Counting Our Blessings - Link Up

Hello, dear friends - Are you ready to count your blessings? Let's get started!!

38. As you know from my previous post, I had a rather tough week health wise. However, today I'm feeling a bit better, and for that, I'm so thankful and feeling so blessed!

39.  I did work on my shawl over the weekend, a little at a time. I got the border finished on one side.

I'm loving this shawl and the border is so extra special.

40.  I am so happy that I found the girl who groomed our poodles! She left the salon she was working with and, of course, no one would tell me where she had gone. I started calling around and found where she's working almost immediately! Hallelujah! The last grooming experience with someone else was horrible and I didn't want to go through that again. Our regular groomer has a poodle of her own and is so gentle with our babies. She always makes them look wonderful and she truly is a blessing! The girls go in this week to be groomed properly!

41.  I finally felt good enough today to sit and work in my planner. I did April - even though it's almost over - just to play around with my calendar and use different stickers and so forth in it. I love it! I'm just so thrilled with this planner! Here's some pictures...

I made the clips myself. Some are with ribbons and the others are heavy stickers that I used. I love doing all this and have so much fun! Did you see the poodle sticker on the day that the girls go to the groomer? Don't miss the little paw on that day, either! LOL  I have always loved paper, pens, planners, clips, etc., etc., and this just blesses me to no end to do all this. So fun!

What are your blessings this week?

An InLinkz Link-up

Blessings - Julie

Have Faith

I've been quite ill. I believe it's from having two injections, a week apart. I had one in my knee and one in my back and I haven't been the same since. I always have hot flashes from the shots, but this time, it's beyond hot. I feel like I'm on fire. I also feel quite fuzzy headed and am having headaches. Lesson learned - don't have two shots so close together! I'm hoping this wears off soon!

I've been wanting to do several things, but haven't felt like it. I did finish the one border on my shawl but it took me quite a while. I am so wanting to start a new cross stitch project and set up my planner, but alas, the energy isn't there right now.

Sometimes, it's such a struggle to accept what is, you know? It takes great faith to know, really know, that God is in control and that He's working all these things out. I try not to get concerned about my health issues, but after the year I've had, it's hard not to. This definitely has to stop, though. I can't base my beliefs on the problems but on the blessings!

God's Grace IS immeasurable, His Mercy IS inexhaustible, His peace IS inexpressible!

Blessings - Julie

Counting Our Blessings - Link Up!

I know it's Wednesday, but I had a lot going on yesterday and didn't get a chance to do our link up. I hope you'll still join in, even though I'm a day late.

Things have been a little challenging for me again and it's so good for me to focus on my blessings - I'm sure you feel the same way. So let's get started!!

33.  I'm finally feeling a bit better in the stomach department. I'm praying that it stays this way, but we'll see. I'm just so thankful and blessed to have this reprieve from it!

34.  Miss Mitzi is such a joy! She is getting smarter each day and is such a love-bug!

She is such a blessing not only to me but my whole family. She's become such a good friend to Cookie, too, and Cookie really needed that. They play tug of war with the toys and sleep together. It's just precious!

35. My hubby got me a very special gift! I love planners, paper, pens, pencils - just office supplies in general! I have been wanting a really nice planner that would last me the rest of my life for a long time. I had been using an 5 1/2" x 8" notebook, but every time it dropped (which I do often, I'm afraid), it would pop open and everything would fall out. Not only that - it really has seen better days. I've been using it for years. So here's what I got in the mail the other day

Isn't it beautiful? Here's the inside...

                                           

They go to so much work to make the whole thing gorgeous! Don't you love the gold rings? I'm so thrilled to have something so nice! I will use it every day!

36.  I have been experimenting with my markers and drawing. I have a journal that I'm going to be using and I wanted to do something in the front of the book but also use it to practice with the markers. So here's the page I did

I've really enjoyed doing this kind of thing again. I've really come full circle in my life because this is the sort of art and things I used to do when I was young and I've always enjoyed it. It's a blessing to find what you really enjoy and do it!

37.  I'm also crocheting a lot. I am almost done with my purple shawl I've been working on and am now adding the border. I love to watch baseball and do my crocheting so I imagine I'll have a lot of projects finished up by the end of the season! lol Here's the closeup of my work

What are your blessings? Have something to share that would bless others? Please link up below and share!  Don't forget to grab by button for your page! Thanks!

An InLinkz Link-up

Blessings - Julie

Book Review - A Heart's Obsession

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Will Sarah's journey west lead her back into the arms of the one man she can trust?

