Chats on the Deck

chatsonthefarmhouseporch
“Chats on the Farmhouse Porch” is a group of friends
gathering to visit,
sip their favorite beverages,
nibble delicious treats
and share their likes and dislikes.

Patrice and Wendell have invited me to join the chatting.
Patrice provides the questions,
we answer.

                   mar 1 005                        mar 1 006
My Buster doesn’t look as cozy as Opal, but this is where the Farmer found him.
Buster was sleeping on the Farmer’s childhood rocking chair
that is hanging upside-down from the freezer in the breezeway between the sheds.

Do you like avocados?

I love avocados and guacamole.
I think my favorite way to eat avocados
is on a bacon and tomato sandwich,
bread toasted, no lettuce and add a little mustard, please.

Have you ever gone on a roller coaster?

Small ones when I was a kid,
I don’t have any desire to ride a roller coaster now.

Do you do cross stitch, needlepoint, crewel work, or needle punch?
Picture 001I’ve done all but needle punch.
Counted cross stitch is by far my favorite.

Do you cook with gas or electric?

I cook with propane.
The downside of using propane is that it blackens the pan bottoms.

Tell me something good, pleasant, or uplifting. Please.
feb24 023Spring IS Coming!

Published in: on March 5, 2014 at 12:19 am  Comments (2)  

March 4, Today’s thought – God’s Presence

mar 4 004California Poppies curl up to sleep after working hard all day spreading sunshine.

Good Morning

1 Samuel 17:32-37
And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

It is a source of inspiration and strength
to come in touch with the youthful David, trusting God.
Through faith in God he conquered a lion and a bear,
and after wards to overthrew the mighty Goliath.
When that lion came to despoil that flock,
it came as a wondrous opportunity to David.
If he had failed or faltered
he would have missed God’s opportunity for him
and probably would never have come to be God’s chosen king of Israel.
“And there came a lion.”

One would not think that a lion was a special blessing from God;
one would think that only an occasion of alarm.
The lion was God’s opportunity in disguise.
Every difficulty that presents itself to us,
If we receive it in the right way, is God’s opportunity .
Every temptation that comes is God’s opportunity.

When the “lion” comes,
recognize it as God’s opportunity
no mater how rough the exterior.
The very tabernacle of God was covered
with badgers’ skins and goats’ hair;
one would not think thee would be any glory there.
The Shekinah of God,
(the glory of divine presence,)
was manifest under that kind of covering.
May God open our eyes to see Him,
whether in temptations, trials, dangers, or misfortunes. —C.H.P.

With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on March 4, 2014 at 11:30 am  Leave a Comment  
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March 3, Today’s thought – Pact with God

feb24 020

Our ‘snow’ comes from fallen almond blossoms.

feb24 021 We ‘allow’ the squirrel almond rights.

Good Morning

Scripture reading and a thought from Sunday Morning’s lesson.

2 Chronicles 28:1, 22-24
Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father:

22 And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel. And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

By reading the 28th chapter
I find how far Ahaz went away from God
and leading the people away from God.

Hezekiah made a choice to turn from the evil ways of his father
and follow God’s laws.

2 Chronicles 29:1-3, 10
Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.

10 Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.

Ahaz closed the doors to the sanctuary,
closed the doors on the law,
closed the doors on all the blessings God had for His people.
Hezekiah opened those same doors,
cleansing the sanctuary,
letting the Spirit of God have His rightful place.
Hezekiah made a pact with God to serve God
and obey His commandments.

Joshua 1:5-9
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

In Joshua I read of God’s pact with me.
This pact hinges on me observing God’s commandments:
God will be faithful, no matter what.
I need to ‘have it in mine heart’ to be obedient
and submissive to His will.

Pact with God – God does everything.
All I can do is give up my filthy rags of sin
and obey prompted by my love for God.

With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

If you would like to hear this lesson click here.

Published in: on March 3, 2014 at 12:13 pm  Leave a Comment  
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March 1 – Verdant

 

LAUREL LOVE CLIPARTS

ver·dant
adj.
1. Green with vegetation; covered with green growth.
2. Green.
3. Lacking experience or sophistication; naive.

Spring
Fresh
New
Alive
Growing
Spreading
Establishing
Reassuring
After Darkness comes the dawn
The dawn shows what the darkness has produced.
mar 1 003Violet babies! Who would know they were there, verdant.

