Show and Tell

is anything too hard... and... overwhelmed by your thoughtfulness

Today is Saturday, January 7. It's been a good day around here. The weather is great — nice and warm. I've been on two walks and contemplated a third, but decided to write a blog post instead. :) 

We finally got all the Christmas decorations down and put away. I love Christmas decorations, but it always feels good to get them put away, too. Here is some of our decorating that I haven't shown you yet...

If you look close, you may recognize some of these cards... because I'm sure some are from you! Of course, these aren't all the cards we got... just a small sampling. (You can see them better by clicking on each picture.) 

When I was a kid, my mom always taped the Christmas cards we received in a tree shape on our family room wall — and I've carried on the tradition, taping the cards up on the doors in our foyer. I love carrying on my mom's tradition. :)

 

Today for our scripture I'm going way back to the beginning of the Old Testament... to the book of Genesis.

Genesis 18:14a

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?..."

This passage in Genesis is the one where Sarah is told she and Abraham would be having a baby and she laughed silently, thinking it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard considering that the two of them were so old (like in the 100 year old range, if I remember right). But, the Lord's response was... "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

And, I think that would be His response to any of our requests. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Certainly not. So, I just keep trusting Him with my concerns... with my prayers for healing and a longer life... with my prayers for my husband and my children... with all my prayers. How about you? Are you trusting God with your life concerns, too?  

 

This is the last item that I've made and not posted yet. Guess I better get busy!

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I tried to plan this design so the little bird beaks were completely visible — but didn't quite make it work, even with readjusting the quatrafoil die. Oh, well. It's supposed to look like the birds are in a fancy cage. A good idea, I think... just not so easy to execute.

I think I may get quite a bit of use from the Verve sentiment set that I used on this card... although I'll never be able to send a card to everyone that's been so kind to us. So... in case you don't get a card from me in the coming weeks (and I wouldn't be holding my breath, if I were you — I've told you what bad records I've kept and that I'm so much better at making cards than I am sending them)... just know that we truly are overwhelmed by your thoughtfulness. We have felt very loved and cared for over these past five or so months. We love you all very much!!

 
AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Anniversary Birds, Words Cannot Express); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Marina Mist, Old Olive); ribbon is SU (Baja Breeze seam binding); also used dies from PTI (Quatrafoil) and SU (Lots of Tags Sizzlet).

Well, I guess I'm going to have to get busy and make more cards so that I have something to post in the days ahead! So, if there is no post tomorrow you can just figure it's because I didn't get anything new made and because everything is going well with my health. So, no news is good news, OK? :)

I really appreciate you checking in with me and keeping up with all my stuff... whether it's personal stuff, medical stuff, spiritual stuff, or craft stuff, you're all so kind and I'm happy to "know" you! We'll talk again soon, OK? Sending you big, squeezy hugs! 

The Lord has heard... and... treat yourself

Today is Friday, January 6. And I worked every day, all day, this week. Pretty cool, huh. Of course, you have to remember that our day is a part time day... but, still, I think that's pretty good!

After we got home, Ken and I took a mile walk around the neighborhood. We'll probably do it again pretty soon (probably before I finish this post). It's such a beautiful day here today. Hard to believe that at the beginning of the week I was trying to figure out if my coat would fit me because the high temperature was in the 30's. Today I think it's in the 60's... just about perfect in my book. And bright sunshiny blue skies... this is the reason we love living in North Carolina. :)

I've been wanting to show you this:

I don't know if you can read it or not, but this is a plaque that Ken had made for one of his golf buddies who got a hole-in-one while they were playing before Christmas. Ken said that all four of them who were playing saw the ball disappear into the hole and started screaming and jumping up and down and hugging each other. Makes me smile just thinking of what that must've looked and sounded like. :) I'm so happy for Bob. He's a great guy who has been a great friend to us. He's the one who made sure our leaves were blown and discarded back in November. Like I said, a great guy! (Congratulations, Bob!!)

