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  • Thankful Thursday

    “I also love that the word ‘Thanksgiving’ brings together two great ideas- thanks and giving- that we can celebrate every day of the year.”

    ~Marlo Thomas
    I have definitely been celebrating and practicing both of those ideas this week.  These couple of days I have been working hard to finish up a granny square blanket that I started for an elderly lady I know.  (I’ll call her Miss J).  As I have mentioned before, I never had the opportunity to get to know my grandparents on either side of my family.  However, when I think about what my grandmothers must have been like and would have been like as grandmothers, Miss J comes to mind.
    I met her once when I was a child and then we met again shortly after I discovered I was pregnant with Moo.  I was volunteering at a nonprofit in my hometown and we just kind of established a silent bond.  Miss J has spunk, sass, elegance and absolutely zero tolerance for foolishness.  She allows no one to make excuses for anything.  That’s one of the things I love most about her.
    She also has impeccable style and an enchanting smile that melts your heart.  So, when I heard her family had placed her a nursing home facility due a decline in her health, I immediately wanted to do something special for her.  I decided to use my talent of crochet to make her blanket.  Making this blanket is my way to give her a reminder that I am always thinking about her.
    Honestly, I wish I had a winning lottery ticket because I would surely bust her out of that nursing home and take care of her.  She’s just that special to me and Moo.  So, this week I am thankful for the opportunity to show Miss J how she is loved.  I’m thankful and blessed to have be in a position to give to someone who has come to hold a near and dear place in my heart forever!
    What are you thankful for this week?

    http://www.inlinkz.com/cs.php?id=252173

  • Bible 365: Week 10

    Sorry for the late posting.  I’m still visiting with family.  Things are way more chaotic and hectic here than when I’m back at my house.  Every night this week it’s been a real struggle for me to keep my eyes open after I put the kiddies to bed.  Thank goodness for audio bibles!
    So, in Week 10, David is finally given thrown to rule over the Israelites.  He continues to lead them in battle to conquer their neighboring enemies.  Up until this point David hasn’t really strayed too far from God’s commandments.
    However, one evening he was feeling restless and decided to go for a little walk on his roof.  “And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold” (2 Samuel 11:2).  And thus David let his lust get the best of him.
    The woman he was watching bathe was Bathsheba.  And he was fully aware that she was married to Uriah, one of his men.  However, this did not stop David from sending some of his other men to fetch her so that he could sleep with her. (Power tripping!)  She ends up pregnant and to cover up his sin or to stop Uriah from confronting him, David has him sent to the frontline knowing he’ll get killed in battle.
    This is the kind of stuff you’d see on a soap opera for sure!  Uriah dies of course and David takes Bathsheba on as one of his wives.  Now, we know from our previous readings that God doesn’t put up with foolishness and direct disobedience from leaders He has chosen and anointed to be more righteous than the rest of the Israelites.  So, God tells David that his punishment will be the death of his love child with Bathsheba.
    David thought that he could get God to change his mind and show him some mercy by fasting and praying.  However, God follows through and seven days after Bathsheba gave birth their son died (2 Samuel 12:18).  Soon afterwards David sleeps with Bathsheba and she gets pregnant again.  This time their son lives and they name him Solomon.
    We get to meet Solomon again later on in the Bible.  He has own book which is one of my favorites.  It’s a cross between his personal diary and one of the best love letters ever written in my opinion.  Can’t wait to get to it.
    Trouble didn’t end for David with the death of his newborn son either.  His older son, Amnon, rapes his daughter Tamar (Amnon’s half-sister).  Then Amnon’s half-brother Absalom gets even with Amnon for raping his sister by killing him (2 Samuel 13).  Absalom then flees from their father thinking David is going to be furious with him.  
    However, since it was already commanded under Moses that the sin for sexual sins committed against close relatives was death, David forgives Absalom.  I guess he felt it was better that Amnon die by the hand of a loved one than a stranger.
    I personally don’t know how I would have handled or felt about the situation.  I imagine that David felt embarrassed and a great deal of pain having had one child rape another and then yet another one of his children killed the offending child.  That is beyond being a dysfunctional family.
    As if David hadn’t been through enough, Absalom turns his back on his father when David welcomes him back to Jerusalem.  Thus, David goes on the run from his own son!  In the end Absalom gets his due and is killed by Joab and his men (2 Samuel 18:12-18).
    One of my favorite passages from Week 10 was 2 Samuel 22.  It’s David’s song of praise to God for delivering him from his many enemies.  It’s definitely one of those passages to bookmark to read during times when you need reassurance or to remember why God is totally awesome!
    Week 11 Readings
    3/11- 1 Kings 1-4
    3/12- 1 Kings 5-8
    3/13- 1 Kings 9-11
    3/14- 1 Kings 12-16
    3/15- 1 Kings 17-19
    3/16- 1 Kings 20-22
    3/17 2 Kings 1-6

