Themes vs. details

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When I read through the Bible earlier this spring, I tried to pass over the details and instead concentrate on the themes. Reading 12 pages each day does not really allow one to soak up all the details. Instead, I jotted down any specific texts or topics I wanted to come back to later.

One topic I’ve been intending to study for the past several years is death. It can be a depressing topic, I suppose. What happens when you die? Is there consciousness after death? And a more recent addition to my questions – is there any conscious existence before a man is born?

The Seventh Day Adventist church, of which I am a member, has an official position on the topic of death. However, I do think it is of vital importance for each Christian to study and know what the Bible says for themselves. I want to know that my beliefs are the same as those of the church that I attend or I may need to find another church. The only way to discover what I believe is to dig into the Bible for myself.

I started with Genesis 2:7, which talks about God creating Adam, the first man. Then I looked up all the cross references that are listed in my Bible for this text. When I finished reading all of the cross references, I moved on to the next text on my list and looked up all the cross references attached to that text. I now have 6.5 pages of notes and texts related to creation, death, and the breath of life.

I’m not yet done with this study, but I am noticing a bigger theme that just what happens when you die. God is in control. Regardless of what else I find in my study, I am relieved and hopeful because I can be confident that God is always in control.

Here are several of the verses that illustrate this.

God created man. – And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).

God gives to all life, breath, and all things. – God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things (Acts 17:24-25).

My soul is in God’s hand. – Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind (Job 12:9-10).

In God, I live and move and have my being. – For in him [God] we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring (Acts 17:28).

Praise the Lord! I can have confidence that God is in control.

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Fabric strips complete!

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I’m so excited! I finished cutting my last color of fabric this afternoon.

Here are all my lovely strips:

I’m not sure I like all of the colors together, but we’ll see how it turns out. I need to take a color theory class or read a good color theory book. Maybe then I will feel more confident picking out fabric. Oh well! Live and learn. 🙂

Now I have to figure out how I’m going to arrange the strips so that I can start sewing. Ooh, I’m so excited!

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Maybe THIS time!

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Only one more piece of fabric to cut! I’m very excited about working on this quilt and I’ve been trying to set aside time each day to make some progress.

Here’s what I worked on last night while waiting for my husband to finish a late shift:

And here’s what I completed this afternoon:

I only have one more color to cut and then I can start sewing! I’m so excited! I know I’ve caught the bug when I’m already thinking about what my next project will be… My mom and I need to keep working on our Hazel’s Diary quilt and I need to continue working on the quilt for my grandparents. My goal is to have it shipped up to Wyoming by Christmas.

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I was optimistic in thinking that I’d get to start sewing blocks for my new quilt early this week! It seems my time tables are usually optimistic and that I need to allow more time to complete things. Either that, or I need to seriously curtail my internet time… Hmmm.

Here are the strips I cut yesterday. The picture didn’t quite capture the color, but I think it’s a wonderful shade of pink. I wish I had bought extra to use in a later quilt that I’ll be keeping!

I think I’ll take my own advice and get off the internet, as I still have some studying to do. Maybe later I’ll have time to cut the next piece of fabric into strips. Only three colors left to go until I can start sewing. I can’t wait!

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Bible in 90 Days

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Bible in 90 Days- join in July 2010

I am very excited that the Bible in 90 Days program is starting up again. If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late to join! The reading starts today but there are also two grace days built into the schedule.

Reading the Bible through so quickly is challenging but very rewarding. Sometimes it’s difficult to read the Bible for 45 minutes to an hour each day, especially during some of the “hard” books like Leviticus and Numbers. But reading so quickly gave me a new perspective on how God has worked throughout history. It shows how God has had His hand guiding His people. It’s really amazing to see that the God who created and taught Adam is the same God who protected His people during the 40 years of wandering. That is also the same God who guided David and the judges during Israel’s rocky history.

I’m not reading the entire Bible during this 90 day period but I am going to be doing some intense Bible study. I have a list of questions from my last read through and I want to try to answer some of those during this 90 day challenge. I’m also looking forward to the opportunity of praying for and encouraging some of the participants.

I cannot recommend this challenge enough. If you have never read through the entire Bible, please prayerfully consider joining. It will be a worthwhile experience!

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Sarah’s Garden – a review

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When I saw that Sarah’s Garden (Kelly Long) was available for review, I was intrigued. A combination of gardening, quilting, and a true to life portrayal of Christianity cannot go wrong. I thought the writing was vivid as I could easily imagine the scenes taking place. The ending was to be expected, though fairly believable and welcome. Reading Amish fiction can quickly become monotonous as many of the books are formulaic. This was not one of them and I genuinely enjoyed reading Sarah’s story.

I don’t know enough about the Amish people to recognize if this book is completely accurate in its portrayal of Amish life. But the writing did inspire me to continue in my path to living a more simple life so that I can be open to hearing God’s voice. Without the distractions of constant media or busy schedules, I hope that it will be easier to recognize when God is directing me.