 

I debated several different verses to use as the psalm for the day, and finally decided on this one.

Psalm 6:9

"The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer."

If you have time, you might want to get out your Bible and read all of Psalm 6. It's not very long... just ten verses. It is one of David's psalms and is one of those where he is so honest about how distraught he is feeling and where he pleads with the Lord for compassion and rescue. I can relate. And I bet you can, too. Even if you don't have a brain tumor. Because I'm learning that just about everybody has something. Something that is unpleasant. Something that is not easy. Something that is painful. Something...

And, we all need some rescuing. I'm so happy that I know the Lord. That He hears my pleas. That He answers my prayers. That He rescues me. And that He'll do that for You, too. 

 

Remember all the gift card holders that I made at Christmastime? Why not continue the gift card extravaganza into the rest of the year, too. Because, I don't know about you, but I give gift cards A LOT! 

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For this project, I made general use gift card holders out of patterned paper. Well, they're rather drink card specific because of the tags I tied around them, but I really like the way they look. And it seems like I'm giving Starbucks cards away almost everytime I turn around, so — even though I've already given two of these away — I do still have two left. Glad I decided to make several cards while I had all my supplies out. :) 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Sip and Savor); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); patterned paper is American Crafts (Celebration: Pinata, Peachy Keen:  Easy as Pie, Hello Sunshine: Brilliance and Splendor); ink is Memento (Tuxedo Black) and Stampin' Up (Melon Mambo); baker's twine is from The Twinery (Lemondrop, Cappuccino, Caribbean); also used several PTI dies (Gift Card Greetings, Double-Ended Banners, Tiny Tags).

That is all for today. We did take two walks... and I'm hoping that one of these days the fact that I'm watching what I eat and walking a couple of miles most days will start to show up and maybe the extra weight and inches will begin melting off. Sigh. Such a long road. But... I'm feeling good and pretty strong, and that's the most important thing.

Thank you so much for spending time here with me. I really appreciate your visit and your comments — and all the love you send our way. Let's talk again soon! Love to you from us. :)  

Listen... and...Proverbs 16:9

Today is Thursday, January 5. I didn't really mean to take two days off of blogging... it just happened. Things are rather busy around here at this time of year. There are usually a lot of things to take care of regarding the preschool and this year is no exception. We'll talk about that in another post, though.

I'm not feeling very chatty today, so I think I'm just going to go right into the scripture and then I'll share a card that I recently made.

Psalm 5:3

"Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly."

I read my Bible first thing in the morning. I'm still using the Change Your Life Daily Bible, which I love and have used on and off for years. It's always amazing to me how applicable the scripture seems to be each day. Like this one. Especially if you read the two verses before... "O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you." (Psalm 5:1-2)

I do ask the Lord to hear me as I voice my concerns to Him. I do ask Him to hear my cries and answer me. And I believe He does. His love for me is constant and unfailing... as is His love for you. Here's some proof from the Word — "For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love." (Psalm 5:12) I don't know about you, but I'm comforted by knowing that the Lord loves me so much that has me surrounded. :) 

 

Here is another card that I made using one of the Verve scripture verses. Oh, how I love those! 

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Yes, this verse is oh-so-true. We certainly know that around here! I'm not doing what I expected that I would doing right now, but I have no doubt that the Lord is directing my steps!

As for the photo on the left, I'm trying to remember to sign the backs of my cards... like on this one. I take a small image from the set I'm using, stamp with it, and then initial and date. Just a little added touch that's kind of nice when I give the card away. 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Flared Cross, Proverbs 16:9, Artful Elegance); cardstock is Stampin' Up (So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black) and Papertrey Ink (Rustic White); patterned paper is Studio Calico (Documentary: Looky There) and an old scrap of black dotted paper; ink is Memento (Tuxedo Black); also used a die from Verve (Cross Set) and one from SU (Curves Ahead Sizzlet).

