Miles Update!

Today is Miles' big day!! She is going to be spayed today, and hopefully will sleep through the rest of the day after her surgery. Poor kitty--but this will save both her and me a lot of distress.

Please join me at The Power of Your Love for Then Sings My Soul Saturday and a continuation of "The Power of Praying Through the Bible".

I also have a prayer posted on The Lighthouse of Prayer here. My prayer is the last one listed on this post--in the comment section that is entitled "Prayers Lifted to the Throne of God". Please join me in uplifting my son to Our Father.

Thanks so much!!

Beth

News Update!

I'm still packing and moving boxes!! Will it never end? Of course, it will!!

I've enlisted my daughter Cara's help for tomorrow and Wednesday night. She is a very strong young lady, and I'm sure she'll be of a great help to me!!

So far, I have my bedroom completely moved (with the exception of the furniture!), the kitchen packed leaving only behind what we will absolutely need for the next several days, and even some of my clothes have been moved!! I've moved the extra sheets and towels. I guess Andrew will just have to get used to the fact that you DO NOT NEED a clean towel every time you take a shower!! After all, you are drying your clean self off with a clean towel, so why do you need another one for each shower?

Can you tell I'm excited??

I promise to post more pictures as soon as everything is settled--I PROMISE!!

Tonight we're having a gathering of my Small Group--a different meeting from our usual. We're having a missionary who is going to Asia for a long term mission come to speak to us about what she is going to be doing there.

So, we decided to have a social gathering with an Asian theme. Everyone is bringing something to share, and we'll be having dinner together.

I have two pork tenderloins marinating in the refrigerator to make Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin. I've never made this before, so I hope it tastes good!! I'll let you know tomorrow.

I'm also over at The Power of Your Love today for our Weekly Memory Verse. Stop by and check it out!! Maybe you'd like to join in!! I've just started this three weeks ago using a deck of cards I was gifted with called "Embracing the Word". We're doing the ace of diamonds for next week.

PRAISE GOD!

This is the week that God has chosen in my life to begin restoring to me what has been lost. I have nothing but praise to God for this entire situation. This is not of my making, but God's making--His love and provision for me--His using a young man whom I have known since childhood to come and bless me.

To see my specific praise song, please stop by The Power of Your Love. Then travel on to The Lighthouse of Prayer where you will be able to read my prayer of thanksgiving.

Beth

10 Things I Love

Jennifer at Through the Storms of Life posted 10 things that she loved starting with the letter "M".

I decided to play along with her, and she assigned the letter "R". So, here are 10 things that I love which begin with the letter "R":

• Reading--I love to read and spend a portion of every day reading for enjoyment and relaxation, learning something new every day of my life.

• Rainbows--I don't see rainbows too often, but I always find them beautiful and amazing. A rainbow always reminds me of God's covenant with Noah--And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.".....Genesis 9:12-16

• Red licorice--My daughter, Lindsay, lives in Texas. Everytime she comes home for a visit she brings Kooka Burra Red Licorice--the very best red licorice I have ever tasted. Of course, I sometimes don't get too much of this with my son around. He loves this, too. I suppose this is a good thing that I don't have too much too often affecting the progress of my kitty tracker!!

• Real--I love people who are real and up front with me, sharing the ups and downs of their lives. We all have these, and people are who real have helped me in my walk of faith with my Lord.

• Rabbits--I don't have a bunny rabbit, but we used to. His name was Taco, and I loved watching him hop around all over the place--just exploring everything. There are many rabbits that live in the outdoors near me, and I love when the little ones are born. They just look so cute hopping around!

• Redeeming Grace--I love my God with all my heart and soul. I am thankful for His redeeming grace and mercies in my life. Where would I be without Him? I know where I would be--still on the path to destruction.

• Ravelry--a wonderful knitting website that has all kinds of information, patterns, anything I want to make or learn is there. And if it's not, there's always a place to ask a question, and someone will help you. Do you know anyone who knits or crochets that doesn't love Ravelry? I don't!!
  

