Don't Let the Past Steal Your Present! Pick and Practice Positivity!

VIDEO: click here.  

DEFINITIONS:

Optimistic = hope and confident about the future. 

Positive = constructive, optimistic or confident; a good, affirmative or constructive quality or attribute.

GRATEFUL FOR:

1. My Covid test came out negative.

2. I completed Marsha Baker's 365 Doodles Challenge!

3. I'm grateful to God for giving me design ideas for the weekly coloring sheets I've been doodling to help people meditate on the Scripture. I've been adding my most favorite ones to my positivity journal. 

4. I enjoy listening to most of the music in YouTube's Free Music Library. I find I like mostly their country & folk selections as well as Jazz, Swing and the Blues music. However, this month, I decided to go Reggae- you know, the calypso beat! I wish they had more gospel music to select from - most of their inspirational music is limited to Christmas and the other stand-by's you hear on movies, like Amazing Grace and Rock of Ages.  

5. Bible Journal Conference was SO GOOD. If you didn't attend the 3 Day Conference, you missed out! 

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLES: 

Three Ways to Develop a Positive Attitude - Read here. 

Disabled Artist = watch Maud Lewis's tulips 

Cool Beans; Good News! = An assistant professor, Dr. Berry at Bushnell University, has a chapter being published in a collaborative book called "Claiming Notability for Women Activists in Religion." She has written about Rev. Mrs. Bertha Mae Lillenas. If you wish to know more about Bertha, click here and here. 

Mary Engelbreit is my Favorite Artist! Read my biography about her here. 

The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life. By Hannah Whitall Smith. Listen here. 

Your Guide to Keeping It Together (notice that gratitude plays a part). Read here. 

NEW RECIPE: Honey Taffy. Sounds yummy and haven't tried it yet, but I watched the video and it appears easy to make. 

QUOTES & SAYINGS: 

"At the risk of sounding like a Pollyanna, I can hardly think of a disappointment that you can't turn into a good situation." ~ Mary Engelbreit. 

Bloom Where You're Planted! Bloom & Grow.

Create your dreams. 

Favorite Quote of the Month = "Talk is cheap. The best apology is changed behavior." ~ Carolyn Vosburg

Focus on the Good. 

"Follow the crowd and you will never be followed by a crowd." ~ Hannah Whitall Smith. 

JOY!

Keep me sweet, Lord, keep me sweet!

"Keep your face upturned to Christ as the flowers do to the sun. Look, and your soul shall live and grow." ~ Hannah Whitall Smith

Possum Patty from Pencilvania's  Turtle -- Description: The turtle is practicing positivity! He's upside down on his back and he's swinging his legs in the air. He says: "Hey! I'm flying!" And the caption says: "It's all in how you look at things!"  smile!  

No Stinkin' Thinkin' Allowed! 

Try, Try, Again!

SCRIPTURES:

Psalm 51:7 = Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 

Psalm 62:1,5 = Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him... Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. 

Proverbs 13:13 = A happy heart makes the face cheerful. 

Isaiah 40:28-31 = Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 51:11-12a = The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting JOY will crown their heads. Gladness and JOY will overtake them, and sorry and sighing will flee away. I, even I, am He who comforts you. 

John 15:2 = He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 

Jude :1 = To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ.

SMILE, SUNSHINE!

My Nickname's Grace! :)

An apology to my readers. While I know I'm not supposed to compare myself to other bloggers, I see all the lovely photos on their blogs and feel I'm not giving you all that lovely experience too, but I am continually mindful of how much photo space I have in my google drive for four blogs, my YouTube channel, and so forth, so I only add photos if they are necessary to illustrate a point.  

If you are here only for the pictures, guess I'm not the blog you should read and look at. I love to write and that's mostly what I do here, is write about the goodness I see in my life. And yes, I do have and my family has had bad things happen to us, but the point of this gratitude blog is to help me keep in mind the good in my life. I know in the past I focused almost solely on the bad and it filled my life. I sometimes wasn't a good person to be around because I had such a poor outlook on life. But I'm thankful for Donna's homework in our Woman's Bible Study, because it was a outlook on life changer! 👼'

A CUP OF COMPASSION: Video A while back my therapist and I talked about self-grace. 

DOODLES: completed 39, have 41 more to go!

ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS - Laura Ingalls Wilder! Read about her here. 

QUOTES:

"If it doesn't work in black and white, color isn't going to fix it." (Deborah Velasquez's art teacher).

