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My friend Rebekah and I have decided to be a part of a Valentine's Day Card Swap This is the first time that I've ever done one. BUT I sure am excited to see the cards that everyone is making~!

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My Scrap Quilt Top...I'm glad to get this done and can't wait to start on it's compadre.







Coaster Tops

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So, my friend Rebekah came over for dinner and brought me these handmade cards. I love them, and thankfully she told me how to make them~!Of course, I didn't waste anytime to start experimenting myself. And this is what I came up with.





and another picture:

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This day I finished Frank...He now has a face and I think he's super cute~!

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So I officially started the whole working on a craft every day today. I was planning on working on the mittens for my cousin, but last night I laid out the fabric for a scrap quilt...and it was calling my name all day~!!! So, I gave in and worked on it. I know have strips of all the scraps sewn together, but as I was working on it today ~ another idea came to mind...and I decided that I'm going to make 2 small lap quilts out of the scraps instead of a big quilt. I can't wait to make my idea a reality. It's been so fun working on this quilt, because it makes me think of all the other crafts that I have worked on...with these fabrics in them. Tim informed me that these quilts aren't really his style. He'd prefer that I make a brown quilt. So that may be next on my list of things to do. I'll have my quilts full of color and he can have his brown quilt that he enjoys. He also informed me that Frank, my beloved sock monkey (that I was going to give him) is not his style either. He'd rather have a brown one. I'm gonna have to go find some real sock monkey socks...I think that may be his style. I told him I thought he was being a bit picky, but he just reminded me that he knows what he likes. I'm thankful for that - That's probably why I don't have a style...because I like everything~!!!!

Yesterday, I was listening to a message...and the pastor read Psalm 1, 16, and 103 in a row...and they have been such a blessing to me. The beginning of Ps 103 starts out "Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." I feel so full of God's love right now...as though He is giving me a big hug and letting me know He loves me. I am so thankful for the price that Jesus paid for me. His dying on the cross has made it possible for me to have a relationship with the Lord that none other can supply. He has forgiven my sins and made me white as snow. There is nothing that I did to deserve this. Later on in this chapter it says that he has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west...that's almost unthinkable~! Praise the Lord, O my soul~! Thank you Lord for all the blessings you give each and everyone of us. Help us to focus on those things and share them with those around us~! I also know that even though I feel full of God's love today doesn't mean that I have more of it today than other days...I am just more aware of it today. God's love doesn't change and for that I am thankful. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom

So last night at church, the sermon was on wisdom...and tonight, I wanted to listen to a sermon online...so I went to Lighthouse Baptist Church in Sussex, WI...and there was a sermon glaring at me about Wisdom. So I listened to it~ I am so thankful for God's Word, and the encouragement that it brings to me. AND, I'm thankful for the people of God who are willing to share His truths with us. Some of the truths that I have learned & want to remember...What you fear controls you~! If God is what I fear losing...Then what do I do about that? If God requires obedience, then that is where I start. If God hates idolatry, then that is what I hate. What do things like obedience and idolatry look like in my life today? I must begin praying for wisdom, be reading and studying the Word of God under the direction of the Holy Spirit, and I need to be living in accordance with Biblical truth. I was talking to my Mom this afternoon and told her that I still haven't had my quiet time...I've been home all day, but still haven't seemed to have time for it. She reminded me that I need to plan for it. Right she is...people don't plan to fail, they fail to plan.

So today has been a good start to the week...The first full week of the new year. Remember that Amish Bread I was making the last time I blogged, well...it smelled delicious, looked delicious, the end tasted delicious BUT the inside was not done. It made 2 loaves of bread that I had to throw away because they were not done. I guess this is part of the learning process to making bread. On New Year's Eve, I started a batch of Sourdough starter. I have never done this before either, but thought I needed to give it a try. Today was the first day that I was able to use it. I made 2 loaves of Sour Dough Bread...and they turned out wonderful. Tim was pretty impressed. They tasted pretty good too! YEAH~now, lets see if we can do this twice in a row. I love baking...and wish we could eat it faster so I could make more again tomorrow :)

I was able to get my house back into some shape of order today...as all my stuff was still packed from coming home from Wisconsin. I feel like I got a handle on the laundry, dishes and part of the dust~! I feel like there is dust everywhere (that is when the light shines in the right direction). I was able to wash the floors and get all the marks off...you know those marks that show up again when someone walks in the house. Sometimes I feel like washing floors is a useless task...just to be done over and over and over, BUT I must say that after the floors are cleaned, I smile with a sense of accomplishment and enjoy them for the moment. It's those little things in life. The dogs were also running under my feet all day. They were so happy and had bundles of energy in them. I actually took them for 3 walks today, and they are still running from one end of the house to the other even as I type this.

Tonight, I have been able to work on some sewing crafts. Doing these crafts seem to relax me...I love it. Tonight, I cut out a bunch of houses...which I'm trying to decide exactly what to do with them. I have thought of putting them on a purse, or putting them on pillows for my couch...or maybe making a lap quilt and putting them on that. I want to cut out more...as I only cut out 2 so far. I have to get out my fabric and find the scraps. I did start cutting out birds too. I saw this bird mobile that was super "Quaint". Not sure if that's the word for it, but it's the first word that came to my mind. I will definitely post some pictures...and maybe try to find the original picture too.

Tomorrow, I hope to study God's Word, Start Teaching my dogs some manners, and get a membership at the YMCA~!! Those are just some of my goals for tomorrow...I better start making a list :)