A Masterpiece! That's you!

As promised in the New Year I would focus on Worship.  I didn't have ideas of what I would blog about at the time I chose worship as one of my seven focuses for 2014, all I knew was I intend to spend more time being thankful and in prayer and conversation with God.

Healthy living is what brought me to my recent purchase of a small book called "The New Bible Cure for Weight Loss"  It caught my eye - - - two of my focuses in one book - - - worship/Bible study along with weight loss ideas!  

So to share with you I start today with my notable point from the Introduction of this book . . .

Have you been to see the movie "Noah"?  I want to go and I heard the director interviewed on CBS this morning.  He called it the most "nonbiblical biblical production".  The movie is taking a hit for not being completely factual.  I say that I know the real story and can go to the movie and discern the differences . . . but this isn't a movie critique column . . . so let me try to make a point :).

You are God's Masterpiece . . . if you think about our Creator and what power it took to create this world and everything in it - every creature in air, land and sea, animals, flowers, plants, solar systems, and people . . . the determination God felt when he sent the flood to destroy evil . . . guess what?  He has the power and desire to help me overcome my lifelong battle with overeating!     We humans in all of our messed up glory are his best work!  He created us because he wanted someone who could love him back.

That statement alone - the introduction to the book - I Am God's Masterpiece - was the reminder that I needed to spur me onward.  I felt renewed and inspired to eat basically the right things in the right portion and celebrated with a 3 pound weight loss as of this morning!

Your exercise for today:  Close your eyes and see yourself for one moment with no imperfections, no bondage to anything, no shortcomings . . . Imagine your body as lean and healthy as it could possibly be.  What do you look like?  How do you feel?   God imagines us that way, sees us that way, and designed us to be that way . . . He wants what is best for us.

Join me in the next few weeks as I read about the Bible Cure for weight loss and share my lessons from scripture on the importance of nutrition and how God intended us to eat and be healthy . . . how to live an abundant life.

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" John 10:10

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." -Prov. 31:30

Readathon Wrap-Up

It will be known as the Sisters Readathon and it was great!   Anyone making it til 5 p.m. earned a special I Did It Award - and so Tami Erwin you may pick one from this picture:

All purple - - - your almost favorite color

Avon's Lilac Candle

Eye shadow - Orchid and Burgundy Berry

The new lavendar tote - with adjustable compartments - that hold all of your personal items for the bathroom!

Avon's Magnolia Pear Blossom Bubble Bath

Thanks for joining in the fun with me!

Welcome to my readathon . . .

Good early morning!  There are two things I dearly love to do on a Saturday . . . sleep in . . . and join a readathon!    This time the readathon wins - but I admit I may have to take a short nap later in the day.

If you are joining me for a day of reading fun - leave me a comment and check back every two hours for an update, challenging question, or maybe even a prize now and then!!  See my choice of these below!!

7 a.m. - coffee is done - - - let's do a little reading . . .

Question for you:  What did you choose to read today and why?  Do you have a reading goal for today?

Reading benefits a person in so many ways . . . and today you could add the benefit of winning one of these!!

    ITUNES Gift Card

or

 

    Avon Gift Certificate

Is a Readathon of 1 truly a readathon?

What do you think?  Maybe that would just be a day spent reading at home . . . But I think I shall try it anyway . . . I am inviting all of my readers to join me this Saturday, March 15 in a Spring Day of Reading.  Okay - so she's crazy you say - - - having a Spring Readathon and it will still be six days from official Spring.  I have Spring Fever!!

One of my focuses for 2014 is reading.   My sister Tami and I sponsored a mini-readathon earlier in the year for just the two of us and have moved forward with three books so far in the T & T Book Club.    If you will remember we each picked our own book to read in January and I still have not completed the book sorry to say  . . . the next month Tami chose for us both to read a Sarah Addison Allen book - - - I have yet to find one - but I did get a free bookbub choice this last week by her and plan to read it this weekend!  The March book was chosen by me and was a book given to me by a dear friend as a bon voyage gift on our recent trip to the Caribbean.  It is a feel good, pick it up and read-it-any time, beach side or patio, fun read!  It's called Life is Short, Wear Your Party Pants!!  I intend to finish it soon - but it is just one of those books that are really great to carry with you or stop and rest and read a chapter or two - - - I'm in no hurry to finish it . . . it is great!!

So as you can see - I NEED a planned day of reading so that I can catch up!

Another plan that I have to enrich my reading this year is to be part of a reading challenge sponsored by a friend on her blog called The Worm Hole - check it out here.  Her challenge includes reading a book from different categories and it sounds very interesting - for instance - read a book that includes a reference to time in the title . . .

