Show and Tell

The Lord is a Guard... and... thank you doily

Today is Monday, February 13. Today I've made a couple of cards and have taken a mile and a half walk. That doesn't sound like much, does it? Of course, there were other things in there like lunch and a couple snacks. And lots of HGTV. I suppose if I cut out the distraction of the TV I could have gotten a lot more done. On the other hand, I am slower these days than I used to be (and I was pretty slow before the tumor!). I guess it's probably not bad to go a little slow now, though. The main task around here needs be trying to get well!

I also went to Curves which is always fun. Especially when people that I know are there. And today there were quite a few. Having someone to talk to as you go around the circuit makes it all go faster. And makes it more fun, too.

Another plus for the day is that when I got home from Curves I made dinner! Poor Ken has been the chief chef for over 6 months now and I think the most I've done is pour myself some cereal, make myself a sandwich, and heat us up a frozen pizza. Ken really doesn't let me do much (what a guy!), but I feel like once in awhile I should at least try to do a thing or two. So — I made spaghetti for dinner, along with a tossed salad and garlic bread. Nothing too complicated. But then just when I got everything on the table I ran (well... walked quickly) to the bathroom and threw up. Weird. Then I went back to the kitchen and ate dinner. Very weird. It was quite a strange thing. Hopefully dinner will stay down. I feel like it will. Is it possible to throw up because you're hungry? 

 

Here is today's scripture.

Psalm 34:6-7

"In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who all who fear him."

I don't think I probably need to expound a whole lot on these verses. Or on why I chose them. Of course, I want to be saved from my troubles. And sometimes I have felt desperate. But, the angel of the Lord is my guard and he does surround and defend me. What's not to love about that?  

 

Thought I'd take a break from making so many Valentine cards and show you a thank you card. 

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Can you tell that I got tired of punching out the little pieces from the doily die? Haha! Whatever possessed me to purchase such a high maintenence supply? haha (I do like the look of it, though.)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Sweet Floral, Four Frames); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Rustic White) and Stampin' Up (Cameo Coral); ink is SU (Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand); ribbon is PTI (White Silk 1/4"); also used SU punch (Decorative Label) and SU die (Paper Doily).

That's all until tomorrow. Hope to see you then. Thanks for visiting and I'm sending you hugs!

Life & Healing... and... You've Been So Kind

Today is Tuesday, January 24. So far today I've been to work and to Curves. And I've read a couple chapters in a book that had been recommended to me several times. Have you read "The Hunger Games"? That is what I'm reading and it's the first book that I've read in a long, long time. And since it's a trilogy, I will probably need to read the other two also. I wasn't sure that I could sustain attention long enough to read a book, but it hasn't been as hard as I thought. I'm much slower at reading than I used to be, but I think I'm retaining the story pretty well and that's encouraging. (If you've read the book, don't give anything away... I still have about 100 pages to go. :)  )

I told you yesterday that we went to the beach last weekend. We had hoped to visit with some friends (Sheila and Jimmy) while we were there. They used to live near us, but call Wilmington, NC home now. Unfortunately, they were going to be out of town for the weekend, so we'll have to catch them next time.

But, I wanted to show you a sweet present that I got from Sheila around Christmastime.

... this sweet pewter shell-shaped dish that was filled with real seashells. Shells Sheila wrote that she had picked up on the beach as she was praying for me. How sweet is that? What an incredibly thoughtful and meaningful gift.

I placed the dish full of shells on the bookcases in the living room... in front of the oil painting that we had one of our former preschool dads paint of our two children. My Oregon friends might recognize the coastline in the painting. It would be nice if my memory was working well, but it's somewhere around Newport, I believe. Maybe closer to Depot Bay. Anyway, I gave the artist several photos to work from: pictures of the Oregon coastline, of the clothes I wanted the kids to be wearing, and of our kids when Britt was about 5, I think, and Ian, 3 (although, when the picture was painted they were teenagers). The actual photo that he painted the kids from was taken in Florida. They were wearing swimming suits and looking out at the Atlantic Ocean. I think Greg did a great job melding all those photos together to make a painting that turned out even better than I could've hoped for. It is definitely one of my prized possessions. (If you're interested, you can learn more about Greg and contact him here. He's fabulous!)  

