Feelin' Crafty.....

Edited to add:
Ms. Rebecca asked me a question and I realized I didn't clarify that I printed the "Porch Rules" onto a piece of  "printable burlap" (found in 3 to a pack sheets at Wal-Mart), then hand stitched it to the pillow.  

I think after making the purse from the leather jacket, 

I kinda got in the "mood" to do a few more crafts.

Sewing is a craft, isn't it?  

I'm gonna call it that, anyway!

Remember these pillows that were made from the curtain I found at the thrift store (the flowered ones)?

Well, after making the one with the house numbers on it, I wished I had done something different.....

maybe with "Home Sweet Home", 

like the one I made for my best friend, Dawn.....

Then, I had a light bulb moment.

And, since those can be rare,

I figured I'd better run with it before the light burned out!

I've shared before how much I love sitting on our front porch.  So I paid a visit to Pinterest and searched for "Porch Rules" signs and kinda did a "pick and choose" of things that struck my fancy.  I opened up a Word document and typed in the phrases I liked best and changed around the fonts......

picked the colors that matched the pillow fabric.....

and printed it right out.  I had to hand stitch it over the house numbers and that's what took the longest.

Any-who.....

here's how she turned out.....

I wish I had added "PRAY"......

because I love to sit on the porch and do just that!

Ecclesiastes 9:10

Whatever your hand finds to do, 

do it with all your might.

How about y'all?

What have your hands been finding to do lately?

HOPE Everybody has a great Tuesday!

Breathing in Grace,

p.s....Because I tend to be a bit wordy,

(I'm sure you haven't noticed that.....LOL).....

I'll share a few more "Wise Old Owl Designs" in a later post so this one won't be so long!!!

Take a closer look.....

I stepped onto the porch Saturday morning and saw what appeared to be a leaf laying there.  

As I looked a bit closer, 

I realized it wasn't a leaf at all, but a moth.  

When I touched a wing, it opened up into this......

I ever so gently lifted it and placed it on these hens and chickens so that we wouldn't step on it as we went up and down the steps. 

This little "life lesson" taught me that things aren't always what they seem.  

What at first seemed to be a brown leaf, turned into something much more beautiful.  

I Samuel 16:7b

The Lord does not look at the things people look at. 

People look at the outward appearance, 

but the Lord looks at the heart.

Of course, this could go both ways, right?

We should also be on guard for those who really aren't who they say they are!

Matthew 7:15

Watch out for false prophets. 

They come to you in sheep’s clothing, 

but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

Breathing in Grace,

(Pappy and I both saw an owl in the wings of the moth.....how about y'all?)

If My people.....

Breathing in Grace,
.

Friday Foto.....

Before I share my photo collage for today,

let me just say that y'all ROCKED my WORLD yesterday with all your  comments about the SIGNS that God gives you to show HIS LOVE just for you! The more I read, the bigger the smile and I even got the "Holy Spirit chills" several times!  Things like that is totally why I blog.....

to share HIM with others and to be encouraged and lifted up by those who share HIM with me!

About all I can say is WOW.....

and THANKS to ALL of YOU.....

and to HIM for allowing each of us the opportunity to express the joy and satisfaction of serving a RISEN SAVIOR!!!

Now.....

onto one of the greatest blessings that Pappy and I have ever received.  I had a date this week with our FIRSTborn GRANDson.  He had to wait his turn because he got into a bit of trouble and waiting was his punishment.  Somehow, Nannie felt like she was the one being punished.  Do y'all feel that way when your GRAND's get reprimanded?  I totally think it's a GRANDparent thing, don't you?  We know it's necessary, but it still hurts.  Kinda reminds me of how God punishes me when I do wrong!  I need it, but man does it ever HURT!!!

