Pumpkin Time

Hello, Precious Friends!  It has been wayyyyy too long since I visited with y'all!  I hope that all is well in your lives...... I was finally able to do a little more crafting recently, and so decorated a pumpkin for a friend.  These are the photos of it...... she liked it, so I was happy as could be!

I had a kind of bad experience the other evening, but, in the end, it turned out well....... I was at the gas station, pumping gas..... and  out of the corner of my eye saw some THING zooming towards me from above...... never did get a good look at it...... so, I don't know WHAT it was......... well, it landed with a loud "BZZZZTTT!!!" underneath my jaw, on the right side of my face...... and OUCH!!!!  oooh it stung me so badly!  It was burning like fire and swelling up pretty bad, and I have so many allergies...... so I called my pastor and asked him to pray for me...... and, instantly that swelling just went away and it stopped hurting!!!!!!  God is so Good!!!!  And He is not a "part - time" God!!!!  He is a "Full - Time", "All - the - time" Faithful  Friend..... and is as close as the mention of His Name!!

I hope that you are all well and happy, dear ones...... and please remember to keep those affected by hurricane Sandy in your thoughts and prayers....... as a life-long resident of the Texas Gulf Coast, I have been through tropical storms and hurricanes many times...... and they are NOT FUN at all....

Hugs,

Jenni

She has adopted us!!

Meet the new addition to our family, Miss Lily May!  Yesterday my sister was walking her dog, Camo, and  picked up a "shadow".  Inquiring about this sweet Lab mix lady revealed that she has been wandering the neighborhood for several weeks now, living on handouts from whoever took pity on her....... Well, her begging days are over!  She will be loved and spoiled within an inch of her life now......... I think she is soooo pretty and she is as sweet as can be..... she took her first visit to the vet this morning, and is settling in as a house dog quite nicely...... what a sweet heart she is!  And it is amazing how much she resembles my darling Jazz, whom we lost in May of 2011.............though she does have a white patch on her chest and three of her paws....... we already love her sooooo much!!!!!  God does send along the sweetest surprises, doesn't He?

It's Fall again!

                This is a photo of my  piano from a couple of years ago, decorated for Fall.

Don't you just love this time of year?  The cooler weather, the awesome, rich colors, the hustle and bustle as school resumes and Schedules are fine - tuned to fit our lives......... This time of year just makes me happy!  When the weather begins to cool I get a burst of energy...  It's been cooler here in our part of Texas, lately, but I heard on the radio that this weekend is going to get pretty warm, again.... sigh..... but I can look at all my pretty Fall decorations and pretend that it's chilly, right????  And, Soon, maybe it really will be!

It's been a while since I blogged, and I've been missing it!  I am still caring for my grandmother.... living with her to make sure she's ok......and there is no internet conection at her house...... but I've tried to regularly visit my favorite blogs from time to time over the past months.... it's such fun to see what all of you precious friends have been up to.......

I'm getting lots of Fall decorating done, and taking lots of pictures...... so I will try to share them in the coming week!  And I have a Praise report to share...... I was involved in a minor accident  this past week, but Jesus, my Lord, my Savior, and my best Friend...... took such good care of me!!!  It could have been so much worse than it was...... I am just bruised a bit from the seat belt and my neck and back have been hurting a bit.........but nothing too terrible. Praise the Lord!

That's why I  strongly believe that we should pray in the mornings for God's protection and nearness throughout the day..... you just never know what the day may bring, do you?  But it is so awesome to know that He is close to His children, and that He is there... no matter what the need may be.........

I hope each of y'all has the most wonderful weekend ever, and  here's a hug from me!

Blessings,
Jenni

Sweet refreshment for the soul.....

This is a photo of the beautiful koi in our friend Jack's pond.... Our family loves this dear man and his wife so much.... they are like precious family to us!!
The other evening I was in my room at my Grandmother's house.... and, I am ashamed to say, I was fretting and worrying about my finances among other things..... So I just began to talk softly to my best Friend... for He is with me all the time..... Oh I love Him so much.......Anyway, I was telling Him about my worries and fears..... and about my fear for the future.... and I said rather doubtfully: "But I know You will take care of me Lord...". and I sat down on the bed and opened His Word..... and, wouldn't you know it..... I opened my Bible up, and there was Luke chapter 8!!  And a portion of verse 25 just leaped off the page at my eyes......it was written in red.... "Where is your faith?" And I just froze for a moment and let it sink in...... And then I backed up and read from verse 22:
Luke 8:
22: "Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake.  And they launched forth.
23: "But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
24: "And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish.  Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
25: "And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him."

