Noisy Disciples?

"If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Luke 19:40

There is a tension in most of us between giving our all to God and maintaining our dignity in the eyes of the world. We are urged by Jesus and by the written Word to love God with everything that is in us--our minds, our hearts, our souls, everything. Sometimes this love will take the form of a loud voice (Psalm 33:3, 47:1), and sometimes it will take the form of an unpopular stand. Either way, we're often out of step with the world.

The crowd of disciples in this passage (Luke 19:37-40) are praising God for all things Jesus has done. These disciples are loud. They're perhaps inappropriate in this particular social setting. ...But Jesus doesn't seem concerned with their volume, their defiance of social expectations, or their controversial theology. They are doing what human beings were created to do--praise God.

The unbelieving world will expect us to keep our beliefs to ourselves, or at the very least--if we must be Christians in public--be dignified about it. But we don't live according to the world's expectations. We live according to God's. And what are God's expectations for us? There may be many answers, but at least one-the main one- is our wholehearted worship. God WILL be praised. If we don't fulfill or purpose in worship, He'll raise up stones to do it. But He will be glorified by His creation.

From time to time, we need to ask ourselves who we're trying to please. Are we living to keep the world happy and ruffle as few feather as possible? Or is God our only audience? Jesus and His disciples ruffled feathers because they pursued God with wholehearted devotion and single-minded purpose. So must we.

Luke 19:37-40

"The great thing, and the only thing, is to adore and praise God."

Thomas Merton

well...those were part of my nightly devotions last night. it hit my heart..seemed like the reminder and encouragement i need in the world we're in. Just thought I'd share.

Have a blessed day.

He is Lord!

project...in the works!

This Mothers Day is going to be my daughters first. I was thinking about what i could do to make it special.

She had commented several days ago that the scrappy bag with the yoyo embellishment was her favorite ....so my brain started....and wouldn't stop. I made her a big diaper bag for her shower, but it always seems to be overflowing and she can never find what she is looking for. So i'm color coding pockets, making tethers for keys and her wristlet...velcroing' everything...and still working, it's HUGE. (just to give you an idea 15 1/2" x 24" and will have a give inch gusset)

Oh yeah...best part...the yellow checked fabric is an awesome weight cotton table cloth i bought at a church yard sale this weekend for two dollars! Gotta love a deal :)

What do you think so far?

Package from KIM!!

I love getting mail....and WOW did i get a wonderful package today from Kim. She has been my partner before and currently is my partner in two swaps. The swaps are selected randomly so that's really a odd occurrence that she would get my name so many times...but I'm soooo the lucky one. Below are my treasures from the pouch swap and the coaster swap. Love love love thanks KIM @ http://www.littlegreenbees.co.uk/
Below are a few goodies I made for a colleague of my daughters. I particularly like the bunny. That pattern is from the Herbst @ ETSY. I seem to like every thing that she does...she designed the bunny slippers I made for Easter baskets too.


Have a wonderful weekend!

giveaway & a birthday

Its' Jen's birthday and she is giving away a delcious apron!!!

You have to love a birthday celebration where we get the present...anyway...go over and leave her a happy birthday wish :)

By the way her blog ...love this name...Diamonds, Fur & Laundry. (i've got one out of three...how about you?)

Have a terrific Thursday!

A wonderful day!

Most gorgeous baby ever received a special gift today. I've been hosting a swap at swapbot called a bib and a burp. This lovely package came to us from Wendy in the Netherlands. She sent such a fabulous package..not only the bib and the burp but look at that adorable toy! You can check out Wendy's blog @ http://mamaencas.blogspot.com/



I wasn't unable to leave yesterdays purse ALONE....so after an evening and part of today....take a look and see what you think...a little embellishment here...a little sparkle there...a few vintage buttons and...a little embroidery...SO FUN!!!

Hope you had a fabulous day!

Another tuesday...another purse

I know...how many purses do i need?....

Well...actually, I usually carry the same purse until its too full & tooooo heavy with all my treasures :0 But I LOVE to make purses. There is something so completable about them. (is completable a word???) You know what i mean. You can start and finish within some reasonable time frame...and then when you get finished you have something you can use. That's me...miss practical...wow can I spin a new purse!

Last year I don't know how many handbags I gave as gifts...but my friends and family are probably hiding around purse giving, I'm mean, holiday time this year!

