SPIRITUAL SUNDAY

Hi everyone,

How has your week been? Mine has been really good, and full of some ups and downs.  More on that at the end of this post.  Here's the link to Week Three and Four of the Girl Talk 2011 series. This is part of the  Virtue for Women series for the summer from Harvest Church. Click here to view the videos.  There are so many good topics. Right now I'm  listening to the videos in the background while I'm working on my blog :) :) Later today or tomorrow, I'll actually watch the videos and take some notes. The topics range from  friendship and fitness to biblical perspectives on food. There's so much goodness here.

DAD AND I WENT OUT TO THE AIRPORT TO LOOK AT PLANES. IT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO SEE SOME TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS. IT'S  JUST AMAZING.

Dad and I went out for a small drive this morning. He loves airplanes, so we went out to see what we could see today :) :) Plus, this is our favorite  viewing spot.  This old tree has probably been around for a very LONG time, a long time before this airport was even built.  It's so gnarly and old..I wonder what kind of stories it would have to tell.

My sweet friend Linda wrote about the latest happenings in the process of her son and daughter-in-love adopting Vitaliy from the Ukraine.  Click here to read about it in Linda's post. Also her daughter-in-love Tonya has a precious blog called Come Rest At His Table.  She's selling some really super cute pendants to help raise money to bring Vitaliy home. Please pay her a visit. If you feel led, consider buying some of  her pendants. They are really cute and the money is going to a great, great thing :) :) :)

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE COFFEE SPOTS. HERE IN THE NORTHWEST OF THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE A LOT OF DRIVE-THRU COFFEE STANDS. WHY? WELL, IMAGINE A REALLY COLD WINTER....WOULD YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF YOUR CAR? NO. IT'S NICE TO HAVE  SOMEONE HAND YOU  NICE, WARM COFFEE THROUGH YOUR CAR WINDOW.

After we watched airplanes, my dad took me to The  Human Bean.  I love this coffee spot. The coffee is great, the baristas are really nice AND....here's the best part, they have treats for dogs. So it's really funny to watch, because anytime a car pulls into the drive-thru that has dogs...well, the dogs really start becoming really animated. They KNOW that there are doggie treats to be had here :) :) It's sweet ;) :)

DID YOU KNOW THAT TIRES MAKE GREAT CONTAINERS FOR HOLDING GROCERIES? YES, IT'S TRUE....(INSERT SMILE AND LAUGH HERE)

God has been so good to my dad and I...always.  We are going through a time of transition right now.    First, I'll tell you about the tire.  A really sweet couple in our church paid for four BRAND NEW tires for our car. The tires that were on the car before were starting to wear really thin. In fact, so thin, that we could no longer drive on the freeway/highway, because we were afraid the tires would shred.  So it was only driving on surface streets. In any case, we were able to get four nice, new tires. What a gift. Tires aren't cheap.  Now we feel safe to drive on any type of roadway.  After the mechanic was done changing the tires, my father asked to keep one of the old tires.  My father kept the "best" of the old, used tires as an emergency spare. We just put it in the trunk of the car. Well, here's where the funny blessing comes in, because later that day we went to the grocery store.  We put the groceries in the trunk, saw the big, used tire and had the idea to use it to keep the groceries all in one place. So the moral of the story is that not only is it good to have an emergency spare tire, it also makes a great container for groceries ;) :) :) It keeps the groceries from rolling all over the trunk of the car ;) :) Isn't this just the most hysterically funny thing ever? I think so :) :)

THIS IS ONE OF MANY, OLD BUILDINGS IN  JACKSONVILLE, OREGON.  DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THE OLD ADVERTISEMENTS PAINTED ON THE BRICK WALLS? IT IS SO VINTAGE COOL.

Okay, so back to the time of transition that my father and I are going through right now.  As many of you know, my father and I have both been unemployed for some time now. We finally came to the point about a week ago, where we needed to make a decision to stay in Oregon or move in with my aunt (my dad's sister) in California.  So we've been praying about it for awhile.  We even shared the prayer request with the elders of our church, since they were meeting at our house last Sunday.  We thought we had an opportunity for a place to live, that would have been perfect for our financial situation. It was a  gorgeous place and we  were grateful for the offer and excited about the possibilites that God could make happen here.  That was earlier this week. Well, we continued to pray...always in prayer, that God will guide our every decision and give us wisdom.

Yesterday, it appears that God really shut the door for us.  I won't go into more details, simply because it's not the time to share too much. However, we were praying...and God has at this time clearly shut the door to this particular living situation. So as of now, it appears that God is closing that door and opening up the door to move in with my aunt. She's a really neat lady and has been more than gracious/helpful towards us :) :) We are so thankful.  So unless God changes our direction again, we will be moving back to California most likely sometime in August. 

SOME PRETTY FLOWERS IN  JACKSONVILLE, OREGON.

I know this post might sound really random today. All this to say, that sometimes life is boring and slow. Then sometimes, stuff comes at you all at once from every direction.  Trust God because He is faithful and He always keeps His promises. Sometimes life is doing absolutely nothing. It's totally quiet, boring and still. You're in a season of waiting. Then God tells you to "Go"....be ready to go :) :) Again, trust God because He is faithful. He always keeps  His promises. 

