30 Days of Thankfulness~ Day 5

Here is a song that I've always liked to sing around Thanksgiving, although it's on Josh Groban's Christmas CD.  Please remember to turn off the music on the bottom of the page before you listen to the song.

"Thankful" by Josh Groban...

Have a wonderful Sunday! :-)

30 Days of Thankfulness~ Day 4

For my "30 Days of Thankfulness" post today, I'm going to share one of my favorite verses about thankfulness...   

Picture is from Google images...

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

~Colossians 3:15-17

Have a wonderful Saturday afternoon everyone!  I'm off to go visit with my Aunt Cathy and Uncle Allen from South Carolina.  They're going to be at our house any second.  :)

30 Days of Thankfulness~ Day 3

Today something that I'm thankful for is the family that God has given me.  God has given me a wonderful mom, dad, older sister, and a little brother.  They love me so much and I love them!  They may not be perfect, but God has placed me with them.  We might not always get along, but we are a team and we stick together through good times and bad times.  I love my family so very much and I definitely wouldn't trade them for the world!!

Many Blessings,

30 Days of Thankfulness- Day 2

It's the second day of "30 Days of Thankfulness", so it's time to post something else that I'm thankful for...

I'm thankful for the fact that my Lord loves me so unconditionally and delights over me.  He says it right here in one of my favorite verses... 

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." ~Zephaniah 3:17

How can you not love our God?!  He is always with you, always there to save you, He takes great delight in each of His children, He quiets us with his love, and HE rejoices over us with singing!  How awesome is that?!! 

Have a wonderful evening! :-)

30 Days of Thankfulness- Day 1

Modesty is Next to Beauty is hosting a 30 Days of Thankfulness Challenge, which starts today and ends on November 25 (Thanksgiving Day).  It is always a good idea to be thankful for what the Lord has blessed you with, especially those of us who are Christian.  God has given us so many blessings that it would be very ungrateful not to thank Him for them!  I'm going to try to find 30 things that I'm thankful for even if I'm not having a good day out of the thirty that I'll be posting.  Well, I might schedule a few of them for you all.  *wink*  Would you like to join me and the other bloggers that are participating? 

All you have to do is post something you're thankful for, or something that is pertaining to thankfulness, such as a poem, a special song, a picture taken by you, or a painting, or simply a bible verse to which you are thankful for that has helped you. :-) 

Anyway, for my first post I will have to say that I am VERY thankful for God's beautiful creation!  God has put so much beauty around us on earth, especially the beautiful trees this time of year.  Here are a few pictures of the beautiful trees in my backyard...

Speaking of beautiful creation... I saw my first double rainbow the other day! It was INCREDIBLE, although I didn't have my camera with me to take any pictures. I was so glad I was blessed to see it! :-)

Ahhh...simply beautiful. :-)

Have a wonderful afternoon, everyone!  :-)

Many Blessings,

Praise Reports- My Mommy

I just wanted to update everyone that has been praying for mom this year.  She had a CT scan last week to see how the cancer tumor is shrinking and she went for the results yesterday. 

Anyway, the CT scan shows the tumor is SHRINKING!!!!!!!!  Praise the Lord!  Her doctor is very pleased because he can actually see where the chemo is working on her left scapula and healing it.  That area has not been hurting her in a long time, so that must be why.  Also, praise the Lord that there is nothing new seen on the CT of the chest!

She also had her third chemo treatment yesterday and that went well.  Oh, and she was also able to get the PICC line removed so now she has her left arm back in full use.  Another wonderful praise!  :)

She is going back on Friday to get a shot of Neulasta which is the same shot that she had last month after chemo.  It's the one that boosts white platelets so she doesn't end up in the hospital again.

There was mention yesterday at the doctor's office that she might begin radiation sooner than later so please be praying about that.  Pray that there will be minimal side effects from it too.  The area they will be radiating is near the esophagus and she has heard of people having trouble with radiation in that area.  She is going to be getting low doses of radiation for 15 days.

Another praise is that she has been able to use less pain medicine.  This also shows us that the chemo is working throughout the body to heal it.

