Psalm 14:2, Fiber Fun, Literary Life: Liar's Dice, Finding Joy in Journaling

 Hello There!

Thank you for stopping in for a visit! I skipped posting last week—life happens, right?—but I ended up accomplishing twice as much on my goals - for the blog and behind the scenes.  The rain here has been beautiful, leaving our desert plants looking fresh.  My husband and son were away on an overnight trip, and while I enjoyed a quiet morning for studying and writing, the house felt a bit too lonely without them. I was so glad when they returned!

Take good care and, as Daddy used to say, 

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

Perhaps you can enjoy this song as you read?  

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 and make a list of them in my journal.  I'll follow the same format here. 

 The Fool Says There Is No God

(Psalm 53:1–6; Isaiah 59:1–17; Romans 3:9–20)

For the choirmaster. Of David.

1 The foola says in his heart,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt; their acts are vile.

There is no one who does good.

2The LORD looks down from heaven

upon the sons of men

to see if any understand,

if any seek God.

3All have turned away,

they have together become corrupt;b

there is no one who does good,

not even one.c

4Will the workers of iniquity never learn?

They devour my people like bread;

they refuse to call upon the LORD.

5There they are, overwhelmed with dread,

for God is in the company of the righteous.

6You sinners frustrate the plans of the oppressed,

yet the LORD is their shelter.

7Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion!

When the LORD restores His captive people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!

• The LORD looks down from Heaven on all mankind
• The LORD seeks any who understand
• The LORD seeks any who seek Him
• The LORD is present in the company of the righteous
• The LORD is a refuge for the poor
• The LORD restores His people

Full disclosure, I was completely alone as I studied Psalm 14, save for two furbabies in the form of dogs.  After I finished, I just had to jump to my feet and exuberantly praise God!  Poor Bailey and Coco were startled from their naps!  

Psalm 14 is filled with God's love for us!  He looks for us hoping to find any who understand and seek Him!  He is present with us as we go through life's mountain tops and valleys all the while providing restoration!  Ahhhh....But I am getting ahead of myself.

David describes a fool, yet reminds us that God is actively looking down on all mankind—caring for us and longing to be part of our lives. He searches for those who seek Him and seek to understand spiritual matters. Though my own understanding barely scratches the surface, my heart sings with joy on this journey of knowing Him better. Even when that journey requires what Daddy called a 'tune-up,' I'm learning to ask forgiveness, repent, and rest in His grace.

He seeks us. Imagine that:  the King of the Universe seeks us!  He promises that when we seek Him, He is found! He promises this in Jeremiah 29:11–13. Dear reader, please take a moment to read the whole chapter today. My heart truly glows with love for our precious Lord!

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

 “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 

plans to give you hope and a future. 

12Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

13You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 

If you’re longing to experience more of God’s amazing love on your journey, I pray you’ll seek Him. Because truly, my beloved reader, He is waiting to be found!  This salvation card from Truth for Kids  is my favorite picture of how anyone can invite God into their life.  

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 Goals

1.  Finish - No finishes planned

2.  Focus - stitch these EPP petals together Done!   These shapes were a real challenge, and I almost threw in the towel! But since I'm not usually one to quit, I pushed forward. I learned that using freezer paper works much better for me than the cardstock provided. While these aren't my absolute best work, I'm completely fine with that—I learned so much along the way.

                

- begin another crocheted cowl Done!  Though my style is more casual, I do love glamorous clothing as evidenced by my latest cowl reflects that with a "sparkly yarn" and a simple mesh pattern. I wanted to experiment with the mesh stitch and a "normal" yarn .  I'm pleased with the results!

3.  Prepare/make a kit - It’s partially done—I’ve trimmed the backing and batting, but the binding itself still needs to be attached. I was surprised by how difficult it was to maneuver, especially since I have such a fabulous cutting table!  

Thankfully, my family and friends are keeping me grounded, reminding me that I'm only four weeks out of surgery. My husband even mentioned that while some people take six weeks to recover, it takes me double that time. It makes me wonder if fibromyalgia plays a role. Either way, it's a good reminder of my fourth goal: Be kind to myself.

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

This Week's Goals

1.  Finish 

- FOF:  appliqueing and binding one hexie  

2.  Focus

- FOF:   Make a final decision on the backing fabric for each set

- maybe attach the binding to my quilt

3.   Prepare/make a kit

- I've set my jalepeno topper aside for now.  It just needs to be quilted.  I had enough fabric to make some place mats, so I'll prep those.  

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

15 MINUTES TO STICH

I’m joining the Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch' challenge at Life in Pieces  helps us to develop the habit of daily creativity.  This week I’ve been working on my three-quarter inch scrappy hexagon project for Kate’s 15 minutes a day. Yay, I stitched 6/7 days!

I have sets of five to now join together.      

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.

Review of:  

**** Juliet Faithfull’s debut book, Liar’s Dice, is a wonderful read that I would gladly recommend. Set in 1970s Brazil during the rise of a dictatorship, the story follows twelve-year-old twins Dolores and Mita. When the sisters are suddenly separated, Dolores’s love for her twin proves unbreakable as she goes to great lengths to find her.
As a former teacher, I especially enjoyed reading about Dolores’s journey to becoming literate and seeing how learning to read impacted her life. Combined with a fascinating look into Brazilian history and important social issues, this was a book I truly enjoyed. I can’t wait to read more from this author! Recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, author Juliet Faithfull, and 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.  Here is her prompt for this week:  did you or do you keep a diary? what kind of things did you put in yours? ever have a summer crush or vacation romance? 

I first kept a diary as a child, then picked up journaling again when I was a young, married mother. Today, I have several journals.  My blog as a journal of sorts. I also keep a multi-themed journal that holds my daily moments and Bible study notes.  When I feel like playing with paper, I update my reading journal.  I’m currently working on staying consistent with a Five-Year Journal. But out of all of them, my absolute favorite is the special journal my granddaughter gave me.

  

Are some of you struggling with organziation?  I definitely am. Last week I visited Deb from a Scrappy Quilter as she shared her recent re-purposing of a cluttered drawer to a useful space.  Then I remembered Dana K. White from A Slob Comes Clean.   I started implementing a few of her tips last year, and they really helped me get started to achieving my organizational goals. Dana also has a link for free printables to get us started. 

Your comments are so appreciated! 

 🎶Here is a list of many of the songs🎶

I've shared on this blog.

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