Home again, Home Again, Jigidy Jog!

 I have been trying to get pictures that we took while we were in Arkansas but for some reason my pictures will not download.   The day we got there, someone called Pallie and told her about yard sales for about 25 miles down on highway.  We got up the next morning and went to about six of them, but the sun was so hot that we just could not go any further.  I found a couple teapots, a few other goodies.  I found 4 inch quilt squares for 25 cents.  It was interesting that one bag of them was black background with golfers bags etc. 

My son golfs  so I thought it would make a good throw for him.  After we got looking we had enough with putting a red square and then the black golf square.  We lacked one golf block.  Pallie suggested  putting one black square in the very middle and that solved the problem.  I put my son's initials and the year in that block.  We  piddled around with it for awhile and wounded up with a real  pretty throw.  Added strips of gray, then white, then black and finished it with red.  This morning I got it pinned to quilt.   From a distance it looks like a checker board in the middle.  (That's the pictures that would not load)  Maybe later!

I am having trouble with my computer.  I probably won't get very far.  These gizmo's are so temperamental.My husband and my brother went fishing while we were there.  In 45 minutes they caught about 35.  Quite a catch!  The only time I went fishing I caught a fish and it was humped back.  Looked like someone broke his back and threw him back in.  Can't you just see a humped back fish?   Any way, do fish have backs?    I had forgotten all about that fish until I starting writing.   Fishing is not my thing, although I do love fish.

I have about 5 pillow tops embroidered.  Was going to make the grand children a pillow for Christmas.
I know it is only the end of August, but time passes so fast.  

I'm going to try and work on my computer and see if it will do better.  Guess I need to upgrade something.
Be back later.  In the meantime Have a Good Day.

                                                                      Always, Aliene


 

Vacation and a Question!

 We Are getting ready to hit the road.  Going to Arkansas for a week or so.  I will get to hear my brother preach again.  We always enjoy going there. to see Darrell and Pallie.  They live in the hills of Arkansas where you can really get lost if you are not sure of the way.  The winding roads, sometimes paths, swirling around until sometimes you feel like you are going in circles.

We always enjoy going to their house.  It is peaceful and quiet.  Pallie and I have a lot of things of interest so no telling what we will get into this time.  A couple years ago we got a waxer at a flea market and waxed our feet and hands.  It sure felt good.  We might work on figuring out a quilt.  Rather Pallie does.  She figures how wide my strips and border has to be.  We crochet on wash clothes one time.  Then, of course, lose the boys and do our own thing.  Might be thrifting , might be sales, might be just piddling around the house and reminiscence over the past or the present.  Might be easing our way down in her cellar where I go very carefully.  They found a snake skin there one time and I have  a deathly fear of them boggers.  So every sound I hear I just know that's what it is.  But I brave it just to look at her  "stuff."  Last time we went and got scrapes for me to bring home for a quilt.

Pallie is a professional seamstress.  That was her sewing  room at one time.  Oh, the "stuff" she has down there!  Almost like a yard sale.  Some sentimental for her and some that needs to be thrown away, like I need to throw stuff out.  Sometimes with pain and agony I will let go of something that has no value whatsoever and may be yellow with age, but because my children gave me these things when they were small, you can imagine the agony!  Except for you that likes to keep everything  cleaned out.  About all I cleaned is the dirt and dust.  Maybe if I would get rid of more stuff I would not have to dust so often.  Oh well, that's for another day.

I have a thought to share.  Now, some of you are smarter than I am and may already know.  My husband and I were talking a couple days ago on the twelve disciples.  How Jesus chose twelve men out of a throng of men and set them up as the men to evangelize the world.  We usually think of the twelve together as a group.  But we talked about certain ones and their characteristics.  Why some are mentioned several times in the Bible but yet we have to use our imagination on some of them.  How many times is Andrew mentioned  in the Bible?  Yet, I believe he was  the first to follow Jesus.  He led Peter to Jesus and  we hear a lot about Peter.  Not much mention of Andrew.  As with some of the others, some were mentioned a lot and some very little.  Yet they all had a part in getting the gospel out.