Less I digress...over the weekend i started a scrappy SWEET PEA TOTE. I also say this every week...but I think this is my favorite bag. I'm all about scrappiness (is that a word??..oh goodness) I should call this my "green" purse...vintage table cloth, vintage bedspread, re purposed cotton (great Nordstrom shirt from Hubby-shhh don't tell him) and then added some of my favorite fabrics.

For those of you looking for a great, easy pattern...ohlala this is it. There are a few steps with the machine quilting on the front of the purse...but worth it for the look! The instructions are very clear, great step by step pictures. This lady can sure write a pattern and at the end also gives you her email for any questions. There is nothing more you could ask from a pattern..style, ease, clarity and functionality (i that a word?) I rate this pattern 5 our of 5 spools of thread!

Hopefully this is helpful to both your desire for a new pattern and your need to learn new words...probably words I'm making up to suit the occasion but .."new" non the less!!! :)

Tried sewing anything new lately?

We have a winner!!!!!

It's a dark,dreary rainy Monday here in the nations Capitol, but hopefully someone's day is about to get a little brighter....

drum roll please xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

the winner is

#74 Celeste

Thanks to all you wonderful, simply fantastic, sweet ladies who signed up to play! I've enjoyed this so much...i'm working on giveaway #2. So keep checking in and maybe next time it will be YOU!

blessings Shelia ;)

A day of rest....

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name;

Worship the Lord in holy array.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;

The God of glory thunders,

The Lord is over many waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful,

The voice of the Lord is majestic.

Psalms 29:2-4

Be still and know

Slipper tutorial

Shabby Raggy Roses has a wonderful tutorial for you just in time for Mothers Day. I think these are just lovely.

Last day for the purse giveaway!

I'm so excited to see where i'm going to be sending a package of goodies. For those of you who haven't signed up...check out my blog entry on April 3rd and leave a comment there! Entry cut off is midnight on the 19th.

Good luck everyone!!

Have a great weekend...

I'm already thinking about what to make as my next giveaway!!

momma, emy & me

I couldn't let a full week go by without a picture of my grand baby. (oh goodness...i have become one of those REALLY obnoxious grandparents...but look at her..how could i not :)

This is a quick shot taken at home this Easter. I had a wonderful time. Anytime i can have all my baby chicks, my SIL's and my parents in one place...Steve and I are happy campers!

I hope this weekend brings you many moments with people you love, doing things you love to do!

blessings shelia

**I'm actually MUCH thinner in real life :)

A sweetheart of a purse!

I love learning something new...yesterday I gave into my impulse to start a NEW project. (instead of finishing up one of the other two dozen i have started)

So another bag review today. I used a pattern from Keyka Lou. I have used her patterns many times before but this purse was new to me. I have resisted because of the inset zipper pocket YIKES...but not to fear...it was..dare i say...EASY!

The sweetheart shopper is a nice size bag for "normal" people. I personally like suitcase size purses. But this is really a great bag...and perfect for spring.

Keyka Lou writes patterns very clear. In fact, by way of review..i wish i'd have read it thru first. (i get a little excited and jump right in!!!) But i think it turned out well... i'm not happy with the button... it's coming off and a larger covered button going on...i think...what do you think?

I think a third pattern, large covered button...but HELP! I'd love a second, third...you get it...i need some opinions!

Have a fabulous day!

This IS the day that the Lord has made.

Another adorable giveaway to check out!

Tollipop

Check out this fabulous giveaway...so many fun things out there to win and such creative people to check out!!!

http://www.tollipop.com/

If for some reason i don't win...i hope you do :)

Rainy days & my sewing machine!

I had a lovely day yesterday...me & my machine. I finished many projects and hope to tackle a couple more today. It was a great rainy day...grab a cup of tea, put a fire in the fireplace, attired in those lovely sweatpants...you know the ones with the holes, too short, paint on them and the elastic waist is shot...ohhh love...comfy and ready to sew!

I have a few things i SHOULD finish..but i'm having one of those...LETS START SOMETHING NEW DAYS!!! Anyone else out there in blogland struggle to stay on task?

I love to sew...but the cold hard truth is...I LIKE IT ALL. In fact when i was in college i was a craft major. I know, can you imagine how happy my parents were to spend their money to send their daughter to college to weave! !!!

Well.......i also painted, pottery, jewelry making, spinning, toy making, basket weaving...I know FUN!!!! A little like being sent away to summer camp :) but i LOVED IT!!!

So yesterday..i made a pair of earrings to go with a pouch swap i started over a swapbot. I always like to throw in a little surprise. I think they turned out pretty cute..in fact i'm wearing another pair right now! :)

Also i finished up a coaster swap...made some matching napkins for those. Part of the fun is trying to figure out what your swap partner would like. She likes prims and country...hope she likes these!