When her father succumbs to a long illness, Sarah Montgomery is freed from duty to family. At last she can be with the love of her life, Rand Campbell, who has gone out west to Fort Laramie, Wyoming. Sarah and her younger brother Joel make the arduous journey filled with hope.

But at Fort Laramie, the reception Sarah meets isn't what she had hoped for. Her friend Amelia is thrilled to have her, but Rand seems to be in the clutches of Jessica DuBois, the scheming daughter of the post commander.

Sarah resolves to remain at Fort Laramie and try to win Rand back. But things will get tougher before they get easier . . . especially when her ex-fiancé Ben Croftner arrives in Wyoming, obsessed with having her back in his arms.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Colleen Coble has sold over 2 million novels worldwide. Seagrass Pier, the third installment in her acclaimed Hope Beach series, marks a new highpoint for emotion and complexity in Coble's addictive brand of romantic suspense.

Find Colleen online: website, Facebook, Twitter

MY REVIEW:

This is book two in the "Journey of the Heart" series. You really need to read the first book to truly understand what is going on, although, the author does a good job of catching us up on the storyline.

As the story opens, we find Rand ready to get on the train to go west to Wyoming and the army fort he has been posted to. His heart is broken because he believes Sarah has chosen her family over him. As he leaves, he gives his brother a medal he made her and asks him to give it to her and tell her he wishes her happiness.

Sarah is heartbroken that Rand would actually leave without her. She has always loved Rand and always will. When her father dies, she makes the decision to get out from under her brother's thumb and go west with her friend and her husband, taking her younger brother with her.

At Fort Laramie, Rand is moving on with his life. When Sarah shows up there, he's shocked but keeps his heart at a distance.  We also see Ben moving forward with his evil plans toward Sarah and he affects much more than Sarah with his evil ways.

This is an excellent book and I read it in one sitting! I'm anxious to read book 3 and see what happens next. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

*This book was provided to me for my honest review by LitFuse Publicity Group

You can read more reviews of this book HERE

Blessings - Julie

A Sign from God

I have a rose bush that was a cutting from the bush that is on my Grandmother's grave. I got the cutting in 2002 and brought it back and planted it right near my front door. It bloomed a single rose, one time and has never bloomed again. I could never understand why it wouldn't bloom again. I have many rose bushes and they all bloom wonderfully every year. I have fertilized it, watered it, and babied it, but to no avail. Until this year...

(I apologize for the blurry picture. The wind has been blowing wildly here and the bud was moving about.)

My son was out working on the deck he's building on the front of the house and shouted for me to come see my Grandma's rose bush. It's absolutely loaded with buds, dear friends!! I literally started to cry. You see, after the horrific year I had last year, I looked at it as a sign from God - a gift from Him, really - telling me that everything is going to be okay. Perhaps you think I'm a bit over-reaching, but truly, I'm not. This rose bush means so much to me and to have it bloom at this time, is truly a miracle and a gift. I'm so thrilled!!  I feel that the Lord does give us signs to let us know that He is with us and hasn't forgotten us. This is my sign.

I will take more photos (and less blurry ones) as the roses bloom. I just had to share this wonderful event as it has renewed my hope and fills my heart.

Blessings - Julie

Counting Our Blessings - Link Up

I'm sorry I've missed the last two weeks of the link up. I have been dealing with some health issues and was not feeling well. I always miss counting my blessings and I always miss coming by your blogs and reading what you share. I am so thankful that you take the time to link up with me and I hope that God blesses you abundantly this week!

29.  I can't tell you how much doing the Bible journaling has blessed me! When I first saw it, I knew that it really spoke to my heart. It has been so exciting and has added a new dimension to my time with God and reading my Bible. Here's a couple of new pages I did.

 This page is my representation of Revelations 21 where God tells us that He will make all things new. The flowers blooming are my idea of new growth and beauty. I did these with the Tim Holtz distressed markers.

This page is for Revelations 19 where the angel calls down the birds to eat the flesh off the dead. I know my angel is a little sweet looking for such a task, but I really like her and decided to stick with her kind look. You can see the birds behinds her in the sky. I did this with colored pencils.

30.  I hope your Easter was wonderful. We had a nice day and I sat and did this page in my Bible for that day. It shows the empty tomb and the cloth that was covering Jesus. I had such a wonderful time doing this! This was done with colored pencil and a white marker for the cloth. The lettering is done with a colored pen.

He is alive! This is the greatest blessing of all!

31. 

My husband and I had started this study, but I wasn't feeling good so we put it on the back burner. Then the Women's Bible Cafe announced they would be doing an online study of this. We thought it was the perfect opportunity to get started again. I really love my group I'm in and it has encouraged us to get going on it again. It's such a wonderful study and I am learning so much! There is nothing better than getting into God's Word!