I got interested in them as individuals and starting looking in my books and found some insights into them as individuals.   As I began acquainted with the faults and hopes of each one,  it made me more aware that the Lord will not despair of us in our faults and failures.

Here is the question!  Which disciple had three names and why was his name changed three times?  Some of you may know  ~ so if you do just comment and say I know.  Let others figure it out.  This is nothing profound.  I just found it interesting.   I'll reply when we get back home. 

Saturday~ In the Word

As we were reading in our devotions this morning We came across several verses  in Isaiah 43 that we have quoted for years.  This is in preparation for the Sabbath.  I am looking forward to being back with my class and being in the

morning service.  I have missed three Sundays.

Isaiah 43:1-2  "Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 

When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee,

and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned,
neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 
For I am the Lord thy God."

No need for us to be afraid, the Lord knows our name.  I remember as a child ~
being afraid of the dark.  My older brother always played jokes on the younger
siblings.  He seem to enjoyed it ~but I sure didn't.  I remember getting so scared that I literally could not moved.  But when Mama got ahold of him I knew everything was okay.  One night I walked in my sleep.  I guess it is the only time I did that.  I was dreaming of a man that had passed away and I was so scared.  In my dream it was real.  I heard Mama call my name and I was in her room shivering.  When she ask me what I wanted I gave her a silly answer.
I wanted some raisins.   Where that came from I don't know ~ but Mama called my name and I was okay. 

Aren't you glad the Lord knows our name?  When He calls our name we know everything is going  to be okay.  Why?  Because we belong to Him.

When we are in the waters and the rivers we will be okay.  I almost drowned when I was around 10 years old.  But a hand reached down and lifted my head above the water.  It was my uncle.  But the Lord said the waters wouldn't cover us.  We might think we are going down at times, but He takes us by the hand and lifts us up above the floods.

Then He said when we walk through the fire we would not be burned and wouldn't even have the smell of smoke.
Ah, doesn't that sound familiar?  The three Hebrew children took a stand for the Lord.   They did not know how things were going to come out.  They just took a leap of faith.  You know the greatest and most wonderful part?  Lo, the Lord was right there with them  and they came out without a hair singed. 

Sometimes we just have to take a leap of faith knowing that we belong to the King of Kings and Lord of Lord's.  Knowing, also, that He knows our name.
We can trust Him, because He has never failed us and never will.  
Bless His Holy Name!

Have a good Sabbath.  Go to church expecting something from the Lord.  I'm taking my cup and I'll bring along my saucer too.  No telling what the Lord will see fit to do and I want to prepare my heart and be ready.

FAITH

Thank you that stopped by and left a comment on my last post.  I am much
encouraged in the Lord.  Sometimes we just have to walk by faith.  If we saw everything there would be no need of faith. I have this written in my Bible.
Forsaking  All I Take Him.  F-A-I-T-H

I read this in Streams in The Desert.
Three men were walking on a wall
Feeling, Faith and Fact.
When Feeling took an awful fall,
And Faith was taken back.

So close was Faith to Feeling,
He stumbled and fell too.
But Fact remained
And pull Faith back,
And Faith brought Feeling too.

You have probably heard all this but it just helps me to write it and look at it.

When nothing whereon to lean remains,
When strongholds crumble to dust,
When nothing is sure, but that God still reigns
That's just the time to trust.

"Tis better to walk by faith than sight
In this path of yours and mine,
And the pitch black night
When there's no other light
Is the time for faith to shine.
_____________________________________________________

Each of three boys gave a definition of  faith which is an illustration
of the tenacity of faith.
The 1st said: It is taking hold of God.
The 2nd said: It is keeping hold of God.
The 3rd said: It is not letting go.
___________________________________________________

I think the closer we get to the coming of the Lord ~ the more our faith will be
tried.  God wants a tried people.  I heard a preacher years ago when I was a teen-ager that during a Christian's life  every fiber of their being would be tried.  Each time we come though a test where our faith is tried - we always come out a stronger Christian.

