The Letter P

By now you have probably seen or played the fun meme that's going around the blogosphere where you are assigned a letter of the alphabet and you list your 10 favorite things that begin with that letter. Linda at Mocha with Linda had this on her blog and I decided to play along so she assigned me the letter P.

If you have not already played but would like to just let me know in the comments and I'll assign you a letter.

1. Prayer - I love that I can talk with God directly on any matter, big or small, and He is always there to listen, help, and counsel me.

2. Playful, Play, Playing - I love to play. Playing is fun and I love to have fun. I like board games and team games and fun memes like this one. I also love to joke around and laugh with People.

3. Puppy, Porcupine, Peacock, Puffer Fish, Panther, Pelican, Possum, Panda, Penguin, Polliwog, Petting Zoo - Ok you get the idea. I love all of God's creatures, even the ones that don't start with P, but today I'm focusing on the ones that do.

4. Peculiar - Distinctive in nature or character from others. I love People, Places and things that are peculiar. Christ was (and is) peculiar and Christians should consider it a compliment to be considered peculiar. I may have to do a post on this word. There is so much in it.

5. Praise - My favorite way to praise God is to dance before the Lord with all my might.

6. Plan - I'm a planner. I like to have things layed out in front of me and thought through so that I am Prepared. I feel off kilter when something interupts or changes my plans unexpectedly. Once I have a chance to think through the interuption I can adapt.

7. Payment, Pay, Paid, Paying, Provision - Who doesn't like this word? It covers all the bases. I like to receive payment for work or services so that I can pay my bills, and give to others who need provision. I am SO thankful that God promises to provide for all of my needs and that He paid the ultimate price for my salvation.

"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his
glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

8. Progress - I am motivated by progress. Even small amounts of progress give me incentive and creates enthusiasm and excitement within me. Anything that hinders or impedes progress is an irritant to me.

9. Purpose - We all want to have a purpose. I am thankful that God has a purpose for all of us and that He will work that purpose out in us.

10. Possibility - Being inquisitive and analytical, I love to explore the possibilities and Potential in people and situations.

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23

Bonus Word - Please - I am amazed at how many people don't say please and how many children are not taught to say please. I love good manners and have a lot of respect for people who have and teach good manners.

Thanks for sticking with me!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ~ Luke 10:27

Gaining Understanding

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. - Matthew 5:44

This was one of the girls memory verses. As we were practicing it one morning, I realized from the look on Emily's face, that she didn't know what an enemy was so I asked her and she said "no". I explained that an enemy was someone who was mean to you. Then I told her that God wants us to love and be nice to people even when they are mean to us.

She looked a bit surprised and said "Why!?". I explained that when we are nice to people who are being mean, it helps to change them so that they will be nicer. I said that sometimes it takes a little time, but if we keep being nice it will help that person to change.

Ashleigh was behind us listening to the conversation and suddenly said "Like the Beast?" They had watched Beauty and the Beast just before this conversation and she made the connection. I just love when I see God working in them! :D

For the LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. - Proverbs 2:6

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ~ Luke 10:27

Testimony Tuesday, January 27, 2009

I'm joining Tracy at Transparent Life for Testimony Tuesday again. If you have a testimony you would like to bless us with, be sure to head over to her blog to join in.

Do you trust God for the little stuff? Do you pray about even the seemingly insignificant things? Nothing in our lives is insignificant to Him. He delights in being a part of our everyday, ordinary, mundane life.

Several years ago I decided I wanted to paint the outside of my house. Actually that would be the trim, gutters, and garage, since my house is all brick. I wasn't sure what colors would look good with the brick on my house and I was really worried about choosing a color. You know how sometimes a color can look so good on that little card but when you put it on a large space it can be a bit shocking? Well this was going to be the outside of my house. The part that is seen by the whole world. Ok just by my neighbors but you get my concern. I was also concerned that I would just choose something that didn't really look so good with my brick. So I prayed about it and asked God to choose the colors for me that would look good.