A couple of extras for the blu bag that sold....a makeup bag & key fob (could be attached together to make a smart little "to go" bag)

Finished up the makeup bag for the giveaway!!!

Almost time...i'm so excited to see who wins. So many of you have entered and left such sweet messages. Thanks Ladies!

If you still haven't signed up...just leave me a message on my April 3rd blog.

Have a wonderful day.

I love presents. Check out these giveaways!!!

A quilting life is giving away this fabulous bag to celebrate her 100th post. Congrats!!
http://aquiltinglife.blogspot.com/

And over at Tozz's corner. She is giving way a whole bundle of goodies. Who doesn't love getting packages in the mail....:)

I'm feeling lucky...how about you...check them out and maybe you'll get lucky too !

http://tozzscorner.blogspot.com/

My lilacs are BLOOMING!!!!

I'm not much of a gardener...love the flowers, herbs and such. Just can't say that i get that doe eyed look others get when they talk about pulling weeds. (same thing about those crazy runners and their zone) lest i digress...But i love lilacs and lavender.

The lilacs on my huge plot (*note sarcasm) of land (maybe 7,000 sq ft) are plentiful. I've been moving them around with each new home since i got married. They came from my grandparents farm and their hundreds of years old. I think i like the memories attached to the story as much as the plants...but ohhhhhhhh lala that fragrance.

What's bloomin where you live?

**thanks Bren...she said the pink beauty flower is definitely a Christmas Cactus..one mystery solved...

"For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ unto God,
among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing" (2 Corinthians 2:15)

Live lovingly, just as the Messiah also loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and sacrifice, a fragrant aroma to God.

Spring is REALLY here!!!!

OK! Yes! ALRIGHT!!!! SPRING

It will probably snow tomorrow....no..it's time and it's gorgeous.

I'm so glad i live in a place with seasons.

Hope your Easter weekend was wonderful. I spent the weekend in West Virginia with my parents and all my children. Does it get any better than that?

We had a lot of rain but the sun peaked out on Saturday enough for the "boys" to go golfing. They trudged through the mud but seem to have so much fun. It makes me smile just to think about my dad, husband and son in laws all going out together and having such great fellowship. I think Tiger's place in golf history is safe but he can't beat the fun they had. My 78 year old dad went golfing for the first time since...well...somewhere between 12 -20 years...he's not really sure.

Mom's orchid (seems more like a cactus to me) was so beautiful in bloom. Ever seen one of these before?

Have a marvelous Monday!

Have a wonderful Easter!

I'm off to the country to spend Easter with the family. Here's wishing you the most blessed of Easter.

HE is Risen.

He is Risen indeed!!!

Packin' for the weekend!

I just finished the market bag. I love this pattern. For those of you who might be thinking of making it, i do have a few suggestions!


* The bag is huge (love) approximatley 18 x12 and 4 inches deep. That pattern calls for very short handles. By the time i load this bag i NEED it on my shoulder. :) So I lengthen the handles a bit.


*I also added a huge pocket with velcro closures. Bag is so large you could easily use for a weekend away, diaper bag, picnic bag etc..


* Added an attachment for my keys. My keys go in this bag without a teather...i'll never find them. (maybe i should teather everything in my bag--wouldnt' that be great)


*Also put some ties at the top of the bag...(So when i spill-and i will- part of my junk..I'm mean treasures won't fall out)


Market bag pattern is from the current Bags, Pillows & Pincushions magzine. I know...for those of you who don't sew you like...WHAT ???

Enjoy your day!

Groovin'...well...not so much

I stayed up waaaaaaaaaaay to late last night. I've been oogling this bag in a magazine for weeks...so last night about midnight I decided it was TIME!

I'm a night owl ,but this was pushing things. Anywho...this machine random quilting thing is fairly new to me. At least, I haven't done much of it in this decade so here i go. I'm not a very patient person when it comes to new projects. I could have probably practiced longer...but it's coming along. I may have to keep this bag...until my random quilting improves...(note to self-looking for excuse to keep this bag hehehehe!

Also turned out a few more bibs yesterday. How can a little girl who doesn't eat go through so many bibs. Lacey, my middle daughter & mother to glorious, perfect, simply incredible first grand baby, does laundry not for dirty clothes for the need of more bibs.. So i must be on bib 18. These were made out of scraps by my table...i particularly like the animal one.

