~Spiritual Sundays ~ How Long Has It Been?

This was my post yesterday, but I'm going to add it to Spiritual Sundays, because I love this song so much, and I want all my blogging friends to hear it. Thank you, Charlotte and Ginger, for bringing us together for Spiritual Sundays...it always lifts me and gives me food for thought, as well as spiritual nudgings. Just click on the blue sky to the right to visit Spiritual Sundays.


Its Then Sings My Soul Saturday, with Amy at Signs, Miracles and Wonders. Thanks for being our gracious hostess, Amy!

"Then Sings My Soul". Think about that phrase...what makes your soul sing? I can't think of too many things that touch me to that depth...to my soul. Certainly nothing of this world. Yes, I love china and teacups, quilts and decorating my home. They make me happy, very happy, and I delight in making other people comfortable, sharing conversation, tea parties, and pretty surroundings. I don't know, though, if they make my soul sing. I can think of only one thing that I can't live without...the Lord Jesus...He makes my soul sing. Why? Because He is forever...he won't break, tarnish, wear out, or leave me...He is forever, and knowing that makes my soul sing. How long has it been since you talked with Him? How long since He made your soul sing?






Join Amy by clicking on her button on my sidebar for many songs and hymns, and may your day be brightened and your burdens lightened.


Pray in earnest for America. In December, a proposed "Treaty of Copenhagen" would, if signed by our president, bring about the destruction of our sovereinty. We would be controlled by a World Government with powers beyond that any government currently has. I'm not a political person, so I was unaware that previous presidents, such as Wilson and Roosevelt, were in favor of a one world government, but the people of this country stopped it then. Now its up to us. Please contact your state's representative...next year will be too late. You can find a video of this on youtube.

God bless you...I have found that there are even more people in blogland that are in urgent need of prayer...urgent...a young mother that has days to live, Melanie's son, Andrew, and so many others. Even if you don't know their names, God does..please take their needs to the Lord in prayer today.

Have a wonderful week-end, be safe, and make the most of every day that you've been given!

Mary

White and Red Wednesday Tea Quilt

Its Wednesday, the middle of the week!  Today I decided to participate in Rednesday along with White Wednesday, because, well, my quilt is red and white!  Thanks to our hostesses, Kathleen at http://www.fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com  and    Sue at  http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com/ .  Be sure to visit both of these great ladies and all the wonderful contributions in white and red!

I made this Irish chain quilt for a dear friend as a Christmas gift about 3 years ago.  Believe me, by the time I finished it, I had to really talk myself into giving it away!     I did give it to her, and luckily, I have just enough left over fabric to make another one for me.  In fact, my embroidery machine is peddling the needle to the metal as I type!

I found the teacup and teapot embroidery designs on ebay, but they might be on the web as well.  I have seen them embroidered on tea towels and other projects, so they must be available someplace.  Now that I think about it, I think I have the same set in a  multicolor patterns as well…but I really like the red.  I also made it in blue for another dear friend.  I don’t have any more of this  Mary Engelbreit fabric in blue, but I do have the same “FRIENDS” backing in blue, so I just need to find a matching color for the chain.

This is a crib size quilt.  I quilted it using the stitch in the ditch pattern, and some free motion in the center block around the teacups.  The  center block says “Tea for Two, and Two for Tea”, but I forgot to take a picture of it.

   

 

The pattern isn’t wavy, as it looks in the photo…I just didn’t have it laying down flat…it was stretched across a chair, as seen in the first photo above,  and was a little saggy here and there, so the squares look like they’re uneven, but they aren’t.

This is the back.  Its also from the Mary Engelbreit '”FRIENDS” collection. Isn’t it the sweetest fabric? 

I don’t know why I didn’t take a picture of the entire back of the quilt…its so pretty when you see it all opened out.

