I'm Thankful For...The Bible ~~~ Day 30

A happy hello to you all!

I'm thankful for the Bible. 

Wow! Has November flew by or what! I can't believe this is the last day of November, and we're about to enter December. Before we know it, the new year will be here. 

Since today is the last day of the 30 days of thankfulness, I decided I would be thankful for the Bible since it's the most important and precious thing in the world.  I know it's so very easy to take the Bible for granted, since copies are readily available to us. I also know how easy it is to go about our day and not spend a minute reading the Bible. In order for us as Christians to draw close to our Father, we have to spend time with Him daily, reading the Word and praying. God cares for us more than we could ever imagine, and He desires His children to have a close relationship with Him, as an earthly father would. Sadly, sometimes we find ourselves putting off devotion time due to the busy schedule we hold, or the reason we just have more important things to do. At the end of the day, we realize that we never did make time for God or reading His Word. But if you desire to be like Christ and have true joy, we all must put Christ first in our lives.  HE has to be priority number one. 

Here's a song that I think fits perfectly with this post. :) (
If you're viewing this post on your email and the video doesn't appear, click here.)

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

I'm Thankful For...King's Blooming Rose Ministries ~~~ Day 29

I'm thankful for the King's Blooming Rose Ministries. 

King's Blooming Rose is a wonderful ministry that encourages girls and young ladies to grow in their walk with Christ. They have some great books available, as well as other encouraging resources which I encourage you to take a look at. Sarah Bryant, the founder, also produces a magazine. Although I have never received their magazine, I've heard many good things about it. The most recent article is about the siblinghood and treasuring our siblings.  This month, they had a Give Thanks x 7 challenge in which you write down 7 things a day you're thankful for in a journal. "Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments." 

~Psalms 119:164~ 

It's such a blessing to focus on thanking God for the blessings He's given us, instead of focusing on what we don't have. 

~~~~~

Count Your Blessings

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. 

Count your blessings, name them one by one;

Count your blessings, see what God hath done;

Count your blessings, name them one by one;

Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? 

Count your many blessings, ev'ry doubt will fly,

And you will be singing as the day go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold, 

Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;

Count your many blessings, money cannot buy

Your reward in  heaven, nor your home on high. 

So, amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged, God is over all;

Count your many blessings, angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey's end. 

Count your blessings, name them one by one;

Count your blessings, see what God hath done;

Count your blessings, name them one by one;

Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

~~~~~

Colossians 3:15

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 

I'm Thankful For...The Pleasurable Art of Crocheting~~~ Day 28

I'm thankful for the art of crocheting.

Crocheting is something I enjoy very much. Crocheting can be time consuming, especially if a big project is in the making. But it is alot fun to create items you can utilize with your hands.  I've even invented something, which was really exciting.  ;) Here are just a few of the items I've made.

 
Do you enjoy crocheting or a different kind of craft?

I'm Thankful For...Pen Pals ~~~ Day 27

Today I am thankful for pen pals. 

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of having several pen pals, each of whom I've enjoyed corresponding with. Currently though, I only have a couple pen pals that I send letters to. Sending letters or "snail mail" to friends is such fun, and there's nothing quite like receiving a hand written letter from a friend. Though sometimes writing a letter can take quite a bit of time, I encourage you to sit down and take a little time to write a letter to bless someone's day. Kelly-Anne wrote a post about letter writing on her blog, which you can read by clicking on this link. :) 

Thank you for stopping by for a visit. I hope you have a happy day!

I'm Thankful For...Pets ~~~ Day 26

I'm thankful for pets. 

Right now, we have Lacy the dog,

 some chickens, and a pig, Cookie.  Speaking of pets, while in Pensacola, Sarah told us about this pet store called Petland. I've never been to a pet store quite like that. They had numerous animals you could hold...even puppies! :) We had a blast visiting the animals.

 Aren't these the cutest little hampsters?! If anyone knows what kind of hamsters these are, please leave a comment below. :) Here's a video of them playing on the wheel. 
If you're viewing this post on your email and can't play the video, click here.

Praying mice.   ;)

Do you have a pet? If so, what is it?

I'm Thankful For...Getting to Visit Sarah ~~~ Day 25

I'm thankful that we were able to visit Sarah. 

