"O Holy Night"

This is the beautiful sight I see when I am out and about in my small town.   A most lovely sight for sure.    I wanted to share it with y'all.   It is definitely in keeping with the "reason for the season" and remembering the "Who and not the do".     Just remember as you look at this beautiful picture, "the Stable sits in the shadow of the Cross".

I just wanted to wish each and every one y'all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!!   As I do I just wanted to share with y'all what I shared with a very special group of ladies.   As I did, I was reminded that every one who visits my blog are a very special group of people also.   So, this is my Christmas prayer for all of us.   

Father,  We thank You for the Perfect gift of Yeshua, Jesus Christ!    We thank you for seeing us thru, this another year.   We have so much to be thankful for this year.   I know there has been a lot of health issues for people this year and the previous years, but I have to remind myself from time to time that nothing ever happens without You knowing about it.    I can see in our lives where You have been holding each one of us and seeing us through the hard days.   With knowledge and affirmation of Your presence in the hard days, we know that You will be with us during the good days.   I pray for a new year full of blessings for each one of us.    I pray that 2017 will be the year that we see dreams being fulfilled in all of our lives.   The secret dreams that we have never shared with anyone but You, Father.   I pray that You, Yahweh will open doors for us that could not have been opened without You.   I pray that You will shut doors that we don't need to even look thru or that has run its course in our lives.    I pray that You will give each of us an extra portion of boldness to "live out loud, love out loud and praise You out loud".    I pray, that with all the changes coming in the new year, that You will teach us to pray more focused, to pray believing, and to pray more often, knowing You hear our cries.   I pray for 2017 to be the best year so far, for each of us.    I pray that You will teach me/us to be more health conscious and more aware of what we need to do to take care of us so we can be a blessing to those around us.   I pray that You, Father God will enlarge our circles of influence and that we can be a blessing to all we come in contact with, especially those opposed to You and Your ways.    I pray that when people see us, they know something is different about us.    I pray that our lives will glorify You in everything we do.    I pray that You will teach us to love others in a way that is more pleasing to You.    I pray that You will convict each of us of the sin in our lives and the need to confess and ask You for forgiveness.   I pray that You will be with all the leaders of this nation and teach them to call on You for guidance.     I pray that You will be with all the leaders of the world and teach them all to call on You.   Your Word says that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Yeshua, Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior over all,    I pray that every knee will bow because they have trusted and believed in You.    I pray that every tongue will confess that Christ Jesus is Lord and Savior because they have accepted Yeshua as Lord and Savior of their lives.    I pray that 2017 will be a year of people coming to You, freely, because they want a better way of life.    I pray that we will remember that the manger points to the Cross this Christmas Season.     Thank you for Salvation in the form of a Baby.    Amen!

We had a most beautiful Candle Light Vesper service at church tonight.   It was a lovely sight indeed.  I pray that everyone has a wonderful night of sweet refreshing rest in the name of Christ  and remember the silence and the beauty of the Holy Night that Christ was born.  Always remember that God loves y'all and so do I.   MERRY CHRISTMAS     Love and hugs, Patty
(ps: click on the picture for a larger view)

My Christmas Tree

Good morning y'all!!!   In my neck of the woods the sun is shining brightly and beautifully, oh my it sure is.    I was at one of the local stores shopping one day last week and the lady checking me out said something about it being beautiful outside.   I laughed and said, "Yeah, but it's a little "sneaky", because it is really cold."     She laughed and said, "I love that term, "sneaky", it's perfect to describe the weather.     You know, "looks can be deceiving".    That's what I was thinking about when I said that.     We have had a cold few days here, but I think we are in for an upturn of the temps.    I think I seen where it's supposed to be in the mid to upper 60's Christmas Day, but with lots of rain. That, I guess, is better than snow.    I can't even believe I said that!!!!     I know I must be getting old now.    hahaha

I wanted to share something with y'all today that I shared last year, and wanted to repost it again.   This came about from a sermon my Pastor preached last year during the Christmas season.     I don't really know what he said that caused me to have this mental image, because he was preaching about the obscure little village of Bethlehem and it had nothing to do with decorating a Christmas tree.     Anyway, below is the mental picture I had that morning.   When I got home from church, I started writing and it started coming together, with this being the finished product.     I hope you enjoy reading it.

My Christmas Tree

What if I asked you to decorate a Christmas Tree and put only things on it that would describe you, your relationship with Jesus and your relationship with others.    Could you do it?     Would you do it?    I was sitting in church service Sunday morning and as the Pastor spoke, I was concentrating on his sermon and all the time I kept getting this mental picture.     Do any of y'all ever get that mental picture that you just can't get out of your head?    I do.    Sometimes mine is an all out comedy skit of something that he is preaching on.    Yeah, I know, only I could find the humor in some of the things that he preaches on and, by the way, every bit of it is scriptural.    I just have say that I know God has a very good sense of humor, because He gave me a pretty good one.    So, I can actually blame it on Him, right.    ggg    Anyway, as he was speaking, I kept seeing a Christmas Tree in my mind.    I finally just had to ask God what that was.     Well, it was a Christmas Tree that was decorated with things that represented my relationship with Jesus and the people in  my life.     I didn't get a really clear image of it though.     I was so intrigued by the idea that I thought I would try to mentally decorate a Christmas Tree for y'all and describe it as I go.

So, first off it would have to be a Cedar Tree.   A Cedar tree never looses it branches and it stays green all the time.     It will grow in places that a lot of other trees can't.   It has a smell that only the cedar tree has.    I love the smell of cedar.     As a small child, I would pick up cedar shavings and smell them.    I would actually rub them on my nose and sleep with them and get them tangled in my hair.    Anyway, that's what we always had growing up and I remember all the fun I had when I got to help decorate it.    Sometimes, I would get to decorate it more than once if it fell over.     hehehe      Redecorating is not as fun as it was to decorate it the first time.    So, Cedar Tree it is. 

Next I would put lots of colored lights on it.     I do love the clear lights, but I am a colorful person and I love lots of color, so colored lights it is.    God didn't say anything about colored lights or clear, He just said to let our light shine for others to see.    And we are not to put our light under a bushel, but to have it out and shining bright.   So, I do believe a lot of colored lights on my tree would be seen.    So, colored lights, it is.

Next, for garland, I might string some popcorn and put that on my tree.     Most everyone likes or loves popcorn.     It does smell wonderful when it's popping.     What is the first thing you smell when you go to the movie theater?     Yeah, popcorn.    The smell of it is inviting and pleasing.    Have you every thought about popcorn?    It takes a lot of heat, to make that kernel of corn transform into something that is so delicious.    It has to "go thru the fire", so to speak, for it to be transformed into something that we love so much.     Guess what, we have to "go thru the fire" also, to be transformed into something useful that God can use.    Notice I said "go" thru the fire to be made into useful.    If popcorn stays in the fire too long, it goes from delectable to detestable in just a matter of seconds.    Sometimes we take our eyes off the popcorn and it burns.    God will never take His eyes off us and He goes thru the fire with us.     We are never alone.     So, popcorn it is.

Next comes the decorations.     First, I think I would want a box of crayons.     They represent the big box of 64 that I had as a child.    I loved those crayons and the many hours of pleasure they brought me.    They also represent the fact that it's ok to color outside the lines.     Our artistic skill, love and abilities come  from God, so I will embrace my artistic side with the crayons.    Next, I think there would be some big beautiful colorful buttons scattered about on my tree.     I have always loved buttons.    I learned to count with buttons.     I always loved to play with buttons while Mom was sewing.    Buttons are very useful.    They hold stuff together.    They can be plain and be useful.    They can be very ornate and still be just as useful.    So, a few buttons goes on my tree, just to make sure I stay buttoned up and together.     Next, I would want at least eight different cookie cutters hanging on my tree.       Six to represent the guys in our house; dad and five brothers. Then two to represent mom and me.     Cookies was always a special treat.     I would want them all to be different, because we are all different.    God made all His children different, so mine would have to be different too.

Next I would want some glass ornaments.    Glass ornaments of all different shapes colors and sizes.    God made us in His image in all different shapes colors and sizes, but none the less, all still in His image.     The glass represents how fragile we are.   If not handled correctly, they shatter.     So do we, when we are not handled correctly.    

Next, I would have 37 small gold wedding rings hanging on my tree for all to see.     Those would be as a reminder of the all the Christmases my husband and I have spent together.     Representing all the good times and the bad, knowing that God was in the midst of it all.      With the hopes of adding many more as each year rolls around.     The circle also represents the un-ending love that God has for His children.   Yes, a few gold wedding bands it is.     

