One quilt complete and ready to start the next!

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I finally finished my first quilt!! Now I can take it to church on Sabbath and drop it off. I procrastinated way too long on finishing it but I am happy to say that it is finally complete.

This quilt was a huge learning experience. I’ve never sewn my own clothes or worked on a quilt. I barely know how to crochet. The only handiwork I’ve completed is cross-stitching. This was very different. Putting the blocks together was the easy part. Getting all the blocks to line up on the quilt and have the dimensions come out correctly was difficult. Tying the whole thing together wasn’t hard, but sewing around the border and sewing the quilt shut was a huge challenge. For some reason, my blocks shifted while working on the border and everything tilts down to the left.

I am a perfectionist (to a fault) and it’s hard to see so many mistakes. However, the ladies at church told me I was doing a wonderful job for my first attempt. The next one will be better!

The photo above shows the fabrics my mom and I chose for Hazel’s mystery quilt. We start on Sunday. I can’t wait!

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These Days

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I am finally getting back into a schedule, though it all revolves around my hubby’s work schedule. Sometimes he is home and sometimes he’s at client sites all day long.

My mornings consist of exercise, Bible study, breakfast, and cleaning. I try to have all the cleaning done by noon. This gets me into the habit of abiding by the time of use plan that goes into effect May 1 with our electric company. They charge more for electricity usage from 11 to 7 on weekdays over the summer so I try to do my housework, baking, etc. on the off-peak hours. It’s one way I can keep the electric bill lower.

In the afternoons, I study Japanese for about an hour, read, quilt, and work on other projects around the house. I have a list of projects about a mile long that I want to tackle but I’m trying to concentrate on only one thing at a time. Last week and this week was devoted to finishing up my quilt for the church. I put in my last stitches this afternoon and will be dropping the quilt off on Sabbath. I think tomorrow I’ll take pictures and post them here in remembrance of my first quilting efforts.

The rest of this week I will spend my project time prepping for a quilting session with my mom. We’re getting together early Sunday morning to start working on Hazel’s mystery quilt. We are dreadfully behind but hope to really dig in on Sunday and complete as much as possible so we’re not lagging so far behind. I have to wash all the fabric and iron everything before sundown on Friday. After that, the only time I’ll be working on that quilt is when my mom and I get together for a quilting session. This will be my second quilt and her first.

My brother, his wife, and his daughter are coming to stay with us for five days in May. I’m hoping to have all of my deep cleaning complete for the living areas of our house. I also have to clean up the spare bedroom so that they have a place to stay. We have a mattress on the floor in that room and tons of boxes filled with who knows what. I wish we could afford to buy a second bed so we had a proper spare room, but we can only provide a mattress, home-cooked food, and our company. Ah, the joys of being broke. 🙂

It looks like my hubby is about finished with his work assignment so I am going to go cook up my black bean burgers. The recipe looks really good and I’m hoping it will turn out tasty!

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Tortilla Soup

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I love tortilla soup. I browsed several recipe sites and found a recipe I could adapt to our dietary needs (vegan, low sodium, low fat). 

Ingredients
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
16 oz fresh salsa
64 oz vegetable broth
2 cans black beans
2 cups corn
1 avocado, diced
Fresh cilantro
Blue corn chips, broken up

Directions
1. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell pepper in a bit of juice from the salsa.
2. In a large pot, add cooked onion, garlic, and bell pepper mixture. Add salsa, vegetable broth, black beans, and corn.
3. Bring soup to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Turn heat down to low and simmer for one hour.
4. Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with avocado, cilantro, and blue corn chips.

This soup stored well overnight.

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Beguiled – Book Review

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When I discovered that Bethany House sometimes sends out books for review, I was ecstatic. I love to read and am not able to pick up too many new titles from the library. However, I received Beguiled in the mail and then was swamped. I am remiss in posting a review within a timely manner.

I was really excited to read this book, coauthored by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand, because I have read almost every single book that Gist has written. Though known for her historical fiction books, Gist tackles a contemporary fiction book with Beguiled.

The storyline was intriguing. Rylee, a dog walker for many wealthy families in Charleston, is suspected in a series of “Robin Hood” break-ins. Enter Logan, a reporter covering the story. Is Rylee involved in the break-ins? Can Logan figure out who the thief is before someone gets hurt? Can Rylee overcome her distrust of men and begin a relationship?