 

 

Here is the scripture I chose for today.

Proverbs 4:20-22

"My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body."

OK, I know. More verses talking about healing. I can't help it. It's kind of a big theme for me right now.

When I was in the hospital nearly 6 months ago, I wished that I had spent more time memorizing Bible passages. I would've liked to have been able to comfort myself with the Word of God. It seems like all of the verses I know are attached to songs... which is good, but I'd really like to commit some entire passages to memory. Maybe my mind is working well enough now to do that. I'm sure it'll be slow-going, but I think I'm up for the challenge. :) What verses or passages are particularly meaningful to you? 

 

 

In my quest to use all the patterned paper that I can't seem to stop buying, I came up with this thank you card. Basically patterned paper, a stamp, and embossing powder — with a bit of ribbon for good measure. (This paper, like what I used yesterday, was purchased from Emma's Paperie — my favorite online paper source.)

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I really like the look of embossing powder, but I don't use it often. It's just too messy. But this Zing embossing powder did really well. It didn't scatter all over and it didn't leave a lot of extra specks. So — maybe my problem was that I was using old and/or cheap embossing powder. I think I may have to throw out most of what I have and get some new. And that'll be kinda fun, I think.

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (a big thank you); cardstock is PTI (Vintage Cream); patterned paper is Sassafras Lass (sweetly smitten: floral fields); ink is Versamark; embossing powder is Zing (aqua); ribbon is PTI (1/4" white silk).

Tomorrow is another treatment day so I'll appreciate your prayers. Well, I always appreciate your prayers... they just seem so necessary sometimes. The last couple times the chemo has pretty well wiped me out — and if that's important to getting better, well, bring it on. But I'm pretty much a wimp so if the results are the same, I prefer the easy, "feel good" route. :)

That is enough for now. Thank you so much for stopping by and for listening to my ramblings. I really appreciate you — and your prayers! Sending you big, big hugs!

My Strength... and... Kindness Matters

Today is Friday, January 20. Sorry that I've been AWOL for the last few days. Just stuff going on that I'll update you on later. Nothing like building a little anticipation, right? And, don't worry... it's nothing bad. Only good stuff. :)

Thought I'd show you one photo from the week past...

Me and my "I love my ducks" shirt went back to Curves! Whew! It's a lot harder than it used to be — usually you go around the circuit twice and I've just been going around once this week — but it's good to do some specific exercising. I'm slow, but I'm doing something — so that's good. I started back on Monday when Kris was still in Charlotte with us and we met Sara Gwynn for a workout... and then, since we weren't quite ready to go our separate ways, we walked across the parking lot to Dunkin Donuts. haha! In our defense, though, on the way back we walked around the perimeter of the shopping center which is a much longer walk. That's gotta count for something! :)

 

Wow. I already wrote this section, I thought, but it has disappeared... so guess I'll do it again. :) The scripture that I chose to use today is from the Psalms.

Psalm 18:1-3

"I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worth of praise, and he saved me from my enemies."

The Lord is MY strength, MY rock, MY fortress, MY savior, MY protector, MY shield, MY place of safety. He saves me from my enemies. He is so worth of praise! And, when I call in Him, He answers and He saves me. What could be better than that? I know! The fact that He will be all that to you, too. :)

 

 

The cards I'm going to share today are almost too basic and too plain to post. But I've always had this thing about sharing everything... the good, the bad, and the ugly. So — here they are.

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The card was too easy to make just one and call it quits. So I made three. I just changed up the colors, but used the same stamps and the same formula... darker color for the butterflies and lighter shade of the same color for the words. 

Nothing special about the cards, but there is about the words. Kindness certainly does matter... so these will be going into our stash of thank you cards that I really need to start giving out. I've said it before... we have been so, SO blessed!

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Kindness Matters); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Rustic White); ink is SU (Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue).

I don't know that I have anything else to say right now. But... I should be able to be back tomorrow. I'll "see" you then. Hugs to you!! 

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! 

He answered... and... Furry Folk Winter

Here is a teaser for my November stamp club project. The theme was winter/snow. Since I was late getting my cards done, I finished them all in time for our December meeting. And now I'm late getting them posted. So me. Anyway, the full card description will be down below.

