Thoughtful Tuesday: On Our Own? Book Date. To Do Tuesday.

Thoughtful Tuesdays

This post from Lesley at Life in the Spacious Place blessed me immensely.  I was reminded that we are never alone in our journey for the LORD is always with us.  We were never meant to go through life alone - ever.  I hope you'll hop on over to Life in the Spacious Place and be encouraged!  

Thank you, Lesley, for such a  comforting reminder of our Father's love!

Book Date -Currently Reading

I'm enjoying reading at least a chapter a week of The Story   I highly recommend this book!  I did fall behind while we were on vacation and then while recovering from the vacation!  Doe that happen to you as well? 

I have yet to pick up I Am Malala since our vacation, but will be reading again regularly very soon.  It's interesting, but I read her book in spurts as I realize I need time to digest all she shares.  

I finished All Things New by Lynn Austin!  It's a great book about the Civil War and left me with a new understanding of how life in the South after the Civil War.  Very interesting.  

I decided to abandon Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.  I wonder if I would've enjoyed the book more if I hadn't seen the movie first?  

Light from Heaven is a new audio book I'm enjoying.  It's light and humorous.  Perfect for me right now.  

I started The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult but just realized it was removed from my RBdigital account.  I guess I took too long to read it.  I'll be checking it out again to finish it.  I was enjoying it!  :)

Last Times' list

1.  Make at least 6 yo-yo flowers to add to my quilt. Done!  Here's the link to four of them - will you trust me that the other 2 got done?  :)

2.  Finish up the yellow and blue flowers for my afghan - the Maria's Blue Crayon Spring Granny Afghan Crochet. Nope!  

4.  Sew a few more of fun four patches inspired by Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts.  Some 1/2 squares were made.  I'm collecting those and then moving onto sewing them together.

3.  Contact the organizations to give out the drainage bags. Nope.  

This Week's List

1.  Make at least 3 yo-yo flowers to add to my quilt. These are the fabrics I'll be using.

2.  Finish up the yellow flowers for my afghan - the Maria's Blue Crayon Spring Granny Afghan Crochet. 
3.  Sew a few more of fun four patches inspired by Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts.  

4.  Contact the organizations to give out the drainage bags.   

I hope you consider visiting and linking up to:

Linking up to:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? @ Book Date

To Do Tuesday @ Stitch All Things

Women Helping Women@ Teaching What is Good

I love reading your comments!  They put a smile on my face!

Thoughtful Tuesday. To Do Tuesday.

Thoughtful Tuesday
As some of you may have noticed, I link up to several inspirational link-ups from which I discover deeply encouraging posts.  Soon I had a collection of these posts and Thoughtful Tuesday was born.  

I was surprised to see this next post in line for today - the timing is perfect.  


It's Inspired by the Abandoned Nest by June of Inspired by June.  June addresses the age old question:  Why don't we do what is good for us?  Why do we do what we know is bad for us?  It reminds me of this:

June's post inspired me to try and choose the good and healthy habit over the opposite.  Truth be told, I'm not always successful, but progress not perfection is the goal.  

June ends her post with an amazing exhortation:  Be gentle with ourselves as we begin to make better choices.  

Progress not perfection.

To Do Tuesday

1) Do a fabric pull for the new Y-seams Tumbling  Blocks prototype with my new Accuquilt Die.  Fingers crossed! Not Yet!

2)  Finish joining Row 3 of my afghan - the Maria's Blue Crayon Spring Granny Afghan Crochet. Not Yet!

3) Finish a pillow I started last year.  Not Yet!

4) Complete 13 Comfort Dolls.  I've made some progress on them!  Done!

There were actually more dolls, but I was blessed to be able to some to the ladies in my Cancer Care Group.  I think I even saw a man take one as well!  

No discrimination here - I'll be making some male dolls as well.  One question though - what would he wear?  How would I make easy pants for this dolls?  What would you do?  
What was truly a blessing was that my son-in-law (who hands hands the size of Texas) and three of my grandchildren helped stuff and make the dolls!

5) Contact the organizations to give out the drainage bags.  Not Yet!

This Week's List

1) Finish the Covered in Love squares.  

2) Finish a pillow I started last year.  

3) Contact the organizations to give out the drainage bags.  

4) Make progress on my afghan - the Maria's Blue Crayon Spring Granny Afghan Crochet. 

5) Do a fabric pull for the new Y-seams Tumbling  Blocks prototype with my new Accuquilt Die.  

 Onward and upward!

I hope you check out 

these fun link ups!  

To Do Tuesday @ Stitch All Things

Linky Tuesday @ Freemotion by the River

Here'a a new to me link-up:

Women Helping Women@ Teaching What is Good

Philippians 4:20 Part 1. JP Drainage Bag Covers. Book Date.

Philippians 4:20
Scripture

Observation
"our God and Father".
Imagine, God is our father, our daddy, our Abba.  Yes!  To Him be the glory for ever and ever!
Application
When I first read this verse, I thought, what more can I add?  It's all there....but then it hit me, God is our Father who supplies our needs.  

Looking at it from a parent's perspective:  Do we supply all of our children's' wants? 

Of course not.  If we supplied all their wants...well, there might not be room in our homes - or their hearts - for anything - much less God. 

Some of their wants are plain impractical...
as are some of ours.

Human parents see the big picture, our God truly sees the bigger picture.  He knows what we want may not necessarily be what's best for us.  He knows what's best for us and all of His children.

So, we trust Him to supply our needs.  As I wrote below, my prayer life is becoming more simplified.  Instead of praying for specific outcomes, I'm learning to say, "Not my will, but Thy will."  

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus' short prayer was specific:  for the cup (Crucifixion) to be removed - and then He prayed for God's will, not His.  Interesting.

Here is a natural stopping point.  I'll continue with Part 2 - my testimony - in the next post.  Blessings to everyone!

JP Drainage Bags
On Instagram I saw a post here written by Christy @ckscarves about covers for the drainage bags used by breast cancer patients  after their lumpectomies or mastectomies. I've learned that these drainage bags are not used only by breast cancer patients, but other surgical patients as well.   

She sent me the link for her tutorial - and it was easy peasy!

Here's the fabric cut and stacked.

Yes, I'm a strip sewist!

All done!

I was able to make 6 tonight in about 1 1/2 hours - from cutting to finished!  I'll be passing them out at my next Cancer Care Group!  It is my second book for my 2018 Library Love Challenge.  

Book Date

https://www.amazon.com/
More-Than-Hobby-Americas-
Superstore/dp/1595559833

More Than A Hobby by David Green with Dean Merrill is filled with nuggets of golden life lessons that can be applied to almost any facet of life!  I'm truly enjoying reading it slowly so as to capture these nuggets more fully!

https://www.amazon.com/
NIV-Story-Audio-CD-Continuing/
dp/0310421772

I'm so glad we are reading this book!  I still find myself going back to the Bible for reference, but this is an easy and enjoyable read in which God is speaking to me on an entirely different level!  In case you're interested, my church, Heart for the World,  provides the study outlines that make this a wonderful devotional time!  

https://www.amazon.com/
Quilters-Homecoming-
Creek-Quilts-Book/
dp/0743260236

I received The Quilter's Homecoming by Jennifer Chiaverini from my local library!  It will be book 2 in my 2018 Library Love Challenge!  I'm looking forward to listening to it during my commute to work!  

Check out these fun link ups!

Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt

Main Crush Mondays @ Cooking Up Quilts

Moving It Forward Monday @ Em’s Scrapbag

Show and Tell Mondays with Bambi

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? @ Book Date

You make my day with your comments!  

I love reading and responding to them!