On the 23rd of November, our family left for Pensacola Christian College to spend Thanksgiving with Sarah. This is the first time we've been away for Thanksgiving. The college only allows the students to have Thursday off for Thanksgiving, so the students don't get to go home. There were alot more people there than usual since the College Days were going on. College days are when high-schoolers can stay in the dorm, visit classes, and experience "college days". So Lauren and I stayed in the residence halls. Thursday morning we all attended the Praise Service, and afterwards watched the Turkey Bowl, which was a soccer game between two collegians. Classes resumed on Friday, and Lauren, Deborah, and I listened in on a few classes.  We left on Saturday morning, and overall enjoyed a very nice Thanksgiving holiday with Sarah. :) 

Psalms 104:33-34
I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sign praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.

I'm Thankful For...Thanksgiving ~~~ Day 24

I'm thankful for...Thanksgiving Day. 

Did you know the pilgrims didn't institute Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday?

A lady by the name of Sarah Hale did. To read more about her, I encourage you to visit this website and read about her. Even though the holiday is over, let us not forget to count our blessings daily, and thank the Lord for all He's provided. 

Psalms 69:30

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Did you do anything special on Thanksgiving Day? 

I'm Thankful For...Apple Pie ~~~ Day 23

I'm thankful for apple pie!

Last night I made an apple pie for Thanksgiving.

What's your favorite kind of pie? 

I'm Thankful For...Books ~~~ Day 22

I'm extremely thankful for books. 
I'm a huge bookworm and I LOVE reading!
  “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” ~ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice 

"Visit many good books, but live in the Bible."

 

Speaking of books, Faith Blum, a Christian author, is having a birthday celebration for one of her Hymns of the West books. 

 

Who doesn’t like a birthday party? Faith certainly does. November 19^th was the third birthday of her debut novel, A Mighty Fortress. To celebrate, she has all sorts of fun going on. First, she’s released a newly revised version of A Mighty Fortress. Second, she has most of her published books on sale. Third, she’s releasing the box set of all five of her novels for a special discounted price. And fourth, but not least, she now has the audiobook of her AMF available! Read on for more party fun and a special giveaway.

 “Stay back!” Joshua ordered.  He kept his eyes on the scene below while waving his arm in Ruth’s direction.  “Get deeper into the woods and stay down low to the ground.”
Joshua hazarded a glance behind him.  He could no longer see Ruth and breathed a sigh of relief.  In one swift move, he grabbed his rifle and lay flat to the ground.  Extending the rifle, he aimed at the shorter man whose gun was pointed at Bradshaw. 


Joshua and Ruth Brookings are traveling by stagecoach to finally join their parents in Montana. Attacked by murderous outlaws, the teens barely escape with their lives and must survive in the barren Wyoming and Montana territories and escape the man who’s hunting them.
 
Seven years ago, Jed Stuart ran away from home and joined Tom’s gang. Jed is tired of the lawlessness and wants out. The only problem? He is the boss’s right-hand man and will never be able to leave. And what’s one more stagecoach robbery, anyway?
 
Can Joshua lean on God’s strength to keep himself and his sister alive until they find a town?   Will Jed be able to face his anger or will it consume him completely? All three are running–the hunter and hunted. What will happen when they meet?
 
Faith also just released her first box set, the complete Hymns of the West series. It’s available for a special discounted pre-order price until November 26^th and will stay at that price until November 30^th. Hymns of the West: The Complete Series
 
 
Two Families…
The Brookings family move from Illinois to Montana to start a horse ranch. Their journey to Montana has hazards of its own, as does their life in Castle City, affecting each of them in various ways.
The Stuarts have been living a secluded life in Tennessee since the matriarch of the family died. When Jed runs away, they seclude themselves even more until a letter arrives that changes their lives—one at a time—forever.
 
Two Worldviews…
One family has believes in God with their whole hearts, living out their lives to the glory of God. The other family believes in God in a general sense, but they have no commitment toward Him or His ways.
 
One Providential God.
A stagecoach robbery instigates their meeting. Two years later, they meet again. Another year and their lives cross paths again. What happens when God’s providence brings two families with two different worldviews together in ways only He could have planned?
 
Mega-Sale
Every eBook in the Hymns of the West series is on sale. A Mighty Fortress is permafree, and the other eBooks in the series are $0.99. In addition, the spin-off novella series has a book on sale as well.
 
