Quick Post of some FUN stuff!!!!

Yay!!!!     Yes, I said it, "FUN STUFF"!!!!    Woop, woop, yay hay hay, hall-e-lu-YER!!!!   Purple glitter and all that jazz!!!!    Yes, I am happy!!!!     Tomorrow is our Cultural Arts Day for our county Family Community Education Clubs, or FCE.    It is a day when all the clubs come together and display items we each have made during the last year.    What is so funny, we all wait until the week of.... and then scramble to get stuff made.    hahaha    It's not that bad, but for me, it seems like that's what I do anyway.    But then when I started pulling items, I realize I have done more than I thought. It is a fun day.   There is usually two or three beautiful hand made quilts and all kinds of stuff that people have made.     The good thing is this, I will already have a good start on my items to enter into the county fair, and that will be here before you know it.     So, I do have a few pictures to share and I hope y'all see something you like!!!!

 Ok, so the wire crosses are not a part of the Cultural Arts Day, but I wanted to share these too. These are about 5 inches tall and there is a stone chip in the center of each one and then threads and ribbons attached.    I will put these in our Country Festival fund raiser at church on the 25th of June.   I really love these and may make a couple more.  

These are my photos for color and black and white.   The black and white pic is of some tulips in the yard at church.   They were beautiful!!!    The iris is one of my Mom's just outside her front door.   They were so beautiful and still had some rain drops on them when I took the pic.    When I took the pics just now, there is a terrible glare on them, sorry, I tried to get it out, but it was a no go.

The ornament is a sizzix die cut from purple glitter card stock.    Hey, did I say purple?    Oh Yesssss I did and also glitter, (happy, happy, happy) and then some hearts on each side of it.    I also made a toy that is an embroidered tic tac toe game.    So fun!!!

The bookmark is my machine embroidered item.    It is a little scene of Noahs Ark.   It's a really fun little piece.    Then I have the sizzix five point star in a rusty metal look.   Twenty to twenty five layers of thinned down paints and rubs along with different layers of crackle medium and to hold it in your hand and look at it, you would think it was made of metal with a hundred years of rusty paint on it.

The necklace and earrings is my sculpture entry.   They are from sculpy clay cut out, and then an embossing folder pressed into it and then colored with different colors of metallic paints from Wal Mart.    My beadwork entry is my tree of life necklace and I even put it on a necklace I made from organza ribbon and hook to close it with.    I made the hook too.    Thanks to +Sylvia Tabor and her love of wire jewelry making.    So, the fine art painting entry is a watercolor paint by number kit that is painted with water color pencils then activated with a water brush.    It was fun, but I don't know if it will be considered as fine art.    I enjoyed doing it, that makes it fine art to me.    We'll see.

This is my fine art drawing entry.    It looks much better in person than it does in the picture.    When it was about half way done, I asked hubby if it looked like a feather.     He said, "uh....uh....well....uh....I guess", I could tell he didn't want to hurt my feelings.    When I got it finished, he said, "now that's a feather!"    hahaha     He is my hero and #1 fan although everything I do leaves a lot to be desired, he still encourages me.    Gotta love that!!!!

This is a neck scarf that was hand crocheted over my hand.   It's hard to explain, but on a crochet needle, you form your loop on the hook of your crochet needle, but with this, you form the same loop over your hand, instead of the hook of your crochet needle.    This yarn was already loopy, so when I crocheted it over my hand, it made it really fluffy.    The scarf is about 45" long and just laying there, it is about as big as my forearm, its fluffy and big.    And of course, the main thing, "IT'S PURPLE!!!!"     Hahaha     I know I didn't have to point that out though.   hehehe

If you seen something here you liked, share it with someone.   Ok, so this is it for now.     It has been thundering around and raining this afternoon.    Just hope it doesn't turn bad weather on us here.     Hope and pray y'all have a great rest of the day.    Be safe and have fun.

Remember God loves you and so do I.    hugs and love, Patty

Armour and prayers

Good afternoon y'all.    I hope and pray that where ever y'all are today that you know the love, comfort and peace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!!!    It seems with each passing day we must lean in closer to the One who loves perfectly.    When we look around us with our physical eyes, we see so much troubling, hurtful and hate filled things taking place.    We must fill our hearts and minds with the Word and know who our battle is against.   There is a battle that has been taking place in this universe ever since Lucifer made war in heavenly places.    The war rages on.    The war rages on in the hearts of people who willingly take up the battle for the enemy.    It is a physical battle that we can see with our eyes, but even more than that, it is a spiritual battle that takes place within each one of us.    If the battle was purely physical, what we can see, touch, hear, feel, smell, then we could strategize militarily and conquer the enemy.    There's no doubt that we could do that.    Our main battle is in the spiritual arena, though.

