Grateful

Even with all my whining and complaining, I realize that I am very blessed.
I have three children that are still home, I know where they are, I know who their friends are.  I know what they are doing.  They aren't on drugs, they don't drink, and they aren't having premarital sex.  Their relationships with God may be rocky, but they haven't given up on Him altogether.
We may not stay in a mansion on a hill, but we have a roof over our heads and we are together.  My health may not be the best, but I'm still alive.  None of us wears the latest fashions, but we have clothes and we can crawl in our beds at night and sleep.
I may not have an income right now, but God has never let us go without.  Every bill paid, food to eat, etc.
So today, I just wanted to express my gratitude.

Can I Just Tell You About HIS Goodness and HIS Mercy?????

On April 4th, our water and lights were to be disconnected.  Each day we awoke with the blessing of them both still being on.  We were grateful for each days provision and we've learned never to take ANYTHING for granted.  We awoke on the 12th and had water until noon.  Thankfully we had filled all of our 5 gallon jugs with water the day before....remember each day we prepared because we had no idea when we would not have either.  I began to understand something through my prayer times, that this was going to happen for a purpose.  On the 13th, well after noon, the guy came to disconnect the lights.  He was VERY friendly and compassionate.  He wanted to make sure we had done everything we needed to do before he cut the power.  He continued to ask if we would be ok.  After assuring him we would be just fine, he cut the power.
This was our "camping" trip at home and our encounter with God.
Each morning and afternoon, we ate fruit and veggies.  Dinner we cooked on the grill each night.  Let me tell you, we had to get creative because we only had one cooler filled with ice as our fridge.  No freezer in sight, we ate lots of grilled veggies, veggie sandwiches, and occasionally we had meat.  Grilled veggie pizzas; humus, alfalfa sprout sandwiches; grilled egg plants with mozzarella cheese; sauted green beans; grilled loaded baked potatoes; roasted corn on the cob;  and for Easter, we enjoyed grilled leg of lamb, roasted corn on the cob, and roasted rosemary potatoes.
We filled our lanterns with oil and read by lantern, we laughed and we laughed some more.  We were busy by day and went to bed early each night.  We really had a great time for those 12 days.  God did an amazing surgery on my heart and faith.

Over the last few years, I've learned to take NOTHING for granted.  This would have literally killed someone else, but the enemy had no clue what God would do.  What satan meant to use to break me, God used to strengthen my walk and faith in Him!!!

The water was only off for 2 days, so we didn't have to worry about hauling water to and fro.  I'm a firm believer we can make it without electricity, but water is another thing.  Not many knew of our situation and once again, it was just as God wanted it.  Much prayer and trusting that God would provide and take care of me and my children....and HE DID!!!!

Thursday I got a text from a dear, sweet friend.  She said her husband had gotten a larger than expected commission check and they wanted to tithe to us.  This tithe allowed me to pay our water bill thru June, car insurance, car note, purchase items we needed in the home, AND get our lights back on and paid up to June!!!!!!  Not only did we get out lights back on, but our hot water tank was not heating our water even though we put in new heating elements TWICE.  However, when the power came back on, WE HAVE HOT WATER!!!!  Can I tell you how we rejoiced because we no longer have to boil water!!!  I jumped and shouted and jumped some more.  We clapped, we danced, we totally rejoiced!  God truly is an awesomely, amazing God!
We are believing that He will also provide for our mortgage.  We have learned He is MORE than ABLE.
There is no God like my God!!!!!!!!!
Now, to continue in my growth with Him and to get busy with some sewing!

Post #300... A Post of Thanks!!!

*********Thank you to the two ladies that participated.  Congratulations to Angie!!!!!!!  And Nabila I need your address as well, I have a little something for you to!!!  Love you ladies!


]Here is a picture of the pouch I made the other day!  I had loads of fun making this and plan to make several more and put them up in my shop!  This one contains all my Scentsy mini testers...