• Relevance--I read and study a lot. Some of this has meaning in my life and some does not. So, I always ask myself the question: "Does this apply to me in my life at this time? What relevance does this have in my life? Is this revealing to me something that I need to know and carry with me?"

• Rain--I love hearing the raindrops falling on the leaves outside my bedroom window. This is a very relaxing sound to me, and I could just stay there and listen for a very long time.

• Red berries--We have a tree outside my office that has red berries on it all year round. Thus, the picture in my header (no, I didn't take this picture--can't take credit for this one), but I have taken many pictures of these red berries at different times of year--ice covered, snow covered, and these berries full and plump in the springtime.

And there you have it!! Ten things that I love starting with the letter "R". If you'd like to play along, just let me know and I'll send you a letter. I won't make it too hard, I promise!!

Stop by "The Power of Your Love" today. I've posted a poem about walking by faith and not by sight.


Then, be sure to visit "The Lighthouse of Prayer". We're praying for a friend today--one friend, concerns you have for that friend that have been placed on your heart and in your mind.

I'd love to see you there!!

Beth

The Cleaning Game--Update!!

My original post was at 4:30 this morning. I am home from work now, have cleaned out my purse, and I paid myself $1. So, I'm off to a good start.

But, this what I really should have done instead:

This is Miles, my kitty. Don't you think he looks just so innocent lying there on the floor?

WELL, HE IS NOT!! HE HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!

This is what I encountered in my dining room this morning!!

And into the kitchen to make my coffee!! See how he has the yarn wrapped around his water dish and into the box that he took out of the trash can??

I just don't know what to do with him!! I think the solution is this:

Hopefully, one of the tasks will be to clean out your closet. Then, I'm going to put my boxes of yarn on the top shelf where (hopefully) he cannot reach them.

This mess was from one of two boxes that contain yarn, and believe it or not, I have a stack of book on top of them just so he can't get into them!! How he ever managed this, I just don't know. How I slept through all of this, I just don't know that either!!

Off to post my latest Love Dare! Stop by and visit!! Come to think of it, Miles is quite a challenge to love sometimes, too. He's lucky I love him so much!!

K--that's all for a while!!

Beth

Starting Over!!

I have started (again!) the baby blanket that fell apart!! I followed Dorothy's advice and chose a simple pattern that will crochet easily and hopefully quickly.

The gift is from my heart, and I'm sure that Kristan will not care or even know that it is not the original plan that I had cemented in my mind. She has already asked my daughters if I'll be making things for her baby, and she will be excited to receive anything that I make for this new little one.

I'm on a definite deadline now--my youngest daughter arrives from Texas on the 23rd, the baby shower is the 26th of this month. The best part of this baby shower is that the new mother-to-be doesn't know that her best friend is flying from Texas just for this occasion! She will be so surprised!!

Lindsay is flying into Baltimore that Thursday morning, and we're planning on spending the day at Inner Harbor and Lexington Market--should be a fun day!! I haven't been to Lexington Market since I was just a little girl, but this place brings back good, happy memories.

Hopefully, I can accomplish enough tonight on this blankie that I'll have some pictures to post tomorrow.

Make sure to stop and visit me at The Power of Your Love. I have something special going on over there!!

K--that's all for a while!

Beth

Movin' That Kitty!!

Today is "Weigh-In Day"!!!! As you can see from my kitty tracker, I've lost 6 pounds in two weeks!! Not too shabby, I think!!

Work was its usual self today--a lot of people calling in to schedule their flu shots, a lot of grumbling patients, and yet we still had time for a few good laughs.

Tonight, I have a couple of phone calls to make regarding new Small Group members and then on to knitting these Christmas presents. I have a cone of natural here already, so I'm going to use that for one of the market bags for Lindsay to see how it turns out. If I like it, I'll probably make her one in another color.

I started the Irish Hiking Scarf this morning before I left for work. Only about an inch of that done so far, but it's a start!

Off to The Power of Your Love to post my "Thankful Thursday".

K--that's all for a while!!