Thank you again for your faithful prayers!  Rejoice with us about this good news!  God is good!  We were looking a little gloomy last week because we didn't know what the CT scan results were going to show, but now we're back on a trusting in Him track.  We are going to get through this, but only with God's help.  :)

Love,

Miscellany Monday...

1.  I love taco soup!  We've had it twice in the last two weeks.  It doesn't get old to my family.  I'll post the recipe soon.  :)

2.  Today's temperature is 63 degrees and it's simply beautiful!  It's sunny, a little breezy, and the colors on the trees make it all the more delightful.  I <3 this season, don't you?

3.  School was back in session this morning after a fun weekend.  We had Andrew's soccer game on Saturday, and then Sunday afternoon Sarah-Anne and Clark came over after church.  Sarah-Anne and I worked on a secret project in the sewing corner in the sun room.  We also made a little video of our crazy sewing adventures. *wink*

Andrew has been working so hard on his school these past few weeks.  He is a great student and he really loves to learn.  I love my brother and I'm so thankful for his friendship.  He makes my life very interesting sometimes, but life would be dull without him.  :)

4.  I had a Mocha Frappe the other day from Micky Dee's (McDonald's).  It was almost as good as a Java Chiller from Sonic...but, that's just an almost.  :)

5.  This is really random, but I love candles in general.  They just make me feel so cozy inside!  When I have a house of my own someday, I'm definitely going to put lots of candles around in different rooms.  Pumpkin candles are really great this time of year.  :)

6. We have successfully changed our clothes over from Spring/Summer to the Fall/ Winter clothes.  That was such a relief to finally have that job over with.

7.  I've been taking lots of different pictures of the leaves, trees, mums, and anything that has to do with "fall" lately.  I love having a camera that takes such clear shots and I have been trying to shoot in the different modes lately and not just..."Auto mode" all the time.  Here are some of my recent shots:

Pretty leaves...

8.  Katie and I have our third Bible study tomorrow!  I'm getting very excited about it too because the book of Psalms is so amazing to me.  We are studying the Psalms of Accent together with a group of girls at my friend, Anna's house every other Tuesday night.  We have a wonderful time studying the Word together and this year Sarah-Anne and Moriah get to come join us! 

Have a wonderful Monday, everyone! School, laundry, and some cleaning up of my room are on the "to do list" for the day.  What do you all have planned for this beautiful fall day?

In Christ,

Driver's Ed- Driving Experiences

I meant to do this post yesterday, but I never got around to actually sitting down and typing out what was in my head, so now it's time to tell you all a little about my experiences with driving last week.  


Wednesday, I was a little nervous because I didn't know what to expect, who I would drive with, where we would go, how I would drive, and what I would do while the other student was driving.  That all changed when one of my best friends, Anna, called me right before I was at the school (where we had to meet the instructor) to try to calm my nerves and let me know that she was praying for me.  It really meant a lot to me because I know she has a very busy life right now as she is at college and the load of homework and studying it huge where she is, but while she was washing her clothes at the laundry mat, she called to encourage me.  It really helped me too.  I was also encouraged by lots of other friends and blogging friends that day and all through Friday.   Anyway, Wednesday went pretty well after I got used to my surroundings and learned how to control the car.  My instructor was a retired man and although he didn't say much except, "turn right at the next road," or "now you can put your head lights on."  He was okay and he didn't make me feel bad about homeschooling, which was good.  Some of my friends had that issue on top of learning how to drive, so I'm very thankful that I didn't have that to deal with too.   

"Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal." ~Isaiah 26:4 

I spent Wednesday driving all around the country/ rural areas and a little bit of "in town" driving.  Thursday, I drove in the country, a lot in the city, and on the highway and Friday, I drove around in subdivisions, the country some more, the highway, and the city during the 5:00 traffic.   It wasn't so bad when I was driving the car, but when the other student was driving around...I was really bored in the back seat.  It was also really boring because the other student that drove when I wasn't driving, drove around reeeaaallyyy slow, but I guess it could have been worse.  So, there you have it.  I passed the driving test and it wasn't so bad after all.  I'm so glad to have that behind me!  :)

"I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.  The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." ~Psalm 121

Thank you all for your encouraging words and prayers for me!  They definitely helped me get through those days.  Now, I can go get my permit at the DMV after I take a little 25 question test.  Thanks for praying!!!

