May 4, Today’s thought — Grace

Garden preparation at Cozy Acres

Good Morning,

Gleanings from the lesson Thursday evening:

2Corintians 12:7-10
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Paul sought God’s will first.
Earnestly, pleadingly, prevailing and wrestling in prayer.
God said, “This thing is from me,”

Paul accepted his weakness.
Trusting in God’s ordering of his steps.

Job 31:4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Paul received a useful, spiritual gift — grace.

By accepting the weakness, Paul could fully trust in God’s strength for help in time of need.

2Corinthians 12:9 But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! Amplified Bible

Trust God for your day . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on May 4, 2012 at 10:31 am  Leave a Comment  

Yarn Along, May 3 – Stops and Starts

Recap:
Last ‘Yarn Along’ post this shawl Alpaca Sox was trying to add grey to the last few rows and the edging but it was just not working. So the knitter ripped back enough? to finish off the shawl, adding beads to picot bind off.  OPPS, overlooked a row and beads were laying on the wrong side of the shawl! So ripping again, re-knitted and ready for picot row again!

Now I needed something to kind of mindless to work on, enter Holden Shawlette. I’m using Fortissima Socka in this pretty autumn colorway. Right now, it’s just:
Row 1 knit 3, yo, knit to marker, yo, k1, yo, knit to last 3 stitches, yo, knit to end
Row 2 knit 3, p across, knit 3,
Repeat until 193 stitches, then start the pretty stuff

Remember this Wallaby was running out of yarn. It’s now pouting until the knitter figures out just what to do with adding stripes of a complimentary color…..oh well.

Since Wallaby Sox was pouting; Wallaby Coffee Beanz for an almost 2 year old whose mother does not drink coffee got started. I love the Coffee Beanz yarn. After I started W-CBz, I realized mom is Oregon Ducks FAN. So had to find a gold to add a couple of stripes to one, maybe both sleeves.

This Purl Bee’s Wallaby –  It is darling!

Or course, the other WIP’s  are waiting patiently, or at least I don’t hear them if I turn up the Audio Book loud enough. I’ve recently found Jefferson Bass’s Body Farm series. That is my book of choice just now.

I’m joining other knitters with Ginny at http://www.gsheller.com/tag/yarn-along, sharing the stops and starts of our projects.

Published in: on May 3, 2012 at 10:21 am  Leave a Comment  

Wordless Wednesday — Spring Garden Preparation

Day after Wordless Wednesday silence:

You can see how silent others were on Wednesday here.

Published in: on May 3, 2012 at 9:32 am  Comments (1)  

May 3, Today’s thought — Pray

Growing on Cozy Acres
On the left, assorted berry vines with zinnias and sunflowers planted between sections of berries. On the right grape vines, the Farmer’s  ride and joy  – he started them from cuttings.

Good Morning

My thoughts are being drawn to prayer and my need to spend more time in fervent, prevailing prayer.

“If you cannot find time to pray, ask for forgiveness. Ask to be cleansed of the sin of having no time to pray … It could be that Satan is pushing you into too much work so that you cannot take time to pray.” – Corrie Ten Boom

“The work of praying is prerequisite to all other work in the Kingdom of God. It is by prayer that we couple the powers of heaven to our helplessness … and make the impossible possible.”  – O. Hallesby

“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” – Colossians 4:2

Trust in the Lord for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on May 3, 2012 at 9:23 am  Leave a Comment  

May 2, Today’s thought — Enriched By Memory

Counting at Cozy Acres.

Good Morning,

“You shall remember all the way the Lord thy God has led thee.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)

Our lives come, from time to time, to crossroads of defining importance; those critical intersections along the way, which face us with choices for new directions in our thinking, and in our living. At such moments we need briefly pause, for we have not passed this way before.
Ere we move onward we must first reflect back upon where we have been; remembering all the way that the Lord our God has led us. For in His leading are the lessons that will hold true all the days of our lives. As we think upon what He has taught us, shown us, done for us and with us — our lives become enriched by memory, and mindful of a love that never fails.
With this, we then step across the boundary into another season, filled with faith and courage. And we are also renewed in spirit and adventure, discovering afresh that the way in is also the way on. As He has led us, so He will still lead us. As He has loved us, so He will still love us. And as He has been faithful, so faithful shall He ever be.
Such is the happy lot of those whose lives are enriched by the memory of God’s handiwork throughout their days. Why not pause right now and recall to mind the many undeniable moments throughout your life when the Lord blessed you, loved you, healed you, helped you, saved you, used you — and the list goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on…

Trust in the Lord for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on May 2, 2012 at 6:07 am  Leave a Comment  

May 1, Today’s thought — Test before Glory

The moon shines bright and stars give light,
A little before it’s day
So God bless you all both great and small
And send you a joyful May.