32.  I love fresh flowers in the house and so when my hubby and I went to Walmart three weeks ago, my hubby bought me these.

Aren't they beautiful? They have lasted so long and they were only $4.00! I think they will last another week, easily. If I get flowers again, I'm going to choose this  kind as they last and their fragrance is so wonderful, too. Such a blessing to have fresh flowers!!

Please share your own blessings on the link up. I would so appreciate it if you would grab my button and put it on your blog! Have a very blessed week!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Blessings - Julie

Book Review - A.D. - The Book of Acts by David Jeremiah

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A.D. The Bible Continues: The Book of Acts is a perfect gift for those who want to explore the true story behind the riveting NBC television series A.D. The Bible Continues.

Popular author and Bible teacher Dr. David Jeremiah will be your guide to the book of Acts, which tells the true story of how the first band of followers of Jesus quickly grew into an international movement after his death and resurrection. Discover what motivated and inspired this small group and how the message of Jesus set the world on fire.

It’s the beginning of a whole new era, and you can have a front-row seat with A.D. The Bible Continues: The Book of Acts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A dedicated family man, Dr. Jeremiah believes that without the support and encouragement of his wife, Donna, Turning Point would have never been brought into existence. He and Donna have four grown children and twelve grandchildren.

Dr. Jeremiah’s commitment is to teaching the whole Word of God. His passion for people and his desire to reach the lost are evident in the way he communicates Bible truths and his ability to get right to the important issues. Dr. Jeremiah continues to be excited to see what God is going to do in broadcast ministry around the world through the ministries of Turning Point.

MY REVIEW:

This book is so wonderful and I just couldn't put it down! I loved the whole concept and how easy it was to read and understand.

This book is all about the book of Acts in the Bible. This book is about the resurrection of Jesus, his appearances to people, and his teachings during this time. He speaks about the Holy Spirit, what he wants the disciples to do and then ascends into the heaven. After this, we see the Holy Spirit come upon the disciples in a miraculous way and then they go out and spread the Gospel as Jesus instructed.

Acts is just that; the acts of the disciples and followers of Christ. We see Saul persecute the believers and then come to Jesus himself in a most dramatic way. We follow them as they are persecuted for their belief and we learn so much of Jesus' teachings through this amazing book.

Another thing I loved about this book is the biographies and definitions given in the book. I especially love the pages about the Crucifixion and what it means. I learned so much from these few pages! The biographies were great, too, because they gave me an insight to the people I was reading about.

This book was so very easy to read. It would be great for a person who has never read the Bible or one who is a new Christian. I could definitely see using this book to bring others to Christ as it's just a very profound yet easily understood book. I just can't say enough good about it!

I highly recommend this book to everyone. It's a wonderful book, all very Biblical and written by a wonderful Bible teacher, David Jeremiah. It really is a must have book! I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

*This book was provided to me for my honest review by Tyndale Blog Network


Blessings - Julie

Sunday Thoughts

I was watching Beth Moore on Living Proof on my Roku. She spoke to my heart today, as she usually does. I have been having some difficult days lately. I've been having a stomach issue for months and it plagues me. Just when I think I'm over whatever it is, it comes back with a vengeance and I'm Im so sick again. I'm also dealing with severe knee pain in the knee that wasn't replaced and I'm hobbling around and my knee is grinding and popping. I did get a shot in my knee this past week, but it didn't give me any relief. I've been weepy and discouraged. So, when I saw the Beth Moore teaching called "God of All Comfort", I knew I had to tune in. One Scripture she shared was Lamentations 1:2

Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is none to    comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her

Now, I can't relate to the "all her lovers" part, but the part that says "bitterly she weeps; there is no one to comfort her, all her friends have betrayed her", I can relate to. That's why it's vital and I must understand that our comfort does not come from others. It can only come from God. This was the teaching that Beth was sharing. The light bulb went on! I have been focusing on how I don't hear from my church or most of my friends anymore, and I haven't for months and months. This has been shocking to me and I see now that I have been looking to them for something that only God is capable of doing. His mercies are new every morning.

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.

  They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. - Lamentations 3:23

 

I must look to God for my comfort when I am in pain. He understands what I am going through because Jesus, himself, endured pain and suffering and the betrayal of His friends. Remember Peter denyed he knew the Lord the night of His arrest? I always think about how Peter must have felt when Jesus looked him in the eyes after the third crow of the rooster. 

