I missed posting last week, but I’m so happy to be back! I’m late writing this post, but am so happy I am still posting it. Thank you for stopping in today. May this week’s mix of devotionals, stitching progress, book notes, and quiet moments of gratitude bring a little extra joy to your day.
My husband has been in Virginia for the past two weeks. His absence felt strange. First off, it was actually my first time living alone for an extended stretch! While it took some getting used to, it reminded me what a blessing his companionship and his presence are for me.
Between multiple daily calls from him, check-ins from my adult kids, a wonderful surprise visit from my two oldest grandchildren, a virtual sewing session, and my usual stitching groups, my hands and heart stayed completely full.
A finger on my right hand (my dominant hand) is swollen and painful. I'm giving it a rest this week. Stayed tuned for next week though! I'm planning to show you a few crochet projects I've been working on, a new brand of yarn I'm obsessed with and some hooks that are wonderful for my hands.
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 and make a list of them in my journal. I'll follow the same format here.
The Presence of the
LORD
1 Preserve me, O God,
for in You I take refuge.
2I said
to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
apart from You I have no
good thing.”
3As for
the saints in the land,
they are the excellence
in whom all my delight
resides.
4 Sorrows
will multiply
to those who chase other
gods.
I will not pour out their
libations of blood,
or speak their names with
my lips.
5 The
LORD is my chosen portion
and my cup;
You have made my lot secure.
6The
lines of my boundary have fallen in pleasant places;
surely my inheritance is
delightful.
7I will
bless the LORD who counsels
me;
even at night my conscience instructs me.b
Because He is at my right hand, I
will not be shaken.
9Therefore
my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will dwell
securely.d
10For You will not abandon my soul
to Sheol,
11You have made known to me the path of
life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence,f
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
-
Psalm 16
- The LORD preserves us
- The LORD provides and is our refuge
- The LORD is our chosen portion and cup
- The LORD makes our lots (boundaries) secure
- The LORD counsels us
- The LORD instructs us
- The LORD remains at our right hand
- The LORD will not abandon us
- The LORD will not let us see decay
- The LORD makes known to us the path of life
- The LORD fills us with joy in His prescense
- The LORD fills us with eternal pleasures at His right hand
The Presence of the LORD
1 Preserve me, O God,
for in You I take refuge.
2I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
apart from You I have no good thing.”
3As for the saints in the land,
they are the excellence
in whom all my delight resides.
4 Sorrows will multiply
to those who chase other gods.
I will not pour out their libations of blood,
or speak their names with my lips.
Right away, we see two powerful promises from God.
First, He preserves us. Webster defines preserve as keeping something safe from
injury, harm, or destruction. As God's children, we can rest in the assurance that no matter what
circumstances we face, He is fully aware and keeps us safe.
But that raises an honest question: Why do we still face serious illness, debilitating
disease, or the heartbreak of a wayward child?Because we live in a fallen world, we
inevitably walk through painful seasons. Turning away from or blaming God in those
moments is an understandable human reaction, but it isn’t where our healing lies.
Believe me, I know. Not long ago, life’s circumstances hit me so hard that I felt my
own faith shatter—a struggle that inspired me to write a whole series on this topic. Yet,
even in my brokenness, God was at work. He didn't just restore my faith; He brought me
back to Him stronger than ever. Praise the One who loves us so deeply and longs to
draw near to us!
As Romans 8:28 reminds us: “And we know that in all things God works for the good
of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
This brings us to the second promise: God provides a refuge.
Webswt3er defined refuge is a shelter or safe place from danger and distress. When God
preserves us, He doesn't just maintain our lives—He wraps us in His protection.
Whether life is running smoothly or falling apart, God is actively with us, with you,
providing our preservation and our refuge in His presence.
Whatever you are walking through today, remember that you are not alone. As I write
these words, you can be sure that I am not only writing from my heart, but from my own
painful experiences.
One of my greatest weapons against the defeated one is to have Christian music. I've
begun to leave it playing even at a very low volume. When a favorite song plays, I
raise the volume and dance as I praise God. Try it! Join me in praising God and lifting
our voices as we dance and praise Him. Even if the situation seemingly remain
unchanged, know that God is working. He will not abandon His children.
Please know this:
You are loved. You are not alone. You are being lovingly prayed for.
The story behind Leeanna Crawford's song,
Thank God.
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.