Next, I would want a few beautifully decorated acorns.     Those remind me of times when my husband and I have gone on acorn hunts and found some really large acorns.    I bake them in a low temp oven (to kill any insects or eggs that may be in them) for a couple hours, and turn the oven off, leave them over night and the next day they are ready to decorate.     From a small acorn comes the mighty oak.     They grow really tall on the upside of the ground.     On the underside, where we can't see, they put down really deep roots!      So, I want to represent Jesus Christ well when you see me, but I also want to know that I am firmly rooted in Christ.    The roots are very important when the storms of life come thru, they determine whether you survive it.    Everything above ground can be damaged, but as long as the root system is ok, the tree can come out of it.    I may be shaken, but if I'm rooted in Christ, I can survive any storm.

Next, I think I would like to have some trumpets on my Christmas Tree.    I have a few, and when I do decorate, I love using them.     I love the sound of the trumpet.    Of course, I couldn't make a sound come out of one if my life depended on it.    But, I do enjoy the sound of them.     And I do keep my ear pealed, listening for the great trumpet blast that will take place when Jesus comes again.     So, yes I will have a few trumpets.      Next, I would have to have one small broken ornament on my tree.     Why that, you ask?     If we are honest with ourselves and God, we are all broken, in some way.     That's what sin does, it causes brokenness, and we can't fix it.     God can and does when we come to Him with our sin.    So, that one small broken ornament would be a reminder to me, that although it is broken, it is still loved and useful.    God can use each and every one of us, with our brokenness, to His benefit and glory.

Next, y'all know I love me some purple!     If you don't, it's not because I haven't told ya!  hahaha     Yeah, I think I would have some purple scraps of fabric on my Christmas Tree.     Why scraps of fabric?     I am reminded of Lydia.    The lady from the Bible.     She was a seller of purple cloth and she also loved the Lord.     Purple is a symbol of royalty.     Since I am a daughter of the Most High God, I think just a few purple scraps would do me well on my tree.     Next, I think I would have to have me some pearls on my tree.     Pearl is my birthstone and fittingly so.      Pearls are the result of an irritation that takes place in the oyster.     Think about how bad an ulcer hurts, that's about similar to the kind of irritation that produces a pearl.     The Bible speaks of pearls as having great value.     The gates of Heaven will be made from pearls.    Each gate will be made from one large pearl.      That's one large source of irritation for each pearl!!!      One of my very dear friends and I have special names for each other.     She is Pearl Love, because she is the epitome of Love, Gods love!!!!      I am Pearl Joy.     My Joy comes from the Lord.      There is also scripture that says not to cast your pearls before swine.      So, pearls it is.

Next I would have to have to have a ladybug on my tree.    The red one, that is.     Who doesn't love a ladybug.     Scientists done an experiment on ladybugs a few years ago and found out they are possibly the strongest creature on earth.    They can pick up over 600 times their own body weight with those little suction feet of theirs.    Pretty amazing, huh!    They are very strong little buggers.    The ladybug would represent my mom, one of the strongest people I have ever known.    That's what I call my mom sometimes too.     Next, I would have to have a little sweet pea flower on my Christmas Tree.     They are a small, dainty flower; everything that I ain't!   hahaha    The wild ones found in nature are usually purple, woohoo.     They do smell good.     They are considered to be a good gift.    They represent "good fortune", so I say that my good fortune can be found only in what Jesus Christ has done for me.    This is what my mom calls me sometimes too.    So, sweet pea it is.

Next, I love to have candy canes shaped like a shepherds staff.     The shepherds staff reminds me that the shepherd looks after his sheep.     Shepherds were the lowest of the low, but God chose them to announce His plans to that night in the fields while watching their sheep.    Wow, talk about a chosen group of men that night!     The shepherds staff was a useful tool to.     Sometimes he has to use his staff to get one of the sheep that may have fallen in a crevice or something like that.  He can just reach out and pull a sheep back to where it belongs.    But the shepherd always has his sheep's best interest at heart.     The sheep knows the shepherds voice, the shepherd knows the voice of his sheep.     So it is with Christ as our Shepherd, He recognizes our voice, we recognize His voice and He always has our best interests at heart.     Next, I think I would need a few heart shaped ornaments on my tree.    The heart represents great love.     We see the heart of Christ from the beginning to end of the Bible.     We also have learned to love, because Christ loved us first.    Sometimes it is hard for us to love as Christ loves.    But He has taught us to love others, even our enemies.     So, I will have a few hearts on my tree as a reminder to love others.  

When I get it all decorated with all the different ornaments and items I want on my tree, there's just a couple of things left.     I would take a few hands full of glitter and toss it on the tree.     Why glitter?     It sparkles, it shines, and it shimmers!!!!     It makes you smile when you see it.     If you get close enough to someones glitter, you get it on you.    It's a reminder that you was with that person and enjoyed time spent with them.      I can just imagine how the streets of gold are gonna glimmer, sparkle and shimmer.     So glitter, it is.

Last but not least, by any means is the tree topper.     My tree topper would be a Cross.     The symbol of what Christ has done for me and who I am in Him.     It would not have to be the finest Cross ever made.      I'll gladly take a rough cut, precariously nailed cross for my tree topper.     The Cross was not ever meant to be a thing of beauty.    The only way the Cross becomes a symbol of beauty is when it represents the transformation that has taken place in my life as a result of the finished work of Christ on the cross.    If you see someone wearing a cross, ask them what it means to them.     See if it means the same thing to them that it means to you.    If not, share with them what the cross represents to you.    So, a Cross it is for my topper.

There you have it.    A Cedar Tree, colored lights, popcorn, crayons, buttons, cookie cutters, glass ornaments, acorns, gold wedding rings, small broken ornament, trumpets, purple fabric scraps, pearls, a lady bug, a sweet pea flower, shepherd staff candy cane, hearts, glitter and a cross.     These are the things that would make up my Christmas Tree to describe who I am.

What would you use to describe who you are?       Think about it.     When I got done putting everything down to describe my tree, then it all came into focus and this is exactly what I saw when my Pastor was preaching Sunday morning.      His sermon was about what came from Bethlehem, such a small and obscure little town.  How in the world I got this from his sermon, I'll never know.      Other than it just being what I call a God "thang".     I do have to say that I am quite pleased with my Christmas Tree.     I hope you will do the same thing this Christmas season and share your Christmas Tree with those around you. (written by patty in 2015)

Well Christmas will be in four days.      I hope and pray as the day approaches that we will be ever mindful that Yeshua, Jesus Christ's life was a life filled with purpose.     His life set the example for our lives.    Our lives should be filled with purpose.     Two of those purposes are to worship God and to share Yeshua, Christ with others to grow the kingdom.     We don't have to preach a sermon, just live lives that speak louder than any sermon.     Love speaks.     Love loud.     Emulate our Savior.

Well, that's about it for now.     If I don't pop back in before Christmas Day, Merry Christmas y'all and enjoy all the festivities and beauty of this time of year and lets all try to keep the spirit of why we celebrate alive and in our hearts.     Just remember that God loved us enough to give us the VERY best gift that could ever be given!     I love y'all too!    hugs and love, Patty

"Is Anyone Missing Baby Jesus?"

Well, here it is a very cold December night, just 9 days from Christmas.      I know there are lots of last minute things to be done.     But as we get closer to Christmas, let us be ever mindful of the needs around us.     There are lots of hurting people tonight.    In my fine state of Tennessee, there are lots of hurting people in and around the Smoky Mountains with some of the area having been devastated by wild fires.   14 people lost their lives in those fires and lots of people injured.    Just this week here in my home town there was a devastating fire early Tuesday morning that took the lives of 4 children below the age of 9 and two other people in the family are hospitalized.     This has been such a terrible and devastating thing.     There are people that are dealing with surgeries and cancer diagnoses.      People that are hurting from the loss of loved ones.      Many, many people in the hospital with all kinds of illnesses.     2 or 3 elderly from my church dealing with falls and all kinds of issues.     One of our little ladies went home to be with the Lord early this morning.     She had moved to be with her son, but she was still ours.      I pray for all these situations and all the many that I didn't even mention.     We all have people that are hurting.      The nursing homes are filled with lonely hurting people.     It just goes on and on and on.     As bleak as it all sounds, there is a lot of good news!      That good news surrounds the "Reason for the Season".    

Everywhere you look, it seems there is good will toward fellow man and that is heart warming.     People helping those in need.     If you look close, there are many more smiles on the faces of those we see around this time of the year.      A smile is one of the cheapest and easiest gifts we can give to someone.     It doesn't cost a penny and it doesn't even hurt our faces to smile.    ggg     It is so fun to see the reaction of those around us when we start smiling and see the domino effect of all the smiles.