Ephesians 6:  
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,(established in God's Word, prepared, belt of truth) and having on the breastplate of righteousness;(protection of the heart where righteousness takes place, we are not right because of what we done, but what Christ has done for us)
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;(what is your foundation? No Jesus, no peace, KNOW Jesus, KNOW peace)
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith(faith is taking God at His word and knowing He does, has and will fight for us, He is our shield), wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation,(helmet guards heads so helmet or hope of salvation protects the mind) and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:(The Word of God has the power to cut down the strongholds of the enemy and will do just that when we know what the Word says and learn to use it)
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;  (KJV)

The enemy does all he can to dismantle the Christians armour, but he only has as much power as we give to him.   In the same vein, God only has as much power in our lives as we let Him have.    Make no mistake, God is ultimately in charge.    We are either on His side or not.    If we have chosen the narrow path that the Word speaks of, we can be rest assured that God is watching and will help us in our everyday walk with Him.

As a Christian, if you flip over to the back of the Book, you can see that the battle IS ALREADY WON!!!!     Not by us, but by Christ!!!!!    Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!!!!!    If you will go back to the Gospels and read about what happened on the cross, you will see that VICTORY over sin, death and hell was accomplished by God thru Christ Jesus!!!    In Ephesians, Paul tells us plainly what we must do now.    Thru the power of Holy Spirit, we must put on the full armour of God.   From head to toe, we are to be prepared as we face each day knowing the battle rages on, but God will fight for us when we are clothed properly as  warriors must be.     Verse 18 say to pray always with prayer and supplication.

The secular definition of supplication is "the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly".    I know we pray, but do we supplicate?     Do we really supplicate???     How many times have we actually begged God for something in humility, for the good of another person or persons?   We might beg God for something for ourselves or a loved one, but how earnest and humble are we when doing so???     Most people equate humility and begging as a sign of weakness.     That's the culture we live in.    "I ain't begging nobody for nothing"!!!!     Isn't that right.    The Word of God tells me that I should be praying and supplicating for everyone, begging in humility to God for everyone.     This morning, I am doing just that.     I am praying  and supplicating that we can all open our hearts and minds to the fullness of God and who He is and that we can live in the fullness of His Word and all the promises and blessing that come from doing so.    It has to start somewhere.     One person doing the right thing, one person at a time.    So, for the ones who take the time to read this, I pray that we will start praying and supplicating earnestly and humbly for this world that we live in.  
God IS still in charge!!!!!!     Regardless of what it looks like with our physical eyes, God IS still in charge!!!!     I know there are a lot of people that make fun of Christians, that's ok.    NOTHING goes un-noticed by God.    I've had people make fun of me to my face, but those same people have come to me and asked me specifically for prayer.    I've even had Christians make fun of me for the stance I take on being serious about my walk with the Lord.     I just tell them I want more for them and myself than they even realize is available to them.  

Look at it like this:   You have a well of water, fresh, cool, and plenty of it.   So much so that never in this life time would the well run out of water, regardless of how much you used it or how much you shared with everyone that needed it; yet you are starving of thirst all the time and everyone around you is too, how much sense does that make?     Our Bibles tell us that Jesus, The Word made flesh, The Living Word of God IS THAT water!!!!   It's fresh, cool and there's plenty of it!!!!     It will never run dry, no matter how much we drink from it.  

The sad thing is, we are starving of thirst!!!!!!     When an animal gets rabies, one of the symptoms is that the animal gets really thirsty and it wants water, but as thirsty as it is, it can't drink the water.    Its called "hydrophobia" or fear of water.    Jesus called Himself the "Living Water".     There is a lot of people that has "hydrophobia" of the "Living Water".    I can personally tell you that it is the best, sweetest, coolest, most refreshing drink of Water you will ever have!!!!    It DOES quinch the thirst that this world leaves you with!!!!  

There is a reality that we must face in this life, just as it is, right here today.    That reality is this: there are people who's main goal is to hurt other people.    We never know when it will happen or where it will happen.   Just know that it will happen.    We, in our own strength, are not able to prevent it from happening, but if we are faithful to the One who conquered death, hell and the grave we have a promise of eternity with HIM!!!!   Yay, Woop Woop, Woohoo, Praises, Happy Dance, Purple glitter everywhere!!!!!    Who's your Daddy???   FATHER GOD, Abba Daddy!!!!    Who loves ya???    JESUS CHRIST!!!!        Who's your Comforter?    HOLY SPIRIT!!!!     We have a HOPE that the enemy can't hurt in  any way!!!!!    We have a HOPE that is ETERNAL!!!!     Even as the war rages around us, the wars we can see and the wars we can't see, we can still have peace in knowing that nothing happens without God seeing it and He will exact revenge!    You and I don't don't have to be fearful of what is happening and what will happen, as long as we know Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior!!!!  

