ProtectiveCuzdity

Quilt designer:

Pat SloanFrom Quilts and More, Fall 2006
Materials
4 -- 1/8-yard pieces coordinating prints (flap) 1/2 yard red print (bag, strap) 1/3 yard green print (bag and flap linings) 12x50" thin cotton batting 1/4 yard fusible fleece 7 or more 10" lengths of ribbon, yarn, rickrack, or other trim Assorted embellishments such as beads, charms, and antique buttons
Finished Bag: 7-1/2x8-1/4"
Quantities are for 44/45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics. All measurements include a 1/4" seam allowance. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Week 17 Challenge Word: Glory - copied and pasted from Patters Blog....
Glory is to call attention to the magnificence of another, not ourselves but to another. Our chief purpose is to glorify God. He is number one; we are not. My happiness is not important; however, our amazing God can bring glory to Himself and joy to me all at the same time even during difficult times!

What an amazing and loving God we have! How can we glorify Him? We can use scriptures that glorify Him, we can sing hymns, or we can even use our own words. Our actions should also show in everything we do that we trust Him and live for Him everyday. He is to get all of the applause not us.
I pray that God used our actions to glorify Himself to that server. I pray that the server saw Christ in us. I have never done that before but I am so glad God led me to it. How might He be using you to glorify Him?
1 Corinthians 11:31 "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."And for my card, I used some yummy Basic Grey papers, some Creative Cafe goodness, and a Cuttlebug die and embossing folder. Fun, fun!

Scripture Challenge {Week 16} & a RAK!

Copied and Pasted from Patters Blog http://triplethescraps.blogspot.com/ , so interesting info ... read on ....

I don't know about you, but I love studying God's attributes. I have a book written by Rosemary Jensen, the former Director of Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), called "Praying the Attributes of God." I really think this will be a summer study for me after BSF ends in May.

So, I thought I would start throwing in some of His attributes for us to look at through our Scripture Challenge.

This week, I thought we would look at:

Week 13 Challenge Word: His Presence

God's presence can be found when we seek Him with our whole heart. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and we are now adopted into our Father's family. Our Father is there with us when we are sick, when we suffer, when we doubt, when we experience joy, etc. He is with us no matter the circumstances. And in His presence, we find the safety and peace we long for. He is always there (ever present), and He cares. He knows your heart, He hears your conversations, He notices what you do over and over and over again. He is not just present at Easter or Christmas or times of sorrow. He is with us each and every day.

Do you notice Him? Do you feel His presence?

Ask Him to remind you of His presence.I found another great quote from Max Lucado for this week. He says "His presence never diminishes. Our awareness of His presence may falter but the reality of His presence never changes. We cannot find a place where God is not." I just love that! How perfectly put! That quote is going in my journal!

The scripture I chose for this week is: Psalm 89:15: "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord."

Week 12 Challenge Word: Listen ( copied and posted from Patters Blog )- http://triplethescraps.blogspot.com/.
How do you know God is speaking to you? Do you hear a roar of thunder? Or does a lightening bolt hit you and you say “Agh ha!” Is there a billboard along side the road that tells you what He is saying? No! Sometimes we wish His words would come to us that clearly but they don’t. God’s Word tells us that we are to listen to Him. At the time of the Transfiguration, God was speaking to the disciples from the cloud. Matthew 17:5 says “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!'" Though we don’t hear that audible voice like the disciples did, we still are to listen to Him and obey Him. We need to take time and shut out the things around us to truly listen. And He is listening to us! When we pray, He is listening. He loves to hear from us each day. He is eagerly waiting to hear from us each day. But we also need to listen and pay attention to what He is telling us.In my Bible, there was a wonderful devotion written by Eugenia Price. Part of the devotion says, “The voice of God is always speaking to us and always trying to get our attention. But His voice is a ‘still, small voice,’ and we must at least slow down in order to listen.” How true that is. We all get so busy with schedules, running kids around, and doing things for others that sometimes the slowing down and taking time to listen can be hard. I challenge you this week to make a point to slow down and listen each day whether it be during your daily prayer time, in the shower, after dropping off the kids at school, whenever. Do something different in your routine. Listen for Him. Be mindful of things that happen each day which might actually be God trying to get your attention. John 10:27 tells us “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” What a comfort that is. He knows my voice, He knows my name, He knows everything about me, and He just wants me to listen and follow Him.Once again there were many, many wonderful verses on this word. And the three I chose were:

*** Today's Quote ***

If there is any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow human being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.-William Penn

The Most Beautiful Rainbow

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

So send this to all of your friends and family Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

My good friend jacks sent this email to me... and boy is it so true....
READ on.........
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 11:51 AMSubject:
RE: RE: God Determines Who Walks into your life
God Determines Who Walks into your life.
The first sentence is pretty powerful! God determines who walks into your life....it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go. I need this back. If you'll do this for me, I'll do it for you.... Father, God bless all my family and friends in whatever it is that you know they may be needing this day! And may their life be full of your peace, prosperity and power as they seek to have a closer relationship with you. Amen. Now send it on to five other people, including the one who sent it to you. Within hours you caused a multitude of people to pray for other people. Then sit back and watch the power of God work in your life. P.S. Fi ve is good, but more is better, who else do you know that needs a prayer. THANKS FOR BEING IN MY LIFE

Today's Quote

True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost.-Charles Caleb Colton

Daily Christian Wisdom

If you do a good job for others, you heal yourself at the same time, because a dose of joy is a spiritual cure.-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Scripture Challenge {Week 15}
Week 15 Challenge Word: Joy

Where does your joy come from? Does it come from wealth, cars, food, “things,” etc.? Or are you waiting on someone else to fill you with joy? People are constantly searching for things to make them happy; however, we are not made for what the world defines as being happy or joyful. We are blessed by being full of joy which only comes from Him through His Holy Spirit.Let’s look at what joy is. Joy is more than happiness. Joy is a confidence in the truths of God despite your circumstances. Joy is sacred and cannot be stolen but it can be contagious. Focusing on Jesus in our everyday life and everyday circumstances brings us great joy. Max Lucado states in his devotional Bible that “Sacred delight (joy) is good news coming through the back door of your heart. It’s having God as your pinch-hitter, your lawyer, your dad, your biggest fan, and your best friend. God is on your side, in your heart, out in front, and protecting your back.” What a great God we have!And think of when you pray for others. Does it bring you joy?
***************
“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.” What a great way to pray: with joy! And look at 1 Thessalonians 2:20 “Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” Oooh, yes, He is my joy! How about you?

You cannot open the daily paper, turn on the television, or go online without hearing about some great need in the world. With so many important causes--the fights against poverty and disease, disaster recovery, research in new fields of knowledge, the arts--it can seem impossible to make a big difference. But if you want to be spiritual in your finances, take a few minutes and consider the causes that are closest to your heart, then find ways you can donate to them on a regular basis.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is knowledge about finances. If they have a proper relationship with material things, they will be more empowered to develop a whole, healthy sense of themselves. Teach your children that money and possessions cannot make them complete. But if they are complete within themselves, they will be less likely to chase after money or spend it unwisely. Help them learn from your own financial successes and failures, and model for them careful saving, patient spending, giving to others, and planning for the future. Show them that money is not life's purpose, but a healthy appreciation for money is essential to living with purpose.

Maybe you don't have any "enemies," but chances are you have a coworker whose office habits annoy you, a neighbor who uses your sidewalk as an extra driveway, or a friend who hasn't been so...friendly. Find those in your life who haven't been a blessing to you, and bless them. Send flowers, movie passes or free coffee coupons. Consider keeping it anonymous. Even if they don't change their ways, you will find that spending money on them changes your feelings toward them.

Don't wait for Christmas to buy your husband a new fishing rod or to take your best friend out to her favorite restaurant. Generosity will lift your spirit and give you a new appreciation for the purpose of money. Use your finances to surprise other people and love them in random, generous ways. It may mean holding off on your other spending, but you'll love what happens inside you as you give to the people you love.

After you pay for your future and reduce your clutter, choose a new way to enjoy your money. It might be something small--a new swimsuit--or a dream you've long delayed--a beach vacation. Enjoying the fruits of your labor is spiritual: it helps you appreciate the ebb and flow of work and play in your life. Self-sacrifice is essential to spiritual health, but so is self-acceptance and celebration. Buying yourself that special something can help you strike a balance between abundance and asceticism.

CLUTTER - How high is your cable bill? Do you need those daily lattes or magazine subscriptions that go mostly unread? Having too much stuff harms us spiritually because it inhibits rest, clarity, and peace. Take stock of your consumption habits and get rid of everything you can. Junk the clutter, and also consider removing expenses that you enjoy but do not absolutely need. Simplicity will free your mind--and your pocketbook.