I have a friend that sends a devotion to me and a bunch more people every day and I look forward to those little presents in e-mail box every day.      The one below is what came today.    Some of you may have already read it, but for those who haven't, it will be a good read.      I just love it and wanted to share it with you, my readers, and I hope and pray that you are blessed by it.

Is Anyone Missing Baby Jesus?

About a week before Christmas, the family bought a new nativity set. When they unpacked it, they found two figures of the Baby Jesus.

"Someone must have packed this wrong," the mother said, counting out the figures. "We have one Joseph, one Mary, three wise men, three shepherds, two lambs, a donkey, a cow, an angel and two babies. Oh, dear! I suppose some set down at the store is missing a Baby Jesus because we have two."

"You two run back down to the store and tell the manager that we have an extra Jesus. Tell him to put a sign on the remaining boxes, saying that if a set is missing a Baby Jesus, call 7126. Put on your warm coats. It is freezing out there."

The manager of the store copied down mother's message and the next time they were in the store they saw the cardboard sign that read, "If you are missing Baby Jesus, call 7126." All week long they waited for someone to call. Surely, they thought someone was missing that important figurine. Each time the phone rang, mother would say, "I'll bet that's about Jesus.", but it never was.

Father tried to explain there are thousands of these scattered over the country, and the figurine could be missing from a set in Florida or Texas or California. Those packing mistakes happen all the time. He suggested to just put the extra Jesus back in the box and forget about it.

"Put Baby Jesus back in the box! What a terrible thing to do!" said the children. "Surely someone will call," mother said. "We'll just keep the two of them together in the manger until someone calls."

When no call had come by 5:00 PM on Christmas Eve, mother insisted that father just run down to the store to see if there were any sets left. "You can see them right through the window, over on the counter," she said. "If they are all gone, I'll know someone is bound to call tonight."

"Run down to the store?" father thundered. "It's 15 below zero out there!"  "Oh, Daddy, we'll go with you," Tommy and Mary began to put on their coats.  Father gave a long sigh and headed for the front closet. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered.

Tommy and Mary ran ahead as father reluctantly walked out in the cold. Mary got to the store first and pressed her nose up to the store window. "They're all gone, Daddy," she shouted. "Every set must be sold."

"Hooray" Tommy said. "The mystery will now be solved tonight!"

Father heard the news still a half block away and immediately turned on his heel and headed back home. When they got back into the house, they noticed that mother was gone and so was the extra Baby Jesus figurine. "Someone must have called and she went out to deliver the figurine," my father reasoned, pulling off his boots. "You kids get ready for bed while I wrap mother's present."

Then the phone rang. Father yelled "answer the phone and tell 'em we found a home for Jesus." But it was mother calling with instructions for us to come to 205 Chestnut Street immediately, and bring three blankets, a box of cookies and some milk..

"Now what has she gotten us into?" my father groaned as we bundled up again.  "205 Chestnut. Why that's across town. Wrap that milk up good in the blankets or it will turn to ice before we get there. Why can't we all just get on with Christmas? It's probably 20 below out there now. And the wind is picking up. Of all the crazy things to do on a night like this!"

When they got to the house at 205 Chestnut Street, it was the darkest one on the block. Only one tiny light burned in the living room and, the moment we set foot on the porch steps, my mother opened the door and shouted, "They're here, Oh thank God, you got here, Ray! You kids take those blankets into the living room and wrap up the little ones on the couch. I'll take the milk and cookies."

"Would you mind telling me what is going on, Ethel?" my father asked. "We have just walked through below zero weather with the wind in our faces all the way."

"Never mind all that now," my mother interrupted. "There is no heat in this house and this young mother is so upset she doesn't know what to do. Her husband walked out on her and those poor little children will have a very bleak Christmas, so don't you complain. I told her you could fix that oil furnace in a jiffy."

My mother strode off to the kitchen to warm the milk while my brother and I wrapped up the five little children who were huddled together on the couch.  The children's mother explained to my father that her husband had run off, taking bedding, clothing, and almost every piece of furniture, but she had been doing all right until the furnace broke down.

"I been doin' washin' and ironin' for people and cleanin' the five and dime," she said. "I saw your number every day there, on those boxes on the counter. When the furnace went out, that number kept going' through my mind... 7162... 7162."

"Said on the box that if a person was missin' Jesus, they should call you.  That's how I knew you were good Christian people, willin' to help folks. I figured that maybe you would help me, too. So I stopped at the grocery store tonight and I called your missus. I'm not missin' Jesus, mister, because I sure love the Lord. But I am missin' heat. I have no money to fix that furnace."

"Okay, Okay" said father. "You've come to the right place. Now lets see. You've got a little oil burner over there in the dining room. Shouldn't be too hard to fix. Probably just a clogged flue. I'll look it over, see what it needs."

Mother came into the living room carrying a plate of cookies and warm milk.  As she set the cups down on the coffee table, I noticed the figure of Baby Jesus lying in the center of the table. It was the only sign of Christmas in the house. The children stared with wide eyed with wonder at the plate of cookies my mother sat before them.

Father finally got the oil burner working but said, "you need more oil."  "I'll make a few calls tonight and get some oil."

"Yes sir, you came to the right place," said the woman...

On the way home, father did not complain about the cold weather and had barely set foot inside the door when he was on the phone. "Ed, hey, how are ya, Ed? Yes, Merry Christmas to you, too. Say, Ed, we have kind of an unusual situation here. I know you've got that pick-up truck. Do you still have some oil in that barrel on your truck?"

"You do?"

By this time the rest of the family were pulling clothes out of their closets and toys off of their shelves. It was long after their bedtime when they were wrapping gifts. The pickup came. On it were chairs, three lamps, blankets and gifts. Even though it was 30 below, Father let them ride along in the back of the truck.

No one ever did call about the missing figure in the nativity set, but as I grow older I realize that it wasn't a packing mistake at all. Jesus saves, that's what He does.

(By Jean Gietzen
Based on her writings on the internet from the book "If You're Missing Baby Jesus".)

I hope and pray that you enjoyed this and share it with someone else that needs a lift.    As the days get closer and closer to the long awaited birth of Christ, I pray that we all can find ways to help those around us that need it.      We may not be able to help to the extent in this story, but a smile and hug is free and a thinking of you card just costs a stamp.     Just share the blessing of Christ with those around you.   You won't be sorry you did and neither will those whom you share with.    

Stay warm!     If you have snow, build me a snowman.    hehehe      We already had a couple of snows by this time last year.      But there is a strong possibility of bad weather this weekend, probably ice.    uuuggghhhh!!!!!       I don't want ice, just a little snow.    Guess I have to take what I get, huh.      Well, I pray for y'all to have a great night of restful, blissful, peaceful sleep tonight and that tomorrow is full of blessings for each of you.      Remember, God loves you all and so do I.    hugs, Patty    

Merry December

Hello Y'all!!!!     How is everyone doing this fine cool brisk December morning?     I hope and pray that wherever you are that you are enjoying this fine day.    I am loving the cooler weather for sure!!! For the cold natured folks, I really feel for you.     But for the hot natured folks, this is a wonderful relief!     When I got up yesterday morning, the ritual for me is to go to the back door and just peep out the window at the thermometer on the deck and just see what it looks like outside.   Well, the frost was so heavy that it looked like a dusting of snow.    I know that it wasn't, it was just frost, but it looked really beautiful.    Then Mr Sun came out and it was gone pretty quickly.    When I was thinking about that yesterday, I was reminded back a few years ago when my Dad was still alive, we got up on  a Saturday morning early and headed up to visit my parents.     It was really foggy at our house and below freezing and we got to noticing that the frost was actually frozen in the air and on the trees and on everything.    The frozen frost hung heavily in the air for the whole drive up to see my parents.  An hour or so and it was just beautiful!!!!    Everything was actually sparkling like diamond dust.    What was so upsetting to me was the fact that I was in the habit of picking up my camera and taking it with us and taking pictures where ever we went.   This particular morning, I left it at  HOME!!!!     Can you believe that!!!    I get so mad at me every time I think of it.    That was the only time in my life I have every seen that weather anomaly.    And I sure haven't seen it sense.   But I remember it was one of the most wonderful sights I had seen.    Hubby and I just loved it!!!    We still talk about it.    It wasn't but just a few years ago, but it was before I had a good cell phone with a good camera.    If we ever see it again, we both have better cell phones that take great pictures.    So, I keep hoping and praying we can see it again.