Beth

So Much To Share!

First, if you'll take a notice to the left on my sidebar, you'll see "The Flickering Firefly Award". This came to me this morning from my friend Karin. This is what she writes about this award:

"This award is to recognize bloggers who shine the light of Christ for a watching world."

Please stop by and visit her and read a little bit more about her life and this award. I will definitely be passing this on to others who "shine their light".

I'll be posting more about this on The Power of Your Love, so please stop by there, also.

I have a few projects that I've been working on to share with you:

This is a baby blanket for my daughter's friend. She just recently lost her mother and is expecting her first baby in December. I've known this young lady since she was three, and she has become another daughter to me. I've heard through my own daughters' grapevine that she has asked if I was planning on making anything for her new little one. I've been working on a baby blanket for her new son. Here's a couple of pictures. They aren't very good (as usual). I don't know what it is about me and a camera--we just don't seem to mesh. And also, due to the nature of the stitch of this blanket, I have it held down with numerous items--including two phone books, a giant box of crayons (yes, we love to color at my house!) and my iron!! Obviously, this blanket is going to take a lot of blocking!!

My youngest daughter picked out the yarn for this on her last trip home from Texas. She is coming home for 3 days just for the baby shower. Her friend doesn't know this--her coming to the shower will be a complete surprise. She keeps saying, "I can't believe that I'm having a baby shower and my best friend isn't going to be able to here!" She is in for a BIG surprise, and I can't wait to see her face when Lindsay walks into the room!

When it's all completed, I'll post another picture. Then, of course, I have a baby hat, and some socks, and other various items in mind for this new little bundle of love!!

I'm also working on a dishcloth (no surprise to those of you who know me!). This is a designed by Noreen. It's a KAL (knit-a-long) from Rachel's Knitting Room on Yahoo. This is a very different cloth with a twisted stitch design for the border. It's only about 1/4 of the way complete, but I just wanted to share some pics of this, tooI really like the unique design of this cloth. It's different from any other cloth that I've made. I can't wait to see the whole thing completed. I'll post a picture of that also.

And, now, in closing, I'd like to offer a huge "THANK YOU" to Aunt Kathy (no, she's not really my aunt!) for instructing me in how to link to everyone else so that everyone can have credit where credit is due! Thank you, Aunt Kathy!!! You might want to stop by and visit her, too. She has some pretty interesting things going on at her place!

K--That's all for a while!!

Beth

Wondering??

Today, I am wondering about myself. I walked into church today, and someone said to me, "We missed you last night!" My reply was, "I was supposed to be somewhere last night?"

And yes, I was. I was supposed to be at "Dinner and a Movie" being held at church. There was going to be a dinner and then a viewing of "Phantom of the Opera". I love that movie, too!

I have this marked on my calendar for next Saturday. I don't know why. For some reason, I am having trouble remembering where I am supposed to be when. And here, I sat at home all evening when I could have been out doing something. Kind of upsets me when I do things like this, and now I'm wondering what I'm really supposed to be doing next Saturday!

I can tell you exactly why this is happening to me, too. I really don't even need to wonder about this. I have again overextended myself. I'm praying about what I need to let go, have been praying about this for several days now.

I'm involved in a lot of activities that I love and consider each of them to be important. But, I have to listen and let something go. There are just not enough hours in the day to complete everything that I have committed myself to.

When I do this (overextend and over commit myself) I have a tendency to fall back and not do anything! I just get overwhelmed and don't accomplish much at all.

I need to examine where I am in all of this and drop a few things. Right now, I basically feel as though I have no time to "just be". But, what to let go?

As Christians we are called to
balance, not imbalance, even
in the area of our work for God.

Please stop by and visit "The Power of Your Love". This is a new venture that we're embarking upon. If you like would like to be involved as an author, please drop me an e-mail so that I can add you to the list of participants.

I think that you will enjoy this--an opportunity to share your joys, sorrows, concerns, praises, prayer requests. I've added a video today that has a lot of meaning to me.

K--That's all for a while!

Beth