In the Midnight Hour ...

Here I sit waiting on a batch of muffins to finish baking and can't stop thinking ... In the Midnight Hour ... and what it seems to mean to me.
I find that no matter how exhausted I may feel as the midnight hour approaches that that is exactly the time when I draw so much closer to God.  In my thought life, in my spirit, in my whole being I find I am drawn to deep conversation with my Lord.   Tonight the thoughts revolve completely around life and death and what it means to me as a child of God.   There are a few factors that help this topic of thought.  First is the fact that yesterday I attended a funeral and it so drove home the anniversary of my own father's passing.  Secondly is the fact that I've signed up to share during Adult Education (aka Sunday School )  on the topic of," Being Children of God."

So many various thoughts run through my mind when I think of what it means to be a child of God.  To begin with the idea strikes my fancy that we are not "infants" therefore we are not "babies" and that indicates we are responsible for our choices, our actions, our words and even our thoughts.  As babies we are so totally not capable of making the choices for ourselves therefore someone else is responsible for our complete care.  As a child of God we can be totally dependent on HIM however we are responsible for our actions, our choices etc etc ...  

Recently our daughter & son in love (law) along with our 2 yr. old & almost 4 month old grandsons moved in to our home. One day during this past week, while I was thinking about just how to present the concept of being Children of God to the class, my grandson got "busy" taking care of "business" (if you catch my drift) ... so his mother asked him if he had "gone" or did he need to use the potty?  
This made me think ~   Do we think we can hide our "stink" from God?  Do we think if we just "hide" behind something and "do our business" that He won't smell our "mess"?  

If we are children of God then we should mature past the "toilet training" and recognize our own stench.

Yes that is what has been on my mind lately.   But I want to go back to the first reason for my thoughts about the midnight hour.

My friends' dad passed away and his funeral service was Friday morning. I understood how my friend felt having "lost" my dad 14 yrs ago today.  Yes time has passed swiftly and yet my father is not forgotten.   And the more I age (hopefully gracefully???)  the more I think about the things of heaven more so than the things of this earth.   After all this earth is not our "HOME"!!  
My friend's dad was well known.  He was very well loved.  He was a man who you could depend on, who you could turn to in your time of need. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, friend.   But even with all that to be said about him he was a man in need of a savior.  My friend had been praying for him to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior and had many family and friends praying for him as well.  Thankfully about a month before he died he had accepted Jesus as His personal Lord and Savior.  Ensuring that his eternal home is with God forever and ever without end!!!!   This brings children of God great joy, for we all understand the importance of the decision he has made.  If you have not made this decision for yourself  then I encourage you to do so ~ you can't be an "infant" and expect someone else to make this decision for you.  If you need more information ask God to reveal Himself to you more fully, and read a Holy Bible,  or go speak with a minister, a preacher, a church goer, or feel free to leave me a comment asking for more information.  I do not claim to know everything but I will do my best to answer you from the Word of God.  

Yes it is that important and yes YOU DO Mean that Much to ME... because YOU MEAN THAT MUCH TO GOD!!!!

So as I sit here with my muffins smelling very tasty, and my heart rejoicing over the fact that this is not all there is to living and dying ... for in dying we merely pass from our fleshly body setting our spirit free to join God in Heaven.  Yes we mourn the loss of our loved ones because we miss them but we have a hope of joining them when it is our turn to leave this earthly home.  That hope is there for you too all you need to do is become a child of God.    Repent of your sin, (we are all born with sin and all fall short of the Glory of God) Believe on Jesus Christ (the Son of God who died to take away the sins of the world),  Confess Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior.   Grow in the Lord ... read the Holy Bible (Gods Word) and pray for God to reveal Himself to you daily, and take time to "listen" to the Holy Spirit as He guides you in a closer walk with God.

May your "Midnight Hour" bring you peace, joy and fresh revelation of Gods love, grace and mercy.   Good Night & God Bless!!!

Today is the Day of Salvation chose wisely!!!!

Sitting here ... needing to head to bed and still can't shake the feeling that there is so much more to be said ~
So here it goes  ...  The love of God for each one of us is undeniably the Greatest Love to be had ... in fact it is so Great it is Priceless! 
Meaning you & I could NEVER PAY the PRICE for Gods LOVE!!!   

That being said here is the best thing to know about this Great Love ... God gives this LOVE to us FREELY!!!!  
That bears repeating so here it is again  pay attention will ya???   GODS LOVE is FREELY GIVEN to US ... IT IS PRICELESS meaning we could never Pay for it yet HE Gives it to us for FREE!!!!!!!!