I hope that everyone had a great and Happy Thanksgiving!    We finished up the 30 Days of praise at church, but I know that we all still have lots to praise Yahweh about everyday.    I do hope and pray that our praise can carry on well after December and into the tradition of celebrating the birth of Yeshua, Jesus Christ.     We are lighting the Advent candles on Sunday mornings.    We had the Hanging of the Greens at church the last Sunday night in November and it was a most lovely event!!! Lots of wonderful singing and then the placing of the greenery over the sanctuary.    Then one Sunday night we had our night of caroling we went out in teams of 6 or 8 to the local nursing homes and to the homes of shut-ins singing Christmas Carols.    We always look forward to that.   With finger foods upon arriving back at church.    On a Tuesday here back my church hosted the Associational Senior Christmas Luncheon.    That was  a fun time.    Then one Sunday we had our Christmas cantata at church.   We are a relatively small church, but the quality of music that comes from the choir is mind blowing!!!    Also that same Sunday we had our White Christmas, where everyone brings canned goods and non perishables wrapped in white paper or white bags and then all foods collected will go the local United Ministries to help feed the hungry here in our local area.    Plus, we took up our Lottie Moon Christmas offering.    That is always a special time too.    I hope that sometime amid the busyness that I get to have lunch with a friend or two also.    I also hope to go up to visit with my Mom again sometime soon.    She has had some fun stuff to do and even more in the coming days, so we have to coordinate our calendars.   hahaha

There is always a lot of good stuff to do around the holidays and it's very easy to get worn out.     I do believe that we need to do as much as we feel like doing, BUT, we need to do it with a joy filled heart.     When we get to busy that we forget about the JOY, then we are doing too much and for the wrong reason.     I recently heard someone say, "It's not about the do, it's about the WHO"!     Sometimes we take the Who out of all that we are doing and it just ends up being the big "do"!     I just have to believe that being busy for the sake of being busy is not pleasing to Yeshua, Jesus Christ.    Some times, we have to just let some stuff go.     I can't possibly do everything that I would love to do, so I have to pick and choose wisely.    I think most of us do, but some are unwilling to admit they can't do it all.     Jesus Christ set the example for us by doing only that which was pleasing to His Father.

One year ago on December 11th one of my best friends went home to be with the Lord.    It was heartbreaking then and still just as heartbreaking.    It's been a difficult year with out her laughter and fun that she always brought to whatever situation.    She loved the Lord with all her heart and shared her love with everyone she came in contact with.    Everyone loved her.    I have picked up my phone many times over the past year to call her or text her with something I seen read or heard and would feel terrible when I realized that I can't do that anymore.     I just know that this will be her second Christmas with her Lord and Savior, Yeshua, Jesus Christ and there is no other place she wanted to be than with her Savior.     So, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, she is happy where she is.    And I also know that she wants family and friends to be happy for her.    As I type this, I think of the legacy of love that surrounded her and I try to make sure that those in some of the same circles we was in know and keep her memory and legacy alive.    I know that her husband and son and daughter in law miss her terribly.    Jamie, just know that we love you and miss you and hold your memory close in our hearts.     You were a true blessing, gift and friend and I will forever miss you.     I am truly sad for all the people that will live lives never having known you.

She could crack me up quicker than lightening.     But she was also very quick to take someones hand and pray for them.     We went to Hobby Lobby one day and was walking and looking at everything there was to see and I wanted to go to the craft and paper craft area and all of a sudden she wasn't anywhere around.    I went looking for her and I found her at the fabric cutting table and she was right there praying for the lady that cut fabric.    Jamie had asked her how she was and the lady told her she wasn't feeling well and Jamie just grabbed her and started praying over her and then I joined in and we just had a little time of prayer, praise, and celebration time right there in Hobby Lobby!!!!     The market place truly was her place of ministry and it should be ours too.     We never sat down to eat but what we always prayed over our server and said prayers of blessing for the establishment we were eating in.     She was always sharing about her time well spent in prayer and just being at the feet of Jesus and just seeing how she always beamed and glowed when she spoke of how God had made Himself real to her in a time of need.     Her legacy of love continues to live on in the hearts of those who knew her.    It's hard to believe it's been a year, but it has.     Just know that I love you my friend, and I miss you fiercely.    We all do!!!!     Enjoy this Christmas in heaven Jamie!!!!!    Your memory makes me smile!!!

I hope and pray that where ever you are today that you have someone in your life that represents the love of Christ in a very real way.    We never know the influence that we may have on someones life. We all have the possibility of being a legacy of love to those around us.    We all have the possibility of being a blessing in the lives of those we come in contact with.    We all have the possibility of being a blessing in our circle of influence.    I hope and pray that when the opportunity comes before each of us, every time the opportunity comes before us, that we will take hold of those opportunities and walk them out as Yeshua, Christ Jesus would have us do.   We never know when God is setting us up for a tremendous blessing, we just need to be ready to claim that blessing.    And the way we claim those blessings is by walking in obedience of our Lord and Savior, Yeshua, Jesus Christ.   God has people just ready to be a blessing to us and us to be a blessing to them.    We never know how that will come about.     It could be as simple as going to a car wash and while setting in line, looking around you and seeing a house and praying for the people in that house and then taking the step to go to that house and find out that the house is actually a Crisis Pregnancy Center.    That's how Jamie came into my life.    I was volunteering there and if she had not come to the house, I would never have met her and I can't even imagine my life without her as that blessing.     That's how she changed the lives of many people that I know and call my sisters in Christ.     So, if you feel God has impressed upon your heart to do something, be obedient to Him, you just never know what God has in store, but we can know that it is always good!!!!!!

I hope that everyone is busy making cherished memories this Christmas season.    I hope and pray that most of those cherished memories involve the birth of Jesus.    I pray that we can get back to the real reason for the season and that is Yeshua, Jesus Christ!!!    If you have ever done the Rick Warren Bible Study about The real reason for Christmas, you know that there are at least 3 reasons to be joyous this Christmas.   Read Luke's account of the birth of Christ.    That is such a beautiful passage. One of those reasons is the celebration.    The angels celebrated when they appeared before the shepherds.    That must have been one awesome sight!!!!!     The shepherds celebrated too, they were so excited they left the field and went and found this baby that the angels told them about and worshiped Him and then went and told everyone about this thing they had seen and witnessed.   How awesome is that!!!!    Another reason is salvation.     The angels announced a Savior was born for ALL people!!!     In order for salvation to take place, there has to be Savior, and that is who Jesus is, our salvation.      I am so thankful that I was included in the ALL!!!    Guess what, you are included in ALL too!!!!     Everyone, past present and future are included in that one little word, ALL!!!!     If that isn't enough to be thankful for, there's one more reason, reconciliation.   Peace on Earth!    It is only thru Jesus Christ that we will have peace.    Peace within ourselves and peace with one another.   Jesus Christ is the only One that could have taken my sin, bare the burden and pay the price for my sin, therefore reconciling me with my heavenly Father, Yahweh.    God can not look upon sin, since Christ covered the price of my sin, when my Father, Yahweh looks at me, He sees the blood of His Only Begotten covering me.     Praises, praises, praises!!!!!     If you can say the same thing, then my friends, we have so much to be thankful for this Christmas.     You may not have two pennies to rub together in your pocket, but if you know Christ as your Savior and Lord, you have the best gift anyone will ever give you.     That is something that we can all give and share with those we come in contact with when we are out in market place.   Say Merry Christmas!!!    Say Happy Hanukkah!!!   Give the gift of love this year, it doesn't cost you and I a thing, because it's already paid for, by the Babe born of Christmas Day!!!

As we celebrate Christmas, lets remember to keep love and thanksgiving in our hearts also.   Love and thankfulness looks beautiful on everyone; it's one size fits all; and they are garments of praise to be worn year round, not just at one particular time of the year.    So put your love and thankfulness on and go out into the marketplace and share it.

Ladybug, it was great to see you today.    Sweetpea loves you!!!!

I hope you read something here that you can relate to and that you will share it with someone that you know who could use a lift.    I know there are a lot of people that don't deal well with this time of the year.    Just know that it's not about how much money you spend; it's not about stressing yourself out; it's not even about Santa Clause.    It's not about the "do", it's about the "WHO"!     Jesus is the "Who"!!!     I hope and pray that every one has a wonderful Merry Christmas!!!  

Hopefully the next time, I will have a craft item or two to share.     I started to this time, but I decided I wanted to just share what was on my heart.     Always remember that God loves y'all and I do too!!!
hugs and love, Patty

Good Afternoon!!!! Gobble, Gobble, Gobble....hahaha

Good afternoon Y'all!!!!     Is it cool where y'all are?     It is in my neck of the woods and I LOVE it!!! There may be some hope of my sweat glands going into hibernation after all!!!!     hahahaha    Yes, indeedie there may be hope!!!!     Today is the 22nd and yesterday morning it was 18 hot degrees where I live and the high was 37!!!!     Just about cool enough for the polar bear dip.    hahahaha     Well, you won't see me anywhere doing the polar bear dip, but if you see me out and about, I will definitely be enjoying the cool brisk air.    It's beginning to feel like fall.     Some of the trees that held on tightly to their leaves during all the hot and dry days of a few weeks ago, have some lovely color now.     The ginko trees that line the streets of my fair city was the most amazing golden yellow yesterday.   The leaves were gently falling against the slight breeze and falling to the ground making a fluffy yellow pillow just directly under the trees.    It was a most lovely sight.     There are also some maple trees that were a spectacular yellow orange and those leaves too, were dancing on the air as the slight breeze caused them to take flight for the short trip to the ground.    Only God can paint a picture as lovely as what I was fortunate to see yesterday.     Those are some of the sights that I listed in my 30 Days of Praise.      I bet y'all have some fantastic sights too, that could be listed in your 30 Days of Praise.

