Thursday, March 17, 2011

Here I Am, Lord

I have a wonderful, beautiful friend named Angie who is confined to a wheelchair for life and to a life of suffering. She is my role model, one of the most beautiful women I have ever known. Her eyes are always lit up, and her smile is endless. She can only talk in a whisper, and many people, including myself at times, have a hard time reading her lips. Yet she shouts praise to the Lord and encouragement to all those around her. She shines bright in the lives of so many.

She sent me this video with John Michael Talbot's song, "Here I Am, Lord." Please take the time to watch it; then call or write or email someone in your life who exemplifies this most wonderful of videos.

http://www.openmyeyeslord.net/This Journey.exe


Angie, I love you!

Thanks for watching the video,
and thanks for reading my blog.
You are loved!
Gloria



Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Before Dawn

Just before sunrise in Mt. View, Arkansas

I rise before sunrise and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise." Psalm 119:147-48

This verse stood out to me in the Psalms as I spent time in my devotionals this morning. As you likely do, I have loved ones whom I am praying for daily--sick ones, young ones, old ones and sin-sick ones. And indeed I do rise before sunrise most mornings and cry for help.

But two proverbs also struck me as I read this morning:

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to Him. Proverbs 15:8
and
The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29

I know that I am found righteous through my faith in the shed blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary . That is a promise for eternity. But I believe that these verses are applicable to daily living. Am I living like one who is declared worthy of heaven and all that it includes? I want my prayers for my loved ones to be heard, to be acceptable to my Heavenly Father. I fear that even though I rise before the sunrise every day, if my living is not upright and righteous then my prayers are to no avail.

I must apply Psalm 119:11 at all times.

"Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

I pray that as this speaks to me that it will speak to you as well today.

Thanks for reading my contemplations, and
Have an upright day!
Gloria



Monday, March 14, 2011

Linda at
www.prairieflowerfarm.blogspot.com
is having a party!
Be sure to go to her site and join the party.
And you will surely want to follow this precious lady.


Have a great day.

It's cloudy and rainy here in Central Arkansas and our birthday party has been moved from the park to the church fellowship hall.
But it's okay.
We are just thankful for a church that shares so generously.


Love and prayers,
Gloria


Oh! I forgot to tell you
we are expecting grandbaby #13--
a baker's dozen!

Friday, March 11, 2011

Lilly's birthday gift


I just went to the Friday night sew-in site and realized that the sew-in is next Friday rather than this Friday. Since I won't be able to post next Friday, and thinking that this was the week, I am going to go ahead and post what I made today--

Lilly's birthday is Sunday, and my granddaughter Haley
(http://craftycrafteen.blogspot.com/)
made this adorable skirt out of a men's shirt. So I decided to make one for Lilly. It turned out really cute, and now she has a Tommy Hilfiger skirt, with one for her American girl doll, to boot!

Here's what the shirt looked like when I finished cutting on it.

Lilly's skirt.
Tutorial?
Okay!
Cut off just below the sleeves.
Cut out pocket.
Sew pocket to left side of button enclosure.
Slightly gather upper edge of fabric.
Cut elastic to fit waist.
Sew together.
Stitch elastic to skirt, stretching to fit.
Voila!
A skirt.
No hemming or buttonholes needed. They're already there!


I had to hem the American Girl skirt, because I cut it from a scrap of the shirt. I also stitched the fabric together just inside the button enclosure so it looks like the big skirt. I put smaller elastic on the little skirt.
So cute, huh?


Have a blessed and wonderful weekend. And don't forget to go to church Sunday. It is so important to worship with other believers.
Thanks for looking at Lilly's skirt!
Gloria

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

What fun!

I'm not posting comments today other than to encourage all you seamstresses to go to Heidi's blog at http://www.handmadebyheidi.blogspot.com/
(her button is on my sidebar--I always forget how to make the address pop up the post!). She is having a Friday night
sewing party.
What a fun way to get folks to get busy with their forgotten or set-aside tasks, or just to start something new and fun. Thanks, Heidi!


Have a day filled with blessings and joy!

Gloria

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

It's Attainable!

Proverbs 7 talks about the blessings of wisdom. Somehow it caused me to think of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31. For most of my life I felt that it was an unattainable goal for me, something to wish for but never see. There is NO WAY that I can stay up sewing all night and still get up before dawn to work yet again. I just have to have 7 hours of sleep!

But a few years ago our pastor spoke on this passage, and

I HAVE HOPE!