I can’t really say much about the ending because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who is interested in reading this book. But I was completely caught off guard for how the break-ins wrapped up. In most books when I am normally predicting each event as it unfolds, this is a nice change of pace.

My only complaint with the book is that it seemed lacking in the Christian aspect of Christian Fiction. There were a couple casual thoughts about God and one “conversion” scene. But it didn’t seem that any of the characters were interested in God being a daily part of their lives. There are too many “Sunday Christians” and it seemed these characters were falling into that habit.

Overall, it was a pleasant read. If you’ve read any of Gist’s historical fiction, this is a slightly different feel but it still includes her signature character development. I’m looking forward to her next book!

Thanks to Bethany House for a copy of this book!

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Spring Cleaning – Kitchen

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For various reasons, I have been feeling an urgent need to deep clean our apartment. The weather is beautiful, which brings memories and promptings of spring cleaning. I’ve been sick off and on for over a month so I’ve fallen even farther behind in my cleaning. I’ve been reading articles from Ladies Against Feminism which are awakening even greater desires to be a better homemaker. Last but not least, I saw a post somewhere issuing a challenge to eliminate clutter.

In between bouts of sickness, I’ve been tackling the kitchen. So far, I have sorted through every single cupboard and pulled out all utensils, dishes, food, etc. that we do not use. All of the extra dishes were dumped into a big box and I will be storing it in our spare bedroom for three months. At the end of three months, if I haven’t needed anything from the box, I’m selling it all on craigslist. There is enough in that box to qualify as a good kitchen starter set. I don’t know why we have so much extra stuff.

Here’s what I’ve thrown out so far (this does not include the storage box items):

Old rice
Bag old powdered sugar
Couple muffin tin liners
4 expired bottles of spices
2 icky ice cube trays
2 measuring cups
2 cat toys
Dried up superglue
Expired cat ear mite medication
2 tea lights
3 cat medication syringes
5 lids with no containers
Old spatula
2 chipped Pyrex dishes
Dried up package ArmorAll cleaning wipes
Feather duster
Really old bottle of apple cider vinegar

Whew. Feels good to have all of that junk out of my kitchen.

I’ve also wiped out all the cupboards and drawers, organized all food and dishes, scoured behind and under the fridge, and cleaned the floor and one wall of our trash room (tiny little room with one shelf and room for the trash can and broom). I still have to mop the floor, finish the walls in the trash room, clean the oven, scour the inside of the fridge, and have hubby wipe down the ceiling. For some reason, there are food splatters on the ceiling above the stove. How is that possible?

It feels really good to be spring cleaning. It’s a lot of work and it’s taking days because I’m doing such a thorough and perfectionist job of it (besides being sick). When I’m done with the kitchen, I’ll be tackling the living room and then the bathroom. Fun stuff!

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The death and resurrection of Christ

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Seeing as how today is Easter, I spent some time this morning reading in all four gospels about the death and resurrection of Christ.

Even though some of the details differ from one account to another, the basic story and sentiment is the same.

Jesus goes through a terrible trial in Gethsemane.
Judas leads a crowd to arrest Jesus.
Peter denies Jesus.
Jesus goes through several cross-examinations.
He is led to Golgotha.
Jesus dies on the cross.
He is placed in a new tomb.
When the disciples and several women visit the tomb on the first day of the week, Jesus has risen!
Jesus appears to various people and explains His death and resurrection.

Why are there so many accounts of the same events? I believe it’s because each disciple had a different vantage point and wanted to record their own individual account. This is why some of the details are different but the overarching events are the same.

What does this mean for us today? I think John summed it up well.

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;

but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name
John 20:30-31 (NKJV).

We are given evidence that Jesus is the Christ. That He is the Son of God. And that we can believe in Him and receive eternal life.

Paul also gives us a wonderful promise in Romans.

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 6:4-11 (NKJV).

Praise the Lord!

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Bible in 90 Days – Final Thoughts

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When I first announced that I was going to read the entire Bible in 90 days, most people asked why I would read it so quickly. If I was asked that question again today, I would offer the same explanation. Reading many pages each day puts God and our relationship with Him into perspective. It makes it easier to see what is really important in life, what God values and wants from each one of His children.

