Work in Progress, Living your Greatest Sermon, Spiced up tip, and Continued Dreaming

Good morning y'all!!!    It has been a rainy July so far and nothing would indicate that it's gonna change any time soon.     It just stays so humid and sticky and then one minute the sun is shining and then the next it's raining, and then it will be raining with the sun shining.     Years ago on the popular night time soap, Dallas, Sue Ellen Ewing would say, "I'm so confused!"      She would always say that and I would crack up.     Well,,,,,I thinks the weather is "so confused:!     hahahaha       Oh well, I'll not complain too much, it could turn off hot and dry and then we would be in a pickle.     I'll just learn to take what ever the day brings and just be so happy to be a part of it.     That's my action plan.      I know there has been lots of damage in other parts from all the storms rolling through, so we can take wet any time and be happy that's all it is.  

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Ok, so I have a teaser for y'all today.     I have been busy with other things and haven't been doing much crafting or jewelry making, but I do have a work in progress and I wanted you to see thus far.

I think I had mentioned getting a die from ebay that was graduated size of squares, this is the cut pieces all stacked and glued, ready for me to get my inca rubs out.    I have to say that I'm not really happy with the die.     I don't know why, but the squares are not perfectly square and that is VERY irritating to me.     When I started trying to stack them, that's when I seen how off square they really are.     It was one of the red steel rule dies.     I wish I could find the same thing in the newer steel rule dies, it might be more perfectly square, but I don't think they even make that, so I guess I am stuck with having to trim them to my liking.    uugghhhh      But, I am pretty confident that I can turn this into something that I will be happy with.  

The reason I like the steel rule dies for making this type of jewelry is because I can adhere 3 layers of chipboard together and the steel rule die will cut it nicely.     If I just use a single layer of chipboard and a thin die, then I have to spend tons of time cutting and trying to glue the layers perfectly, and that is soooo hard for me to do.     I may go ahead and try it again though with some of the different shapes that I already have in the thin dies and see how I can manage that.    Well, there you have it, my sneak peak, so stay tuned for more jewelry adventures.

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My one word for the year was "dream".     I said then that it was not my dream, but God's dream for me.     I had no idea what this year would look like for me.      There was no way I could even put anything on a dream board either.     Nothing was clear or in focus.      Just minute by minute is the way I have lived this year so far.     And I must say that there have been some pretty amazing (to me) minutes so far.      God has blessed me in a much different way than I could have imagined or dreamed.   I am so thankful and blessed for sure.     One of my dreams was to try to get healthier this year.     The last couple of years with an achilles tendon injury has taken its toll on me, so with that 97.999% better, I started exercising and got a fit bit and started eating better and slowly but surely, my health, I believe, is getting better.     I didn't get unhealthy over night and I won't get healthy over night either.    It's one step, one bite, one movement, one breath at time.     Living with a purpose!     Living with the mindset, that God created me for a purpose.    

Well, one event after another led to me meeting the right person at the right time!     Isn't God awesome like that!!!     Oh yes, He sure is!!!     God set my path to meet this wonderful woman at the hospital.     After talking with her at length, just about what has brought me to this juncture in my life, she looked at me and said, "I think you would make a great coach, a great lifestyle coach."     I was really speechless!    I know, right, that's really hard to believe, isn't it!!!    hahahaha      Here I am, struggling for my life and she thinks I would make a good lifestyle coach.     Go figure.     Immediately, the enemy says, "HAHAHA, you think you can do that?"     The first thing that came to mind was, "not in my strength, but I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me."      She started telling me about what the lifestyle coach does.      Basically it is being a class facilitator, or leader in helping people that have been diagnosed as "pre-diabetic" to get active, change eating habits and achieve sustainable weight loss  to prevent or at least delay full blown diabetes.    

With her asking me if I wanted to do that, came the opportunity to go to the 2 day training event that took place the last Friday and Saturday in June.     It was, without a doubt, the most intense and tense 2 days I have experienced in a long while.     I was in this training with doctors, professors and high level upper health care management!!!     I was the only "hick from the sticks".    hahaha      I was!   Out of 18 participants, I was the only person there that didn't have a bunch a letters strung together at the end of my name.     I was also the oldest person in class.   We had to introduce ourselves and tell a bit about us and why we were there.      I told them my name, and that I didn't have a bunch of letters at the end of my name, but that I had gotten my masters from the "University of Hard Knocks" and that I decided I wanted to finish well, so now I was working on my doctorate and that I was 20 years old with 38 years of experience under my belt.     The trainer clapped her hands and loved my answer and so did everyone else.     I don't know if they were laughing at me or with me, and it doesn't matter anyway.     What did matter, is that God had brought me there!!!!      It was 2 days with some of the most intense study sessions I have been a part of.     It was a great experience!!!     I am thrilled that I got to do this and at some point I will either be coaching or co-coaching a class for Prevent Type 2 diabetes.     I came home with the curriculum and now the real study starts.