If I have wisdom, which is attainable or God would not have told me to get it, then I may become a woman who fears the Lord. Here are the characteristics of the woman who has applied wisdom:

Far more precious than rubies (v.10)
She is valuable

The heart of her husband trusts in her (v.11)
She is trustworthy

She does him good, and not harm (v.12)
She is helpful

She brings her food from afar, provides for her household,
plants a vineyard, works with diligence (v.13-19)
She is motivated

She reaches out her hands to the needy (v.20)
She is merciful

She is not afraid of snow for her household (v.20-22)
She is prepared

Her husband is known in the gates (v.23-24)
She is influential

She laughs at the time to come (v.25-26)
She is confident

She does not eat the bread of idleness (v.27)
She is diligent

Her children and husband call her blessed (v.28)
She is spiritual

She has surpassed others of excellence (v.29)
She is honored

She fears the Lord
It is attainable! (v.30-31)

Praise the Lord! (And thank you, Pastor Daniel for your insight.)It is not impossible for me to be a woman who fears the Lord, an excellent wife, a virtuous woman.

I pray that this gives you encouragement today.
Love,
Gloria

Monday, March 7, 2011

Embrace!

"My son,
keep
my words, and
treasure up my commandments with you;
keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom,
'You are my sister,'
and call insight your intimate friend."

Proverbs 7:1-4

This proverb was written to a son, encouraging him to stay away from the adulteress. I believe that it is totally applicable to all of us in every area of life, because the key word once again is wisdom.
Today we will add to
Time
and
vigilance.
We must

EMBRACE
Approaching God with time and vigilance is all-important, but until we embrace what we are learning, it is of no effect. Today, let's embrace the Word of God, writing it on the tablet of our hearts.

I'm praying for all who read today that God will speak to your hearts.
Love, Gloria

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Get wisdom, get insight; do not forget..........

...and do not turn away from the words of my mouth."
Proverbs 4:5


My jaunt through the Proverbs has had me considering what it takes to obtain wisdom and understanding. Yesterday I talked about quantity and quality TIME with God. Today we will talk about another issue, one that I often struggle with.
Proverbs 4:23-27 gives insight into this issue:


KEEP
your heart with all vigilance
PUT AWAY
Crooked speech
PUT AWAY
devious talk
LOOK
directly forward
GAZE
straight ahead
PONDER
the path of your feet
DO NOT SWERVE
to the right or to the left
TURN
your foot far from evil

How often do we just gradually let slip our good intentions to live a righteous life? How often does our quiet time evolve into a quick "Lord help me," or nothing at all? How often do we slip into sin by toying with evil even in the slightest way? Gradually we become entrapped like the frog who is put in a pot of cold water and slowly heated until, unknowingly, he has been lured into someone's stew?

My word for the day is
VIGILANCE

"Be sober, be vigilant, for your adversary the devil stalks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith........"1 Peter 5:8-9a

Thanks for taking the time to read my post.
Gloria

(I'm sorry; I'm not shouting at you, but I can't get these huge letters to shrink. Computers aren't perfect, either! That's why you who subscribe probably have 4 or 5 emails. I've been trying--unsuccessfully!)

Friday, March 4, 2011

Quantity and Quality Time

As I go through the Proverbs this year, I am writing down each day the verse or verses that speak to me most that day. Many times as I look back in my journal, the month before shows a different verse that spoke to me in that particular chapter for that particular day. But on the 2nd, I looked back at last month's entry for Proverbs 2, and it was the same series of verses
(Proverbs 2:1-5 ).


What spoke to me in those verses?

If
You receive my words
If
You treasure up my commandments with you
If
You make your ear attentive to wisdom
If
You incline your heart to understanding
If
You seek it like silver
If
You search for it as hidden treasures
Then
You will understand the fear of the Lord
Then
You will find the knowledge of God

What spoke to me? A word that is not mentioned in the passage:

TIME

One cannot expect to acquire an understanding of the fear of the Lord or to have the knowledge of God without spending both quality and quantity time seeking it.

My daughters, each with 4 children apiece (this includes my daughter-in-love) get up each morning before their children and spend time with God. I am so grateful for these godly young women who are attempting to bring up their children
in the fear of the Lord
and
with the knowledge of God.

Ladies, spend TIME with the Lord.


Thanks for taking the time to read my post,
Gloria

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Lilly's birthday cake


I just finished my second cake decorating class, and I must say that I am pretty well pleased with it. There are a few lumps and bumps, but overall it turned out okay! My granddaughter Haley took the class with me, and hers was BEAUTIFUL!
www.craftycrafteen.blogspot.com



The cake is for my granddaughter
Lilly.
She wanted--guess what--
lilies on her cake!
Since the only lily I know how to do so far is
canna lilies,
she got canna lilies.
I like canna lilies!
(I can't seem to find a proper spelling for this flower!)



With a daisy in the center. I like daisies, too!

To apply fondant on a cake:
First, frost the cake with butter cream icing, as smoothly as possible. Frost top and sides thoroughly.
Fondant can be made, but it is much simpler to buy ready to use fondant.
Knead until soft, then roll out larger than the cake's measurement:
(If cake is 12"x 3", add 12 plus 6" for each side length.)
Roll out fondant more than 18".
Carefully turn out fondant onto cake.
Smooth sides and trim at edges with a blade.
I twisted fondant ropes--roll out long ropes of fondant and twist together-- on the edge of my cake so that it looked more professional(?) [first timer]

Voila! Fondant icing!