  • Bible 365: Week 10

    Sorry for the late posting.  I’m still visiting with family.  Things are way more chaotic and hectic here than when I’m back at my house.  Every night this week it’s been a real struggle for me to keep my eyes open after I put the kiddies to bed.  Thank goodness for audio bibles!
    So, in Week 10, David is finally given thrown to rule over the Israelites.  He continues to lead them in battle to conquer their neighboring enemies.  Up until this point David hasn’t really strayed too far from God’s commandments.
    However, one evening he was feeling restless and decided to go for a little walk on his roof.  “And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold” (2 Samuel 11:2).  And thus David let his lust get the best of him.
    The woman he was watching bathe was Bathsheba.  And he was fully aware that she was married to Uriah, one of his men.  However, this did not stop David from sending some of his other men to fetch her so that he could sleep with her. (Power tripping!)  She ends up pregnant and to cover up his sin or to stop Uriah from confronting him, David has him sent to the frontline knowing he’ll get killed in battle.
    This is the kind of stuff you’d see on a soap opera for sure!  Uriah dies of course and David takes Bathsheba on as one of his wives.  Now, we know from our previous readings that God doesn’t put up with foolishness and direct disobedience from leaders He has chosen and anointed to be more righteous than the rest of the Israelites.  So, God tells David that his punishment will be the death of his love child with Bathsheba.
    David thought that he could get God to change his mind and show him some mercy by fasting and praying.  However, God follows through and seven days after Bathsheba gave birth their son died (2 Samuel 12:18).  Soon afterwards David sleeps with Bathsheba and she gets pregnant again.  This time their son lives and they name him Solomon.
    We get to meet Solomon again later on in the Bible.  He has own book which is one of my favorites.  It’s a cross between his personal diary and one of the best love letters ever written in my opinion.  Can’t wait to get to it.
    Trouble didn’t end for David with the death of his newborn son either.  His older son, Amnon, rapes his daughter Tamar (Amnon’s half-sister).  Then Amnon’s half-brother Absalom gets even with Amnon for raping his sister by killing him (2 Samuel 13).  Absalom then flees from their father thinking David is going to be furious with him.  
    However, since it was already commanded under Moses that the sin for sexual sins committed against close relatives was death, David forgives Absalom.  I guess he felt it was better that Amnon die by the hand of a loved one than a stranger.
    I personally don’t know how I would have handled or felt about the situation.  I imagine that David felt embarrassed and a great deal of pain having had one child rape another and then yet another one of his children killed the offending child.  That is beyond being a dysfunctional family.
    As if David hadn’t been through enough, Absalom turns his back on his father when David welcomes him back to Jerusalem.  Thus, David goes on the run from his own son!  In the end Absalom gets his due and is killed by Joab and his men (2 Samuel 18:12-18).
    One of my favorite passages from Week 10 was 2 Samuel 22.  It’s David’s song of praise to God for delivering him from his many enemies.  It’s definitely one of those passages to bookmark to read during times when you need reassurance or to remember why God is totally awesome!
    Week 11 Readings
    3/11- 1 Kings 1-4
    3/12- 1 Kings 5-8
    3/13- 1 Kings 9-11
    3/14- 1 Kings 12-16
    3/15- 1 Kings 17-19
    3/16- 1 Kings 20-22
    3/17 2 Kings 1-6