This sweet boy didn't ask for much.  He wanted to go to Bass Pro Shop, Smoky Mountain Knife Works, and the Russell Stover candy outlet (he's a boy after Nannie's own heart with the stop for chocolate).  Pappy and Nannie got him the knife and he was one happy young man.  He's growing up way too fast, but he still looks like that precious baby boy in the picture with the hat.  I didn't get a picture of where we ate, but he chose Buddy's Barbecue and for dessert a hot fudge cake.  He even decided where we would sit, which suited Nannie just fine because it was a little booth on the side where we wouldn't be seen.  You see, he's quite the introvert.....

again, just like his Nannie.....

and his precious Momma!!!

(something that most people don't see about me.....

another post for another day)

What a blessing to be able to stay home and get to spend as much time as I do with our GRANDchildren.  I try my best not to take that for granted.  God is so very good.....

ALL the time!

(even those times when it's hard to see that)

HOPE everybody has an awesomely blessed weekend!!

Have fun.....

stay safe.....

enjoy life!!!

Breathing in Grace,

Give me a sign.....

I recently posted this picture on Instagram......

with the following caption.....

So often, I see cardinals and I truly know that just at that right moment.....

and because I'm probably the only person who even sees the bird.....

that it's God saying,

 "I love you, Deb".

When I see that flash of red show up,

it ALWAYS makes me smile and I say.....

most of the time out loud.....

"I love you, too, Lord!"

A few weeks ago, I was a bit stressed because of a family matter and as I drove my Mom to the doctor there were 2 cardinals along the side of the road in front of me.  One of them walked....not flew..... into the road right in front of the car.  I felt in my Spirit that God was saying.....

 "Look, Deb!  

Slow down!  

I'm right here and it's all going to be okay!"

(well, that's what I took from the "sign"!!!)

I want to ask this question to you all, too.

Is there something specific that when you see it, 

you know without a doubt that God placed it there just for you!

Isaiah 7:11

 Ask the Lord your God for a sign, 

whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights. 

Breathing in Grace,

Wednesday's Word - Listen.....

A few weeks ago, I jotted part of this verse of scripture down in my journal.....

Psalm 95:7

If only I would listen to His voice today.

Underneath that verse, I wrote this.....

"How can I learn from this?

Is God trying to teach me a lesson?"

Now, I know myself well enough to be able to say that I will not always be able to do that, because when a trial, trouble, or temptation comes along, I way to often get caught up in my own selfishness and pride to think that I could possibly need to learn anything. 

(sarcastic remark, y'all)

Which takes me on to this part of verse 8 that spoke to the sarcastic remark above.....

"Don't harden your hearts"

Then, I jotted this down out of verse 9.....

".....tested and tried God's patience"

Okay, God, I'm beginning to get the picture.

I know this is what I so often do.....

which, once again leads me back to that issue of selfishness and pride.

Oh, how much this old(er) lady has yet to learn.

I'm so glad that He is patient and kind and loving and, especially forgiving.  Because I know I give Him such a difficult time and cause Him to have to work a lot of OT on just me!

Breathing in Grace,

Life is good.....

Pappy and I upgraded our phones and they are AWESOME!  It always overwhelms me a bit when God blesses with something that I never in a million years thought I would have.  Our new phones are LG and when the phone is shut down and turned back on, the screen pops up with the LG emblem and the words....

Life's Good!

When I see that, it just makes my heart happy.

Because, isn't that the truth?

Life certainly is good.....

because we serve a good great God!

HOPE everybody has a Terrific Tuesday!!!

Breathing in Grace,

Merry Monday.....

You know how to you make God laugh? 

Tell Him your plans.


















HOPE everybody finds somebody to share a laugh with today!!!

Breathing in Grace,

Remembering my Daddy.....

When I was young, we had a console stereo player and my Daddy loved playing gospel albums. The Blackwood Brothers Quartet was one of them and this song was his favorite.  I always think of my precious Daddy when I hear it.

April 13, 1928 - December 4, 1994

Happy Father's Day to Pappy, 

my son-in-law 

and my brother.....

and to all the sweet Daddy's out there!

Breathing in Grace,

Friday Foto.....

This week's grand-kiddo date was with this little girly-girl.  When I went to pick her up, she was all dressed up in pink and brown.....

"because Nannie likes pink and brown together"!