So in this time of transition, keep us in prayer. Right now, we are planning on moving back to California, unless God clearly shuts the door.  You know when God shuts one door,  He  ALWAYS opens another door. That is for sure. When God opens a  door, nobody can shut it. When God closes a  door, no one can open it.  As things progress, I'll keep you updated.  Right now we'll be starting to pack boxes and get rid of anything we don't need. My plan is to sell some items on Craigslist and/or have a yard sale.

SEGWAY OF JACKSONVILLE IS A  NEAT LITTLE BUSINESS. CLICK HERE TO  VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AND FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION.

That is about all for today :):) :) Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and a  really great week.  That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)     



                                                                                                                                                                                         

MY 8TH & 9TH "BUILDING OUR HOMES TOGETHER" FOR JULY 27TH

I'M PARTICIPATING IN THE "BUILDING OUR HOMES TOGETHER WITH JESUS" SERIES OVER AT THE PRAIRIE FLOWER FARM. CLICK HERE TO VISIT AND TELL LINDA THAT I SAID HELLO.

I AM ALSO PARTICIPATING IN "HEARTS 4 HOME" OVER AT "OUR SIMPLE COUNTRY LIFE". YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO VISIT OR CLICK ON THE BUTTON ON MY RIGHT SIDEBAR.

Hi everyone,
Oh, it feels good to be back to blogging. I think I've been away for a little over a week. If you read my  last post, you know there has been a little bit going on. Not just for me, but for so many of my church family and friends. So much has been going on, it seems unreal. So I missed last week's "Building Our Homes Together" series last week. In any case, it's been quite the week and month. So much I don't understand, but God is faithful. That much is for certain :) :)

So here's my entry for today. These are reusable cotton rounds:

My sweet blogger friend, Nicole, over at My Mad World  posted these recently on her blog. These are reusable cotton rounds. They're about the same size as the cotton rounds you buy at the store to remove mascara and other cosmetics.  So I made some of my own. There's a site called Ravelry, which is a wonderful resource for all things crafty, especially knitting and crochet. You can click here to view the pattern for yourself. My Ravelry friend Heidi Bringhurst wrote up this super cute and super easy pattern.  You do need to create an account in order to view their patterns. Some are for sale. some are free. This pattern is free. It's also free to register and I highly recommend it, especially if you do a lot of needlework. Otherwise, I'll copy the pattern here. This is NOT my pattern, this pattern is written out by Heidi Bringhurst. I copied it here for you because she explains things so well:

Materials



Size G (US 6 [4mm]) Crochet Hook


1/10 oz.(≈ ¼ yd) Worsted Wt. Cotton Yarn


Abbreviations & Explanations


st = stitch


rep = repeat


rd = round


yo = yarn over


ch = chain


sc = single crochet


dc = double crochet


bs = bean stitch

Bean Stitch: Insert hook in desired base st, yo, pull through base st (2 loops on hook, as in sc). YO, insert in same base st, yo, pull through base st (as in dc. You now have 4 loops on hook). YO, insert in same base st, yo, pull through base st (6 loops on hook). YO once & pull through all 6 loops on hook. Ch 1 to finish st.

sl st = slip stitch


ea = each


Pattern


Base: DO NOT slipknot onto hook. You are going to make a “Magic Ring” (Google for a variety of photo and video tutorials):


Make a hoop about 1 ½” in diameter with your beginning yarn, with the tail behind the working yarn, and leaving a fairly long tail beyond what’s involved in the hoop (I like to leave a good 6” at the beginning of every project, anyway).


With your crochet hook, draw the working yarn through the hoop, so you have one loop on the hook.


Ch 3. This counts as 1st dc for rd.


Dc 8 more in hoop, making sure to crochet over tail in ea st.


Untangle tail from hoop, if it has curled around it, and pull to close ring. Your ring should look like a circle with a pie slice cut out. If it doesn’t, make sure you crocheted over tail properly. If you didn’t, you’ll have to unravel and try again. If you did, the yarn probably just got a little hung up on itself. Some cottons do that. Just shift the stitches on the hoop with your fingers until it looks right, making sure to keep the “drawstring” (tail) pulled tight.


Sl st in 1st Dc of rd to close circle.


Rd 1: Ch 2. Bs in same dc as sl st. Ch 1.


*Bs in next dc, ch 1,* rep * to* to end of rd. (9 total bs ch 1 sets, incl. that in same dc as sl st, above)


Sl st in ch 2 space at beginning of rd.


Rd 2: Ch 2. Sc in ea ch and ch space (including top st of bs) around. (27 sc)


Sl st in ch 2 space at beginning of rd.


Ch 1, fasten off, weave in ends.


That’s it! Enjoy.
 
Thank you, Heidi, for making this pattern available for free. Not only is it super cute, it's super practical and a great way to save extra money.  You may want to wash the cotton rounds before you use them.  I used a Size H crochet hook, so my reusable cotton rounds came out a bit lacier than Heidi's version. The next batch will be made with the proper crochet hook :) :) :)
 
Here's the link to Week Two of the Girl Talk 2011 series over at the Virtue for Women site, sponsored by Harvest Church. Click here to view the Week Two sessions. This week is SO good...there's a really nice message about women and finances, plus other things that includes a really neat fashion show, how to use the produce from your garden and making your own baby food...all really great topics. I'll include the link here to the session about women and finances. There are some super simple and practical ideas:


So,  that is what I've got for you today.  There is lots of fun and practical advice.  Let me know what you think.  Have a great day.  That's the news from Oregon today.  Love and hugs, Heather :)

MEDIA MONDAY

Hi everyone,
How have you been doing?  This past week has been one of the most difficult of my life. Oh, my family is okay, just nothing that I  am liberty to talk about...other than our church has been going through some difficult things this month. We'll be okay, because God is faithful. That is for certain:):)

Here is the link up for this week's Media Monday series from the Women Living Well blog. It's about  media and children. Since I don't have kids, I'd love to know what your thoughts are.

