sunshine, faith, and crafting

Keith is home again, hurray! No more camping out. It's amazing how much more lovely and full of sunshine the world feels when he is here with me.

Like usual, there are dozens of things I've meant to write about but - now that I have a few minutes to write - have completely forgotten about. Oh well.

I've been spending less time reading blogs lately and more time reading books. This week I am reading a book called "Fresh Faith" by Jim Cymbala that is really blessing and encouraging my heart.  Here are a few quotes from it:

"The greatest Christian is not the one who has achieved the most but rather the one who has received the most. God's grace, love, and mercy flow through him abundantly because he walks in total dependence" (page 45).


"The greatness of Abram was not in his moral perfection, but in his getting back to God and believing again" (page 159).

Oh how I want to be someone who believes God and trusts Him with all I am and have! It has been encouraging to remember that having begun by grace, I cannot in my own strength now take over to successfully be and do all that God calls me to be and do. I am inadequate, and always will be. Glory to be to God! He is more than adequate.

I've also been skimming through a crafting book called "Handmade Home" by Amanda Blake Soule. (By the way, I usually post what I'm currently reading in the sidebar of this blog. Just in case you're ever curious.) I have already been in a crafting mood lately and so now I am just itching all the more to craft some things. I finally finished crocheting Abraham's baby blanket this week and I'm moving on to designing and sewing Christmas stockings for the kiddos and a birthday banner for Rilla. I'm hoping to achieve a cloth book for Abraham for Christmas and a baby sling for Rilla to carry her dollies, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high. I don't have a sewing machine but I do have two babies, so crafting doesn't always happen exactly when I want it to!

Another creative outlet that I have been doing lately with Rilla is painting the alphabet. I know it doesn't sound that amazing but every few days we have been getting out this big canvas and I paint a few more letters on it while we sing the alphabet and Rilla watches me carefully. It usually starts because she wants me to paint a heart or a star on her face, so I do that and make a little more progress on the alphabet painting. It's a challenge to my anti-steady-plodding nature to have to do just a little bit at a time - I've still never really learned to pace myself, I always want to do things RIGHT NOW if I am going to do them at all - but it's a good lesson, and it's a fun little afternoon activity for us.

Last night a friend from Prairie visited as he was passing through Idaho on his way to some final aviation training before shipping out to Papua New Guinea. That was really cool. I love when people are able to come and stay with us! I wish it could happen more often. Our home here isn't big but it is always open to those who are able to come for a visit or just need a stop for the night while passing through.