I am happy that I now have the tools to help myself and others to live a stronger, healthier life and I just pray that God blesses any and all efforts that I make in this journey ahead of me.     I said that if I can't help myself, I don't know how in the world I can help others.     I just trust God in this matter.   He seen fit to put me in the right place at the right time, "for such a time as this" and I pray that I can fulfill His dream for me in this endeavor.    "Living with a purpose!"    The days ahead look a little brighter, thanks to Him!

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I have a pet peeve to discuss here for just a few seconds.    I won't bore you too long with this one, but I do want to mention this on here and just hope and pray that I don't have to address it again, ever.    Does anyone of y'all ever have to go through your list of followers and block some of them?    Well, I do.   I have done it twice since the onset of my blog back in 2013.    I first want to say that I am truly honored to have as many followers as I do have.    I don't care who wants to follow my blog, I really don't.    But I just want to say that this is NOT a lonely hearts club!!!    There are many "hook up" sites on the web, you don't have to troll the crafting forums to try to find someone.    If anyone comes to my blog and reads anything at all, I hope they will read the left side bar.    I do tell about being married for 38 years and look forward to the next 38 years with my husband!!!!    Just as an aside, if I wasn't married, I would NOT be looking for someone online!    So, yes, I clean out and block followers that are trolling for women, and you can too.   

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I wanted to share a spiced up tip with y'all today in the form of a recipe.     I love buckwheat pancakes and I always try to have the mix on hands at all times.      The real deal, buckwheat mix will be just a little darker in color than regular pancake mix.     It should be a whole grain mix, just for the healthfulness of it.     We have an Amish Country Store pretty close to us up in a neighboring state and that is where we go to get the buckwheat pancake mix that I like, although the stores around town do carry buckwheat pancake mix and it's good too.    But, at the Amish store they have all kinds of other wonderful mixes, spices, spice blends, cereals....anything you can think of and they have it, just about.     I stay stocked up on the fresh spices and the last time I was up there, I picked up a container of chai spiced tea mix.    I have made several cups of tea and I just love it.    The fragrance of it is so divine!!!     Well, this morning as I was getting ready to fix buckwheat waffles for breakfast, I picked up the chai tea mix also and put about a tablespoon of that in the batter along with almond milk, OMGoshie, that is absolutely, hands down the BEST waffles we have ever eaten!!!!

For the recipe:    Spiced up Buckwheat Pancakes or Waffles

1 cup of buckwheat pancake mix, 

1 heaping tablespoon, or more of chai spiced tea mix, 

1 tablespoon of oil, 

1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk.

Mix well and pour into preheated waffle iron.    Don't overfill, or it will overflow.     Let it cook till the waffle iron lets you know they are done.      Easy peasy, yet OH SO delicious!!!

I just used a bit of spray parkay on mine and then just a touch of maple syrup, (I generally use locally grown honey on waffles or pancakes, and that is what I will use the next time.)     Oh my, it's so good!!!!     One of the old country sayings that comes to mind is "it was so lip smacking good, I thought my tongue was slap my eyeballs outta my head!"    hahahaha      Hubby thought they were pretty scrumptious also, so these will be on my "go to" list for sure.     I hope you try this and let me know how you and your family liked them.

The spiced chai tea mix is also good in oats. Oh yeah!!!    

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I heard it said one time that "the greatest sermons aren't preached, they are lived".     My prayer is this, "Lord, help me live my life in such a way that is honoring to the call you have placed on my life. May my life be a sermon well lived."    

Sometimes in the day to day struggles of life, we forget that others may be watching and listening closely to our lives.     Some people do watch and listen just to SEE when we fall.     But there are "learners" out there that are just trying to do the best they can and they do watch us, so they can learn from us.     We ARE the only Jesus that some will ever see.      So, my hearts desire is that when someone looks at me, they see Jesus, not the sack of bones that I carry around in the form of my body.      I truly want to be the hands of love and compassion that reach out to the unloved and hurting world around me.      I'm not always successful at it though.      I just keep praying on a daily basis that God will help me one more day to try and get it right "today, this day".

I used to be of the mindset that it did not matter how I lived my life.    Being young and ignorant can cause us to think a lot of things that aren't right.     But upon more study of the Word of God, I found myself having to change that thought.     I have even heard people say that you should not live your life based on how others live, and I bought into that, for several years.    More than I even care to admit.      But when I started reading and studying the Word for myself, that's when I started seeing that how I live my life matters not only to Christ, but also to those around me who are searching for Christ.     This is where the saying, "the greatest sermons aren't preached, they are lived" comes into play.

Paul talked about this a lot, actually.  

Philippians 4:9  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.       

Titus 2:7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness.       

1 Thessalonians 1:6  You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Ephesians 4:11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  

1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

How does it make you feel to know that we are to be examples to those around us?     Is my behavior to be imitated?      Do we have a "do as I say, not as I do" mindset?     I don't know about anyone else, but I will have to tell you right about now that I have had to stop and ask myself, "do I really want anyone to imitate me"?     That's not a fun question to have to give an honest answer to.     Don't believe me, then seriously, ask yourself that.  