Sorry this post is so short today. I'll be up and going again on Wednesday for the next Building Our Homes Together series          over at Prairie Flower Farm...

That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)
                                                

MEDIA MONDAY - WEEK THREE

THIS IS JUST A TYPICAL  STREET  HERE IN MY  HOMETOWN.  

Hi everyone,
How was your weekend ?   My weekend was pretty    good.  I'm behind on my crafting.  So I won't be  spending that much time on my blog or  on Facebook today.   
Today is Week Three in the "Media Monday" series over at the Women Living Well site. Click here to visit this week's link. It's about media and our spouses.

Now, I am NOT married. I'm still single, so I have absolutely no street credit when it  comes to talking about this subject. However, there is one point that  I can identify with and that is spending so much time with  technology, that you don't spend time wth your loved ones.  

As  most of you know, my dad and I share an apartment.  It saves on expenses. Plus, my dad and I get along, so at this season in my life, there is no reason to live in seperate places. Also, my dad and I very much have our own lives. That's  a good thing and very important.  Well, I was beginning to notice, that the computer was taking up a lot of time, in my life and my dad's life.  So  much so, that we'd cook breakfast,  and my dad would take his upstairs      while he was working on the computer. I'd be left to sit downstairs by myself . Sometimes I was the one who had breakfast upstairs.

Long story short, it was really starting to  get on my nerves and make me  sad. We are not so busy that we can't turn off the technology at least during mealtimes. We all have the same amount of time in the day.  If our loved ones  really are the most important, do we  show it? So my dad and I agreed that we would  eat together. No computers, no nothing. It's been working out great.   We talk more. Dad tells many more silly jokes. It's really nice :)  :)   

Again, as Courtney points out  in her post, technology is a-moral. It's what we do with it, that it could be used for good or bad.  I think anything that starts to detract too heavily from personal interactions with other people can be too much.  So at least for me and my little home, we'll not be using the computer during mealtimes ;) :)     

MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER'S OLD SHOP SCALE, WITH SOME ADDED LACE AND A VINTAGE-LOOKING PIGGY BANK : :) :)

 That's about it for today.  The weather has been really cloudy and in the 70s the last few days. It's been a welcome relief from the heat.  I know so many people need rain.  I'm praying for rain and lots of it.

I've got a lot on my mind today..or so it seems.   This post is shorter than usual.  Knitting and crocheting are on my list of things to do today.  Oh, I have this craving for a nice juicy cheeseburger, today. Not sure if I'll actually get one, but I still want to eat one :)  :)    Have a  really great  Monday everyone.   That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)                               

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY - ANYONE INTERESTED IN AN ON-LINE GROUP BIBLE STUDY?

THIS PHOTO IS  COURTESY OF LEAON OVER AT  SHABBY OLDE POTTING SHED. CLICK HERE TO PAY HER A VISIT :)

Hi everyone,

How has your week been going so far? Mine has been really good. It's also been a heavy week, too. It seems like there was one specific day earlier this week. It was a day of lifting up lots and lots of prayers. This is what I said on my Facebook page about that:

Yesterday (Thursday) was a really "heavy" day for so many of my friends. It seemed like prayer requests were being lifted up left and right. Prayers were flying to heaven so fast, that I could have used it as an air conditioner :) :) Seriously, as I was reflecting on yesterday, this song popped into head. This encapsulates PERFECTLY how I felt ( I'll post the link to the song in just a moment" )

Prayer is given and when anyone asks me to pray for them, whether friend, family or "stranger", I pray..That's just a given.  I was just wishing I could comfort everyone. It wasn't possible for me, but it IS possible for God :) :) With HIM all things are possible :) :)  Here's the song I thought of (referring to my Facebook post) that I thought perfectly describes how I f elt that day and about anything I don't understand:



Newsboys has been a favorite band of mine ever since I was in high school. I actually saw this particular concert in 2008...not live, I wish...NOpe, rather I saw the concert after it had been recorded and made available on DVD. Here are the lyrics to the song:

You are the author of knowledge.
You can redeem what's been done.
You hold the present and all that's to come
Until Your everlasting kingdom.

Lord, I don't know where all this is going
Or how it all works out.
Lead me to peace that is past understanding,
A peace beyond all doubt.

You are the God of tomorrow,
Turning darkness to dawn,
Lifting the hopeless with hope to go on.
You are the rock of all salvation.

Lord, I don't know where all this is going,
Or how it all works out.
Lead me to peace that is past understanding,
A peace beyond all doubt.

Oh, Lord You are the author,
Redeeming what's been done.
You hold us in the present,
And all that is to come.

Lord, we don't know where all this is going,
Or how it all works out.
Lead me to peace that is past understanding,
A peace beyond all doubt.