Well, the election is over and the sun came up the next day, just like most of us figured it would.   Like it or lump it, we have a new and very different president to what we have had in a very long time. Time will tell about his legacy to the office, just as it does to every president.    I exercised my right to vote as a proud American citizen.     I was fortunate and blessed to be born on American soil.    I have family members in past generations who fought, bled and died to make sure that this great land remains the "home of the brave and land of the free".    Most Americans can say the same thing.     I seen a picture this morning on the internet of two females standing on the American Flag with one arm raised in some gesture, basically thumbing their noses at what the flag stands for.     The reason I use the word "female" is because it would have been a disgrace to all the ladies and women that I have great respect for.    It was bad enough referring to them as females.

To those two females I say, "If you don't like this country, hit the road!!!   But I guarantee you will not find a free hand out in any other country on the face of the globe like you have here, and if you need help in buying a one way ticket from this great land, just holler, I'll toss a few pennies at you.   Better yet, just save some of your government hand out money and buy it yourself."     I know that doesn't sound like something that should be coming from a Christian, but there was things in scripture that actually made Jesus mad, He never sinned though.    Those same two females have the right desecrate the Bible too.     Americans fought and died for them to have the right to stand on the American flag and make a mockery of it.    Yeshua, Jesus Christ laid down His life for them to spit on Him and take His name in vain.

A lot of people said that if the election went a certain way, they were leaving this country.    They may have been here illegally anyway, I don't know.     But I do remember those same words being said 16 years ago.    I kept praying for this great wooshing sound of all of those hollywood elitists who had said they were leaving, but alas, it never happened.     So, I guess it will still be the same thing.   All that talk, just getting my hopes up only to be let down again.    hahaha    They will never leave because they know they have a GRAVY train here.    Might not be that way where ever else they would go, so we are stuck with them.    And all the sports figures that think they are too good to stand at attention when the anthem is being sung or salute the flag; strap a military rifle over your shoulder and go to foreign soil and stand beside a real American hero that is being shot at for about 15 seconds.    I guarantee you will be ready to salute the flag and stand at attention when the anthem is being sung.     I do not care what anyone's salary is, but I will say this, we put far too much money in the pockets of the sports figures and actors and far too little in pockets of the real American heroes. The men and women who are risking their lives to keep females standing on the flag safe, to keep sports jerks er jocks safe, and all the high and might perverted actors, apers and mimicers  are too selfish to even say "Thank You" to our real American heroes!   Just sayin'.

We have what we would classify as "heroes" mixed up.     No sports figure should EVER be classified as a hero.    Just what have they done to be considered a hero?     Then I will tell them about my father, my uncles, my cousins, my many ancestors putting their lives in harms way to protect all they freedoms that they trash.    My opinion.    But our military men and women should be seen as brave patriots who have put their lives on the line, not only for our country, but for other countries across the globe.    One of my best friends son in law is on foreign soil right now, let me tell you, he is my hero!!!!!     I pray for him and his safety and I also pray that he will be able share Yeshua, Jesus Christ with those he comes in contact with.    Oh, and thank you so much to all the Veterans and active service men and women who have put yourself in harms way for me and every other American and most of the people on planet.   Thank you for your service!!!!!!     God Bless you!!!!

I also pray for the respect of the "office" of President of the United States of America to become what it used to be.     You don't necessarily have to hold the person in that position in high regard, but the office itself should be held in high regard.   The President of the United States should never be bowing to another leader!!!    Just sayin'!!!    That is what I was taught growing up.    I do realize that times have changed, said sarcastically.     You see, most people have little to no respect for themselves, so why show respect for anyone else, much less show respect for the title of an office.    You can't show something you don't have, such as respect.    When people live lives of entitlement, they loose respect for themselves and for others.    The females standing on the flag was not showing respect for them selves, why or how could they show respect to the flag.   They had never been taught self respect.    I promise you they hadn't.    Sports figures live lives of entitlement.     Hollywood elitists live lives of entitlement, therefore no respect for themselves or the common folk.    All the women standing on the flag, and the sports "roids", and actors and mimicers want is your money.    It's getting close to Christmas, so give them your money if you so choose, "but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".

On to some better and more "funner" stuff now.   hahaha      I am in a small yahoo group and we are doing Christmas tags for everyone that wanted to share the fun and use them to decorate our Christmas Trees in our crafting rooms.   Since I am not putting a tree up in my craft spot, I am going to put a swag across the fireplace and use small clothespins to clip them to the swag.    I made 13 for the swap.   One to keep and 12 to send on to the others in the swap.    Since our trees are not really large, the tags were to be on the smallish side, not to small, but not too large either.

I had a slight interruption just now and thought I would share it.    Hubby is doing some paperwork and he needed several pieces of info, with our marriage certificate being one.    I took time to get it and he copied it and when he handed it back to me, he said, "here is this little piece of gold."    I took it and smiled because he could not have said anything more perfect than that!    37 years later and he still calls that piece of paper a "piece of gold"!     I got one of the good ones, praises be to Yahweh!!!!!

Back to the tags, ggg, I used 140 lb water color paper.    Started with my Lindsay Stamp Gang sprays and I don't know how many colors I used, but lots of different colors.

This was almost the most fun part.   Just spritzing and spraying with all different colors.

I really love the big random splatters of color.   Makes me happpppy!!!!   hahaha

 The light picks up all the shimmer in the sprays.

 I forgot to take pictures of the process, but this is the tags finished all but the hanger loops.

It was a stamp set of a snow globe and two or three different scenes and I chose the snowy deer scene.   I stamped the deer scene first and then the snow globe.

I colored each little scene and then I took my Uni Signo white pen and added some snow and highlights.    I just love how the background turned out, each one was different.

When I was done with all the stamping, I then used clear wink of stella to add shimmer to the sky portion of the globe and then to add some twinkling highlights on the base.    Then I took my flat colored shell pieces and made a small pool of glue and place a shell piece in it and sprinkled fine glitter over it and let it dry and then shook off the excess glitter.    Glitter....woohoo!!!!     To finish up the tags, I used my structure paste that has sand and gold glitter in it around the edge of the tag.   Glitter.....woohoo!!   Sorry, I got carried away.   hehehe     These are fun little tags and I had a blast making them.    I hope the ladies that get them are happy with them also.    As a final touch, I printed off a list of what all I done to them and glued it to the backside.    Then I signed then and dated them and they are ready to pop in the mail as soon as I get them in the envelopes.    It was a fun project.

As I was reading Scripture this morning, this verse was a verse for the day.   Proverbs 15:30   The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones.     What is one of the first things that you notice about a person?     For me, it most usually is the eyes.    The eyes tell a lot about a person.     We all know that.    If you see sparkles in someones eyes and their eyes are wide open, you can see that their heart rejoices.    You may not even know what the situation of their lives is, but they have the light in their lives that reflect the joy in their hearts.    That joy is a reflection of the their Messiah, Jesus Christ!!!!     What about good news?    Have you ever been down in the dumps about something and then tells you some good news?     Wow, doesn't that refresh deep down to the bones?    Oh my, yes it does, it is just as refreshing as a cool drink of water!    Good news can put a pep in your step.   It can make you stand just a wee bit taller.    It can make you breathe a little deeper and take more refreshing breaths of air.    Good news just makes you feel good!!!     What about the Good News of Yeshua, Jesus Christ, that is the BEST news!!!    Does that make you feel good?     It should.     Christ Jesus came for the common, for the lowest of the low, He came for everyone!!!!    He came for the shepherds!    And not just for the wealthy, not just for the kings and princes of this age, but for the widow who gave all she had!     He came for the females that stood on the flag!     He came for the sports people who praise themselves for how good they are!     He came for the apers, actors, and mimicers who put themselves on a pedestal!     He came for all those who are out for vengeance on Christ followers!     He came for the scientists who try to disprove Him!     He came for the atheists who deny His existence!     He came for those who try to tack "works of the flesh" to the plan of salvation!    He came for all of us who have been lost in our sin and drowning in a cesspool of messed up lives!     He came for those who are hurting from the loss of loved ones!     He came for those who are dealing with messed up lives right now!  

