Saturday's Song: Still Waiting. Slow Stitching Sunday.. Stash Report.

Saturday's Song:  In the Eye of the Storm
.
So many times, we find ourselves in various storms wondering what is going on?  Where is God in all this?  I'm learning that He is with me - He is the eye of the storm.  When my life is falling apart, when my hurts are bigger than me, when I'm uncertain of my future, He is there with me.  

I enjoy learning about the backstories of hymns as well as newer songs.  These real life accounts encourage and amaze me.  The story behind Eye of the Storm is no different.  Ryan has witnessed and experienced more than many of us.  This song is his heart.  After listening to the lyrics of this song, I was so glad I learned Ryan's backstory.  I hope you take a few moments to read it and be blessed! 

Still Waiting
Yes, still waiting to hear results from the changes in my breast.  I was thrilled because the ultrasound tech simply said, "I didn't take any measurements."  Good news - because if she didn't take any measurements, then there's nothing to measure!  I saw my surgeon for an already scheduled 6 month follow up and he didn't see anything on his office ultrasound machine either.  Great news!  

Then I recieved the letter from the radiologist telling me that there is "an area to be followed" in 3 months - unless ""an area of concern prompted this breast exam, please contact your helth care provider..."  Eeesh.  An are of concern did prompt this exam.  

I cried. 
I reached out out to my family for prayer.
Then I had a good night's sleep.  I rested in Jesus' arms.

The next morning, in prayer, He spoke to me.    
"Remember:  your tumor markers have gone down 3 points.  BLOOD DOESN'T LIE!  You were saved and healed by My blood.  Your blood shows reduced tumor markers.  BLOOD DOESN'T LIE!"

I then realized that I have allowed myself to be tossed by the waves of circumstances as I searched for peace from my LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ.  As many of you survivors know, this is common.  But, I'm hanging onto the words of my Savior:  BLOOD DOESN'T LIE.

I'll be clinging to those words.
I'll be following up with my PCP and surgeon.  
I'll be requesting new blood work to see if my tumor makers have changed.  
I'll live in faith and when fear steps in, I'll listen to Fear is a Liar by Zach Williams.  
I'll be remembering that the anchor still holds.  
I'll be looking for and listening to this week's sermon from church.  (not posted yet, but it will be!)  (UPDATE: the link has been updated to include the sermon!  :)  )
I'll be living a life of joy because the joy of the LORD is my strength!
I'll be a child of God, living in faith and running to my Abba Father when I cry.  
I'll ask my heart to simply be still and know He is God.  

Slow Stitching Sunday
Today I plan to continue work on my yo-yo quilt!  I've really enjoyed the peace slow stitching gives me!  

Here are the original fabric yo-yos with a few more flowers added.

Do you see more yo-yo flowers at the top of the design board?  I've decided to pause on adding the white borders until I find a layout I like.  Soon, I'll have stitched through my older fabrics and begin to make yo-yo flowers from my cherished 30's fabrics!  

The yo-yo quilt and EPP Grandmother's Flower Garden slow stitching projects will be worked on during alternating months!  Time to get them off 

the design board and onto my family and I!  

   

Stash Report
I finished a pillow as well as two panel quilts!  Yea!  Fabric is finally and just barely in the black!  

Fabric used this week	1.50
To Date used	44.53
Fabric in this week	0
To Date in	44.50
Net barely in the black - used more than bought!	.03
Yarn used this week	0
To Date used	32.30
Yarn in this week	33.5
To Date in	187.80
Net in the red (more bought than used!)	-208.80

I saw this yarn on clearance at Michael's and picked it up!

It's Red Heart's Unforgettable in Sunrise.  I will be using it to make shawls for myself and as donation shawls.
  So pretty!

I hope you check out these fun linkups!  

Sunday Stash @ Quilt, Paint, Create

Sunday Slow Stitching @ Kathy’s Quilts

Spiritual Sundays

Sunday Scripture Blessings

Philippians 2:13 Leader Ender Quilt UPDATED 2/17/2017

Philippians 2:13 
Scripture

Observation
Isn't this awesome!  It is God who works in each of us to want to act in order to fulfill His good purposes!  