I also purchased some beautiful white linen napkins at my favorite thrift store last week, however, I haven’t found the perfect light to get the embroidered edges to show up well.  I’ll keep trying so I can show them to you next week…they’re beautiful.  I also have quite a bit of red in my house, so I’ll be back with more peeks into my tea cottage…  The temperature is finally coming down a little, and the wind is blowing, knocking the leaves off the trees, so it looks like fall is finally here in the bay area…perfect tea drinking weather.  I hope you’ll come back for another visit, and join me for a cup of tea and fellowship…its so nice to have a little tea with friends, even if its via blogging. 

Thanks for stopping by!

God bless you all.  Please continue to pray for our troops, especially since we have such a dilemma in our military…cover our young men and women with your prayers, and pray for their families, too…and please continue to pray for Debbie Ragan, that God will comfort her after the loss of her beautiful Amy Dawn.  Several blogging friends have written beautiful tributes to Amy…I hope you will be able to read them. 

Mary

Show Us Your Cottage~Roses, Teacups, and Scarecrows

Last week, I discovered a new “party” over at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/?  It is
Show Off Your Cottage Monday” brought to us by our lovely hostess, Cielo.  Well, since I have a “tea cottage”, and I love everything and anything to do with cottage, I couldn’t wait to join in this week.  Please find your prettiest rosy teacup, fill it with your favorite blend, sit yourself right down, and take a few moments to smell the roses!  Then click on over to visit Cielo for more cottage inspiration!

I’m also joining our very sweet friend, Kim at http://shabbypinkandpre­tty.­blogspot.­com , as she brings us “ Tea Things Tuesday”.  There are some beautiful tea things waiting for you over at Kim’s, and more teacup lovers are sharing in the fun by participating, so be sure to visit them for a delightful tea party!

I can’t imagine a cottage without several teacups, and this is my newest addition,  purchased only 2 days ago at my favorite antique store..  You won’t believe what I paid for her…$6.00!  Yes, can you believe it?  Would you like to know why?  I was told that there is a teensy weensy chip just under the foot of the teacup…chip?  Where?  I don’t see any chip! Someone’s poor eyesight made a very good bargain for me!  It is now one of my favorites, with the dainty pink and dark yellow roses that are very similar to the roses at the bottom.

I can’t tell you  how much I enjoy sipping tea from a beautiful china teacup.  Since I was a little girl, my eyes have delighted at the sight of the floral patterns in colors of the rainbow, the curves of the handles, the scalloped edges of the saucer, trimmed in gold leaf paint.  When I’ve finished cleaning and putting things away, I reward myself with a moment or two of quiet bliss with a cup of tea.  Whether rain or shine, it soothes my nerves, and makes me feel as though I’ve just begun my day anew.  And if I’m fortunate to have a rose or two in bloom, all the better. 

 

To welcome you as you walk toward the house  is this cute little scarecrow…now tell me, does he look scary to you?  Of course not.  Every cottage also needs a scarecrow, and I think he’s the cutest little guy!

Oh, I guess he was a little scary after all…a few of the blooms on my petunia plant have up and died!  Shhhhh…don’t tell anyone else…maybe they won’t notice.

 

Here’s his little friend, hanging on the side of the front door.  Love that crooked smile!  I thought about using him to sweep the cobwebs from the windows on either side of the door, but I just couldn’t get him dirty, now could I?  Ooops, looks like he’s scary, too…look at  those dead and dying stems on the geranium plant!

I'm afraid this is the extent of my autumn decorating, at least so far. 

We had our first rain of the season a couple of weeks ago, and just as it ended, I tried to capture the raindrops kissing the roses…I hope you can at least a little…

it was warm and sultry, giving the roses such a romantic air about them.

     

This beautiful lavender tea rose seems to be too lanky, but I’m not sure why…she gets plenty of sun and water…perhaps I should sing to her…I’ve heard that helps plants grow.  On second thought, my singing might not be the answer I’m looking for!

Looking out from the front porch.  First sign of fall is the yellowing of this birch tree’s leaves.

The day before the rain was due to come, I went out and cut several bouquets of roses and brought them in…here are two of my favorites…sorry, I don’t remember the name of either of them…one might be a double-delight, but not sure.

Isn’t this color just gorgeous?  A peachy tangerine on the inside, bordered with a beautiful “hot” pink!