Variant of a May Carol

Good Morning

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1Corinthians 10:13

In an old book written by the blind Scotch preacher, George Matheson, we found some very heartening words. We quote a few excerpts:
“There is a time coming in which your glory shall consist in the very thing which now constitutes your pain. Nothing could be more sad to Jacob than the ground on which he was lying, a stone for a pillow!

It was the hour of his poverty.
It was the season of his night.
It was the seeming absence of God.

The Lord was in the place and he knew it not. Awakened from his sleep he found that the day of his trial was the dawn of his triumph! Ask the great ones of the past what has been the spot of their prosperity and they will say,
“It was the cold ground on which I was lying.”

Ask Abraham;

he will point you to the sacrifice on Mount Moriah.

Ask Joseph;

he will direct you to his dungeon.

Ask Moses;

he will date his fortune from his danger in the Nile.

Ask Ruth;

she will bid you build her monument in the field of her toil.

Ask David;

he will tell you that his songs came from the hight.

Ask Job;

he will remind you that God answered him out of the whirlwind.

Ask Peter;

he will extol his submersion in the sea.

Ask John;

he will give the path to Patmos.

Ask Paul;

he will attribute his inspiration to the light which struck him blind.

Ask one more!–the Son of God;
Ask Him whence has come His rule over the world:
He will answer,

‘From the cold ground on which I was lying–the Gethsemane ground–I received my sceptre there.’

Thou too, my soul, shall be garlanded by Gethsemane! The cup thou fain wouldst pass from thee will be thy coronet in the sweet by and by.

“The hour of thy loneliness will crown thee.
The day of thy depression will regale thee.
It is thy desert that will break forth in the singing
It is the trees of thy silent forest that will clap their hands.
The last things will be first, in the sweet by and by.
The thorns will be roses.
The vales will be hills.
The crooks will be straight lines, the ruts level.
the shadows will be shining.
The losses will be promotions.
The tears will be tracks of gold.
The voice of god to thine evening will be this:

‘Thy treasure is hid in the ground, where thou wert lying.'”

Trust the Lord for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

 

PS:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELMER, the Farmer

Published in: on May 1, 2012 at 2:04 pm  Comments (1)  

Aoril 30, Today’s thought — The God Who Listens

Fresh eggs at Cozy Acres

Good Afternoon,

“I love God because He listened to me.” (Psalm 116:1)

God knows everything and everybody; and everything about everybody. He knows even that which is yet unknown to anybody. There is no thought, idea, invention, place, person, plan, or purpose which He does not know all there is to know about. Imagine, then, the wonder of His genuine attentiveness — “He listened to me.”
Have you ever tried to say something important or personal to someone who wasn’t listening? Oh, sure, they held eye contact, only occasionally glancing away at some passing distraction. And they nodded at appropriate moments, and even muttered a muted grunt while you were speaking. But, despite their feigned interest, the moment they get a chance to reply, they either fire back some trite response that has nothing whatsoever to do with what your were saying; or, they quickly excuse themselves with some pressing need that somehow suddenly came to their mind. Bye.
But God is not like this. He listens.
Obviously, it is not for what He may learn — for He already knows. So why does He do it? Because it gives Him pleasure — the pleasure of seeing, hearing and enjoying our learning process, and the passions that stir our hearts in life.
When you pray, therefore, do it with the awareness that He is the God who listens, and is delighted to do so. Your words matter; each one is carefully weighed by the Master of Words; each phrase is turned over and examined with artful care in His great heart. And He appreciates with Fatherly pride everything you think and say.
And, having listened to you, He will also speak. But here’s the question — do we then listen to Him? Rylie

I LOVE the Lord,
because He has heard
[and now hears]
my voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.
Psalm 116:1-2 Amplified

Trust God for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on April 30, 2012 at 1:11 pm  Leave a Comment  

April 29, Sunday Bible Reading

An evening view at Cozy Acres, God’s creative power.

