Some Thoughts for Today

"A Christian lady was always so bright and cheerful that everyone wondered at her joyous spirit. "But, sister,"  said a friend, "You must have some clouds in your life." "Clouds?" she replied. "Why, of course. If there were no clouds, where would the showers of blessing come from?"

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

-Romans 8:28

 "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes."

Psalms 119:71

 

Giveaway Winners!

Thank you so much to all of you who entered in my giveaway! I know there are digital counters for giveaways online to use, but I decided to do things the "old-school" way with handwritten papers with each name put in a basket. :)  

The names drawn were...

Sister in the Mid-west and Cheryl! Congratulations to you both! 

To each one of the rest of you who entered, please know your comments always mean 

a lot to me, and I really wish I had a way to do something for all of you. :) Thank you all so much for taking part in this with me! 

A Little Woodpecker - And last few days to join the giveaway!

 I had a unique encounter with this cute little Woodpecker the other day. 

I was sitting outside in our porch swing, with a tree directly behind me. I suddenly heard the flutter of a bird's wings behind me, and turned to look. As I did so, I startled this little Woodpecker and it immediately flew away... I watched as the poor thing flew straight into our garage window! It made quite the thump when it hit, but it was able to fly to a nearby tree where it sat very still. I walked over, and could tell the little bird was still stunned from it's hard hit on the window. 

It turned to look at me, but let me come very close. I hurried back inside to grab my camera, hoping it would still be there when I returned. I was glad that it was! It was such a pretty Woodpecker, and smaller than most I've seen! 

It let me take several pictures before it seemed to have recovered some and finally flew away further up in the tree. I was thankful the Lord allowed me to see this pretty bird up close, I always love seeing the amazing variety in His creation. 

 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. 

 -Psalms 111:4

For any of my readers who might not have yet entered my giveaway, there are only three days left to join!  Thank you so much to all of you that have entered already, your comments have each meant a lot to me!  I look forward to seeing who the winners are. :)  

Seven Years of Blogging - Giveaway

Seven Years

 Edited: My apologies to anyone who may have tried viewing the link to the Vintage Verses Etsy shop down below in this post! I just learned that I had linked to the wrong shop. It is corrected now! 

 I could hardly believe when looking back at my old posts at the beginning of this blog, that it has been seven years today since I started this blog. I don't keep up with it very well at all times, but I do hope and pray some things on here have been a blessing even in a small way to others through these years.  Many of your comments have often been a great encouragement to me, and I want to thank each one of you who has commented (or even just been an occasional reader) through the years! You've been a blessing to me! 

I thought it would be nice if I could ask each person who ever reads this blog (even if you've never commented before!) :) to leave me a comment participating in a giveaway as a small "thank you" for taking the time to read my blog and for being an encouragement to me.  If you are newer to my blog, please still feel welcome to join the giveaway. The gift won't be anything very elaborate, just something that I hope someone will enjoy and will be an encouragement to them! 

There will be two winners to this giveaway; please just let me know in your comment if there is a particular item you would prefer if you were the winner - I might be able to switch around what you receive.  

NOTE: If you live overseas or outside of the U.S., please feel free to join this giveaway by choosing Option #3 which is a digital download. I really wish I could offer all of these other items to you as well, but with shipping prices as high as they are, I hope you can understand my difficulty there!  

Winner #1: 

The owner of Vintage Verses on Etsy has so kindly agreed to donate one of her beautiful calligraphy prints for my giveaway, while I only pay the shipping!  If you win this, you will receive a quality print on parchment paper in the mail. Please be sure to visit her shop. 

Winner #2: 

The second winner of this giveaway will receive one of these small refrigerator magnets with a KJV Scripture verse. I've ordered a couple of these myself once, and they are nice magnets. They are the thin flexible type that measure about 2 1/2 inches or so wide. 

Winner outside of the U.S.:

**Digital, not a physical item.** I wanted to include something digital as an option, so those of you who live overseas can feel welcome to participate in this giveaway without costing me a lot with shipping. :) This is a PDF version of these printable Scripture verse cards. If you win this giveaway, you would not receive actual cards, only a digital download that you can print out for yourself. 

