Stitching, Shopping, and Stuff...

This three-day weekend will not be wasted one bit. We're working on the kitchen, the doors for upstairs, putting on some finishing touches on the Christmas decorations too. I've been spending my free moments stitching, reading, and catching up
on the overflowing DVR. #1 son has to work this weekend, so I've been able to fight the people at the mall. I'm not fond of
Christmas shoppers who are not familiar with mall driving or etiquette. I tend to get a bit verbal. It's not nice. I often threaten to run them over with my big ole truck (yup, I drive a Suburban) but I actually haven't run anyone over (yet). Tomorrow hubby and I are going to put a quick coat of paint on the cabinets and head out to finish up the Christmas shopping.
The plan is to have all the shopping finished, the cabinets completely finished, and the upstairs doors hung, primed, and ready to be painted. IF we get all of that done, we might get nutty and try to put up the bead-board in the hallway, but I'm not counting on it. Have to go grocery shopping too. But, in my down-time I'll be stitching and reading until the wee hours. I hope to have some pictures to share on Monday of what I've stitched and what we've accomplished this weekend.

I hope you are enjoying YOUR long holiday weekend.

A Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Lord, so often times, as any other day
When we sit down to our meal and pray

We hurry along and make fast the blessing
Thanks, amen. Now please pass the dressing

We're slaves to the olfactory overload
We must rush our prayer before the food gets cold

But Lord, I'd like to take a few minute more
To really give thanks to what I'm thankful for

For my family, my health, a nice soft bed
My friends, my freedom, a roof over my head

I'm thankful right now to be surrounded by those
Whose lives touch me more than they'll ever possibly know

Thankful Lord, that You've blessed me beyond measure
Thankful that in my heart lives life's greatest treasure

That You, dear Jesus, reside in that place
And I'm ever so grateful for Your unending grace

So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You've provided
And bless each and every person invited

Amen!

--Scott Wesemann

Thankful...

Thanksgiving Hymn, 1943

Another year grows calmly old

And frost is on the morning grass;

The quaking asp has shed its gold'

The mountain lakes lie still as glass.

The fields, their summer labor done,

Sleep in the quiet autumn sun

And the high hills in grave accord

Life up their heads and thank the Lord.

Nature's great calmness seems to mock.

The world's at war; our boys are gone

Far off where furious armies shock

In many a bloody battle dawn.

Yet though our nation grimly fights,

This year, to save her ancient rights

At least she wields a mighty sword

And for that we thank the Lord.

Safety is ours though peace is lost.

Our cities know no thundering raid;

Fields know no enemy but frost;

The children play, still unafraid.

The planes that drone across our sky

Are friendly sentries standing by

That no invading robber horde

Shall waste our land, so thank the Lord.

For harvest from the fields we've sown,

For freedom and for righteous laws,

For fighting power to guard our own

And help our helpless neighbor's cause.

For Victory's slowly dawning light--

And dawn it must if right is right--

Gather once more around the board,

This fateful year, and thank the Lord.

by Charles Badger Clark

Brenden Foster

I'm not sure if any of you have seen this story, but after seeing this story today I felt compelled to share it with all of you in case you haven't heard this amazing story of Brenden Foster.

The doctors gave 11 year old Brenden Foster 2 weeks to live.

"He's always thought about others. Never complained about having to go through this, ever," said his mother, Wendy Foster.

When Brenden was first diagnosed with leukemia, he and his mom began a new tradition. Every night they list three positive things that happened during the day, and they have to share a laugh. A chuckle will do, Brenden said, but a fake laugh will never do.


"I was coming back from one of my clinic appoints and I saw this big thing of homeless people, and then I thought I should just get them something," he said.

Brenden is too ill to leave his bed and feed the homeless. He walked into an emergency room last December and hasn't walked since.

But Brenden's wish will not go unfulfilled. A group planned to gather in his honor on Friday night to make sandwiches and deliver them to the homeless.

"We're making 200 sandwiches -- half ham and cheese, and half peanut butter and jelly. He didn't want them all to be peanut butter and jelly in case somebody was allergic to peanut butter," said Jennifer Morrison, one of the participants.

"They're probably starving, so give them a chance," said Brenden.

Brenden has relapsed for the last time. There is no chemo, no more transfusions; just comfort medications.

"It's devastating, but I find great peace in knowing we've had our time together and that we will see each other again," said Wendy.




Luekemia has taken Brenden's life, but his wish continues to live on across the United States as many have been inspired by this young man's wish.