 THERE'S NO PARTICULAR REASON FOR THIS PHOTO. THIS IS MY LITTLE VINTAGE PIGGY BANK. I NAMED IT "JASPER" YES, SOMETIMES I GIVE NAMES TO OBJECTS. I AM LITERALLY SAVING ALL MY PENNIES IN HERE FOR A RAINY DAY.

One of the things I'm going to start doing soon is posting links to the women's Bible study  at Harvest Church.  Greg Laurie is the pastor. Click here to visit the church's website.  All of their messages are available to watch LIVE online or archived. They have a WONDERFUL women's ministry called Virtue for Women. Click here to visit that website or you can view the video below and get an idea of what it's about:




It really is a great site for Bible study, food, faith, crafts, recipes etc. I've been really blessed by it. They'll be doing a Bible study this year that will studying some of the Psalms.
                                                                                                                                                Psalms. So I'm really looking forward to that. When you browse around the Virtue for Women site, there are links to past Bible studies. Everything is archived, plus the studies come with downloadable PDF files with notes/questions for inductive and deductive Bible study, whichever you are best suited for when reading/studying your Bible :) It's really neat ladies. They always post the videos online about a week after the actual study. So as soon as they're available, I'll post the links here.


There's also a summer series that they do called GIRL TALK. Here's the link to view the video sessions from Week One. I especially liked Jeanine Hardgrave who had some really cool, economical party and gift ideas. It's everything from studying the Word to crafts, tips etc...everything that is of interest to us as women both practical and spiritual. Here's a little video about the GIRL TALK 2011 series:


That's about all I can think of today. I know.....that's a LOT..but God has put a lot on my heart. So please let me if you'd like to participate with me.  It will be lots of fun.  It will be even more fun, if some of you would like to join me here every Sunday.  That's the news from Oregon today.  Love and hugs, Heather :) :) :)  

MY SEVENTH "BUILDING OUR HOMES TOGETHER" FOR JULY 13TH

I'M PARTICIPATING IN THE "BUILDING OUR HOMES TOGETHER..........WITH JESUS" OVER AT THE PRAIRIE FLOWER FARM BLOG. CLICK ON THE LINK HERE TO VISIT LINDA. TELL HER I SAID HELLO. OR YOU CAN CLICK ON THE BLOG BUTTON ON MY RIGHT SIDEBAR.

Hi everyone,
Oh, How is your week so far? Mine has been good.  I'm busy crafting and knitting. I've also been making a concerted effort to spend less time on Facebook. So far, so good. 

 UPDATE ON THURSDAY - JULY 14th: I'm also going to be participating in the Simpy Homemaking series over at Our Simple Country Life. Click here to view the  latest link-up. Otherwise, you can click on the blog button on my ride sidebar :) :) Have a blessed day everyone :) :) Love and hugs from Oregon :)

I  was going to share a simple pattern for a bath mitt today. Well, something happened on the way to grabbing those knitting needles. I'll still share the pattern with you. However, let me share an unexpected  little  project along the way. Sometimes things don't go my way when it comes to crafting. 

THESE ARE THE SUPPLIES I GRABBED FOR THIS PROJECT. ONE THING I FORGOT TO INCLUDE IS A  WOODEN RULER TO  MEASURE MY KNITTING.

Here's a list of the supplies I would need to make my French knit bath mitt:
*  some paper. I used a composition book.
*Lily N Cream cotton yarn
*Set of 5, double pointed knitting needles (3.5 mm/ 4 US)
*Scissors
*Pen, to write with
*Row counter
*Row marker
*Yarn needle
*Needle gauge
*Wooden ruler (not pictured here - to measure knitting)

So it's always a good thing to knit a test swatch to figure out what your gauge is. How many stitches would you knit per inch.  So I went to find the tail yarn on the inside of  my skein. That's where the "accidental" part comes in. Some skeins of yarn just aren't put together very well. This is what happened. When I thought I'd pulled out the tail yarn, literally half the skein popped out. It took me forever to untangle everyone. This is what I had  once it was all fixed:

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T FIND THAT INSIDE TAIL YARN. I ENDED UP UP  PULLING OUT HALF THE SKEIN OF YARN. NO WORRIES. IT DIDN'T STOP ME FROM MY KNITTING PROJECT.

I took two of the double pointed needles to make a test swatch.  I cast on 25 stitches on TWO double-pointed needles held together. That helps keep the tension when you're casting on nice and loose. No worries. It will tighten up naturally as you knit. 

I just knit one row, and pearled back. That is called "stockinette stich". I ended up making a little 5 inch x 5 inch square, mainly because I was still working out some frustration from the crazy yarn ball .  Then when you reach the desired length, simply bind off loosely.  Or you can undo the yarn and reuse it in your knitting project.  However, it turned out quite nice. It's a coaster or mug rug of sorts ;) :) The edges will curl just a bit when you knit this way. It's just the nature of the yarn to do so, even if you knit with wool.  I might take an iron to it. I haven't decided yet.

  Here's what my little gauge swatch turned "patriotic mug rug" looks like with a teacup sitting on top of it.  I added some vintage effects to the photo. Isn't that just the cutest?