Today is Wednesday, December 14. And I'm having trouble getting started on this post. Just not very motivated tonight. Sorry about that. Although, if history holds true, I'll perk up and keep writing, writing, and writing some more.

Today was the first of the 3 and 4 year old Christmas programs at the weekday school.

They were well prepared and did fabulously. I remember years where kids were vacating the platform right and left... so when kids stay and even sing, I consider it a successful year. And, sing they did this year. This was the first time that I had seen this program and I could understand nearly every word the kids sang. The music teacher sure did a great job preparing them. If you are interested, for the past several years we have done Karyn Henley musicals which can be found on her website here. They're great for young children and really get the Christmas message in their hearts.

 

Some scripture for today.

Jonah 2:2a

"'...I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me....'"

This was prayed by Jonah when he was in the belly of the great fish. And, you probably know the rest of the story. God did save him from the big fish... and Jonah wasn't exactly thankful. But, what I'm focusing on tonight is that God saved Jonah out of his trouble. That Jonah cried out to the Lord and He answered. And you may remember how I am attracted to stories about God saving people out of their difficulties. They inspire me and give me hope. So, once again, I'm left feeling hopeful for my situation. God is oh, so good to me!

 

The theme for our November stamp club meeting, as I mentioned above, was winter/snow. I had fun with this one.  

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For some reason I was very attracted to the Furry Folk stamp set when it first came out. And I've used it quite a bit. Especially considering that I don't usually go for cutesy animal sets. But I do love all the little animals in this collection — and those trees. Love those trees. 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Snow Burst, Furry Folk, Very Versatile); cardstock is SU (Not Quite Navy) and Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is SU (White) and Memento (Tuxedo Black); baker's twine is Divine Twine (oyster).

 

Well, I think that's it for tonight. Oh, except for this picture from chemo yesterday...

Another celebration for someone finishing chemo... this time with bubbles. Very fun, huh?

And that's it for tonight. This time, for real. :) Tomorrow is one more preschool program, Friday is the staff party, and then we're on break until January 2. Thank you so much for stopping by and spending some time here with me. I really enjoy our time together. Hugs to you!   

Be Righteous... and... Damask Thank You

Today is Saturday, December 3. And it's been one of those days where I flit from thing to thing. I'm not sure if that's good or not, but it is the way I have always functioned... so I guess, in a crazy sort of way, it makes me feel like myself and almost like all is normal.

It's about 4:30 pm as I begin this part of today's post and I've been on three walks today — each time going a little farther. I'm not quite up to a mile in one session yet, but not too far from it. But altogether I'm definitely over 2 miles for today. Not too bad. And I'm not walking at a crawl rate like I was at first. I wouldn't say that I'm up to a good clip yet, but I'm getting there. And I'm glad that I live in North Carolina where it's been in the 50s and 60s most of the week. It's definitely easier to get myself outside when the weather is good... not too hot and not too cold. :)

Today I've been working at decorating our "real" Christmas tree — the one that we got last weekend when Britt & Kenneth were here. Ken had put the lights on it much earlier in the week, but I hadn't done a thing to it... and I really like decorating a tree. So, I started last night with a little trick that I learned from my mother-in-law. Ken's mom starts her tree decorating by nestling shiny glass ball ornaments deep inside the tree branches. She has always used silver, I believe — but then she has a real elegant looking tree that she adorns with Swarovski and Waterford crystal ornaments. As you can imagine, it's always been very beautiful. Our family tree, however, is not elegant, but fun. :) We use colored lights — mixing lights that twinkle with lights that stay on — and then use colored glass balls inside the tree. The rest of our ornaments are a selection of miscellaneous ornaments that we have collected over the years.

It's hard for me to capture the look with my camera, but here are my tries.

You can kind of see how the balls are deep within the tree and how they reflect the light into the tree.

They also fill in spaces that may be a little empty... although this tree didn't have many of those.

Anyway, that's my little tree decorating tip for you for today. :) Since my balance still isn't all that great I didn't use as many glass ornaments as usual, but it still adds an extra layer of light and color to the tree that I really like. (Thanks, Mom Hayes, for the great tree decorating tip!) And hopefully this weekend I'll get the rest of the ornaments on the tree and be able to show you an updated photo.

