OK I need help!!!

Ok Ladies,

I've searched and searched and searched some more for a pattern for this bib I want to make....to no avail.

Now, I'm coming to you for help. Maybe you know the proper name for this bib, or have seen one, or maybe, just maybe you know how to draw up a pattern for one. At any rate, in this video clip she shows the bib and demonstrates how it works. I'd like to make one.

The links to her sites no longer work, the one I finally did find to her blog has no patterns, UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

If you can help me, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do!!!!

I've lost it...

My mojo that is.  I've lost my mojo for several things, baking, cooking, sewing, and if I go on and on, I just may depress someone.  I've no idea where it went nor when I lost it, but I do know it's gone.  For how long?  I do not know.  I miss it.  My get up and go has got up and gone.  I've lost it before but only for a few days.  This is dragging on a bit over a month now.

What do you do when you've lost your mojo?  Also my father's birthday would be next Friday and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it.  I seriously don't know.  I do know I miss both my dad and my mom something fierce and I really just wish I could pick up the phone and call both of them.  sigh...

What's going on in your neck of the woods?

Something New Is Brewing!!!!

In just a couple of weeks, I will become a Scentsy Independent Consultant!!!!  I'm beyond excited.  I've done several direct sales things over the last 15 years and there has only been one other one that had me as excited about this one, that was Pampered Chef.  I completely enjoyed Pampered Chef, not because I enjoy cooking, but because I enjoy baking and I have this thing for kitchen gadgets.  I earned money and had loads of fun doing it.  For those that know me well, they know I have this delight in scented candles too.  I totally enjoy walking in my home to the sweet smell of a lovely scented candle.  I totally hate those plugin things you buy at the store.  Their scents can be a bit overwhelming to my nose, but a candle is just kinda mellow to me and I enjoy them.
One day when the Lord blesses me with my debt free home, I plan to have those lanterns you see in the sporting goods section (most people take them camping with them), mounted on my walls throughout the entire home.  There is just something about seeing the flicker of a candle in the home that makes it all cozy.  I won't need scented candles though, I'll have Scentsy warmers plugged in various places throughout the home with lovely scents wafting through the home.

OK, OK, in the meantime, I'm gonna be selling said lovely warmers and I can hardly wait.

Soooooooooooooooooooooo, if any of you are interested in hosting a Scentsy party or a Scentsy basket party (for those that don't live near me for me to get to your house), please, please, please, don't hesitate to let me know.  I'd be delighted to have you as a hostess and eager to help you earn some free stuff too!!!!

*If you click on the words Scentsy throughout my post, each will take you to a different area on the Scentsy site for you to check out.  Keep in mind that in about 2 weeks, I will have my very own site for you to click on!!!!

What a lovely Saturday

The sun is streaming through my windows, the warmth from it's rays is delightful.
I got to sleep in today.  It's not something I get to do often, so I take advantage of it when I can.  Instead of getting up at 4:30 AM, I blissfully slept in until 9 AM!!!!!!!

There are things I want to do today, but now that I've rested, I feel so refreshed and ready to get moving, from my bed to the bathroom and then to my sewing machine!!

I don't plan to leave my home today simply because I don't have to!  I love it.

Oh yea, I also noticed that I'm 14 posts away from hitting 300 blog posts.  I've got to quickly think of a cool giveaway for my 300th post.  Any ideas???

Have a beautiful Saturday in your neck of the woods.

It's going to be ok!

In the last 24-48 hours we've gotten prayer requests for a couple of little ones.  A 4 month old baby girl in Oklahoma and a baby boy in utero in DC (only 4 months gestation).

My heart has been heavy for them and I've thought of them and prayed for them often throughout the day.

During our family devotional time, we were having "circle" prayer as my son calls it.  When we each take a turn praying for what's on our hearts.  Tonight each of us prayed for these little babes.  We prayed for wisdom for the doctors, strength, comfort, and peace for the parents.  However, my son prayed something that made me stop in my tracks, not because I didn't know this, but because I (like us all) have a tendency to forget.  He said God You are in control, not the doctors or the machines.
For a moment in time, my breath caught in my throat.  He is so right.  God IS in control.  There is nothing going on in the earth that has caught Him by surprise.  There is nothing going on that He doesn't already know about and knows the outcome.  Be it a 4 month old baby Naomi in Oklahoma fighting for her life or the baby boy in DC whose parents are fighting to keep him within the womb a bit longer...God knew all this would take place and He knows what the end will be.

