Saturday, January 13, 2018
Friday, January 12, 2018
Free Vintage Scripture Graphic - Things Done with Charity
Here is another remake of a vintage graphic that I did. I got the original from The Old Design Shop. You can save the image from here, or you can go over and download it here. (Use the download button in the lower right corner.) I am not sure if they will be a good size for printing if you save them from here since these are of a restricted size, from what I can tell.
Please do not link to these graphics from here if you are using them online, but save them to your own computer and then upload them to the place where you store graphics online for your own use. Thank you. [Note: It's ok to link from here only if you are sharing the link to this specific post on your blog or in social media. :-) ]
Enjoy!
Thursday, January 11, 2018
The Thousand Word Project - Winter Sunset with High Flyers
Psalm 113:3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised.
Photo taken in central Texas.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Thoughts and Memories In A New Year
Our new year started in a somewhat different way. I had been sick for most or all of the last three weeks of December. My husband was sick one of those weeks as we shared the flu together. My cough, though still with me to some degree, turned the corner on the evening of the 31st - which was a very cold night for central Texas, by the way. During this time I also developed a vision distortion that needed to be checked and which, if it does not clear up, will need to be addressed by a specialist. So, for us, and for me in particular, the beginning of the new year was about catching up and getting back to some semblance of "normal" - whatever that elusive thing is.
But I didn't get some of the things done that I had thought of doing, including, among many other things, some blog posts. So, here is a collection of things and thoughts, some I intended to share before and some that came to me later.
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The end of the writing challenges.
I finished the last writing challenges of the year - November and December. November was writing every day and I think I missed only five days that month. December was to read one book for the purpose of improving one's writing or for recreation. I ended up reading solely for recreation due to being so sick and tired most of the month! I read several Nancy Drew mysteries - very juvenile, but so easy to read, even when sick, and it distracted me from my discomforts when I could read. And, truthfully, there were at least two days in which I didn't even feel like reading I was so ill.
I wrote a variety of things in November. As I mentioned before, I didn't write any poetry. I also didn't write any humor that I can recall. I wrote rough drafts for some articles which may make their way to the Home Maker's Corner eventurally.
There were some days when I did my 100 words as a necessity simply to make the effort, these mostly ended up being journal type entries. Here are a few for you to read. I hesitate to say enjoy. :-)
They have been edited a little.
Sunday, Nov. 7
Writing at the end of the day when you are tired and sleepy is
probably not the best plan. Once your brain begins to coast along in “whatever”
land, it’s hard to focus on anything worthwhile. Furthermore, there is nothing
like a blank computer “page” to really kill any ideas that might be lurking
just under the surface. This is why one might resort to writing something like
this in a desperate effort to achieve one hundred words before going to bed. I
recommend trying to get your writing in earlier in the day, personally. Now, if
I can just make myself follow my own advice!
Monday, Nov. 6
Today at our house an interesting assortment of food was eaten.
Among other things, there was pasta made in Italy, tortas from Spain, chocolate
from Belgium, mango chips from Thailand, and ginger beer (non-alcoholic like
ginger ale) from Australia. We could have also had some cheese from England,
but it isn’t open yet, and we try not to have too many things open at one time
that need to be finished within a specific time limit.
Somehow it seems pleasant to realize that our eating is so
international - not just in the type, but in the fact that these things were
actually made in those countries. Curiously enough, the pasta made in Italy is
actually better for me from a nutritional standpoint because it is not made
with enriched flour, which may be one thing that irritates my somewhat fragile
system.
Tuesday, November 28
Well, the writing challenge is almost over now and I have written
almost every day so far. I think I missed 3 or 4 days. Most of the days I missed, I thought of
it at some point but didn’t get it done for whatever reason. One day I did
completely forget, never thinking of it once all day.
There was more than one hard part to me.
Remembering to write every day was challenging. If I put it on my
list or not didn’t seem to make a lot of difference. Just remembering to put it
on the list was pretty much the same as remembering to do it and often enough
it didn’t make it to the list until after I had written.
Making myself do it was also something to contend with. I would
think of it several times some days and keep putting it off. When I wrote
probably didn’t have a large affect on the quality of what I wrote unless I put
it off till I was really tired. Then it did. But, I have to say that it felt
the best when I got it done earlier in the day. Once or twice I put it off too
long and either I was too tired or was already in bed and didn’t feel like
making the effort to write at that point.
