Forgiveness .... Day 1,437

About 15 minutes early; but this really got my attention .... There is a show on the Gospel Music Channel about forgiveness. The one that peeked my interest was the lady who forgave the lad that murdered her only son. It took her 12 years & what got her attention was this poem. I guess I am blessed in that I am forgiven & in saying that, I am even more thankful for that same forgiveness. So with that I shall say goodnight. My post for tomorrow is up.....I am truly blessed, blessed indeed!!!! ♥  Sometimes the most difficult person to forgive is yourself; but in order for you to truly make a difference for anyone it is important to forgive.  If you don't, the roots of bitterness & anger can grow so deeply within your heart that you become useless to yourself & others.  The chains formed from unforgiveness do not bind others, they bind your hands.  They keep you from being able to help others, they are a hindrance in your life.  So free yourself from the damage done, forgive, break those chains & make a difference.   Do it today!!!!

The Two Mothers

Long time ago, so I have been told,

Two angels once met on streets paved with gold.
"By the stars in your crown, "said the one to the other
"I see that on earth, you too, were a mother.

And by the blue-tinted halo you wear
You, too, have known sorrow and deepest despair."
"ah, yes," she replied, "I once had a son,
A sweet little lad, full of laughter and fun."

"But tell of your child." "oh, I knew I was blessed
From the moment I first held him close to my breast,
And my heart almost burst with the joy of that day."
"Ah, yes," said the other, "I felt the same way."

The former continued: "The first steps he took-
So eager and breathless; the sweet startled look
Which came over his face-he trusted me so."
"Ah, yes, " said the other, "How well do I know."

"But soon he had grown to a tall handsome boy,
So stalwart and kind-and it gave me so much joy
To have him just walk down the street by my side."
"Ah yes," said the other, "I felt the same pride."

"How often I shielded and spared him from pain
and when he for others was so cruelly slain.
When they crucified him-and they spat in his face,
How gladly would I have hung there in his place!"

A moment of silence-" oh, then you are she-
The mother of Christ:; and she fell on one knee.
But the blessed one raised her up, drawing her near,
And kissed from the cheek of the woman, a tear.

"Tell me the name of the son you love so,
That I may share with your grief and your woe."
She lifted her eyes, looking straight at the other,
"He was Judas Iscariot; I am his mother."

May you be touched by the Love of our Precious Lord today...as we near the celebration of His Advent! Ask Him to be Lord of your life...He deserves your love and you deserve His!

In the love and grace of Jesus,
James Wesley

Friendship, sharing & laughter ... Day 1,438

Today I was blessed to be able to meet with my friend Liz.  We both travel just over an hour to meet in the middle.  I brought her Christmas gift that I made for her, a shawl & elephant shawl pin.  I think she liked it, what do you think???

That was a snicker, giggle & smile as she snuggled up close to her new friend.  Afterward she posed proudly outside, wearing her shawl & pin for whoever walked by as we took the photos.

My hubby joined in & we laughed & shared.  This is our last meeting till Spring, it will keep us through Winter when we will drive again & enjoy another meal of laughter & sharing.

I am so very blessed to have such a special friend, one of a few true friends.  Love you Elizabeth!!!!

Opportunity to do for Another Day 1,439

Blessing 1,439 Today I am blessed that the hat I designed a couple days ago has a name.

It is called Lakken, named for a young lady battling cancer. Those who can crochet, will be able to purchase the pattern in a day or two. It is with a tester today. The proceeds will ALL go to Lakken's Benefit Fund. Those who do not crochet, will be able to place orders for hats after the 1st of the year in the colors of their choice. I am unable to do any before that time. ALL proceeds will go to Lakken's Benefit Fund.

This is 100% for Lakken, she shows so much grace & dignity, this is a way Eddie & I can help share her strength with others & still benefit her too. It can be done in a variety of sizes & colors, so we hope to be able to bless Lakken & her family through this small token of love. ♥

Why just one or two special days, day 1,440

I am terrible at remembering birthdays, I seldom send Christmas cards, almost never do an anniversary or any special remembrance card of any kind.  Heck I don't remember to get cards for wedding gifts.  I do remember a gift; but not the card.  I suppose it is more because I don't know what to do with them when I get them myself.  I enjoy reading a hand written letter & some of my friends make me special, unique cards that are quite awesome; but to get stacks of cards that are the same just seems to make more stuff.  Though, not to discourage anyone, I have started using them to make fun ornaments.  I choose an interesting area & cut out that section, then I join it with, I believe, 8 others & have a unique geometric shape.  That is fun; but please do not be offended if I do not send or include a card.  It is not something I do.

If I do then you are blessed, if not; well I may remember you on other days for no particular reason. Not just the one or two when others do; but just because you come to mind on this day or that. I have a calendar on the door in the kitchen. Today I updated it.   I actually turned it from May to November.  The one in the bedroom is still on June, 2006. Well, I guess I live everyday like it is someone's special day & I love you all the same every day if you are in my life. What can I say.

I enjoy finding a reason to make someone smile each day, just because it is something I like to do.  So if I miss your birthday, or anniversary, or some other special day...I apologize now; but I hope that you will know that doesn't make you any less special everyday.   It is just me!!