And His main purpose is 

for us to be His child.  

Application
Therefore, His precious one, remember, your salvation and relationship with God doesn't come solely from acts of goodness for our world.  

It comes via many factors.
The ones that come immediately to mind are, for me, the most important:
1) by faith in Him, 
2) by listening and obeying His voice 
as He guides us on this wonderful journey of creating and developing a loving, trusting relationship with Him. 

Prayer
LORD, to be honest, it was hard for me to build a loving, trusting relationship with You.   As You well know, life had handed me plenty of lemons via many forms of abuse and diseases.  But, as I sought You with a heart that was 
hurt,
angry,
sad,
confused at Your will, 
confused at free will You have given us, 
I realized You never abandoned me.

YOU WERE RIGHT THERE AT MY SIDE.

Sometimes You were weeping.

Sometimes You were rejoicing with me.

Sometimes You held me.

Sometimes You held my hand.

Sometimes You were quiet,

waiting to see how 

I would react.

And even when I reacted poorly,

You never abandoned me.

You loved me 

through it all.

I had to work hard

at my own salvation

with

fear,

trembling

and trust.

And

FINALLY

I have learned to forgive.

You persistently brought this song 

into my life

until I really heard it.

You played it on the radio
every single time I started my car.
You made sure I heard it
over and over.
Thank you.
Today,

I am peaceful.

I am serene.

I have forgiven.

I am free.
I am grateful.

Amen.

Leader Ender Quilt

Ok...So I was all excited because I thought I had finished my leader/ender blocks.....No, I hadn't.  I simply misplaced them......Grrrrrr!

But...I have gone from this

a mere six blocks

to this!
UPDATE:  Thank you, Nancy, for your comment!  I randomly placed these blocks on my current comforter to see how they would fit on my bed.  I'm planning on using a beige on beige background fabric!  :)

35 blocks!

And I need to piece 21 more!

I should have enough for a 

queen bed

and maybe a throw!

Yea!

Yea for Bonnie Hunter's idea!

Yea for leader/ender projects!

They go up so quickly!

I'm linking up to

Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River 

Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Needle and Thread Thursday at 

My QuiltInfatuation

Philippians 2:12 Part 1. $7.50 Club. I'm Hooked On This - YUM!

Philippians 2:12.
Scripture
Observation

Isn't it awesome that Paul knows he can count on the Philippians to obey God's Word - whether their founder is there or not?  We have just read of skirmishes in the church, but Paul seems to feel that, for the most part, the Philippians obey God's Word.

Application
How many times have we heard this saying?  

But, apparently this is not the case with the Philippine church. 

In fact, Paul says, "...but now much more in my absence...".  

Wow.

I can only hope that we can continue to maintain that kind of discipline -

to be true to whatever authorities God has placed over us (pastors, bosses, parents, ect.) in their absence.

Many times it can feel like God isn't always there - in our presence.

How do we act then?

Prayer
God, sometimes when I don't feel You,
I lose faith and fear moves in.
But Your Word says:


WHEREVER we go.
You are with us.
There's 
no qualification - 
no exceptions - 
no reason to fear.
Though we do fear at times, 
You are with us!





God, sometimes when I don't feel You,
I sin and condemnation moves in.  
But Your Word says:
                       

And my all time favorite, 
especially during 2015,

IN ALL THINGS
even cancer,
even fear,
ALL THINGS.
PERIOD.
Thank You for these verses!
Thank You for Your presence.
Thank You.
Amen.
Dear Friend,
this is my truth.

$7.50 Club.

Our challenge for our last $7.50 Drunkards Path block was to make a flower using our green Grunge fabric, our background fabric and perhaps even introduce a third fabric.

It was fun!

Here's mine! 

I'm Hooked On This!
Mason Jar Salads
UPDATE:  Several readers had great questions about this process.  I answered them in my typical fashion - in the Comments section as well as emailing each reader.  Please take a moment or so to read the comments.  They had awesome questions!  Plus I'll be continuing to post about this process.  I've added a "Mason Jar Meals" label to my sidebar.  If  you click on that label, it should bring up all posts about this fun new way of eating healthier!  