I am heavy hearted over what happened in Orlando yesterday in the early morning hours.    I pray and supplicate for the injured and the for families that are grieving the loss of their loved ones today and the painful days to come.   We can not make sense of evil.    All we can do is ask God to intervene.   The prayers of the righteous will be heard!!!!     Now more than ever,  "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."  2 Chronicles7:14   KJV   We know what to do, are we ready?    Armour on, chin up, shoulders squared, marching forward toward victory in Christ Jesus!!

Who is this for?    Me, and anyone else who is struggling thru the day to day battles of the war that rages on.    Fight the good fight of faith!!!    Many have fought it before us and many will be fighting the same battle long after we are gone, but it is a battle well worth fighting, because the ultimate, eternal victory will be worth it!!!!    May God's will be done!!!!

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

You can't unsee...........

What do you do when you see something that you didn't necessarily think you would ever see?   How do you process some of the things you have experienced or witnessed in your life time?     What about when someone else says that what you just seen or experienced was over dramatized by what you just told in your word picture?     Do you compartmentalize, do you shut down or do you allow yourself to feel what you feel and ask for God's help to just help you sort it out?     There's a lot of things that happen in our lives that are out of our control.    Sometimes, even if the situation is happening to us, it may still be out of our control to stop.    For me or anyone else to minimize what has happened to anyone or what anyone has witnessed with their own eyes is terrible.   Unless or until we have been in a situation where someone has stolen our right to make decisions over what does or doesn't happen to us, we need to keep our judgement and spite at a minimum.

My brother and I was blessed to spend the day together on Saturday, June 4th, when he came and picked me up at Mom's place and we headed out up north to pick my Mom up and bring her back home.    She had spent a few days with her niece and we met them half way to pick her up and bring her back home.     We met at my aunt and uncles house about 3 hours away.     My brother and I left out pretty early, just a few minutes before 6am on Saturday morning.  We drove about an hour and a half or 2 hours and stopped at a little town for breakfast.    The place we ate at had a motel just across the parking lot from it.    We went in and got our breakfast and got a window seat to enjoy it.    Just outside the window was a four way stop light.   The traffic was pretty heavy with lots of cars stopped three ways while one way had the right of way.     All of the sudden, there came four guys running across the front lawn of the restaurant from the motel and running on up to the stoplight.    It caught my eye and attention and out of nowhere, a thought jumped into my mind, "take note of what you are seeing".    I had no idea what was about to happen.    Then it happened.

There was a vehicle sitting at the light with a sunroof and it was open and the windows was rolled down.    Those four guys jumped on that vehicle in such a brutal, violent attack that I was just dumbfounded!!!!!    I thought I was watching a horrid evil scene from a movie, which I choose not to watch, by the way.    Two of the guys jumped on the roof of the car and lowered their legs into the car and started kicking and thrashing at the driver and passenger violently!!!!!   One of the guys still on the ground, was on the drivers side trying to pull the driver out all the while slinging his fists and on the passenger side the same thing was happening!!!!    Four guys at the four way light intersection letting loose such a violent brutal attack on the people in that car!!!    I was suddenly sick to the pit of my stomach!!!   I fully expected shots to be fired!!!!    Praise God that did not happen!!!!  

The light changed for this lane of traffic to go and they were still brutally attacking the people in that vehicle, but the car finally did get away from them.    When the guys turned and started running back to the motel, they were actually harassing people in other vehicles with threatening gestures and lurching like they wanted to pick a fight with others.    I was afraid and not one little bit ashamed to say that!!!!   I had to go to the restroom and when I came back out, someone inside the restaurant had gotten word that it was two girls in the vehicle and one of them was pregnant!!!   That was just too much to hear!!!!!

Granted, I have no idea what all this was about.   But I will say this, it was more than likely sin based. I don't know what the sin was, I don't care what the sin was, but I do say it was sin based.   Two police vehicles showed up at the motel and a few minutes later, the vehicle with the two girls came back to the motel.   I'll tell you what hurts my heart.    That unborn baby was put in danger!!!!!!  I don't know what it was all about, but I'll just bet that it wasn't as important as a human life!!!!   My brother and I finally left and headed on our way, but we both was heavy hearted over what we just seen and witnessed.    Granted, we don't have the full story.   When a human life, a baby's life is at stake, I don't need the full story to say that should never have taken place.