Links:
A Mighty Fortress
Be Thou My Vision
Amazing Grace
Lily of the Valley
The Solid Rock
Hymns of the West: The Complete Series
Life and Salvation: Hymns of the West Novellas 1-3
 
Faith also has the paperbacks on sale if you buy them from Createspace with the discount codes.
A Mighty Fortress
$2.00 off (8.99) with code: MBJB3XSY
Be Thou My Vision
$2.00 off (6.99) with code: GQ3KTJYY
Amazing Grace
$1.50 off (9.49) with code:93LQLRJ8
Lily of the Valley
$2.00 off (11.99) with code: TJXAYXD2
The Solid Rock
$1.50 off (10.49) with code: 7626YZAK
Life and Salvation
$2.00 off (6.99) with code: V4Y5K46D
 

 Click on this link to enter the giveaway.

 

Faith is offering three prizes!
Grand Prize:  Audiobook of A Mighty Fortress (MP3 download)—Could be a short delay and The Solid Rock Notebook
1^st Prize: Feather Quill Necklace
2^nd Prize: eBook set of Hymns of the West: The Complete Series
 
Faith Blum started writing at an early age. She started even before she could read! She even thought she could write better than Dr. Seuss. (The picture doesn’t show it well, but there are scribbling's on the page of Green Eggs and Ham). Now that she has grown up a little more, she knows she will probably never reach the success of Dr. Seuss, but that doesn’t stop her from trying.
When she isn’t writing, Faith enjoys doing many right-brained activities such as reading, crafting, playing piano, and playing games with her family. One of her dreams is to visit Castle City, Montana, someday to see the ghost town she chose for her characters to live in. She currently lives on a hobby farm with her family in Wisconsin.
There are many ways to connect with Faith online. All of them can be found in one convenient place: http://FaithBlum.com. On her website you can find links to her various social media sites and both of her blogs.
           
Tour Schedule

November 19

Bookish Orchestrations-Tour Introduction

Author Franky A Brown-Book Spotlight

Rachel Rossano Rambles-Guest Post

November 21

Writing Dreams-Author Interview

God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae-Character Spotlight-Joshua

Zerina Blossom’s Books-Author Interview

November 22

Precious Moments-Giveaway

The Overactive Imagination-Review of Be Thou My Vision

Perpetual Indie Perspective-Book Spotlight

November 23

Frances Hoelsema– Book Spotlight

Thought of Anna S. Brie-Author Interview

November 25

With a Joyful Noise-Guest Post

Bookish Orchestrations-Candid Author Interview

Firethorn Blog-Author Spotlight

November 26

Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections-Character Interview with Ruth

Ladies in Defiance-Guest Post

November 28

Once Upon an Ordinary– Author Interview

Written Rest-Character Spotlight -Anna

November 29

The Overactive Imagination-Review of A Mighty Fortress

Jaye L. Knight– Character Spotlight-Caleb

November 30

Bookish Orchestrations-Tour Wrap-up and winner

 

 

I'm Thankful For...Cold Weather ~~~ Day 21

 I'm thankful for cooler weather.

 

It finally cooled down here a couple days ago. According to the meteorologist, tomorrow's (Tuesday) temperatures are supposed to be a high of 76 degrees and a low of 68 degrees. Then the high temperatures are supposed to rise back up to the high 70's and low 80's, but stay in the 60's at night. Ahhh....how nice the cool weather feels. :)   I wish it would stay cold for a while.

 

What's the temperature where you live?

Do you have the pleasure of enjoying snow?

I'm Thankful For...A Day of Rest ~~Day 20

I'm thankful for a day of rest.

 

Isn't it relaxing to rest a whole day after working six days? From the beginning, God instituted a day of rest for his people. Even though God didn't need to rest after He created everything, Genesis 2:2 says "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." To rest means to cease from a particular activity. God was simply taking a break from creating, thence establishing a day of rest.  I read that rest is so important to life that the vital organs are designed with built-in rest periods. The heart rests between each beat, and the lungs between each breath. The stomach rests between each meal if it is given time. The central nervous system is recharged during sleep. Rest and relaxation cannot take the place of sleep, however. God designed human beings to be awake during the day and asleep at night. And how thankful I am for rest. :)

Hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving week!
 

I'm Thankful For...The Young Eagles Program ~~~ Day 19

I'm thankful for the young eagles program.

