His eye is on the sparrow...

I know his eye is on the sparrow, but I am so full of anxiety.  We just don't make enough money to live on, Mark and I both work full time, and I have the coffee stand on Saturdays at our farmers market, but we are always so behind on everything, and always have something being threatened to be shut off, down, or taken away.  Things are so up in the air at work, everyone is retiring, getting lovely high paying new jobs, or going to travel the world.  There are only 2 of us left, every one else will be new in just a few days, I am poorly paid for a very physical job, i am exhausted when I get home, and it is that way 6 days a week!  To top it off, I just feel like my work has no lasting purpose.  I want to make a difference, and all I do is cook and clean, then do it all over again.  I want purpose, and enough money to live on.  We don't have extravagant lives, I haven't got new clothes in a year and a half, and then it was just a couple shirts, I need new shoes, mine have no tread, but we can't afford them.  I haven't bought groceries on a regular basis for months, ( I am amazed how the Lord has made our food stretch)  I sound like the children of Israel when they were in the dessert, I just want to know what to do.  What should I, we, do?

My word for the year

Thought I should update how I am doing on my word for the year.  It has really been a wonderful experience!  We have had some really hard things to go through recently, my husband falsely accused of bullying of all things (if you knew him you would understand how absurd this is), me having trouble at work and wondering if I would continue to work there, some really hard times with not enough money to go around, etc., just normal but really hard stuff.  I have really been working on trust, and while we haven't won publishers clearing house, we have had some real events that we could see God working in our lives, and the most important, I am learning to trust and not to spend so much time fussing and fuming.  I can't even give you any sort of formula on how to trust the Lord, I can just tell you that I am learning at the Lord's feet and it is good, not perfect, but good.

Prayer reminders

I have been impressed upon lately the need for prayer for my children. We have 11 children ages from 30 - 13 years old,  they, their spouses and their children (my grandchildren) are in the middle of establishing their lives, finding what they will do with themselves, discovering themselves, if you will.  I read a paper written by  "An Appeal to Parents to Pray Continually for the Welfare and Salvation of their Children" by William Scribner,published in 1873.  He said, "Few will pray for them if you do not."   That struck me, what a responsibility and privilege.  I decided a while back to be more methodical in my prayer for my family, and I needed something to remind me.  I watched catholic and muslem people use their prayer beads and I thought that was a great idea, why don't Evangelical Christians do this?  I got some silver beads, a leather strap, and put one to represent each of my children, and their family, and one for my husband. I keep it in my pocket and I can feel the weight in my pocket and it reminds me to pray then I feel the beads and go one by one holding each bead and remembering a specific child, and what they are going through right now, them, their family, and I especially pray for my family members who have not accepted Christ as their savior and for their salvation.  I pray for my husband and his health, his ministry.  I think it is such a great inspired idea!  I want to share it with others, make them for others...what do you think about this?

Wood lesson 1

I went to my first woodworking class last night.  I was so nervous (not sure why)  but it was really a great experience.  I learned about the grain in wood,  (theoretically at least, I still have more to learn) AND  I learned to use a band saw!  I am really excited to go tomorrow and learn how to use a table saw and start making my picture frame!  Whoo hoo!

Woodworking for women

I just got my approval today to be part  of a beginning woodworking class for women!  It will meet over Mondays and Wednesdays for two and a half weeks in the evening, and will teach me how to use hand tools and power tools to create a craftsman style mirror!  I will learn to creatively use reclaimed lumber to make things!  I am so excited!  I have done this my whole life, but not very well.  Now I am going to learn the skills to really do a good job (I hope!)
I helped build our house last year and really loved it, I love knowing just what the house we live in looks like from the inside out.  I love knowing where the studs are in the wall, what is behind the walls, under the floors and foundation,  I just really enjoyed it a lot, and now I am going to go to another level and learn even more!  I am excited.

Trust In Jesus-Third Day (with lyrics)

What Do I Do With My Word?

I am putting this post on my blog as a reminder of what I need to do this year with my word. Great post!

What Do I Do With My Word?

Trust~Already learning!

I have the word trust for my word for the year, and already, I am blown away.  I wrote a post here before Christmas, about how behind we are on everything, it being Christmas, my husband and I not working the week after Christmas, basically whining to God about how I should trust but we have so much going against us (by the way I am embarrassed by the post, just so you know) I did just try and let it all go and just enjoy the season, I even forgot I had posted this on here.  Now here is where it gets good - I did let it go and didn't worry about what we were doing.  My grown kids decided this year to take turns making the meals for the holidays, everyone was home and that was a huge help, some of my kids (grown kids) said they already bought all the stocking stuffer stuff so not to get any thing (another huge thing, there are 23 stockings)  I made gifts for everyone, nothing big, but I really love making things instead of buying gifts.  We are almost through the holidays, and it has been one of the best ever for me, kids helped in many ways, I was relaxed, not shopping at the last minute, we paid bills that were outstanding, because we hadn't spent everything on Christmas.  I know this sounds like just things I should have done anyway, but it isn't how I normally do things, God directed me, and now I am getting a lesson in trusting God!  I love it!  This is going to be good!