Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Wednesday Word





"Give thanks in all circumstances, 
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus".  
1 Thessalonians 5:18



Today's Word
Reminds me to have a thankful heart
No matter what my day brings

Today I am thankful
That I can come home from work 
And spend some peaceful moments
In my little piece of Paradise
 



Will you leave a comment
And Share 1 thing that you are thankful for today
It may encourage another reader

Sunday, August 25, 2013

All Access Pass {Pantry}



This is Access I was not planning on sharing with anybody
In fact it is a small project I had no intention of doing
And no idea it needed to be done

Due to the fact I haven't been feeling well this weekend
I didn't plan a project at all
However, I had promised my oldest son and his wife
That I would clean my pantry and give them several items 
That I knew I would not use

My youngest and I seldom eat anything canned or prepackaged
And I knew I had quite a few items 
That my eldest's family would use

This afternoon I felt well enough to pull out a few things to give to the kids
When...
All of a sudden
I realized that everything I was pulling out of the pantry 
Was Expired!!!

WHAT????

How did this happen?


Every single thing I pulled out for them
Had an expiration date at least a year old
Then I began to really look at what was in there
Expiration dates back to 2009?!?!

I was mortified!! 


How could a woman who keeps her home neat and clean
Who is Not a hoarder 
And grocery shops every week
Have this many items in her pantry that are expired?

Well, I guess that is what happens when you never look inside
Like I said
My youngest and I don't use processed food very often
SO...

Anyway, my large green garbage can is now Filled
And...

My pantry
Is nearly Empty!!!

I guess I don't really need those can rotators any longer now do I?

What about you?
How often do you clean out your pantry?
Tell me your story :)

BTW: I need to shop for the kids, I promised them some food and now I need to buy some that is FRESH!!!! 

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Wednesday Word


"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus". Philippians 4:6-7

In recent weeks I have been consumed with thoughts of a particular 'situation' in my life. I have fretted and worried, have caused myself sleepless nights and have resumed my Very Bad Habit of Emotional Eating! 

As I read the above scripture I am reminded that I do not have to 'work' so hard as I face tough circumstances. It is in obedience to the Word of Truth that I find Rest from my weariness.

Do you ever find yourself in a place where you need to guard your heart and mind from your own thoughts? I do and that is why I am thankful for this verse tonight. 

God tells us to, not be anxious, and then gives us the keys to a life of Peace.

For some of us, it just takes a little longer to submit to His authority so we can live in the freedom of His authority.

Tonight, I am taking this 'circumstance' to the Lord, with Thanksgiving!
I may not be grateful for the circumstance but because of the circumstance I have the honor and privilege of deepening my relationship with the Lord and allowing HIM to fill, not only me, but also my household with His Peace!

Thank you Lord for your Word of Truth!

 
 

Sunday, August 18, 2013

All Access Pass {2 TV Wall}


For several years, this is the 'beautiful' wall I see every morning and every evening
The hanging TV stand was in the house when we purchased it in Feb. 1995
It hasn't had a TV on it for over 2 years
Prior to that it had a very old 13' b/w TV

When I purchased my son a new flat screen (32") a couple years ago
I brought his old flat screen (26") into my room and hung it
The chair belonged to my grandmother and has sat in that same spot since 2001

Friday, I decided it was 'time' for a Change 


I gathered the necessary tools
Screwdrivers (flat and Phillips), socket set, hammer, tape measure,
2 levels, drill with bits, Spackle, paint and paint brush,
scissors, sand paper, pencil and a step stool
I knew I was in for a long day


First, using the socket set I removed the old TV stand
Actually it was quite simple
I had just not remembered that we have painted several times
And this had never been moved
A little tugging to pry the paint away 

Then using the same socket set and the Phillips screwdriver
I took the wall mounted TV off the wall
When I put it up I realized that it was just too low
But I didn't want to remount the holder so I left it there for 2 years

After removing the wall mount
It was time to Spackle all of the holes
Of course it all had to dry
(I ate lunch)
After this was dry I pulled out the gallon of paint
We had left over from painting most of our house a few years ago
So glad I had some left
I did some sanding and then touched up the areas of patching

Once the paint dried 
I put the wall mount for the flat screen back up but this time I raised it about 4 inches
It was at a much more visually acceptable level
And, lying in bed watching it is better for my neck now
 

I didn't have much money in the budget for this update
So I used several things I already had
I did run to 'Kohl's' and used my 30% off coupon to purchase 2 items
I pulled my desk from the dining room in and moved 
My grandmothers chair to another area of the room


VOILA!!
I'm done!
It took about 8 hours
However some of that time was spent 'waiting' for 
Shackling and Paint to dry

Thanks to my youngest son
For helping lift the TV back into place and helping me pick out a few
pieces from Kohl's
 
BEFORE

  AFTER 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Please leave a comment and let me know what you think?
What project do you have on your to do list that might make you feel lighter when it is finished?
I Love how this turned out!!!
 