That's going to be it for today. Maybe tomorrow I'll share some of the personal photos and stories that have been stacking up for over a month. Just don't have the energy and patience for that today.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll plan to "see" you again tomorrow night. Big hugs are coming your way! :)

Be accepted... and... Jeremiah 33:3

Today is Monday, January 2. It was a work day for me and — since I've been feeling so good — I decided over our Christmas break that I would start staying at work the entire day... through lunch and everything. And I did! Yay for me. :)

Since my time is rather limited today, I'm going to go straight into today's Bible verses.

Genesis 4:7

"'You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.'"

We all have a propensity for sin. Unfortunately. But, we also have a choice. We can resist. We can determine that we are not going to give into our nature... that we are going to rise above. That is within our power. But we can't do it on our own power... we need the Lord. That's why it's so important to always stay in touch with Him... to pray without ceasing. Don't refuse to do what is right. Or make excuses for yourself. Pray and subdue your sinful nature so that it is not your master. According to this verse, that is the way to acceptance.  

 

This card has a two-part story — it is part of my quest to use the patterned paper that I can't seem to stop myself from buying and then to also use each stamp set before buying more from the same company. 

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I do love Verve stamps. They stamp like a dream. And their Plain Jane scripture stamps are among my favorites.

AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Curvy Cross, Jeremiah 33:3, Artful Elegance); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream); patterned paper is Studio Calico (Countryside Collection: Grove); ink is Stampin' Up (Soft Sky) and Memento (Tuxedo Black); also used a Verve die from the Cross Set.

Well, I'm going to sign-off now. It's almost time for the Rose Bowl. We'll be going to our neighbors on the left to cheer on the University of Oregon. Go Ducks! :)

Thank you so much for stopping by and for all the prayers that you continue to send our way. As we attempt to reduce the steroid dose again, I feel that prayers are so important. And as part of our prayer team, you are so appreciated! Love and hugs to you from us! xxoo

Merry Christmas From Our House to Yours

Merry Christmas 2011 from the Hayes/Freeman Family!

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AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Poinsettia Christmas); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, Melon Mambo, Rose Red, Going Grey).

Hope you're having/had a wonderful Christmas and we'll see you after the holiday!

Showing your faith... and... More Verve Bookmarks

Today is Saturday, November 19. It's kind of a work around the house sort of day. Ken's been toiling to get our upstairs guest bathroom back in working order. We started redoing that bathroom in January. Then we got sidetracked by a wedding. Then by a brain tumor. And now it had to at least be made functional before our company starts arriving in a few days. So — this week Ken has tiled the floor and done some painting. He's also changed out the hardware from the shiny brass of the 1980s to a more contemporary brushed silver. The toilet is scheduled to be reinstalled on Monday... just before our first guest arrives. Then, after Thanksgiving is over and the company is gone, we'll start working on getting a new vanity, sink, countertop, and light fixures... complete the painting and then — tada! — it should be finished. Here it is in progress.

Check out that tiled floor. Not bad for a beginner, is it? It actually looks much better than the downstairs tiling that was down by a professional!

So, since I'm not very useful in the whole remodeling thing, I've been doing some crafting. I finished my stamp club cards that were "due" earlier in November. I'll take them to our December club meeting... along with my as-yet-unfinished October cards... and my stamped recipe cards, which are also not yet complete. (Who are we kidding? I haven't even started either of those projects!) But, I had to put all that aside because it suddenly occurred to me that I usually make placecards for our Thanksgiving dinner table — and I hadn't started those either! So — that has been the task for today. I've got all the pieces cut now and hope that by the end of the day I'll have them done. They're very simple — but simple and fast is what I need right now. Anyway, it's also the way I roll for most projects, right? :) (You'll get to see the placecards another day. Maybe on Thanksgiving... or the day after...) Then, I've got to get the stamp room cleaned up because it's also the guest room where my sister-in-law, Janis, will be staying later on this week. Here's how it look right this minute. 