The picture below is untouched…I have no idea how it turned out this way…sort of  transparent, as if you can almost see through it  The vase holding these two beauties belonged to my mother…I received very few of her things when she passed, but I did manage to get two of these bud vases, and another one a little larger…I don’t think they are that old, but they were hers, and that’s what matters…I love them.

Oh, what a delicious PINK!

As you can see, my kitchen table needs refinishing, but I’m waiting until the last grandchild grows out of carving pictures in the wood!

I am so glad you dropped by my cottage and I hope you enjoyed my roses …they are my favorite part of having a cottage style home. .. its a delight to have the color and fragrance fill my the yard and house all summer long, and well into autumn.

Don’t forget to visit Cielo on Monday and Kim on Tuesday…I know you are going to enjoy all the other cottage and tea things …so many beautiful rooms, gardens, heirlooms, or just things are loved for what they do for the owner…enjoy your adventure, and be sure to come back next week for more peeks inside my tea cottage home!

God bless everyone…God bless and protect our wonderful troops, so dedicated to their country, their flag, and OUR freedom, keep them safe, and bring them home soon. God bless their families, and bring peace to their hearts.

Mary

Spiritual Sundays~One Note Musician

Happy Sunday, everyone! Please join me for a cup of tea and chat for awhile, then click the beautiful sky to the right to visit our lovely hostesses, Charlotte and Ginger, for Spiritual Sundays.

I would like to share a page from God's Little Devotional Book.

"A series of illustrations in a popular magazine once depicted the life story of a "one-note" musician." From frame to frame, the tale revealed how the women followed her daily routine of eating and sleeping until the time came for the evening concert. She carefully inspected her music on the stand, and tuned her instrument. As the concert began, the conductor skillfully cued first one group of musicians and then another until finally, the crucial moment arrived. It was time for the one note to be played!

The conductor turned to the violinist and signaled her to sound her note. She did, and then the moment was over. The orchestra played on and the "one-note" woman sat quietly through the rest of the concert - not with a sense of disappointment that she had played only one note, but with a sense of contentment and peace of mind that she had played her one note in tune, on time, and wtih great gusto.

Sometimes, "one-note" people are criticized for being limited or narrow in their perspective by those whose lifestyle requires the wearing of many "hats". But a job well done by others is valued by God, so it certainly deserves our recognitition and respect."

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. Ecclesiastes 9:10 NIV

Did this speak to you about someone you know...yourself, perhaps? I've been on both ends of this story...thinking I wasn't doing enough, thinking I was doing too much, and just wanting one note to play. Either way, what matters is that whether I play a note or a one woman symphony, that it would be only as God has called me to do...no more, no less, and nothing on my own.

Have a wonderful Sunday, all of you, and may god bless you. Please remember to pray for our troops, for our military, for our president and for our great nation. Remember Debbie and her family as they grieve for their beloved Amy Dawn.

Mary

Remembering Sweet Amy Dawn

Its almost midnight, and I just checked for new posts from my blog roll. I have been very hesitant over the last week, because I didn't want to see this one. We have lost sweet Amy Dawn, daughter of Debbie, niece of Sherry, and cousin of Heidi, our dear blogging friends. You may visit Sherry's blog by clicking on the angel to the right, and you can visit Debbie's blog by clicking here:

http://debbie-jeremiah3017.blogspot.com/


I am dedicating this wonderful song to Amy for "Then Sings My Soul Saturdays", because I know she is now gazing into the eyes of our beautiful Lord. We will miss you, Amy, and we will always remember you.

Please go to "Then Sings My Soul Saturdays" by clicking on the musical note to the right to visit many other uplifting and inspiring posts that will start your week-end with a song in your heart.






Mary

Are Girls Born This Way?