We know that there is NOTHING too hard for God, be it miraculous healing or paying a bill.  God is able!!!!!!!!

Adventure for today

We were all cozy and warm in the house.  The temperatures were falling outside and the wind was blowing fiercely from the north.  The sheep were put out on long tie-outs and allowed to graze in the open fields.

However, the male sheep decided to wrap his tie out around our water faucet and got all nice and tangled.  SNAP, and the water in the house is no more, but we had a geyser of water shooting forth outside.  UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

My son just fixed a pipe last week that froze during the lovely winter weather we had.
We've gotten so used to pipes bursting, that we just keep all the supplies we will need on hand for the next time.

So we set about to fix this pipe as well.  Our hands were freezing and then they just went numb.  Our toes, well they were wet and frozen too.  Our shoes, pants, shirts, coats, all caked in mud.  The temp now read 32 degrees, but with the wind blowing, it felt well below 20 degrees.

What would normally have taken 30 min. to repair, took us 2 1/2 hours simply because of the temperatures.

The temps are supposed to drop a bit more tonight.  We're praying for no frozen pipes. They are all covered, but we've learned that means absolutely nothing at times.

All in all, we had a great day, working together and being together.  At any rate, when my son has a family, he'll be well skilled at repairing busted pipes; my girls will be too, but hopefully they will only be needed to advise if there husbands have no idea.  As for me, I've repaired enough water pipes to last me a life time and yet I'm sure there will be more!!!

Now, for a nice hot bath and facial....I'm really trying to get warm and feel my toes (which still seem to be frozen).

A Moment to Step Back

I want to say thank you to those that read my blog and pray for me.  I also want to say thank you for letting me be human and letting me be me.  I struggle with real life issues and I express them as openly as I can here on my blog.  Sometimes I whine, sometimes I get angry, sometimes I ask lots of questions, and sometimes I am totally confused.  However, when it's all said and done, I still love my Savior and I'm still a child of the King.

I'm so very thankful that I can go to my Daddy and ask those tough questions, even if I don't fully understand the answers now.  I'm thankful that even through my tantrums, He allows me to come.  Please don't ever doubt Whose I am.

I hope you will continue to allow me to be real and transparent.

I do struggle with depression issues, but over the years of being a Christian, I've seen first hand what the Father can and will do for His children.  I've struggled for weeks in darkness, to days, and now I'm thankful that the darkest of hours may last a day or two and depression in general only a few hours.  It's taken a lot to get to this point, but I'm thankful for the journey.  I am by no means a finished work of art, I will forever be a work in progress until I go to glory.

Please be kind in your comments and remember to speak the truth in love.  In fact LACE it with love.  We have enough to deal with in the world, let's remember to be honest and yet compassionate as well.  For those that have done just that, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!  I LOVE YOU ALL

Moving Forward by Ricardo Sanchez with lyrics

This has been on my heart since yesterday. My daughter and the Praise Team from church sang this yesterday at an MLK celebration at the House of Blues and I've found myself singing it off and on throughout the day yesterday and today. Hope it encourages someone. God Bless!!!!

Confused and Exhausted

I know that I know, that I know, that God provided for ALL of our needs in 2010.  I know that I know, that I know He IS my provider today.  I'm just not understanding why our needs are not being met now.  I'm physically, emotionally and spiritually drained right now...exhausted is more like it.  I'm waiting as patiently as I know how and I'm trusting as well as I can, but my nerves seriously get in the way when bill collectors are calling left and right and they want their money and they want it now.  You hold them off as long as you can and yet the day comes and you still don't have the funds and they start hounding you again and this time with serious threats.  And I'm thinking, Lord, I just went through this a month ago, please not again.

What is different this time?  What am I not doing that You want me to do?  How have I missed You?  Why can't I hear You?  Where are You in this situation?

I know, it sounds like I'm whining, and maybe I am, but I'm seriously asking these questions and I'm seriously waiting for some answers.

These are the times I struggle with my anger towards a certain person.  And then I start crying for all the single mommas.  This is the time I have to remind myself that God has not forgotten us, even if it feels like it.

I really am going to blog about something else, I promise.

If you think of us single mommas, will you post a few scriptures of promises we can cling to in our trying times???  It would be greatly appreciated!!!!  You know for times like now when I or we are too exhausted to even know what to read and all we can do at times is just groan inaudible words of prayer.

Cool placemats and an awesome giveaway!