I've been wondering all day what I would post about.  Did I have something monumental I wanted to share?  Would I share what my family and I have been up to?  What about what God is doing in our lives?  Well, I contemplated over and over and finally just sorta gave up the thought.  Suddenly I knew exactly what I would post about.  Today's post is full of Thanks for those that mean so much to me or have inspired me in some way.

So without further ado, Let's begin...

I've met some awesome and wonderful people via this thing we call the World Wide Web.  I've met some friends that have become life long friends, more so than some of the people I know in person...there are a few exceptions of course.

Kelly, she has truly become a dear sister to me in my life.  She lives not far from us and we see them as often as we can, she has a heart and passion for her family.  11 arrows make up their clan and this family shines forth with the love of Christ.  She has prayed me through some very rough times.  I'm forever grateful for our friendship.

This could be said for the next few ladies as well.  Angie is a jewel.  I met her when we were both part of a tubal reversal group many years ago.  She has been a delight and her family has become my family.  She too has prayed me through some dark times.  Sandra another jewel.  She has inspired me in countless ways.  I admire her hunger and thirst for God and her family.  I anxiously await the day we will get to meet in person.  The first time I ever spoke to either of these ladies, I knew in my heart that we were kindred spirits and God had a purpose for bringing us together!!!  I still feel that way. Love you both!

Then there is L.  She is an amazing woman that has a fight within her beyond my understanding.  She inspires me to step out on my faith day after day.  I also can't forget Diane, Lady Kara, and Nabila....these women make me want to live such elegant yet content lives.  They inspire me to be ME!!!  

I love y'all to pieces!!!!  Thank you for being YOU!!!

Now the next few people I will mention, I've never met or talked to, but they inspire my creativity.  I've watched EVERY video they've ever posted, Read EVERY blog post they've written, and gone to their websites countless times.  I pray that as you check out their sites, you too will be inspired in some creative way!!!

Vanessa amazes me with her talents.  You can check out her youtube channel here, her blog here, and her website here.

Missouri Star Quilt Company....I've learned countless techniques and I love their shop (wish I could shop there more often, but you know how it goes).

And then Pat inspired me to just step out there and try free motion quilting and I did.  And guess what????  I loved it.  I'm just getting started, but oh the places I could go.  Oh wait, this isn't Dr. Seuss!!! HA HA  She has inspired me to at least try.  

I pray you will stop by their sites and take a look for yourself.  You won't be disappointed with any of the above mentioned blogs, shops, and so forth.  

Check out my amazing friends as well.  Ummmmmmm, I just don't know if I want to share them though! LOL!!!!  You will find that they are awesome just as I do.  

And I suppose you've been waiting for me to get to the give-away???!!!  Well, not to disappoint you, scroll down a bit further.  Go ahead...

I want to bless someone with this nursing cover up.  It's in browns and blues.  It has a nice size pocket for binkies and keys.  I made this one with a little extra fabric because it just seemed more modest.  You could win this for yourself or a gift for someone else.  And if you keep looking further down, you will see an adorable wipe case that has been decorated so cute and all.  I don't have this specific one, but if you look to the right and look at that fabric, I will decorate one using that print and embellish it with a monogram for that special babe.  These would make delightful gifts.

Ok, so how can you win this?  Well, if you will host a Scentsy basket party with me gets you an entry.  Commenting on this blog post gets you another entry, then if you will post about this giveaway on your blog, that qualifies you for 2 more entries.  Now each time you do one of these things, you must come back and let me know and by Friday, March 25th, I will announce a blessed winner!!!!

Ready?  Set??  GO!!!!!!!

     

So Very Thankful

I know it's not Thanksgiving or time for my Thankful Thursday post, but I am just so filled with gratitude that I wanted to tell you all and the other many families that have blessed us with prayer and monetary gifts just how much I appreciate you.  There are many days when I think about how each of you has blessed me and many of you I don't even know.  I'm grateful to the body of Christ, but I'm even more grateful for my Savior and all He has done for me.

Have you ever been so full of gratitude that there just weren't words to express how you feel?  I feel that if I keep going, I'll be weeping.  I am blessed beyond measure!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!