My last regularly scheduled day..... and back tomorrow..

Had a busy day at the Library.  Got a lot done and leaned more, I always learn something new and am glad I got to work regularly for enough time to start to get the routines and computers figured out. I am well on my way to getting the Amazon account worked out and working as well. I will be back to fill in for a few hours tomorrow, kind of a good thing and sort of bad. I was to go with Lady tomorrow for a short ladies day out, well sort of, but I will have to fill in for Lady at the library due to complications with others schedules. So no surprise trip to the Amish store for me how sad..... Lady does need to go tomorrow as she is on an important trip with Sweetie so that will be a good thing.

I have some handles I have to finish up for a knife maker so may get some of that done in the next couple days.  I have to make ice cream for the Church social tomorrow as well so it will be a busy day.  We are all going camping this weekend so that will be something to look forward to.  This will be the first year is nearly 10 I haven't hosted a big fourth of July party or like last year had my sister Drama do it due to some complications at home.  We will hardly know what to do with ourselves with no fireworks and no lots of people.  The girls and Poppie are all geared up to fish, fish, fish and fish some more.  It will be really nice to get away.  I need some time away from the grands, love them all, but sort of on a little burn out so it will be a nice get away.

I pray that you have wonderful plans for your fourth, but more importantly I pray you have plans for your eternity.  Have you gotten your invite, Yes, you have! it is in the oldest and best selling Book ever!! Pick one up and read it, let it talk to your heart.  What book, surely you know, the Bible.  Yes, God does love you it says so.  His words written down and preserved by his will just for you to read, understand and accept.  God so loved you that he sent his only son to die on a cross and shed his blood that you might have eternal life.  How wondrous is that, read, listen and believe, and use that belief as the beginning of your faith, and through faith accept your free gift and you shall be saved, and spend life eternal in heaven with the Lord Jesus... How wondrous is that!! tomorrow. 

Today was another wondrous Sunday.

This morning Daughter dropped off Buga and M to come to Church with us which is really nice. This evening Buga, Cubbie, Booboo and I went to Church.  I was a nice day, no worries and no have to dos just love to dos.  I say that because going to Church should never be a have to do, it should always be a joyous want to do.  I can't think of a more blessed day than a day spent praising the Lord with others who just want to praise the Lord too.  The Preacher sometime says he wakes up and doesn't want to go to Church but once he gets there is glad he is there.  I can't think of a time in the last 2 plus years that we have been going to Church at this Church that I have thought of it that way.  I am really just glad I get to go after years of not having a Church to go to.  I can't say that in my whole life I have always been joyous to go to Church but I can say that in my older age I find it a blessing of untold magnificence to me.  I do enjoy going to Church and being with my Church family, after all these are some of the people I am going to spend eternity with so I should enjoy their company don't you think?  I have so many friends I wish I could share Church with but some are in other places in their lives, some will never come as they don't know the Lord and are shut off from knowing him, I sorrow the most for them as I know that with out Jesus they are lost and in eternity I may never even remember them.  How sad that will be to know some one I love will not know heaven and I may not even know I ever knew them once I am there.....

Today the Preacher gave two, I guess three, good sermons.  I think the third is the most memorable and no not just because it was the last one I heard.  He said it was a teaching sermon and I suppose that means it was not a sermonizing sermon, not sure I know the difference? aren't they all supposed to make us think on the good, the bad or the sinful things of life?  He spoke on impressions.  Just think of the impressions we have or make in our lives.  Things in general, people and ourselves.   How do our impressions reflect on what people think of Jesus, Christians or salvation in general?  Is the way people see me make them want to come to the Lord?  Do they see something in me that they would want to find out about that lives in me?  Can anyone see that the Holy Spirit lives in the temple of me?  Is any one looking at me and seeing one of Christ's saints? They should be able to shouldn't they, but do they? Am I a failure? These are the questions his sermon made my mind come to.  Have I made anyone turn and walk away from Christ because they didn't want to be anywhere near anything I was a part of?  I will now think on what my impression is to others, as a reflection of Christ, is my life impression something that draws interest to Christ Jesus or makes people turn away?  I pray that it is a reflection of Christ but then I am a work in progress God is not nearly done with me yet.  I pray you are a reflection of Christ or at least an example the causes people to wonder what is it that she/he has and know they want some of that.  To think that You or I could be a reflection of Christ on earth how wondrous a thought or example is that???  I pray that some one some where said I want some of that in my life and if only for a moment they saw the Holy Spirit shining out from my soul.... tomorrow. 