And, I think I mentioned some time earlier that I would try to get a better picture of the sort of gold colored tree that I bought at the end of the last Christmas season. 

I didn't turn the lights on when I took this picture, but you can probably tell that I used all white and clear ornaments... so this is my classy, all-grown-up-looking tree. :) (If you're interested in taking a closer look at the porcelain shell angel ornaments, you can find some here on the website of the artist, Margaret Furlong. I just LOVE Margaret Furlong's ornaments and am so thankful that my mom introduced me to her work back in the 1980s... and bought me a lot of her ornaments, too. Thanks, Mom!)

 

Well, I really need to get moving here. So, this is some scripture that touched my heart today.

1 John 3:7-10

"Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God."

Whew. That was kind of a long passage to write down, but I think it contains an important reminder to those of us who are believers. We need to live like followers of Christ... meaning we need to make sure our behavior is matching His ways and His teachings. Which is why we need to know what His teachings are... and we do that by reading His word and putting it in our hearts. When we know what God says and what He expects of us, we'll be less apt to sin. Of course, we're still going to sin because we will never be perfect on this side of heaven but, if we are truly followers of Christ, sinning should make us so uncomfortable that we have no rest until we have repented and asked for forgiveness. So, I encourage you to live righteously by knowing and doing what the scriptures say. I want you to have peace!  

 

And now for a card. Actually, today we have two more cards for the stash that we draw from for people who provide us with a meal. When I made these cards, I tweaked the formula that I talked about yesterday.

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Here are the two colorways I used for this design. I also varied from my usual symmetrical approach... and I like it! Even though it was the result of laziness. The damask border stamp didn't reach all the way across the page and I was too lazy to try lining up the strip and stamping it again, so instead I just covered the unstamped portion with the focal medallion and it worked. Yay! I really like this look and was pretty proud when my addled brain thought of it. :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Damask Designs, Tag-its #9, Fillable Frames #7); cardstock is office store white and PTI (Stampers Select White, Lucky Limeade, Poppy Parade); ink is Stampin' Up (Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade, Crumb Cake) and Encore (Ultimate Metallic Copper); also used PTI Limitless Layers 1-3/4" Circle Collection and SU's 1-3/4" circle punch.

Well, I think that needs to be if for tonight. Thank you so much for stopping by and for all your prayers and support. We sure do appreciate it and are sending you big, tight hugs and lots of love!

 

He never sleeps... and... thanks

Today is Friday, December 2. This is Janelle... back again. :)

Yesterday I did go to work — after all, the moms were providing a spread of food for the staff and I couldn't miss that, could I?!? — but by the time I got home and took a walk, I was just so extremely tired that taking a nap and then sitting on the couch with the remote is about all I could handle. Today I have felt so much better, but I still took a long nap after work and a walk.

So, since I mentioned the spread of food that the moms put out... it's only fair that I show it to you, too. Right? 

This picture was from today, taken as they were still setting up — and we had just as much yesterday from the Thursday group of parents. I believe those are 8-foot tables on the left and then farther down on the right are two 6-foot tables... all laden with delicious food and treats, much of it homemade. It means so much to us on the staff that the parents take the time to honor us during this busy time of year. They make us feel very loved! (Thanks so much, SBCWS moms!)

And see those poinsettias on the tables? Those aren't just table decorations. They were gifts given to each staff member. Yes, we are loved! Here is the plant that I chose.

It's a lovely pink-ish rose color. They had several choices... a deep red, this pink-ish one, and a white one with rosy colored streaks in it. Since Ken was with me, I offered him the chance to choose... and then promptly ignored his choice (the deep red traditional looking one). haha! Poor guy. Not sure why I even asked. He is Mr. Traditional. I am so not. Well, I guess he's used to me ignoring his decorating opinions by now. And, he usually comes around to my way of thinking in the end. :) (Or at least pretends to...)  