Be blessed & know that you are special not only to Eddie & me; but so very very special to God too!!!

Strength of a child, Day 1,441

Blessed by the strength of one little girl, gives me the will to go on when I think things are too much.   We have the pleasure of knowing a sweet young thing.  She is battling a terrible disease with such grace & dignity, it gives me the ability to go on when I sometimes want to give up.  Knowing this sweet child is such a blessing in my life, I only hope that I can bless her in a special way & make a difference in her life too.

Recycling ingenuity day 1,442

Today I think of the clever ingenuity found in the items that can be reused & recycled.

Sometimes a blessing can be in passing down articles of clothing to someone who can make use of them.  Donating them to a church thrift sale, the kind that are free of charge or to a family that has had a difficult time in life through circumstances that they had no control over.  Not as a hand-out, more as a hand-up.  People don't really like charity; but they don't mind getting a boost to help get them on their feet, helping them to keep their self pride & that is a good thing. 

It can be by recycling through the trash system; aluminum, plastic, paper & much, much more can be made into like products or other items for reuse.  Paper can be rolled into logs, thus saving trees that would be cut down.  Some plastic bottles are recycled into decking materials used in building.  I am sure you can think of many more examples in this area.

As a crafter we reuse many items, in fact we find it a challenge to do just that.  Just this week I used the rings off of water bottles to make the centers for some wreaths.  This saved me purchasing 2" rings from the store.  Often crafters will purchase sweaters & unwind the yarn, only to overdye it & then knit it into a new updated project.  A 100% wool sweater that was washed accidentally, or on purpose, becomes felted & usable as mittens, slippers & a multitude of other useable items.  You can use old calendars to make envelopes, in fact most anything can make awesome envelopes.  Then simply put a white label for where the address goes.  Makes for a very happy letter or card to the recipient.  It is fun to find useful ways to reuse things in & around the home, rather than simply to toss them out the door.

These are just a few.   Even we can be remade, sort of recycled into something new.  We don't have to be what we once were, we can become better & improved.  We do have that choice & there are many trustworthy people around who are willing to help if we need it.

So in what ways could you reuse or recycle, look around & see how you could make a difference in this way!!!

Doing for others, does for you.....day 1,443

So I was watching a movie & the young lady talked about a dream she had.  It was Thanksgiving & everyone was seated around the table.  There was one small problem, no one had hands.  Nope, everyone had forks where their hands should be. 

Now she said the way they all succeeded at enjoying the meal was to assist each other, in doing so they too were blessed.

This works in so many ways in our own lives.  The saying, 'What goes around, comes around...' is often used when someone does a bad turn toward another; but it can also refer to a good turn.  I am not going to point out examples of this, I am just going to let you look around & see the multitude in each of your own lives.  I can only imagine how many times you have blessed others & those blessings have returned a smile to your own doorstep. 

Have an awesome day!!!!

Today I can do it differently, day 1,444

Blessed by the beauty of a new morning. That is it....plain & so simple....

Look around you....

~~For those of us in the Northwoods of WI a fresh coat of snow is a sight to behold, though not everyone appreciates it the same. My granddaughter would love to come make a snow angel in it. Struggle as she might, last year, it was a challenge when she came to visit from Georgia/Florida.

~~In life, the opportunities that are in each new day. Just to wake up & have that chance again.
~~In our country, world, planet, job, everything....
~~A new morning is a new beginning, new opportunity....

We cannot change what we did yesterday; but we can decide to do it differently today.  It is up to us if we will do it the same & get the same results or if we will change how we did it & improve our results.  This is how we can make differences, not only in our lives; but in the lives of others.  So what are you going to do with your NEW morning??

For this I am truly blessed, how about you????

Blessing 1,445,

My blessing today is being surrounded by so much of God. I look out in the morning & see a new day, each one unique in the color palette that it opens & closes with. Each sunrise & sunset is unique & different in the colors & design. The trees are never the same, clouds, nothing is exactly the same. I can take photos day to day & they are always different. I am amazed at how the solar system works, how the human body is put together & in some way interchangeable so we can often help each other; & yet still survive. When our blood types are the same we are able to do a blood transfusion, no matter the outer covering of our body; but it is determined by the inner workings. There there is the ability to transplant organs, the details that it must have taken to create beings that could be made to be able to assist each other in this way. A person can give an match one of their kidneys or a portion of your liver. You can swap bone marrow, skin grafts, lung & more. Even though these are in no way meant to be a means of income; but a gift of life, some people do abuse this out of greed or necessity. The point being that just we are complex & unique; but wonderfully made & designed.  I won't go into that since it is not a blessing & this is about a blessing, or making a difference for others.

I am so in awe of nature around me, of so many things. I often stand on our deck, even that is a wonder & look around at all the beauty surrounding our corner of town.  We are blessed to own a 60 acre corner piece of land.  There are gravel roads going for a mile in 4 directions from our homestead. 

The trees that grew to give me this deck, this safe haven, after a year of battling Lyme's disease & Belle's Palsy.  The ability for Eddie to do 95% on his own (thank you to my sister, Vicki, & her husband, Bryan, for help positioning the largest frame section into place). He is 60% disabled; but he worked slowly, took his time, lots of graph paper figuring out the angles so we only have one actual step to climb & we have a wrap around deck from vehicle to door to wood pile. 