I have asked God to help me make heads or tails out of this and realize that my life has been changed from having witnessed this brutal and violent attack.   I have asked God for my life to be changed for the better from having witnessed this.    God is going to have to help me work this out.    It's one thing to see something like this on the big screen in a movie theater, but it's totally different seeing something like this in real life with your own eyes.    It changes that soft place in your heart just a little bit.   It can change it for the better or it can change it for the worse.   I just pray for every person that seen that attack with their owns eyes, that God would draw them closer to Him and fill them with Himself.    I pray for that precious little unborn baby!!!!    I pray for that little baby to know the protection of the Lord!!!!

I don't know how to pray for the others yet.    Well, yes I do, I just haven't reached the point of wanting to pray for them as God would have me pray for them.   I do pray for God's will to be done in their lives.    I pray that they could see that what they done was a terrible thing.   I am thankful for the police arriving on the scene.    I am thankful that no shots were fired!!!!   I am thankful for the safety that He provided for my brother and myself!!!

You can't unsee things and you can't unhear things and you can't undo some things.    And we don't have to hurt someone by minimizing what they have witnessed.     If God is teaching me more compassion, that's a great thing!!!!     When I have to be in a place of negativity, I just ask God to give me strength.    I am responsible for how I think.   God gave me the authority to call on Him to overcome bad and troubling thoughts and to give Him ultimate control over the situations that I happen to be witness to.     I have the right to choose thinking positively.   I choose to focus on God, His will and positivity over negativity.    I choose to believe that God can overcome physical sickness just as well as spiritual sickness.    God is able!!!!!!

God is well able to use what we witnessed this passed weekend.    I don't know how He is going to use it, but I will NOT limit His power and authority over how He wants to use it.   I pray that God will intervene in the lives of the ones involved and boldly change them to the point of repentance.  I pray for God to intervene in my life and use me more boldly, to stand up for Him no matter the situation.   I pray for God's will be done.

James 2:13   For judgement is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.  Mercy triumphs over judgement.

Father God, help me to ALWAYS show mercy!!!!   Because Your Word says that mercy triumphs over judgement!!!   Help me to show mercy!!!   Remove the judgemental spirit from me!!!!    Show me Your way more clearly!!!!    Help me to triumph with an abundance of mercy!!!!!

I have had a full week to think on what my brother and I witnessed last weekend and I have to say that I do believe that all of us will be seeing more and more of this stuff happening.    We see and hear of it every time we turn the tv on.    We are seeing more and more criminal acts taking place.   Why is that?    Hate filled hearts!    A person can't have love in their heart and do some of the things that we see people doing.    We can't praise God and curse God in the same breath.    We have total control, with God's help, over what we think and how we act.   One person behaving hatefully can cause a chain reaction, which in turn can form a mob.    Have you ever thought about the mob that shouted "crucify Him, crucify Him"?    I have, and more so here lately than ever.    What side of the mob would I have been on?    I love to think, sitting here in the safety of my home, some 2000 years after the fact, that I would have been with the small group that loved Jesus.    But you know what?     I really don't know which side I would have been on.    As much as I love Jesus and what He has done for me, I truthfully can not say which side I would have been on!!!     I am so thankful that I didn't have to make the choice back then.     But, I have still had to make the choice as to whether I follow Him or not.    "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back"!!     I know a lot of y'all will recognize this phrase from a church song.    When I started typing it, I didn't mean for it to be a lyric from a song, but then it was and I googled the song and the following is some of what wiki-pedia has to say about the song:

"I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" is a Christian hymn originating from India.

The lyrics are based on the last words of a man in Assam, north-east India, who along with his family decided to follow Jesus Christ in the middle of the 19th century through the efforts of a Welsh missionary.    Called to renounce his faith by the village chief, the convert declared, "I have decided to follow Jesus." In response to threats to his family, he continued, "Though no one joins me, still I will follow."    His wife was killed, and he was executed while singing, "The cross before me, the world behind me."    This display of faith is reported to have led to the conversion of the chief and others in the village.

The formation of these words into a hymn is attributed to the Indian missionary Sadhu Sundar Singh. The melody is also Indian, and entitled "Assam" after the region where the text originated.   The fierce opposition is possible as various tribes in that area were formerly renowned for head-hunting.

For more indepth information, click on the provided link.   I do not know what else this website offers so, I am not promoting the website as I don't know what else you will find, but the info provided on this song is powerful.

https://emailmeditations.wordpress.com/2014/08/23/499-the-story-behind-the-song-i-have-decided-to-follow-jesus/

What we chose in this life will show by how we live our lives.    If we are out to hurt people with word or deed, that will show.    If we are to help people with word or deed, that too, will show.   People are and will forever be changed and affected by how we live.    We will live peaceably with our fellow humans or we will look for ways to hurt those around us.

Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (KJV)

The decision is ours!!!!

I hope there is something in this that can help another person in some small way.     I just had to get this out of my system and I did so by journaling and it ended up being a blog post.    My friend and I was talking about this and we came to the conclusion that this is a time of tilling and tearing up the soil for a future harvest that God has in store.     Now, the growth process starts in hopes of an abundant harvest!!!!    God is good all the time and all the time God is good!!!    Nothing ever goes un-noticed by God!!!    Praises be to God Almighty!!!!

I hope and pray everyone has a blessed day in the name of Jesus Christ!!!!     Remember at all times that God loves you!     I love y'all too.    Till we meet here again, hugs and love, Patty

Happy Memorial Day

Hello Y'all!!!!     I hope and pray that this weekend has been a great one for all of y'all.    For us here in the United States of America, today has been set aside as a day of Memorial, remembering the ones who have fought and shed blood and given the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, for us to be free.    Freedom isn't free and never let us forget that.    I am sure that every family in the United States has been touched by either service to their country or sacrifice for their country.    Service and sacrifice comes at a great price.    We have the right to to burn the flag of the United States of America.     For the life of me, I can NOT imagine why anyone would want to, but the same men and women that has fought and died for my freedom also fought and died for the same freedom that allows someone the right to burn the flag.    Yes, we have the freedom to do a lot of things.    Just because we have the freedom to do some things, doesn't mean we should!!!!!!     It has been said that Christ died for our souls and American soldiers died for our freedom, I can't imagine why we would want to take either one for granted.

I was having my hair cut at a local establishment a couple of years ago where the employees were young enough that they could have been my grandchildren.   They were just out of school and I just happened to walk in on a conversation they was having and none of the older people was saying anything.    They was really talking down about our country.    I set there as long as I could and kept my mouth shut till I could keep it shut no longer.    I finally asked them where they had went to school at.     One of the little gals spoke up so proudly and said the local high school.    I told her to go home and tell her parents to ask the school system for their tax money back that was spent on her education, because the school system had failed her miserably.    Because they had not taught her that men and women had died for her freedom to have such a poor attitude and misunderstanding of American history and World history.    I even asked her what they taught her about the Holocaust and she said not much and that she didn't even believe what she had heard about it.    I told her to go home and if she had any grand parents or great grand parents alive, ask them what they thought about her attitude and mindset and if they knew any survivors or even anyone who had served in WW 2.    I told them that their school system had failed them miserably and they should be very upset at not having been taught to take pride in their country, because if they had been, their speech would be totally different.    When I finally shut up, all the older people that was in there clapped at what I had just said.  

I left there fuming mad and went to the Dollar Tree and as I was leaving the store, I was still fuming mad over that situation and I almost missed an opportunity to hug a soldiers neck!!!!!!    I was coming out of the store and he was going in the store, I walked passed him, and then all of the sudden I realized that I had just caught a glimpse of uniform fatigues.    I wheeled on my heel and ran back inside and walked the aisles till I found him and he had his back to me and I said "Excuse me sir", while I was tapping his shoulder.   He turned around and looked down at me and I looked up at him, I already had tears in my eyes and I said "I just want to thank you for your service to our great country and for my freedom as the tears fell from my eyes."    His face lit up like a Christmas tree with the most awesome smile, and he took my hand and shook it and said, "It is an honor to serve my country and help keep America safe".     I gave him a hug and I walked away from him and something told me to look back, and I did, and people was lined up to do exactly what I had done.    I don't know how long he stood there and shook hands and hugged the public, but he was due that and much more from all of us.    Had I not just been in that situation earlier, I might have missed that opportunity.   So, I can truly say that something good does come from every situation.     I hope you have had the opportunity to thank a soldier or a veteran this weekend, they will appreciate it.

So, if there are any soldiers or veterans who actually read my blog, to you, I say, "Thank You!!!   God bless you with His hedge of protection.    I also pray that He protects your heart from the harshness of what you may have seen.    We are proud of you!!!!     We pray for you!!!!     And we will continue to remind those who may have forgotten about your service and sacrifice!!!!!!

My husband and I got out today and went for a drive over to Clarksville.   It was such a pleasant drive and we seen many flags flying and lots of picnicking and fun everywhere.    We had a very nice meal and then we drove over to the Cumberland river and found a good parking place and just watched the water, boaters, and some of the personal water crafts and the like.    It was a very pleasant hour or so. We have had so much rain here that the river was up quite a bit and it was really muddy and murky and lots and lots of debris floating in the water.    It was actually dangerous, or certainly could have been.    My husband brought his good canon camera and took some pictures.    I just wanted to share some of it with y'all today.