After sifting through cards and colors and comparing to my brick and praying and praying I decided on two colors. I got up early and started painting on one side of the house. I kept thinking the color didn't look the same as on the card. I thought maybe because the paint was still wet, it would look right when it dried. I painted several hours and just couldn't shake the thought that the color was off. I held the card up to it several times and finally decided that it didn't match the card. It was only off by a tiny bit but it made a difference and I knew I wouldn't be satisfied.

I stopped painting and took the paint back to Home Depot and showed them that it didn't match the card. They mixed up another can and it still didn't look right to me. It was lighter than the color on the card. The next color on the card was too dark and didn't quite match either, so I asked if they could make it halfway between the two colors. The man helping me said he could but the color on the card included one drop of red that he couldn't take it out. I said it was fine, I wasn't worried about one drop of red, so he mixed up my special order color that I could not take back if it wasn't right.

I took it home and started painting again and the color was perfect. I realized that the first color looked wrong because it was too light but also had a mild yellow tone to it. What I needed was something a little darker with a red tone to it. That one drop of red paint was exactly what I needed to get the right color to match my brick, and the only way to get it was to special mix the color. God knew that all along and arranged all of the circumstances so that I would end up with that single drop of red paint. He is Amazing!





Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ~ Luke 10:27

Project 365 - Jan 25, 2009, and I'm Back!

Hi everyone, I'm back! I spent the last week taking care of things around the house, spending more time with God, and prioritizing my focus. I missed my bloggy friends but have come to realize that I was letting blogging take up way too much of my time. I plan to keep a tighter reign on that and taking regular blog breaks to keep me in line.

Thank you all for your visits and kind comments while I was out of pocket. I will be coming around to visit you all during the week.

Now... On to Project 365 because I did still take a picture a day, and sometimes more than that! :)




Sara at Make Music From Your Heart to the Lord is our hostess for Projcet 365. Go visit her blog for all the details.

Day 1 - Ooops - accidental shot.

Day 2 - Took the girls shopping and let them spend some of their money. We went to Mardels, the Dollar Store, and Hobby Lobby. They spent less than $5.00 each and as you can see are quite pleased with their purchases. Ashleigh got sick on the way home which is why she is laying down with a bowl next to her.

Day 3 - Two pictures - Two sick girls - Two bowls. That is a wet washcloth on Ashleigh's head. She had a fever but since she wouldn't keep anything in her tummy, I couldn't give her anything for it so we cooled her down with the washcloth. They were both fine the next day.

Day 4 - Me reading my Bible.

Day 5 - Got books that I ordered in the mail and a magazine subscription that was a Christmas gift from a very dear friend.

Day 6 - Four pictures today. It was a nice day so we went to the park after school. Emily ran into a friend from school while we were there. Tobi wanted off the leash (she is wearing one, you just can't see it).

Day 7 - I checked the mail. What's this!? I am NOT old enough to be getting these.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ~ Luke 10:27

Time Out

I'm taking a little time off. Just a few days, or maybe a week. I need to prioritize a bit and put God time back in front of blog time. Have a great week!



Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ~ Luke 10:27

Project 365 - January 18, 2009

I'm joining Sara at Make Music From Your Heart to the Lord in Projcet 365. Share your week by taking a picture a day and posting them all on Sunday. Click on the image above to find out more about it.

Here we go.

Day 1 - Sunday

Now that the living room is finally painted (woo hoo - happy dance) I am in the redecorating stage. This is the fun part. I embellished this metal wall hanging with a cross that I got for Christmas. It's perfect for this corner wall.

Day 2 - Monday

Offline for a few hours while TW tests my modem to try to find out why my *turbo* internet speed isn't so turbo. No solution yet but at least they actually see the problem.

Day 3 - Tuesday

Bought myself a 2009 Calendar.

Day 4 - Wednesday

Ooops! Missed a day. :)

Day 5 - Thursday

Doctored a scratch on Emily's leg. You should have seen her before I took this one. She was walking around with both pant legs pulled up like that. She was also smiling til I said I wanted to take a picture. Poor baby. *wink*

Day 6 - Friday

Kitchen light went out. Replaced both bulbs. Good for another 7 years now. :)

Day 7 - Saturday

Reinstalled all the switchplates and outlet covers in the living room and entry way. I don't like plain switchplates so I texture painted them and embellished them with crosses.