All this, I believe, can go back to God's gifts because He also gave us the ability to use our hands & to think through some challenges. What both us saw as an impossible task, we simply began to chip away at & do. We put it to prayer, then we started sketching & eventually came up with ideas. Those ideas worked & we have a rather nice deck as a result.  Often we simply see a task as impossible & give up, when if we pray about it.  Then take it one step at a time.  Small steps, just like on a journey, we begin to see that it was not the giant we thought; but a series of smaller steps that led to a final goal.  That is how it was with our deck.  First we replaced our smaller back porch with a bit larger one.  Then we added an add-on of just a few feet long & wide, slightly slanted downward.  The next was kind of large; but we began to set the supports then did some framing.  Being over 20 feet, this is where my sister's help came in.  They helped us to slide the frame into place on the supports.  Then my hubby & I added the decking, connected the smaller add-on section.  The final area for that was to put a small downward section to where we park our vehicles across the front of the trailers.  Then step down one step & we are at the car.  

We found a unique grocery cart, not the basket kind; but upright for a dollar at an auction.  It has two levels, the upper one flips up when needed.  We use it when we bring home groceries.  Fill it up & one trip to the door.  It can also be loaded with wood, that was our next added section.  A 4x4 flat area, then a ramp down to a 4x6 flat area just above the wood shed.  Load up the cart & either wheel it back up or if too heavy we also have a ratchet winch that hooks to the top of the ramp.  We are both elderly, so it comes in quite handily.  We thank God for the ideas, know-how & ability to complete our deck.  We added railings in key places with some unique iron cut rail designs from a local craftsman for a rustic touch (frogs included to remember to Fully Rely On God) & our deck is complete & comfortable.

I love being able to look around & see what doesn't make sense to the human eye; being thankful that God sees it differently. It is such a blessing to be able to use this gift He has given & so many more to bless others & make a difference in their lives as well.

Then knowing when we have the faith, to step beyond what we think we can't do & place our trust in Him, that He will guide us as we go

Day 1,446

Today I am so thankful for the mind. I am in awe of what some can create. I know that it is truly a gift from God. Have you ever considered, ever really sat down & thought of the things that have been invented?  My goodness, our state (Wisconsin) alone has only been a state since 1848.  That was just 164 years ago.  How much things have changed since then.  The first horseless carriage wasn't until around 1875, that was 27 years later.  Thomas Edison wasn't even born until 1847, so his inventions were a ways off yet, still in candlelight for a while.  In 1876, Mr. Bell invented the telephone; but Samuel Morse built a practical telegraph in 1837.  How did we get along?

I do enjoy the line, 'Necessity is the Mother of Invention', and in many ways it is true. When we need something, someone uses that awesome gift God gave them & many benefit from it. Sadly, there are also many who overcharge others for that gift; but since this is a blessings post we won't go there. It has been fun listing some of the beginning inventions above.  I chose WI since I have lived here 59 of my 60 years.  It amazes me to see how far we have come in just that short period of time, makes one wonder how far we will continue to go.  Now things seem to be invented even faster & without necessity.  Often for greed or want.

Have an awesome day!!!!!! Get your thinking caps on................................what can you look around & see that has been invented that you use????

Day 1, 447

Today I am so very blessed that my real friends respect that I am a hermit by nature & I like it that way, most of the time.  My hubby is the opposite, a true social butterfly.  He needs interaction with numerous people & frequently.  This actually works well for us, since it also gives me even more time to be alone.

Then there are days when we do things happily together, or with friends.  I do enjoy going to church, though not so much the social gatherings.  I just am not a people person.  I do go; but tend to sit more on the side.  My friends do try to involve me; but depending on the day, they also give me space.

I enjoy going over to a friend's home & working on projects with them.  Right now I am helping one friend to become better at mastering her new sewing machine.  She is anxious to be able to make things for her husband & sons.  So far we are tackling a new Awana bag for her eldest.  We also finished hemming his blanket on his bed & the table cloth on the kitchen table.  We have plans to make his birthday gift next.  I will help her to do a custom applique on a fleece for him.  She wants to be able to use her machine to do items for them & for others so she can make a difference in their lives.

I think it is important for us to understand & respect another's need for space.  We may not agree with their perspective of interaction; but we can best be their friend by respecting it & enjoying their company in a way that will bless each of us.

Have an awesome day.

Day 1,448 God's Perfect Timing

Blessing 1,448 is God's perfect timing & provision.  Wow, it just awes me how He knows things I don't & has PERFECT timing too!!!!

One example being a wee hat that is coming up soon on my list of 'to do's'. I don't stock a lot of pink or purple yarn.  They are not colors I use, if it can be avoided (unless for very special people).  So there are some special wee lassies who are getting the pink sweaters, their gramma had me order special pink yarn, yup.  Then I rec'd an order for some hats, pinks, purples, blues, greens.  Okay I have lots of blues, tons of blues in fact.  I LOVE blues, greens are okay, not a fave; but I have green; but when it comes to pink & purple, NOPE.  So looking to see what I have for these & what I need to order in this particular brand of yarn, I find that I have enough in two shades of pink; but I also have a light purple & an eggplant.  Thank you Lord.  Why???? did I ever pick that out & order that color, I don't know.  Evidently I hit a wrong button; but God knew I would need it later. 

