Wednesday's Word. Wednesday Wrap Ups. Pressing On.

Wednesday's Word

"...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...."

Whom will we serve?  It's our choice.  During a sermon on loving our family on purpose, Pastor was sharing wonderful parenting tips.  As an adult survivor of child abuse as well as a parent who has made mistakes, I wondered if some of those listening may be 1) wishing they had parents such as the ones he was teaching about or 2) were parents who are burdened by mistakes they have made.  I fit into both categories.  

Before the defeated one could tangle me up, I recalled Joshua 24:14-15 - choose this day who I will serve.  I modified it to fit my needs for today by telling God and myself that I will  choose this day whom I will serve, 

the demons of my past 

or

the God of my future.  

I choose to forget what is behind - yet keep the lessons learned.

I chose to strain toward what is ahead.  

I wonder if you are living life constrained by the demons of your past, as I was?  

It doesn't have to be that way, not at all.  

Join me in taking steps toward a freeing, joyful life in serving the God of our future!  

It's so liberating!

Wednesday Wrap Ups
Tada!  Here is my finished Morning Glory flimsy!  I absolutely love it!

I'm pressing the top and using a fat back for the backing.  Then it'll be off to my LAQ!  I'm thinking about using a scrappy binding.  We'll see!  
Pressing On
Last week's goals were:

1.  Visit Daddy and Mama for an overnight and maybe even this weekend.  ✔
2.  Add the sashing to the Morning Glory blocks. ✔
3.  Finish up two blocks for my Stitchers' Garden. X

This week's goals:
1.  Visit Daddy and Mama for an overnight.
2.  Finish up the two  Month 4 blocks for my Stitchers' Garden.
3.   Quilt 15 minutes a day on Pat's Quilt.

Check out these fun parties!

Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication 
To Do Tuesday @ Stitch All Things
Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? @ Confession of a Fabric Addict (on Fridays) 

Your comments are so appreciated!  I read each one and will respond by email to you!  :)

Monday's Strength. Morning Glory Blocks 14-15 Book Date.

Monday's Strength

Oh how true - we can be blasted by situations, but we are not destroyed.  During Sunday's sermon, my pastor, Dale Walker, stated, "Bring faith into fear, praise into pain."  

If we chose to do just that and remember 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 we can keep the defeated one just that:  defeated!

Morning Glory Blocks 14-15
Two more Morning Glory Quilt block finished!  

I am eager to finish up the last block, add sashing and borders.  This year, The Year of the BOMs has been different.  I do enjoy BOMs, however, things have not gone as planned.  

http://www.quotes-central.com/6566-if-you-want-to-make-god-laugh.html

Daddy's diagnosis has certainly changed my priorities and I have no regrets.  Spending time with him is one of my highest priorities. Thankfully, the effects of the various road construction projects in El Paso is not affecting my drive as it used to.  Either way, I usually spend 1-2 days in El Paso with an additional Saturday thrown in for good measure - and I love every minute of it!  

Quilts, BOMs, crochet, and even blogging will always be here patiently waiting for me.  My faith is one of the main reasons I can be so accepting.  Second to that is that I know that you, my readers, are understanding and supportive.  That is what is so awesome about sharing our crafting lives online - we love and support each other unconditionally!  

via GIPHY

Book Date
Current Reads

Deborah's Story by Ann Burton

Threading the Needle by Marie Bostwick

                         (Cobbled Court Quilts #4)

The Farmer's Wife 1930's Sampler Quilt 
by Laurie Aaron Hird

In order to capture the spirit of this book, it must be read slowly, in bits and pieces.  Someone asked if I intended to make this quilt.  I do, but as I study the patterns, the learning curve will definitely be vertical!  Has anyone else made this?  Do you have any advice to offer?

Finished

A Thread So Thin by Marie Bostwick

                                 (Cobbled Court Quilts #3)

🌟🌟🌟🌟

A Man Called Ove  by Fredrik Backman 

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Should you decide to read this book, be patient with dear Ove.  He grows on you and perhaps you will fall in love with him, as I did.  

Linking up to:
Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt
Show and Tell Mondays with Bambi

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

Your comments are so appreciated!  I read each one and will respond by email to you!  :)

Monday's Strength. Morning Glory Blocks 12-13. Book Date.

Monday's Strength

My dear reader, God does indeed bring it all together for us in the end.  I love this part of the verse.  