Last Week's List
1. Finish nothing for now
2. Focus
a. Jalapeño Placemats. Done! I finally picked a pattern and have one top finished and five more to go.
b. Grandchild #3's ornament Done! I did quite a bit on this one. Next step is the outlining.
b. Grandchild #3's ornament Done! I did quite a bit on this one. Next step is the outlining.
c. appliqué FOF hexagons Done - kind of. These shapes have been the most challenging for me. I decided to redo them and hopefully they'll look better than the first set.
3. Prepare/make a kit - nothing for now
4. Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!
Goals for October 3
1. Finish nothing for now
2. Focus
a. Jalapeño Placemats
b. Grandchild #3's ornament
b. Grandchild #3's ornament
c. appliqué FOF hexagons
3. Prepare/make a kit - nothing for now
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. My 3/4" hexie panel continues to grow! I've stitched every day this week for a 7/7!
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!
In the last couple of weeks, I checked out these audiobooks from Libby. So far, I'm enjoying the Uglies series.
Can't forget to show you this book from my local bookstore, Coas.
Over the last year, I’ve noticed a quiet shift in my reading habits—I'm finding myself a bit more selective and restless with my book choices. While I’ve set aside a few titles over the past twelve months, I don't usually share my "did not finish" books here.
Simply put, my reading tastes are naturally evolving. It felt a little unexpected at first, but as a thoughtful reader kindly reminded me recently, there's grace in simply leaning into these changes. Life is too short, and our reading time too precious, to push through books that just aren't clicking right now—even those receiving widespread praise. I'm choosing to listen to my heart: holding onto the stories that truly resonate and setting the rest aside for another day, without any guilt.
This Week's Reviews
*****
Highly Recommend
Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she’s completely popular. It’s everything she’s ever wanted.
But beneath all the fun—the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom—is a nagging sense that something’s wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally’s ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what’s wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.
Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life—because the authorities don’t intend to let anyone with this information survive." - Amazon
But beneath all the fun—the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom—is a nagging sense that something’s wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally’s ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what’s wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.
Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life—because the authorities don’t intend to let anyone with this information survive." - Amazon
*****
Highly Recommend
Tally Youngblood 16 is a Special, scary surgically improved, Dr Cable's elite Cutter team, headed by best friend Shay. A super-amped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid. Ordered to stamp out the rebels, Shay plans the best trick ever at the Armory. Accidentally, the two girls start a war, and Dr Cable takes over the City. Amazon
Westerfeld’s Uglies series hooked me right from the start. Seeing Tally continue to grow and mature throughout books two and three was a delight, especially as she thoughtfully considers decisions that will change the entire course of her life.
It was so easy to cheer the characters on characters and genuinely care about what happened to them—Westerfeld brings each main character to life so vividly that many of them feel like heroes as well. As a visual reader, I usually find overly detailed descriptions cumbersome, but Westerfeld strikes the perfect balance. His descriptions are rich enough to let me picture every setting clearly without ever having to re-read or even skip the passages.
It was so easy to cheer the characters on characters and genuinely care about what happened to them—Westerfeld brings each main character to life so vividly that many of them feel like heroes as well. As a visual reader, I usually find overly detailed descriptions cumbersome, but Westerfeld strikes the perfect balance. His descriptions are rich enough to let me picture every setting clearly without ever having to re-read or even skip the passages.
Just as I mentioned in my review of Uglies, I highly recommend having the entire series on hand before you start so you can dive straight into the next book without breaking the momentum. Based on how much I enjoyed this trilogy, I’ll definitely be exploring more of Westerfeld’s backlist!
FINDING JOY
LeeAnna's I Like on Thursdays at Not Afraid of Color helps me consistently find the joy in every life. This week's prompt is: Imagine you won the lottery, what are your first three purchases? What a question, right? :)
1. I would want to respectfully help people in their walk with God or help them begin to build a relationship with Him.
2. I would first want to support/develop a program that would help each person in society a chance to be their best self.
3. Naturally, I would do what I could for my family and loved ones without destroying their lives.
I have discovered I love Kate's Life in Pieces 15 minutes of sewing. At first, I was focusing on my 3/4" hexie project, but now I have my supplies and hand stitching projects collected in this Trader Joe's bag. I start off with my hexie panel and rotate as my heart desires.
I usually shy away from pins with slogans,
but now wear this one quite often!
A family member sent me this beautiful photo
from Europe.
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'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
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
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