He also has provided funds in time, food in time, a listening ear when needed so badly.  So many many times God has brought not only things & answered prayers to my & my family at just the right time; but He has provided us with the means to provide for another when we noticed they had a need.

Thankful for His perfect provision of everything we need & sometimes for those things we simply want; but don't really need :)

Day 1,449

Okay, we are counting down to blessing 1,449

Today I am thankful for what I call God's Memory Garden. I best describe it on a shawl I designed.

I once heard a saying that God gives us a memory garden,

where the flowers of our loved/special ones grow.
Those flowers/memories are there for us to pick when we need them,
& because they never stop blooming
there will always be a flower/memory to comfort us.

This garden can also include events in our lives or even pets. It can include anything that makes a memory. I mean I have several that I was not involved in; but they are there. I remember when JFK was shot, I can tell you exactly how the sisters (nuns) reacted while sitting at my desk in class. I can tell you what I was doing when the Challenger exploded, or when the towers were attacked, how Eddie came into the classroom where we had gathered my students around a television to watch this day in history. He worked just down the street. He was ready to re-enlist his crippled body & serve his country again.  These memories are important, I don't think I would call them flowers; but they are not necessarily weeds.  Maybe thorns that call us to be alert to things?  These are the things that make us aware how important it is to be alert & to make that difference in peoples lives in a different way.  Maybe in a supportive way, when they may be sad or hurting.  To lend an ear or a shoulder.

Some flowers are more beautiful than others, some have thorns, and some may not be flowers at all; but weeds. A garden's beauty is measured by the combination of all & keeping them in balance.  The thorns hurt; but because of the pain the bloom seems to shine even more.  The weeds make an awesome background for the flowers, almost a frame.  In fact some weeds did not actually start out as such.  The dandelion came over as a medicinal item.  The roots can be roasted for coffee, the young leaves & unopened buds can be eaten, the blooms are actually quite pretty & provide bees with a source of nutrition & some folks with wine.  There are many more that are healthy when used properly.  It is all in ones perspective & knowledge, the same with memories.

I am thankful, that this garden never dies. I am even more blessed that God gave me this beautiful , sometimes painful garden to show me that I know I have lived a full & interesting life; but most of all so that each time, before I leave the garden I have the choice to either take with me a weed, a thorn, or a beautiful rose. Yes, it is up to me how I leave the garden once I enter.

 

Last night after the play, I was so ecstatic with joy. As I walked through the memory garden I also stuck my finger on some thorns in regard to the play.   It brought me to my first quilt, Dream Train to Neverland. It is an awesome quilt; but the recipient is not in our lives anymore & that carries weeds & thorns, so consequently tears came with regrets and anger; but as I left I chose to leave those & pick up the rose. The good far outweighed the bad, so this morning I am happy in roses & loving the wonderful time I had and crowing with Peter, though only in my heart. Eddie would definitely be wondering if I was crazy; though he & so many others already know I am.

God bless all of you this morning, may you find a special rose among the thorns today!! ♥

Blessing 1,450

My Blessing 1,450. Thank you Susan O. for sharing. I love the moral of this story, it is great!!! & true!!!!

 

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it

to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL :
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happens.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less from people but more from yourself.

You have two choices... smile and close this page,

Blessing 1,451

Blessing 1,451

Thinking on the Citizenship Ceremony on the Today Show

We are so blessed to be Americans. On one side of our family we are 2nd generation. My mother's parents came from Luxembourg with Uncle Andy & Auntie Ann, they sadly left one son, who had passed away, in Luxembourg. They went through the proper channels & became citizens with a great deal of pride. My mother is a first generation American. My father's parents brought him & 2 older siblings from Scotland when he was 10, they all proceeded to also go through the proper channels to become citizens of our great country. So on this side of our family 3 of my sisters & I are also first generation Americans. It is with a great deal of pride that I can say I am an American of Scottish & Luxembourg heritage & that I thank my ancestors for what they brought with them in their ethics & knowledge that they shared from the old country to America.

They didn't have it easy, and they didn't do everything perfectly; but they taught us awesome work ethics & some interesting other items. They taught us that when times are rough, not to give up. They taught us that we are all equal regardless of race, religion, monetary standing, or gender. That we need to reach down & give each other a hand-up, not necessarily a hand-out; but to be there when someone needs help. That it is better to give than to receive & that they don't always need to know who did it. In some meals we eat as the queen eats. Well we do, not all our spouses, LOL.

We were brought up to love God, even when a church may turn its back on you; that you should still honor Who is actually at the head. It wasn't He who did the turning, it was simply humans & humans are not perfect.

Heritage is awesome & the America my grandparents came to is an awesome place. Nowadays it doesn't seem we take the same pride in it.  I know it is rough on the children of those who come to this country or any country illegally; but we do not teach them correctly if we just say that it is okay.  We will give you citizenship anyway.  There are times when we face hard consequences for things our parents do.  It doesn't mean it is fair; but it is just.  I apologize to those who do not agree.  To those who think they should get that free ride; but it just wouldn't be right.  We do not do the children any justice by teaching them that they can get something by breaking a law.