Hope you enjoyed your visit!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ~ Luke 10:27

A Picture Tag

I was tagged by Mrs P at The Patterson 5 for a Picture Tag. The instructions say to go to your picture files, pick the fourth folder and the fourth picture in that folder and explain it!

Sounds simple enough. Ahem.... This turned out to be a bit more of a challenge for me than I had anticipated. I started out doing exactly what the instructions said (cause I'm a rule follower like that). Here's what I got.

Well that certainly is boring. (See Sue J, I told you!) This is during a time when I was searching for animal graphics that I might be able to use for projects in the Kindergarten Sunday School class I taught.

You see, I have lots of pictures in lots of folders in still more folders and organized quite specifically. So I think this should be a Do Over.

Since I just uploaded some pictures to my computer yesterday I actually have two folders that have pictures that have not been properly filed yet. So let's try this again with the pictures all filed as they should be.

Well that's not much better! For a while I was learning to paint and I thought this would be fun to paint. I was also beginning to work with graphics and it looked like it would be fun to try a graphic drawing of. I never did do it but it does still look like fun.

Ok I get another DO OVER because I'm sure these pictures are all wrong for this game. There's nothing personal about them. So I'm going straight into my "Friends and Family" folder and drawing from there instead of from my pictures folder. I just know that Chatty Kelly and adhd-jo are gonna do waaayyy better than this.

Well I do love this photo. It's a picture of Olivia when she was 2 years old and we were playing in the snow.

This still doesn't really count because it was not the 4th picture in the 4th folder, it was the ONLY picture in the 4th folder. In addition I posted this picture in a post recently (another tag), which is why it is the only picture in this folder, so it doesn't count. I want another DO OVER.

Just so you know I'm not making this up you can see for yourself. Who would have thought this would be so hard???

Since that last one was the only one in that folder and since that folder was only recently added to my files, I'm just gonna pick from the next folder in line. Since that is the year 2004 it should be ok.

Ugh! A really bad picture of me in 2004. I don't remember anything about this picture. I don't know who took it or why or what we were doing. Yes I know my hair look orange. I got a little wild with the hair color that year and red fades fast. It was actually kinda pretty right after I dyed it and I got a lot of compliments on it, but it was still a bit eye-opening even then.

I just can't win at this game. I'm taking one more Do Over.

Here's one that I like! :D It was in the 2004 folder so it counts. This is a picture of Olivia still in her jammies, watching tv one morning. You can tell from the expression on her face that she's enjoying the show too. I actually took 3 pictures in a row and I don't think she ever even noticed me. LOL!

Now wasn't that fun!??? :o

Now I have to tag four of you.... hmmmm....

Barbara "B" at B His Girl

Lea at Shabby Olde Potting Shed

Greg at Greg's General Store

Tracy at Transparent Life

Ok, I'm breaking the rules here but I just have to include one more very dear bloggy friend.

Chel at Leaving a Legacy

You are tagged girl!

Have fun everyone! :D



Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ~ Luke 10:27

Memory Verses and Rewards

About the end of November I began giving my grandaughters Bible verses to memorize. It has also been helping me since I have to have them committed to memory to help them learn. Whenever they learn a verse, they get to pick something from the goodie box.

Several times a day, especially while we're driving, we repeat the verse several times. After they think they know the verse, I tell them to tell it to me the next day (or that afternoon if it's early in the day) before they can pick something from the goodie box. It amazes me how excited kids get over little trinkets like this. They are a little disappointed at having to wait but I want to be sure they really do know it. I also won't choose a new verse until all three of them have learned the current one. That encourages them to help each other learn it.

We have been learning about one verse a week. That has slowed down a bit since they haven't been coming full weeks lately, but they can still repeat back all of the scriptures accurately.

1. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

2. "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

3. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Matthew 5:44

4. "My soul glorifies the Lord." Luke 1:46

5. "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior." Luke 1:47

6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

7. "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:6

As we are learning the verses, God has been providing opportunities for them to see the application of some of these verses as well. I will post one of those early next week.