Okay that is great, I mean something we could never afford to purchase is given to us for free how incredible is that??? But here's the sad news  :(   so many people are hung up by lies about God, about this gift He has given us that they never accept this gift of Gods Love for themselves.    Big huge sad face here.   I've been seriously dwelling in the place of growing closer to God based on basking in His Love because that is where I can honestly be free ... free from any of my past mistakes, sins, or whatever title or word best describes the garbage that passed as my lifestyle on this earth before accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior.  Free to enter into forgiveness, not only for myself but for everyone else whether I've met you or not.  You see God has been showing me how because of His great gift of His Love ... that when we enter into a relationship with Him, asking Him to be in control, to have our back so to speak ... when we enter into that close relationship with HIM as our Lord and Savior we gain the ability to lean on HIM for His great love for others ... including those individuals we might otherwise despise.  

In my prayer time I am constantly drawn to pray for the children around the world who may be living in abusive situations ... this prayer often ends in my sobbing for them to be covered by Gods love, grace and mercy so that they not only survive the abuse they are subjected to but that they grow strong in the Lord to be a part of His Kingdom, and that they are set free from the damage the abuse could cause them ~ even possibly keeping them from entering into a healthy relationship with God.  When I am praying for these precious children ~ whom I fully believe God LOVES and CARES about ~  I then find myself sobbing for the lost souls that are subjecting the children to the abuse.  For you see God Loves them as well.  God recognizes that SIN has them bound, and unless they are set free they are headed for Hell.  For an everlasting separation from God for all eternity.  I see and understand Gods compassion and mercy that is offered freely to them both the abuser and the victim. For God so LOVED the World that HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON .... yes HIS SON gave up HIS life Freely for me and for You ... whether we are victims of abuse or not ... even if we are abusing others or not... HE LOVES US and has paid the price for us to be set free from the sin that keeps us from being Heaven bound!

Freedom was paid for with a great price.  The price of the blood of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.  Our part is in the acceptance of this gift.  Whether you realize it or not ... and trust me the enemy of your soul does not want you to realize this by any means ... when you think to yourself that you do not need to make this decision .. later may never come for those who are facing the choice of surrendering to Gods Love.   Today is the day of salvation enter into the shelter of Gods Love and be saved for all eternity.  Do not put off until tomorrow the decision to follow Christ for tomorrow is not promised to you!  

I just can't stop thinking how so many will be lost forever because they haven't heard the truth of Gods Love for them.  And how many more will be lost forever because when they did hear (or read about) Gods Love for them  but they couldn't be bothered to make a decision right then and there.  (There is no buyer's remorse when you enter into the family of God!)   It won't be a rose garden without any thorns that's for sure but you will have strength for each day, you will have comfort when you are mourning and you will have joy unspeakable.  

So I encourage you to call on the Lord and be saved ... repent of your sins (we are born with sin and therefore all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God) ... and chose to follow Christ.   The Lamb of God who through His shed blood paid the price so that you could be reconciled to God and spend eternity with HIM.   or chose to ignore the message of Gods great Love for you and spend your eternity in hell, separated from God forever without end ... the ultimate choice is yours ~ I pray you chose wisely, and I pray you don't put off what needs to be done today!

Baby Afghan on my hook :) & some "food for thought"

Yes I want to do the baby sweater and the baby dress and I so want to figure out just how I want to finish my sweater for myself but the yarn it calls to me and it speaks very loud & clear that it wants to be worked up into an adorable baby afghan!  So it has begun ... the magic ring has been cast and the first two rounds of an "Anne's Square" has been worked.   Tomorrow the contrast color will be worked for round 3 and then I will have to decide just exactly how I want to work this afghan up... I already have ruled out one giant granny ~ but I am not sure if I want to keep it to small squares joined as I go or larger squares joined together after I complete them ... if I want to work all the same square or if I want a really nice contrast ~   I only know it will be decided tomorrow and it will be designed with love.  And it will be worked with prayer and love in every stitch for a baby that is loved before it arrives to join our family as it has already captured our hearts.
Then the joy of playing with the previously mentioned baby patterns will be all mine!!!

