Last Minute Gift Ideas

Our family loves to take on D.I.Y projects. Especially this time of year. I love everything crafts and Mama can sew very well so together we make a good team! This year we decided to make blankets and love boxes. Plus I am crocheting a few extras. (We definitely have our hands full and it is already December!!!) Anyway, I am throwing together a few last minute things and we are both sewing like there is no tomorrow. (Which, there isn't. Tomorrow  will always be today when we get there!) Anyway.....

A few good last minute gifts that  I am crocheting are stuffed animals(for kids), scarves(for anybody), jewelry(for special ladies), and hats.Well, I'm not making hats but, they are fast and easy.Patterns can be found for free all over the internet just do a quick google search and voila!

Now, the love boxes(or baskets) are a lovely gift that you can throw together in a pinch and since there are several things in the box there is bound to be something that the recipient of the gift will like. First of all, you need to make or purchase the gifts. We usually fill these boxes with homemade candy and stocking-stuffer type things. Like homemade goodies(more candy, jelly, instant drink mixes, etc.) stationary or note card sets, movies, books, games, and so on.  Then you will need  find or purchase a box or basket that your gift-stash will fit into. Add a couple of hand written, Merry Christmas cards and wrap! Then give it away or send it off. We will have to send ours this year. We just have to figure out exactly how we are going to ship it.

When all is said and done, more is said than done. Nevertheless, we do our best to give good gifts and give all the honor and glory to greatest gift-giver ever, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. May we all be happily busy this holiday season!

Thanks giving...only one day a year?

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year! In fact, it was so full I ran out of time to put up my Thankgiving blog post(sorry) I was also full of food for about two days but, that is a different subject.
This is one of my favorite holidays. I always stuff myself with pumpkin pie. Although this may be a bad habit, I only do it once a year so...I know, I can't justify it but I enjoy the pie anyway!
Really, I am very thankful for all the blessings I have including pie and Thanksgiving day is a wonderful opportunity for me to brag about all those blessings and my Jesus that gave them to me. However, I was surprised how un-thankful so many other people seemed to be. Even in the stores! They only had fall decorations up for a week then up went Santa and the Christmas trees. What a greedy generation! "Hurry up and eat the turkey!" they say, "So we can open presents!" Who cares about the One who really cares about us as long as "santa" give us what we want. Oh please.
I get so aggravated this time of year and I will say why in my Santa post that will be coming up but...back to Thanksgiving.
I had a good time and I am still thankful today for all the things I was thankful for then. Maybe even slightly more thankful. For, each day that passes reminds me of how precious the next day will be. I will be 18 next year and I get a little emotional when I think about everything that means. Growing up...(sigh) Someone told me that growing old was inevitable but growing up was a choice. I guess that's true. I am just very thankful that I can just trust my God with these issues and enjoy life!

The Abundance of a Mundane Life

John 10:10 "... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Those who only glance at my life, or the life of other Christians, might only see another somebody and quickly forget who we are as they rush about their hectic day. That is their loss. Our life is in the hands of Christ Jesus and He fills each day with such abundance that I often wonder what would happen if all God's people suddenly became the mundane robots people seem to think we are. Would the media recognize it? I think so. Can you imagine the headlines?  Christians world wide are no longer attempting anything! Oh my, that would be awful!
I am so thankful that God has given us life more abundantly! Not only more good things or higher mountains but, more sad things and lower valleys. Our Abundance could be compared to a go-cart track and a roller coaster. Before we were born again our life was a go-cart track; going around in circles as fast as you can but really going nowhere. Then, Jesus redeemed our lives and now we are on a roller coaster. Lifting our hands to God as we go and eventually ending back were we started; in the hands of God. Thank God for the abundance of a mundane life.

A Carolina Specialty

I discovered Cheerwine shortly after we moved to North Carolina and I fell in love at the first sip. I had no idea what I was getting into. I'm not the kind of person that drinks alot of soda. I know that's abnormal for a teenager but, I can't bring myself to drink something that I know is not good for me. I challenge you to research the ingredients in soda and see if you would still drink it! The chemicals and excessive amounts of sugar have diabetes written all over them! However, I will compromise for Cheerwine. It's carbonated, cherry red sweetness is too good to resist and when the ice cream is on sale, oh my! I would gladly accept a Cheerwine float, even in November! Needless to say, it is now my all time favorite soda. (Sorry A&W) And I have no idea why I am blogging about this except we just returned from a hunting trip and I am craving a Cheerwine float. Oh well, I don't need all that sugar anyway. (sigh)

The Farmer and The Lord

I just love this song! It always reminds me of the simplicity of Christianity that is so often over looked. The recording is kind of old but the message still applies!

Why Chocolate?

What makes a girl like chocolate so much? There's sooo many things to choose from; bubble gum, jolly ranchers, dum dums, candy corn, mints, and much, much more! What about chocolate is so tempting and alluring? What makes this treat so memorable that a mouth will water at the very mention of the word? Could it be the bliss of sweet creaminess melting in your mouth, or the delight of a moderate sugar rush? Who knows! All I know is.....I'd rather have chocolate!!!

Purple Honey

We have purple honey for sale on a beekeeping forum that I am a member of. For the whole story you can read This Post on my mom's blog. (She is playing with some of blogger's new design gadgets so, bear with her.) Her post is about the best description we have of this stuff. It is so rare and we were really blessed to be able to harvest enough to sell this year. Also, if your just curious about purple honey, you can read this thread at the beekeeping forum where I will be selling the honey and ask questions there, if you have any.