I'm working on another pattern for a coaster. It will be just as pretty, if not prettier. Plus, the way I'm knitting it, it'll lay FLAT.  When it's all done, I'll write up the pattern and share it here with you all.

After the fiasco with the yarn, I decided I needed a treat. So I made a java chip coffee ice cream rootbeer float. Trust me, this works together. You will need the favorite coffee ice cream and rootbeer of your choice. You can use any flavor ice cream that you like.  I just happen to LOVE coffee ice cream, especially java chip.

Choose a favorite mug or glass. Scoop out a nice, large healthy amount of ice cream into your mug.  Then add your rootbeer. Now be careful when you pour, because it is a  soda. The soda will foam up quite a bit. Just pour a little bit, let the foam go away, then pour some  more.  And enjoy a nice cold treat on a warm summer day.

Oh, my that java chip  rootbeer float was GOOD!!!!  Did I mention that I love coffee and coffee ice cream?  big smile :) :) :)
   
What I meant to show you originally today was my pattern for a simple knit bath mitt.   You'll need all the supplies that I mentioned at the top of this post, with the exception of the pen and paper. However, I like to take notes on each knitting project. It's like keeping a journal of sorts. It can actually be very helpful to you, if you have to stop your work or if you have questions later on about something you did.

HEATHER'S KNITTED FRENCH BATH MITT

Finished mitt should be 5 inches wide x 7 inches tall.  Remember, this is knit in the ROUND...so you will actually be knitting a 10 inch continuous circle.

Also, this is just general instructions. you can manipulate this pattern any way you'd like to. Also, depending on what needles you use and your knitting style, your gauge might be different. There's no right or wrong with this pattern. That's what's really great about it.

So this is how I made mine. After I knit that gauge swatch turned coaster...I took a wooden ruler and measured the stitches per inch. It came out to approximately 5 stitches per inch. So since I"m knitting in the round a 10 inch circle, I multipled 5 stitches per inch times the 10 inch circle and came up with 50 stitches total.  

Here's where there's some more wiggle room. I wanted an even number of stitches on each of my four knitting needles, so I rounded DOWN to 48 stitches.  That would give me 12 stitches per needle. Also,  I LOVE to use 5 double pointed knitting needles when knitting in the round.   I have the yarn project sperad out over four knitting needles, and I"m always knitting in with the fifth needle. This is less stress on the yarn when k nitting in the round. you get a much smoother finish than you do when just using  4 needles.

Okay, so hold two double-pointed needles together and cast on a total of 48 stitches. Remove just ONE of the double pointed needles and  begin to knit evenly in the round.  I placed 12 stitches on each needle.  Don't worry if there a little gap when you first join the ends together. It will  tighten up a s you   knit. Plus you can use th e  tail yarn to weave together any loose spots at the  end of your project.

Make sure to have a row marker at the beginning of your row, so you know where  the end and beginning of your  rows are.  In this case, since I'm using double-pointed knitting needles, I placed the row  marker one stich in from the beginning of the row. This prevents the row marker from falling off as your knitting :) 

Just continue to  knit in the round for a total of 58 rows OR until the piece measures 7 inches long.  I forgot to write down how many rows I actually knit when I was finished. However, 58 rows sounds about right. Then do a combination of knitting the stitches together/binding off loosely. Weave in the loose ends on the wrong side of the project. This is what my project looks like, with some vintage touches added to it.

If you want or need more detailed instructions, let me know.  I will also be doing another post on my French bath mitts sometime in the near future, with clearer instructions. However, this pattern is fairly simple and straight forward. Again, if you have any questions whatsoever, please let me know. I'll do my best to answer them. I like this project for it's versatility. It makes a great bath mitt to use in the shower or bathtub. you can even put a bar of soap inside, and it's a soaper/scrubber all in one ;) :) OR you can use it to help with washing dishes. It makes a hand dish mitt, too :) :)

Today in my devotions I was reading through Leviticus where God is telling Moses and the people about keeping certain days as well as specific rituals to be maintained in the Temple. Now, it was a LOT of detail. So glad that I live under grace now, because all of that detail would be a bit overwhelming for me :) :) That was Leviticus chapters 23 and 24.

Then I read Psalm 24. These verses stood out to me. Right now I'm highlighting ALL verses in the Bible that have to do with the tongue, whether it be about lying, deceit, gossip, anything that talks about our speach and what we should or shouldn't be doing. So these verses stood out to me today:

3) Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?  Or who may stand in His holy place?
4)  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.
5) He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Now, we know that our salvation is based on accepting Jesus Christ as our LORD and Savior. He is the one who cleanses us from sin :) :)  What stood to me here, is that even in the Old Testament, God makes it very CLEAR that He does not deceit. Swearing deceitfully is the same as lying. So that'll be added to my list of verse that refer to the "tongue". I'm also writing down all verses that refer to money, because I want to know what God has to say about that, too.

My final passage for today was  Acts 21.  The short version is that Paul is chilling with some fellow believers. He goes to Jerusalem. They don't want him to go. A man prophecies that he (Paul) will be bound in Jerusalem and delivered to the Gentiles. Paul "No problem, I'm going to go anyway and preach the Gospel" (that's my interpretation" :) :)   Paul loves Jesus, more than his own life.  I'm not sure I'm that strong ,to be honest.