The week that was.... I probably will never forget parts of it and can't now remember some of it.

This last week has been a whorl wind, and I am sorry to say that I truly have not even had time to open up my blog page little own actually write something to you all.  Last Saturday was my first day of taking care of the Farmer's Market, and I am trying to get things figured out there.  I have to find out how to put it in the paper and get it up on the sign at Castles.  We had 9 vendors which was really great. Wished we had had more people come down and check it out but we are happy for those that did.  I worked three days, and two of them were days I would normally have helped the Ladies with their baking.  I was so proud of them both, one made all of the breads by herself on Thursday and the other made pies all by herself on Friday.  They both helped their little cousin Cubbie make cookies, as well, so she could start selling stuff at the farmer's market herself.  She is 5 this year and they figure if they started at 5 so could she.  I must be doings something right now and  again with them. 

Last Saturday after the Farmer's market we went out to the campground and helped with the Library's party for the volunteers.  Poppie made the smoked pulled pork, Mokie made the cake and I made the coleslaw and the filling for the cake.  It all turned out well, a lot of fun was had by all.  Last Sunday the Ladies both got baptized in the river.  Most of the people at Church came to watch them.  There were a few boaters there as well, they even let us got first before they launched their boat.  I was so happy to see my little Ladies on their path of a life in Christ.

I worked on Monday, Thursday and Friday.  I can't say I won't miss the regular schedule of working completely but I can say I will be able to slow down and get some of the things I need to do at home.  I can say I was tired enough that the kids running in and out bugged me, and they are so used to me just being there that they missed me and were more noiser with me gone several days a week. 

Today we had Bountiful Baskets and Farmer's Market at the same time.  It really is a good thing they are across the street from each other.  We had 52 baskets and not as many volunteers as normal, but we did great because the volunteers we had are the best, they always are each week. Once baskets were done, I was off to the Farmer's market, it got a little washed out and there is a town wide clean up day so peoples minds were on different things. We only had 4 vendors. Next week will be the 4th so we will have to see how the Farmer's Market goes.  We are planning on going camp on Thursday and Friday, so there will be no baking but I will probably have to come down to oversee the Farmer's Market so I will get the Mineral called and find out how to get our info on the sign at Castles.

I pray that your life has been going as smooth as mine.  I pray your soul is called by the Lord, please listen and respond when he calls you.  There is nothing more important you will ever do in your life than respond to God's gift of Grace and Salvation.  Seek the Lord and you shall find him.... tomorrow. 

I won't say busy, because I should say normal. ...... interesting Faith happenings this week.

I have decided that I won't say I am busy because I have learned through trial and error my life is always busy so if it is normal it is not worth writing home about. I know normal is relative and I probably don't do anything that any one would say was normal but I will say busy it the usual thing then. I also know that we are all busy so does that make us all normal or usual or maybe just us.  So we are all usually us then?  I must admit that I have not actually really worked outside of the home on any regular bases since I began blogging and have come to the conclusion that I am either horrible and have ignored you all or life happens  and I am just doing the best I can, and not actually trying to ignore you all.  That's the best I got and I am not going to apologize any more for things I can not do. I do still love talking to you all and next month, when I am not working a couple days a week out of my home, I promise to be more faithful, that's all I got.

I have had an interesting week in my thoughts on Faith though.  This week I had occasion to have or maybe be part of two different conversation on Faith. The first one was with one of my dear friends, funny how you can have a dear friend that has never even come to your home but she is one.  I had a conversation with my dear friend.  She is having lots of medical issues and I once offered to study with her.  I didn't know her well enough to know if she even believed in the Lord at the time.  Her response to me was that she had studied the Bible on many occasions and did know the Lord.  I am not sure if she is saved at this point in time but hope that some day I either get the courage to witness to her or may to begin with ask her straight out.  I know as our relationship grows I will have that conversation with her.  This week out of the blue we were talking about belief.  She told me about her life, but to my amazement she began with I know I have said this before but.  Funny thing was that she had never told me of her path toward belief before.  It was nice that we have gotten there in our relationship and I hope to build on our conversations.  She gave me a dvd to listen to she said she didn't believe in the most of what the author spoke on but it had some interesting concepts she wanted me to hear.  I will listen and then we will have a conversation on it, and that may lead to me being able to witness to her or maybe she will share her belief with me.  Such and exciting conversation yet to come.