Isn't it amazing that at 11 year's old this boy's heart was bigger than most adults I know. In his time of need, he only cared for the needs of others. He did not complain, or cry, or grow angry, but he found a way to spend his last moments in this world to show love to others. At 11 years old he has created a legacy and has touched more lives in his short time alive than some have done in 90 years.

I am not only in awe of this young man, but his mother as well. You know that this young man has an amazing mother. Just reading this story I was weeping uncontrollably. I saw his mother on an interview and she seemed so composed. I can only imagine how she must be grieving. I want to send a million hugs to her. I want her to know that her son's story has touched the depths of my soul and I will never ever be the same. When I look at Brenden's face, I see my youngest son. I see such sweetness and innocence and love that I want to just sit and speak with him. I know that he is special, truly someone that our Heavenly Father wanted to have right next to him because of his pure heart.

I hope that you feel as blessed as I do by Brenden's story and by the amazing bravery he has shown as well as his mother Wendy.

Especially now, in this holiday season, I am just amazed beyond words by this story.

As I end this post, I can barely see through my tears, but in my heart I know now what I can do. I can ask that we spread the word throughout blog-land to pray for Wendy Foster and all of the friends and family who are mourning the loss of Brenden. There is great power in prayer and I know that there are some grand prayer warriors amongst you all. I hope that through prayer Wendy Foster will feel the love and prayer being sent upward for her.

Will you pray?

I came across this today and I laughed so hard that I had to share this with all of you too. I hope you laugh as much as I did.

My Random Thoughts

The other day while running errands hubby and I were chatting in the car. We were discussing our finances, our company, our plans, and Christmas. While we were discussing this, we drove past three different signs announcing that three different stores were closing. We were discussing how we were going to pay for Christmas and how much (or how little) we were going to be spending on each person. I mentioned to him two local car dealers that have closed their doors and he told me about one near our shop that had just done the same thing. One of our employees quit this week and we've decided not to replace him, but to double up and do whatever it takes to make the company function without this position being filled by another person; at least for now. The employee who quit also happens to be my husband's brother. He has three children all under the age of 3 and Christmas is coming. Our teenage son was lucky to get seasonal employment and barely gets 15 hours a week.

So, I began to think. Actually, I should say that thoughts randomly started zipping through my mind and my heart.

Our world is in a bleak state. Life is changing and we cannot stop it. Businesses are closing, the stock market is falling more each day. Banks are failing. Car dealers and manufacturers are closing at an alarming rate. Stores that have been around for years on end are closing their doors. Employment is getting more and more difficult to come by. I'm really afraid of where things are heading.



But, then I realized how blessed I am, and how ashamed I am that I've allowed selfish thoughts to clutter my mind when I should be praising my husband and my Lord, Jesus Christ, for blessing me so abundantly.

I'm complaining about struggling to come up with "enough" money to pay for Christmas when I should be thankful that my children even get to have Christmas presents at all. For there are many families that will not even have one present to open on Christmas morning.

I'm complaining that my house still has so much remodeling to do before it will feel like a home to me when I should be thankful that I even have a place to live. There are so many people who have lost their homes and their jobs and have been left with no option except to live on the streets or in their cars.



I'm complaining because I don't want to drive in to the shop to help out, I want to be home to do what needs to be done around here when I should be thankful that I have a company to go to and that I am able to help make our company a success through this difficult time. There are people standing in lines for jobs or filing for unemployment or in line for the food pantry.



I felt so guilty that I just wanted to cry. Perhaps the thoughts were provoked by the film The Kite Runner, which I recently watched, or perhaps it is just God's way of helping to open my the eyes of my heart so see what I have avoided.

So, the past couple of days I have taken a step back and really chosen to look at things differently. My refrigerator may not be filled, but I have a refrigerator to open and I can have a glass of milk or a piece of fruit if I desire. i can turn on the tap and have a glass of cold, clean water. It doesn't have to come from a bottle or be filtered in a fancy pitcher - I am blessed with clean running water. If my head hurts, I can take a tylenol from the medicine cabinet and feel better. If I'm hungry, I can eat. I may not be able to dine at my favorite restaurant or afford to purchase a prime cut of steak, but I have food at my disposal. My children may not get all the gifts they have asked for this year for Christmas, but they will have presents to open and a warm home to open them in. They are blessed. They wake up each morning, they have a hot shower awaiting them, food for breakfast, clean clothes, and they get to go to school and learn. What a blessing - an education that is at their disposal. We have television and movies, music and radio we have internet and cell phones. My goodness my cup runneth over.