March  Prompt-A-Day

Published in: on March 1, 2014 at 12:45 pm  Comments (1)  
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March 1, Today’s thought – The Working of Sorrow

feb24 013What a bright spot on overcast days, California Poppies

Good Morning

John 12:27
Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

As a saint of God, my attitude toward sorrow and difficulty
should not be to ask that they be prevented,
but to ask that God protect me
so that I may remain what He created me to be,
in spite of all my fires of sorrow.
Our Lord received Himself,
accepting His position and realizing His purpose,
in the midst of the fire of sorrow.
He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour.

We say that there ought to be no sorrow,
but there is sorrow,
and we have to accept and receive ourselves in its fires.
If we try to evade sorrow,
refusing to deal with it,
we are foolish.
Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life,
and there is no use in saying it should not be.
Sin, sorrow, and suffering are,
and it is not for us to say
that God has made a mistake in allowing them.

Sorrow removes a great deal of a person’s shallowness,
but it does not always make that person better.
Suffering either gives me to myself or it destroys me.
You cannot find or receive yourself through success,
because you lose your head over pride.
And you cannot receive yourself
through the monotony of your daily life,
because you give in to complaining.
The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow.
Why it should be this way is immaterial.
The fact is that it is true in the Scriptures
and in human experience.
You can always recognize
who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself,
and you know that you can go to him in your moment of trouble
and find that he has plenty of time for you.
But if a person has not been through the fires of sorrow,
he is apt to be contemptuous,
having no respect or time for you,
only turning you away.
If you will receive yourself in the fires of sorrow,
God will make you nourishment for other people.

My Utmost ofo His Highest, Oswald Chambers

Accept the refining of sorrow . . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on March 1, 2014 at 12:10 pm  Leave a Comment  
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February 25, Today’s thought – What God Has Done

feb24 007Our tulips live in these cans.
Most of the time they rest in the Farmer’s nursery
doing whatever tulips do to prepare to bloom.
When the weather gets warmer
we see the leaves poke out of the dirt
and the Farmer moves them here.
We watch them grow and wait for the blossoms

.
Good Morning

You have been saved by God’s grace
Ephesians 2:5

Read slowly and carefully
Paul’s description of what God has done for you:

“When you were spiritually dead
because of your sins and
because you were not free
from the power of your sinful self,
God made you alive with Christ,
and he forgave all our sins.
He cancelled the debt,
which listed all the rules
we failed to follow.
He took away that record with its rules
and nailed it to the cross.
God stripped the spiritual rulers
and powers of their authority.
With the cross,
he won victory
and showed the world
that they were powerless.”
Colossians 2:13-15 New Century Version

As you look at the words above,
answer this question.
Who is doing the work?
You or God?
Who is active?
You or God?
Who is doing the saving?
You or God?

He Still Moves Stones, Max Lucado

Colossians 2:13-15
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. King James Version

I am thankful for ‘God’s doing’ . . .Today
With my prayers desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on February 25, 2014 at 11:32 am  Leave a Comment  
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February 24, Today’s thought – HE IS

feb24 003A pink primrose among the violets.

Good Afternoon

Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Sunday evening’s service led by the young people
was a blessing to me.

What is God to you? was the theme.

I jotted down these answers:
He is my strength,
He is my defense,
He is my father,
He is faithful,
He is my constant companion,
I need Him every hour,
He is my friend,
He is everything to me,
He is contentment,
He keeps me from making mistakes,
He takes care of all my needs now and in the future,
He helps me have control in my life,
He is always there when no one else seems to be,
and He is my counselor, advising, listening, encouraging.

This morning I remembered the song
I couldn’t remember last night –

Every Need Supplied,
I asked the dear Savior
What He had purchased
For me when on Calvary He died
For all my past and all my problems
He said that he would provide.
He said Every need supplied,
Every need supplied
Cleansing, Healing, Sweet peace inside,
Every Need Supplied.
If I had to name
The greatest blessing
He’s given, how could I decide
For since he saved me,
I just have to say
That every need is supplied

(the best I can remember the words of this my favorite song)

What strength I have for this coming week.

Let God be Everything to you . . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on February 24, 2014 at 5:58 pm  Comments (1)  
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Sunday Bible Reading – Jeremiah 10:23-24

1959341_10203037148080570_1965218969_nGrandsons learning to play Mexican Train during our February Family Night.

Good Morning

Jeremiah 10:23-24
O Lord, I know that the (a) way of man is not in himself:
it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
O Lord, (b) correct me, but with judgment;
not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

(a)Proverbs 16:1-3
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits. Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

(b)Jeremiah 30:10-11
Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet I will not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

Enjoy this Lord’s Day
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on February 23, 2014 at 10:39 am  Comments (2)  

February 22, Today’s thought – Carry Away the Song

feb19 004Coffee within arm’s reach of my chair.
Life doesn’t get much better.