The second conversation I had this week was in a group sitting.  My friend was recounting a family event she had been to.  She is going to be taking her child to an event that is more or less an event she considers a milestone moment in her child's life.  She had been at a family event and had mention she was going to be taking her child to this up coming event.  One of her family members, an in law, become offended and read her the riot act on how she is being a bad parent and how she is a totally lost person.  The family member is a religious person and my friend is not.  The in law said we only have one hour on earth and that eternity is endless in comparison and she is giving up her eternity by not believing and doing this kind of behavior, well sort of I am paraphrasing her comments.  Her answer was that she knew she was going to hell and didn't care.  I was at first saddened to my soul by her explanation but the more I thought on it the more I had hope.  She is not dying and has perceivable much more of her life to live and she does believe.  She believes in hell so some where she knows that there is punishment in eternity so she, down deep inside, knows that there is an alternative so there is hope for her.  I must say that her in law may not have it quite right if he thinks that this one event will send either her or her daughter to hell.  I am thinking he is preaching to her from a lost place himself if he doesn't understand that Grace says that if we believe in Christ Jesus and ask him for forgiveness and are saved by the blood of Christ that nothing we ever did or will do can save us.  Christ only can save, once he gives you salvation you can not loose it.  The in law is under the mistaken belief that one event can send his in laws to hell.  Maybe in the long run there is more hope for my friend than her in law.  How sad is that really, he needs saving more than she does and at least she is aware that she does and he is not.  There is the true sorrow.

This week is a joyous occasion in our home our two Ladies got saved.  They have been studying the Bible and praying to the Lord for guidance.  This Father's day they prayed to the Lord Jesus and asked him to forgive them of their sins and that he might save them through his free gift of Grace.  I am so happy they have passed the most important milestone in their lives and in anyone's life.  They are saved by God's Grace and this coming Sunday they will be baptized in the river.  What a glorious day in their lives, the most glorious of all their earthly days.  They are now living the beginning of their eternal life as they will not die only their bodies of flesh will die..... You two can know eternal life, it is simple, seek Christ Jesus's forgiveness, believe in his grace and his death, burial and resurrection.  His blood on Calvary paid for all of your sin's.  He is the only door to eternal life....tomorrow.  

A new Missionary came to visit...... he was a blessing.

Sunday was a good day at Church but most Sundays are a blessing after all we have gathered to worship the Lord together.  I like that I go to a small Church where everybody knows your name.  Funny in this day and age that is not always the case.  I have never really gone to a Church where I didn't know all there.  Even the big Churches that I have had occasion to go to were not to big by big standards.  I have no idea how one would go to a Church of thousands or tens of thousands.  I would be at a loss and be lost.  Growing up we moved a lot be my parents always made sure we were living in little towns and going to small intimate Churches.   I have said before that I had lived in 42 homes, in 6 states and attended 13 schools, but I would surmise that I went to at least 13 Churches if not more.  The biggest I attended was in Winslow and the smallest would have to have been in my own home with my Dad, my Granddad or my Great Uncle doing the preaching. I was blessed to have had a Grandfather that did missionary work in Samoa, where when he returned to the states he brought me a new uncle back with him and many more Samoan relatives in the end. My Great Uncle was a Missionary in China from 1928 to 1948 and he had many a story to tell of Gods goodness and his Grace.  I was brought up to love missionaries and still find them to be of true interest and enjoy their sharing of their calling from God.