So, I am going to stop complaining and realize that we live in troubled times, but despite these troubles, my life far exceeds what many have known or will ever know. I am going to be happy with what I have and stop seeing all that I don't have. I am going to be thankful that I can pick up the telephone and speak to my dear friend who lives far far away in Texas and know that even though we cannot get together, we can talk and feel comfort in how much we care for each other.

I am going to learn to cut back wherever I can to help save money and be a better family manager. I am going to be thankful for my goofy and annoying dogs and know that they love me and that I love them as well. I'm going to acknowledge how blessed I am each time when I walk outside into the cold and can zip up my coat, put on a clean and warm hat and mittens and take a deep breath of the fresh, crisp, cold air and be happy that I am alive.




I've actually taken time to ask for each task that I set out to do be a blessing to my family. For example, as I vacuumed today, I prayed that this time I spend vacuuming bless my family. It occurred to me then that it is also blessing my heart by providing me with exercise (as well as the pleasure of a clean home). As I washed dishes this evening I took a moment to give thanks for the dinner we just ate, for the running water and for the smiles and conversation that came about during this evenings meal. Tonight when I had to go out into the cold, after settling in for the night, to pick up my daughter when she had chosen to spend the night at a friends, I gave thanks that I had a daughter to pick up. I gave thanks that my daughter has friends. I gave thanks that I have a car to drive and gas in that car. I gave thanks that I live in a place where I can drive a car, leave my home at night, and feel safe and secure. As I folded laundry tonight I gave thanks for the abundance of clothes that we have and I took the time to pray for each person as I folded their clothes.

So, it's not about Thanksgiving or Christmas, but about the realization of the truth in our world, in our economy, and our day to day lives. I suffer from serious depression and have to take medication for this. I often complain that I do not want to take medication, but I should be thankful the medication is available to me at all. But, despite taking medication, i do know that I can very easily fall into a deep depression. By recognizing my blessings I am boosting my mood naturally. I am teaching my children to see the glass half full and not half empty. I am making myself happy, my home happy, and my family happy.

I recall seeing a movie once about a person from another land, far far away, who was brought to our country for a visit. He was amazed that you could pull up to someone's window and they would just hand you a bag of food and you could drive away. He was shocked that you could walk into a building that was filled with aisles and aisles of food that you could just take home with you.

I am blessed. You are blessed.

Phillipians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

How Good It Is To Thank The Lord Hymn

How good it is to thank the Lord,
And praise to Thee, Most High, accord,
To show Thy love with morning light,
And tell Thy faithfulness each night;
Yea, good it is Thy praise to sing,
And all our sweetest music bring.

O Lord, with joy my heart expands,
Before the wonders of Thy hands;
Great works, Jehovah, Thou hast wrought,
Exceeding deep Thine every thought;
A foolish man knows not their worth,
Nor he whose mind is of the earth.

When as the grass the wicked grow,
When sinners flourish here below,
Then is there endless ruin nigh,
But Thou, O Lord, art throned on high;
Thy foes shall fall before Thy might,
The wicked shall be put to flight.

Thou, Lord, hast high exalted me
With royal strength and dignity;
With Thine anointing I am blest,
Thy grace and favor on me rest;
I thus exult o’er all my foes,
O’er all that would my cause oppose.

The righteous man shall flourish well,
And in the house of God shall dwell;
He shall be like a goodly tree,
And all his life shall fruitful be;
For righteous is the Lord and just,
He is my Rock, in Him I trust.

Guess Where My Son Went Last Night?

My eldest son, a.k.a. Booger, had a night out last night. He went into the city with his friends. They went here.







Looks like a nice place, doesn't it? Well, it's been around for forever in our fair city. But, he saw nothing amazing. Instead, he saw this.


RISE AGAINST


THRICE


THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM


ALKALINE TRIO

Oh I'm so proud. LOL.

Oh to be young again - no thanks!

And people thought Woodstock was scary!? LOL

Honestly, I've got a very wide appreciation of music,

but I'm not even certain how to classify these bands.

I really have a hard time enjoying them.

I guess that means that I'm old.

How sad.

Birthday's and I give Thanks...

Yes, yet another of my family members is celebrating a birthday. Today is actually my nephew Nyco's birthday (#12) and my cousin Stefanie's birthday (#26). Happy birthday to you, Nyco and Stefanie!!