When I think of how much God loves us and how He gives us  precious gifts such as children to love I am always struck with this thought ~   how is it possible that we start out with an ease of faith and yet lose the ability to believe at very young ages?  
God Loves YOU ~ do you know it?  Do you Believe it?  Will you bask in it?  Will you accept it?  Will you share it?  What will you do with it?  

My grandchildren are so loved by us and yet I've already seen how they have gone from accepting what we tell them to questioning us.  Often I hear "Is that true?"  ~     I've also noticed how many times I end up saying, "Don't you believe me?"  and then wondering how many times God is saying that very thing to me ... is He saying that to you as well?

We are all on borrowed time here on earth but that does not mean that our life is over or our journey ends it simply means that we move on to the next place and continue the journey that is ours to complete with HIM.
I Believe!
I Await His Return!
I will carry on and do my best to keep Trust in the forefront and doubts and fears banished from my thinking!!!!

As we see this year coming to an end may I encourage you to stop and think, even if only for a moment, about how Great Gods Love is for  YOU.  Bask in the fact that His Love is real and that He wants to see you through whatever challenge you may face today.
May you be blessed with Truth, Strength, Courage, and Wisdom and may you find Peace, Joy, and Self Control along with Love flooding your heart, mind & soul ... Filling your home with the ability to LIVE in LOVE :)

:)  Peace out!!!

New on my Hooks :)

So my very beautiful niece is expecting her second lovebug in Feb. and I would love to reduce my yarn stash even if by a little bit so I was on a pattern search for the 'just right' newborn baby gift (besides my usual favorite baby afghan patterns that is ! )  and came across some really lovely options via Ravelry ... a couple of very cute newborn sized items which I am now itching to get on my hooks!!!!  I am going to get  a very easy (almost too easy) newborn sweater underway first or well maybe I'll start the absolutely adorable dress or top from Sarah's Sweethearts ... found here on Blogger ....

Little White Dress

I just know it will be a welcome gift and I'm looking forward to making it for our family's newest little love :)

I also have my own short sweater/ shrug? not sure what to call it yet ... it's my own pattern worked from the top down and once it is finished I will post pictures  ~  I know... I really do know... that if you've read my blog in the past you have heard promises of pictures that simply never showed up but I Promise to post a picture of me wearing my new "top" in the new year as I am sure it will take some time to do the finishing touches on it since it is a work in progress without a set pattern to follow.

So my hooks are busy and I'm happy about that.  My yarn stash is supposed to present itself for my use so that in time I reduce my stash enough to have more space in my bedroom.  Yeah like that's going to happen any time soon hahahahahahha   seriously I crack myself up when I talk/ think that way it's just too funny!!!!
Have a great night and may all your projects be fun, and Frog Free ;)

Home again home again Jiggity Jig :)

Here is a picture of one of the harbor seals that I managed to see & capture several photos of while I was in Howth, Ireland (north of Dublin).   
Yes you read that correctly.  I was in Dublin, Ireland for 3 nights in late Oct. (yes of this year) and then I was in Venice, Italy for 2 nights, followed that with 2 nights in Rome, Italy & followed that with 2 weeks in our cousins home in Francavilla al Mare ~ which is near Pescara.   God has blessed me with the opportunity to see a little bit of Ireland (Lord willing I will be blessed again with an opportunity to see more of Ireland in the future???)  


I loved visiting with family ~ it's always interesting to work out our communication. I do not speak any Italian.  They speak some English but when we seem to hit difficulties out comes the dictionary or better yet we get on the computer and type and translate through a translation program she has on her computer.  "Ma" would be so pleased to know we've managed to visit with her family. And for the record although Tiziana is taller than "Ma" she truly reminds me of my sweet grandma :)   


But as with all vacations they come to an end and one must return to their "real life".   In my case returning home was not to my "same old same old" but instead it included my home being transformed into a "full house" while I was away.   Not that I'm complaining!  I'm so blessed to see 2 of  my precious grandsons daily now that they are living with us, along with their parents.    
In case you were wondering (you were wondering, weren't you?? of course you were ;p )  going from an empty nest to a full house is... different to be sure.  Thankfully we are all adjusting just fine.  


It is my hope to get back to blogging more consistently. The current project on my hook is a shrug/sweater?  for me!  I started it on Oct. 22 and it is very close to being finished.  I just have to work on the remainder of the sleeves and then trimming it all around and decide if I'm adding a snap or button or if I'm leaving it open.  
Decisions decisions :)  oh how I love them ;)
Happy crocheting & may your projects be "frog free"  (rip-it rip-it)