So - - - here is the plan - - - I will be up at the crack of dawn for coffee and devotions and I hope you can join me!!   Please leave a comment below if you can participate and I will be thrilled!!  I will put up a short let's get started post Sat. at 7 a.m. and I will check in every two hours with a fun challenge or discussion question for you!  Since I'm not real good with all the technicalities of a real readathon I will just have you leave comments and answers to the challenges on my post throughout the day.  We will keep it easy and informal.    I will draw for a prize at the end of the day  . . 7 p.m.

Happy Reading!

  

Needlework Tuesday

Needlework Tuesday is sponsored by Heather at Books and Quilts, and I enjoy checking in to see what she and sister Tami are doing in their amazing sewing centers.  Now I have visited Tami's sewing center and I love it!  Private, roomy, quiet, comfortable, and neatly organized!  I'm sure Heather has the same.  This week I'm throwing in my projects for the week.

#1 - Prayer flags.

This flag represents my prayer for my youngest granddaughter as she goes through changes in her life soon.  Prayers for her to be protected and have peace in her heart.

     Proverbs 4: 20-23:

                 My son, pay attention to what I say;
                      turn your ear to my words.
21                           Do not let them out of your sight,
                               keep them within your heart;
22                                   for they are life to those who find them
                                      and health to one’s whole body.
23                                          Above all else, guard your heart,
                                             for everything you do flows from it.

I also created a flag for my best friend, Rebecca, and although hubs said he couldn't tell the one shape was of a car - I still wave the flag proudly - and use it to remind me to pray for her needs.  Purchasing a new car and other family concerns are represented on this smaller flag.

 

 Our basement landing may seem like a strange place to hang the flags - but actually - it is a place that both of us frequent several times a day - - - letting the doggy out back - brings us right to this little prayer corner and as we head to the basement for an evening of TV - again we can be reminded to say a prayer!    

I love the idea of the prayer flags and kudos to Tami for introducing me to those!   I love it that she can hang hers outdoors - where truly the breezes can carry the prayers upwards!!

Check how this all began here on her blog, Just One More Thing.

#2 - Prayer quilts - MINI - quilts that is!

Another great idea that came through sis Tami and a friend of hers who was making hundreds of them to send with a missionary.  I know you have probably all heard of prayer quilts - blanket size or lap size - but these cute little mini's are perfect for so many uses!!

Here are some of mine that I got done this last weekend - I found that I love cutting with my board and rotary cutter!!!  These are made of four 2.5" squares sewn together and then sewn to a backing piece - making a "quilt" that is 4.5" big!!  And prayerfully placed inside each "quilt" is a cross!  At the moment I am waiting on my crosses, 144 of them, to arrive.    Now you may wonder what will I do with mine, but I plan to give them to my friends as I see that they have a special prayer need, or I will tuck one in a get well card, or even a birthday or anniversary card!     I have an Avon business also, and it might be nice to slip one in an order now and then to let my customers know that I am praying for them.    I want my grandchildren to each have one.  And, after that, well I don't know - - - but they sure are fun to make!!

Blessings in a relaxing weekend spent sewing and crafting . . . 

Snow snow go away . . .

What would keep someone up until 3:30 a.m. on a Friday night when earlier in the evening I could hardly stay awake???

This will surprise you if you know me well - but the answer is "sewing" . . . shocking right ?

Actually I have been doing some reorganizing of bathroom cupboards and kitchen cupboards.  I took down the last signs of winter in my home - my little Christmas red bird and my winter/Christmas cloth moose.  I want spring and more directly summer to arrive!  

So much so that I hung my spring wreath on the front door.  

Many of my friends and fellow blogger friends are so amazingly talented and they show us their projects and I am amazed that these already-busy women find the time - make the time to sew and craft and decorate.    And that's a good thing Martha!

As I mentioned above I hung my spring wreath - it was a project that I did last spring and one that I found here on Pinterest.

I FEEL better just knowing it is hanging there all bright and cheery!

Now back to the sewing - Have you heard of prayer flags?  You can google it - but my sister Tami is the one who told me about them.  She has been making several - for her children, her father-in-law, etc.   I am presently working on one for my youngest granddaughter.  She will soon be moving to a new town and a new school and my prayer for her is that God watch over her and protect her heart.  

The idea about prayer flags is to construct a flag  -  (and there are no special rules on size, shape, or color, etc) - that represents the person you are praying for or your prayer for them.  Then you can hang it outside and "let the breezes lift your prayers to heaven".  I like that thought.  

After 3 failed attempts - I started all over tonight!  And I'm very pleased with how it looks.  Now tomorrow I will hone in on the exact scripture verse I will add to it - and then get further instructions from the creative one in the family.  Tami suggests some kind of iron on bonding stuff?? to attach the different materials and embellishments to the flags.  

Well its time for bed for me - - - or is it time to get up???  Luckily it's a weekend!!!  So I will be sleeping in a bit and then up to enjoy coffee, devotions and hopefully NOT a blizzard!  Have a great weekend!