This week we were bless to have a Missionary and his family, a wife and three small children.  They have been in Jordan for 1 and half years preparing to go to Iraq to do the Lord's work.  They have been learning the language, the customs and much more about the people they will be witnessing to.  The little girl, 6, sang us a lovely hymn in the language she has been learning and she gave us the song again in the English translation.  She was a lovely little spirit.  The older boy, 9, was more reserved but he knew the language and could read the Bible in the language, left to right.  The mother was learned and a very nice young woman.  The Missionary gave us his testimony of his salvation at 5 and his calling to the mission field at 9.  It just took him 20 years to be on the brink of realizing his call to his country of work.  They said they are going to a place that is relatively safe. He said that the government is far above with it's troubles but at the people level it is much like America used to be when a families trained up their children and honor kept their children and kin from stealing, kill and robbing.  NO, we no longer police our own in a America we have given up teaching and training our children and have decided to let them be free to live as they want and leave their train to society which was never a good teacher.  The beginning of the end in America to be sure.  Just see what only half a center or so has brought us to, but I digress.  The young Missionary feels safe in a way we can no longer feel in America in a country that most of us our afraid of is that an oxymoron?  I prayer for the young man and his family, may God move through their effort and may the Glory of God become manifest in their efforts.

I pray that our country, America, can become the great nation it once was and return to it's roots of belief in the one true God, and may we once again worship at his feet.  May we remember to train our children in the way that they should go and stop letting them raise themselves and us.  May we return, if it be God's will to his loving arms in this country.  I pray for you that you may worship the Lord in your home and that you are raising your kids in a home where God is Lord.  Train your children and they will Love the Lord as you do.  I pray for you and I pray you know the Lord's love if not I pray that a missionary will come into your life and lead you to the Lord.  I pray the Lord is at work in your life.....tomorrow. 

Today summer really begins for us...... just think of the thoughts we will think!!

I worked yesterday and it was nice, I got into the mind set of the dewy decimal system and maybe got stuck there a little. I have always been the kind of a person that when I am set on doing something my "type A" personality can rear it's ugly head.  I am not the kind that needs to destroy the enemy or conquer the competition, more I find that I am the competition and I have a need to get it done.  I sometimes can get so wrapped up in it I forget those around me.  When I have friends who say how do you get so much done, it is because I have put on my alter-ego "Debra" and went to work.  Years ago when I went to work at a position where I was the manager, I actually used my real first name Debra so I could remember to be that person.  I do have to very different person who lives in me and Debra is the one that gets things done, sometime she is overbearing.... I don't let her come out that much.  I prefer, Nannie, she is much nicer and more of a slob, but like-able.. ..

The ladies and I started the day this morning in the Lord. We read and discussed the Word and that is a marvelous way to start the day and a new summer.  We have chores to get done but we are hoping to talk Poppie into taking us burl hunting, we will see how far we get. I do have to make some tie dyed soap and we want to rearrange the house some but for now it is a wondrous beginning to the summer. I hope a summer that is childlike and full of the thoughts we will think up.  The Ladies will soon be teenagers and the thinks of childhood will be lost to them, but maybe we can pull a summer or two out before they loose the wonder of childhood.

I hope that your day started in the Lord, if not there is always time to pick up his Word and encapsulate yourself in it.  It brings me such happiness and warmth.  The more I dive in the more I feel complete and comforted.  I know that to those that don't believe that is hog wash but to those that do you to know that warmth of a hug that reading your Bible can bring.  I pray you are save and if not I pray for your salvation, a life in Christ Jesus is like no other, it is a fulfilled and whole life in a way the lost will never experience... tomorrow. 

Car show day, vanilla soaps a changing amazing thing to watch...... My new books have a home of honor..

We got up, not so early, and went to the annual car show.  It was the biggest one that we have ever had todate. When it first started it only took up one lawn, the one in front of the old school, this year it filled that lawn the lawn by the bank and a great deal of the bank parking lot.  Many more cars this year.  Lady and I got to go to the rummage sale across the street.  I got a cool coffee bean molds to make small coffee soap bars.  I got a double old vintage frame for pictures of the little Ladies.  I also picked up a coleman lantern, I thought it was a good find for Poppie.  He was not impressed, Brother didn't think so either and so I gave it to Mokie for Son, maybe he will appreciate it, no one else did.

I came home, after picking up chicken strip sandwiches for Poppie and the Ladies.  I got my book cases all moved around and got my 1952 complete set of Britannica Great Books, it is a pristine set and I got a great deal on them from the library, all set up in their new home.  I am so proud of them, I can't wait to read them all.  It won't be a short term goal, there are 54 of them.  All the great authors are spotlighted, well all the ones prior to 1952.  Exciting project to see through.