On the health front, I'm trying to take at least one walk a day (whether I feel like it or not)... and each time I go a little farther. Since I've shown you pictures of our street, you know that we have those rural types of mailboxes in our neighborhood. I use those as my measuring tool. Each time I go out for a walk I go to the next mailbox and then I cross the street, turn around, and retrace my steps. Considering that my first little jaunt was out the garage door, to the end of the driveway, and back inside again (that was November 2 — one month ago!)... I've come a long way. I'll have to have Ken help me figure out exactly how far I'm going now so I can report. :)

 

I thought that maybe I'd be getting out of the Psalms now, but I can't help myself. I keep turning back to them. They're just so applicable to my life right now... and comforting, too.

Psalm 121:1-4

"I look up to the mountains — does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps."

It's so comforting for me to know that God knows everything that is going on in my life. He doesn't miss any little details as He is watching over me. How great is that?! The One who made heaven and earth cares about me and is watching over me. Could I ask for anything more? I think not. :) 

 

Well, on to the craft. Today I have more cards for the food-providers. Gosh, we love those people! 

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You may recognize the formula. It's a common one for me — use a border stamp across the card and center a popped-up image on top.

Here are the two colors I used this time. They have kind of an autumn look, I think. One thing that I did that's a little different (although, I'm sure someone else has thought of it before) is I turned the Tag-its image on its side — and I kind of like the look. One of the great things about Papertrey Ink stamps is their versatility. Just turn the stamp a different way and you have a completely different look. I love that about them. :) 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Background Basics: Petal Power, Autumn Abundance, Tag-its #7); cardstock is office store white and Stampin' Up (Peach Parfait, So Saffron); ink is SU (River Rock, So Saffron, Peach Parfait, Old Olive); also used PTI's 1-3/4" Circle Collection and SU's 1-3/4" circle punch.

Well, I think it's time for me to get off the couch and prepare for dinner. After dinner Ken and I have plans to watch TV (probably the Law & Order that we DVRed earlier this week and then maybe Extreme Makeover Home Edition). And while we're watching TV we may start decorating the tree we bought last Sunday. It's about time. :)

Thanks so much for stopping in for a visit with us. And thanks so much for all the prayers. They are so important and precious to us — as are YOU! Sending you lots of big ol' hugs! 

 

Delight... and... Flower Fusion #10

Today is Wednesday, November 30. Tomorrow a new month begins. Wow.

I went to work for about an hour this morning — really just put in an appearance. I was there during morning opening time, though, and got to see and talk to some of the moms that I hadn't seen in awhile and meet some of our newer moms that I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting yet. Oh, and even lay eyes on a few babies who were born over the summer. Very precious! So, I guess that even though it was short, it was a good work day. :) After all, I've always considered getting to know the moms an important part of my job. I love being able to encourage them as they are doing the important job of raising their young families. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to doing more of that soon... maybe in January.

This might be a fine time to show you photos from our visit to the Christmas tree lot. The youth at the church where I work have a tree lot as a fundraiser for the first time this year and we decided that it would be good to support them... so while Britt and Kenneth were still here last weekend we did a little tree shopping.

It's not a very clear picture, but these are my hams... always ready to cheese for a photograph. I'm skulking around, trying to take candid shots and they just can't seem to stop themselves from hopping in. :)

This is the tree that Ken & I selected for ourselves. It's about 7 feet tall and narrow, so it fits in the corner of our family room nicely.

And, here are Britt & Kenneth sizing up a tree.

They had two vehicles with them in Charlotte and since one was big enough to accommodate a tree, they helped to support the youth group that Britt was in as a middle school-er by taking a tree back with them.

 Their tree is about the same height as ours, but much more full... perfect for their house. Awwww... their first tree in their first house. How fun is that? :)

And, speaking of fun...

Cute picture, huh? Did you notice the bunny ears that Kenneth put over Britt's head? Sigh... boys just don't really grow up, do they? :)

I just love a Christmas tree lot at dusk, don't you? It's just so festive. (If you're local, this tree lot is at Sharon Baptist Church, in case you want to check it out and purchase a tree that will benefit youth missions.)

 

Here is the scripture that I chose for today. It's actually very much like the ones for the last few days... still from Psalm 119. Still a cry for rescue.

Psalm 119:174-175

"O Lord, I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight. Let me live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me."