I admit I'm a bit late to the game - 

but have your heard of 

Mason Jar Salads?  

Mason Jar Breakfast?

Mason Jar Soups?

I thought it was weird when my daughter told me about it.  But, then again, she's a pretty smart cookie.

I do buy a lot of produce with every intention of eating it, 

but sadly, 

I don't.

So, last Friday, I bought my weekly produce and spent an extra $10 on 12 pint sized mason jars.  (It's recommended to use quart size jars, but the pint size worked great for me.)

Then, on Monday, my daughter and I got together to make our meals.  

Here's how we did made ours.  I'll be putting a list of links I used at the end of this post.  This is by NO WAY my original idea!  :)

Step 1:

Gather all your your favorite fresh veggies, toppings and salad dressings together with your clean dry jars.

We used from left to right (I think...always confuse that.)
craisins, shredded carrots, lettuce, mustard greens, almonds, blue berries, celery, bell peppers, sunflower seeds, broccoli and grape tomatoes.

Not pictured are cubed cheese and feta cheese.

The order you put your ingredients in is extremely important!  
1) salad dressing (commercial/homemade)
2) hearty veggies - tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, broccoli, celery, peppers
3) beans, sprouts, avocado, snap peas
4) cooked pasta or grains
5) protein:  cheeses, eggs, meats
6) lettuce, nuts, seeds

Cover them up.  I labeled them with the date using washi tape on the lid.

You now have a weeks worth of salads!  

I then made my breakfast jars by stirring
6 oz of Greek yogurt,
about 4 tblspns non-fat milk,
raw oatmeal,
in a jar.
I added 
frozen berries and mangos,
and almonds.

My daughter made a dairy free version using coconut milk.  

The next morning she texted me saying:
"Cold oatmeal, where have you been all my life?"

Yup.  That about sums up the yumminess.  
Last were the fruit salads made of
frozen berries
grapes
and Mandarin oranges.  
Delicious!

It took us about an hour to make these from cutting up veggies to staring at their loveliness.  And that time includes taking care of Baby M2 (6 months) and Baby C. (1 1/2 years).  

By the way, all you husbands out there,
my husband took a breakfast one to work and loved it!  

Here's my Pinterest board with the websites I used as research!  

I'm linking up to

Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River 

Needle and ThreadThursday at My Quilt Infatuation

A Quilter's Reading Garden
Amy's Scrapspot

Philippians 2;1b. Day 7, Gift 7

Philippians 2:1a (Part 4)

SCRIPTURE

OBSERVATION

Tonight I’m focusing on

“if any comfort

from His love,

if any common sharing

in the Spirit,

if any tenderness and compassion”.

Philippians 2:1b

I just noticed the order of these words:

encouragement

comfort

common sharing

tenderness

compassion.

It’s almost the steps we go through when we first give our lives to Christ.

Many will encourage us in our new walk.

Then, as we become hurt or possibly confused by trials, we receive comfort.

Then, we learn unity.

Finally, as we mature, tenderness and compassion become definite parts of our very being. 

But first

we are in situations that require

encouragement and comfort.

That spells trials to me.

Then, as we receive encouragement and comfort, we begin to learn the value of unity because other’s united to encourage and comfort us!

Finally, we learn to show tenderness and compassion.

It’s a journey, a walk with Christ. 

APPLICATION

I can only say that I cannot imagine not having

ANY

encouragement

comfort from Jesus’ love,

or unity

in the Spirit,

or tenderness

and compassion.

Readers, today yet another dear friend –

who has survived breast cancer multiple times - told me that during a completed unrelated medical emergency, CT scans revealed a lesion on her kidney. 

As I type these words, I’m thinking, 

“Really, LORD?  Really?  How many friends diagnosed with cancer does this make in the last two months?  Six? Seven?  And two of them are terminal.”

But, then this Scripture popped into my head:

And I realized:

I’m focusing on

how very big the problem is,

and

it is huge.

No doubt about it.

BUT

I need to be focusing

on how very big my God is.

And He’s big.

Really big.

Really Really Big.

So, my dear friends, 

Hold on.

Hold tight.

And just be held.

Just. Be. Held.  