Pretty messy (although, it's been much, much worse!). But, I don't think it'll be too hard to straighten up. I'll put away the stuff on the counter, fold up the table, move it under the window, and then there will be all kinds of space for Jan to make herself at home in.

 

For today's scripture, we're going to stay in the New Testament. James has so much to say to us!

James 2:18-20

"Now someone may argue, 'Some people have faith; others have good deeds.' But I say, 'How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds' 

"You say you have faith, for you believe there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless?"

In many Christian circles, the grace message trumps all... maybe to the point where sin is ignored (or nearly ignored) because we know that all we have to do is ask and God will forgive. And, I think the danger there is that it is easy to develop sinful habits — and then it's easy to forget the whole asking for forgiveness part... sincerely, with Godly sorrow... and before you know it, you're far from God and what His will for your life is. And, that is very foolish!

If you claim to be a Christian and if you say you have faith, then your life should reflect God's ways. I'm sounding sort of preachy, I think. So let me rephrase... I need to make sure that my life is reflecting Jesus' character and that I am treating others with love and kindness. Remember the WWJD ("What would Jesus do?") bracelets, bumper stickers, and the like? They may not be all the rage anymore, but it's probably not a bad motto to keep in mind as we go about living our lives. Show your faith by treating others with dignity and respect... and by meeting their needs — the way Jesus would treat them. Because faith without good deeds is useless.  

 

Today our crafty portion involves bookmarks. Remember? I have been making these to give to the people who have brought us food more than once. The first time we give them a card with a printed thank you message in it along with our address and blog information... subsequent times we give them a bookmark. It's not much — they deserve so much more — but it's what we can do at the moment.   

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This time I made two bookmarks... with different verses and different images. I figured you may be tired of seeing this type of thing one after another, so I went ahead and combined them. And, here is a photo of the two bookmarks together.

 

 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (1 Peter 5:7, Hebrews 11:1, Everlasting Life, Wishful Elegance); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is Memento (Tuxedo Black); also used Stampin' Up's watercolor pencils and blender pen, along with the SU Two Tags die.

You know how I've said we have the very best neighbors? Well, here's some proof...

Those are the leaves in our yard that they're raking up. Of course, most of the leaves came from their tree, but still... so nice of them to spend their afternoon trying to get them under control!  It will make Ken very happy. He likes things nice and tidy. :)

That is all for today, I think. Thank you so much for stopping by to spend a bit of your time here with me. It's been a good day with nothing of note on the medical front. Yay! :) So... we'll plan to talk again tomorrow, OK? Sending you big smiles and hugs today! 

Artful Elegance

Today is Friday, November 11. Since it is Veteran's Day and the public schools were out, we got to see many of our former students when the parents brought the little ones to school. That is always fun — to see how the kids are growing beyond their preschool years. And, of course, I love those hugs that I get from them, too!

My first big excitement of the day was that I wore my contacts for the first time since August 1. At least, it was exciting until I got to work and found that when I tried to read I couldn't decipher a single thing due to, I suppose, a change in the bifocal portion of my vision prescription. Kind of up a damper on my ability to get things done! haha! Still, I did what I could and ended up being there until noon or so again. So, praise the Lord!, I was able to get to work all five days this week! For next week, the plan is to be there on Monday and then on Tuesday I have my second chemo session at the infusion center. Hopefully, it will go as well as the first and I'll be back to work at least by the end of the week.  

As I was going through some photos on my phone, I realized that I didn't post any of my now five year old neighbor's family birthday celebration that took place way back in early October. We have the very best next door neighbors and they are always so good about including us in their family events. Gosh, we love that family! Anyway, here are two of the party-ers...

big sister Chloe and little brother Hayden... eagerly awaiting the presents and the cake. (Must've been "hat day"... :) )

And, here's the birthday girl, Nora Grace, sporting her birthday crown from school.

Cute cake that my neighbors made, isn't it? Perfect for the mermaid lovin' birthday girl!

But, I really, really love this picture...