What are some of the things that we teach those around us, just through our everyday lives?  

-It's ok to be rude, because I don't know you and probably won't ever see you again.
-He gave me too much money back at the checkout, so it's actually mine, right.
-I'll yell at you because I am louder than you, and I'll get away with it.
-I can actually accuse you of lying because I have a government job, and I'm pretty sure you can't get me fired.
-I can lie to you about what I done to your vehicle, and charge more money.
-I can cut in front of you, because I have a bigger vehicle than you, and you will stop.
-She was a lousy waitress and I don't have to leave a tip.
-So what if I knocked your mail box down, your husband can fix it.

These are just a few of the real life scenarios that I have been a part of in some way or another.    The first one happened to us in Georgia a many years ago on vacation.     Have you ever been served greasy coffee?   (gag)  Well, we have.    We still laugh over that one.     The second one happened to me at a Wal Mart in Ky and I didn't realize it till I got home.    It was a significant amount of money and I didn't want that on my head.   I turned around and made the 12 mile drive back to WM in the pouring rain and it took an hour and a half to get the problem worked out, all the while I was being treated like I had stolen something, but through it all, I remained calm and I did not keep the money.   The third one happened recently in a place that something like that should never happen, and with people that you would never expect, again, I remained calm and after speaking my peace over the situation, I left and, sadly, I won't be back.    The fourth one actually happened to me in the local post office.     I can't say that I was calm, but I can say that I didn't "cuss" anyone, or "reach out and touch anyone", both was at the forefront of my mind.    But I did go the USPS website and leave a "wonderful" (NOT) commentary about the local post office.       The fifth one has probably happened to any woman who has ever taken their vehicle in for work to be done and it did happen to me, but my husband to the rescue.   The sixth one actually happened to us on the interstate, being cut off in heavy traffic by a semi truck driver and we had to take the shoulder and then the ditch to keep from being killed by him. The seventh one actually happened in a local restaurant a few weeks ago.       The server was in a really bad mood and we had really bad service and my husband started not to leave a tip, but I encouraged him to, simply because I don't know what was bothering her that day, but something was, I knew she needed some mercy and grace.      The eight one used to happen all the time by our neighbors.   They used our mailbox as the gauge that kept them out of the ditch when backing out of their driveway!!    That's true.     They seen my husband out there on a weekly basis or more, setting up our mailbox and they always acted like they didn't know what was causing it to be knocked over.

You know, I know there are many times that I have not always acted like I should have.     There has been times that I have been rude and obnoxious and there is nothing that can make those instances right.   I guess the best I can say is that I try harder now than ever to live my life based on the scriptures that I posted, knowing that others are watching and listening to see what my reaction to any given situation is gonna be.     We never know when we will have an off day.     I need always, to be ready to pour out an unending amount of grace and mercy to cover any situation I'm in.     If you have never needed grace, you may not understand that statement.     But if you have been in a situation where you yourself have needed grace, then you understand how important it is to be quick to extend grace and mercy, even when we may think the situation doesn't deserve it.    When we are quick to extend grace and mercy, we are planting seeds,     Then that person may begin to wonder what we are all about and ask us why we were kind to them.   They may ask someone else why we were kind to them.   At any rate, they are thinking about the seeds that was planted.     Then Jesus will water those seeds with other people coming along in their lives.  

I have thought about some of the seeds that others have tried to plant in my life too.    Seeds of bitterness, seeds of thinking it's ok to raise your voice with a woman, seeds of stinkin' thinkin', seeds that says I am not good enough, seeds of anger, seeds of fear, seeds of rejection, seeds of failure, seeds that say I have the right to judge a person for having a need, seeds of shame and soooo many more seeds.     Those seeds are straight from the pits of hell!     I don't care who it is that's trying to sow those seeds into your life, they don't have the right to do that, so do not let that garbage fall on the fertile soil in your life!!!!     Let Jesus plant the seeds that He wants your life to produce and I guarantee that your life will yield a bumper crop of great sermons!

"The greatest sermons aren't preached, they are lived".     Again my prayer is this, "Lord, help me live my life in such a way that is honoring to the call you have placed on my life.   May my life be a sermon well lived."      I hope and pray that this is the desire of all our hearts, to be a sermon well lived.     What about you, are you "living your greatest sermon"?    

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Well that's just about it for this morning.     I hope you have a good weather day today.     I hope you make some jewelry, if not, then wear some really pretty jewelry.     I hope you have a God-sized dream that you will let Him bring to fruition in your life.   Think about some of your pet peeves today and see if you can do something about them.     Is your life a great sermon?     If not, why?      I hope and pray that you seen something here today that has made you think twice about something.   If so, then share it with someone.     Tell someone you know that God loves them and wants only the best for them.   I pray that the rest of your day is filled with sunshine and "Son Shine" and blessings beyond measure!

Always remember that God loves y'all, and so do I.     hugs and love, patty