I think I'm still partially in 2010...

Well, it appears that this is not turning out to be a year of no worries.  Maybe at the end of the year I'll look back and see that I didn't worry as much as I did in 2010.  I hope!!!

It appears that no matter how hard I've prayed, there aren't answers.  Or just maybe I'm not hearing the answers because they are different than what I'm expecting.  I've got a mortgage payment that was due earlier and they've given me till tomorrow and as of Friday, we are now without auto insurance.  I'm at a loss.  I really don't know what else to do.  I'm going to have to go back to work full time.  The thought breaks me out into a cold sweat.  (I hope that's not taken in the wrong context)  

On another note, please keep a dear friend (Lady Kara) in your prayers.  She's trying to start a home child care business and is eagerly waiting for clients.  This will enable her to be home with her little ones as well.

Single moms have it rough.  It can be very, very depressing!

A Few Ramblings....

Sometimes as I'm driving the school bus, I have mountains of things I want to blog about and then when I sit in front of my laptop, I can't think of one single thing!  Talk about frustrating.  I don't have the option of writing things down, even when I'm dropping off or picking up children...they move too quick. ;-)

Something the kids and I started is our quest to read through the Bible this year along with our church.  We've done well, and not just to read it for readings sake, but to actually get into His word and see what He has to say to us.  It's been quite fun and extremely interesting.  We also ALL participated in our churches Solemn Assembly.  We take the first week of the new year and fast from something...preferably the evening meal and pray and get into His Word.  We turned off the tv, haven't even listened to the radio, and took a hiatus from Facebook.  My sister and her family did something very similar.  They still had their evening meals, but disconnected from a lot of other things.  Solemn Assembly is over and my sister is still disconnected from the tv, preferring to keep it off during the day and her husband has turned it on a couple of times in the evenings.  They've gotten a routine, as have we, with getting into the Word!!! It's all really exhilarating!

Our Christmas tree is still up and the kids asked me not to take it down until we've had our Christmas in March...maybe April, depending on IRS. HA HA HA

We are still praying for God's provisions in our lives.  We ended 2010 with miracles beyond our wildest imagination.  We're still praying for that miracle debt free house...He's able!

AND, I fell today at work.  Yep, fell twice on the ICE.  I think I may have just pulled a muscle in my back, but I will keep an eye on things just in case.  The snow is still around, on the grassy areas, but as the temperatures are still below freezing at night, it freezes.  I LOVE THE SNOW, I HATE THE ICE!!!

God has given me a great idea for a single mom's ministry....please pray if this is something He wants me to do, that He would supply EVERY resource needed, as it will take lots of resources!!!

So much for my ramblings, I'll try to remember some of the things I've wanted to blog about.  Hopefully the next post will be of great interest.

IT'S SNOWING!!!

We've been blessed with snow that has actually accumulated in the last 3 years.  Normally we just get ice.  And even though we've had snow in the area, I still long to live somewhere that the summers aren't scorchers.

Anyway, here's what we're looking at right now...I'll take more after it stops.  It's forecasted we'll get 2-4 inches, but they said that last year and we got 12 inches. LOL
So we'll see.

Hello 2011

We attended church for New Year's Eve and brought in the New Year with lots of laughter, praise, worship, and truth.  I have to say this has been my most memorable one yet.  I worshipped and as we sang, God allowed me to "hear" the words and see 2010 flash before my eyes.  All  the times I thought there was no way I'd make it and yet He kept me.  The thought of living without my mother and He carried me.  The trials and struggles with finances and He provided for us.  2010 was a year loaded with testimonies to who God is.

As a church family, at the beginning of 2010, we dedicated the year to Knowing Who God Is.  Little did I know that it would literally play out in my life.  Towards the end of 2010 we studied the names of God.  Through the names of God we get to see God's character.  Little did I know that I would literally get to see His character in every facet of my life, thus getting to know the names of God first hand.