 

Every May and November, the Young Eagles program allows kids (ages 8-17) to fly for free at our local airport. We've participated for the past few years, and it's really alot of fun. The planes are privately owned, usually by older gentlemen. They so graciously donate their time to take kids up in the air to introduce them to aviation. Click here to learn about the Young Eagles program.

 

And now on to some photos from this afternoon. 

This is the plane Deborah rode in.

And the pilot of this plane took Lauren and me up. Notice the tail-it's v shaped.

The pilot informed us he can fly faster than the other planes because of the V-tail.

Click here to read more about the V-tail, also called Butterfly Tail.

 Hutchinson Island

 

 

Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.

Deuteronomy 10:14

I'm Thankful For...Family ~~~ Day 18

I'm thankful for family.

 

Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents...family is a HUGE blessing.
I'm so grateful for my parents and their love, support, and guidance. My sisters,
are a gift from the Lord, and I love them so much.
Sisters are a forever friend.

Grandparents...well they're super special.
Grandmas play a special part

in all the treasured memories

we hold within our hearts.

 

 

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Colossians 3:15

I'm Thankful For...The Ability to Be Thankful ~~ Day 17

I'm thankful for the ability to be thankful.

 

What a glorious thing it is to be able to praise the Lord through thanksgiving. He has blessed us so much more than we deserve, and He deserves all of our thanks.

 

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalms 100:4

 

 

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Ephesians 5:20



I'm Thankful For...A Tea Party ~~ Day 16

I'm thankful for a tea party.

Tea parties are so much fun, aren't they? :) We enjoyed a small tea party this afternoon with two of our neighbors. There were homemade egg salad sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, white chocolate peppermint scones, cream puffs, watermelon, an a plate of celery and carrots. Raspberry tea was set out, as well as lemonade. We played a couple "get to know your neighbor" games, as well as Telephone, which we haven't played in the longest time. :)

This was the place setting.  

These cute candle holders were at each plate as a party favor.  

I crocheted an array of tea cup coasters for the occasion.

Everyone had such a delightful time chatting, laughing and drinking tea this afternoon...

I think we should do it more often.  :)  {{smiles}}

 

I do hope you all have a good and godly rest of the week. :D

 

I'm Thankful For...Creation Moments ~~~ Day 15

I'm thankful for Creation Moments, Inc.

 

Creation Moments is a Christian outreach program. They offer products and resources that uphold the truth of God in creation. Creation Moments exists to glorify God by presenting scientific evidence for the Bible and its literal truths.

Creation Moments, Inc. writes the creation moments that I use for Creation Moment month, and I'm really grateful they allow me to share them on my blog. In addition to selling books and videos, they have a radio station. I encourage you to check out their website. If you're interested in learning more about creation, you may enjoy some of their books and (or) videos. :)

"Creation Moments has an inventory of more than 225 different books and videos on creation issues. Our book and video titles are meant for people of all ages and education levels. They examine subjects like evolution, the flood, dinosaurs, creation-confirming discoveries and an array of other subjects to help build faith and support Biblical truths." - From their website.

 

Have you ever heard of Creation Moments, Inc.

I'm Thankful For...Human Systems ~~~ Day 14

I'm thankful for the human systems.

 

 

Currently, I'm learning about the human systems:

 Integumentary System, Skeletal System, Muscular System, Digestive System, Cardiovascular System, Respiratory System, Endocrine System, Urinary System, Nervous System, Reproductive System, and Lymphatic/Immune System. A system is made up of a group of organs, and organs are made up of groups of tissues. It's truly amazing to think of how everything works together so perfectly in our bodies. Here's something interesting I learned today. Your heart pumps about 5 quarts of blood a minute, and 2,000 gal. of blood a day. Now that's amazing and truly a miracle. Only God could have created such order in our systems for everything to work as it's supposed to.

Psalms 119:73
Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

I'm Thankful For...Hymns ~~~Day 13

I'm thankful for hymns. 

Hymns are my favorite kind of music to listen to and play on the piano. Reading about the authors of hymns is fascinating. It's so cool to see how many of the hymn writers praised God through song, even though they experienced difficult times and great loss in their lives. 

Do you enjoy listening to hymns? 

Do you have a favorite hymn? 

I'm Thankful For...Parades ~~~ Day 12

I'm thankful for parades. 