Whether you're planning for a rainy day, an emergency, or retirement, your income should help pay for your future. Get into the habit of setting a little aside each pay period--in time, you'll find that saving is fun, and you'll enjoy reaping the benefits of wisdom. With the future secure, you can be more tuned in to your day-to-day life and more at peace about the road ahead.

Most money advice overlooks the spiritual side of financial health. But if you miss the spirituality of finances, you'll miss the truth about money and possessions in your life.As you click through our 7-step guide to spiritual financial wisdom, meditate on each step and read about specific ways you can apply these principles. In the end, you'll have a personal plan for keeping your spending and financial goals in spiritual alignment.

Just playing around with the digital software on my Computer..... This is what i can up with.. My cousin Monica ordered an Apple Martini from the waiter when he didn't bring it she ordered another one.. so On waiter bought her a Rome Apple and the other bought her a Grammi Apple She really enjoyed both ....

God uses angels to work out the desitinies of men and nations.
-Billy Graham

My boo Bruce a truck driver for many years took the furniture there and back. Bruce and my brother had to make two trips ....... Thanking GOD for the Angle he has assigned to the Project of relocation...

Twenty Things to Remember (Trust)
Friday, 11 April 2008

1. Faith is the ability to not panic.2. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you prayed, don't worry.3. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.5. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.6. Do the math. Count your blessings.7. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.8. Dear God: I have a problem. It's me.9. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.10. Laugh every day - it's like inner jogging.11. The most important things in your home are the people.12. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional. (Preach it!)13. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open: Come on in.14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.16. We do not remember days but moments. Life moves too fast so enjoy your precious moments.17. Nothing is real to you until you experience it; otherwise it's just hearsay.18. It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.19. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck. 20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting. Leave gentle fingerprints on the soul of another for the angels to read. I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.

But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the GLORY of the Lord." Numbers 14:21

This weeks challenge is to create a layout that gives Glory to God.

Glory is a common word in our vocabulary. We talk about God's glory: "thine is the power and the glory forever." We sing about His glory: "to God be the glory, great things he has done." We want to give God glory: "Glory to God in the highest." But what does glory mean? The dictionary defines glory as great honor, praise, admiration, distinction, fame, and renown.

To glorify something is to praise or honor it, acknowledge its excellence, exalt and worship it. We glorify God when we acknowledge his power, praise Him, tell Him how much we admire him, when we give Him honor. There are so many ways that we can give him glory! We can pray it, say it, sing it, and even Scrapbook it to proclaim it to future generations!

When God glorifies something He starts with something ordinary. We are just like any other person until God's presence marks us as His own. Though we are ordinary we have been chosen. We have been touched by our Father in Heaven. We were once like everyone else but now we are robed in righteousness, veiled in holiness, and adorned with spiritual gifts. God glorifies us.

Psalm 8:4-6

4What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. The ordinary becomes extraordinary when it is touched by God. Remember, God glorifies something so that the glory can be returned to him.

Live a life that brings glory to Him!

We had a great time in Raleigh ..... Her are some pictures ......

Scripture Challenge {Week 14}
Are you hurting? Are you worn out and just need a hug? Do you know someone that needs a friend to help them in a difficult situation? In times of difficulty, we can always count on our Great Comforter our Lord.

Week 14 Challenge Word: Comfort

It is easy to lose the proper perspective when we are hurting; however, we can receive comfort when we focus our eyes on Him. Turn to His Word and His Holy Spirit for comfort. We can either choose to do that or choose to blame Him. Blaming Him only makes the situation worse. By turning to Him for comfort, we are accepting His offer of love to us. And in turning to Him, over time we also may be able to see His plan for the situation. He will give us comfort and strength through the difficult times of our lives. Even if it is just a really bad day, you have done 10 loads of laundry, and still have mountains more to do, He is there!Think about when you were a child. Where did you go for comfort? What about your children? Where do they turn for comfort? Some of us turned to loving parents. Others may have turned to a loving grandparent or foster parent. And there are others that may not have had a loving parent to turn to. But the good news is that we do having a loving Father that is waiting to comfort us. Tell Him your trouble and receive His comfort no matter how big or small.For those of you that may not be hurting, I am sure you know someone that is. A challenge for this week would be to send a card to someone you know that might need comforting. Maybe include the verse you choose for your card or page. Let them know that He is there for them as well as yourself.