"If you have grey hair, then you have wisdom hair and you have the right to sit among the elders of our tribe." (Indian proverb). Reminded me of a verse in the Bible about gray hair. It's found in Proverbs 16:31 = "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness."

" Today is mine. It is unique. Nobody in the world has one exactly like it. It holds the sum of all my past experiences and all my future potential. I can fill it with joyous memories or ruin it with fruitless worry. If painful recollections of the past come into my mind or frightening thoughts of the future, I can put them away. They cannot spoil today for me. It is mine." (Unknown).  

REFLECTIVE ARTICLE: Are You Nice or Are You Kind? There's a Big Difference. By Lizzy Francis

HEIRLOOMS: Click here. 

SCRIPTURES:

1 Chronicles 16:10 = Glory in his holy name; let the hearts 💖 of those who see the Lord rejoice.

Psalm 26:8 = Lord, I love the house 🏡 where you live, the place where your glory dwells.

Psalm 42:8 = By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song 🎝 is with me -- a prayer to the God of my life. 

Isaiah 35:1-2 = The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, ✿ it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. 

Jeremiah 31:12b-13 = They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. then the maidens  💃 will dance and be glad, young men and old as well, I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. 

Colossians 3:12 = Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

VIDEO: Click here. 

FINDING JOY: Video. 

Before I forget, The Hope in the Lord Bible Journaling Conference is going to be October 14-16, 2020. You can sign up here. I already have! 

HOW TO PRESS FLOWERS! Click here. 

CAUTION ON CRAFTS: DO NOT allow children to play with the magnets or put them in their mouths. If swallowed, strong magnets can cause holes in intestines and possible blood poisoning. 

Sonshine Freedom

I try to live by this scripture found in Ephesians 4:26 = 'In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." I've learned to take care of business right away when I'm angry. Anger is not a sin, anger is just an emotion. 

I used to be an anger stuffer. I grew up in a home where I was not allowed to have an opinion, or be angry because I was told it was a sin and I had to forgive others automatically so I would stuff my anger until I exploded in an ugly temper tantrum. I've been in therapy for a while to understand my upbringing and I have had to deal with a lot of unresolved issues. 

I've learned in the process that anger stuffers are those who plot revenge out of their bitterness and simmering rage. They are the ones who show up in schools or in the mall or have riots in the streets because their anger has been stuffed to the boiling point that one more thing stuffed in sets it off. 

I don't want to be an anger stuffer anymore. I'm trying to learn how to manage my anger better, but I haven't gotten to the perfection point yet. I respond best to kindness and respect. 

VIDEO: Click here. 

BIBLE FOOD:

Numbers 11:5 = We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost - also the cucumbers, melons, leeks and onions. 

Deuteronomy 8:8 = a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil, and honey.

2 Samuel 17:28 = Brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils. 

Isaiah 28:25 = When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? 

Ezekiel 4:9 = Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side.

NEW COOKIE PRODUCT: Yum! Husband found a new cookie for me at Walmart! Brand name is Lenny & Larry's Keto Cookie. Ingredients: Grain Free Flour Blend (lupin flour, peanut flour), Erythritol, peanut butter (roasted peanuts) coconut oil, palm fruit oil, chicory root fiber, pea protein, peanuts, sunflower lecithin, vegetable glycerin, natural flavor, xanthan gum, baking soda, gum acacia, stevia extract, and mixed tocopherols. 

Upside: It is fit to eat! One cookie has 1 gram of sugar, 8 grams of protein, and only 90 mg of sodium. And chicory root is caffeine free!  Downside: Only 4 cookies per package. Serving size is 1 cookie at 190 calories. People with peanut and lupin allergies must not eat this! And you should eat one cookie only as you will soon have to quickly say "PLEASE EXCUSE ME!" 

I have been looking at other brands of diet cookies and protein bars and many of them have chocolate as an ingredient which I cannot have because of the caffeine. 

HEIRLOOMS: Click here.

MARSHA BAKER'S 365 DAY DOODLE CHALLENGE: Finished 39. Have 79 more to go! 

MARSHA BAKER'S PRAYER CARDS. I made these for each of my friends. Please pray for our pastor's family as they have COVID at their house and we're back to having virtual church for a while. Our pastor preached a Sunday sermon in his car and in his basement. He sounded a little congested -- here is his YouTube channel.  

PROJECTS: Still working on our house. It's hard for my husband to let go of some stuff, but we're working on our 5th trash bag to take to the thrift store. Pray for him. 

