Thursday Threads

Stitches and Needles and Threads, oh, my!  It made me smile when I thought of it and I could see Dorothy with her basket of projects skipping on the Yellow Brick Road.  Yep, I’m still smiling.

I was recently watching a You Tube video on gridding and the stitcher who made it commented that her reason for gridding is it makes the finished project more achievable with fewer mistakes and less frogging.  After thinking about that for a while, I thought perhaps she’s on to something.  How many times have I put down a project because it was becoming overwhelming to get the counting right?  So, I’ve done a bit of research into gridding and I hope it’s as helpful to you as it was to me.

cross stitch grid linesGridding your cross stitch fabric is simply dividing your cloth into 10 x 10 count squares and stitching lines into the fabric to make them visible as you are stitching.  This video is really short and sweet and shows what you need to know. Just click on the picture to watch it.

61sTrwVpczL._SL1200_Of course, the next question would be, what type of ‘thread’ should I be using  to make the grid lines.  Although you can use regular dressmaker’s thread in any color you want it can be difficult to remove when you finish the project.  I recommend Easy Count Guideline Thread.  It’s not cotton so your stitches are far less likely to get caught in it. (If you click on the picture it will take you to Amazon. Really great price!)

Stitch Along CollageI’ve been busy working on another of the Designer Stitch Along smalls.  Obviously, it’s not finished.  These Designer pieces have been so much fun to work on.  I’m loving it.

 

This next picture is the finished portion of the Sampler Round Robin.   I’m ready to mail it to the next stitcher and get busy on the piece I get next.  WooHoo!

Round Robin Sept. Blocks

Blessings to you and yours!

Keep On Stitching!

Marie

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

And the King will answer them, I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.  Matthew 25:40

Unto the least of theseWhat are you doing with the resources God has given?  Who do you know that needs a loaf of bread or a dozen eggs?  Do your words and actions model the example of Jesus?

These kinds of questions are so convicting for me that I already feel the need to get on my knees.

Are we giving a cup of water (or food, or clothing, or help) when one who does not have it shows the need?  Or are we sending them away with a hug and the thought that we have problems and needs too?  They may not ask, but when we see the need we must act upon it.   We really do show our commitment to our LORD through our actions.  Can we even imagine the surge of New Believers if  our relationship with Jesus is evident in all our thoughts, words, and actions?

Applying ourselves to a way of life  that shares our faith and our resources regularly with those around us is one way to reach the non-Believer.   Caring about others goes a long way toward saying and showing that we really are who God says we are.

There is an additional page on this blog called Lifestyle Evangelism where there are suggestions for caring, sharing, and reaching out to everyone around us.  We are commanded to reach and teach the lost but we must also remember those who are found.  Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes.  Be the one to give it!

Take the time – TODAY!

Edited and reposted from a previous article.

Forest Gump

I saw this on Facebook this morning and knew you would like it.  It’s really important to think outside of the box sometimes.  (I have been unable to determine the writer.)

220px-Forrest_Gump_posterWhen Forest Gump died, he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter said, “Welcome, Forest. We’ve heard a lot about you.” He continued, “Unfortunately, it’s getting pretty crowded up here and we find that we now have to give people an entrance examination before we let them in.”
“Okay,” said Forest. “I hope it’s not too hard. I’ve already been through a test. My momma used to say, ‘Life is like a final exam. It’s hard.’ ”
“Yes, Forest, I know. But this test is only three questions. Here they are.”
1) Which two days of the week begin with the letter ‘T’?”
2) How many seconds are in a year?
3) What is God’s first name?
“Well, sir,” said Forest, “The first one is easy. Which two days of the week begin with the letter ‘T’? Today and Tomorrow.”
St. Peter looked surprised and said, “Well, that wasn’t the answer I was looking for, but you have a point. I give you credit for that answer.”
“The next question,” said Forest, “How many seconds are in a year? Twelve.”
“Twelve?” said St. Peter, surprised and confused.
“Yes, sir. January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd …”
St. Peter interrupted him. “I see what you mean. I’ll have to give you credit for that one, too.”
“And the last question,” said Forest, “What is God’s first name? It’s Andy.”
“Andy?” said St. Peter, in shock. “How did you come up with ‘Andy’?”
“I learned it in church. We used to sing about it.” Forest broke into song, “Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me, Andy tells me I am His own.”
St. Peter opened the gate to heaven and said, “Run, Forest, Run!”

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Weekend Wanderings

I really enjoy hopping around the blogosphere and sharing my favorite articles and ideas with you.  This week was very busy here on the home front, but there’s always time to read a bit more. Don’t you agree?

supreme-court-546279__180I’ve read Bible Love Notes since I first started blogging.  Gail often shares just the right thought when I need it the most.  Her archive of articles on judging is powerful.  I’ve often thought God’s word is not saying don’t judge.  After all, we’re human.  His word does say “we shouldn’t judge others if we’re using one standard for ourselves and another standard for others.”  (Quoted from the article, Inaccurate, Illogical, Popular.)

carrots-87673_640Ever wonder how home cooks are planning for the mega cook and freeze days.  This post is full of instructions and all around great ideas for spending a day cooking so the stress of choosing meals is a thing of the past.  Check out Freezer Cook on Life’s Little Moments.  It was written a couple of years ago, but it’s definitely worth the time.  There’s also a huge saving in buying in bulk like this.

dishwasher-449158_640I’ve been wanting to make my own dishwasher detergent tabs for a long time.  Having done some research,  I can make tabs for less than 10 cents where the store varieties cost 30+ cents a load.  I’ve read several blogs on the subject and I’ll be using the recipe from One Good Thing.  I’ll let you all know if it’s worth it.

It’s been a great night to watch my Tigers play baseball.   It was a really good game, and  of Freebie Ice Princesscourse we won.   I get a lot of stitching done while ‘watching’ and have almost finished the Round Robin piece I’ve been working on.  I’ll share a picture later on.  This week’s freebie over at Heaven and Earth Designs is Dancing Auroras (37 pages)  and Ice Princess (19 pages).  I’d love to see your finish if you choose to do one of these.  They’re both delightful.

Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.  Psalm 100:3 NIV

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

 

An Open Letter to Whoopi Goldberg….We most certainly WERE Listening

I have many friends who are nurses, practitioners, doctors, aides and so on. I’ve worked side by side with them as an administrator in some really tough situations. They are intelligent, trained, degreed, loving, kind, caring, and so much more. Unfortunately, certain members of the media think they can say anything they want without regard for others. To all the medical professionals I know, particularly nurses, thank you for all you’ve done for my family. You are awesome!

R.J. Rudd's avatarRebecca's Ramblings

Since I saw The View’s so-called “apology” clip on social media, I’ve given this post a tremendous amount of thought. My first instinct and knee-jerk reaction was to sit down with my laptop and blast them with full force…unload my anger  and outrage onto the page…err…computer screen…so I could purge it and get all of that negativity out of my system. I’ll admit, I even got about a quarter of the way through that piece, when I stopped to re-read it. It was a scathing, searing diatribe that quite frankly, made me ashamed of myself. It sounded like something that the View Crew would say…it was petty, spiteful, angry and distasteful. That’s not who I am as a person, a writer or more specifically, a nurse. Quite frequently, I end my blog posts with a sentence urging my readers to be kind to each other. I am a tireless advocate for tolerance, peaceful coexistence and doing…

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