What a mighty GOD we serve, today sermon was When God flips the script.... what a great sermon... I will be expanding on it later just wanted to send Sunday greetings to all......

Scripture Challenge {Week 13}

Before I begin with our word for this week, I wanted to share something with you that was said in my BSF conference this weekend. We were getting ready to begin a 2-hour quiet time with the Lord, and the staff member explaining this to us said that we needed to have complete silence so that we did not disturb any of the other people during their quiet time. There were 3,000 leaders in attendance, so being silent was very important! She then proceeded to tell us that being quiet is completely different than being silent: quiet (talking softly) vs. silence (saying nothing). Then she said “Did you know if you take the word ‘silent’, scramble the letters around, you will get the word “listen.” How cool is that? And how appropriate for our study last week! She also said that we cannot listen to God if we are not silent! I just loved it, and I pray it is helpful to you! Now onto this week!Well, I actually had another word picked out for this week; however, early Saturday morning Easter weekend (March 22), I was almost in a terrible, terrible car accident. I had to run to the P.O. that morning. I has just left the house and pulled out of the subdivision onto a large 4-lane road. You can go 55 mph on the road. I was in the right lane, and a pickup was beside me in the left lane. We were crossing a large intersection going 55 mph, and a Suburban comes from the intersecting road and pulls out in front of us. He crashed directly into the pickup! It was HORRIBLE!!! I have never in my life seen such a thing, and I have been driving for 27 years. I praise God that I JUST missed getting hit too. I immediately called 911, and I was SO shaky that the 911 operator thought I was in the accident too. She kept me on the phone for a long time because I was the witness and first caller. There were 4 people in the Suburban (which was COMPLETELY smashed). One man was unconscious, and the driver kept asking me what happened because he couldn't remember a thing. There was also a woman and a 10 year old girl in the Suburban. They had gotten out of the car but I told them to sit down until emergency crews got there. I never got to the pickup driver. His car was pushed completely out into a farm field because they hit SO hard. I cried a lot after I got home, and for several days it was hard for me to drive through that intersection. Days after the accident, I realized God’s amazing protection of me through it all. First, my girls were not with me. Second, it was a miracle as the cars spun that they didn’t crash into me, and third that I wasn’t in the accident in the first place. God is my great protector!Week 13 Challenge Word: ProtectionGod cares about me, and He cares about you. Who can be against us when He is for us? He protects us from troubles and dangers each day (one’s we aren’t even aware of). I knew He protected me from being in the accident; however, what else did He protect me from that very same day that I am not even aware of? What has He protected me from today that I don’t know about? When He answers your prayer differently than what you were hoping for, have you ever thought that maybe He was protecting you from something? Maybe you didn’t really understand what you were asking for and the result of that prayer if He had answered the way you wanted Him to answer. He is Sovereign, and He sees the big picture; we don’t. He protects us because He loves us. He loves us even more than the love we have for our own children. His love and protection is incomprehensible.

Daily Christian Wisdom

God may thunder His commands from Mount Sinai and men may fear, yet remain at heart exactly as they were before. But let a man once see his God down in the arena as a Man--suffering, tempted, sweating, and agonized, finally dying a criminal's death--and he is a hard man indeed who is untouched.-J.B. Phillips, "Your God Is Too Small"

Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.

We cannot change anything unless we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.-Carl Jung

When You're Feeling Frazzled...

READ: If there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. --Philippians 4:8REFLECT: Just out of a hospital, on furlough from World War II, I took a rowboat out on a glacial lake in Switzerland. I rowed far from the shore, brought in the oars, laid myself down under the seat and just drifted for hours.The only sight I saw was the blue, almost cloudless sky. The only sounds I heard were the gentle slappings of water against the hull and the tinkling of cowbells from the mountainsides that cradled the lake. God was giving me a tiny hint of what peace in heaven is like.Today, when life's pace gets too frantic, I draw upon the memory of that time and that place. I use it to calm myself-to bless and heal. You have memories like this too. Stop now. This instant. Choose one that still moves you. Relive it intensely. See, hear, smell, taste...remember! --Manuel AlmadaPRAY: Thank You, Father, for this great idea. I remember when _________________.DO: After you've relived a memory for a few moments, resolve to follow the advice above in Philippians 4:8 every day: think about excellent and praiseworthy things.

Headed back to NY tonight.... something i worked on for the guest bathroom while i was here....

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Friday, April 11, 2008

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Monday, April 7, 2008

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Friday, April 4, 2008

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

God is my Everything!