QUOTES & SAYINGS:

Feed your Faith. Think good thoughts. 

Find what gives you joy and go there.

Friendship is the Icing on the Cake of Life.

I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me.

I'd like to be the help that you've been always glad to be;

I'd like to mean as much to you each minute of the day

As you have meant, old friend of mine, to me along the way.

~ (Edgar Guest.)

I'm just going to let myself be happy!

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy: They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." ~ (Marcel Prouse.)

Life is like a teacup, to be filled to the brim and enjoyed with friends.

Pick your battles. Principle or peace?

"There are people who take the heart out of you, and there are people who put it back."  ~ (Elisabeth David)

Unplug the world and plug-in Christ's peace.

SCRIPTURES:

Ruth 3:11 = And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.

Proverbs 4:23 = Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Matthew 7:7 = Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 = Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 = Now may the Lord himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Hebrews 12:2 = Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

James 4:2c - You do not have because you do not ask God.

A Pebble in a Pond

I've been thinking of my circle of influence this month and I liken it to a pebble in a pond. Have you ever thrown a pebble into a body of water and watched the ripples spread out in a circle away from the initial point of contact? I've got friends who I touch in some way. Some are really close and some are less and I appreciate them all. 

I was having a pity party for myself this month. I think I must be rather BORING to you readers cause I have so little feedback and therefore that must be why I have so few subscriptions on my blogs or at YouTube. But then a saying came across my path on Pinterest that must be a God-thing because it reminded me that my sphere of influence may be small, but at least, I'm a member of the circle of friendship with Jesus. It said: 

"The number of 'followers' you have does not make you better than anyone else. Hitler had millions, Jesus had 12." 

Now I'm ashamed of my self-pity, because Jesus began with twelve followers and his sphere of influence of goodness, light and love has widened quite a bit over the centuries. Hitler's "kingdom of death, evil, and fear" lasted just about a decade, thank God.

I found a autobiography that my grandmother had written sometime before her death on a pile that I cleaned up and began typing up for my Ancestry family tree. She became a friend of Jesus under the influence of her minister brother-in-law after he preached a Friday evening service at camp-meeting. Now I understand why she loved camp-meeting. If we were visiting during camp-meeting time, we went unless we were sick. My parents met at camp-meeting too and my other pair of grandparents met at a camp-meeting as well. Both of my grandparents' marriages lasted longer than 50 years for we helped them celebrate. My father suddenly died a few days shy of my parent's 33rd wedding anniversary. I have a lot of good memories of camp-meeting, like making plastic dip flowers with my cousin to donate to sell in the missionary house to help support missionaries like Edna Thimes and my grandmothers' giving us pocket money to purchase something for ourselves at the publishing house table in the back of the tabernacle. I remember purchasing small gifts for my family there, like an oval plastic squeeze coin keeper for my dad or mints to share or a tiny beaded coin purse for myself or a book to read. I went and hoped I got to see friends that I had met at church camp earlier that summer. 

Music Can Boost Your Brain. Dr. Daniel Amen & Barry Goldstein. YouTube. 

A list of my favorite music - here.

THREE PRAISES - I do not have idiopathic macular telangiectasia, type 2, like my 1st sister. She signed up for the Mac Tel Project and they wanted siblings to sign up also. However, I do have pigmentary glaucoma and our other sister has dry eyes from Sjoden Syndrome.

Also, my grandfather's memorial on Findagrave gained a new photo. It came all the way from a thrift store in Virginia. A gal purchased two pen-pal photo albums there that were created by a Naomi Dutrow, of Elkton, VA. in the 1920s and she decided to scan the photos in the albums that had names on them to kindly share them with relatives on the appropriate memorials at Findagrave. I urged her to donate scans of the unknown people to Dead Fred, a genealogical photograph archive. 

And my MIL and SIL were not hurt in a T-bone accident much like ours. Their new van had to be towed away, but they are okay! 😇 PTL! 

SUMMER READING PROGRAM: 

I'm currently reading a book called "Gratitude: Affirming One Another Through Stories" by Len Froyen. It gave me the idea for one of my pages in my journal called HEIRLOOMS. To write a line or two about the heirlooms we've inherited from our relatives. I have created the list here with photos. 

I also ordered two books to read by Patti Page. I knew she sang, but didn't know she was an author as well. The first one is called "Once Upon a Dream: A Personal Chat with All Teenagers." By Patti Page. 1960. and "This is My Song: A Memoir." By Patti Page with Skip Press. 2009. I have a YouTube playlist of Patti's songs here. 