This giveaway will be open until 12:00 CT on May 9th, 

and the winners announced soon after. 

  I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 34:1

Re-making Clothing

This is a draft post I made way back in 2016! I was looking at it recently, and thought it was about time I should pull it out and share it rather than let it sit here for more years at a time. : )  Maybe it will inspire someone else to re-purpose some clothing you don't have any other use for.

So...here it is: 

"When I was younger, I used to sew and make things just about all of the time. 

And being a young girl, one of my favorite things to make was doll 

dresses for my dolls. :)  I never knew how handy that experience 

would come to be later!  Now that I have nieces to make things for, 

it's so easy to put together dresses for them (actually a lot easier than 

making those tiny little doll dresses), and it is much more rewarding. :)

Here is one of my most recent projects.  I took this large shirt (above), and 

with some cutting and adjustment... 

                                       ....turned it into this dress to fit one of my nieces. 
                              This was one of my first times to re-make a piece of clothing     
                             into something entirely different, and it has been so much fun." 

So that's it. I didn't take pictures of the steps in the process...but I remember using a bodice pattern from a little girl's dress pattern, and then just gathering the skirt to fit (I'm pretty sure my sister gave me waist and length measurements). I added the red fabric at the bottom to give more length, since there wasn't quite enough fabric from the shirt to make the dress long enough. I enjoyed the contrast as well. Now I feel like trying to go make something similar to this again! :) It might make for another post in the future if that happens. Hopefully not six years after the fact, though...lol. 

A verse of encouragement for today:

Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Lord Unto Me

"...Our notation of our trials is very apt to present them in exaggerated number, but when we come to count our mercies, as a usual rule, our tendency is to diminish them. We magnify the host of our troubles, and we underestimate the armies of our benefits." -Spurgeon

"We are apt to forget an ocean of mercies, because of one drop of affliction." -Spurgeon

These quotes from Spurgeon were convicting for me, as I know as much as I don't like to admit it...all too often it is true of me. I don't want to forget the many mercies of the Lord to me! I hope these things are an encouragement to you like they were to me to be remembering the many mercies of the Lord in spite of whatever we may be going through, and being thankful to Him. ♡

"I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

Psalm 34:1

♡   ♡   ♡

This morning I read another blogger's post that mentioned about the great faithfulness and mercies of the Lord...and ever since, this song has been in my mind, which I'm thankful for! 

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, 

There is no shadow of turning with Thee. 

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not, 

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. 

REFRAIN:

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! 

Morning by morning new mercies I see. 

All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided; 

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. 

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

(REFRAIN)

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

(REFRAIN)

It has also been an encouragement to me in recent days to remember that our Lord reigns over all...and especially remembering how faithful and merciful He is! 

"The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof."

Psalm 97:1

Hope in the Lord

 

The Lord in His Word not only exhorts His people to hope in the Him...

but also tells us that the Lord Himself will be the hope of His people. I found this so comforting to think on tonight. Everything else around us is so changeable, with causes for worry, fear, etc. that's so easy to get my eyes on, but our God is able to deliver us even in the midst of these things around us, and cause our hope to be in Him. 

"On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, 

All other ground is sinking sand." 

 "The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot."

-Psalm 16:5

 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

-Romans 15:13

 Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

Psalms 31:24

"...Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God."

-Psalm 42:5b

Beauty in the Winter

Winter is not my favorite time of year...but I've been learning more things to appreciate about it.  One of those things, is simply how much it makes me appreciate spring. (smile) 

I do love it when it snows! It is so white and clean, and looks especially pretty when 

it glitters in the sunlight. It is always amazing to think of just how many snowflakes there are 

on the ground each it snows, and how God designed each one so unique. 

O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. -Psalm 104:24

 I took a walk by one of our perennial flower beds the other day, and it made me look forward to when they're growing again! If you can't tell, spring is most definitely my favorite season. :) 

Speaking of spring, I have been excited to be starting lots of seeds recently! This year 

I am growing quite a few different flowers and herbs that I have never tried before. 