Her Momma had spent hours braiding her hair over the weekend and had the braids up in a "pony tail" with a pretty flower.  When I had asked her earlier what she wanted to do on our date, she said.....

"go to Wal-Mart and get Legos and go to McDonald's and eat".

So.....

guess what we did?

Exactly what the girl wanted!

Isn't she beautiful?

Of course.....

Nannie is prejudiced!

HOPE y'all have an awesome weekend.

Have fun.....

stay safe.....

enjoy life!!!

Breathing in Grace,

No, me.....

Maybe it's because I'm getting old(er) and seriously try to be more in tune with things going on around me (most of the time, at least, because I am getting old(er)!  There are many lessons we can learn from our everyday life, things that happen to us that give us reason to "ponder".  Some of those lessons come from our grands.

Our youngest grandson says, "No, me" quite often.

It usually has to do with him wanting what somebody else has.  

It reminds me so much of how selfish adults can be, too.

"No, me".....

I want the recognition and the pat on the back.

"No, me".....

I "deserve"        fill in the blank     .

"No, me".....

I "don't" deserve      fill in the blank     .

But, in his defense.....

is this a face anybody could say "no" to?

I didn't think so!

HOPE everybody has a great day!

Breathing in Grace,

Wednesday's Word - Modesty.....

There's a lady in our SONday School class and since the weather has turned warm she comes to class each week in a halter dress that shows way too much skin especially on the top half of her body since they're cut down to there.  This woman is a grandmother.  Now, I'm no prude, but I kinda cringe when I see her walk through the door. I often wonder why her husband doesn't say something because I KNOW mine would, although he doesn't have to because I try my best to be modest in my attire.  This is something I was taught growing up and tried to instill in our own daughter, something that was very important to her Daddy.  Not that being a grandmother should be an indication of how we should dress because there are teenage girls who wear things that look like they should be at the pool, or on the beach.  But, you would think that as we grow older and mature, especially in our faith, that we would be pricked in the heart when we dress outside the realm of what God says in His Word.  

'Let the admirable modesty of your Saviour be seen in your countenance, in your movements, and in your apparel.' 
St. Paul of the Cross

So, what about y'all?
What's your thoughts on how some women dress today?
Surely I'm not in this boat alone?

Breathing in Grace,

Out of Egypt.....

Psalm 105:43

So He brought His people out of Egypt with joy,

His chosen ones with rejoicing.

What's your "Egypt"?

Are you struggling with a trial or a temptation?  

Does something have a hold on you that you're having trouble letting go of?

Let God be your help.

He can turn your "Egypt" into an example of His everlasting love, kindness and forgiveness.

Breathing in Grace,

Monday, Monday.....

My sweet hubby has been home since he  got off work last Wednesday.  We worked like crazy mowing and weeding and pulling brush and spraying weed killer and watering and burning and pulling the transmission out of a lawn mower (Pappy, not me), and a whole slew of other things I know I've forgotten.  Whew, I'm tired all over again just thinking about how exhausted we were at the end of each day.  We did take some time to go out to eat and enjoy each other's company, and of course, church was yesterday, and we got some much needed SONday afternoon rest.

  I've said this many times.....

but I sooooo look forward to when he can retire.

Today.....

he's back at his job.....

and Nannie is taking our only grand girl on a date!

I'll share pics later in the week.

In the meantime.....

enjoy MONDAY!

HOPE y'all have a great day!

Breathing in Grace,

A SONday Story.....

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes:

 Egypt’s Great Pyramids
Taj Mahal
 Grand Canyon
 Panama Canal
 Empire State Building
 St. Peter’s Basilica
 China’s Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn’t turned in her paper yet, so she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied,

 “Yes, a little. 

I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there were so many.” 

The teacher said, 

“Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.”

The girl hesitated, then read, 

“I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

The room was so full of silence you could have heard a pin drop. 
Those things we overlook as simple and “ordinary” are truly wondrous. 
A gentle reminder that the most precious things in life cannot be bought.

HOPE your SONday is awesomely blessed!

Breathing in Grace,