I've Linked up at The Shabby Nest
I've Linked up at From My Front Porch To Yours


Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Wednesday Word

 
 
 

'Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.' Isaiah 41:10
 
It is true
Life can throw us curve balls
We put on our morning armor
Say our prayers
Thank God for what He has done for us
Ask Him to walk us through the day
We are prepared for all of the fast balls the enemy can heave at us
And Then...
It Happens
A curve ball like none other
Everything we put our Hope in
Trust in 
and Faith in
Everything we depend on
Everything we are confident in
Gets tanked by 1 off pitch
 
Today 
I am Grateful
That 
No. Matter. What
My God does NOT Change
My God is NOT Surprised
My God does NOT Fear
My God
Has Promised
He Will Uphold Me
When Life Throws Me A Curve Ball

Sunday, August 11, 2013

All Access Pass {1}




Living as a single woman and single mom
It has become imperative for me to learn to do things for myself

Though I am single by chance (widowed)
Many are single by choice
It is my hope in this new segment
That I will be able to share tips and ideas
As well as encouragement to single women
Who 'need' to take on the challenge of completing tasks around their home

All Access Pass
will be a weekly post
where you get full access to the 'musts' of running a single/single parent home

I call today's 'All Access Pass"

'Out with the old and in with the new'




 I have lived with a totally broken toilet seat for about 2 months
Today I decided it was time to purchase a new one


And replace the old
Super simple
2 plastic screws and nuts
About 10 minutes to remove the old one
Clean the area and attach the new one
Voila 




 I have also been using a broken rake for about 2 years
The handle broke in half so I just taped it and continued to use it



 I suppose I could have just replaced the handle
But
I liked the Red handled rake I found at Target today
SO...


I had my kiddo pose with said rake
Yet, I'm not so sure he will ever use it
(the look on his face tells me so)
 

 And finally
A couple of weeks ago, after washing my sheets (again)
I realized that they had completely worn out
I still think I must sleep very restlessly 
(HaHa, when I do sleep)
Because I've worn through 2 new sets since Mark's passing



Today I found a 30% off coupon for Sheet sets at Target
Guess where I ended up
Yep, 
I went from black 2 years ago
To cream last year
And today I purchased red



Love my new sheets
450 thread count, queen set, for only $34.99

That is it for today
Just a sampling of a few replacements I needed to make

In the weeks ahead I will document 
Replacing a light bulb with a chandelier
Painting and redoing a garage/laundry room
And many more items from my daily 'to do around the house' list

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Wednesday Word



 
 
"Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus".
Philippians 1:6
 
 
Many years ago, in the days when my oldest son had gone astray from what he knew to be truth, I found myself praying the above words numerous times a day. 
 
God had begun a work in the boy I loved SO much yet things of this world pulled him away and caused him to make some very heart breaking decisions for his life.
 
Fasting, praying, standing on scripture and believing with all of my being that this young man would turn his eyes back to his Savior was my only focus for a couple of years.  Yes, I worked and 'did' life on the outside, but my momma heart could only cry out to the Lord for restoration and healing of my boys' heart.
 
Many of you know that today, my oldest is a happily married husband and father of 3 beautiful daughters (my K-Girls).  He has a great job and is serving the Lord at a great church in the valley.
 
My reason for choosing the above scripture this week is because I have recently met a 'new friend' whose precious daughter is where my son used to be. The other night I was able to share with my new friend some of what God did (not just for my son) but also in my heart during our season of desperation.  I made a commitment to this momma that I would pray for her daughter and would not let up until I heard how God restored her.
 
Today I ask you to pray with me for "JOY", that is her 'AKA' name.
When God begins a work in the heart of one of His Kids, He does not leave them stranded.
I believe we will see great and mighty things come from this difficult season
 in the life of a beautiful girl whose smile is contagious,
and whose life has purpose in God's Kingdom.
 

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Nana's Nuggets {Card Making}


















It has bee such a Joy to have my K-Bug at the house on
 Thursdays during the summer break
It is a little bittersweet that school starts again tomorrow
And my precious girl will not be able to spend the day's with me
Yet, I treasure every moment I get to spend with her
As well as her sweet sisters
 


This week the girls made birthday cards for their momma
Her birthday is actually today {Aug 4}



Because I have been a scrap-booker
My office is filled with fun supplies that the girls Love to get into


This week we just used some basic materials
Crayons and Paper



Cool scissors and punches as well as stickers


We put everything out on the table 
And then I just let them create


It makes this Nana proud to watch the girls help each other
They had a super fun time
Created some great cards for their mom
And my supplies get used {yay}

What do you allow your kids/grands to create in your house?