Hearts in Service

Beauty Confucius ~ "Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it" Beauty is all around us, yet as this quote says, we so often we miss it. It requires us to stop, focus and be still for a time. We can miss it if we don't take the time to see it in the unexpected. It can be found in the mundane things we take for granted. This week I saw beauty in so many places. They are part of the blessings of this week. Blessings #166-180 ♥ A beautiful view out my living room window. ♥ A phone call from the school asking for my help to encourage a homeschooling family. This was a beautiful affirmation of an educational choice I made for so many years. ♥ Candles glowing at night. ♥ Cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg mixed together in a heavenly smell in applesauce cookies. ♥ The sweet smell of clean clothes. ♥ A sun that rises each day. ♥ Beautiful smiles of children. ♥ A lively discussion with our small group about how we live a beauti...

Thank you to everyone who participated in the blog drawing. I put all the names in a basket and Emily drew the winner. Congratulations to.... Nadine I'll be sending you an email to get your address.

I happened to look this morning as I was typing up my post and realized that this morning's, "Wednesday Words of Encouragement" was my 1,000th post. I have been blogging for exactly 3 years. It started out as a way to keep in touch with family and let them see the daily happenings of our children. We live so far away from all of our family and only see them once or twice a year. However, over the years I've gotten to know so many different women through this blog. Some of you I've never met face to face and yet I feel like I know you because we've had almost daily conversations for three years. Others I know through church and work. Some live close to home and others live across the ocean and in other countries. It's been such a wonderful experience for me getting to know you! The main purpose of my blog is to try and be an encouragement to others. So what better way to continue to offer encouragement than to host a blog give-away. All you have to...

There are so many little things that I miss every day. Little ways that the Lord blesses me. Little details that could go unnoticed except for this weekly exercise. I've been working hard to keep my eyes and mind open so I don't miss them. When I catch a glimpse of them, I realize how blessed I really am. This week, I'm thankful for Blessings #151-165 ♥ A doctor who came through in a pinch. ♥ A winter sun peeking through the clouds. ♥ Being able to listen to and pray with a friend going through a crisis. ♥ Friends who take some of our load off by helping out. ♥ A daughter discovering a new hobby. ♥ A new furnace and boiler that gives us hot water. ♥ A warm home. ♥ A son who has found his purpose and enjoys living each day. ♥ Completing tasks that have been hanging over my head. ♥ Unexpected gifts from an anonymous person. ♥ Children who enjoy creating. ♥ A full refrigerator. ♥ Sharing a meal and fellowship with friends. ♥ A daughter who is well again. And finally, ♥ Ren...

I finished the table runner I'm working on and I'm so pleased at how it turned out. I think it's helpful to have a goal of one project per month so at least I have something to aim for. Of course, a few snow days certainly helped! ;-) I still have to tack down the binding and iron it. I chose a beige to make the binding so it would bring out some of the beige in the patterned squares. Now I'm on to my next project!

I am very proud of Emily! This child has never taken a picture in her life. Nathan got a camera for Christmas and gave Emily his old one. It's a little point and shoot that is falling apart and it's not in the best shape. Yesterday, she sat by the window and watched the birds on the bird feeder. Now, keep in mind that the tree and feeder are about 20 feet from the house. And she took the pictures through two, count them.... 2 panes of glass!! I can't take a decent picture of a bird to save my life. Look how good she did on her first try! This girl is a photographer in the making!

Snow and more snow. That is the forecast. We had a snowstorm on Monday night into Tuesday and now have another one predicted for tomorrow. On top of that, Emily has been under the weather since Monday night. Fever, sore throat, and a nasty cough. I actually thought she was doing better yesterday afternoon, but by bedtime she had a 101 degree temperature again. It looks like today will be chicken soup, hot tea and snuggling under the covers for her.

One of my goals this year was to make cards ahead of time and have them ready to send out each month. We were off due to the holiday yesterday and today had a snow day so that gave me an opportunity to work on cards for the next month or two. Here are some of the finished creations. The colors look a bit off in these next sets. I'm not sure why that is. I ended making about 13 cards. I also got time to get some sewing in. My goal is to try and complete one sewing project each month. This way I'll make slow but steady progress. I love to create things and I certainly feel a lot more relaxed!