Deuteronomy 8:11-20
Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God,
in not keeping his commandments,
and his judgments, and his statutes,
which I command thee this day:
Lest when thou hast eaten and art full,
and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply,
and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied,
and all that thou hast is multiplied;
Then thine heart be lifted up,
and thou forget the LORD thy God,
which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt,
from the house of bondage;
Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness,
wherein were fiery serpents,
and scorpions, and drought,
where there was no water;
who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna,
which thy fathers knew not,
that he might humble thee,
and that he might prove thee,
to do thee good at thy latter end;
And thou say in thine heart,
My power and the might of mine hand
hath gotten me this wealth.
But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God:
for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth,
that he may establish his covenant
which he sware unto thy fathers,
as it is this day.
And it shall be,
if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God,
and walk after other gods,
and serve them, and worship them,
I testify against you this day
that ye shall surely perish.
As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face,
so shall ye perish;
because ye would not be obedient
unto the voice of the LORD your God.

Trust God for your day . . .today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on April 29, 2012 at 12:31 pm  Leave a Comment  

April 28 Today’s thought — A Morsal of Kindness

9:30 this morning

Good Morning

Suppose someone has enough to live and sees a brother or sister in need, but does not help. then God’s love is not living in that person. 1John 3:17

Leo Tolstoy, the great Russian writer, tells of the time he was walking down the street and passed a beggar. Tolstoy reached into his pocket to give the beggar some money, but his pocket was empty. Tolstoy turned to the man and said, “I’m sorry, my brother, but I have nothing to give.”

The beggar brightened and said, “You have given me more than I asked for–for you have called me brother.”
To the loved, a word of affection is a morsel, but to the love–starved, a word of affection can be a feast. Max Lucado, He Still Moves Stones

1John 3:17  But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? KJV

Trust God for your day. . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

 

Published in: on April 28, 2012 at 3:29 pm  Leave a Comment  

Improving Your Skillset — 3KCBWDAY6

How far down the road to learning your craft do you believe yourself to be?

From no knowledge to being able to teach others to knit and loving every stitch, every needle, every skein of yarn along the way.

I learned to crochet from my mother as a child, while watching her make a traditional granny square afghan, bright colors with black. I never really made anything, I could just do the stitches.
I made a shell stitch scarf for my husband when we were first married. Later a couple of large single granny square afghans, I don’t like to stitch little squares together. I tried afghan stitch making an afghan and adding cross-stitched pattern. for my girls I crocheted open-work ponchos.
I always wanted to learn to knit. I found an ‘I can learn to knit’ book, so step by step and picture by picture I learned the basics, English style.
I had seen Continental style and that was the way I wanted to knit. I didn’t know what the styles were called. I talked with an older knitter friend, and she showed me how to start. So I just kind of put together a way to knit — leaving me knitting with twisted stitches. I didn’t know that either.
I made a hooded poncho and a sweater, a baby sack …sock hats with long skinny ends. We called them elephant hats, because when you bent over the hat tails fell down looking like elephant trunks.
THEN………I started reading (collecting) knitting books,and all kinds of needles, wood, bamboo, metal, plastic, glass, round, square, straights, double pointed and circulars and Y A R N!

I began reading, following the pictures, and step by step perfecting the little I knew.

I mainly used a yarn like Lion’s Homespun. I was afraid of my stitches, afraid I was doing them wrong, afraid of what they looked like. I kept on knitting. I don’t know how many round afghans I knitted from Homespun.

If someone would ask me ‘do you knit?,’
I would always say, oh kind of, or just a little; always comparing myself with other knitters. Then one day I realized, I KNIT! Not as good as some, not as competent as others, but I knitted the best I could.

My mom bought me this book and I began to work my way through it. Some patterns I couldn’t figure out because of my twisted stitches. I have a bag full of 4×4 inch squares of samples. Now I use the pattern book to make washcloths, still trying new patterns.

I learned how to knit without twisting, how the stitches sit on the needles and what it means, and how to pick up drop stitches.
I have tried and love knitting lace and have made 6 shawls. I’ve made soxs.

Most times I have either a Wallaby or a Zimmermann’s baby surprise jacket on my needles.

Oh…..and I LOVE stitch definition.

Knitting,  being able to read the stitches, listening to the rhythm of the needles is like another language.  I’ve become bi-lingual!

Published in: on April 28, 2012 at 6:32 am  Leave a Comment  

April 27, Today’s thought — Three Tree’s Story

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.    Psalm 27:13-14

Some times people wonder why prayers are not answered promptly, or why the reply is not what they expected. The following story will help them to understand:

Three large trees in a forest prayed that they might choose what they would be converted into when they were felled. One prayed to be made into a beautiful palace; the second to be a large ship to sail the seven seas; the third to stay in the forest and always point to God.