This was a tug boat coming up the Cumberland River with a bunch of coal, going to the Old Hickory power plant on up the river several miles.   It was a pretty huge barge of coal.    I really enjoy watching these barges of coal or rock or sand, whatever it may be, come up the river and go out of sight.

This one is better shot.   It is a brighter picture and you can really see the coal on the barges and just how large this single load is.

This is my fav of the barge pictures.     My hubby had gotten out of the car and was standing under the tree and it made the perfect forefront for this picture.     We was parked in front of a small boat dock, you can see the walk way to it and then the walkway out in the water.   It's kinda like a sidewalk in the water.    You'll see it better in the next picture.

"Yeah, this is my sidewalk, you got a problem with that?"     hahahaha      Guess who rules the roost.    He was really strutting his stuff on that sidewalk.    You could tell he was one of the locals.    It was funny, he didn't seem to be afraid of all the hub bub going on.    He just strolled up and down the sidewalk, but then he had a purpose for that and you'll see that in the next picture.

Well, today was BYOC day.    Bring your own can.    "Yeah, I like Sunkist, you got a problem with that?"    hahahaha      I think we solved the age old question.   You know, the question about what our feathered friends like to drink.    Well, this one likes Sunkist.    Who knew?     hahahahhaha     At least he was drinking responsibly.    Not everyone out today could say that!!!!

So, this is all the news that is the news on the waterfront sidewalk.    It looks like he has everything under control and looking out for unsuspecting wayfarers while wetting his whistle with a beak full of Sunkist ever once in a while.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures that I had to share with you this Memorial Day.  

Take a look in Joshua, I think it is Chapter 4 in the first few verses where the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, God had stopped the flow of the river and He had them take stones from the river and build a memorial for all the generations to come to see and know that God had done a great miracle for them.    God wanted them to build a Memorial as a remembrance of His faithfulness.    We still need to be reminded of the faithfulness of God and how He makes a way when there is no way.    God is still in the business of making a way.    Make no mistake about that.    Are we still passing on from one generation to the next about God's faithfulness today?    I pray we are!!!     Are we sharing with those is our circle of influence, the faithfulness of God in our every day lives?     I sure try to.    I was blessed to have lunch with a sister in Christ this week and that is what most of our conversation is always centered around, how Christ has been actively working in our lives and we recognize it and we share it with one another and with others.    It makes our faith grow stronger when we see how God is working in the lives of other people.     I want to be a living testimony to just how good God is!!!!     I want the people in my circle of influence to be a testimony to how good God is also.    We need one another as a reminder of God's mercy, grace and love so we won't forget where we have been, where we are now, who we are and whose we are.   For me, a memorial is a sign of hope.   My hope is in the Lord.    I love to see how God is working in the lives of others as a reminder to what He has, can and will do, if we let Him.     Are we passing that on to the generations coming up behind us?    I hope so.

Ladybug, it was great seeing you this weekend and I hope you have an awesome time this week and look forward to seeing you again Saturday.    Have fun!!!!!     Sweetpea loves you!

Well, that's it for this go 'round.     I hope you hugged a soldier or a veteran sometime this weekend and thanked them for their service and for your freedom.     I hope you liked the pics that I shared.   And now you know the rest of the story.....about what our feathered friends drink.    hahahaha     I hope and pray that you also know and remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for you.    That is ultimately, the greatest sacrifice that has ever been made for you.    Tell someone about it.

Until next time, enjoy the scenery around you and remember that God loves you, so do I.    hugs, Patty

Art or not?

Hello folks!    I hope and pray that where ever you are on this planet, that you are high and dry.    I recently started contemplating whether we need to start trying to build an ark.    I decided against it.   I think I'll just get a pair of floaties next time I'm at WalMart and call it good.    It'll stop raining when God's ready for it too and not a second sooner.    We need rain just like we need sunshine and we're getting a sampling of both right now.    And the cool mornings have been so nice too.    Here it is the middle of May and still having mornings down in the upper 30's to the low 40's.    The best that can be said is to enjoy it, because summer is just around the corner and I know I will be craving some of those cool mornings.    Bet some of y'all will too.    hehehe