Lady and Sweetie went up the creek camping we are going to go up and visit them.  We have been wanting to get to go camping but haven't found the time. We would really like to go but it looks like to go we might have to go on Sunday after Church or we might have to go Saturday night and come home to go to Church and then return, but some how we will figure it out.  Booboo made pie crust and I made it into a couple of pie to take to Lady and Sweetie's camp site.  Booboo made 3 little personal pies with the leftover crusts. Funny this morning I cut the vanilla and huckleberry soap, it was all the same color, but slowly the vanilla is changing with the access to air.  It is becoming browner and browner, leaving a nice two tone soap, it was overpoweringly vanilla, I hope that the huckleberry starts to balance out but who knows.

I have been working out the logistics of a big knife handle order with one of my regular handle buyers.  It was funny I told him one would be an exceptional handle to carve.  He asked me if I knew a carver.  I have been making handle for him for years and he had no idea I carves handles and have probably carved more than I have scrimshawed.  He was delighted to know I carved handles but was disappointed that he did not know before now.  Funny how things slip past in a relationship.  But then I would think that in ways that would be the norm and not the unusual. We tend to get into a rut and never know that we put on blinders and only see what we expect to see in people, including our friends.  I get so caught up in thinking of things from my point of view that I forget my friends may, and of course they do, have the same fears, anxieties, apprehensions and joys out of their side of our friendships as I do but we each fear that we are not living up to or upholding our side as they do.  We all forget we only see things from one side and totally forget the other side or fail to see that the other side is so similar to our own side.  The bottom line is that we never know what is going on in anyone's life but our own, we know not the fears, the trials and the tribulations that others face, we only see ourselves and obsess about that never thinking that all our friends are going through the exact same issues we are and as many as we are going through.  We all live a life in blinders when all we have to do is start to see that we are so much more the same as our fellow man than different.  We look to ourselves when we need to look to God, and stop living for ourselves, live for God and be a blessing by using the blessing he gives us to aid our fellow man.... tomorrow.  

Strawberry habanero jams, huckleberry french milled soap and my time just seems to slip away.

I never would have thought that taking care of littles would have been a buffer.  I no longer have them daily, though they did come on Monday with no warning and totally changed a planned day.  I didn't used to have to many plans for my days but I have of recent.  I am subbing regularly this month and so have to sort of follow a plan.  Monday it was nice to have the ability to call in and they were considerate of my need for non-planning.  Drama needed to go to the emergency room again and Mokie took her without letting me know so when Son dropped off the littles it was a moment of panic.  I got to go in on Tuesday instead, I do like the brain stimulation that I get from the subbing I do.  I however have found that with new responsibilities I have sometimes no time for you all and I do apologize for that but I can not change what comes down my pike. I did get to finish up making my two cases of strawberries in to jelly Monday.  I made some on Sunday, the strawberry habanero and then got to make strawberry rhubarb and strawberry rhubarb habanero on Monday.  I got to use dutch gel for the first time and found that is by far and above the best pectin I have ever used.  I will endeavor to keep it on hand.  I made each batch with 10 cups of fruit, 14 cups of sugar and 2/3 cup of pectin, one 1/3 of the fruit was chopped habanero, and it really is good and has a kick.  I plan on using it as a meat savory and on ice cream.  I also will have it available with my other jams at the Farmer's Market.  I think I will be standing in for Flower Child to open the market this year and if she is fortunate enough to sell her business and move on to the life she is hoping to, I will take it over permanently.  Which I am looking forward to, though I will miss Flower Child.  Again something I could not have accomplished with the littles daily.

I got up this morning and rebatched soap into French milled Huckleberry soap.  It does smell good so far.  I made it two toned and can't wait to see it finished.  I have plans to see about marketing it to a few establishments, so wish me luck.  I do love my soap and would like to share it more.  I have to get some together for the school, I was asked to have some there to sell, which will be nice. 

I am going into volunteer today and try and get a project I am working on as a sub further along the way.  I will be doing that more and more once my subbing stent is at a close and back to when needed. 

I pray that you are searching for the Lord in your life.  If you are you will find him.  He loves that people seek him and he will make sure you will find him.  He gave us his Word so that we would seek and find him.  He gave us his Word that we might know him better.  If you want to find the Lord he is the embodiment of his Word and he lives there.  The Bible is a living breathing being, The Word is Christ Jesus and if you seek he will be found and through the Word you will be saved if you but seek.... tomorrow.