I don't know about you, but I am so THANKFUL beyond measure that Yeshua, Jesus Christ loved me enough to lay His earthly life down for me in such a harsh, hurtful and painful manner.     Yes, He could have called 10,000 angels, but praise Yahweh that He did not!!!!     He was obedient to the call of His Father to the point of saying, "not my will but Yours be done".    And it was done!    And now our eyes can shine and show the joy in our hearts for what He has done for us!!   And now our bones can feel refreshed as we walk with a new pep that we didn't have.    If you have recognized the sin in your life, repented and asked forgiveness for your sin and asked Messiah to be Lord and Savior of your life then this particular verse should speak loudly and clearly to you.    Good News is always refreshing!!!!    Yeshua is always refreshing.    I hope you know the joy of the refreshing of Christ Jesus this Thanksgiving!!!!

I hope and pray that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving Day!!!!     Take the time to name on each finger something or someone you are thankful for.    Let the people know that you named them as someone you are thankful for.     I am thankful for all the people that I have been fortunate enough to cross paths with.    Some are people I have met physically, but a lot are people I have never met personally, but we have met through the great internet invention.    That includes all of you who read this.    Just know that I am truly grateful for each and every visit that you take the time to make.   Thanks and Happy Turkey Day and eat a bite of dressing for me.   hehehe    gobble gobble gobble

Gobble till you wobble!!!!!!     Or maybe not, hahaha!!!!

Remember God loves you!!!    Till we back meet here again, I love you too!!!    Have an awesome day!   hugs and love, Patty

Moving Right Along

Well, it seems as if another month is behind us and we are well on our way into November and we are moving right along.    WHAT!!!   Yeah, that's right November is here and it is a beauty so far.   The weather in my neck of the woods is kinda like a late Spring day.    Fresh and bright with all kinds of possibilities.    But, as I said, it is November, so we never know what it will bring.   Last year, we had our first snow fall in November.   hahaha    If you don't like the weather right now, just wait 15 minutes, it will change.   So, I will take the beautiful weather and be thankful for it.    And since this is November, the month that we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the United States of America, there is a common phrase now that you will hear in some churches.   "30 days of Praise".     That is just taking the time every day to thank Yahweh, God for something He has done for us.    That should be one of the easiest things we have ever done!!!     I bet each and every one of us could come up with a hundred things or more in the time it takes to take one breath.    We each have so much to be thankful for!!!!    I know for myself, I fail to be as thankful as I should be, a lot of the time.   So much that I do take for granted, and for that I do have to ask for forgiveness.    And right now, during this particular season of thankfulness and happiness, I know for a fact that a lot of people are hurting.   So, I would ask that during this time we all remember to pray for those whom we know are dealing with a great deal of hurt.     I have friends who have lost loved ones and it's always a sad time to go thru the holidays with the freshness of loss.    Friends are dealing with sickness and surgeries and job loss and friends who are watching loved ones struggling in a battle for their earthly lives.    Neighbors who are hurting, silently.    Oh, we know so many that have pain, in some form or another, just pushing thru the days, alone.    I ask myself sometimes, what if I was dealing with this or that, would I want anyone to know?    The simple fact of the matter is that we are all dealing with something.    We all need prayer and we all need to pray for one another.    So, let's make it "30 days of Praise and Prayer".

These early fall days remind me of back when all my brothers and I was still at home.    Mom would fix the most delectable Thanksgiving Dinner ever!!!!!    She makes the best dressing ever and I do believe that it is possible for my brothers and I to get physical over her dressing!!!!   hahahaha   "Oh, yes I WILL stick my fork in the back of your hand if you touch my plate!!!!!"   hahahaha     No, not that drastic, but just about!!!!     One year in particular, some of the guys had their girlfriends at the house for Thanksgiving dinner.    (Where I come from, dinner is the noon day meal, with supper being the last meal.)     So, after dinner and after mom and I getting the kitchen cleaned up after the small army, all my brothers and their girlfriends and I got together and we went to a place in Butler County called Split Rock.    The owner of the farm where Split Rock was located would let us go to the rock.     It was just a HUGE rock out in a rocky hilly area of his farm.     It looked kinda outta place.    It's the size of a house for sure.   But it is split right down the middle.    And of course, we all had to squeeze thru the split!!!!!     Young and stupid is what comes to mind today!!!!!     But, back then it was the thing to do.    If you went to Split Rock and squeezed your way thru, you had arrived!!!!    Where, to the other side of the rock!   hahahaha     Not only were we young and stupid, but we were also young and slim, so we could do it back then, but I don't know if any one of us could squeeze thru the rock now or not.    And I am talking about REALLY squeezing thru that Split Rock!!!    You had to suck in, really suck in to get thru a place or two!!!   Oh my gosh, how stupid was I to even think about doing that!!!!    I almost get the hives just thinking about it now.   hahaha

One of the things that I am thankful for is cell phones with cameras.    Why, you ask?    Because if I would have had one 40 years ago I'm pretty sure I would have some cool pictures of us squeezing thru that rock!!!   I would probably have pictures of all the times we went fishing in the summers and put fish in the freezer for future meals.   There would be pictures of my grandparents coming off the hill, riding in their mule drawn wagon going to Jesse's Store for feed.   There would be pictures of going to the farm where the sorghum was being "freshly" made, ohhh yummy!!!!   There would be pictures of us swinging on great vines in the trees behind the house!!!    There would be pictures of us catching june bugs, grasshoppers, lightening bugs, and scooping up tadpoles.    I would have tons of pictures of all the fun visits to our grandparents houses.    There would be pictures of all the cars that used to sit out in our parents driveway.    At any given time, there could be 10 or more and then when my brothers started getting married, the vehicles thinned out a little.    I remember one time, a neighbor stopped just to see what was wrong because there was so many cars at the house, he thought maybe someone had died.    No, it was just Thanksgiving and everyone was there and there was about 14 or 15 cars in the driveway and yard.    There would be pictures of us romping thru the woods, picking blackberries, shucking corn, skinning squirrels and rabbits.    There would be pictures of all the clothes lines full of clothes for 8 people and what ever else that was washed that week.    There would be pictures of us playing basketball down in the lot or softball in the back field.    There would pictures of the many many cookouts that we had.    There would be pictures of us climbing trees and maybe even one or two of some falling out of trees, hehehe.    There would probably be a video or two of one of my brothers cracking up laughing!!!   When he did that, you knew someone was hurt!!!   I don't think he meant to be laughing at someone hurt, that was just what he did.    He will still laugh about it today.    There would a picture or two with someone having their tongue stuck, frozen, to the car with the school bus coming up the road!!!!   Yes, that happened!!!!   Why do people do that?   Who knows, but people still do it.    There would be pictures of all the Saturday afternoons when my brothers and their friends would skeet shoot all afternoon.    There would be pictures of my brothers coming in from work with the local farmers, and oh how nasty they would be!   But they learned a work ethic that still sticks with each one of them to this day.    There would be pictures of them out in the yard and driveway taking care of their first set of wheels, washing, waxing, and shining up those cars!!!!     There would probably a picture or two of some of the fights that took place......just sayin'.    Keepin' it real and all that!!!    hahahaha     Oh there would be all kinds of pictures.   There are some pictures of some of the fun stuff that I mentioned and they are to be cherished for sure.    I sure am thankful for all the good memories and there are so many more.    Just like I know that all of y'all have great memories too.    It's fun to take the trip down memory lane every once in a while and just be THANKFUL!!!  

I am so thankful for all the many forms of crafting and arting that is available to us today!    I am thankful for the types of media that we have that let us watch others crafting in real time!!!!    Would you have thought that we could do that 40 years ago?    I would have said "No way!!"    But, yes way, we can do it and we do it all the time.    Would you have ever believed that this great big world would become so small that people from all over the world can watch at the same time in real time and converse with each other while watching?   Well, that's what we can do now, and a lot of us do just that.   How fun is that?     We live in a day and age of instant gratification, don't we.     I try not to take all the good stuff for granted, but I know I do sometimes.    It is totally fantastic that we can find any technique imaginable just by googling!!!     hahaha    No one even asks what "google" is anymore, it's such a commonplace word now.    Oh, do you remember the phrase, "do you yahoo"? and the goofy music and singing that accompanied that commercial?    Now we don't even think twice when we hear a new word, we just automatically know that more than likely it's referring to the google-net.    hahaha     I just know that if I want to learn a new way of arting or learn something new, all I have to do is go to the computer or tablet or cell phone and the world is at my finger tips.    I love to get in my craft room and turn on the tv to you tube and find some of my favorite peeps and just have a great time crafting with my friends while I am having a good time crafting myself.    Who knew we would be able to do that?    I don't know about you, but I am thankful for all the many forms of technology that we have that makes our crafting and arting more fun and brings friends from across the world right into our homes, via the the google-net!  