Today, as Thanksgiving rapidly approaches and as I feel weighed down by troubles and responsibilities, I wanted to remind myself that I am blessed and should be grateful and thankful.

Today I feel Thankful...

that I have a warm home to live in

that I have 3 healthy children

that I have both of my parents alive and well

that I am able to stay home to be the "family manager"

that I am sleeping in my bedroom again

that I have the freedom to celebrate my faith in my Lord, Jesus Christ

that I have the ability to love

that I am loved

that I have already started shopping and decorating for Christmas

that I am taking time daily, just to "be"

Dance Like Nobody's Watching...

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

The Big Reveal (Phase 1)

Finally the bedroom is at a point where we can at least sleep in it again. I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. I desperately need artwork! We still have to purchase the sconces and lamps. I also need accessories. The doors are not up either, nor is the baseboard and the ceiling trim is not finished (because of the doors), so we still have a ways to go. I did not make the headboard or platform for the bed yet (also to come) but progress has been made. Now, I realize that there is much debate on ceiling fans, but when it all comes down - I like them. I would much prefer to have the windows open and a fan blowing than all that a/c in the summer months, so I opted for a ceiling fan. If I someday change my mind, I can always have a ceiling light in it's place.

So, what do you think????

Words to Remember

God Has Everything Under Control

“The kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations” (Psalm 22:28)

“Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein” (Isaiah 34:1)

“Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance…. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing…. It is he [God] that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers…. To whom then will ye liken me?” (Isaiah 40:15, 17, 22, 25).

23 He brings the princes to nothing;
He makes the judges of the earth useless.
24 Scarcely shall they be planted,
Scarcely shall they be sown,
Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth,
When He will also blow on them,
And they will wither,
And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.  (Isaiah 40:23-24)

33 The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the LORD. (Proverbs 16:33)

17 ‘ This decision is by the decree of the watchers,
And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,
In order that the living may know
That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets over it the lowest of men.’  (Daniel 4:17)

Terrible Technical Difficulties

What a WEEK! My internet went out LAST Saturday and I JUST got it back around 3:00 this afternoon. I'm so far behind on all of the blogs that I read that I don't know if I'll ever get caught up.

So much going on around here. We made some serious progress in the bedroom and I am definitely going to get pictures taken and posted within the next couple of days. We made some decisions about other remodeling projects that will be coming along soon too.

I've made some dents in my stitching organization project and even did some stitching. I'll share photos of that in the upcoming week as well.

I've been reading, working, and doing loads of housework too.

I've missed my blogging buddies and my e-mail and and and...


Have a GREAT weekend!!

Thursday Thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving
In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.
Historians have also recorded other ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. At this site near the Charles River in December of 1619, a group of British settlers led by Captain John Woodlief knelt in prayer and pledged "Thanksgiving" to God for their healthy arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic. This event has been acknowledged by some scholars and writers as the official first Thanksgiving among European settlers on record. Whether at Plymouth, Berkeley Plantation, or throughout the Americas, celebrations of thanks have held great meaning and importance over time. The legacy of thanks, and particularly of the feast, have survived the centuries as people throughout the United States gather family, friends, and enormous amounts of food for their yearly Thanksgiving meal.

Psalms 55:22 'Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.'

Get Some Pink!

A fun give-away with some great stuff. You just gotta give go and check it out!

Guess What I've Been Up To?

I've been working on the kitchen!

The bedroom remodel has taken a turn and I'm really excited about where it's headed. This weekend? The ceiling!
I hope to share lots of photos on Monday.

Meet My Husband...

Amy from Living Locurto has started an event for bloggers to share their husbands with blog-land. I've decided to join in the fun. So here are some fun facts about my other half.

1. He is technically 2.5 months younger than me and he reminds me and everyone else that he married an older woman every chance he gets.

2. I had a crush on him in 7th grade (he didn't know who I was) and then I didn't see him again until 1991.

3. My best friend (Bobby) is my hubby's cousin - that's how we met.

4. We met on August 10th and got married on March 14th (he didn't want me to get away - LOL)

5. He is probably the handiest guy I know. He can build things, fix things, do electrical, tile, plumbing, etc. We've remodeled 4 houses and 98% of everything he has done on his own (okay, I do help). I'm very fortunate!

6. I knew he was a great guy when he asked me to make him notes on how to do the laundry and wash diapers (yes, I used cloth diapers - pins and all.)