 

My family did come & they worked very hard to do it legally.  It was not easy, they struggled financially.  We still do struggle financially; but we don't get hand-outs.  We earn what we get & we follow the laws to get it.  For that & by that, we are blessed they came. ♥

Blessing 1,452

Today it dawns on me how blessed I am.....in wealth!!!!! ♥

So many people count wealth in a monetary way or by things!!!! They work so many hours, trying to achieve these big bank accounts & for what????

I found out so long ago, that has absolutely NOTHING to do with money. I know some people who have far more than we do & they do a really good job at making sure everyone gets to SEE they are happy; but their comments & their written words  often don't match those pictures. They are just surface gestures, they don't seem to have joy to their hearts. Now in total honesty, no one can judge your heart. That is between you & your Creator; but genuine joy goes beyond 'things'.

When you have to cling to the things you have to find joy it is not as much fun as when you can share them. When you can see the joy in another's eyes because you were able to give them that thing that gave you joy. To see that smile from their heart & know that they are now knowing that same joy, now that is REAL joy. Sure, now you don't have that particular joy; but now you get the opportunity to share in their joy & God will bring a new joy into your life. Does that make sense?

Let's see if I can explain it differently. I love to design, & then create, all different clothing items. It is one of my greatest joys. Many of my friends & family can tell you this. When I make something, it is designed for me, it brings me smiles & I love wearing it. I love the warmth it brings to my heart. Then, one day, it (the clothing item, I know I am strange) tells me it is time to move on. So, I wrap it up & lovingly pass it along to another. Now it is bringing love & warmth to that person. Sure I miss my thing, I poured my heart into it, I made it for me; but now a part of me is a part of you.

This is a wealth that NO amount of money can buy. 

 

It is the same whether it be a hug or a bag of groceries, going out & cutting a load of wood, shoveling a sidewalk, giving a listening ear (sitting quietly, never saying a word), a husband who is going to sit through the musical 7 Brides for 7 Brothers or Peter Pan, it doesn't have to be expensive in the world's eyes to be worth millions to the person receiving it.  And so on, and so on... There are so many examples I couldn't begin to tell them all because we each have different opportunities.

Recently Brother Brian gave me a million dollar gift. We won't say what it was, but the value is beyond anything in this world. There are a few who can agree. This is the wealth I speak of. This is blessing 1,452. Have you got this wealth?????

Blessing 1,453

Last night I was chatting with Lynn.  We were talking about how God works in mysterious ways, especially when we go through challenging times.  She shared that she recently put up a note on her wall that I think she will be okay with that I am sharing, since it is public knowledge that this is her common walk in life. 

" However things turn out, it will be good; because my Father (God) said so. "

Back in 2001, our family went through some tense & challenging times because of decisions made by one member.  At that time I chose to post Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  I put it everywhere I would look, both in English & Spanish (which I was studying at the time).  Little did I know, at the time, just how true that Scripture was in regard to that situation.  It has come true in many other areas of life on other occasions, too.  There were unimaginable circumstances that happened years ago, that later led to our serving as volunteers in the prisons.  This was & still is one of the greatest blessings we have ever received.  The men we worked with gave us so much encouragement & enriched our lives in ways that we never could have imagined, we are still in awe of it.



This is also when I started to place frogs all around in my world.  Not because they were popular or cute; but because of the acronym, F.R.O.G. which stands for Fully Rely On God.  I was doing that really well; though I was not always happy.  The things we went through from 2001 to 2004, because of this family member, were very difficult & many people judged our whole family for his choices.  It is truly a shame that people do this; but it is very common.  It was around the end of 2003 that I decided I needed to rethink my personal walk, so I added the JOY in front of frog & became JOYFROG.  Now it stands for JOYFully Rely On God.  We need to trust that not only will He use it for good; but we need to do it with a joyful spirit.  Now I am not saying this will always be easy; but it is possible with a bit of work & faith.


So many times, things we thought to be bad or wrong, God used later for His good.  He knows how to use what we humans think useless as useful, if only we let him.  Think back on your life, review how many times things that happened, that seemed like a wreck, later turned around & had a pretty good or even wonderful ending.  When that happened, did you remember how they began or that they even began on a not so good note?  Usually we forget that part; but it is awesome to remember; because then we get the WHOLE blessing when we can see the whole hand of God working.

Lynn, thank you for your walk & our chats.  I always love the heartfelt smiles & hours of laughter we share, whether in person or on the phone.  It always amazes me how much joy we find in the simple things that God brings to mind.  Don't forget to give Ken his chilly hug from Wisconsin.  Tell him it is sent with heartfelt love ;)

When you share with others how God has made a difference in your life, it often helps them to see the differences He has also made in theirs.  Take time to share, it can truly make a difference!!!

Day 1,454

Blessings continue to overflow.....