PRAYER

Father God,

You are huge.  

You are powerful.

You are wise.

Please take these big, painful, scary problems and squash them like a bug.

And, Father?  

Please encourage and comfort my friends.

Please bring unity to their families, friends, and doctors that they make work as a team to have the victory!

Please let Your love, tenderness and compassion be the rule in each of their situations.

In Your precious Son’s name I pray.

Amen.

Day 7, Gift 7

So, I’ve been doing a lot of cutting out felt and slow stitching on my grandbabies felt lunch.  It would make for boring pictures, so, I’m going to show you something I made a while ago. 

My husband and I were “shopping” in my gift tote.  Most of us have one.  It’s a tote filled with projects we’ve made throughout the year as gifts. 

My husband chose who would receive this tote. 

And I agreed. 

It’s a perfect choice.

He’s pretty smart, my man is. 

Here’s the post where I wrote about it.  It was a practice block for the $7.50 BOM held in Las Cruces, NM by Bernina Sewing and Design.  I had never made a Drunkard’s Path block before, so I made a practice block 

and then turned it into a tote.

So here you go:  Day 7, Gift 7. 

I’m linking up to

Midweek Makers atQuilt Fabrication Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts!

Oh, I have some exciting news to share in my next post!  

Philippians 1:21 - The Rest of The Story. Quilty News

Philippians 1:21

SCRIPTURE: 

OBSERVATION:

This is pretty clear, right? 

Paul is saying that if he survives his trial,

and the death penalty is not issued,

then, he will continue living

SERVING Christ.

But, on the other hand,

if he faces the death,

he is confident he will gain –

meaning

he will BE WITH Christ.

APPLICATION:

I have to really look at this Scripture and it’s application to my life and where I am now.

http://www.jarofquotes.com/
view.php?id=for-to-me-to-
live-is-christ-and-to-
die-is-gain

Soon,

I will be hopefully celebrating my one year anniversary of surviving Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

I say hopefully, because tomorrow is not promised.

It’s all in God’s hands.

Not all survivors get to celebrate good news.

Metastasis does occur.

And has occurred 

in others I know. 

My dear fellow Cancer Survivors,

You know that we live this with this knowledge every day.  

And it changes us. 

http://justinr582.tumblr.com/
post/36504492874

In my situation,

I live life

deeper and lighter at the same time.

When friends I’ve made along this journey experience a metastasis,

I’m sad.

And then, God gives us Philippians 1:21

And I’m better.

Because

To die is gain.

I finally get it.

But it’s so very difficult to accept. 

Because metastasis happens.

And it stinks.

Let’s remember that

we have a hope in Christ.

An eternal peace.

A knowledge that He will comfort

our loved ones, our caregivers, our friends

with a peace that passes all understanding.

http://hdfreewallpaper.net/quotes-on-life-
hd-backgrounds-wallpapers-free/
meaningful-prayer-to-god-nice
-wallpaper-free-hd-for-desktop/

Because sometimes we have to

Just

Stand

On

Our

Knees.

Honestly,

I know it seems that I’m writing in riddles today. 

I have to because

I can’t share another’s private story.

But I can share Paul’s example when he faced death,

I can stand on my knees for my family, friends, and loved ones,

I can pray.

So, on November 13, I will celebrate all the same.

Are you facing a seemingly hopeless situation tonight/this morning?

You are powerful.

You have God.

You can pray.

PRAYER

Father God,

You know my heart and the hearts of the people reading this post.  You know who I am writing about.  I ask that You bring strength, faith, peace, love, unity and hope to every situation that every reader and I are facing.  Infuse us with all these and more! 

Thank you!

Amen.

Dear Friends,

These perhaps unclear, rambling words are my truth.  Be Blessed.

Quilty News

I made significant progress on Carole's Sew Along from From My Carolina Home!  

I'm so used to using the blanket stitch, that I'm rusty on the whip stitch, but it still looks pretty good!  

Maybe tomorrow I'll finish it up and be ready for her next installment next Sunday.  I'm foregoing the button step simple because I don't have matching buttons.  

I'm linking up to Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation and WIPs Be Gone at A Quilter's Reader Garden!