I'm usually not one who talks much politics on my blog or anywhere else for that matter.   But this year is a big year in politics.   We either vote for the same old, same old and get the same old, same old knowing it will another 4 to 8 years of more of the worst that the politicians have to offer.    Or we vote for someone that is not in anyone's hip pocket yet and get what we get, not knowing for sure what we're gonna get.    It is a conundrum!!    I do and will continue to pray on this matter and pray for all of our leaders to just open a can of "common sense" somewhere along the way.    Common sense and doing what's best for the country at large has gone by the wayside, in favor of doing what's best for the "good ole' boy" establishment.    One thing I will venture to say here and I'll say it loud, "Hell is getting hotter every day!!!"     I do believe, since all government was established by God, our politicians will have to answer to God on that "Great Getting Up Morning" and will be held responsible for their actions.   That gives me a bit of satisfaction, knowing that God will judge righteously, whereas I know I wouldn't.     We don't have leaders like we once had!!!!    Leaders that was not afraid to bend the knee to call on God in prayer.    Leaders that would stand up for what is right and would strike down anything that was wrong, immoral or perverted!    They used to welcome great men of God, like Billy Graham and others, to speak to them and have prayer with 'em.     With that said, I'm anxious to see the outcome of this presidential election.   You see, a lot of the "hollywood elite", (hahahahahaha, thats's so laughable) have promised that if one contender over the other gets elected, they will pack up and leave the United States of America.   Ohhh lawdie, I pray pray pray......     To them, I say "don't let the door hit you on the way out!!!"    I dream of hearing that great wooooshing sound of all of 'em leaving!!!!!    In fact, I would happily hold the door open for 'em.     Heck, I might even be willing to chip in for a couple of one way tickets out of the country!!!!    What do you produce for the American people?    What good do you really do?    Do you pay the taxes that you SHOULD be paying?    Come on, admit it, you look down your face-lifted noses at the very people who put the money in your pockets, don't you!!!   What do you stand up for?     We know you by the fruit you produce!    Rotten produces rotten!!!!    Do you speak truth or do you promote perversion?     I say to them, "I don't need hollywood and the immorality that hollywood is all about!!!    I don't need hollywood telling me how I should vote!!!   I don't need hollywood telling me what I should think about anything!!!     I enjoy watching a little television, but you know what, I don't need actors, apers, mimic-ers telling me ANYTHING!!!!"     They're JUST actors!!!!!!!!!    But alas, I'm afraid it's just another big hoax, just getting my hopes up like they did about 12 years ago!   Oh well, it doesn't hurt a girl to have a dream does it?    Join me in praying for that great wooooshing sound!!!      And I wouldn't care if the news media followed suit!!!!    They don't report the news, they fabricate what they want to tell.    They spin their own stories just like spiders weaving a web and they have fed us garbage for the last 30-40 years and we have gobbled it up!!!!    They tell the people what we should think and how we should vote and what we should believe.    I don't need that bunch of immoral vile lie spewing people telling me anything either.    My desire and prayer would be for all of 'em to trip over one another finding the nearest door outta here!!!!    I'll hold it open for ya!!!!

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

Those words are as applicable today as they were when God spoke them to Solomon many years ago. If you are a professing, believing, born again Christian, you belong to God!!!!    God wasn't talking to the pagan world, but to His people who had called on Him as their God! Where is humility today? Everyone wants to stand and beat their chests and claim king of the mountain all the while, the mountain is turning to a rubbish heap.    We need to humble ourselves prostrate at His feet crying out for mercy!!!      God help us before it's too late!!!    God does not hear the prayers of the unrepentant, so we as God's people need to repent and seek God.    God never hides Himself from someone who is seeking Him.   But, we will not find God if we are still happily rollicking in wickedness.    We, as a nation, are happily rollicking in wickedness and God will not tolerate it forever!!!!!    But, God says He will forgive us of our sin and He will heal our land!!!!    Come on people of God, trust that God will do what He says He will do!!!    The first chapter in Romans says that God will turn the people over to their reprobate minds and that is exactly what we are seeing, now more than ever, in the upside downness of sin. What used to be evil and vile is now the norm!!!    I don't know about you, but I don't like it!!!!        I despise what has happened to the morality of this nation!!!!    We either stand up and say something or we sit down and shut up and take it.        Somebody once said "if we don't stand up for something, we will fall for anything".    We have fallen for everything that is perverse, despicable, detestable, evil, immoral and vile!!!!       God wants to heal us and our land, what do you want?

In reality, I do pray for what is best for this great country!!!!     I do pray that God's chosen vessel will be elected for president, whomever that is.     In reality, I do pray that whomever it is, will determine in their heart to serve God and do what's right for the people!!!!    I realize that one person can't make everyone happy, but it's not hard at all to tell where someone's loyalties lie.    If the presidential contender has the intention of going to God before any decisions are made, then wise decisions WILL be made, just sayin'.     I'm not telling you how to vote, but I would suggest that if you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, talk to Him and listen to what He says before you cast your vote.     In any kind of race there can only be one winner, but in this particular race, there will be lots of losers and that is us, the American people, the VOTERS!!!!!    What are we willing to take a stand against?   Is anything worth standing for?    Or nothing at all?    We decide.    I pray we make the right decision!