I use to hear my Dad sing:
Farther along, we'll know all about it
Farther along we'll understand why.
Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine
We'll understand it all by and by.

When we get to heaven none of these things will matter.  Sometimes we say "we'll ask  God when we see Him."   But I am prone to think  when we look on His face that none of these things will matter.

Sounds like I' rambling so I'll close.  If none of this makes sense to you
check in later.  I'll get it together.  Blessings to each of you.

It Is Well

 Have you ever been to the place that you knew the Lord knows all about us and what we need, yet you feel like you have gone about as far as you can? You pray and read God's Word and pray again and can't seem to find an answer?

Seems that is where I have been for a while. I know we are prone to think of Job ~ when the Lord permitted Satan to draw out all his armor on Job. Yet Job said ~ even all the things that came, He knew His Redeemer liveth and in the end he would come forth as gold. Sometimes it is the waiting period that throws a lot of us.
Or it is a matter of ~ just what is God's will ~ is it this direction or the other direction? I'm not quite sure what the Lord is doing but I do know I was pretty low this morning when went to the kjvblog and listen to the song Deborah
posted. "How can I doubt His Love." It really uplifted and encouraged me.

I was reminded of a young lady that we knew several years back. That was before we moved to the country and was going to a Fundamental Church in Hammond.

This young lady had a husband and two boys that were school age. She was always faithful to do anything she saw that needed to be done in the church.
I saw her many times clean a toilet, or vacuum the floors or straighten the hymnals.  Clean the church buses.  Seems she looked for things to be done.

 In 2000 around Thanksgiving she found out she had melanoma in the worse stage. She still came to church. She still did what she could. But as the cancer advanced her bones began to deteriorate. She had to wear a body brace to be able to sit up. She was not able to come to every service but she was there when she was able.

The last service she was there she sang a "Special" She was in a wheel chair, body brace, tennis shoes. Not her usual appearance. But her husband pushed her wheel chair up to the front and with a smile on her face she sang this song.


IT IS WELL
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul.


Though Satan may buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control.
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own Blood for my soul.


Chorus:
It is well with my soul, It is well, it is well with my soul.

My sin -- oh the bliss of this glorious tho't,
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
It is well,  It is well with my soul.


And, Lord, haste the day when the faith will be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
Even so-- it is well with my soul.


Chorus:
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

You can imagine, there was not a dry eye in the church. That was the last time she was able to come, but what a testimoy! I ask myself the question, Is it well with my soul? Do I murmur and despair when others are far worse and going through things that we don't know what we would do if we were in their place? With Deborah's song and the Lord bringing this to mind, I feel like bowing my head in shame that I might doubt His Love. Lord, help us to look up and know you have our interest in mind.

                                                                 In Christ, Aliene

This is also on kjvblog.blogspot.com

Grandma's Aprons

 
 Do you remember Grandma's Aprons?  Or  Mom's aprons?

Notice that a "MEDIUM" is a 14-16... And the price was 25 cents.  Wow!

The History of 'APRONS'

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.  I have several ~ but don't use them unless I am canning.  Then I grabbed an old butcher's apron that husband wore when he was a meat cutter. 

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing  hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids..

And when the weather was cold grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow,  bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.

After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folks knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER:
Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love...

Maybe we need to get back to aprons.  What about you?  Do you wear aprons?
Wonder where we could get an old pattern?  I know we won't find one for a quarter!  Might be fun searching thrift stores.  Wanna come?

Century Plant Dying

In the top picture you can see  the cauliflower like blooms on the century plant.   It is leaning to the left.  This was taken a couple weeks ago.  It is leaning even more now. 