I look forward to reading more upcoming books in this series.

This book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson.

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Quilting progress

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One of the side benefits of my new schedule is that I’ve been working on my Double 9 Patch quilt quite a bit. I haven’t done any sewing yet. There is a lot of cutting to do first.

Yesterday –

Today –

I’ve cut strips in three different fabrics and have four more fabrics to go. I should be able to start sewing by early next week!

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Progress report – 2010 reading challenges

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At the beginning of the year, I overextended myself by signing up for way too many reading challenges. *smile* It was too much, especially considering that I had signed up to read the entire Bible in 90 days. That didn’t leave much time for reading anything else, which I consider a good thing.

I’ve made good progress in some of the challenges, completed some already, and haven’t even started others. I had no idea it was so difficult to think of book titles with colors in them! Overall, on my 100 book challenge, I am exactly half done. That’s pretty good timing as the year is already half gone.

I’ve read too much Christian historical fiction in the past six weeks and I’m pretty burned out on it. I probably won’t be picking anything up from that genre for awhile. I haven’t finished a book in almost a week but I’m reading several nonfiction books concurrently. Nonfiction takes me a bit longer to finish than fiction reading.

I keep swinging from one end of the reading pendulum to the other. At times, I want to read as much as possible. Other times, I don’t want to touch a book with a ten foot pole. We’ll see how the second half of 2010 goes!

Christian Historical Fiction Challenge
1. Distant Dreams (Ribbons of Steel, Book #1) – Pella, Judith
2. The Outsider: A Novel – Gabhart, Ann H.
3. Bachelors Puzzle – Pella, Judith
4. Sister’s Choice – Pella, Judith
5. How Do I Love Thee? (Ladies of History, book #4) – Moser, Nancy
6. Just Jane (Ladies of History Series #2) – Moser, Nancy
7. Eighth Shepherd (A. D. Chronicles #8) – Thoene, Bodie
8. Her Mother’s Hope (Marta’s Legacy, #1) – Rivers, Francine
9. Michal – Smith, Jill Eileen
10. The Apothecary’s Daughter – Klassen, Julie
11. Lady of Milkweed Manor – Klassen, Julie
12. The Inheritance – Alexander, Tamera
13. A Lady Like Sarah (A Rocky Creek Romance, #1) – Brownley, Margaret
14. The Hope of Refuge: A Novel (An Ada’s House Novel, Book #1) – Woodsmall, Cindy
15. A Bride Most Begrudging – Gist, Deeanne
16. A Bride in the Bargain – Gist, Deeanne
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Biblical Fiction Challenge
1. Eighth Shepherd (A. D. Chronicles #8) – Thoene, Bodie
2. Michal – Smith, Jill Eileen
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Christian Non-Fiction Challenge
1. How Women Help Men Find God – Murrow, David
2. Cult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement – Spencer, Irene
3. 3:16: The Numbers of Hope – Lucado, Max
4. Radical: Take Back Your Faith from the American Dream – Platt, David
5. Intimate Issues: Twenty-One Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex – Dillow, Linda
6. Jesus on Death Row: The Trial of Jesus and American Capital Punishment – Osler, Mark
7. Loving Your Man Without Losing Your Mind – Davis, Susie
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Jane Austen Challenge
1. Emma
2. Emma & Knightley: The Sequel to Jane Austen’s Emma – Billington, Rachel
3. Pride and Prejudice
4. Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma – Birchall, Diana
5.
6.
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Extra – (Related, but doesn’t count toward the challenge) Jane Austen’s Guide to Good Manners: Compliments, Charades & Horrible Blunders – Ross, Josephine
Extra – The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World – Sullivan, Margaret C.
Extra – Just Jane (Ladies of History Series #2) – Moser, Nancy

Colorful Reading Challenge
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Memorable Memoir Challenge
1. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia Gilbert, Elizabeth
2. A Year in Provence Mayle, Peter
3. Sweet Mandarin: The Courageous True Story of Three Generations of Chinese Women and Their Journey from East to West Tse, Helen
4. Cult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement Spencer, Irene
Extra – A Thousand Days in Venice – de Blasi, Marlena

South Asian Author Challenge
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Chunkster Challenge
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Support Your Local Library Challenge – Almost every book I read is from the local library. If I read one that isn’t, I’ll mark it with a * in the list below.