Once again, I echo the Psalmist in my longing for rescue. I do want to live so that I can continue to praise the Lord and lift up His name as the One who saves. Jesus is the ONLY One who can save our souls. Reading the Bible and knowing His laws it keeps me on His path... which is a tremendous help. Having a rule-follower type of personality, I've always liked knowing what is expected of me... so I'm really glad that the Lord has clearly outlined it in His word. I've said it before, I think, but that is a good reason to read and know your Bible. You, too, can know what God expects of you!

 

I mentioned a couple days ago that my stash of cards to give to those who bring us meals was getting low, so here are two more cards for the pile. 

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Being the impatient sort, I couldn't wait until the light wasn't shining through the cards to take the pictures. Oh, well. You'll have to ignore the text showing through from the inside. And, I should really pay more attention to when my stamp pads need to be re-inked, too (as evidenced by both cards, but especially the one on the right). Oh, well... again. :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Flower Fusion #10, Flower Fusion #4); cardstock is inexpensive office store white and PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is PTI (Simply Chartreuse, Berry Sorbet, Melon Berry, Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate); also used PTI dies (Flower Fusion Stem, Flower Fusion #10).

One more picture from today. You may remember me mentioning before about how pots of flowers just appeared on our front porch. And how when those mums had run their course, they were mysteriously replaced with pansies? Well, we did find out who was doing all that sneaking around in our landscaping... and she's been at it again.

Ken was working in the garage when Sara Gwynn drove up and began fertilizing the pansies she had planted earlier. What a sweetie! I was getting ready to go on my second walk of the day, so she joined me. It was fun to have a walking and talking partner. :)

That should be it for the day. I'm hoping that tomorrow my energy will be increased even more... especially since the parents are hosting a luncheon for the weekday school staff the next two days and it would certainly be a shame to miss that! :)

Thank you so much for visiting us here and for your continued prayers. We so, so appreciate them and you. Sending you big hugs!

Sustenance... and... More Food Thanks

Today is Monday, November 28. Thanksgiving is over and we're rushing headlong into the Christmas season. Did you do any decorating this weekend? We did a bit.

No, we didn't decorate the Jeep. But that is where Ken put the bows while he draped the lights as he tested them on Friday night. Between the lights and bows... well, it kinda makes for a festive-looking garage, doesn't it?

We also started a very little bit of inside decorating. After last Christmas I bought a champagne colored tree from Treetopia and had been eager to put it up, so Britt & I dug it out of the attic first.

 That was our first round of decorating it... and here it is finished:

I think I'll need to get a picture of it in the daylight, too. This pic's a little blurry. But it's a very sparkly tree and I'm loving it. :)

 

The scripture I chose for today is from the Psalms again.

Psalm 119:116-117

"Lord, sustain me as you promised, that I may live! Do not let my hope be crushed. Sustain me, and I will be rescued; then I will meditate continually on your decrees."

These verses are very much along the line of what I shared with you yesterday. In fact, it seems to be a theme in Psalm 119 — praise the Lord for His commandments and then ask Him for mercy and rescue. And, that's pretty much what I've been doing since August. Glorifying and begging. And trusting in God's faithfulness. He is so good! And if you want some encouragement from the Lord, you might want to read Psalm 119. It's long... but it's full of good stuff. :)

 

For today's craftiness, we have a couple of thank you cards.

SHOW

I haven't made cards for the food stash in awhile, so I'm building back up. You may remember that I like to make a couple of these cards at a time, but I always switch up the colors. Each person deserves a card that is unique to them, I figure. That, and I also don't really like to do the exact same thing over again. It's more fun this way. :) Anyway, here are two cards for the stash... same design, same stamps, different colored flowers. Variety is the spice of life, right?

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Flower Fusion #9, Flower Fusion #4); cardstock is office store white; ink is Stampin' Up (Old Olive, Early Espresso, More Mustard, Perfect Plum); also used PTI's Flower Fusion #9 die.

Just a few more pictures from the Thanksgiving weekend. Lynne and Mike stayed until Saturday morning. And, apparently their dog, Ivy, was ready to get going.

She hopped into the car all on her own as the good-byes were being said. Then our dog, Roxy, must've thought a car ride looked like fun, because she tried to stow-away. 