Winter is always a difficult time for me. Once the holidays are over, I find that January and February seem to stretch unending before me. It's hard not to feel down and yet, I feel glad that I can recognize that it's because of the weather and not anything else. So looking at the blessings in my life helps to get through these long, dreary days. This week I'm thankful for... Blessings #134-150 ♥ Having time to create. ♥ Fun in the snow. ♥ Snuggling and praying with my daughter before bedtime. ♥ Helping a co-worker get through her classroom evaluation. ♥ A landlord who works hard to make sure things are in working order around here. ♥ A son with a great sense of humor. ♥ Friends who took time to listen and pray with me. ♥ Watching curious birds. ♥ Dinner out with another couple. ♥ Finding simple things around the house to decorate. ♥ Steaming bowls of chowder. ♥ God, who speaks truth into my life. ♥ A lively discussion with our small group. ♥ A winter sun that lifts my s...

We have a lot of snow this winter, compared to years past. Emily is loving it. As soon as it starts, she gets excited. The past two storms we got within a week and a half of each other have dumped about three and a half feet altogether. It's been great for a girl who loves to build snow forts and tunnels. I'm ready for spring, but I know she hopes it snows some more.

We love watching birds and have a bird feeder that we put out each winter. I've always loved the pine cone feeders, but they are made with peanut butter and Emily is severely allergic to it. She can't even touch it or stops breathing. I was so happy to find a recipe on this blog that uses gelatin and birdseed to make hanging ornaments for the birds. Emily made them by putting 3 cups of birdseed in a bowl. Then she poured 1 cup of boiling water with 1 oz. of gelatin dissolved in it. We packed it into molds that I had. Then, she knotted ribbon and pushed the knot side down into the molds. All we had to do then is wait for it to gel. I left it out overnight and ended up putting it in the freezer to harden it off. It probably would have been fine without that step if the mold I used had been smaller. It just seemed a bit heavy for the ribbon. To take them out of the mold, dip the bottom of the mold in hot water and they come right out. We hung them outside this afternoon and ...

Emily does not like fish. Whenever I make it she'll eat a few bites but really has a hard time with it. The one thing she does like though is salmon cakes. It makes no sense to me because it's still fish, but somehow the added ingredients makes it palatable to her. In fact, she had three helpings tonight. Here is the recipe: One 16 oz. can salmon 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1/2 cup wheat bread crumbs 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. rosemary 1/8 tsp. pepper Mix all the ingredients together and form into patties. Add 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil to a pan and then fry on each side until golden brown. Enjoy!

Saying Goodbye. I've known Roger and his wife, Yvonne for 36 years. When I was 12 years old we went to live with them so my mother, a single mom, could get back on her feet financially. Over the years they opened their home to so many people. They were the ones who led our family to the Lord. It was through their ministry that I was introduced to missionaries and theologians. They taught me what it was to be a Christian. Yvonne taught my Sunday school class and Roger preached each Sunday. They didn't just talk, but they walked their talk. Their example showed me what a faith-filled life looked like. They were the ones who introduced me to the Bible college I went to and later, the seminary. Roger was my first example of what a husband and father should be. Roger gave Dan his first opportunities to preach. Periodically, we would make the trek up the mountain so Dan could fill in as preacher for Roger. At times, we would trek up the mountain for rest and relaxation when...

Kimchi, Falafel, Albondigas, Pepperkakor, Bizcochitos, Fattoush, Kima, Hummus, and Capanata. These are just a few of the dishes I've made this year. We love ethnic food around here and one of our favorite things to do is to make a meal from different countries from beginning to end. I think my cooking reflects my love of other cultures and people. For as long as I can remember I've wanted to travel the world. I've wanted to spend some time in another country. When I was in high school I thought the Lord was calling me onto the mission field. I ended up going to college and then onto seminary with that purpose in mind. However, God had other plans for me. He is good though and He brought the other cultures to me. Dan & I served for ten years in an inner city ministry in New Jersey. This city was small, only 8 square miles, but there were 150,000 people in that city and we met people from every country imaginable. I was the director of an adult literacy program ...

Sometimes it feels like I don't get too many things done in the craft department. Out of curiosity I decided to look back over the past year and see what I actually did, and I was pleasantly surprised! Here is the 2010 craft year in review. January (Invitations, Quilt for Nathan's bed, cards) February (Centerpieces for Chile Festival, Quilt for Stephen's bed, Finished afghan) March (Table runners) April (Table Runner, Cards, Centerpiece) May (Party favors, cards) June (Table runners) July (Baby Quilt) August (Table Runner) October (Cards) November (Party favors, table decorations) December (Christmas cards, ornaments, Danish paper heart baskets) I haven't sewn since this summer so that is something I want to get started on again. I love creating things and find that it really relaxes me. So I'm happy to see that I did so much of it in 2010 and hopefully can do some more this year.