I realized a few things as I read. First, God loves every single human being more than I can imagine. He loves you and me and everyone else with an infinite love, regardless of the positive or negative choices we’ve made in the past and continue to make day by day. In numerous ways, God calls people to Him so that He can give us life. This calling doesn’t happen once and if rejected, never again. So many stories in the Bible show God calling people back to Him over and over and over again. He allows our choices to play out so that we can see that God’s way is better. But in our misery or in our joy, God continues to call us back to Him.

I also learned that my relationship with God is based on my heart, not on my actions. Many texts, especially in the gospels, address the need for a clean heart, a pure heart, an undefiled heart. By spending time with God in prayer and in Bible study, I can become more like Him. When my heart becomes more like God’s, my actions reflect what’s on my heart. This is where keeping the commandments comes into play, honoring God with my actions because my heart is like His. I can’t earn my way into heaven or God’s favor. That’s not what He wants from me. Instead, He desires my love and that my love would translate into actions.

Another glaring realization is that my priorities need to be rearranged. Life is not about having fun, following my own pleasures and enjoyments. Instead, I need to learn more about God, become more like Him, minister to my husband and to all the people I come in contact with. By doing this, I can be a great witness to the love of God. By loving like God loves, I can show people that I serve an awesome God and hopefully they will want to know more.

The last thing I learned is that both myself and often the Christian church in general places too much of an emphasis on the things of life that aren’t that important. I have judged people on their appearance, criticized them for lifestyle choices, and felt superior because I “know more” or am “farther on my Christian walk” than someone else. However, wearing jewelry, eating meat, and watching movies, all these different lifestyle choices, are a choice and a conviction between an individual and God. It is not up to me or any church to dictate how someone lives their life.

As an individual and as a collective Christian family, we need to focus on the greatest two commandments – loving God and loving other people. This is the greatest joy and responsibility we have. This should be our focus every minute of every day. After all, a Christian is someone who takes on the ministry of Christ. Loving others. Pointing the way to God.

I would recommend reading the Bible in 90 days to everyone who would possibly be interested. It has opened my mind to new ideas and a new way of thinking. It really is a life changing experience and offers a unique perspective of God, His children, and our relationship to both.

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Bible in 90 Days – Day 87 & 88

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I have finished reading through the Bible! I was planning on finishing tomorrow, but then I looked at the chapters that were scheduled. Day 87 covers Jude through Revelation 17. As Revelation is only 22 chapters, I decided to go ahead and finish.

It feels great. I have thoughts, but I’m going to post on Wednesday about the entire experience. It was a blessed one!

I marked several great promises in Jude and Revelation.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen
Jude 1:24-25.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne
Revelation 3:20-21.

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created
Revelation 4:11.

I especially love this last verse. This is talking about Christ, as He was the one who created all things. He is worthy to receive glory and honor and power. Why? Many reasons, but also for the one listed here. Christ is our creator. He provides life for every living thing. And I really like the last part of the verse. For Christ’s pleasure I exist and I was created. Christ created ME for His own pleasure. I can’t help but want to praise Him and serve Him in every way I can.

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Bible in 90 Days – Day 86

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Two days left. Only Jude and Revelation left to read.

Today’s reading covered 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John. I marked another wonderful promise. I really do think that there are many beautiful promises in the Bible if we take the time to look for them.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is
1 John 3:1-2.

Praise the Lord. I can’t wait to see God face to face, to really see Him as He is.

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Bible in 90 Days – Day 85

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Only three days left…

Before church this morning, I read Hebrews and James. Hebrews is a book I definitely need to study soon as it has a lot of information and guidance on Abba and Christ. I find the study of the sanctuary fascinating and much of the heavenly application is in Hebrews.

Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted
Hebrews 2:17-18.

These two verses tell me that Christ wanted to be made like us so that He would understand what we struggle with. Christ was tempted, the most famous temptations being those in the wilderness immediately after His baptism. Because Christ was tempted and overcome, He is able to succor (come to the rescue, aid, help) us deal with our temptations.

Along that same vein of thought:

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need
Hebrews 4:14-16.

Because we have a High Priest who was tempted like we are, we can boldly come to the throne to find mercy, grace, and help whenever we need it. Praise the Lord! He is very good.

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