 

I'm sure I'll have other days where I am feeling discouraged and forgotten by church and family, as I am only human. I thank God, though, that He directed me to listen to this teaching and be reminded that I am comforted by Him. I am also thankful that God gave me such a wonderful family whose mercies are abundant and their love unending. Why is it that we humans have the tendency to focus on what we have lost and not what we have? I don't know but I do know I need to change my focus!

 

If you're feeling alone, abandoned, or betrayed, remember the Lord loves you with an everlasting love and He is your comfort. If you have the opportunity to watch this Beth Moore teaching, I encourage you to do so. It was so excellent and it will be a blessing to you!

 

Blessings - Julie

 

 

Book Review - Savor, Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Part devotional, part cookbook, all Shauna!
Focusing on food, faith, and Shauna's genuine, heartfelt voice, this devotional for women will be as comforting as a pan of homemade mac 'n' cheese on a cold winter's night.

Combining content from Bread and Wine, Cold Tangerines, and Bittersweet with takeaways, this devotional from Shauna Niequist speaks spiritual truths to women in easily digestible bites that are perfect any time of day.

A foodie, gourmet cook, and master entertainer, Shauna writes about the beautiful and broken moments of everyday life-friendship, family, faith, food, marriage, love, babies, books, celebration, heartache, and all the other things that shape us, delight us, and reveal to us the heart of God.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shauna Niequist is the author of Bread & Wine, Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet. Shauna grew up in Barrington, Illinois, and then studied English and French literature at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. As an author and blogger, Shauna writes about the beautiful and broken moments of everyday life - friendship, family, faith, food, marriage, love, babies, books, celebration, heartache, and all the other things that shape us, delight us, and reveal to us the heart of God. Shauna is married to Aaron, who is a pianist and songwriter. Aaron is a worship leader at Willow Creek and is recording a project called A New Liturgy. Aaron and Shauna live outside Chicago with their sons, Henry and Mac.

MY REVIEW:

I became a huge Shauna Niequist fan after reading her book "Bread and Wine". I love her style of writing and how honest and open she is. I loved "Savor" and am even more of a fan!

This book is written like a devotional, and you can certainly use it in your daily quiet time,  however, I read it from cover to cover in short order! I would definitely recommend it as your daily devotional because there is so much to enjoy and ponder in each devotion that I really do recommend taking the time to think over each day. I am using it for myself as my daily devotion, but I am so glad that I read it through first because it was so inspiring and wonderful.

Shauna shares a Scripture each day to meditate on then shares from her heart a short, yet very profound devotional. I also love the quotes at the end of each devotion. Everything comes together so beautifully. Shauna keeps everything very Biblical so your focus is always on God.

Another wonderful thing are her recipes throughout the book! She had recipes in "Bread and Wine" and I loved them. She encourages us to share with family and friends our faith and food and these recipes are just wonderful! I think it's so wonderful that she encourages fellowship within our family and friend circles.

I really love this book and I highly recommend it. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

*This e-book was provided to me for my honest review by BookLook Bloggers


Blessings - Julie

Book Review - Enough Already

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Recognize your own outer and inner beauty as defined by God, not the media or others.

Most women know that God loves them, but might he love them more if they finally lost that last ten pounds, or got their hair to lay right, or finally found a pair of jeans that looked good and let them breathe? Well, maybe God doesn't care about jeans, but women do, and all the talk about inner beauty hasn't kept all of us from staring into a mirror and taking an inventory that never quite measures up. Enough Already will:

-Elevate the soul-freeing, spiritual truth that God is the Creator of beauty and that women are called to appreciate and care for themselves as his own.

-Enable women to accept God-given beauty so that when they look in the mirror they see his handiwork, not their flaws.

-Equip women to win the ugly struggle with beauty once and for all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Barbara Roose is an African-American, wife, mother, and pastor with a passion for creatively communicating God's truths in a manner that is relevant and easy for people to apply to their lives. In February 2002, she joined the staff at Cedar Creek Church in Perrysburg, Ohio. Currently, she is the Directional Leader and Pastor of Spiritual Formation. For the past eight years, she has had the privilege to serve as periodic teaching pastor to 10,000 (average) weekly attendees. Since 2010, she has spoken at various women's conferences in the U.S. and Honduras. In October 2012, she was a guest speaker for best-selling author and former Women of Faith speaker, Nicole Johnson's Seasons Weekend Experience. Barbara and her husband, Matt, have been married 21 years and live in Toledo, Ohio.

Find Barbara online: website, Facebook, Twitter

MY REVIEW:

Do you struggle with how you look? When you look in the mirror, do you criticize how you look instead of appreciating what God has made? If so, then this book is for you.