Good thing she wasn't very subtle about it. We would've missed her. :)

And here is the annual picture of Lynne and Michael...

Love those guys. And, we'd love them even if we weren't related. Funny. Smart. Full of faith. And fighting a deadly disease... like us. Their fight has been going on longer, though. Michael was diagnosed with cancer of the gall bladder a few years ago and given a short time to live... like weeks. And he's still here. You know that I find that inspiring! Back in October, Mike shared his story at his church. It's really good, honest, and worth a listen, if you have the time. You can find it by clicking here.

And now just a couple pictures of the Christmas decorating...

 We left the glittery brain tumor awareness bow on the mailbox and Britt added some Christmas-y bows and baubles to the top. 

While she was doing that, Ken was putting the icicle lights on the house.

I took some pictures of the house all lit up, but it was still a little too light outside to get the full impact so I'll have to try again later. Stay tuned. :)

And, that should be it for tonight. Tomorrow is my third chemo treatment. I'm scheduled to be in the infusion room at 10:00. Prayers are appreciated. :) Tomorrow is also our 31st wedding anniversary. What a way to celebrate, huh? But, we'll be together... which is more than I can say for many of our previous anniversaries, so that's a sweet blessing. I expect we'll appreciate this anniversary more than any of previous 30, too.

Thanks so very much for stopping by and for continuing to give us so much love and support... and for sending up so many prayers. You all are the best! Give yourself a hug from me. :) 

 

Don't just listen, do!... and... Warm Happiness

Today is Friday, November 18. Wow. Over half-way through November already. And a week from now Thanksgiving will be over. Time is marching on.

Today after lunch, I forced myself to take a walk. I'm really more of potato couch type of person, but I know that the only way for me to get stronger is to actually do a little activity, so... today I walked our street. And then came home and ate a muffin. Somehow, I think that may negate whatever good I accomplished. :)

It was a chilly, but beautiful day. Look at that Carolina blue sky.

The sky doesn't show well on this next picture, but there's another sort of pretty tree.

We're getting toward the end of our colors for the year, but it has been a nice autumn. 

Thought I'd try again to show you the pretty, sparkly bow that the neighbors put on our mailbox. In the last photo that I took, it just looked white.

This one shows the silver glitter a bit better. We're so thankful for all of our neighbors. They've been more than wonderful to us as we've been navigating my health challenges.

One more photo...

Do you remember back some time ago when I mentioned the two big pots of mums that appeared on our front porch one day? Well, we've had a frost or two and the mums were looking a little sorry... so yesterday they were replaced with these pansies (which will most likely last through the winter... if we remember to water them as needed!):

This time, Ken caught our secret gardener (Sara Gwynn!) and brought her inside to confess... and to visit for awhile. So great to see her and spend a little time together. And to find out who has been sneaking around our front stoop. :)

 

Today's scripture that I'm sharing is from the New Testament.

James 1:22-25

"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it."

OK. I don't have a lot to say here, other than... this is why we need to read the Bible and remember what it says — so we can apply His principles and thus be blessed by Him. Don't we all want to be blessed by God? 

 

Today I have more cards for the food-deliverer stash. They're very much like yesterday's cards... just without the cup being popped up.

SHOW

What fun colors for these coffee cups. I'd like to have a polka-dotted set of ceramic mugs just like these. Maybe I'd add one in each color of the rainbow. That'd be fun, wouldn't it. :)

 

 

 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Warm Happiness Too, Fillable Frames #5); cardstock is office store white; ink is Stampin' Up (Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand); also used PTI's Warm Happiness Too die.

Well, I suppose that's it for another day... a little personal info, a little scripture, a little craftiness... the only thing we're missing is a little health update and since there is really nothing new to add there, well, I guess we won't say anything. And that makes it a good day, don't you think? :)

I hope you have a lot of fun planned for your weekend. We'll be getting ready for Thanksgiving and our house-full of company that will start arriving on Monday night. Thanks so much for stopping by here today. I'm planning to be back tomorrow with more of the same... some personal stuff, some scripture, and, instead of a card, I think we'll do some bookmarks again. Hope you have a fantastic weekend! I'm sending you big, big hugs!