Chocolate Coin

Chocolate Coins

Can you tell what their favorite thing to pick is? :D

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ~ Luke 10:27

The Making of a Mocha

After posting this picture of the mocha I made in my Project 365 photos this last Sunday, it seems that many of you were very interested in getting your hands (or is that lips) on it.

I rarely ever watch television so help me out here. Remember that commercial where the lady is in the kitchen behind closed doors making lots of noise as her family or guests listen from the other room with great anticipation for whatever delicious treat she's making? All the while she is barely doing much more than preparing to serve it. Just before she walks out of the kitchen she messes up her hair and flicks water in her face so she looks like she has worked Oh So Hard for them?

Well that's kinda how I felt after the comments I got on this little treat. Now I'm here to share the *receipe*.

Step 1 - Start with a cup or mug. Make it a pretty one because something as delicious as a mocha should always be served in style. Also, it tastes so much better and makes you feel pretty, and we all want that don't we? Except the men that read this blog (Greg), you can drink it in a manly mug.

Step 2 - Add your favorite Hot Cocoa Mix to the cup. As you can see I use the Good Stuff. I usually add one heaping tablespoon but you can add more if you like it real chocolatey. It certainly won't hurt it. This is the same stuff that comes in the little packages where you just add hot water to make hot cocoa, but if you're gonna start making mochas you might as well save yourself a few pennies and all the hassle of opening those packages and just buy the can.

Step 3 - Fill the mug full of your favorite brewed coffee. If you like that bouncing off the wall jittery feeling that Starbucks mocha (or anything else you drink there) gives you, then increase the strength of your brewed coffee by about 4-5 times. Or if you have an espresso machine then make a strong brew of that instead.

Step 4 - Swirl a generous amount of your favorite whipped cream on top. Be sure to make it into a pretty design so that everyone will really think you have been slaving for hours making this delicious mocha. It will really impress them. Yep, yep, yep

Now sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ~ Luke 10:27

Testimony Tuesday - January 13, 2009

I'm joining Tracy at Transparent Life for her Testimony Tuesday. If you have a testimony you would like to bless us with, be sure to head over to her blog to join in.

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth." Genesis 9:8-17

A number of years ago, I found myself thinking about the rainbow one day. I realized that I hadn't seen a rainbow in years. I hadn't even heard anyone else mention seeing a rainbow in years. Then I started thinking about the meaning of the rainbow. How God had made a promise to all of mankind that He would never destroy the earth by flood again. As I was thinking about God's faithfullness, I began to wonder how many people these days even noticed when a rainbow would appear in the sky. Even if some of them noticed, would they know why it was there? Would they know who put it there?

I began to worship God at that moment for His incredible faithfullness, that even if no one on earth ever noticed or acknowledged His promise, He would still place that rainbow in the sky, and He would still keep His covenant. I was in Awe of Him because I knew that only He would, or could do such a thing.

The next day while I was at work it rained some that afternoon. When I left work to go home, I stepped outside the building doors and there in front of me, almost close enough to touch, was the largest, most magnificent, full from end to end, double rainbow I had ever seen in my entire life. I could almost see God smiling at that moment. I knew this one was mine, made just for me and strategically placed where it would just about knock me over. I only wish I would have had a camera. I marveled at it for about half my drive home, then it was behind me and I was no longer able to enjoy it.

Just as we get immense pleasure from surprising our own children with something that we know will absolutely thrill them, so our God delights to do with us. He is so intimately involved in every detail of our lives.

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Psalm 37:23

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ~ Luke 10:27

Project 365 - January 11, 2009

I'm joining Sara at Make Music From Your Heart to the Lord in Projcet 365. Share your week by taking a picture a day and posting them all on Sunday. Click on the image above to find out more about it.

Here we go.


Day 1, Sunday - I discovered Project 365.


Day 2, Monday - Tobi takes a siesta.



Day 3, Tuesday - Temps dropped from the 70's to freezing.




Day 4, Wednesday - Made myself a mocha. Mmmm.

Day 5, Thursday - The little artist at work.

Day 6, Friday - Computer Kid deep into Nintendo.

Day 7, Saturday - As I was raking the leaves, God said "Let there be light", and there was!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ~ Luke 10:27