Sewing Fun- Hats for Romania

Remember when I posted about the hats I was making for kids in Romania HERE?  Well, last week I got together with my sweet friend, Moriah and we finished the hats we were making for orphanage.  I had so much fun making these hats and I’d like to say thank you again to my lovely friend, Eden for making this project happen for all of the 24 girls that participated in this project.

Yesterday, my very awesome sister, Katie went into town and mailed the hats for us, so I hope they get there in time.  It makes me so happy to have been able to make something for these children and I hope that they will be blessed to receive them.  Even though the past few months have been busy around here, Moriah, and I were able to make 15 hats all together!  It’s been such a blessing to be able to make warm hats for the poor children in Botosani, Romania!  I’m glad that we were able to use our talents to help others.

Here are some pictures I took while Moriah and I were sewing the other day:

Cute little posies that Moriah made.  :)

The unfinished hats...(Not for long, though!)

Beautiful Moriah....

Did I mention how much I love this picture? 

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Here are a few pictures of that hats that I made....(Moriah is going to post about her experience with sewing/ pictures of her hats soon on her own blog.)

Have a wonderful day, ladies!  :)

Prayer Request: Driver's Ed: Driving w/ the Instructor

Good morning! 

I just have a quick prayer request for you all.  Today, tomorrow, and Friday afternoon I will be doing my driving part of Driver's Education with an instructor.   I'm not so nervous about the actual "learning how to drive the car" part, but I just want to be able to pass the test and have confidence while driving the car.   

So, that's where you all come into the scene.   Would you please be praying for me to remember everything that I learned this summer at the class and that the Lord will help me pass this test without any problems.  Also, please pray that I will get a really good instructor that is patient with me, helps me learn, is really nice, (maybe, even a Christian) and that I will be safe in the car with the other student driver as well.  I know that this is just something that I have to do in life and I know the Lord wouldn't give me something that I can't handle if He didn't think I was ready for the test, but I just want to pass the test, so my parents will be able to teach me more about driving after I get my permit.  So, if you see a "Student Driver" driving around Eastern NC today, tomorrow, or Friday afternoon it might actually be yours truly...so watch out!  I'm kidding, I don't think I'll be a dangerous driver.  I think.  Haha!  :)

These are the times that I'll be driving this week that I need the most prayer:
~Today- 3:30- 7:30pm.
~Tomorrow- 3:30- 7:30pm.
~Friday- 3:30- 7:30pm.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support!  You all mean so much to me and I know I can count on you to lift me up in prayer.  Thank you for being there.   I'll try to post an update before this weekend, but I'll definitely let you know how it goes later on.  :)

Have a wonderful week!

Some Exciting News...

I'm sorry I haven't posted all week, but as you can probably guess, I've been too busy.  I really don't like using that as an excuse anymore, seeing as how 'busy' the norm is now.  I'll try to do better.  :-)

Anyway, it's time to tell you some exciting news that happened to me.  About a week and a half ago I found out that I won a giveaway over at Pioneer Beauty.   I had entered a giveaway at her blog a couple of weeks ago for $100 at Marie Madeline Studio, but I found out that I wasn't the winner for that.   I had congratulated the winners because I've always thought it's nice to say how happy you are for someone who wins something.  I would want the same from someone else, if I was the one blessed with something, wouldn't you? :-)


Well, the other afternoon when I checked my email (like every normal day).  I saw an email address that I didn't reconize, so I opened it, glanced over it and then stopped as my eyes saw... 


"I just wanted to let you know that you won a $50.00 gift certificate to Marie-Madeline Studio from Pioneer Beauty...It was a Special Giveaway for the 12 people that left a "Congratulations" comment on the original $100.00 giveaway..."

