Long time, no blog

It has been a long time since I have posted anything.  I have been busy with work, school and making mini albums.  I have 2 weeks left in this semester and then we have a 2 week break for Christmas.  Waiting to hear from Liberty with an acceptance decision about their residential program.  Here are some pics of some of the Halloween mini-albums I made.

Wedding Mini Album

Decided to try my hand at making a mini album using double-sided papers.

Blog Candy Give Away

My friend, Margaret, is having a blog candy give away on her blog here....ChristianChickCrafts .

Christmas Cross Stitch

Haven't worked on my project in a few days.  Hope to do more today.  Got sidetracked reading the new book in Iris Johansen's Eve Duncan series.  It is Quinn.  What an awesome book.  Can hardly wait for October 18 when the final installment, Bonnie, comes out!  It will be sad for it to end, but am looking forward to answers.

Christmas in July

Started working on the Christmas present for my sister and her husband.  Don't want to say here what it is just in case she finds my blog and reads it.  :)  Will be curious to see how long it takes me to complete it.

Tuesday's Thoughts

Did not get to go to work today.  Spent 4 hours in the ER with my oldest daughter because her chest was hurting and that was causing panic attacks which made the chest pains worse.  Shelby basically told her she was fine, no idea why she was in pain, no scrip for anxiety.  Basically, they were NO help at all. 

Birthday Pics

Finally getting around to posting pics of Amber and my cake from our birthdays the last week of June.

New Cards I Made Today

The inside of this says "What's One More Friggin' Candle?"

The inside of this one is blank.

I made both for co-workers who are celebrating birthdays this month.  The second card is made using the instructions from my friend, Margaret from the UK.  

Sunday Morning

Had an absolutely awesome time of worship at church this morning.  It was homecoming at Enon here in Montevallo.  The duo who sang was a father and son who were just fabulous.  The son, Austin, is in the 11th grade and he is such a gifted singer already.  Had lunch after (we are Baptist, after all :-) ) the service and good food all around.   Now just being lazy because all school work is completed and nothing major needs to be done!

Mind Binding Spirits

Philippians 4:6,7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God which all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God is in complete control and we must decide to believe that.  We cannot allow the devil to control our minds any longer.  Choose to use your mind for God.

Be Positive

Matthew 8:13 ..."Go, it shall be done for you as you have believed..."

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

Everything that happens to us is not good, but God can take what the devil intends to harm us and use it to grow our faith and make us stronger.  We may not always agree with what that looks like, but God is in control.  Personally, I find that is a great comfort when things don't go the way I feel they should.

A Fun Saturday

I spent the day with Amber and we had so much fun.  We got mani/pedi's done, went to 2nd and Charles, had a late lunch/early supper at Wendy's and then went to Wal Mart where we bought flashlights in case the power goes out again like it did last night.

Discouragement

This morning I am struggling with discouragement.  I woke up thinking about the fact that I have no money in the bank or in my wallet, I will not get paid again until the 15th, and all my bills are past due with more coming.  My daughter has been unable to find a job even after hundreds of applications and she is suffering from debilitatin headaches.  She has no health insurance and with no money I have been unable to take her to the doctor.  Somehow I will have to find a way soon before it gets any worse.  These things are what I struggle with most.  These are my thoughts.  I must determine today to replace them with the word of God. 

Psalm 42:5
Why are you in despair, O my soul? and why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.

I think this may be my scripture for a while.  I will write it and post it on my computer at work and I will read it and speak it often.

Little by Little

Deuteronomy 7:22 The LORD your God will clear away theses nations before you little by little;  you will not be able to put an end to them quickly, for the wild beasts would grow too numerous for you.

The renewing of our minds will take place little by little.  Pride may be one of the "beasts" that will consume us if we receive too much freedom too quickly.

I Peter 5:10  After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you according to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strenthen, and establish you.

Many times suffering precedes liberation.  This may be so that God can grow our faith in Him.  It may also make us grateful when the liberation does finally come.  We can thank God for every victory.

Don't Give Up!

Galations 6:9 - Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

Go Through



Isaiah43:2 - When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.

Habakkuk 3:19 - The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk in my high places.

The way God helps us make spiritual progress is by being with us to strenthen us and encourage us to "keep on keeping on" in rough times.

As Joyce says, "It is easyto quit, it takes faith to go through".

The Choice is Mine

Deuteronomy 30:19 - I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.  So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.

After we have finally decided to be like-minded with God, then we will need to choose and to continue to choose right thoughts.

Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Our thoughts become our words.  It is vitally important that we choose life generating thoughts.  When we do, the right words will follow.

We need to ask God to renew our minds and to help us learn to choose our thoughts wisely and carefully.  Do not quit and give up until the victory is complete.  Let us take possession of our rightful inheritance.



Vital Necessity

Today I learned that right thinking is a vital necessity.  A vital necessity is something that is so important that on simply cannot live without it.  Proverbs 23:7 states, "For as he thinks within himself, so he is".  I cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.  Matthew 12:33 says, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit".  Thoughts bear fruit.  If I spend all my time thinking bad thoughts, then my life will bear bad fruit.  However, if I spend my time thinking good thoughts, my life will bear good fruit.  I need to train myself to think and meditate on God's word which is one of the weapons to fight this battle. I need to pray for God's help in training myself because I cannot do it by determination alone.  I need God's help.

The Mind is the Battlefield

A few things I have learned already from Chapter 1 are that we are engaged in a war, it is a war against Satan, not other people,  the mind is the battlefield upon which this war is waged, the devil works diligently to set up strongholds in our minds, the devil does this through strategy and deceit, and he is in no hurry.

Battlefield of the Mind

I have started reading The Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer.  I should say I am re-reading this book.  I read it a few years ago as part of a Bible study group.  I feel as if I need a refresher so I am going to be doing it as a study for myself.  I will post things I learn here so that anybody who stumbles onto my blog may be helped as I hope to be helped.  I struggle with many negative thoughts about me, my abilities, and my worthiness or lack thereof.  I must learn to do as II Corinthians 10:5 says and "lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Annointed One), Amplified Bible.