This is something I have been working on this week.    I have had a blast with these, as I get to hammer out a lot of frustration.    hahahaha     These day's there's a lot to be frustrated about.    Anyway, these are bookmarks hammered from 14-16 gauge copper.     I am gonna look for some larger copper this week.    I hope to find 10-12 gauge.    Lowe's will have it, so off I will go sometime.

These are about 6 or 7 inches long.    I pulled some ribbons and threads and braided them once I got them looped onto the bookmark and then I put beads and buttons and rolled paper beads on them.

My next step is to make a pretty presentation card to put them on.   I appreciate all the suggestions from some friends on the Google+ Kraafters Kommunity group.    I was stuck and they pulled me out.   Thanks!!!!   I have a few more shorter ones that I am working on and will share pictures of all of them once I have them on the presentation cards.    Hope y'all like them and I will take any more suggestions that you may have under consideration.

Out in the crafting world there has a really good question that was asked.    One person wanted to know if what he had done in a digital format was considered "art".    It has provoked a great conversation, from the ones that have actually responded to the question.    It was something that really stirred me.    And I started questioning within myself what I think about art, and what do I consider art to be or look like.     This is just gal's opinion and nothing else.

When I was growing up and still in school, for some reason or another, I had pre-conceived notions in my head of what art should look like.    But when I started seeing works of the so called "great masters", I'm left with mixed emotions and a lot of it is not so good.    Who determines what "great" art is?   Just like with writers, we were always being told to try to figure out what the author was actually talking about or what the author was trying to say.    I'm not taking a test on what someone is "trying" to say, but I will take a test on what has been said.    I don't like trying to analyze what someone else is trying to say, they either say it or they don't.    It's not up to me to put my words in someones mouth/writing.    I think it's pretty much the same way with any other art form.    For me, I love colors and color combinations and different types of base materials to work on and with.     When I work on something, I'm expressing myself..     Shoot, I may not even be trying to say anything with what I do.    I may just be doing something for the sheer delight of it.   I'm not trying to tell the viewer what to think of it, period.    I wish I could go back to school and tell some of my teachers to "just get over it" and move on and don't tell me what I think about something is wrong.    Art is 100% perception.    I'm not taking a test on what someone else sees in a piece of art, but I will tell you what I see.    So,,,,,,,maybe I don't perceive something the way someone else does, don't tell me I'm wrong and I won't tell you you're off your rockers.    hahahaha     My sense of humor is different to most peoples, and when I look at something or read something, I'm always viewing or reading through the filter of my humor.    If something makes me laugh, then my perception is that it's pretty good.    The same thing may provoke someone else to tears, it doesn't mean my perception is wrong, it just means we see things from a different perspective.    Am I wrong?     Not any more so than the person who doesn't see it the way I do.     I truly believe it all goes back to one's perception of what we see and read, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else.   Perception, perception, perception!!!

So, I would really love for someone to tell me who determines whether art is good or bad.   No one has the right to tell you that what you do is NOT art!     I'm just a country gal with country ways and country ideas and I guess I live my life based on practical principles.    Based on what I actually see in a piece of art and what I read that an author has actually written, instead of based on what someone has told me I should be seeing and reading and interpreting it a certain way.   Anything less than that and it then becomes their point of view that I am seeing and reading and I don't like seeing life thru anyone's eyes but mine.    I love art and I love trying to create art in what ever form it takes and I do it for myself and if someone else happens to like it, then great, if not, that's fine too.

Colossians 3:17   And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.    (New Living Translation)

What ever you do, do it as if you are doing it for the Lord!    After all, He is the First artist and the Greatest artist of all time!!!    Any skill talent or ability comes from Him.     We either praise Him through our art or we don't.    At the end of the day, I want Him to be happy and pleased with whatever I do and that's truly enough for me.    No matter what your artistic ability is, serve God and praise Him with your gift of art and thank Him for it.   That's what I try to do with my art and I pray that He will help me develop more skill as I try to serve Him.    I pray for God to be seen more and for me to be seen less in everything I do.

What about you, what's your artistic point of view?

Ladybug, I hope and pray you have a great day today and that it is dry in your neck of the woods.   Hope to see you soon.   Sweetpea loves you very much!!!!

Well, that just about does here for me on this episode today.    I will be gearing up shortly to try and get some items made for the county fair and the FCE Creative Day coming up pretty soon.    As I do, I'll share my pieces with y'all.    So, stay tuned and be on the look out.     Till next time, God loves y'all and so do I.    hugs and love, Patty