What a pleasant surprise that was!  I was thinking to myself, "Oh, my goodness!  I have always wanted to win something or buy something from Marie Madeline Studio, but it's actually going to come true now!  This can't be the right Emily, can it?"  I was simply overjoyed and I am so thankful that I got picked from Mrs. Angelina's special drawing.  


I was so excited that I had to go check out the lovely Long Ladies website (right after I ran into the kitchen and told Mom and Katie) and find the "perfect items" to buy with this blessing.  After lots of "window shopping" online, I decided to get a Custom Chic Sister's Apron and a Summer Shade Jumper pattern.   I quickly emailed the Long Ladies to order my size pattern and told them what fabrics I would like for my apron.  After some corresponding with them for a few days, I received my order on Monday morning.  I was so excited to find a yellow envelope from "Marie Madeline Studio" that I even took a quick picture of it.  Although, I was so excited to actually see my order that I didn't get the best picture...

(This picture was definitely for all of you because I was like a little kid in a candy store when I saw this package and I seriously wanted to tear it open very quickly.  Haha!).  I think this is "blog worthy", don't you?  :-)

A pretty pink package and one of my very favorite patterns.  I'm so excited to actually make my own cute jumper.   I'll make sure to take pictures of it when I've finished it, but first I have a few other projects to finish. 

This is my adorable (and very well made) "Chic Sister's Apron" made by my very good friends, The Long Ladies. 

 

I seriously would love to meet these very special ladies one day. They are super sweet and they know how to make their packages, products, and little notes inside the package- very special.  I loved the whole thing!  :-) 

Thank you so much ladies for giving me such a huge blessing (The Long Ladies and Mrs. Angelina)!  Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and enjoy the cooler weather!  I'm off to Andrew's first soccer game tomorrow morning.  Yes, and it's going to be about 52 degrees outside too.  Oh, what I do to be a good sister and I sure hope he appreciates it.  :-)

Goodnight!

My New Boots...

These are my adorable new brown boots that I got today when we went shopping.  I only had to pay $22.99 & they were $60.00 regular.  Oh, yes!!  I love them so much, don't you?  I've been looking for some boots for about two years, so I'm really excited about these. What do you think, ladies?

I know this is a very random post, but I'm just so excited about them.  Anyway, I hope you have all had a wonderful (and very beautiful) day.  It was 64 degrees here and we actually had some gorgeous sunshine!  We had a wonderful day.  :)

Blessings,

A Peek Into Our Sister's Lives- Emily Case

Are you ready for another "A Peek Into Our Sister's Lives" interview?  Well, I've got another encouraging one for this month!  Oh, and since so many of you commented and said you would love to see an interview every month, I've decided to start right after this interview.  Do you have any suggestions for the next lovely lady? Please comment and let me know. :-) 

This month I had the privilege to interview the lovely, Emily Case from Old Country Cottage and My Life Belongs to Him.  She is such an inspiration to me and I'm sure you will love getting to know her too.  Here we go with the questions and prepare yourself because it's a little long this time.  Enjoy ladies!  :-) 

Emily N:  Would you please share a little about your family and where you fit in?

Emily C: My family consists of my parents, my brother (20), and myself (18). My parents had Cody and I later in life, and weren’t convicted of Genesis 1:28 until we were in our teens, and by then, it was a little too late to continue growing our family. So my mom always says she’s waiting for grandchildren now ;) Lord willing, it won’t be too long!

Emily N: Could you share a brief summary of a “normal” day at your house?

Emily C:  Normal?  What is this normal you speak of? ;)  For the most part, a normal day around the house involves keeping up on dishes, laundry & cleaning, and I try to get some handiwork (knitting, crocheting, sewing) and music in every day as well.  We only have 2 cats, so I don’t have a lot of work to do with pets.

My dad and my brother are both firefighters, so our schedule is not like most families’.  They’re on duty for 24 hours, and off for 48.  And they don’t work the same day either!  So we only get one day out of three with both of them home.  It makes it hard to schedule things sometimes, but we’re so thankful they both have jobs they love!