Then I have several books I want to re-read from my home library such as "The Spirit of Loveliness: Bringing Beauty, Creativity, and Order to Your Life." by Emilie Barnes. 1992. 

By the way, how do you like my new Mary Engelbreit cartoons on the side menu? They are FREE from Mary herself! 

39 DOODLES this month = 116 to go. 

Wonderful CARDS from several friends, one being our pastor to my husband and myself and two THANK YOU cards too!

SCRIPTURE:
Documented Faith

Proverbs: 15:1 = A soft (gentle) answer turns away wrath (out-of-control bitter hatred and vindictive rage), but a harsh word stirs up anger (displeasure).

Proverbs 24:3-4 = By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

Proverbs 31:30 = Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Isaiah 46:9-10 = "I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'"

Ephesians 4:26-27 = In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold. 

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 = We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.

PROJECTS: Watch video here. 

We're still working on projects, however, many of the projects we were going to spray paint have been put on hold as we've had many rainy days this month. We've hauled off three bags of stuff to the thrift store so far and I've got a fourth bag begun. 

QUOTES & SAYINGS:

"Home should be an anchor, a port in a storm, a refuge, a happy place in which to dwell, a place where we are loved and where we can love." (~ Marvin J. Ashton).

"Is your home just another place for unmet expectations, to-do lists, and exhaustion? Or is your home a haven, the safest place on earth, a place to come back to, a place to heal, a place to create, a place to risk and simply be? You get to decide." (~ Myquillyn Smith, The Nesting Place.)

Mnemonic device to help me remember which leg goes first walking up and down stairs with my canes: "Good Leg Leads to Heaven (upstairs); Bad Leg Leads down to the other place (downstairs)."  

Our home is just a little house, but God knows where we live.

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade! 

"You don't need what you think you do. (But keep) what makes you feel happy, what feels like home to you." (~ Amanda Burger, owner of a tiny home.)

POSITIVE WORD OF THE MONTH: LOVE

My favorite coloring sheet this month! 

All Lives Matter!

We used to sing a song in church about how Jesus loves the little children - red, and yellow, black and white! He loves all colors of people, not just white, not just black, not just Indian, not just Asian. Not just Jews, not just Gentiles, not just Samaritans. He even loves unborn babies. I believe we will see all races in heaven cause what matters is what's in our heart and whether we believe in Jesus. It is our character that makes a difference in how we live.  Be grateful for the goodness that has come our way because of wise decisions made in the past. 

Yet I understand the need to have a happy home or place decorated with objects that make me happy. I don't like looking at things that remind me of unhappy memories. A friend with a lovely heart told me to give away or pack away objects that do. Perhaps some day I might not think of them in quite the same way and I can restore them to a place in my living space. 

How to Teach Your Child to Give a Genuine Apology By Amanda Morin. With printables to practice "I" statements!

There are a couple of new videos in the Gratitude Tools and Words of Gratitude playlist! 

I've been spring cleaning! Took three bags off of STUFF to the thrift store! We've also been painting and repairing and rearranging. Decided the Farmhouse style of Home Decorating was something I really liked (favorite colors: black, white, & grey with pops of red and turquoise) after watching some YouTube videos of those who like to decorate their homes in that style. I have a couple of pages of Polaroid Zink photos in my positivity journal of completed projects. Check out the video here! 

I have a problem with exercise boredom, but I've been trying to remember that my armchair bike works as a water pill - to get the fluids moving out of my legs, so I've done a little better this month with cycling when watching videos. I should do it 20 to 30 minutes everyday, so I'm gonna keep plugging away at it until I get that habit in place! 

Pastor occasionally hands out reminder postcards and I glued one into my journal. Good reminder for the Golden Rule!

Finished 37 doodles for Marsha Baker's 365 Doodle Challenge! I have 155 more to go! 

SCRIPTURES:

Documented Faith

Psalm 7:10, 17 = "My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. 

Psalm 139:23-24 = Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

Ephesians 2:8-9 = For it is by GRACE you have been saved through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast.

QUOTES: 

"Focus on positive emotions and responses as much as possible such as hopefulness and humor, rather than on negative ones such as fear, anger, frustration, blame  and disappointment. At the same time, allow yourself to be where you are in the experience, but push towards the positive as soon as possible. Make the most of the visual world through art, color, nature, or whatever you enjoy looking at. Be kind to yourself." (~ Pete Kellett).