Blessing 1,454 is I am blessed to look around & have so many things to be thankful for. Around every corner is another little thing that brings a special memory or a smile. I feel sorry for those people who read another's post & can only something negative, not realizing that the person writing it never meant anything negative at all. A relative recently assumed that about my wanting to count down the next 4 years with a blessing every day.  Right away she based it on the election, which I was not happy about; but more so because in 4 years I am able to apply for Medicare.  Because of who got elected, beginning in 2014 I will be fined for not having insurance which we cannot afford, so instead of getting upset I figured I would look for something good in every day.  Of course, some people assume & many of you may know that that only makes an ..... well I will let you finish what it means ;)

So today is a multiple of thankfulness.....

~I am thankful for friends who find joy, even in trials that I cannot imagine. They are such an encouragement to so many.  I have several who are truly so very ill with awesome positive attitudes.
~Thankful for the smiles of children
~Thankful for the sunshine & chill in the air, a new freshness comes with that snap of cold.
~Thankful for the crunch of snow as I walk like a penguin across it
~Thankful that I can walk across the snow, even when my hip tells me to stop, Lyme's did damage; but I can still waddle along
~Thankful to be alive and able to shout out to the neighbor almost a mile away & he hollers back a hearty hello.
~Thankful for many years we had our Rikki (pictured above) in our lives, he was both a blessing & a pain in the bum; but he is a rose from our memory garden of life.   

~ I am so thankful for that Memory Garden, filled with beautiful flowers planted there by the gift of memories that God gives us as we go through our lives.  We pick from there often & each brings a special smile at just the right time.  Thank you Lord, for that very special gift that you gave to each & every one of us.  Truly makes a difference in our lives when needed most of all.

~Rikki you were something, glad we had those 15 years with you.

Have a beautiful day, everyone!!

Day 1,455

Today I am so blessed to have unstudied talent from God.  As a younger child I read books & learned how to knit doilies using a wee steel crochet hook & thread.  Never had anyone who could teach me.  Our mum did do some embroidery; but she didn't do any of the home crafts.  No knitting, crocheting, quilting, spinning, or canning.  I always wanted to learn these things; they seemed to be a part of who I was. So I would get books & study how to do them.  I remember being very young & sitting with the hook & crochet thread while practicing.  I even learned, early on, to keep a close eye on the location of my steel crochet hook, the hard way.  It didn't remove from my young thigh easily either.

From another book I taught myself to knit, another I learned traditional quilting.  I have since become a designer in all three, though in quilting my God given talent leans toward the unconventional art quilts.  I also like to do what others tell me 'cannot' be done.  One advantage of not having had an instructor is that no one has ever told me what is & isn't possible to do, so I try everything & often find a way to accomplish what I would like to do.

It was about 20 years ago, before the process was commercialized, I did a cross-stitched photo of our grand-daughter, Jessica.  Now you can buy kits for such a project.  Little did I know, back then, it would be something that would become popular.  I just thought it was neat.  I would still love to learn to tat, this is one craft I have not yet succeeded in tackling; but I also have not given up.  I am teaching myself to spin & have been doing well with the drop-spindle.  Next level is a spinning wheel.  I already have a couple beautiful fleeces & some rough buffalo wool that will make warm rugs for the floor.

Though I think the best & most fun memory in a book learned home craft will always be butchering chickens.  We moved to the Northwoodz in May of 1989.  A lifelong city kid, with a heart for the olden days; my opportunity came when my 2nd hubby purchased 60 acres of hunting land.  My eldest son, grandson & I came up North for the summer.  We were going to raise a couple pigs & chickens, live in the trailers & then go back to our semi-rural home for the winter.  So we were doing grand & the time came to butcher chickens.  Dev was holding the book, I wielded the birds & the knife.  As he turned the pages, I would read what had to be done & follow the instructions.  We succeeded, had butchered chickens & dinner.  Though we later went to visit a family to see the actual procedure in action, we did a pretty good job.  Now catching our first free range chickens, that is a story that still brings tear of laughter to all our eyes.  I am smiling to the point of tears just thinking about it.  We became quite adept at not only raising & butchering chickens, we had eggs (for home & sale to market), cows (that we raised for calves, meat, milk, butter, ice cream, stinky cheese), pigs (we bred for sale & meat) & a veggie garden that we canned from that was 100 x 100 feet big.  That is one big garden.  Such wonderful & happy memories.  Due to a freak trucking accident in October of the same year, we never moved back down to our home in SE WI & haven't regretted a day.  The Northwoodz & God have both been so good to us up here.

I am so blessed that God saw fit to give me the raw talent & the intelligence and drive to be able to develop it into a useful craft.  Thank you Lord, I pray that I will honor You & make a difference in the lives of others with Your gift to me.

Countdown 1456

Today is Veteran's Day & it is only fitting that first & foremost we thank them.  So I would like to thank my husband Eddie & my ex, Butch, both served in the Marines & Vietnam.  They were not treated well when the war ended; but our country learned & veterans are treated better upon return now.  Though the gov't still does not treat veterans well.  I think they should take lessons from other countries such as Ireland.  There a veteran is an honored citizen, here it is politicians, sports players & movies stars that people hold with much higher regards.  Veterans are treated as second class citizens & it is a shame.  They should receive at least as much regard as a politician who receives pensions & medical, free & clear at very high rates for themselves & family.  Instead a veteran has to fight tooth & claw, not only for country; but for benefits.  Still they often do not receive them.