Maybe I should get a pink wig, too. I think it really makes a great statement on Nora! :)

 

Here is a bit of scripture for you today.

Psalm 109:21

"But deal well with me, O Sovereign Lord, for the sake of your own reputation! Rescue me because you are so faithful and good."

I'm so fortunate. The Lord has been extraordinarily good to me and I pray that you have seen that, too. I pray that through my situation His reputation has only been enhanced and magnified in your life. He is so faithful and so good! 

 

Hope you're not tired of bookmarks yet, because here are a couple more.

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Two more little tokens for the kind folk who are making sure we're well-fed. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Artful Elegance, Psalm 46:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Baja Breeze, Lovely Lilac, Elegant Eggplant) and PTI (True Black); also used an SU die (Two Tags).

That's about it for today. However, I do have one more bit of "excitement". As I was writing this post I decided to take a little break to go for a walk and I made it all the way to the end of our street and back. Ken tells me that's about four-tenths of a mile. Woohoo for me! 

And here is how our street is looking today.

I just love the colors of autumn. When I was younger, spring was my favorite season and I loved all the pinks and purples of the flowering trees. As I've gotten older, though, I find myself much more inspired by the oranges, yellows, and reds of the fall. I've seen some really pretty trees as we've driven to work and back this week, but didn't think to take pictures... so this may be my one and only fall leaves photo of the year. Not the most vibrant colors and not the best trees I've seen, but still a memento of Autumn 2011.

Hope you have had a fabulous week and that your weekend is looking to be full of fun. Our pastor's daughter is getting married tomorrow and we're looking forward to helping them celebrate the blessed event, so that's what we'll be doing in the early afternoon. What about you? Do you have great weekend plans? Let me know... I'm always up for a vicarious experience. :) And thanks so much for stopping by for a visit with me... I do so enjoy your company and am sending big hugs your way! 

Singing His praises... and... Meditations

Today is Thursday, November 10. I'm getting a late start again today. I got to work before 9:00 this morning and stayed close to 12:30, I think, so it was almost a full work day for me. Not too shabby, huh? After Ken & I got home and had lunch, my own personal mancurist (hehe.. Kelley! :) ) came over and gave my toes a lovely fall call.

I wasn't planning to subject you to a picture of my toes again, but this post is going to be short on photos, so why not? :) You might not be able to tell, but they're a beautiful shimmery brown color.

Now I'm trying to decide what to do with my toes for December. Here are a few possibilities:

It's kinda hard to tell the differences in the red glittery ones, but what do you think? Wouldn't sparkly twinkle toes be sort of fun? :) I can't believe that I'm saying things like this. Kelley has definitely reformed me. I used to be a once every three or four month pedicure person... if that. And always a dark red in the fall/winter and a pink in the spring/summer. Oh, how far I've come. I'm turning into a girly-girl, I think. Pretty surprising.

 

I'm going to take scripture from the Psalms again today.

Psalm 108:3-5

"I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth."

I'm just feeling incredibly blessed today, so these verses I read this morning are very appropriate. God has shown me such tremendous love throughout this whole tumor thing. I haven't gotten sick. I haven't lost my appetite (not necessarily a good thing!); food still tastes really good. I haven't had headaches or nausea. I'm able to sleep... and I sleep really well. I get into my craft room nearly every day so I can make stuff. Lately I've been going in to work and am slowly but surely building up my stamina. Today I was there for over three hours — and before this all came about, my usual work day was about five hours long, so I'm getting there! I'm planning to work tomorrow, too, and it will be the first time that I've gone into work five days in a row since... well... I don't know when... probably since May!

Continuing with my blessings... now that my mobility is better, I can take short walks and am no longer dragging a foot. That's pretty exciting to get out and do something as normal as walk down the street! Then, through the blog I've "met" so, so, SO many wonderful people and they have been as good to me as the people who actually know me in real life! The love and encouragement that I have received throughout this whole process has been overwhelming. Yes. I have been incredibly blessed. God has been so faithful — yes, to the clouds (as verse 4 says). 