Do you have a huge container of scraps beside your sewing machine? What size is toooo small to save? I need HELP!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Shelia

Thanks for ALL the great response and sign ups for the giveaway.

I'll be announcing the winner on Monday....or maybe i'll have Ed Mcmahhan and his gang show up with a few thousand balloons...a big band...the press......or maybe you should just check back on monday! :)

It's not to late to add you name!!!

Love when things come together...

I always seem to have a bizillion projects going at one time. (grrr) I'm not sure why...i get excited about one..get part of the way thru...sidetracked again...

Finally i've finished up several things!!! Nothing like a clean , mostly clean, sewing area. (of course, we won't talk about the other 2 dozen projects i've got to get to :)

Make me feel better...do you have any unfinished...projects???

A few more days!

The giveaway will continue for a few more days. Feel free to leave a comment and be registered to win.
I'm so excited to send a box of goodies out to the winner!

Have a terrific Tuesday :)

Its'....Monday!

Morning All

My real job suddenly became crazy! I sell real estate in the Northern Virginia area...and of course things have been a little/lot slow. But yesterday I worked almost the entire day starting 8am 'ish and turned away from work on the computer last night at 11:30ish. Crazy...but i'm not complaining. It is a blessing.

Funny how NOW I appreciate the long day...after months of slowness...(such a Shelia thing to do i'm afraid :0)

I hope I will not let this week pass with out the thoughtfullness it deserves. That I will meditate, and remember what was done for me, for us, so long ago. I am so grateful and so extraordinarily blessed.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. "

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of GOD does not have life.

Have a wonderful Monday and remember You are LOVED!

blessings shelia

Keeping my eyes fixed

A father was carrying his two-year old daughter as he waded in a lake. While they were close to shore, the child was unconcerned because of the apparent safety of the beach even though the water was deep enough to drown her. She didn't understand her dependence upon her father.

The farther they moved away from shore, the tighter she held to her father. Like the child, we are always completely dependent upon God to provide for us even when we don't recognize it because we are close to the shore of apparent financial security. But when our possessions are limited, it is easier to recognize our need and cling to Him.(crown ministry-life group manual)

I want to always recognize my need and cling to my Father. I want to always have that "look" in my eyes - so trusting, so loving and so contently gazing .

Lord, help me to put my total trust in you. Help me to keep my focus on YOU!

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life"

GOD

It's GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

After a close poll...the winner of what i should make was....(drum rollxxxxxxxx)

PURSE!

However...it was soooo close so...the giveaway will be both!

The winner will get the purse, the matching make up bag and some surprises too!

Leave a comment and that registers you for a vote.

Mention the giveaway on your blog and come back and tell me and you get 3 votes!

Feel free to grab the button for your blog.

Thank you sweet peas for listening to me ramble and being such an encouragement. You make my day!

Shhhhhhhhh Can you keep a secret?

Secret #1
Look what i found in my tulips today!
Actually I've been working on Easter things and ran across this adorable pattern! Two very special girls are getting these in their Easter basket...but keep it quiet I want it to be a surprise.
The bunny slippers are made of wool felt with a stretchy heel band..kind of little ones Crocs! :) This pattern was designed by Amy Herbst @ Herbst_handmade.yahoo.com.



Ok...maybe I'm being "slightly" silly. This is one of my favorite little girl hats. I crocheted two of these this week. The first one ended up being too small for my ever growing granddaughter. This one is being tried on by Captain Wizbang. Who is being a really great sport here :)

Secret #2
Apparently I'm addicted to caffeine.
Maybe my closest friends would not be shocked by this news, but for someone reason I really am.
I had to have a nuclear stress test yesterday and couldn't have coffee,tea,sodas for 24 hours. I woke up at 4am with a SCREAMING headache. I'm such a baby. On and on it went...nothing about the test bothered me... except my head was ready to twist off at the neck!!! Tea and sodas are my drug of choice. UGH...i guess there are a few more things to work on in my life.
I'm grateful the Lord is so gentle with me on these issues. As he peels back the layers of my life, I'm sure there will be many other things that I've given too much space, too much importance in my life...more of the growin up thing!!

lastly...my sewing is quicker then my tech skills. I'm working on the giveaway button on my blog to start the giveaway. Hopefully by tomorrow. Thanks to all those who have been trying to drag my computer skills into this century. Special shout out to Paul-wonderful son in law, Karin Scott at What the Font blog, and AUNT PITTY PAT blog who are/were sooo patient with me.
Ta ta for now!