Thinking of things to write about was only a minor problem. I
tend to think of things to write about a lot, so if I just made myself sit down
and write out a rough idea or even most of an article or something, it usually
wasn’t that hard. Some days I counted longer text message conversations or
comments made on other blogs. I also wrote at least one email during the month
as my daily writing. Curiously, I think I only wrote down one idea for a
fiction story that I can remember.
While I do write by hand sometimes, I think that almost all of my
writing has been done on my iPad or computer this month. The one time I do
remember writing by hand was when I made some notes on my appointment card
while I was waiting for my mom in our chiropractor’s office. I heard something
on the Christian radio station they had going that started me thinking and so I
wrote down some notes that I transcribed to the computer later and elaborated
upon.
Although it didn’t have anything to do with the challenge
directly, I also watched quite a few instructional videos on YouTube about
writing - particularly novels. This was informative and helpful to me in some
ways, if I can just remember what I learned.
Interestingly, in some ways I feel like writing more has tended
to increase my inspiration in my art as well, especially towards the end. This
may be partly due to the fact that I’ve grown a little bored with the coloring
I was doing. Although it is helps control stress, it isn’t useful like card and
bookmark making for me. And also it’s more inspiring to create my own designs,
whether with stamps or as my own original designs. I love being able to send
and give away my own creations to others. I think, as people made in the image of
God, that should be “normal.”
Altogether, I think it has been a good experience. I would really
like to keep it up as some people say that is absolutely what you have to do if
you want to be a serious author. However, I am not sure I can maintain the
momentum indefinitely, so I may set shorter goals for myself, and intersperse those
periods with time spent on art, sewing, and card making. One does accomplish a
good deal more by doing something every day. :-)
I hope that someone else tried this challenge, or that perhaps
you will another moth. It has certainly been beneficial to me!
Something New
I started a watercolor/art journal or "sketchbook" in November or December. It started as a place to try out techniques and just do a little practice. An online friend asked if I was painting my moods or things I saw from daily life and, liking the latter idea very well, I decided to start including some things that I see and want to paint. It proved to be interesting and also useful for practice, and some day it will be a sort of diary for me to look at and not only see my progress in this art, but also see some things that interested me or that were part of our lives at the time.
It is a mixed media book that I am using so I may add some other art forms as well. Whether or not I share any of this work on the blog remains to be seen.
The picture at the top of this post is a card I painted. I scanned it before I added the stamped greeting so that I could use it for other purposes. The verse on this image was added on the computer. :-)
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It is strange we go on living our everyday lives
So carelessly, stumbling, dully we plod
Our commonplace paths, and forget that we walk
Every day, every hour, in the presence of God.
- Martha Snell Nicholson
Well, that is plenty for one ramble. I hope that all of you have started the new year well, but most importantly that you seek to walk every day with the Lord. Great goals and long plans may serve some people's uses, but it's the daily walk that gets us there in the end. If we focus on Christ all the other things will fall into the places He wants them to be.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Thoughts from the Past -- The First and the Last
Written June 5, 2006, Edited Dec. 6, 2017
The First and the Last
I have been enjoying the book of Isaiah very much lately. It amazes me how we can read through a book of the Bible over and over and still learn new and wonderful things! Truly it is God's book. Man could not have produced something like this!
In the book of Revelation when Jesus Christ said He is the first and the last, that statement alone is enough to assure us that He is God. Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. After all, if He is the first He must have been there before the beginning, and only God could start it all. This we know from other scripture as well.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (Also see Eph. 3:9, Col. 1:16)
Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
This passage shows very distinctly that Jesus is speaking, for He is the only one (so far) who was dead and is alive for evermore in the physical body, and He is the only one who has the keys of hell and death.
But, even more interestingly, we find the LORD God (Jehovah) applying this same title to Himself in the Old Testament as well. In Isaiah we find it twice in the context of creation.
Isaiah 41:4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
Isaiah 48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. 13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
Now examine another mention.
Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
In the same breath, the LORD (Jehovah) says He is the first and the last and that beside Him there is no God. Therefore Jesus Christ is God, for He has claimed the same name and title for Himself. If you do not call Him God in both the Old and New Testament you make God a liar! Heb. 6:18 and Rom. 3:4.
So many people question that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, or that He was God in the Old Testament. These verses cannot be argued with by an honest person. Thank God for giving us such a clear revelation of Himself and His Son.
Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
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First used here: 5/12
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Evening Song - To Rescue A Sinner Like Me
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
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