Anyways,  that's where I'm at in my Bible reading today. I'm going to try and journal some more of that with you on Wednesdays. So bear with me, if  I sound like  I'm stumbling over my  own words a bit. Paul did, too, right?

Well, thanks for joinging me today. I love it when you stop  by and visit me. You are all welcome here :) :)  Oh, Dairy Queen here in Oregon is having a sale on their 4-piece chicken strip baskets. Only $3.99...holla...Dad and I are SO going to enjoy that today. That's the news from Oregon today. Extra love and hugs, Heather :)

MEDIA MONDAY - WEEK TWO

FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS SCRIPTURE PICTURE ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGES OR ON YOUR BLOGS. IF YOU DO, PLEASE LINK BACK TO MY BLOG. THANKS BUNCHES.

Hi everyone,
            How are you all today? Did you have a good weekend? I had a great weekend.  I discovered that rootbeer floats not only taste good with vanilla ice cream. It's also fantastic with coffee-flavored ice cream, too :) :) Oh, imagine a rootbeer float with  java chip coffee ice cream :) :) Yummy :) :)
            I didn't have any photos for today. So I'm just pulling out random photos for you to day, to enjoy.  Today is week two of the Media Monday series over at the Women Living Well site.  Feel free to visit that site. It's a wonderful place to visit.  You'll learn a lot, too and receive godly encouragement.  Even if you are a single lady like me, you can still participate. There's a lot we can learn from married ladies. Plus, there are certain things about our Christian lives that apply to all of us as women across the board.

           Week Two's post was entitled "iPad, iPad, iPhone or The Great I AM" It was a wonderful post.   Oen of the things I like is that it isn't preachy. It's one woman's heart to live a life pleasing to God and how that figures into our everyday lives, including the use of technology. Click on the above link or on the "Media Monday" button on my right sidebar to read the article for yourselves.
 

THE PLAZA IN DOWNTOWN ASHLAND, OREGON.  IF YOU EVER HAVE A CHANGE TO VISIT, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE CITY. ONE THING THAT STANDS OUT, IS HOW EASY IT IS TO GO FOR A WALK. IT'S SO PRETTY, YOU HAVE TO GO FOR A WALK TO ENJOY THE SUNSHINE.

              I'll share some of the points that I found especially interesting. I really found the whole article very interesting :) :)     When I was younger, the way I communicated with friends far away was to write a good old-fashioned letter - pen on paper ;) :)  Now with technology, I hardly ever do that any more. I really miss that and will work on getting back into real letter writing.   One really good point that Courtney makes in the opening paragraph is that technology is a-moral. It's neither good or bad. It's what we do with the technology, that really determines whether it's bad or good. Do you use it for good things, like reaching out to others, sharing Christ, sharing your tips on homemaking etc? Or do you use it to bring people down, gossip etc? Those are just a couple of things to think about.

PINK SAUCER MAGNOLIA TREE. THIS TREE BLOOMED VERY EARLY WHEN WE HAD A STREAK OF WARM WEATHER BACK AROUND MARCH. OH, YEAH, THIS IS OREGON WEATHER. IT'S ONE OF THE ONLY STATES WHERE YOU CAN EXPERIENCE ALL FOUR SEASONS IN ONE HOUR........LITERALLY :)

 I struggled with doing my devotions on a daily basis. There's so much to do. I want to get all the items on my list checked off and finished. So when I get so busy, I forgot to read my Bible.  For me at least, reading my Bible in the morning, really sets the tone for the entire day. It affects my mood and how I react to stuff. So with the pull of  my Facebook page or emails, there's a strong tendency to check that first. Remember, it's not bad in and of itself. However, I want my first thought to be spending time in reading my Bible and prayer.

 THE BUTCHER SHOP IN JACKSONVILLE, OREGON CIRCA 1854.  IT IS NOW A CLOTHING STORE. JACKSONVILLE IS LIKE A WILD WEST TOWN. NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED IN 150 YEARS.

I have been so extremely blessed to find some awesome Christian sites in blogland and on Facebook, plus other sites that are fun, informative, filled with craft projects etc. So for that, I'm so greatful. Courtney points out that technology can be a time stealer, I totally agree with that. As many of you now, I'm still unemployed looking for a job. So for someone in my position, it's especially tempting.  There were days when all I'd do the whole day was sit in front of the computer or sit in front of the tv. Then I'd complain that I got nothing done. It was making me miserable.   So I've worked hard to change that. I   have to make a  concerted effort to turn those things off after a certain time. 
            Courtney is going to be keeping a literal logbook everyday of how much time she spends using technology. So what I'll be doing for the next 7 weeks to record how much time I spend on the computer, Facebook, tv.  It will help me get a better picture of where I"m spending my time. Now I'll tell you something interesting, when I lived in Germany and Norway, I NEVER had a television.   What? Yes, it's true. No tv, no access to email, except very limited use at the  library.  I maybe watched tv when I'd visit friends, or if a friend when on vacation for a month, I'd  "babysit" their tv. You know what? I didn't miss it. I spent so much time doing things with friends. Every night was filled with something involving other people :) :) I might have to try another tv fast sometime.

THIS IS A PHOTO I TOOK OF MY FAVORITE FABRIC BAG. I WAS TRYING TO RECREATE A VINTAGE LOOK. IT CAME OUT A BIT DARK.