Happy Friday, blogging friends…so glad you’re here today for a cup of tea and fellowship. While you’re here, let me tell you that my friend Lynn, at Lynn’s Lovelies is having her 100th post giveaway! Her blog is always uplifting and encouraging, and she is just great! She has some beautiful handmade items for the lucky winner, so don’t miss out…go on over there right now by clicking on this link…you’ll be glad you did!


http://lynnslovelies.blogspot.com/2009/10/thanking-youmy-1st-giveaway.html


Ready for some laughs? Then join Kim at http://homesteadersheart.blogspot.com/for Friday Funnies, and make your day! I found this online and thought it was very cute…some of them are actually funny, too…enjoy!


Someone sent this to me in an email...I can relate!



God bless you, everyone. God bless our troops and God bless America!

Mary

Government out of Control

I'm posting this late morning on Thursday, but I still have hope that some will read this...its very important. Its long, but please read and share it...very important.

Back in 1992, I purchased this book, "The Coming Economic Earthquake", written by Larry Burkett in 1991. Mr. Burkett is widely known and respected as a financial expert that follows biblical principals to achieve debt free wealth and Godly lifestyle. Here is just a little of what is inside this book. Remember that it was written in 1991.

"Peace and Safety"..."That's the economic news and forecast from the White House, the Federal Reserve, the U.S. Treasury, and a web of enormous banks and insurance companies. The fact is that America faces its greatest financial crisis in history during the 1990's. As massive government debt exceeds the total net worth of the United States government, the ever-growing need for new revenues will bring massive tax increases and soaring interest rates. Inflation will influence the daily decisions of every American as we seek to maintain eroding lifestyles." (inside cover)

"There is approximately $600 billion stored in private IRA's...it is possible that the total may reach $1.5 trillion. That great hoard of money will simply be too tempting for the politicians to pass up). It is very likely that privagte retirement accounts will ultimately be absorbed into the Social Security systemand their owners given "equivalent" benefits." page 138

"The Health Care Deficits...When the costs of Medicaid are included, the total cost of government provided health care represents nearly 30% of all taxes paid. Because of this and the escalating costs of private insurance, it seems certain that we will adopt some form of government sponsored health insurance over the next few years...What is the probably source of funding? Business taxes. Unfortunately, what the government doesn't seem to grasp is that bsinesses don't pay taxes...they simply pass the added costs along to the consumers. If the laws change to prohibit passing these costs along (as some politicians suggest), then the businesses will simply pack up and move to more amenable countries to make their producgs. Small businesses that cannot do this will end in bankruptcy. Then we will lose the tax revenues they generate and add more people to the entitlements system." page 140-141

"...I suspect that our less-than-conservative politicians will sell the public on more debt to fund their social programs. I can already hear the politicians' appeals on the evening news: "Its clear that the alarmists were wrong about the debt. The economy has recovered, and now we need to get on with the business of government: meeting needs. I recommend that we raise the allowable budget deficit to $6 quadrillion..."

"It is my assumption that some event will initiate a massive spending cutback on the part of consumers. This could be a stock market crisis or an oil embargo, but more likely, it will be the collapse of several "mega-banks", insurance companies, or large corporations." Page 152

NEGATIVE INDICATORS:

Crack #1...THE DEFICIT CANNOT BE FUNDED BY ADDITIONAL BORROWING

Crack #2...MONETIZING THE DEBT...it should be noted here that the printing of money to pay the government's bills will be one of the last, and certainly the most desperate, measures because of the potential severity of the consequences." Friends, this is already being done!

Crack #3...TAXES, TAXES, TAXES. (Google Value Added Tax...this is what our government is already proposing.)


If you can find this book, you will have a much better understanding of what is happening, and what is coming, if this administration isn't stopped NOW! What is interesting about this book is that Mr. Burkett wrote this in 1991, thinking we would see these monetary changes by 1999. In 2003, he wrote an article where he said that although his timing was off, this collapse is still eminent without intervention by the American people. Unfortunately for us, he died of cancer shortly after that, and we no longer have his voice to warn us of the future catastrophe...we just have this book. We also have Fox cable news...watching for just one day will open your eyes...watching mainline news will keep you in the dark.

Thanks for reading this...please pray for our country.

God bless you all. Please continue to pray for our military...they are in great need of prayer covering.

Mary