"You are a powerful and strong daughter of Christ." (~ Julie Luca). 

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive." (~ Sir. Walter Scott, Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field. 1808.)

"Garden Hearts." 

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Kind hearts are the gardens.

Kind thoughts are the roots.

Kind words are the flowers.

Take care of the gardens, and 

Keep them from weeds.

Fill them with flowers, 

Kind Words and kind Deeds.

Anniversaries: Wrote down a list of anniversaries, centennials and bicentennials we have celebrated during our lifetimes.

1. Our birthday and wedding anniversaries

2. Both my grandparents' and in-laws' 50th wedding anniversaries. My grandparents had parties and my in-laws' took at trip to El Paso, TX to see how it has changed in the last 50 years. Our family was invited to go along as my husband was born in the Army Hospital there which we discovered no longer exists. 

3. 1976 = The United States of America's Bicentennial 

4. We attended three church 50th anniversaries - First Church of God, Wyandotte County, KS; Metropolitan Church of the Nazarene, Wyandotte County, KS; and Grandview Church of the Nazarene, Jackson County, MO.

5. I attended the Church of God (Anderson, IN) Centennial with my paternal grandmother in 1981. I drove my grandmother from her home to Wichita, KS where we stayed with my aunt and uncle one night. Then they took us to the airport where we caught an airplane to Bethany, OK. Oh the marvels of air travel - what would have taken us several hours to drive from grandma's home took us only 1/2 hour of travel time via the skies! Once in Oklahoma, we were added to a church group traveling by bus to Anderson, IN. After the conclusion of the Centennial celebration, we caught a train to Detroit, MI to visit my other aunt and uncle and then rode home with me via train where Grandma stopped for the night to visit with us and then rode on home to western Kansas where my cousin picked her up from the train station to drive her home. Wonderful memories!  One of the highlights was visiting the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI with grandma, my aunt, uncle and cousins. 

6. The Nazarene's Centennial was in 2008.  

And I was sent the below prayer in an email. Reminded me of a coloring sheet I created a while back. Here's a link to a freebie coloring sheet. One with Smilin' Sam and Sunbonnet Sue in it. - click here. 

OLD FARMER'S PRAYER

A pastor asked an older farmer, decked out in bib overalls, to say grace for the morning breakfast.

"Lord, I hate buttermilk", the farmer began. The visiting pastor opened one eye to glance at the farmer and wonder where this was going.

The farmer loudly proclaimed, "Lord, I hate lard." Now the pastor was growing concerned.

Without missing a beat, the farmer continued, "And Lord, you know I don't much care for raw white flour". The pastor once again opened an eye to glance around the room and saw that he wasn't the only one to feel uncomfortable.

Then the farmer added, "But Lord, when you mix them all together and bake them, I do love warm fresh biscuits. So Lord, when things come up that we don't like, when life gets hard, when we don't understand what you're saying to us, help us to just relax and wait until you are done mixing. It will probably be even better than biscuits. Amen."

Within that prayer there is great wisdom for all when it comes to complicated situations like we are experiencing in the world today. 

Stay strong, my friends, because our LORD is mixing several things that we don't really care for, but something even better is going to come when He is done with it. AMEN!

PROJECT PICTURES! 
I have so many pictures of the projects that we have completed this month that I had to add in another sheet to my journal. 

1. I repainted a bee plant poke, a shelf over my kitchen sink, and a candlestick table.  
2. David repainted a huge metal star that I found at the thrift store and metal soap dish black and hung them up outside for us on the house. 
3. He spray-painted a metal hook bracket black for our kitchen. I want to hang it on the wall next to the stove for some utensils or pots. 
4. And he also spray-painted two metal containers white. One I'm using in the bathroom for cotton balls and swabs and the other is in my bedroom to hold personal products.
5. I began to patch holes outside our shower, repainted the footboard white and my husband screwed the shower ceiling panel back up as the glue was beginning to come loose from gravity, age and moisture. 
6. I found some baskets to organize our personal bathroom products, my nightstand drawer, and a kitchen junk drawer. 

7. I sewed up a dress from 5-t-shirts, stitched an apron, and some tissue cozies for Stephanie Ackerman's bless you project. 
8. How do you like this blog's new look? If you like the new background, please click the like button at the bottom of this blog post! One of my projects this month! 😉

A PERSONAL SUMMER READING PROGRAM = Got one book read so far, but want to fill these two pages by the end of the summer with positive reading books. I own a wealth of books in our home library, some of which I have never read. The book below is the first I've read. 