I have been making some Sculpy clay pieces that I will turn into pins.   I have them painted thus far.   I just used watercolor paints with shimmer in them.    Just a real cheap set that you can get at Joann's for sure, and possibly some of the other stores.   I forget off hand what brand they are, but I will just take a spray bottle and spray all the paints till I get them really wet and just start using colors, all different colors and blending in a little bit.   I love the looks of the swirling shimmery colors and when I get finished with them and get the clear coat on, aka...clear nail polish, they will really shine and just be beautiful.

These crosses are a red rubber stamp on a wooden block.   I roll out the clay with a  little plastic roller that I got a wal mart in the cake decorating area and it has two different depths of spacers on it and I just roll to the deepest depth and then stamp into the clay and gently remove the stamp and then take a tool used to lift cut pieces off of a mat.   It has a semi sharp edge and it slices right thru the clay nicely.   I just go around it slicing away clay till I get it to look the way I want it to look.   Then I just have to wait for it to air dry, that's the hardest part, for sure.

The little Jesus fish is done the exact way.   It is a clear polymer stamp on a clear block, but it works exactly the same way.    I just try to get a good image and then get the stamp lifted off nicely.

Once they have dried sufficiently, then I start coloring.    I use water colors because some of the other types of paints will build up to the point that it fills the groves of the image and it looses the crisp image.    So I will use my cheap water colors watered down heavily, I mean really thin.    The thinner the better, because that means I can get more layers and colors on it.   That is the fun part!!!   Then I have to let them dry again.

I also press out sculpy real flat and take an embossing folder and press that into the clay.   That is really nice.   I love that.   But, I do have a hard time keeping the shape once I get the image pressed into it.   I know I have a small set of cookie cutters around here, hiding somewhere, and if I can find them, then I can use them to get uniform shapes.

I call this jewelry rustic.   It's not meant to look like it comes from the assembly line.   I want it to look like each piece was made individually, because they actually are.

When these get really dry, I will put a final coat of nail polish or glossy accents or some other clear shiny finish and then glue the pin back on they will be done!    woohoo!!!

These are the little fisheys, I just love them!!!   They are easy to put on and not really big, where as the cross is pretty big, but I really enjoy both of them.

This is the size of them compared with an ink pen.   They are about a little over an inch.    I wish you could see them in the hand because the colors are just so vibrant and shimmery.   woohoo!!!

As I leave you this evening, let me ask you, "what are you thankful for"?    I know you are like me and you have much to be thankful for.    Do you thank Yahweh for all that you have to be thankful for?    Lets take the time this season to be purposefully thankful and thank Him during this "30 Days of Praise".    When we take the time to be purposeful, we will be more likely to remember to be thankful.    When we thank Yahweh in all the small things all the time, then it will become easier to be thankful during the tough circumstances of our lives.    We have to start somewhere, so start with the small things and then it won't be long till you will find yourself being thankful in the tougher times.    Paul teaches us with our prayers and supplications to be thankful in all circumstances and situations.    Paul had learned to be thankful in all his life situations, whether in chains or free, even with his thorn in the flesh, he learned to be thankful in all situations.    I hope and pray that during the "30 Days of Praise" that we can learn to find all kinds of ways to tell Yahweh that we are thankful to Him for His grace and mercy and thankful that He has provided a way for you to be in right relationship with Him thru Yeshua, Christ Jesus.

I hope and pray that y'all have a wonderful night of refreshing sleep and rest and that you awake in the morning ready to start a day filled with thankfulness.   Tell someone tomorrow that you are thankful for them.    They will be happy to hear such sweet words.   Let me start right now by telling y'all that I am thankful for each and every one of y'all.   I appreciate your visits with me and I love your comments.   So, till we meet again, right back here, Yahweh loves y'all and so do I!!!!    hugs and love, Patty

Time for a breather!!!

Howdy Y'all!!!!     I hope that where ever y'all are, that the sun has been shining and you were able to look outside and see and enjoy the beauty around you.     The color of fall is not as beautiful right around here as I had hoped it would be, but I have heard from others that are enjoying the wonderful colors.   That is awesome for y'all.     One of my friends and her husband in North Carolina, went for a drive earlier this week and she mentioned seeing acres of sorghum, and of course that just made me think of some of the times as a youngster getting to enjoy freshly made sorghum, right at the mill!!!!     You talking about "yummo", whew, that is some of the best stuff ever squeezed from a green stalk!!!    hahahah    Well, it is!!!!    hahaha      One of my Momma's fresh hot biscuits, my Mamaw's freshly churned butter and a little sorghum molasses...........a meal fit for a king!!!!     It was certainly good enough for this lil' country gal!!!     Oh........I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get 'lasses on ya!!    hahaha

I have been busy as of late and I am ready to take a breather.     I have been going from one endeavor to the next event to the next happening, and I'm just ready to not have to think.    Oh, everything I've been doing has been a lot of fun and just a pleasure to be doing, but it has been tiring.    My body doesn't recover as quickly as it used to!       Dognabit, it don't!      But that's ok.     I think most everything has calmed down a bit for me though and I hope to get back in my art place and play.   Everyone needs to play a little from time to time.     It's good for the soul and cheaper than therapy!   hahaha

I had shared with y'all about the Hebrew class that I had been taking, well, I'm sad to report that it is over.   Just broken hearted!     But, if I heard and understood the teacher correctly, she will pick back up in the Spring!!!!     Woohoo!!!     Yes, I was paying attention.     hahahaha     Is it Spring yet??????   I just can't tell you how much I enjoyed the class.    I did learn a lot, but I know I have soooo much more to learn.    I hope I can share a little more with y'all, of what I did learn.    One of the ladies wrote out Psalm 23 on the white board in Hebrew and the imagery that goes along with each Aleph-Bet and she done such a great job!!!     It took a lot of courage to do that, and it was quite impressive to see.   You know who you are, big hugs and much love to you, Ms. Pam!!!!     WooHoo!!!!

My Family Community Education Club, through the local County Extension Office had our All Clubs Day event yesterday.     All of the clubs in the county come together for one event to tell about how each club ministered to the community.    It was quite impressive to hear about what all the clubs  have done over the past year.     And that's why I'm so pooped today, but it's a good thing!!!!     It was a huge success!!!    My club was the one that was over the meal prep and serving and all that good stuff.    Everyone always says we do such a great job and we do!   We do put a lot thought in to what we want to do and try to make it a good and fun day and it was.    I did not take pictures of the event, I was too busy.    But I did take a picture or two of the favors I made and of the Sweet Potato Casseroles I made.     So I will share those with y'all.    Don't blame me if you drool over your key pad and ruin it!    hehehehe

I made 40 of these little gift bags.    They are quite easy to make with We R Memory Keepers Envelope punch.    SplitCoast Stampers has the scoring method for making these in their tutorials.   Look for something called Envelope Punch Gift Bag.

I put an ink pen down to show the size of them.   They are quite small.   They was made from a 6x6 inch pad of double sided cardstock.    I had everything on hand, so there was no expense to me.   I just got to use up a little bit of stuff on hand that wouldn't have been used otherwise.   Each little gift bag had a pin or necklace that I had made in them.   The ladies loved them!!

The little "thank you" was punched with a punch that I got at Wal Mart.    Don't expect to find it now though, they quit carrying it.    Just so you know, Wal Mart is the last place I shop now, where as, it used to be the first place I shopped.    I know a lot of people depend on them for a job.    I used to depend on them for what I need and good prices, I can't depend on that anymore, so I shop there when all else fails.

 These are the Sweet Potato Casseroles I made for All Clubs Day.    They was really good!!

You can see in the near left corner where I took a little sample out of it.    I had to!!!     I had to taste it to make sure it was good.    hehehehe     That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!!!!      hehehe     Well, it is!!!

I'm gonna throw in a commercial break right about now.........If you are a telemarketer, stop calling me!!!!      If you are campaigning for your favorite politician, stop calling me!!!!     Sorry, but I DO NOT like all the calls from whom ever is making them!!!!     All these calls are getting quite ridiculous!!!!!      It's one thing for the calls to come in all hours of the day, but all hours of the night......I'm telling you, "I would love to reach out touch someone!!!!"     Remember the commercial back in the day, being sung so nicely by this beautiful female voice "Reach out, Reach out and touch someone"?      Consider it being sung by someone who can't carry a tune in a bucket but would dearly love to reach out and touch someone!!     Well, that's me, and I would love to, seriously!!!!!       Trust me, if you are selling something, I don't need it!!!!!!      If you are campaigning, trust me, the only solution for that, is strong toilet bowl cleaner!!!!!      Does that sound like something that a Christian woman would even want to say?      Not hardly, but I have just about had it with all the calls!!!!