Illustration By: Tim Jonke

One day the woodman came and chopped down the first tree, but instead of a palace, it was made into a common stable, wherein was born the fairest Babe in all creation. The second was made into a small ship that was launched on the Sea of Galilee, on the deck of which stood a tall man who told the multitudes: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The third tree was made into a cross, and to it men mailed that young man, the loveliest personality that ever walked in the earth. Ever since then, the cross has been pointing men to God.And so each prayer was answered. Unknown

Just a simple version of a children’s story; let us take heed and be willing to wait for God’s plan and God’s timing.

Trust God for your day. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on April 27, 2012 at 11:16 am  Leave a Comment  

Something A Bit Different — 3KCBWDAY5

What does KCBW mean to me?

K  —  K2tog

N  —  Needles

 I  —  Intarsia

T  —  Techniques

T  —  Tutorials

 I  —  Increases

N  —  Notes

G  —  Getting gauge

and

C  —  Color

R  —  Rip it, rip it, rip it

O   —  (yarn) Overs

C  —   Cast on

H  —  Hooks

E  —  Entrelac

T —   sTash

B  —  Bind off!

L  —  Lace knitting

O  —  One more row

G  —  Grab your camera

W  — Wonderfully

E  —  Exciting

E  —  Exhausting

K  —  Kin we do this again?

 

Published in: on April 27, 2012 at 6:02 am  Comments (2)  
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Yarn Along — April 26, 2012

This week two projects have received my attention. The Wallaby Sweater for a little boy who just turned three has both sleeves and decreasing up the yoke. I started this sweater as a ‘I need something to take with me’ not really checking to see the total amount of yardage needed for knitting the sweater in sock yarn instead of worsted. I am running out of yarn. A quick trip to favorite LYS and a nice smokey grey said it would be glad to help out. I trying for a few stripes and finish with the grey as the collar.

“

The mess is the Alpaca Sox Shawl, I’m down to the last 4 rows of the body, then an eyelet row and a picot bind off. Again I ran out of yarn, so I’m auditioning from my stash a charcoal grey for the last 7 rows of body and finishing. I purchased 4×4 cube beads in metallic purple iris to add to the picots. I really not sure about the grey (although it is making a gallant effort) I may have to go back to LYS. 🙂

I am re-reading, tried and true, “Flowers in the Rain” by Rosamunde Pilcher, a book of short stories. I love her stories about everyday life, with every day people, and a story book ending. My favorite novels are The Shell Seekers and September (read the shell Seekers first). If I ever get to merry ol’ England; the towns written about in Pilcher’s stories are where I want to visit.

I share my knitting progress with others at Small Things. Come and see!

Published in: on April 26, 2012 at 8:31 am  Leave a Comment  

A Knitter for All Seasons — 3KCBWDAY4

A Knitter or Crocheter For All Seasons?
I am definitely a knitter for all seasons.
It doesn’t matter when, I will knit.
It doesn’t matter what fiber yarn
(Although I am a bit of a yarn snob,
I really like the nice stuff)
It doesn’t matter where, I will knit
at stop lights
(sometimes I hope I have to wait for the next green light)
in restaurants
at family get to-gethers
on vacations
Jeckle Island, South Carolina

You see,
I have works-in-progress. . .

I have needles . . .

I have yarn . . .
(Picture taken during stash organization)
I have a cozy spot . . .

I have a favorite yarn shop. . .

Babetta’s Yarn and Gifts
Fair Oaks, CA

I AM A KNITTER FOR ALL SEASONS!

Published in: on April 26, 2012 at 6:27 am  Comments (1)  
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Today’s thought — Beyond. . .


A wildflower or a weed flower? Found out under the oak tree; where over a year ago the Farmer threw around some wild flower seeds. This is the first of anything pretty we’ve seen.

Good Morning

Ephesians 3:14,20-21
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . .Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

To be read, prayed, slowly…

‘O God,
I bless thee for the happy moment

when I first saw thy law fulfilled in Christ,

wrath appeased, death destroyed, sin forgiven,

my soul saved….

I want no other rock to build upon than that I have,

desire no other hope than that of gospel truth,

need no other look than that which gazes

on the cross…

May my cry be always, Only Jesus! only Jesus!

In Him I have all that I can hold;

enlarge me to take in more…

If I am tempted, and have no wit,

give me strength enough to trust in Him…

If in extremity,

let me feel that He can deliver me;

If driven to the verge of hope

and to the pit of despair,

grant me grace to fall into His arms.

O God, hear me,

do for me more

than I ask, think, or dream.”

~ excerpted from Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]–  To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

Trust God for your day . . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on April 26, 2012 at 5:55 am  Leave a Comment  
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