  • Acting Accordingly

    
    If there is one thing that motherhood is teaching me, it is that time is precious.  Each minute or hour I spent doing other things that take me away from kids is value time that could have been spent playing cars with JJ or snuggling with Moo.  It’s time in which I could miss out on an important milestone.  And if there’s anything that watching my Aunt G brave her health condition has taught me is that life itself is too precious to waste.
    I admire Aunt G’s no nonsense approach to life.  She truly doesn’t have time for bull and takes no shit from anybody.  She’s quiet and reserved but gives off this air that let’s you know she’s nothing to play with!  I love how she’s always been able to live her life doing what she wanted.  She’s not afraid to say no and not think twice about changing her answer no matter who it is or how much they nag.
    She doesn’t those people or situations that don’t benefit her in some way (emotional, physical, etc) the time of day.  And when she has something to say, she tells it like it is and to your face.  Being back home has put a fire back under me to stay on track and live my life on my terms.  I have only been given one life.  Sadly, I’ve spent too much time already living the life that others have wanted for me because it benefited them.
    I had my whole adult life planned out by the time I was 16.  I knew what kind of career I wanted to have, the college I would attend and where I wanted to live.  Somewhere between then and the present I allowed myself to get lost.  I’ve found myself a few times along the way but in the end I’ve seemed to always get sidetracked by some scheme that pulls at my heartstrings.  I put what I want on hold knowing that opportunities are probably once in a lifetime because of others.
    And do you know how those people repay me?  Some have acted like straight up asses, while others continue to be inconsiderate, unappreciative and nonsupportive.  Well, it’s time for me to start acting accordingly.  I’m taking a page from my Aunt G and letting go of those situations and people who do not benefit me or my family.
    I’m getting back in touch with the 16 year old me and the plans that I had made for my life.  I’m saying no to things that aren’t worth missing time with my kids.  I’m rid of friends and family members who toxic and who only know me when they need something.  I’m aligning myself with a new group of people.  People who are about something and not just going along with the flow because it’s the road most traveled.
    I’m ready for change.  I crave it.  I desire it.  I think about how different my life would be with it.  I dream about it at night.  It’s just calling to me.  And I think it’s about damn time that I give in.
    I took a leap starting this blog.  I took a huge leap becoming a mommy.  And I’m going to take another huge leap by falling back in love with myself and chasing after my dreams.  I may have to leave a few people behind, but at this point I am okay with that.  I know that anything and anyone that gets removed from life will be for a reason.  It’s lonely at the top except for those select few who stay loyal to you and God.
    But the only thought that keeps going through my mind is that I’m ready to act accordingly and live MY life!

  • Thankful Thursday

    “Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.”

    ~G. B. Stern 

     

    I couldn’t agree more with Mr Stern.  I’m still down in my hometown visiting with family.  While I’ve been here, I have definitely had lots of help with the kids and a nice break from cooking.  A mom could get use to this for real.   Anyways, I’ve been making sure to verbally express my gratitude.
    I am beyond thankful for my baby sister who has been taking up so much time with Moo this week.  JJ is getting the rest of his teeth in and has been clued to me.  That’s been leaving Moo feeling a little left out but my sister has done a fantastic job of helping with bedtime and entertaining her throughout the day.  Every parent dreams of that one person who loves their children the way that they love them and for me my baby sister is that person.
    Her love is truly unconditional when it comes to Moo and JJ.  She always takes up so much time with each them.  She knows them equally as well as I do.  And honestly, I think that is why they love her so much.  This is such a blessing to have been given.
    I’m thankful that things are going well with my aunt.  They had to postpone her surgery but she is still in good spirits.  She’s not letting her condition make her a charity case.  She’s still getting up doing her usual things and going about her life as she has been since I was child.  I admire for being so brave and so strong.
    I thank God for this precious time that He continues to give us with her.  I know that she has many more years of living on this Earth to do.  I am confident that her surgery is going to well.  She’s such a survivor and if you ever met her, you’d definitely know she was a fighter!
    I’m thankful for the opportunity to do something nice for an elderly lady who has sort of become like a grandmother to me.  I haven’t spent more than 4 hours at a time with woman but when we first met, we just clicked.  I thought if I had the chance to pick out who my grandmother was, she would be it.  She’s bossy, very opinionated and she doesn’t take any shit!
    Everything about her resonates leadership, compassion and love.  And she’s completely smitten with Moo.  Has been for four years now.  Well, her children recently made the choice to put her in the nursing home since they don’t live close by and she’s been getting sick.  So, I’ve decided to crochet her a lovely blanket so that she’ll have something to remember me and the kids by.
    I can’t wait to see the look on her face when I take it to her.  If I was rich, I wouldn’t think twice about hiring a nurse and springing her from that nursing home she’s in.  She’s turning 91 this year and it makes me sad knowing that her time left on this Earth is limited.  I don’t have many grandparent figures that I look up to and I hate that my kids haven’t spent nearly enough time to get to truly know her or remember her when they’re older.  However, at least I have this tiny token of appreciation that I can give to her to let her know how loved she is by me.
    What are you thankful for this week?