I really enjoyed this book. Barbara is so honest and brings a lot of humor to this book, which made it so easy to read. I really felt like she understood what it is to struggle with how we look. She talks about comparing ourselves to others, especially those in the spotlight. I absolutely loved her story about her Barbie dolls and how they affected her thoughts about herself. I think anyone who ever played with Barbie dolls had this same feeling.

At the beginning of chapter, she shares a Scripture and then her advice and thoughts are all very Biblical. I really loved how she brings everything back to how God sees us and how we should view ourselves. At the end of each chapter, she has Group Discussion Questions which are really great for groups, but also great as an individual. After this, she has Personal Journaling Questions that take us even deeper into how we think about ourselves and how our past and our thinking affect us. Barbara takes us on a journey of seeing ourselves as the beautiful woman that God created. She helps us to accept our looks and our bodies and to cultivate an inner beauty. 

I really got so much from this book and it has helped me to really see myself in a new way. I highly recommend this book to any woman who has ever questioned her looks or saw herself as anything but beautiful. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

*This book was provided to me for my honest review by LitFuse Publicity Group

You can read more reviews of this book HERE

Blessings - Julie

Happy Easter!! He is Risen!!

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?

He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:

 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered his words.When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.  But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. - Luke 24:1-12 

 

Happy Easter! Our Lord and Savior has risen! He's alive!

 

Blessings - Julie

Good Friday - What Does It Mean?

For years, I would hear the words, "Good Friday" and not understand what they meant. This was, of course, before I was a Christian, and by that, I mean a true Christian. When I would hear those words, I thought it had something to do with the Catholic church. I never understood.

Now I understand. I understand the pain my Lord went through when He took the weight of our sins, past, present and future, of the whole world, on Himself. I understand that He was brutally whipped and tortured. I understand that He was nailed to a cross - unable to fully take a breath - and in agony. I understand. I understand.

My heart can scarcely take it in. When I think on this, as I often do, for it is the great sacrifice, I easily get tears in my eyes and my heart constricts. To be loved so fully that He - God - would allow Himself to be put through this! How can we comprehend this? It's the most loving act that mankind has ever seen, or will see. Through this loving gesture, God gave us the ability to have eternal life! By sacrificing His only Son (John 3:16), He gave us a road to redemption. All we have to do is accept His gift.

I ponder at the reasons why so many do not accept this gift. For me, the gift is a must. For me, Jesus is my everything. Without Him, I cannot live - either in this life and certainly not the one to come. It is only through Him that we have this gift of eternal life. I wonder at those to scorn Him or ridicule Him. I cannot comprehend that someone would not fully rejoice at this gift that He so openly and freely gives.

My heart is full today. I look at all I have been through in this past year and I marvel at His gifts and His timing. I am most thankful that when others abandoned me, He did not. He was there by my side when my heart was breaking and when I felt alone, He made His presence known to me. He worked everything out in His perfect way and continues to do so.

Good Friday is just that. It is the goodness of God in that He loves us so, He provided a way for us to come to Him. I am so thankful for accepting His gift. If you haven't, would you please do so today? If you're not sure how to go about it, please go HERE to fully understand this beautiful, life-giving gift.

Many blessings- Julie

Book Review - Easter Stories

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Everyone who believes Easter is about more than bunnies and eggs will be grateful for this new collection of short stories that shed light on the deeper meaning of the season. Selected for their spiritual value and literary quality, these classic tales capture the spirit of Easter in a way that will captivate readers of all ages. Parents and grandparents will find that children love to hear these stories read aloud, year after year.

Easter Stories includes time-honored favorites from world-famous storytellers such as C.S. Lewis, Leo Tolstoy, Selma Lagerlof, Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Goudge, Maxim Gorky, Ruth Sawyer, and Walter Wangerin--as well as many you've never heard before. Illustrated with original woodcuts.

MY REVIEW:

I really like this book. The stories are fairly short and easy to read and every one of them pointed to our need for Christ. Some of the stories made you think a little harder than others and it was a nice blend of short stories all compiled into this beautiful volume.

I really enjoyed the artwork. It is all original woodcut illustrations and they were all perfect for the stories that they went with. I think the classic artwork went to beautifully with the classic stories in this book.

The first story ended up being my absolute favorite in the whole book. It's about a gruff man who is given a glowing white lily by a man on the road. His attitude completely is transpired by the beauty of this white lily and we see life changes in how he lives. It was just a beautiful story of how Jesus transforms our life.

This book is not just for Easter. It really is a beautiful book full of amazing stories that will delight you all year long. It would be perfect, too, for the homeschooling family with older children as they would enjoy these stories. I highly recommend this addition to your library. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

*I received this book from Handlebar Publishing for my honest review



Blessings - Julie