The bottom picture is the plant. You can see that it is dying.  This has really been interesting to watch.  If it only blooms once a century or even two, I probably won't see another one bloom.   Once the plant blooms ~ the whole thing dies.  Research says it takes  so many years to build up enough sap to make it bloom.  Then the bloom takes what is left to give out the flower.
There is nothing left to save the plant thus it dies. 

I guess in a couple weeks the stalk will lean so far over that the plant will up root.   I don't really know but that looks like what might happen.  I might get a few more pictures to post.  Hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have.
                                                              Always, Aliene

 
On the 5th of July I finished  my Bonnie Sue Quilt.  It is laid out on my queen
size bed.  Something happened to my pictures on it.  I finally was able to get a picture onto my blog.  Mom was gone one year on July 9th and I wanted to get it done by then.  It was a home made pattern but because Mom had the pieces cut out ~ I wanted to do it.  I am anxious to start something else. 

I found out when you quilt that some things don't get done in the house. 
This computer is acting up.  I'll try again later.

                        Aliene

Renewed Strength

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

The Lord has surely renew our strength during camp and the camp fires are still burning.  The Holy Spirit
honored us again with His Presence Sunday Morning.  It is usually a time for a salvation message because that is usually when we have visitors.  But the Lord had different plans that morning.  In a special song He started moving amidst the congregation and people started minding God.  Oh, how sweet it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. 

We don't know what the Lord is trying to do ~ but we do know we want to follow His plan.  The altars were full, tears fell on the altar, testimonies were given.  People are coming from different places because they have heard we are in revival.  Not that we have church every night ~ but the saints of God seem to have a greater burden and are praying more and when we all go to church we bring that spirit with us.

We are aware the devil does not like it, so that means we are in a battle with darkness in high places.  It is a spiritual battle.  But we are over comers.  I am reminded of Daniel, when he prayed ~ his answer was on the way.  But the enemy got in battle with the angel that was bringing him a message.  The devil did not want
Daniel to get that message.  Daniel 10: 12-13  "Then he said unto me, Fear not Daniel; for from  the first day that thou didst set  thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but, lo, Michael one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I remained there with the king of Persia."

We think, sometimes that the Lord does not hear our prayer, but can I remind you that He heard it from the time you uttered it.  I think the Lord has heard our cry for a spirit of prayer and revival and has sent showers of blessings.  There is much to be done, the things that seem impossible to us are possible to God.  He hears our cry.   The enemy has already sent an almost tragedy in our midst, but God intervened.  He is watching over His people.  We are searching our hearts to see what the Lord wants each of us to do.  If it is cleaning toilets or whatever, It means just as much to the Lord as that one that is seen. 

I just thank the Lord for this move in our church.  We are praying that it will flow out and others may get in.
We never know what to expect when we go to church but I can tell you there is a great spirit there.  It is because the people have a mind to work and the main factor is to obey.  Thank God for a pastor that is sensitive to the Spirit.  He always says he cannot improve on the Holy Spirit. 

I will try and keep you up with what comes next.  If you are interested.  If not, you don't have to read this.
Personally, I think the Lord is trying to get His people ready for His coming and we need to work while we still have time.  Until next time, God bless!
                                                              Always, Aliene

OUR FLAG

 

I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.

And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.

And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.

’Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land. God bless the USA.

Yes, our flag is flying proudly today as we face an enemy that would like to take our freedom from us.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One Nation UNDER GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

 An attack has been made on our National Flag but it still flies .
  

God told Jeremiah in chapter 51: 27 "Set up a standard (flag) in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations."

Could this be applied to our day?

Think of the pledge to the Christian flag and what it means.

"I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag and to the Savior for whose kingdom it stands. One Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again, with life and liberty for all who believe."

The pledge is a sermon itself. One Saviour’s kingdom. One Saviour who shed His blood. One Saviour who was crucifed. One Saviour risen.One Saviour with life and liberty. One Saviour coming again for all who believe.

Let's wave our flags high.

Let's be proud to be Christian Americans!
Proud and blessed to be a Christian!


Always, Aliene