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  • Bible 365: Week 9

    Week 9 starts off with the ark of the covenant being stolen by the Philistines after they defeated Israelites.  Among the 30,000 foot soldiers killed in the battle between the Israelites and the Philistines were two of the sons of Eli.  Remember, that in week 8 God had vowed to punish them and Eli because of their wickedness. What happened to Eli?
    “Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy” (1 Samuel 4:18).  The Philistines end up returning the ark to the Israelites because God cursed them with the plague of tumors.  Twenty years after the ark is returned Samuel tells the Israelites to  “return to the Lord with all you hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among youn, and prepare your heart for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 7:3).  And just like that the Israelites are once again delivered from their enemies.
    You’d think that by now the Israelites would stop complaining and be grateful for all that God has done for them, but they start to demanding that a king be appointed to rule over them like other nations have.  Samuel tries to forewarn them that having a king is not going to be all that they think it is, but as usual the Israelites don’t listen and Saul is appointed king.  However, Saul’s reign as king is short lived because he too turns his back on God claiming that “I have sinned for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people of and obeyed their voice” (1 Samuel 15:24).
    One of my favorite verses from the Bible is 1 Samuel 16:7 which says, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  This is verse is very true.  Whether it’s friends or a spouse, so many of us are quick to write others off just based on their looks.  And often times when we do that we are passing up on the very people God has sent to us in exchange for people  that the Devil has placed in our way to get us off track.  I definitely try to look more at people’s attitudes, actions and listen to their words when it comes to letting them in my circle and establishing relationships.
    We also got to read about the story of David and Goliath.  Since, God rejected Saul as king, He appoints David to be the next king over the Israelites and His spirit with him.  So, when the Philistines decide to that they want to war against the Israelites to reclaim their land, David’s father sends him to take supplies and food to his brothers.  Well, when he gets to the battle he finds the Israelites pretty much hiding out like chickens because they are scared of the Philistines, who are known to be giants or unusually tall stature. 
    David tells Saul that he will fight because he’s not afraid of the giants.  He tells them how as a shepherd he’s had to battle lions with his bare hands to save the flock.  So, going up against men should be a piece of cake.  Talk about faith and courage!  I know that I wouldn’t have the courage to fight off lions with my bare hands. I think I would have let them just have the sheep they were cornering and move the rest of the heard.  And I would have definitely been worried about going up against giants like the Philistines, but since God had already delivered them from the Philistines once before I wouldn’t have doubted Him to do it again.
    And after David kills the Philistine with just his sling shot and wins the battle for the Israelites, you’d think Saul, who was still king, would have been appreciative.  Instead he gets jealous of David because he sees that God’s spirit is now with David instead of him and the Israelites all love David now.  So, Saul sets out on a mission to kill David, but David flees.  Saul’s jealousy is so red hot that he even kills priests because they did not tell him that David had fled the city (1 Samuel 22:16-25).
    In the end, it’s David who ends up sparing Saul’s life after David and his men surround Saul in a cave. It’s the perfect opportunity for David to kill Saul but he doesn’t.  Instead, he calls out to Saul and tells him that he could have killed him but didn’t.  It’s then that Saul realizes just how righteous David really is and calls off the hunt for David.  Or so he claimed. 
    David sends out spies and finds out that Saul has not called off the bounty on David’s head but instead has doubled back to follow David into the wilderness.  I’m sorry but if I was Saul and I knew that God was with David, I would have just stepped down from the thrown and left David alone.  In the end, Saul ends up taking his own life after he is fatally wounded in yet another battle against the Philistines.  He doesn’t want to die from wounds and asked one of his soldiers to kill him.
    The soldier declines and Saul is forced to kill himself by falling on his own sword.  His sons are also killed in battle.  Thus, no heirs from Saul’s household are left to battle David for the thrown.
    Week 10 Readings
    3/4- 2 Samuel 1-4
    3/5- 2 Samuel 5-7
    3/6- 2 Samuel 8-10
    3/7- 2 Samuel 11-12
    3/8- 2 Samuel 13-15
    3/9- 2 Samuel 16-20
    3/10- 2 Samuel 21-24

