Happy "Belated" Thanksgiving

Good day Y'all!    Did y'all have a Happy Thanksgiving?    I hope and pray that the Thanksgiving season hasn't stopped for you.    At church, for the month of November, we was challenged to take time every day of the month and thank God for something every day.    I always do every day anyway, but it was so much more meaningful and purposeful when I do it with an attitude of gratitude.    Thanking God for the things that I don't even think about as being blessings from God.    Hot water, clean clothes, shoes on my feet, tooth brush, soap, dishes, a pillow, heat on a cold morning, a comb, food, a lamp.................are you thankful for any of those?    There are oh so many more things that could be listed.    What about the fact that you woke up this morning?    Did you get out of bed?    Can you walk?    Can you speak?    Oh, is your heart beating?     What about those, are you thankful?    I sure I am!!!

I am so thankful to God that He is in control!!!!    No matter what takes place, we must seek God first.     I don't like it when someone asks me, "What's your opinion of whats happening in the world right now?"    The only opinion that matters to me, EVER, is God's opinion, about anything!     God tells us in His Word that there will be troubles in the last days.   My heart breaks for all the pain and hurt that has gone on and that will continue to go on as long as people have the desire to hurt and terrorize other people.    I just have to know that God sees it all and knows what is happening.    This stuff will keep happening because evil is a reality in the world in which we live.    And sadly, some people have CHOSEN evil over good!     God's Word tells us to beware of wolves in sheep's clothing.    He also says that this world is not our home.    The enemy does all he can to take our focus off God.    We must remain dependent on God in every way and focus on Him!!!     God wins!!!!!!     For that, I am thankful!!!!

The spirit of Thanksgiving still holds true on what ever day it is.     We should always start our day thanking God and praising Him for life itself!    And thanking Him for all the blessings of the day!!!!     As we go from the Thanksgiving season and carrying our thankfulness over in to the Christmas season, let us remember what the Christmas season is supposed to be all about........the Birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!!!     King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!!!!

The secular festivities used to mean a whole lot more to me than they do now.     All the decking of the halls and silver and gold and the lights and sights to see are really beautiful, no doubt at all that it is beautiful.     But, what stirs the depths of my soul is to see the beauty in the manger scene, no matter how simple it is or how large and fine it is, it stirs up Holy Spirit in me and we just have to get our worship on!!!!

A night or so after Thanksgiving I was coming home from somewhere out town, and in the front yard of a home along the street was a very simple manger scene.     It had a spot light on it.    It looks to be about 3 feet tall, the tallest piece and spread out over the front lawn in about 10-15 pieces and it looks to be cut from wood of some sort and spray painted white.     It is such a BEAUTIFUL sight coming down the avenue!!!!!     I just start praising God that someone put that out.     It really stirs my soul to see it and I pray that everyone that sees it will have the same experience that I have when looking upon it.     I want to get a picture of it in the dark and post it to show y'all.     It is breath taking!!!!

So back in October, I went up to my mom's and went to church with her on a Sunday morning and spent the day with her.     We had a terrific time.     I had kinda surprised her and in reality, it was a surprise to me too.    Pleasant for both of us.     She had asked me to come and go to church with her, but I just hadn't been feeling up to going and didn't want to get her hopes up and then not feel like going.    So, on Saturday night, I just prayed about it and left it in God's hands.    If I felt like going, I would know it was what He wanted me to do.     I woke up on Sunday morning, and to my joy and happiness, I felt like going.    Before I headed out, I called mom and asked her what she was doing.    "Getting ready for church, what are you doing?"     "Me too" I said.     Then I said, "With you".     And she squealed with joy, and said "Really?"     I said "Yes"!      She was so excited and I was too after I heard her reaction.  

It was hat Sunday.    Now, I don't wear hats on Sunday morning, or any other time for that matter.   I don't have a hat head.     I have a big head and it takes a big hat to fit a big head!    Seriously!!!!     She said I could come on anyway and she would make me stand in a corner when we got to church.     hahahaha     I was heading to a corner, but both back corners was already filled with flags; the Flag of the United States in one corner and the Christian Flag in the other corner.     I was saved by the flags!!!!!     hahaha      Well, we got someone to take our picture with our cell phones, and it didn't break either one of them.    hahahaha      I had changed my profile picture with that pic of me.     Mom seen it and said I should have left her in it.    I said "really, you wouldn't have minded".      She said, "no".      I asked her if I could put the pic on my blog then and said "sure".      So here it is.      I hope you enjoy seeing my mom and me.     I love that she let me share it with y'all.