Tears began to flow, dear friends..... as I began to think about the kind of God He is.... He is Awesome and Mighty, and He can handle all of my problems and my struggles....Even the wind and the waves must obey His Command!  So I just sort of flipped the pages over, and wouldn't you know it!! My Beloved Friend had some more good thoughts for me to take to heart, to gain Strength from..... for I glanced down and it was Luke chapter 12, verses 22 - 32...... and as it registered in my mind.... my heart just leaped with Joy!!
Luke 12:
22: "And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
23: "The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24: "Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
25: "And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26: " If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
27: "Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28: "If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
29: "And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30: "For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31: "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32: "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

So I just wept and basked in His closeness and care and comfort..... why should I worry?  He is God and He has it all under His control!!  We can go to Him at any time with our concerns and burdens and fears and He is glad to lift them from our shoulders.......
And, wouldn't you know it?  a few days later, my Dad got a job after having been without one since March.......(and this was one of those little issues I had been fretting needlessly over)
My heart is filled with Praise for my Savior, Jesus Christ!  He is Jehovah God!  He is  so GOOD! 
I know this was a lengthy post, but I just HAD to share His Goodness with y'all!

Refreshing thoughts about my "Keeper"....

This week, Psalm 121 has been on my heart......

Psalm 121:
1: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2: My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3: He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4: Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5: The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 
6: The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7: The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8: The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and even for evermore.

The Lord brought something to my attention this week, and I just wanted to share it with y'all.... Do you notice how many times the word: "keeper" or "keepeth" is used in this Psalm? Well, I was over at my grandmother's one day this week, and it occured to me, how that I was up all hours of the night, listening for her every call, and how that I would peek in on her while she slept just to make certain she was ok, and how that when she was awake I would make sure she had everything that she needed, and was watching over her so vigilantly..... I was in effect, "keeping" her..... and I thought how that a mother will "keep" her little baby...... she listens for it's every whimper.... her ears are attuned to the slightest cry from that child.... she makes sure the baby is fed and taken care of, and allows no danger or harm to come to it......and I thought about how that my Mom and I, and my Grandma's home health care provider are watching over her so diligently..... making certain Grannie doesn't fall.... Making sure she doesn't accidently harm herself by taking the wrong medication ..... we are "keeping" her......
This Psalm tells us over and over how that the Lord Jesus, who is Jehovah God, is our "Keeper".....isn't that beautiful?  I could imagine Him listening attentively all hours of the night or day to our every cry....keeping us from harm and danger..... watching over us while we sleep... (because He NEVER slumbers or sleeps) and also making sure that our needs are met every day......
How He loves His children......and how I love Him.... I am so thankful that He is not only my "keeper", He is my everything......

A little bit crafty...




This is the finished product

 


This is the shade before photo, cute, but you know me!

 

Hello dear friends!  As you know, I have been busy, working, and also sitting with my grandmother day and night, as she gets stronger after having been in the hospital.  So I haven't had much time to enjoy crafting.... but I was finally able to do a little bit the other night as she slept..... so I thought I'd share the before and after photos with y'all..... 

I wanted to add a night light to my bathroom, and knew what I had in mind, but couldn't find what I wanted, so decided to come up with my own style..... I ordered a plain green gingham checked shaded one from Ebay..... it was from a  great store called:  Handmade With Love by Cathy..... and was cute just as it was...I got awesome service and fast shipping, too...  I decided  to add my own touch to it, though, and so added some beading to the bottom with hot glue, and "gussied up" a red ribbon rose pin I had got from Meadowstreet.com...... and glued it to the shade..... I was happy with the results.... and it was fun to craft something again!

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend, and that the week ahead is rich with reminders that God loves you!

Hugs,

Jenni

Happy Fourth of July!!!

(This is a photo of my sweet Annalee patriotic mice, posing by a red white and blue bouquet)

I hope y'all have a wonderful July the Fourth!  Are you going to have a cookout, or maybe see some fireworks?  We are, and I am looking forward to it...... I sat in my car today and listened, REALLY listened to John Phillip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever..... I tried to pick out the different instruments as they joined in; paying special attention to the different melodic passages and the harmonies...... WOW!  When you hear those crashing cymbals, it really is thrilling!  I am so thankful for my beloved America.  As the song "America the Beautiful" says: "may God shed His Grace on  thee, and crown thy good, with brotherhood...... from sea to shining sea!"

Hugs,
Jenni

It's been a while!

Hello, precious friends of my heart!  It seems like forever since I have been able to blog..... I have been helping care for my grandmother, (who is making some progress and doing better) and my heart is full of Praise for my Jesus!  He has brought us through so many things in the last few months......
I have been teaching piano,  and working on lots of music for different people that need different songs for one reason or another....... and I have been attending  wonderful revival services at our church....... where many have been saved, delivered, and healed.........

Some news of a personal nature...... slept on my new, sealy posture pedic mattress for the first time yesterday, after staying up all night with my grandmother..... and it was awesome...... like sleeping on a cloud!  when I woke up, my poor old back didn't know what to do...... because it didn't have crick in it! LOL!

Whew!  It has been sooooo hot here in this part of Texas...... I just saw on the 'net that Texas has broken a record for the usage of power in the month of June....... thank God for air conditioning....... I stepped outside yesterday at one point and it literally felt like stepping into a blast of hot air from a heater set on high!

I hope things are going well for you and your loved ones..... are you having a good summer?  Sorry I haven't gotten to visit with y'all lately on my favorite blogs..... but I miss y'all and think of you and pray for you often...... will try to visit soon and see what's new with you.......

Hugs,
Jenni