But, you know what? Even if none of that were true... even if all those blessings went away... it wouldn't mean that God doesn't love me. What it would mean is that I would get an opportunity to learn more about the depth of His love and care and compassion. But, for right now, I'm just so thankful that He is expressing His love to me through good, pain-free, "healthy" days. "Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth."  

 

Let's do a quick look at a couple more of the bookmarks that I made for those bringing us meals. 

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These both use stamps from Verve. I love their scripture stamps. They feature great verses and use beautiful font combinations. And many of them are only $3.00. Can't beat that! They stamp beautifully and, because their stamps are clear, they're easy to place. Their shipping charges don't break the bank either. PLUS, they ship really fast (well, when new products are released it can take a little longer, but usually they're lickety-split on the shipping!). Oh, yes. I do love ordering from Verve! (FYI... they are releasing their new stamps this Friday night, November 11. You might want to check it out. This is a link to their website. And here is a link to their blog. If you like to stamp and if you love scripture, you definitely need to check them out! And, in case you're wondering, this was a completely unsolicited endorsement. I just like their stuff!)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Meditations, Isaiah 61:3); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is from Stampin' Up (Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, Regal Rose) and PTI (True Black); also used an SU die (Two Tags).

Wow. I wasn't really planning to go on so long today, but sometimes when I get started I just can't stop. :) I hope you've had a great day and I'll plan to visit with you again tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by and I'm sending you lots of big fat hugs!

A new heart, a new spirit... and... Matthew 11:28

Today is Tuesday, November 8. It's a beautiful sunny day in North Carolina... just the kind of weather that makes you happy to be alive! :) 

There's not really a lot to report on the medical front today. So far the steroid reduction seems to be going well. I seem to be mentally stable (haha!) and haven't noticed any extra swelling or anything like that, so I'll take that to mean that all is well at this point. Praying it continues! And, since I'm feeling quite well and the weather is fine, it may be a good afternoon to take a little walk. I'll see if I can get to the end of the street and back today. That would be a big and exciting accomplishment! :)

Today I thought I'd share a fun little gift that was hand delivered to me over the weekend by one of our preschool grandparents. She and her four year old granddaughter had put it together and it truly brought and smile to my face!

It was a big — huge! — gift bag containing colorful tissue packages that each held a wrapped rubber duck. How fun is that?

Each duck is different and, from what I understand, was carefully and seriously chosen by Anna to put in the gift bag for me. Oh, how it makes me smile to think of the fun she and her grandma must have had working on this project together!

And, we had fun with it, too.

Britt and Kenneth spent quite a bit of time picking through the basket we put all the ducks in... checking out the variety and laughing at some of the options (a robot duck? a pilot duck? a mermaid duck? a chicken duck???). Yep, it was a very entertaining and unique gift, and I know we'll keep sorting through it, seeing things we hadn't noticed before. (Thanks, Joan and Anna, for giving us lots of big smiles... and some out-right laughs!)

 

Today we're going back to Ezekiel in the Old Testament.

Ezekiel 18:30-32

"Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don't let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don't want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!"

I often find little nuggets that speak to me in the Old Testament. The thoughts that stood out to me in this passage are... sin destroys — and God doesn't not want us to be destroyed because we are His precious people and He loves us... God encourages us to put our rebellion behind us — He doesn't hold it against us (although we may have to suffer consequences), but He asks us to find a new heart and a new spirit (and a new way of living our lives)... God doesn't want us to die in our sin or as a result of our sin — He wants us to repent and live!

Passages like this always cause me to evaluate the way I'm living. Where is the rebellion in me? What do I need to repent of to make my heart new and clean? I think it's always good to spend a little time (probably daily) examining your heart in light of God's expectations — because, really, His expectations are the only ones that truly matter! 

 

 And, on to something crafty. Here is another bookmark that will be going home with someone who delivers food to us. We are so blessed! 