I would love to know what your thoughts are about this subject.  What do you do?  Is it a struggle to make a wise use of time when it comes to technology and your daily devotions?  How do you integrate the two together?

        Oh, welcome to the new followers. I've noticed you here. Thanks for joining my blog. You all make me smile big :) :) That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :)

MY SIXTH "BUILDING OUR HOMES" TOGETHER FOR THURSDAY - JULY 7TH

 I'M PARTICIPATING IN THE "BUILDING OUR HOMES TOGETHER...WITH JESUS" SERIES OVER AT PRAIRIE FLOWER FARM. IF YOU LIKE TO PARTICIPATE OR JUST PAY A NICE, FRIENDLY VISIT, CLICK HERE.  I ALWAYS ENJOY SPENDING TIME AT THE FARM. 

Hi everyone,

How has your week been so far? Mine has been good .  I'll talk some more about that at the end of this post.  I'm feeling especially crafty today. In truth, I'm feeling "especially crafty" EVERY day :) :)  Today, I thought I'd share a really cute, easy crocheted flag pattern with you.  I'm making up a bunch of these. It's fun, easy and quick.  You can make one in a day...actually way less than that, but I haven't actually timed it. I'm just enjoying this.

  THIS IS WHAT'S ON MY MIND TODAY. OH, AND YES, THIS IS MY DINING ROOM TABLE. DO I USE IT FOR DINING? NO. IT'S A CRAFT TABLE NOW ;) :)  IN THE FOREGROUND IS THE CURRENT CROCHETED FLAG TABLE MAT THAT I'M WORKING ON.   I'LL BE EXPLAINING ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER STUFF YOU SEE HERE, TOO  IF I FORGET, JUST LEAVE ME A COMMENT, AND I'LL RESPOND.

I found this pattern on the "Create and Decorate - The Blog" site. If you click on the title it will take you to the pattern. You can find the instructions there, if you'd like to crochet a flag for yourself. Let me tell you, I'm a beginning crocheter, and it's an easy pattern to follow, even with the three different colors. Oh, check out the "Create & Decorate" magazine, too. Here's the link to their website. If you click on the magazine tab, there's info there if you want to subscribe. I have been subscribing to this magazine for awhile now. It's FULL of really cute projects.

 In the background of the above photo, you'll see my Human Bean coffee granita cup with Hershey's syrup sitting on top of a flag that I crocheted. The mats aren't big, but just the right size to act as a mat for your cups and maybe a small plate of snacks. It's fun.  We have enough patriotic holidays in this country, that you could use these multiple times a year, or everyday, especially if you like Americana. I'm starting  to really LOVE it ;) :)

 THIS IS THE FLAG MAT THAT I'M CURRENTLY WORKING ON.   IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE, IT'S  SO ADDICTING AND FUN, THAT I LOSE TRACK OF TIME. I KEEP TELLING MYSELF "I'LL JUST CROCHET ONE MORE ROW". AN HOUR LATER, IT'S TIME FOR BED ;) :) :)

 I used different colors than what the pattern called for. In addition to that, I used a different brand of cotton yarn. The pattern calls for Lily's Sugar N' Cream yarn. I purchased Lion Brand cotton yarn instead for two reasons: 1) I didn't have enough gas to drive across town to Joann's Fabric store to purchase the yarn 2) My local Fred Meyer store is much closer. They have Lion Brand cotton yarn. It was on sale, I get more yarn, and it works great for this sort of project, too. 
            This pattern is especially nice, because you can manipulate it in different ways. Just have some fun with it.  Here are the yarns I used. I'll just post the photos, since the information on there will be self-explanatory if you have any questions. I tend to like the darker colors, or jewel-toned colors. The reason I chose these colors in particular, was because that is what was available at the store at the time. I would have preferred a slightly darker red, but this works great:







Those are the yarns that I'm using for this project.  The yarn is really sturdy and it's knits/crochets up wonderfully. It's also 100 % cotton, so it's perfect for household projects that you might be working on, too.

These are a few of the extra supplies that I'm using:

I like to use an old-school wooden ruler with the metal blade to measure my work.  It's consistent meauring every time. It won't stretch out like a flexible measuring tape is wont to do.  A good pair of scissors are handy for cutting yarn, when it comes time for that. Oh, yeah, a crochet hook is helpful when making a crocheted flag... hee hee hee :) :) This particular crochet hook is a Size H8 - US / 5 MM.   Depending on your yarn choice and which size crochet hook you use, your flags may come out different that mine. That's perfectly okay. If you like your project and it makes you smile, it's good.

THIS IS WHAT I ACTUALLY BOUGHT WHEN I FINALLY MADE IT TO JOANN'S FABRIC STORE.  I LOVE LILY'S SUGAR 'N CREAM YARN. IT'S FUN. THEY DO NEED TO MAKE SOME MORE JEWEL-TONED DARKER COLORS. HOWEVER, THE CURRENT SELECTION IS ALSO REALLY NICE. 

This will be turned into a different project, which I'll probably share with you next week :) :)  It knits up in really nice red, white and blue stripes. Oh, tip, save the labels from these skeins of yarn. They always include a free pattern. You can save them and maybe print them out for your own personal pattern book.  It's a great reference source for gift ideas.