I don't know a whole lot about much!!!!    I'm the very first one to admit that.    But let me tell you this folks, if it stinks, no amount of the finest perfumes is gonna cover the stinch!!!!     One of the sisters at the tomb of Lazarus told Jesus, "but he stinketh by now". (my paraphrase, you can look and see what she actually said.)     Well, after listening to all the campaigning for over a year now, I can truly say to you "this campaign stinketh by now!!!!"      No amount of the finest perfumes or in this case, fancy talking, is going to cover the stinch!     It stinketh!!!!  

At this point, it's painful to think about who wins!!!!     What I do know is this, the American people, the voters and tax payers, will be the ones hurt by this election!!!!     I DO NOT like feeling like that at all!!!!     Where is morality?     Where is common sense?     Where is honesty?     Where is truth?     Where is character?     Where is championing a cause?     Where are the true heroes that we desperately need now?  

Morality has gone the way of the dinosaurs!     Common sense flew the coop so long ago that it too has become extinct.     Honesty, what is that?      Truth.....oh that depends on who you talk to and what day of the week it is.     That didn't make sense, did it?     Well, the so called truth that spews forth from some peoples mouths don't make much sense either.     There is no such thing as absolute truth for them.     Everyone wants to throw in a little gray area.     When we start putting in the gray area, that's when it becomes a lie.     It's either black or white.     It's either right or wrong.     A little bit "right" is still 100% WRONG.       A little bit "wrong" is still 100% WRONG.    It can't be both ways.   It's right or it's wrong.      A few years ago, in my neck of the woods, on all the school billboards we seen the phrase "Character Counts".     I am 100% convinced that our politicians don't know how to read, otherwise, some of them would have read that and at least googled it to find out what it meant.     If they had read it and understood what it meant, would they not have tried to live up to those words, "Character Counts"?     Maybe they misunderstood it for bad character, I don't know, I really don't.     Who knows, maybe I'm the only one that feels like I am drowning in the stinch of what's happening around me.     I am just waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel and praying that the light is not attached to an oncoming train!!!!     Championing a cause today has become taking a stand FOR sin.    Go figure.     And the only true hero we ever had was crucified some 2000 years ago between two common thieves.     So what do we know or care about a hero?

Oh yeah, I was about to forget this one.      I don't know how I could, but I almost did.     About all the calls, some of them have been for the proposed bill that will be on our local vote ballot.     You want to know what that one is for?     Wine in grocery stores!!!!     Oh boy, MORE DRUNK DRIVERS!!!!!      Ask anyone that has ever gone to the cemetery to look at the headstone of a loved one who's life was cut short by a drunk driver what it feels like.    That's all I'll say about that.       End of commercial break.

I don't know what all the answers are to all the questions that are on some of our minds, but I will tell you that I know where we can find the answers!      We can start with:

 2 Chronicles 7:14     If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

What people group is being spoken to here?     Yahweh is not speaking to everyone.     He is speaking only to His people.      Who are His people?      Have you accepted Yeshuah as Messiah, Lord and Savior, of your life?     If you have, then you are who Yahweh, God is speaking to.     He is not speaking to those who have blatantly made a mockery of Him and blatantly turned their back on Him and the call that He has had on their lives.     In other words, His words are for "Christians".     The lost people don't know or care that they are living in sin.     But, Yahweh, is speaking to the ones who belong to Him and call Him Father.     He is calling on His people to humble ourselves; He is calling on His people to pray and seek His face; He is calling on His people to turn from OUR wicked ways. What are some of those wicked ways?      We are not living our lives in such a way that is making a lot of difference to the lost people we know.    We have allowed the culture of the day to rub off on us and we have started to stink a little.    There used to be actions or behavior in society that we called sin.     There is no such thing as sin in the culture today.     Oh, we wash it and clean it up with new names, but what Yahweh called sin from the very beginning, guess what, it's still sin.    I finally realized that Yahweh was speaking directly to me and not the lost person that doesn't know or care.    He is speaking directly to me!     How humbling is that?     If all of us that are called by His name would do as He asks of us, He will forgive us of our sin and heal our land.     Oh how the land cries out to be healed!!!!!      Yahweh's people are one people divided by a bunch of man made denominations and legalism within those denominations that has all but destroyed the testimony that His people should have.      We all should be running from that which we know has no basis, ground or foundation in the Holy Word of Yahweh!    There are no gray areas with Yahweh.      Trust me, I have tried to find the gray areas, there are none.       Just what am I willing to call "sin"?      If Yahweh called it sin, then I will call it sin.      You know, I don't want to hurt anyone, but I would be doing a far greater disservice to someone if I agreed with sin and a life of destruction.     I don't know of anyone with the heart to serve Yahweh that has a desire to walk up to someone and call them a sinner point blank to their face and that's not what anyone who loves Yeshuah ever wants to do.     But, sometimes it has to be done in love.  
       
All through history, we have seen people in every generation that have thumbed their noses at God and His way and the people that have tried to point them to a better way of living.     Yahweh calls on us, the righteous few, to keep praying for the wicked generations.     So, the righteous few pray.   The righteous few will keep praying, even in the face of persecution.    There have been more people martyred in the last 100 years of history than in the previous 4 to 6 thousand years.     What does that say about the wickedness of the land, across the whole world.     I think it says that we are looking at a world that has no morals, no common sense, no honesty, no truth, no character, no worthy causes, and no hero.     The only way to fight the first 6 things that we as a world have lost, is to put our eyes on the only real hero this world has ever known, Yeshuah, Jesus Christ.    I am ready to do that.    Will you join me?

One of the things that I will mention here is this.      Some of our drs have successfully, single handedly, with permission from something called Roe v Wade, killed out a generation of human beings; we normally call them babies until they are being killed and then they become fetuses.   How can killing over 50 million human beings be a good thing?      It was horrible when Hitler done it, but there are laws today that protect killers and make it ok to wipe out generations.    How sad does that make your heart?       Go study that "law", and study it hard and look for truth in that law.    There is no truth in that law because it was founded and based on a blatant lie.     Its out there, go look for it, you'll find it.    For me, I despise the word fetus!!!     I know that it's a technical medical term.    It is a term that needs to be done away with, in my feeble opinion.     The term, in every circumstance, should be baby.    Again, my opinion.    

This is not meant to hurt any woman that has had an abortion.    I know how you have been lied to, coerced and threatened.    I know the stories of far too many women to make light of the subject.   I've seen the faces of those who have dealt with this.      I know that there is MUCH mental anguish associated with it.     I know that there is much needed heart and spiritual healing for this.     I would love to see some of our tax dollars being spent now on the grief counselling that Roe v Wade has caused.      So, for you ladies that have been in that situation, please search out support groups in your local churches.     Some of the churches in my area offer Celebrate Recovery program and it is a great program to go to if you get a chance.     If there is a Crisis Pregnancy Center in your area, call them to see if they offer the bible study "Save One" written by Sheila Harper.     Any Crisis Pregnancy Center that does not offer that bible study should check it out.     You will be thrilled you did.    It is an awesome bible study and there is healing in that bible study!!!     I have seen many women gain spiritual freedom from that bible study!     Google it and see if you can find out where a bible study is offered in your area.    The ladies and volunteers that work in Crisis Pregnancy Centers have a heart of love and compassion and are passionate about you!     It will always be confidential, so you don't have to worry about your story being mishandled.     It will be one of the best things you will ever do for yourself.     Just know that Yahweh is good and in Him is freedom!!!!

On Sunday, October 30th, at 3:00 pm cst in my neck of the woods, there is going to be a prayer rally at the local court house square.    There will be several counties that will be praying at the same time, at their local court house squares, for our nation and world as whole.    You don't have to have an organized rally to join in this prayer.    Just mark your calendars and join in, where ever you are, join in.    Who knows, it could just be the call to prayer that sets this nation on fire for the truth of Yahweh's Word once again.    I am reminded, "For such a time as this".    Oh how I pray for a spiritual re-awakening in the land!!!!!     If now is not the time, then when?

Well, I have just about covered it all again tonight.    I don't know what my tomorrow is going to bring me, but I know the One who will bring my tomorrow to me.     I just pray that I can live as He would have me live in the blessing of tomorrow.     I pray that for you too.     I pray that as you lay your head on your pillow tonight that you will give all your worries over to the One who took your place on the cross and know that you can sleep well with Him in charge of it all.    Always remember that Yahweh, Father God loves you.    I love you too!     Till we meet again, right here at the next appointed time, hugs and love.....Patty