Why does He do this?
"Because He cares,
cares right down to the last detail." James 5:11
That is such a blessing and reassurance for me as I am definitely not a detail person.  Knowing my life and the lives of my loved ones are in the hands of One who cares right down to the last detail is a source of peace for me.  In the moment, I may not understand His ways, but they are not my ways!  They are so much higher!  Like the prophets of old, I am learning to stay the course.  As I do so, I am finding God is indeed faithful, trustworthy and the road to peace.  Praise His holy name!
Would you like to have peace?  Would you like to try trusting Him? I suggest you try it for the long haul.  Be joyful in hope, patient in your afflictions and faithful in prayer.  
You will find your peace.  
I promise.
More importantly, He promises.

Morning Glory Blocks 12-13
Progress continues on my Morning Glory Quilt by Kate Spain!  I finished blocks 12 & 13.  

Book Date

Current Reads

A Thread So Thin by Marie Bostwick

                                 (Cobbled Court Quilts #3)

A Man Called Ove  by Fredrik Backman 

                                 

The Farmer's Wife 1930's Sampler Quilt 
by Laurie Aaron Hird

Finished

                             A Single Thread

(Cobbled Court Quilts #1)

by Marie Bostwick
🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠

                             A Thread of Truth

(Cobbled Court Quilts #2)

by 

Marie Bostwick

🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠

                               Lilac Girls

by 

Martha Hall Kelly 

🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠

                      The Midwife's Apprentice

by 

Karen Cushman

🌠🌠🌠🌠

86'd Book

Oceans of Delusions by Mike Rothery

Linking up to:
Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt
Show and Tell Mondays with Bambi

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

Your comments are so appreciated!  I read each one and will respond by email to you!  :)

Monday's Strength. Morning Glory Blocks 10-11. Book Date.

Monday's Strength

This morning I needed a word from the LORD, His guidance.  So I reached into my Scripture box and: Wow.  He made His will very clear to me, confirming what He has been telling me all week.  

Do we go forth when He calls us to unknown, seemingly scary places or do hesitate?  To be honest, I'm hesitating.  He is patient, though.  He will continue to prepare me for this journey into the unknown.  He'll do the same for you my friend.

Morning Glory Blocks 10-11
My Morning Glory quilt by Kate Spain  continues to take shape with 11/16 blocks now finished!  I'm pretty sure I reversed the colors on this block, but it still came out pretty!

I'll be visiting Dad and Mom for an overnight visit, but I'm hoping to finish two more blocks this week!

Book Date
If you recall, reading, one of my favorite pre-cancer past times, was so very difficult during and after chemotherapy.  But, my tenacity has paid off!  
I'm so excited to share that, after almost four years of trying, I can finally read for enjoyment vs. trying to retrain my brain to read!  

via GIPHY
Current Reads

Oceans of Delusions by Mike Rothery

This is my first ever book that I'm reading for review.

The Farmer's Wife 1930's Sampler Quilt 
by Laurie Aaron Hird

Finished

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

The Man She Married by Cathy Lamb 
★★★★

Linking up to:
Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt
Show and Tell Mondays with Bambi

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

Your comments are so appreciated!  I read each one and will respond by email to you!  :)

Monday's Strength. Morning Glory Blocks 8 - 9. Book Date.

Monday's Strength

You know, I've been surprised at how calm and peaceful I've been these last few months.  Yes, there have been tears, but, for the most part, I've been walking in faith.  

I like this sentence from Jana Alcorn's book, Don't Throw in the Towel, Hope Again!  How can we grow our ability to handle disappointment?  By leaning on our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ.  It's only through Him that our strength comes.  

I pray for His joy - which is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).  Then, after my pain, trial, disappointment has passed, I can go on to comfort others with the comfort I have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).  

After the trial, comes opportunities to testify to His grace and our victory through Him!

Morning Glory Blocks 8 - 9
Yes!  Only seven more blocks needed for the Morning Glory quilt by Kate Spain that is my Mother/Daughter BOM!  Here are Morning Glory's Blocks 8 & 9!

Book Date

Current Reads

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

The Farmer's Wife 1930's Sampler Quilt by Laurie Aaron Hird

                                       

Quiltfolk is a magazine, but it reads  like a book and I love it!

Finished

Reading these two books was a deeply moving experience.  I started The Nightingale as an audiobook, then switched to the hardcopy.  I then began listening to While We Are Far Apart.  Both books were about WWII, one taking place in America, the other in Europe.  I was reading about the war from both perspectives at the same time!  I was caught up in the stories, the characters as well as how they maintained their faith.  Deeply moving and humbling.    

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

While We're Far Apart by Lynn Austin

Linking up to:

Monday Making @ Love, Laugh, Quilt
Show and Tell Mondays with Bambi

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

Your comments are so appreciated!  I read each one and will respond by email to you!  :)