Content In A Greater Plan

Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3

I can never focus too much on contentment. Being content is an important part of my life. It's something I'm working on; something I am continually trying to be. Not just being content with the blessings God gives me, but striving for it in the hard times of life. While moving, while waiting. Being content.
Often I think too much about the future. Ten years from now... where will I be? What will I be doing? How can I prepare for the future without knowing where God will be leading me in the future?
My mind races with thoughts...when God clearly says to trust in Him. Not to worry.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34

To be content in Him.Christ will provide! His plan is far greater than any plan I could create.

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
   that can succeed against the LORD. 
Proverbs 21:30

 And that should be something to be content in. God's word is such a comfort. 

 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Your thoughts?

Giveaway At Accordion To Kellie....

Click to enter for a chance to win a 15 dollar gift card to mod cloth! I love their jewelry.
Kellie's blog is so inspirational, too. Cute and darling...

The Winner...

 ....The winner for the summer apron is....
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.....................Kristin!

Congratulations!... 

Please comment with your e-mail address (which will not be published) and I will contact you and send your prize as soon as possible. :-)



Many thanks to all who have entered!

An Afternoon At The Park With A Kite

♫"Let's go fly a kite! Up to the highest height!"♪
 I had a great time two Saturdays ago with my family when we went to a park to fly a kite. I took so many snap shots ( 95 photos to be exact) and enjoyed the picturesque fields that are on either side of the park. My daddy got the kite up twice which was surprising with how little wind there was.

My favorite tree at the park...

Here's my Daddy and the happy kite way up in the sky.

One delighted kite enjoying the fresh air...
Our trusty kite has flown on the beach, in our front yard and even been stuck in our neighbor's tree.

A rickety fence...

Beautiful flowers wrapped around a tree. Tree hugger!

There was also access to the river from the park. In the background are only a handful of the many inner-tubers we saw enjoying the refreshing, cold water.

An old bridge.



Do you like flying kites? :-)

My Messes {and how I'm cleaning them up}

 

 Sharing a sewing machine with my sisters consists of numerous spools and bobbins of thread exchanges.

As the story begins it happened to be my turn with the machine.

“Where’s the white thread?” I asked my sister.

“In the thread box.”

“Where’s the bobbin thread?”

“In the thread box.” She answered again.

Of course it was. I was hoping it wasn’t.

On the shelf was a tornado of fabric scraps big and small piled high on top of the thread box. The tornado of fabric I created. I wondered how my sister had gotten the thread inside.

 I leave a mess where ever I go… There's my project basket piled and stacked to the brim with yarn, papers, thank you notes, letters, odds and ends as much as can fit… Then there’s my shelf in the office. Papers galore. Little notes with scribbles and doodles, ingenious ideas and music lyrics, music sheets and blog post ideas. If I have a paper I just stack it with the rest… There’s my sewing box...Filled with pins and needles, fabric scraps and a spider web of thread.

So, I pulled out all the fabric; the sewing manual, lonely papers, piled them on a chair and got out the thread box. Well, now the mess was on a chair. I couldn’t just put that pile back on the shelf. That would be… irresponsible. So I brain stormed! I cleaned it all up and put everything back in it’s place! *Chirp, chirp*… I am so smart... Right? ;-)

I am disorganized and a pack rat. 

Many people out there are wonderful at keeping things organized. Neatness seems to run in their genes.

Either I didn’t inherit the gene or I’m just sloppy. Don’t misunderstand me though.

I shouldn’t feel sorry for myself and imagine that I am just not gifted with neatness.

No. The truth of the matter is I’m lazy. It began when I purposely didn’t put something away, then I gradually began not putting things away with out realizing it and now it has become habit. The first step for me to get organized is realizing and accepting the fact that I’m lazy. I have to become responsible for my messes.

The next step is diligence. I’ve been trying to get things cleaned out. It’s surprisingly satisfying. Getting the messy shelves, boxes, and baskets of mine cleaned out is actually somewhat easier than other steps. The hard part for me is keeping it clean.

That takes discipline. Which is the hardest thing I am struggling with. It’s one thing to admit that I am messy, but harder to start improving. I need to stop myself if I walk away from a mess. Pick up the pencil, put the scissors in the container, throw the spider web of thread away. Once I get a system down it’ll become easier. But diligence and discipline need to be put in place. It might be painful to have to put every thing away. But it will pay off the in long run. 

Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,
 but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. 

Proverbs 10:17

So, how clean are you? Do you have any tips for staying organized?

Antique books and flowers

I had a lot of fun entering this giveaway/photo challenge! The theme is flowers.
Hop on over and enter a photo! (Click the button)

Summer Apron Giveaway...