100+ Reading Challenge
1. All Through the Night – Bunn, Davis
2. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia – Gilbert, Elizabeth
3. Distant Dreams (Ribbons of Steel, Book #1) – Pella, Judith
4. A Year in Provence – Mayle, Peter
5. The Outsider: A Novel – Gabhart, Ann H.
6. Jane Austen’s Guide to Good Manners: Compliments, Charades & Horrible Blunders – Ross, Josephine
7. The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World – Sullivan, Margaret C.
8. The Swiss Family Robinson – Wyss, Johann D.
9. Bachelors Puzzle – Pella, Judith
10. In the Time of the Butterflies – Alvarez, Julia
11. Sister’s Choice – Pella, Judith
12. Shanghai Girls – See, Lisa
13. June Bug – Fabry, Chris
14. How Do I Love Thee? (Ladies of History, book #4) – Moser, Nancy
15. The Wisdom Of Eleanor Roosevelt – Wigal, Donald
16. Sweet Mandarin: The Courageous True Story of Three Generations of Chinese Women and Their Journey from East to West – Tse, Helen
17. In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto – Pollan, Michael
18. How Women Help Men Find God – Murrow, David
19. Mona Lisa in Camelot: Jacqueline Kennedy and the True Story of the Painting’s High-Stakes Journey to America – Davis, Margaret Leslie
20. Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage – Andersen, Christopher P.
21. Now and Always – Copeland, Lori
22. Cult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement – Spencer, Irene
23. Knit the Season: A Friday Night Knitting Club Novel – Jacobs, Kate
24. Emma – Jane Austen
25. Emma & Knightley: The Sequel to Jane Austen’s Emma – Billington, Rachel
26. Just Jane (Ladies of History Series #2) – Moser, Nancy
27. A Thousand Days in Venice – de Blasi, Marlena
28. Beguiled* – Gist, Deeanne and Bertrand, J. Mark
29. The Silent Gift – Landon, Michael
30. 3:16: The Numbers of Hope – Lucado, Max
31. Radical: Take Back Your Faith from the American Dream* – Platt, David
32. Pride and Prejudice – Austen, Jane
33. Eighth Shepherd (A. D. Chronicles #8) – Thoene, Bodie
34. Intimate Issues: Twenty-One Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex – Dillow, Linda
35. Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma – Birchall, Diana
36. Her Mother’s Hope (Marta’s Legacy, #1) – Rivers, Francine
37. Michal – Smith, Jill Eileen
38. The Apothecary’s Daughter – Klassen, Julie
39. Lady of Milkweed Manor – Klassen, Julie
40. The Perfect Match (Deep Haven Series #3) – Warren, Susan May
41. The Inheritance – Alexander, Tamera
42. Jesus on Death Row: The Trial of Jesus and American Capital Punishment – Osler, Mark
43. The Inheritance – Alexander, Tamera
44. A Lady Like Sarah (A Rocky Creek Romance, #1) – Brownley, Margaret
45. The Hope of Refuge: A Novel (An Ada’s House Novel, Book #1) – Woodsmall, Cindy
46. A Bride Most Begrudging* – Gist, Deeanne
47. A Bride in the Bargain* – Gist, Deeanne
48. Loving Your Man Without Losing Your Mind – Davis, Susie
49. An Amish Gathering: Life in Lancaster County – Wiseman, Beth
50. Sarah’s Garden (Patch of Heaven Novel) – Long, Kelly

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Green smoothies and quilting

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I am so excited to have my camera back up and running! I don’t use it a lot, but I really notice when it’s not available.

My awesome green smoothie:

That’s two bananas, 6 ounces of frozen raspberries (bought fresh but frozen for use), a handful of spinach, and a splash of water. It blends up really pretty!

おいしい！　Delicious!

I started working on my quilt again. It’s amazing what you have time for when you don’t play around while cleaning and waste time surfing the internet.

All I completed today was a set of strips to strip piece my double nine patch. For some reason, I have a hard time visualizing how to use the rotary cutter. I’m extremely grateful for the library having loaned me Rotary Magic. It’s much easier to figure out what I’m doing when I have pictures and a detailed explanation in front of me.

Off to relax with the hubby! I hope everyone is having a great evening!

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Dinner

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I am making breakfast burritos for dinner. If we’re not eating them at breakfast, are they still considered “breakfast” burritos?

Tortillas, diced and fried (in very little oil) tofu, hash browns, rice, guacamole, fresh tomato, salsa, onions… yum yum!

It’s been just shy of six months since I’ve intentionally eaten dairy, whether it be eggs, milk, or cheese. I don’t miss it much, as there are very good non-dairy ice creams available. I do miss this very unhealthy pasta salad I used to make on a weekly basis – rotini noodles, ranch, Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese, peas, and olives. Extremely tasty and extremely fattening. It’s little wonder I was 50 pounds overweight.

I think the next step in our diet reform is to replace the vegan junk food with whole foods. We still eat crackers (long chemical sounding ingredient list so they can’t be healthy), a bit of soy, and a few other highly processed convenience foods.

I really wanted to post a picture of my smoothie this morning but my camera batteries were not yet fully charged. Hopefully tomorrow! Raspberries and bananas make the best smoothies.

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