Parades are not only fun to watch, but also are fun to take part in. On the 4th of July and Veterans Day, we ride on our neighbor's old fire truck in the parade downtown. Waiting for the parade to start is not very pleasant, as it's usually sweltering out. ;) Though, this past Friday was not as hot as other times.   The old fire truck has a water canon on the top, and it was fun to watch the kids enjoy being sprayed.

Have you ever been in a parade? 

Does your town ever have a parade?

I'm Thankful For...Verterans ~~~ Day 11

I'm thankful for Veterans.

This past Friday, the 11th, was Veterans day. I want to thank all of the Veterans for defending and protecting this country and our freedoms. I appreciate your sacrifice. Thank you for your service, and may God bless you.

What are you thankful for today? 

I'm Thankful For...Instruments ~~~ Day 10

I'm thankful for..instruments. 

I LOVE playing the piano (it's my favorite instrument ;) and often find it relaxing. Duets are a favorite of mine to play.... :) I'm so thankful I've had the opportunity to learn how to play the piano, and I'm so thankful my parents made me take lessons when I was younger. 

The harp is another instrument I enjoy listening to, and some day I would love to play one. 

Do you play any instruments? 

Which instrument is your favorite?

Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. 
~ Psalms 33:2-4 ~ 

I'm Thankful For..My Blog Readers ~~~ Day 9

I'm thankful for...you all!!!!

I want to give a huge

to everyone who follows and reads my blog. 

I really appreciate and am thankful for all of you. Thank you for all your comments - 

they brighten my day and I really love reading them. :)  God bless you. 

What are you thankful for on this lovely November day? 

I'm Thankful ...That I Was A Poll Worker ~~~ Day 8

I'm thankful that I got to be a poll worker on Election Day! 

I didn't realize how much fun working at the polls could be! Nor how much work goes into

setting up everything. There were five other people who worked at our precinct with me. There is a Clerk, (she is the head of the precinct) an assistant Clerk, and four Inspectors. 

Inspectors have a couple jobs- they hand ballots out to voters and explain how to cast their votes properly; Inspectors swipe voter's license on the Evid when they come in and hand the voter a "receipt", which the voter takes and gives to the Inspector who's handing out the ballots.  It's a long day-I had to be at the precinct at 5:45 in the morning to help set up everything. Then all the workers had to help close and seal up everything at 7 pm. 

At our precinct, 795 people came and voted.  

Overall it was a very fun day, and I'm thankful I was able to work on Election Day. :) 

Have you ever been a poll worker? 

Did you vote this past Tuesday? 

I'm Thankful For...Fall Leaves ~~~ Day 7

I'm thankful for...fall leaves. 

 

 

Photo credit:  Carol G.

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

~ Psalms 69:30 ~ 

I'm Thankful For...A Neat Verse ~~~ Day 6

I'm thankful for...a neat verse in the Bible.

As I was writing the post about Kennedy Space Center the 

other day, I stumbled across a verse I hadn't noticed before. 

By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath 

formed the crooked serpent.

~ Job 26:13 ~ 

I looked up garnish in the dictionary.  One of the definitions was:

embellish something; to decorate something with an 

ornament (which is something that decorates or adds

beauty to something else). It's just like God decorated the 

heavens with planets, stars, and galaxies. And He made it all just by

speaking it into existence.

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to 

divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons,

and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the 

heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great

lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he

made the stars also.

~ Genesis 1:14-16 ~ 

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the

breath of his mouth.

~ Psalms 33:6 ~

The heavens were made by God for his glory, to bring praise to Himself, for He 

alone is worthy of worship and admiration.

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his 

handywork.  

~ Psalms 19:1 ~

And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also

in the congregation of the saints.

~ Psalms 89:5 ~

The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

~ Psalms 97:6 ~

I was also thinking about how God made this planet perfectly suitable to sustain

life.  While visiting Kennedy Space Center, we heard alot about how NASA plans to

send people to Mars in the late 2030's to look for life. Well God didn't create the earth

pointlessly, He created it to be inhabited. Look at this verse I came across this afternoon. 

For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth

and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited:

I am the Lord; and there is none else.

~ Isaiah 45:18 ~

God didn't create Mars to be inhabited by people. Our loving Creator made this special planet, Earth, for people. 

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you've had a pleasant Lord's day. 

Have you noticed these verses before?