I think she really rocked her hat!!!      This is NOT coming from a biased daughter at all (hehehe), but her hat was the most beautiful one there and she was the most beautiful lady there, period!!!!!      She is in her very early 80's and she is an awesome lady with a ton and a half of spunk and gets around better than most 40 year olds!!!!     She can out run me any day of the week.     My husband always picks at her and tells her the nut doesn't fall far from the tree.     hahahaha      I do have to admit that she does have a little nut in her and so do I!!!     Truth is truth, what can I say!!!!     I am just so thankful that I get to spend time with her and that we have a great time when I do get to go visit her.      We left church that Sunday and went to local restaurant in her town and as we were driving in to the parking lot, I met one of my sisters-in-law driving out of the parking lot and we waved like silly people, hahaha.      So when we got parked, my brother was coming out of the restaurant, and we got to see him.    (I took a pic of the both of them, but I don't have his permission to share, as I don't like people sharing pics of me without my knowledge.)      But he thought mom looked really nice in her hat too.

We got back to Mom's place that afternoon and she took her hat off.     She came back in the living room and I looked at her for a second.     I said, "Oh no you don't, march back in there and put that hat back on!!!!    I can't stand seeing your "hat hair" now!!!"     We cracked up and she said "that's why I don't like wearing hats".     Me too!     Oh well, it was a great day with lots laughs and I do thank God for those times.

I do hope and pray that as everyone makes their plans for the Christmas season, make room to thank God every day for giving Jesus Christ to a lost, hurting and dying world.     We need Jesus more today than ever before!!!!!     I just pray that you will join me in praying for the planet on which we all live.     It seems to be running rampant with people set on hurting, maiming, and killing others.     The planet earth is covered with people that are in denial of Jesus Christ.    They need our prayers.      It is easy to love and pray for "good" people.      It is easy to pray for the people that we love.     Rubber meets the road when we pray for those that would do us harm.     Rubber meets the road when we pray for the enemies of Christ!      What do I mean by "rubber meets the road"?       We are taught by Jesus Himself, to pray for our enemies.     When we actually put that teaching into practice in our every day lives, then that is where "rubber meets the road" and sometimes it proves to be challenging, at best.     We are then, living out the teaching of Christ.     So, I ask you to join me in living out this teaching.      Pray for those that despise and persecute you for being Christian.    Pray for those that would do you harm.     Pray for those that we would say don't deserve our prayers.     That is true love and compassion.     Father, I pray that you would help me show true love and compassion to the enemies of the Cross!

So, I do have a small craft to share with y'all today.    It is finger crocheted scarves.    They are made from Sashay thread/yarn, the thin kind that I got at Walmart.     I seen it by accident, really!!!!     But when a skein of it jumped in my buggie, (with a little coaxing from me of course, hehehe), I knew I had to do something with it.    Especially since it was purple!!!!!!!!     Have I ever mentioned that I love purple?     Really, have I?      hehehe      Anyway, when I got home with this little treasure, I slipped the paper off it and opened it up to look at the pattern on the back of it and it was "finger crochet".      I said, "that sounds interesting" and in about 10 minutes I had my first scarf made.     As a matter of fact, I have it on in the pic of Mom and me.    So, hop back up there and take a look see at how I have it on.   It finished at about 15-20 feet long and you just wrap and wrap and wrap, till you get  tired of wrapping and then wrap a little bit more.   hahaha     It had been a really big hit.     I went back and got more thread about 2 or 3 times and have made 7 in all, but have given one away.    I have 3 more as presents and will keep the 3 I have already worn.    They are so fun and easy to make!!!!!

The first 3 from left to right are the ones I have already worn.   I do love them!

These are the 3 set aside for gifts and I may have to get some more made.     The blue one is shorter than the others.    It is fuzzy and took up more thread per loop than the others did.   It also does not have any sequins on it.

I tried to get a good close up shot of it so you maybe could see the chain stitch.

This is the close up of the blue one.    It reminds me of those wolly worms you see in the fall that people use to predict how cold the winter will be.    hahaha     These are really simple and so fun to make and I guarantee any one you give one to will love it, (if they don't, just take it back and give them a small lump of coal. hehehe) 

Well, this is it for this time.    I hope y'all read or seen something here that you liked, if you did, share it with someone.     Tell someone you know that there is hope for this sad and hurting world and that hope is found ONLY in Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior!!!!!      Nothing less, nothing more, nothing else!!!!!

Ladybug, I can't wait till I get to see you again.    Sweetpea loves you!!!!!

Remember, God loves y'all and so do I!!!!    Till next time, hugs and love, Patty