  • Thankful Thursday

    “Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayer and worn with thanks.”

    ~Thomas Goodwin

    Happy Thankful Thursday! Sorry that I have been missing in action around these parts. I’m in my hometown visiting with family as well as delivering and making custom orders for Moo’s Closet.
    This week I am thankful for family. With this month being the third anniversary of my Ma’s (my aunt who helped raise me) death, family has been really heavy on my mind. I realize that my aunts and my great cousins are really up there in age now. I want to make sure that my kids have some memory of those family members who have helped to shape me into the woman I am today.
    I am thankful for strength. Sometimes, I look back at some of the things I have overcome and went through. All I can say is thanks be to God for giving me the strength to have made it through because without I surely would have given in to the desire to crumple up in a dark corner somewhere. I’m definitely not a fighter by nature but I’m learning to be one when I need to be.
    I am thankful for my faith. It’s kept me sane and hopefully many nights these past few weeks. I know without a doubt that I am blessed.
    What are you thankful for?


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  • Bible 365: Week 8

    8 weeks down and 44 more to go!  Yes, I’m still pushing forward with my Bible 365 challenge.  If you recall, last week we ended the book of Joshua with the death of Joshua and the Israelites not having fully conquered Canaan.  The Israelites were suppose to drive out the people, their idols and follow the commands that God had laid out for them under Moses and Joshua.
    Now, we know the Israelites instinctive nature back then was to give up on God as soon as they were faced with hard times.  So, with Joshua being dead and them not having a leader the Israelites tried to complete the takeover of Canaan but sadly as God had predicted to Moses and Joshua, the Israelites rebelled against God and didn’t follow His instructions.  Judges 2:1-2 say, “…I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you.  And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?”
    I’ve often asked myself why it was so hard for the Israelites to follow God’s instructions too?  I mean if you God were tell me that all I had to do to get a land following with milk and honey, abundance and easy living was to not make covenants with the enemy or take up any of their practices and that He was going to drive them out of the land before me, I would totally jump on that deal and not think twice.  After all the miracles and curses they’ve seen God perform you would also think they would have a healthy dose of fear to keep them on the straight and narrow but alas “…the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.  So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,…” (Judges 6:1).
    Yep, back to slavery and servitude they went.  After that God decided to deliver them from the Midianites and appointed Gideon to help them defeat the Midianites.  And for that short time, the Israelites did ok, but as soon as Gideon died and they were again without a leader they turned their backs on God yet again.  “Thus the children of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; nor did they show kindness to the house of Gideon in accordance with the good he done for Israel” (Judges 8:34-35).
    Also, in the book of Judges we learn about Samson and how he came delivered Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.   Samson was like almost like Conan the Barbarian.  What do I mean by that?  Well, this man tore a lion to pieces using his bare hands (Judges 14:5-6) and killed a 1,000 men using a donkey jawbone (Judges 15:15-17).
    I imagine that Samson was the kind of man who made all the ladies weak in the knees.  However, he was definitely not someone you wanted to cross or get on his bad side.  But he did have a heroic downfall-women.  And his attraction/fascination with beautiful women caused him to get captured by his enemies.
    Yep, his woman Delilah turned on him for a boatload of silver.  She got Samson to tell her the secret to his supernatural strength- his hair and then she had it shaved off in his sleep.  Then the Philistines captured him, gauged his eyes out and kept him as their entertainment slave.  Well, once Samson’s hair started to grow back, he called on God to help get vengeance on the Philistines. 