THIS IS THE BACK LABEL ON THE YARN, IF YOU NEED IT FOR INFORMATION.  IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, THIS PARTICULAR LABEL INCLUDES A PATTERN FOR MAKING YOUR OWN PLACEMATS.

 So that's what I'm up to today.  I've been keeping up with my devotions.  It really does make a HUGE difference in my day. It keeps me sane and really puts a focus and direction on my day :) :) :)  
            I had errands to run yesterday and today. Yesterday, I was really complaining about having to leave the house. I do like going out, but yesterday, I just wanted to stay home. However, there are things in life that HAVE to be done, including paying bills etc ;) :)  Well, the errands went much more smoothly than I had anticipated. It was a gorgeous day. Everything went so FAST. 
            Today I had some errands to run. I had to get money out of the bank to pay rent.   That went really smoothly, too. So now I'm home and working on my craft projects and enjoying the air conditioning. Summer is officially here in Oregon. It's in the 90s  today...and it's HOT.  So I'm staying indoors and keeping as many lights off as I can. It helps to keep things cooler :) :) Oh, I think I need a nice iced tea right about  NOW :) :)
            Oh, I almost forgot, here's a close-up photo of Linda Stubb's Americana flag fabric. You can find this at Joann's fabric. It's a gorgeous fabric. It's Americana, it's vintage. I purchased two yards of this fabric. I'm not sure what I' ll make with it, yet. It's so pretty, that I just keep looking at it. Click here to visit Prairie Flower Farm and Linda. She's the fabulous lady who designed this fabric.

            Thanks for visiting me. Oh, yes, welcome to the new followers. I'm so happy you are here. Feel free to leave a comment and say hello :) :)  That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :) :) :)

MEDIA MONDAY & HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

FEEL FREE TO BORROW THIS IMAGE. A FRIEND OF  MINE LET ME BORROW IT FROM HER PAGE. I LIKE HOW IT  REFLECTS  OUR COUNTRY AND VINTAGE STYLE ALL AT THE SAME TIME :)

Hi everyone,
To all of my fellow Americans at home and abroad, Happy 4th of July :) :) I hope you are all having a super fun day today :) :)  For the rest of you, I'm wishing you a great day as well, whatever you are doing :) :)

There's a website/blog that I have been following for awhile on Facebook and here called "Women Living Well".   It's a really interesting place to visit. It is primarily geared towards married women. I'm am definitely NOT married...but I still enjoy reading the things on this page. There are things here that are still applicable to even us single ladies.

In any case, there's an 8-week series that they'll be doing called "Media Mondays". Click here to visit the post from yesterday.  It really caught my attention in a big way.  There's also a blog button for their series at the top of the right sidebar here.  It is something that has been on my heart for awhile now.

I really do love modern technology. It has opened up things to us, that we might not otherwise have had access to. It has allowed me to forge new friendships with lovely people all over the world. I've learned new things, too. Blogging...I LOVE blogging...for sure. That's where I feel most comfortable right now.

However, lately, I've been really feeling something pressing on my heart.  For me personally it's Facebook. For others, it will be something different.  In any case, I was really feeling sad and do still feel sad a bit, about how much media has intruded into our lives. How do we use it to reach out, while not having it affect our literal day to day interactions with the people arounds us - at work, at home, at church. 

I'm just speaking for myself here.  Here was a response I'd written to my post on Facebook. It's "short"...well, short for me..you know how much I LOVE to talk...even on the computer:

‎"Women Living Well" is more geared towards married ladies..BUT I think there's a lot of application for us single gals, too :) :) I've been thinking a LOT about the role media plays in our lives. There's a lot of good that comes with it.... My only real concern is that when it becomes more important than actual human interaction, that's when it's gone too far. I think it's affecting peoples abilities to relate to other people. Oh, in the Christian church especially, I think it's so much easier for people to do a check-in on Facebook, than invest any of their time in someone else. That is something I'm going to try and avoid, because people are important. So I'm praying about that. Those are just some of my initial thoughts. I'm going to add this to my blog series tonight. In any case, thanks for leaving your comments ;) :) I really enjoyed reading what you have to write :) :) :)

 

So I've been praying about that.  People check in on Facebook or wherever, instead of actually calling up the person. Or we get irritated because someone needed us, while we were sitting in front of the screen. For me personally, it's come to the point, where I really need to take an active step. I just don't know what yet. Closing down my Facebook account completely is not the solution. It's great, because it lets me keep in contact with people  who live far away. However, with people who live here locally, we never call each other. We never spend time together during the week. It's easier to "like" a comment or "leave" a comment, because it doesn't force us to climb out of our comfort zones. It lets us be "social" while keeping our rears in our seats at home.   There's something wrong with that..I think...

 

In any case, those are just thoughts. I'm really looking forward to the topics during this series. I think a good portion of you are married, so this series would be especially applicable to you. If you're single, like me, I still think there's benefit for us, too. Start thinking about how we can make applications in our lives as women - married or single..and how media affects our everyday interactions with people.  I'd love to hear from all of you. I think there's something we can all learn from each other...and encourage each other, too :) :)

 

Okay, that was a bit of a more serious topic, but it's so pressing on my heart, I  just can't hold it in any longer. NO worries, I'll still have cool crafty stuff and vintage antique finds :) :) Not talking about that would be like asking the sun to stop shining. It just isn't gonna happen :) :)

 

That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :)