the time to curate a kit for my next project and I enjoy both proccesses.  What about you?  Please, if you feel comfortable, share your answer in the comments!  

4. Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!

This Week's goals

1.  Finish 

- Some time ago, we picked up this bandana for the purpose of making Chico a dog bandana.  It's time to finally get her done!  

2.  Focus

- Complete 200 - 300 stitches on Darth Vader using this cross-stitch design at RinaStitchesPatterns

- bind the 9 Patch quilt

3.   Prepare/make a kit

-  pick out the fabrics for the next FOF patterns.  Here's what the process looks like! 

 My cutting table went from this

to this in just a few minutes!

Just in case,

I do have some Tana Lawn charm packs

and my daughter gave me this Tana Lawn wonderful fat quarter set for Christmas!

I am so blessed!

4. Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!

15 MINUTES TO SEW

UPDATE: LOL!  I decided to join in on Kathy's 15 Minutes to Sew at Life in Pieces and then I forgot to write about it!  

My goal for joining is to remember to machine sew every day for 15 minutes.  It's very easy to slow stitch/prep every day, but to sit at my machine?  Not so easy.  So here we go for last week.  I machine sewed for 3/7 days 43%.  I definitely have room for improvement! 

LITERARY LIFE   

MAILBOX MONDAY - is a gathering place for readers to share books that they added to their shelves or eBook readers the previous week.  Some of these books were recommended by you!  Do you see your reads below?  Thank all of you for sharing!

Here's what I've picked up this week.

ereaderiq.com I'm starting to post these titles on Instagram on the day I acquire them as the deals are short-term.  

These library books came in!  I had started listening to The Briar Club, but was unable to finish it.  Now I have the hard copy and plenty of coffee for a cozy reading session.

The library sent me A Little Hope.  I read about it on a blog,

 but can't remember which blog.  

Was it your blog?  

Thank you to whoever you are!  

***** The Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson is a book that touched my heart deeply; I cannot recommend it enough. The setting is post-WWII Germany. The main characters, at least in my heart, are the mixed-race children—"brown babies"—left behind by their Black military fathers and left in the care of their German mothers.

Enter Ethel Gathers, a journalist and an officer's wife who finds homes for these babies who are so loved by their birth mothers. So deep is the mothers' love for their children that they are willing to give them up to avoid the ridicule, abuse, and abandonment both the children and the mothers themselves would face in Germany.

Johnson maintains a mysterious ambiance, dropping just enough clues to keep me questioning, but not quite enough to figure out how the book would end. Her skillful writing involves multiple timelines, characters, and plots to actively engage the reader. I was filled with questions: Who are these various characters? How will they intersect with each other? Can they overcome these overwhelming situations?

While stationed in Okinawa, Japan, I saw for myself how cruelly the "brown babies" were treated. I remember one of my students, Arika, and how my heart broke for her. All I could do was shower her precious heart with love and pray for her.

Should you be interested in learning more about the author and the history behind the story, this website would be a fantastic jumping-off point.  Highly Recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Sadeqa Johnson for the gift of this ebook ARC. All opinions are my own.

FINDING JOY

LeeAnna's I Like on Thursdays at Not Afraid of Color helps me consistently find the joy in every life.  She also provides a prompt for us to use.  Here's this week's prompt:  Do you like Spring? Why?  What makes you feel Spring has sprung around your house?  As a child, I used to love spring because it meant warmer temperatures and rain.  Today, with global warming, it means temperatures that vary from hot to cold to comfortable.   Along with the dirt-filled winds, I've come to love fall instead.  I feel like Spring has sprung in our home because we can leave our windows open and enjoy (sometimes) dust-free breezes.  

This week I sure enjoyed stitching up another section of 3/4" hexies!   

They just might become a table topper or a dresser scarf.  We'll see!  

Because of me battling strep throat, my birthday celebration was post-poned.

Just the same, my daughter and granddaughter left a gift bag on our front porch

 filled with love and this bouquet.  

My husband took this photo of 

Chloe during the stress of us 

watching the Michigan/UCONN 

championship game!

Go Blue!

As I poured my just-frothed creamer into my coffee, 

this design was formed - quite accidentally I might add!

  Please, if you feel comfortable, share your answer in the comments about whether you find as much creative satisfaction in preparing to sew or in the actual sewing?

 Also, please share your favorite verse from the Psalms.  

Your comments are so appreciated! 

I read each one and will respond by email.

You can also expect a visit from me as well!

I'm behind in responding, but you are not forgotten!

Here are the parties I sometimes link up with:  

Sundays

Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts

Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz

Stitching Stuff at Kate's Life in Pieces

Mondays

Mailbox Monday @ I'd Rather Be At the Beach

Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps

What Are You Reading at The Book Date

Tuesdays

To Do Tuesday posts at Quilt Schmilt

Thursdays

I Like on Thursdays at Not Afraid of Color