    So, one day the Philistines decided have a party and bring Samson up to be their entertainment.  They chained him between two pillars.  God heard Samson’s request and gave him his strength back.  Samson toppled the temple by crushing the pillars thus killing the Philistines and himself (Judges 16).
    The book of Ruth is about the best daughter in-law who ever lived.  Her husband and brother in-laws die and when her mother in-laws announces to her and her other sister in-law that since she has no more sons for them marry and nothing to offer them that they can go back home to their families and move on, Ruth makes the brave choice to stay with her mother in-law.  How many of us can say that we bonds like that with our in-laws?
    Most of us would have been like Orpah, chucked up the deuces and went back home to our family, inheritance and another chance at true love.  But I think that Ruth felt compassion for Naomi and didn’t want her to be alone.  And for that God blessed her and led her to Boaz.  This love story is short, but sweet and just shows that when you let do what is right you will get rewarded.
    In 1 Samuel chapters 1-3, we meet Samuel’s mother Hannah, who is barren, but prays to the Lord to give her son and she will dedicate him to the Lord.  God answers her prayer and Hannah keeps her end of the bargain and dedicates Samuel to God.  And Samuel becomes the first child minister and receives his first prophecy from God regarding the punishment of the house of Eli. 
    Why were they being punished? Well, Eli’s sons were wicked.  They were laying “with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting” (1 Samuel 2:22) and Eli did nothing to really stop his sons from doing these bad things.  Looks like another case of people not taking God’s commands seriously.  Overall, week 8 had some action packed reading.  Definitely not dull moments.
    Week 9 Reading
    2/25- 1 Samuel 4-7
    2/26- 1 Samuel 8-12
    2/27- 1 Samuel 13-15
    2/28- 1 Samuel 16-18
    3/1- 1 Samuel 19-22
    3/2- 1 Samuel 23-26
    3/3- 1 Samuel 27-31

  • Thankful Thursday

    “To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.’

    ~Johannes A. Gaertner

    It’s almost the weekend y’all!  It’s almost the end of the month too.  I can’t say that I’m going to be said to see February go because this has not been the best month for me and my family.  However, as the song says, “I won’t complain.” 
    I’m thankful to blessed enough to still be among the living.  And while I am sick (again), I am thankful to otherwise be in good health.  The kids are better with the exception that Moo is now battling allergies.  She’s sneezing her head off and has a runny nose that just won’t quit.  No wheezing yet, which is always a great thing because it means her asthma is getting better and her lungs are getting stronger!
    I’m thankful that Moo’s Closet has been getting so much love.  I’ve been posting pictures of my creations on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.  In fact, this week I’m hand delivering a few baby pieces I made and excited to for the mom to see them and to see them on the baby.  I’ll also be applying for a booth at my first arts & crafts festival as a vendor.
    The festival is in April. So, I have time to make plenty of items like blankets, dresses, baby booties and even little stuffed animals.  I’m also taking it step further and looking into getting some custom tags made to sew into everything.  I’m nervous but I keep telling myself that this going to be great and I know in my heart that it is.  My ultimate goal is to make enough money off Moo’s Closet at the festival and via online sales to get a little mobile boutique up a running.
    I’d love to load up the kids and travel from festival to festival selling my goods and maybe even get some of my one of a kind pieces in a few consignment shops or specialty boutiques.  It feels good that to really be excited about this and have supporters who believe in me as well.  This another piece of my legacy that I can leave behind for my children.  And that makes my heart smile.
    What are you thankful for?


    http://www.inlinkz.com/cs.php?id=244523

  • Wordless Wednesday

    In case you’re wondering what I’ve been up to….