Secondly, I would like to thank the civil servants to take care of our local needs.  They are on the local battle lines & finally the clerks who put up with an awful lot of flack & meet us daily, as we do our everyday tasks.

My final blessing is my pastor.  I have a very active mind.  Because of this, if my hands are not busy it tends to wander everywhere & anywhere.  I am blessed to have a pastor who does not object to my knitting, crocheting or even binding a prayer quilt during services.  I am still able to jot notes as I do this without any problem; but because my hand are on this task, my mind doesn't wander around.  It stays in one place thereby listening to the sermon or singing the song.  I can still tell you what last weeks sermon was about.

Though not every member agrees with what I do, the majority do not have a problem with it.  My eyes are most often focused on the pastor & I am enjoying every word.  After all, if I were taking notes I would not be looking up, would I?  So I want to send a special thank you to Pastor Mike, he is a blessing to me & my unusual mind.  I cannot say if any of my previous pastors would have objected, I never thought to ask them.  I do know that a friend who is a pastor's wife thinks it is an awesome idea & that another pastor's wife is now knitting in church also.

I apologize to those who find this wrong; but advise that maybe they should be paying attention to the sermon & not to what others are doing on their laps.  That is not where the sermon is.  Be blessed in the way God has for you today.  For each of us it is unique & special.  :)

Day 1,457 countdown

As always I begin with what I posted on Facebook 

Those that know me best know my mind goes 24/7. So I open my eyes & already thoughts are forming on my 1,457 blessing is the freedom of CHOICE. 

 Wow, such a wee little word that can carry big consequences. My hubby & I did in-prison ministries for 7 years & I remembered something an inmate once told me.  We, including himself, often take choices so for granted, once inside, the choices greatly decrease.  

How we don't consider that our choices can, & often do, have an effect on more than just ourselves or our family; but others around us or even our nation. Not the ones like what to have for dinner or how to fix our home. Though, think about the grocery store.  My goodness it can be mind boggling just picking one cut of meat, veggie or even the type of potato or onion. Even mushrooms have a wide variety or which ice cream.  Checking the label, for nutrition or calorie count or fiber or or or or.......

Sometimes it can be something even more significant.  It can be something that would benefit our family for good; but in the long run a different choice may bring our family an even better end result. Kind of like the quote I recently shared on Facebook a few days back regarding 'Discernment' It is not knowing the difference between right & wrong; but it is knowing the difference between knowing the difference between right & almost right. Charles Spurgeon.

So when we make a choice, that we are doing because we want to something better for ourself or our children; maybe we should also look beyond that one item.  Look at the whole picture, see if there are more elements that may be in play.  Sometimes, oftentimes in fact, there are several items that are together & that one item you find most significant is just one of many & though 'almost right' & 'very important', it is not the 'most important' issue that needs to be considered at the time.  Thereby a different choice needs to be made for now, so that in the long run, your family would be far better off.  

As a human, we more often react than respond.  It is our nature to do so.  So we must consider the next few months or even years & try to determine if a different choice might not even be the better one. One that would improve our family further down the line, maybe into our grandchildren. Last Sunday I did a note on choices, on the way to church both Eddie & I had to consider a couple choices we made that very morning.

Seems interesting God keeps waking me up with this subject. Must be an important one for me & others too, one we should consider in our lives & share with our children. Have an awesome weekend, today is supposed to be a beautiful one in WI; but then isn't every day that you wake up a beautiful day???? It is for me!

Day 9/1,458

In my countdown of blessings & thankfulness, while this is both day 9 & counting down from 1460 we are at 1458. 

Today I am so very blessed that each day is a new beginning. A new opportunity to begin again. What is done cannot be changed; but I can do it differently today, I don't have to worry about tomorrow, because God is already there. So I am blessed that I have the opportunity to make today the best day I possibly can, for me & for those I come in contact with.

I want to start my day with being thankful to God that I woke up to a beautiful sunrise &  to ask His grace on my friends who have so much pain.  Then I want to make this day a blessing to others & bring honor to Him.

Thank you Lord, for this new beginning & for each new day that You give me the opportunity to make a difference in my corner of the world.   

Day 8

Do you have friends or family who are a bit different, even odd??  Do they live in a way that is almost unacceptable to you??  Did you ever think there may be a very good reason for this??

My hubby & I do not spend a lot of time doing yardwork.  We have a few select areas that we keep trimmed, no children around, not a lot of extra funds to pay for help & we do enjoy all that nature brings in with the extra growth; but the underlying reason being we are both partially disabled.  Neither of us can walk very well anymore, we live deep in the country & no one can really see us anyway.  We have a large deck so we don't sit in the yard, rather we enjoy watching birds, butterflies & bees actively enjoy it. 

We used to try to keep it up.  When we got done, we were so tired & sore we couldn't enjoy it.  Rather we would go to bed early & wake up miserable.  Since I contracted Lyme's Disease, I don't go into the grass a lot, I don't want to get it again.  So most of my time is spent enjoying God's beautiful palate from the deck, knitting & relaxing. 