7. When we met, he not only fell in love with me, but he fell in love with my son Victor who was 10 months old at the time. He even traded in his pick-up truck for a 4-door Toyota Corolla so that he could be a super-dad. (he adopted Victor in 1992)

8. He works super hard so that I can stay home and take care of our family. He even quit his job and opened up his own company so that we would have more stability. (so far that gamble has worked out for us)

9. He has no sense of humor and often doesn't get my dry humor, but he tries.

10. He cannot stand to have anyone touch his nose - for any reason

11. He won't watch scary movies

12. He cannot relax, ever

13. Until he met me he never ate vegetables or fruit; we're breaking him down though and he's eating some now (yes, he grew up in a bizarre household)

14. He wore the wrong size shoes for years and just thought your shoes were supposed to hurt (what a goof!)

15. He got a tattoo (see photo above) with our son Victor on Victor's 18th birthday. Now he thinks he's a tough guy - LOL!

16. I'm only the 5th person he ever dated (don't ask how many people I dated)

17. He can't cook anything except frozen pizza

18. He hates crowds and being anywhere around groups of people. He doesn't even like to go out with his friends to have a beer. He prefers to be home.

Well, that's it for this hubby. If you visit Amy's blog you can get links to read about other hubby's in blog-land.

Seven Prayers A Day

Angie over at Bring The Rain had an awesome post and an incredible idea that I not only felt compelled to participate in, but to share with all of you.

Given that we are entering the time of Thanksgiving and the Christmas season, I love the idea of taking time each day to pray for our children. What a wonderful habit to form!

I encourage all of you to pop by Angie's Blog and read her post for today and join in on 7 days of prayer.

I've listed the seven prayers below for you too.

I'd love to hear if you choose to participate, perhaps God will do something amazing in your life or show your something through these prayers. I do hope you'll share.

1. When they wake up: "Let the morning bring (child's name) word of your unfailing love, for she has put her trust in You. Show (her/him) the way (she/he) should go, for to you (he/she) lifts up her soul." (Adapted from Psalm 143:8)

2. When they are getting dressed: "Therefore, as God's chosen child, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Lord, help (him/her) bear with others and forgive whatever grievances (he/she) has against others. Help (him/her) forgive as the Lord forgave (him/her). And over all these virtues, help (him/her) put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Adapted from Colossians 3:12-14)

3. While they are eating: "Teach (child's name) the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Teach (him/her) that (he/she) can do everything through him who gives (him/her) strength." (Adapted from Philippians 4:12-13)

4. When they go out of the house: "(Name of child), do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Adapted from Romans 12:2)

5. While they are taking a bath: Lord, give (name of child) clean hands and a pure heart, and let (him/her) not lift (his/her) soul to an idol or swear by what is false. Let (him/her) receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God (his/her) Savior. Let (him/her) be part of the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. (Adapted from Psalm 24:4-6)

6. When they are going to bed: "The Lord Your God is with you; he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, be will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

7. While they are sleeping: "I pray that (name of child) will do everything without complaining or arguing, so that he/she may become blameless and pure, a child of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which he/she shines like a star in the universe as he/she holds out the word of life-in order that he/she may boast on the day of Christ that he/she did not run or labor for nothing." (Adapted from Ephesians 2:14-16)


I feel like God has been reminding me more and more lately that I need to live my life in prayer. For my children, husband, family, friends, country, those in need, etc., etc. As a mother, it has been so pivotal for my children to hear me praying out loud over them, and I want to commit to do this every day (seven times a day!) for the next week.

I've Gotta Say It.

Okay, I'm not a political person, I don't ever want this to be a political blog. BUT, I'm really angry today. Our country has elected Barak Obama as our President. This is not the issue for me (okay, I didn't vote for him, BUT) because I believe that God can use any situation for His good. MY problem is that if I hear one more person claim that Mr. Obama is "African-American" I'm going to SCREAM!!!! Okay folks, he is BI-Racial. His mother was a Caucasian. I have 3 nephews and a niece who are bi-racial and let me tell you I'd be really ticked off if anyone chose NOT to recognize that. He was raised by his mother and his maternal Grandmother - let's NOT forget this.

Now, let's just all put aside what we may have wanted and pray about what we have. Let's all pray for Obama - the MAN, our President Elect, our country, our people, and our future.

Okay, I'm done. I'm just frustrated and I had to vent. Goodness I hope I'm not the only one who is irritated by this.