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I love this verse. I hope whoever gets the bookmark appreciates it, too. :) 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Matthew 11:28, Jeremiah 29:11); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (So Saffron) and PTI (True Black); also used an SU die (Two Tags).

I'm not sure that I have much more to say today. It's probably time to venture outside for a little walk down the street. And then, since I'm finishing up pretty early, I think I'll try to watch some DVRed shows and get the list cleaned up a bit. That would make Ken happy. He doesn't like clutter at all... and that extends to my long list of TV shows to watch. :)

Hope you are having a wonderful day and I'll plan on touching base with you again tomorrow. Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting with me for a bit! Sending you big squeezy hugs! 

He is able to save... and... Philippians 4:13

Today is Sunday, November 6. We've been to worship, had lunch with Britt and Kenneth before they left to head back to Raleigh; I took a little nap, visited with our "adopted daughter" who dropped by, and am now going to provide a more thorough update for you.

There's not a lot going on on the medical front today — and that's always good news. Tomorrow we start trying to reduce my steroids again. Hopefully it will go well. All prayers are appreciated. :)

So — since I seem to be feeling a little chatty, how about if we get some of the Halloween pictures that I've been meaning to post out of the way? 

We have a crazy way of carving pumpkins at our house.

Yes. That's some kind of power tool.

Ken used it to cut the facial features into the pumpkin. Apparently carving a pumpkin is much for fun when it involves the use of a power tool.

I had seen an idea in Martha Stewart's magazine where they used plastic teeth to add pizzazz to a small pumpkin. They had also used the same thought on another pumpkin with plastic eyeballs. I shared the idea with Ken and he put his own spin on it...

 ... still using power tools, of course. :)

I think maybe we had one of the more interesting Jack-o-lanterns on the street. And doesn't Ken look proud of his workmanship? 

On Halloween, our neighbors gather in the cul-de-sac and have pizza and hot apple cider along with other goodies. Everyone starts getting set up early in the evening. 

That's me and my mom, ready for the festivities to begin.

And here is a photo from later on that night with our Jack-o-lantern all aglow —

... and quite unique, I think. :)

And since I have that chatty feeling, how about some pictures from yesterday?

This one is a typical shot of a Saturday night at the Hayes house...

Ken snoozing on the couch. :) 

Ken loves to have projects lined up and started doing some renovations in our guest bathroom earlier this year. Between the wedding and the brain tumor, things have gotten delayed — but yesterday he put in a hard day getting the floor ready for tiling. Obviously, it pooped him out. (And Roxy, the constant couch companion, is always ready for a nap!)

So, while they slept, Britt and I watched "Bewitched" — the movie version with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. It was a fun diversion provided by one of my Curves friends who gave us a huge bowl filled movie-type snacks and ten DVDs... such a fun and practical gift for people who need to have their thoughts transported somewhere else for awhile. (Thanks, Robin!)

Well, since I started writing this post we've had several visitors and lots of time has passed, so I think I'm going to have to move on. Maybe tomorrow I'll have time to tell you a little more about our weekend.

 

Today's scripture:

Hebrews 7:24-25

"But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to interecede with God on their behalf."

The only way to be saved from an eternity separated from God is to acknowledge Jesus as God's Son and determine to live your life for Him. Jesus lives to intercede for you. Isn't that an incredible thought? His purpose is to make sure you get to live forever. Wow. No wonder so many of us love Him!

 

Here is another bookmark that we'll give to someone who is providing us with a meal. 

SHOW

I know I say it all the time, but we are SO appreciative!

AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Philippians 4:13, Jeremiah 29:11); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Spectrum Late November) and PTI (True Black); also used an SU die (Two Tags).

Well, our dinner has been delivered and it's time for us to get on with our evening of TV and relaxation. Sigh. What a life. :)

Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit. I'll look forward to chatting with you again tomorrow. And please remember to pray about the steroid reduction — I'm counting on it going seamlessly this time. Love and hugs to you all... and thanks for the prayers!