I also have an Etsy store that I’ve recently revised and moved to a new name.  I plan to be keeping up with that and I’m working on projects that I hope to have finished in time to list them for Christmas shoppers!

Emily N: I know you like photography, so do you see yourself taking pictures for clients on the side one day or is it just a hobby for you?  You take some gorgeous pictures and I hope I might be able to take some like you in the future.

Emily C: Thank you!  Yes, I’ve already had a few side jobs, and I’ve got a couple more in the planning stages.  I see it as a great way to bless others, while getting to do what I love, and saving for my future!

Emily N: I love reading all about your sewing (and quilting) projects on your blogs.  They really are beautiful!  How did you come to be such a seamstress?  Did you learn from your mom?

Emily C: I learned some from my mom, and some from friends (and I still have a lot to learn).  I got my first little sewing machine for my birthday when I was 11(?), but that didn’t take me far.  Just last year I got my first “real” sewing machine and I’ve been in love with it.  Before that, mom and I would get together with the Hope ladies, and we would have a great time sewing together, making historical costumes for different conferences and events!

Emily N: Would you consider yourself more of a modern young lady or old-fashioned?  Why?


Emily C: I would like to consider myself old-fashioned, but not in every area of my life.  My favorite style of clothing is definitely the 30’s-50’s, but there are certain modern things (like indoor plumbing and computers) that I really enjoy.  Not to say I can’t live without them!  It’s just if they’re there, I’m going to use them ;)  Nonetheless, I definitely have an appreciation for the hard work our ancestors went through every day for the things we so easily do today!

Emily N: I know you just graduated this year, so I thought of a perfect question that I know we all would love to hear. How did you like homeschooling and what did you do during your last year of school?

Emily C: I couldn’t imagine schooling any other way. I’m so thankful to God for convicting my parents to homeschool my brother and I, and thankful to my parents for listening to the Holy Spirit. There are so many reasons to homeschool, so I’m not even going to get into it right now, or I’d fill up the page!

In my last year of schooling, my brother had been done with school for a year, and my mom was able to really focus on me. We took a serious look at what I needed to learn before I married and had kids. Once I’m married (Lord willing, of course), I won’t have near as much time to spend on learning how to cook, clean, and successfully run a household filled with children! We did a lot of practical things pertaining to homemaking and real life.


Emily N: What are some books that you would recommend to the other girls that have helped you to grow in your walk with the Lord?

Emily C: Three books that have blessed me are So Much More by Anna Sofia & Elizabeth Botkin, "The Family" by J.R. Miller, and "Preparing to be a Help Meet" by Debi Pearl.

"So Much More" is the book that helped confirm my convictions to be more modest, more ladylike, and more Christ-centered. It also taught me ways to do that.

"The Family" is a great book that has helped me further understand, appreciate and love the different roles of the family from a biblical perspective.

"Preparing to be a Help Meet" is the version of Created to be His Help Meet for the unmarried. It has given very practical advice and instruction on how I should treat my unmarried years, and how I should be preparing for marriage.

Emily N: Where do you find most of your clothing? Do you have any favorite (modest and cute) shops online that you can share with us?

Emily C: To be honest... thrift shops!  I’ll tell you one thing, I rarely pay full price for anything.  No, it’s not always easy to find cute things from the thrift stores, but it is very possible!  Often times I find long skirts and feminine blouses at Belk, and they have sales all the time.  I’ve been sitting here thinking, and I’m realizing that most of my closet is filled with thrift store finds.  Another store I like is Christopher & Banks. They have modest, feminine, and cute things, but not always great prices. Shop the sale racks ladies! :D

Emily, thank you so much for interviewing me! I really enjoyed answering your questions. It gave me a chance to step back and look at what’s going on in my life right now and thank God for where He has me.

Emily N:  So, what did you think about the lovely, Emily Case?  I think she is pretty amazing myself.   Share your thoughts in the comment section below girls.  Thank you for letting me interview you, Emily!  You have encouraged me so much and I'm sure others were greatly encouraged as well. :-)

Blessings,