During the last week of 2010, I read someone's blog and they were speaking of their goal for 2011.  At that moment, I thought very cynically, I'm still trying to make it through 2010 and you're asking what my goal is for 2011????  However, as we were sitting in church and listening to the teaching, I knew immediately what my goal for 2011 would be...A year of No Worries.  Matthew 6:32-34...The Gentiles (unsaved) worry about the things in life.  We as Christians have a Heavenly Father that already knows we need those things in life.  He just asks that we focus on Him first.  As Pastor Evans said it, put His Kingdom (His authority) and His Righteousness (His standards) first above any and every thing, and HE will add all the things (everything we need) to our lives.  What's so awesome is, not only will He add the things we need, but He'll even throw in some of the things we want!!!  He then went on to say, not to worry about tomorrow for it's got enough trouble of its own.  And truthfully, if we are focusing on God's Kingdom and Righteousness for TODAY, then tomorrow never comes, because tomorrow will always be today.  THAT was my ahhhhhhaaaaaaa moment.  In 2010 I focused on so many tomorrows.... in 2011, I want to focus on my todays and let God deal with my tomorrows.

In the beginning of 2010 I was filled with so much grief over my mother's death and the betrayal of my husband walking out again.  Though I am still grieving, this year I look forward to each day seeing what God will do in my life as He continues to draw me closer to Him.  I know He has great things in store for me and my children.

Life...it's HARD!

This thing called life is hard.  I can't do anything on my own.  I need God every step of the way.  Yet, even my walk with God is not as easy as pie either.  I struggle so much with trust, faith, and fear.  This was my struggle and my cry to the Lord this morning around 4:30AM.  I sat on the side of my bed and told God just that, that this is hard and I am unable to do this faith walk on my own.

I awoke early Wednesday morning to a knock on the door.  A FedEx driver stood there with an envelope in her hand.  I sensed it wasn't good news.  I opened it and there was a letter from the auto finance company.  I know that auto companies will reposes your car if you are 3 months or more behind, but this is one of the notorious banks that is known for not doing anything within the "norm".  So with one payment behind and $170 in late fees, they were notifying me that I needed to make full payment by Friday, December 31st or our van would be repossesed.  I immediately called to work out a payment arrangement.  The first person I spoke with was rude and down right condescending.  It's really sad how heartless some people are....I could never be a bill collector.  After relentless questions and sarcasm, she transfered me to yet another woman.
This woman was compassionate and began to work our arrangements with me to make payments.  She gave me until December 31st to send in a payment of $170 and defer the one late payment.  I got off the phone bewildered, where would I get $170+the $76 for the house and I still have 3 bills unpaid, but one that needs to be paid by the 31st as well.  In a matter of days I went from needing $76 by Friday to needing $320 by Friday!!!!!!!!

Jesus, help me.  I can't live like this.  I can't keep wondering how our bills will be paid.  I would just like to know that each month we won't have to worry about our bills, that we would at least have that security.  I'd like to take a deep breath and not have my chest hurt, not have a panic attack, or my head hurt because my blood pressure has sky rocketed.  Lord, I'm not strong enough, my faith isn't great enough, and I'm consumed with fear.  I can't do this anymore Lord, I simply can't do this anymore.  I believe and will never denounce you, but my faith is so dry.

I took a half of an anxiety pill and laid down.  I slept soundly for about 4 1/2 hours.  I awoke to a donation via Gleaning the harvest of $140.  That added with the money my daughter gave me from her job totaled $190.  I at least had the money for the car or the van, but not both.  I looked at the money and said a silent Thank You Jesus and walked away.  Later this evening, my daughter brought me $60 that she had put away for spending.  We're up to $250....lacking $70 and the need for gas money for a week as well.  Again, a Thank You Jesus, I see You at work and I do believe, help my unbelief!
My other daughter looked in my nightstand drawer because that's where I keep the money my daughter gives me for gas and way at the back of the drawer was........another $125!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Have you added that up yet????  A total of $375 in a little over 24 hours!  $320 for bills by Friday and $55 for gas!!!

WHO IS LIKE THE LORD?????? NOBODY!!!!!

THIS is hard!!!  I like to know my bills are in order and paid for the moment they come in.  The last 5 months have been one of great tests.  Tests I've failed and some I've passed.  Will I ever get it?  Will I ever get to the place of total dependence and trust in God?  Will I ever have faith greater than a mustard seed?  Will I ever NOT doubt His love and provision for me and my children?  WILL I EVER??????

Maybe not 100% on this side of heaven, but I think I have enough to hold on to the hem of His garment for dear life and confess to Him...Lord I can't do this and I'm scared.  And because He's a great God, He says I know and wraps me in His arms and moves mountains I can't possibly move on my own.

I may never be a Moses, Joshua, Peter, or Paul, but God is at work in my heart and life.  I don't know what the completed purpose is for, but I know He's using it for His good.  I'll worry and fear again, and again God will hear my cry and move in my life.