Good Morning

Isaiah 30:15
For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel;
In returning and rest shall ye be saved;
in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:

Do you know what Luther said?
“Suffer and be still,
and tell no man thy sorrow;
trust in God–
His help; will not fail thee.”
This is what Scripture calls keeping silent before God
To talk much of one’s sorrow makes one weak,
but to tell one’s sorrows to Him
who heareth in secret,
makes one strong and calm. Tholuck

“The little sharp vexations
And the briars that catch and fret,
Why not take all to the Helper
Who has never failed us yet?
Tell Him about the heartache,
And tell Him the longings, too.

Tell Him the baffled purpose
When we scarce know what to do.
Then, leaving all our weakness
With the One divinely strong,
Forget that we bore the burden
And carry away the song.
Margaret Sangster

Whisper in God’s ears . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on February 22, 2014 at 10:42 am  Leave a Comment  
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February 20, Today’s thought – It is Possible

feb19 007A ‘burn day’ so the Farmer burns brush

Good Morning

Luke 1:37
For with God nothing shall be impossible.

It is possible,
for those who really are willing to reckon on the power of the Lord for keeping and victory, to lead a life in which His promises are taken as they stand and are found to be true.

It is possible
to cast all our care upon Him daily and to enjoy deep peace in doing it.

It is possible
to have the thoughts and imaginations of our hearts purified, in the deepest meaning of the word.

It is possible
by taking complete refuge in Divine power to become strong through and through; and, where previously our greatest weakness lay, to find that things which formerly upset all our resolves to be patient, or pure or humble, furnish today an opportunity–through Him who loved us, and works in us an agreement with His will and a blessed sense of His presence and His power–to make sin powerless over us.

These things are DIVINE POSSIBILITIES, and because they are His work, the true experience of them will always cause us to bow lower at His feet and to learn to thirst and long for more.

We cannot possibly be satisfied with anything less–each day, each hour, each moment, in Christ, through the power of this Holy Spirit–than to WALK WITH GOD. McLaren

Believe in Possibilities . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on February 20, 2014 at 5:46 am  Leave a Comment  
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February 19, Today’s thought – Simple Gratitude

feb19 002A note to myself.

Good Morning

As I read this devotion, I thought:
“It is not always simple or easy to be grateful,
but it is best to be grateful.”

Psalm 100:4-5
. . . be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.

Being grateful is no Pollyanna-like response
to anxious times.
For most of us,
the daily practice of gratitude begins at mealtimes.
for many households,
it is not necessarily the calmest,
most serene time of day.
Frazzled from working all day,
Mom has to come up with a healthy,
nutritious meal in less than thirty minutes.
Dad isn’t in such great shape himself;
after the stress of the office
he tries to maintain order among fussy, hungry kids.
When everyone finally sits down to supper,
Sis is sulky,
the baby;s bawling,,
and brother is trying to tell everybody
about his day at school,
two decibels above his baby sister.
“Let us now be thankful . . . .”
Right.

But that’s where real gratitude begins.
Not when life is peaceful and serene
but when everything’s falling apart
and the resulting anxiety is enough
to drive you right through your eyeballs.
For anxious people,
being grateful to God is a miracle.
Simple gratitude helps us experience God
at work in every moment of every day.

A Place Called Home – Harriet Crosby

Try to be grateful . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on February 19, 2014 at 11:36 am  Comments (6)  
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Chats on the Deck

chatsonthefarmhouseporch

“Chats on the Farmhouse Porch” is a group of friends
gathering to visit,
sip their favorite beverages,
nibble delicious treats
and share their likes and dislikes.

Patrice and Wendell have invited me to join the chatting.
Patrice provides the questions,
we answer.

1.  Have you been watching the Olympics?

No, really not interested.

2.  Does the grey winter affect your moods?

No, the cooler/cold weather is better for me than the heat.

3.  When was the last time you held a baby?

About 2-3 months ago

4.  Do you do a thorough spring cleaning each year?

Again, NO, I don’t know if I’ve ever done a real spring clean.

5.  Please tell Wendell a bedtime story. He asked. I said I’d ask you.If you don’t feel that creative, tell him a favorite book you think he might like. please:)

Just for Wendell, but  the rest of you may listen.