So next time you drive by, what appears to be a rendition of Ma & Pa Kettle's farm, before you judge them as lazy or slobs; consider they may be an underlying cause for this way of life.  Maybe they just deem something more important than spending every moment trying to impress & please their neighbors, instead wanting to have the energy to enjoy God's beauty.

Have a great day.  Today I am thankful for those friends & family who accept us 'just the way we are'!!

Day 7 & beginnig countdown from 1,460

Well, today I am thankful to the VA for approving my hubby to receive civilian physical therapy.  We drive a long way to the VA & he needs to go twice a week for 6 weeks for a knee injury.  Thank you gov't for your consideration in this matter.

I am also thankful for the ability to be able to bless another in an unexpected way.

1460 days of thankfulness & blessings to come from today, yup something good every day for the next 4 years.

Day 6

Today I am so very thankful for God's wonderful palate.  It is a beautiful snowy day.  Soon it will all melt away; but this morning it is awesome & everything looks fresh & new. Each day is a new picture.

I am also thankful to live in a country that has the freedom to vote peacefully.  One where folks can go to the polls without fear of being harassed or shot, without being knocked down or shut out.

I am thankful for the men, women & children who have fought & those who even gave their lives for this freedom & right to vote.  I am thankful for so much, I am thankful for the freedom to worship my God without persecution & the freedom to share my beliefs.

Thank you for giving me the freedom to share with each of you.

Day 5

Today I am thankful for the freedom of worship.  To be able to go into the church of our choice & worship openly.  Not to have to sneak around, secretively like so many countries.  This is truly a point to be thankful for.

Day 4

Today I am thankful for the freedom to make my own choices 

(& take responsibility for them).

I recently saw a quote, 

'The content of your character is your choice.  

Day by day, 

what you choose, 

what you think, and 

what you do 

is who you become.'

MOST DEFINITELY, it is so easy to blame others or circumstances for our choices. Sometimes we even make excuses for someone elses choices, because it difficult for us to accept that they are now old enough to make the right one. So we excuse or blame another for them. But it boils down to the fact it may be a very very very difficult thing to do; but it is still their/our choice. We may have to seek help or face danger to make the difficult choices & it make take us down a long road to do it; but with time...

I am NOT passing any judgement, I have made a lot of wrong choices; but I know the wrong paths I took were because of MY choices that I made. I may have been influenced by another, someone may have even twisted my arm on occasion; but I still had a choice of which way to go.

It didn't make it any easier; but it all adds up to who I am today & that's okay because I'm okay. My choices & experiences, good & bad, come together to be pretty useful. I am not proud of all my choices; but they are part of me.

Thank you LORD for allowing me to walk my path (YOU always had my back, even if I didn't know it) ;) I do so appreciate it, very much!!!!

Day 3

Today I am so thankful for a special friend & pastor.  We are going to have a dinner party at their house tonight.  Then I will spend time with his wife, she would like to knit a scarf for her wee ones.  The guys are going to do some cover-up work.  It will be most interesting and a long awaited blessing.  Satan has tried to put the brakes to it; but it is going through & all will be well.  It is right, and long overdue.  So I want to say thank you to Pastor, Jeffrey, Marsha & hubby.

Till tomorrow

November, Thankful Days 1 & 2

Being grateful in life, can show in our attitude & our attitude can really make a difference in the effect we have on the people whose lives we touch each day. (don't forget to put it in The Awesome Jar)

Sorry I am Late to begin this, going to try to post every day.  Please feel free to join in.  I am seeing a lot of folks posting thing they are thankful for.  I agree with the majority.  Top on my list is God & my salvation, these give me reasons for life.  I am thank for Eddie my grumpy hubby who is truly a teddy bear in grizzly bear's clothing, my sons who kept me going when we didn't really have any other reason, a five super special grandchildren (2 I have never had the pleasure to meet in person) & another trio just added through one of those sons.  We have 3 most awesome great-grandsons who make us smile, great-nephews who are a delight & so many many more blessings; but I want to try to find something unique about each day to list here that I am thankful for.  The above & other everyday things I am thankful for & they may bring to light something special as we fill our thankful jar.......
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November 1st~~~~
This day brought a most special moment of thankfulness.  I won't go into all the details, except to say that dear hubby finally decided to do a cover-up on a tattoo that has bothered me for over 25 years.  God laid on our hearts to contact our youth pastor for his recommendation on who to do it.  This had a domino effect which lead to a steak dinner date, knitting lessons, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, & the cover-up taking place within a 3 day period.  Wow, connections are something to be thankful for.
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November 2nd~~~~
Today I am thankful for the study we are doing in The Good Morning Girls, Colossians 3:23, And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men, this verse has gotten me through many a challenging work situation when in life.  When there was something I didn't feel like doing for mom or for my boss, I would do it for God.  Not only would I do it with a better attitude, I would do a better job of it.  I taught my children & oldest grandson to do this also.  This really helps to shape work ethics, it takes the 'I' factor out of why we do things.  When we take the 'I' factor out we stop worrying about it not being 'my' job, or 'I' should've been off 10 minutes ago, or 'he' didn't have to do that much, etc.  

So what are you finding to be extra thankful for today?????