Blogging with a purpose

"Having many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that your joy may be made full." 2 John 12

Congratulations to Julie @ Three Fold Cord. She has just been awarded Blogging with a Purpose! In return, she chose five other bloggers to bless with this award - and I was one of them!!

Eric Novak came out with the Christian award “Blogging with a Purpose” in late April of 2007. With so many secular awards around, Eric thought it would be a good idea to come out with a Christian award.

Rules:
1. Awarded parties must nominate five people who have not received the award.
2. The blogs that receive the award must serve some purpose.
3. In their post about the award they need to link back to this entry.
4. Awarded parties must post the award banner on their site. The banner must remain linked to this site.

So, my picks are...

1. Petunia's Garden
This is my neighbor who introduced me to blogging. Way back when, she stated she blogs in order to keep track of her gardens from year to year. If other people enjoyed reading about it, all the better. She and her husband were also our unofficial welcoming committee when we moved to WA. They invited us to go places, told us about different sites in the area, will swap animal care during vacations, and continue to be wonderful neighbors & friends.

2. Down On the Farm
Marci is a new friend I met through blogging. Her faith is quite evident and I appreciate how she shares her heart through her posts. She never ceases to amaze me with her knowledge of practical, everyday living.

3. There's No Place Like Home
Kelli's sweet spirit is quickly realized. She shares her life while displaying His grace and mercy through everyday events. She has such a way with people - even if she's never met them!

4. Savvy City Farmer
This gal is so fun! Her blog is oozing with her energy and spunk. I appreciate her family tributes and how she brings sunshine to world-wide web. And she has a knack for decorating, too!

5. Anna's Photo of the Day
This is one blog I've checked quite often, but rarely left a comment. I was staying current with Anna more for moral support than anything else - and she didn't even know it. When we moved to the NW, I had such an awful time adjusting. Anna's perspective on His world around her was such a blessing for me. At the time, she lived in the UK which experiences weather much like the NW. She could relate to the rain (endless rain). Her photography is an incredible display of the beauty He has put around each of us.

NOTE: Julie stated she enjoys reading the Scriptures I select to compliment the activity of the post. Today's Scripture expresses my desire to keep journals/records of events, but the world-wide web is not paper and ink! Julie, thank you for the kind words and I'm glad you enjoy the content.

Grandma Lilly

"Most blessed of women is Jael [Lilly], the wife of Heber the Kenite [Leonard the farmer]; most blessed is she of women in the tent." Judges 5:24
This is Grandma Lilly. She has been a constant in my life as long as I can remember. Born in 1920, she has seen her share of hard work on the farm, as well as in the school cafeteria. And always manages to keep her opinion to herself (why didn't I inherit that trait?).

She and my late-grandfather raised 5 children. Those 5 produced 22 grandchildren. Those 22 have multiplied to 30+ great-grandchildren (and still counting). One of the great-grandchildren even has her name. (Did I mention they also temporarily raised four of Grandpa's cousins?)

Taken during our trip back to KS in October, this photo shows her holding the most-recent great-grandchild, Leila Mae (my brother's daughter).

Grandma, thank you for being such a strong, constant, get-it-done example for me.

Leaving a trail

"Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent?" Ecclesiastes 7:13
How often does one get to see the trail of a slug? The ever-so-slight layer of frost revealed this little guy's swaggering ways. Honestly, I didn't know slugs traveled so randomly.

Priorities

The Psalms and Proverbs are my two favorites. Through each psalm, the Spirit beacons to hold my heart while tenderly drawing out that which I do not yet entrust to Him. My head, on the other hand, grabs those Proverbs and slaps them up as rules.

Each one is good. For me, however, a balance of the two is best.

Lately, blogging has started to crowd out my morning study and I could see the effects in many other areas of my life. So, a blogging break needed to happen. Eric leaves around 5 am and I spend the next hour or so in His word. Seeing how He honors my time with Him is quite amazing. I actually enjoy cleaning the house now! And the extra time I have - all of a sudden!! Where were those minutes/hours before? When you feel rushed, stressed, or strung-out, seek Him. You will find Him. I promise.

To where does the Spirit lead when you search His written Word?

We have a winner!!

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance." Romans 8:25

Our winner is allotment lady! Congratulations!! Please give me your mailing information so I can get it mailed. It's all boxed and ready to go. Here is your showcase...
Purchased at Cracker Barrel -
a bottle of 100% pure maple syrup
a package of Glee gum [the way gum used to be - with rainforest chicle]
Bluegrass Highway CD [how could I not include something bluegrass?]

Purchased from my sister in Arkansas -
A Little Bit o' Luck sample set from Lucky You Personal Spa Collection [moisturizing hand/body soap, exfoliating hand/body soap, tranquil bath tea (3 bags), perfect moisture hydrating lotion, creamy soy body butter, sugar mousse body polish, soothing bath salts]

Thank you for being so patient with me. I do appreciate all the comments even though you had no idea what the prize was. And please forgive me for waiting so long to post the winner. Never again will I post a give-away and then go on vacation. We got home and the next day it was a week later. :-(

100th Post Give-Away!!

"And Pharaoh said to Jacob, 'How many years have you lived?' So Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty.'" Genesis 47:8-9

Paula's paraphrase:

And her blogging friends said to Paula, "How many days have you been blogging?" So Paula said to her blogging friends, "The days of my blogging are way more than one hundred!"

True. I think my first post was December 31, 2006. It just took awhile to get to my 100th post because I don't blog every day and I've taken off more than a few days in a row.

However, my 100th post has arrived and (following blogging tradition) I am hosting a give-away!! Just leave me a comment and I'll toss your name in the hat!

Usually the hostess will display the items for the give-away; however, I don't have them yet. Tomorrow I leave for vacation back home (KS), and while I'm away I'll find little goodies to pass along to you!!

Thank you for visiting me today. Don't forget to leave me a comment and I'll see you in a week!!

(PS - If you live near Wichita KS, Topeka KS, or St Joe MO, let me know! I may be right around the corner!)

Ready for the rain

"For the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock." Matthew 7:25
Boy, did it rain! But, we got the area filled and leveled before the rains hit!! As you can see, everything leveled out quite nicely. In this case, I was thrilled to have two days of rain.

This photo shows the patio as we come down the driveway. We've added solar lights along the walls that don't serve as steps. Eric now calls the patio the runway because there are four rows of lights running parallel to each other. It's much more noticeable from the front door.

Next thing on the agenda is to get the soil ready for grass! Finally!! After living here for over a year, we're going to have grass in our front yard!!!