I'm looking forward to seeing how they do. 

Do any of the rest of you like to start seeds early indoors? 

The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in His works.

Psalm 104:31

Then, Lord, shall I fully know...

 

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich,

yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty 

might be rich." -2 Corinthians 8:9

2 Corinthians 5:17   Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

  2 Corinthians 5:18   And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

  2 Corinthians 5:19   To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

  2 Corinthians 5:20   Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

  2 Corinthians 5:21   For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

-2 Corinthians 5:17-21

"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." 

Behold Who Hath Created These Things

 

 Isaiah 40:25   To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

  Isaiah 40:26   Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.

  Isaiah 40:27   Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

  Isaiah 40:28   Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding.

  Isaiah 40:29   He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.

-------------

I was thinking of these verses and wanted to share them here, but wasn't sure what to post with it until my mom mentioned it was a full moon tonight. I thought I would try to capture a few pictures. These rippled layer of clouds were passing over, somewhat hiding the moon, but I was able to get a few in between the clouds moving by. I hope and pray that these verses will be a blessing to you like they have been to me.  

It's Winter of A New Year

 I think most of us think the same each year, so perhaps it's a bit repetitious--but it's always hard to believe how quickly a year seems to go by. I'm still getting used to the thought that it's really 2022 now. In these winter days, I haven't had as much to post about, but hope all of my readers are doing well! 

I find it a thought of interest to consider one day in eternity there will be no more years as we know it now.

There will be no night there. Revelation 21:25

And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, Who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: 

-Revelation 10:5-6

ARE THERE NO YEARS IN HEAVEN?

-By Philip Phillips, 1868

Are there no years in Heaven?

No change of day and night?

No rolling seasons’ varied hues

To mark time’s onward flight?

No: Time itself must fade,

And New Years’ Days shall cease,

When all God’s children meet on high,

To hail the Prince of Peace.

His realm is endless rest,

And perfect holiness!

No cares shall cloud, no sorrow dim

That home of loveliness.

In His great name we raise

Our New Year’s song to Heaven;

To praise our Father’s boundless love,

And ask to be forgiven.

Savior, be Thou our trust,

Our daily, hourly friend;

Unite our hearts in love to Thee—

The love which knows no end.

So may our lives on earth

Made happy by Thy grace,

Be foretastes of a fairer home—

A heavenly dwelling place.

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

-Colossians 4:5

Favorite Flaky Biscuits Recipe

 

I've tried quite a few different biscuit recipes, and by far, this one has surpassed all of the ones I tried! 

I especially knew I had a good recipe when my brother (who normally is quite particular about his food) told me they taste so good, and asked me why I don't make them more often.  That may not sound like much, but it's a high compliment coming from him. 😄

 Your family might already have a favorite biscuit recipe that's just as good, but this has definitely become a new favorite for me. 

Here is the recipe:  

2 1/2 cups flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup milk (or buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 475. (I will make a note here, that unlike perhaps most other cooks...I almost never preheat my oven. However, for this recipe, I do believe this is important as it helps the biscuits cook more quickly, making them moist in the middle, and nice and crisp on the bottom). Freeze butter at least 30 minutes; frozen solid works best.  Grate butter, and mix with dry ingredients. Add milk, a little at a time, while tossing with a fork, until a ball of dough begins to form. Squeeze together, and pat dough into a thick rectangle (about an inch thick or so). Fold in half, and pat it down again. Repeat 4-6 times. (Note: I've been told this step of folding is important for making flaky biscuits, as it creates those noticeable layers that flake apart...and I definitely notice a big difference.) 

Flatten dough to about 3/4" thick, and cut with biscuit ring of desired size. (Or, if you have no biscuit cutter, you can do like me and just use a cup from your cupboard.) : ) 

Bake for 10-12 minutes. 

A verse for today: 

 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

-Psalm 111:10