This little horsie brought carrots at the market.
This little horsie washed them clean at home.
This little horsie made carrot soup.
This little horsie licked the bowl clean.
This little horsie slept all night with his belly full.
Ah, Home Sweet Home.

7973549-carrot-fresh-vegetable-group-on-white-backgroundDo you want to hear more stories?  Click here.

Published in: on February 19, 2014 at 5:08 am  Comments (4)  

February 18 – Today’s thought – God’s Idea

Good Afternoon

Jeremiah 1:4-5
Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

God planned and packed you on purpose for his purpose.
Heaven’s custom design.
At a moment before moments existed,
the sovereign Star Maker resolved,
“I will make ________________>”
Your name goes in the blank.
The he continued with,
“And I will make him/her ______________,
____________ and _______________ and
_______________and ______________.”
Fill those blanks with your characteristics.
Insightful
Clever
Detail oriented
Restless
And since you are God’s idea,
you are a good idea.
What God said about Jeremiah,
he said about you-
“Before I made you in your mother’s womb,
I chose you.
Before you were born,
I set you apart for a special work.”
Set apart for a special work.

Care for the Common Life, Max Lucado

Accept God’s idea . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Published in: on February 18, 2014 at 1:20 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Three Quilts Went Home

new 004I’ve always loved quilts and quilting.
Sometimes quilts waited.
I explored and learned to love
the art of counted cross stitch.
During the past few years,
knitting has been my passion.

Each craft speaks to me through ‘getting it right’.
Matching corners and keeping all the points in quilts,
perfect crosses of counted work,
and the count of each row on target equals ‘getting it right’.

Each craft has color!
Quilts – who hasn’t stood in front of a quilt at a quilt show
and whispered “WOW!”;
or stared at a finished counted cross stitch piece
and watched the shading blend;
or walked into a yarn shop and
become over whelmed with the beauty.

Quilts are good waiters.
They don’t mind what state of unfinished they are
when set aside because I get side tracked.

During the fall of 2013,
I remembered three quilts
that were in assorted stages of completeness.
I purposed to get them done!
So borders got added,
binding cut and ready,
and off to the quilter, Quilt’m Sunflower Designs, they went.
Three quilts came back looking very pleased with themselves.
I spent some very quiet time
hand stitching the binding on the quilts.
I almost always finish my quilts by hand.
I spend that time thinking about and praying
for the dear one receiving the quilt.

Saturday three quilts went home.

One quilt was meant to live on the couch to comfort, warm, and ease.
feb15 couch going home 008

feb15 couch going home 010

feb15 couch going home 009

feb15 couch going home 011 The Back

One quilt became the burrito shell  – she become the filling.

feb15 m rains going home 001

feb15 m rains going home 003

feb15 m rains going home 002

feb15 m rains going home 005 The back

One quilt was giggled at because she didn’t believe it was hers.
feb15 al rains going home 012

feb15 al rains going home 014

feb15 al rains going home 013

feb15 al rains going home 015 The back

I love the family who lives in the home where the quilts live.

(In an effort to be completely honest, the top picture was taken at a very rare moment in time, but it is a perfect blogging picture.)

Published in: on February 18, 2014 at 1:01 pm  Comments (4)  
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I Was Bitten by the Quilt Bug

We went to Phoenix, AZ for vacation for 17 days. I visited a quilter friend. One day we looked through old quilt magazines together. Another time she shared several old quilts made by her mother and grandmother, and  some quilts she had made.  I ohhhed and ahhhed and got bit.

One quilt a sixteen patch block set with a snowball block got my attention.  I could see it made up with the 30’s fabrics waiting in the stash shed.   I bought the fabric for the snowball block.  For great niece, Jaden

feb14 004

feb14 009

feb14 010

A quilt in the window of quilt shop, Fabric Garden,  called to me. I had plenty of 30’s in the box. I bought setting corner and binding fabric. For great niece, Anya.

feb14 003

feb14 001

feb14 002

And then, my compulsive/obsessive gene kicked in and somehow fabric came home; Atkinson’s Yellow Brick Road, a quilt designed to use fat quarters  (a 18X21″ piece of fabric) is the designated pattern.  For great nephew,  Jacoby.

feb14 008

feb14 007

At the first of the year I had 5 quilts on my ‘hope’ to do list for 2014, One of these quilts wasn’t on the list . . . then.

Right now not a whole lot of knitting is getting down, hhhhmmmmm.

Published in: on February 14, 2014 at 5:45 pm  Comments (3)  
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