*Giveaway Closed*
I have been blogging for two memorable years.
Through two years of writing, sewing, cooking, reading, two more siblings, music, learning and growing in Christ. I have blogged through struggles and happy times, through snow and sunshine. I have learned a lot and met many new friends. 

Thank you for your constant response and feedback!

To celebrate two years of blogging I am going to have a giveaway...

The Prize:

Ready to enjoy some baking and cooking?
An apron is an essential accessory when in the kitchen. Keeps you clean...and stylish!


To enter to win this apron...

Mandatory entry
-Please comment on this post saying you'd like to enter.
  
Extra entry
-Spread the word about this giveaway...! (You have permission to use these photos on your post.)

This giveaway ends August 23rd. I will plan to announce the winner on the August 24th.

(Please comment each entry separately.)
 
 (This giveaway is open to anyone in the United States.)


 Have fun!

Choose Life

 Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.  Deuteronomy 30: 19-20

I'm it!

 Abby tagged me and as I am terrible at remembering to finish tags am doing it right now!

1. Favorite Sport: Basketball is about the only sport I know how to play. Does capture the flag count. :-)
2. A Good Name for a Dog: I am terrible at naming animals but if I had to name one, probably... Hot dog. 

3. Favorite Animal: Cats or Dogs. I used to be an animal person, but now I am a people person. I love babies. When I have my own house I am going to have a house full of children. ;-)
4. Favorite Subject in School: Art, Music, Language arts. A combination of artsy subjects. I don't have one favorite.
5. Favorite Drink: Water. So refreshing!
6. Last Song You Heard: I don't even know. My brothers are always singing!
7. Do You Like to Make People Laugh?: Yes. Usually when I do it's when I've done something embarrassing.
8. Favorite Color: I  like them all. I think I like lavender the best.
9. Favorite Hobby: I love photography, to write, make music, sew. Mostly sewing is my hobby though. Writing and making music are musts! I can't live with out relieving stress with writing and music.
10. School Grade You are in: 10th grade. 11th when the school year starts.

I am tagging:

Kelsey
 Rebekah

Also, A Bright Light in A Dark World is having a lovely giveaway for an apron! Click here.

A Batch of Homemade Soap

 My two sisters and I made our first batch of soap a few weeks ago.
It was a very good learning experience and we've been enjoying our fresh bars of sweet soap. 

Nothing better than being able to use something that you've made.

I am sure you can tell their homemade... and No, we don't recommend that you cut the soap bars from our example, but we are happy how they turned out anyway. :-)

Good enough to eat right? ;-)

Don't forget to scrub behind your ears!

We used Homestead blessings recipe on their The Art of Soap Making DVD.

Do you like liquid or bars of soap better?

Dreams of a mediocre musician

 Music soaring through the air,
Breathes of joyous song,
Notes like baby giggles 
and bird chirps,
The player,
the violin,
become one.
Strings laughing, 
Fingers flying
Hearts dancing
Echoes of vibrato
and strings filled with sunshine.
Musician's bliss.

 Sometimes I get carried away with a dream.
A dream to be an accomplished musician.
A dream of being one with the song; being one the music I try to perfect.
 A dream to one day find the utter joy of music.

Music has been a part of my life since I was six. When my dad first started giving me lessons on our upright, player piano.
I appreciate music more than I did when I first started and have grown to enjoy it rather than dread it.
...And even though I've played piano for quite some time I am not as good as I hoped I'd be. Although I can hear some thing and probably play a few notes of the main melody, I'm not as good as my dreams.
...Although I love the violin and the thrill of putting bow to string, I am only on Suzuki book two and am only starting to learn vibrato. I am not as good as my dreams.
...And though I love to sing and I can carry a tune, my voice can't- for the life of me- sing a solo. Though I practice and love music I am not what I dream. I love to listen to music, I love to sing, I love to dance, I love to play violin and piano, but my dream, has not come true.

But, I have another dream.
A dream of singing and playing not for a crowd, but singing solely for Jesus Christ my King.  This dream, far better suits my abilities where ever my level of skill. No matter how well I sing or how many times the strings of my violin squeak, there's someone who will always be there to listen.

God.

As long as I am singing from my heart, as long as I am playing through the joy of the Lord, as long as I am dancing with a smile, God doesn't care whether the music doesn't come out just right. As long as I'm giving Him praise He's always there to listen to the song of my soul.



 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3: 16

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What's your dream?...

Raindrops and Sunshines.

 Rain brings the promise of green; the promise of sunshine.

Brightening all around,

 Giving an awing glow,

Vibrant streaks of shine,

And cheerful splashes that warm my hands and face.


I am capturing the sun through the lens of a camera and soaking in the greatness of  the unfathomable glory of the Son.

 Romans 5:21
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

 Isn't God's grace a billion times as amazing as His sunshine?