1. Thank You. Illustrated by Mary Engelbreit. 1993. 

My prayer: I was anointed a couple of Sundays ago for emotional healing. I want to be a happy, beautiful soul. smile! 

Today Is Going to Be A GOOD Day!

I've enjoyed listening to more music this month.

Nat King Cole - Smile. YouTube. 

Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive. YouTube. 

A cousin's great aunt was Patti Page and I've compiled a playlist on YouTube of some of her music. YouTube. 

DOODLES: I'm continuing with Marsha Baker's 365 Day Challenge - Total this month: 35

PRAYING HANDS: Free coloring sheet here. 

SCRIPTURE:

Documented Faith

Isaiah 61:3 = and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a  crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord from the display of  his splendor. 

Luke 6:22-23 = Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. 

Romans 12:2 = Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 

2 Corinthians 10:4-5, 8 = The weapons we fight with have divine power to demolish strongholds. We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. . . building you up, rather than pulling you down. 

Philippians 4:8-9 = Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. 

QUOTES: 

"Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder." (E.B. White)

"Anger is a seed for war. Forgiveness is a seed for peace." (Eva Mozes Kor, 1934-2019. She survived the Holocaust and Hitler's hate against the Jews.) 

"Don't believe everything you think. Is it true? If not, discard it or turn it around." ANT (automatic negative thinking). (Dr. Daniel Amen).

"If you lose the argument with the voices in your head, then that's when you know you are in trouble." (Dyan Reaveley). 😊

"It is easier to keep flies out of your pantry in the summer than to keep Satan's servants from stealing your joy and infecting your peace." (William Gurnall).

Never question who God removes from your life. He heard the conversations when you weren't around. 

Talk is cheap. The best apology is changed behavior. 

WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY THROUGH MY 5 SENSES?

1. Smell - honeysuckle in bloom; jasmine in bloom; lilacs in bloom; locust trees in bloom; vanilla

2. Sound -- I miss Lily's barking at the front door when the guys got home from work; my honey saying "I Love You;" Celtic, gospel, & swing music; Patti Page's music; my guy's sense of humor

3. Taste - caramel; chai tea; cherry; cheesecake; gingersnaps; grape; honey; ice cream; mint; oatmeal & raisin cookies; pudding; strawberries; 

4. Touch - soft cotton jersey fabric, loving caresses like sign for "I Love You." Sunshine on my face; soft doggie fur.

5. Visual - flowers (the sunflower is my favorite); my favorite colors (black/white/turquoise/red/peach/pink/lime green/grey/blue); storybook cottages like those found in Mary Engelbreit cards and books; lace; black & white checks, stripes & dots. 

TUNNEL CARD: Made with Mary Engelbreit's and Dylusions Mushroom Rubber Stamps  And the back is stenciled.

MEDITERRANEAN DIET:

When Doc put me on the Mediterranean Diet,  the hubs threw a fit. He said he wasn't going to eat chick-peas. However, I got him to calm down by telling him that we can still eat pizza and that we've already have tried several Mediterranean restaurants such as Nabil's on our very first date. smile! I told him to make a list of Mediterranean restaurants in the Greater Kansas City area and lets try them all at least once.

So here's my list of restaurants we've eaten at so far (before diet/after diet suggestion):

1. Carrabbas Italian Grill. We ate here last year for our son's birthday. 

2. Casey's Pizza

3.  Caspian Bistro, Overland Park, KS. (closed; husband and I celebrated our anniversary with friends there.)

4. CiCi's Pizza 

5. Domino's Pizza

6. Frank Nitti's Pizza, Kansas City, MO. (begun by actor: Bruce Gordon; closed)

7. Godfather's Pizza

8. Jerusalem Cafe

9. La Bodega (Spanish)

10. Little Caesar's Pizza

11. The Mad Greek, Lawrence, KS. 

12. Marble Top Restaurant

13. Minsky's Pizza

14. Mr. Gyro's 

15. Nabil's Mediterranean Cuisine, Kansas City, MO. (our very first date)

16. Olive Garden

17. Papa John's Pizza

18. Papa Murphy's Pizza

19. Pizza Hut

20. Pizza Street

And I don't eat sugar, so rejoice with me! My recent A1C blood work came back at 4.9. Doc said I definitely don't have diabetes! Yay! So, since I'm not eating or drinking caffeine either, I've been looking into Mediterranean herbs and discovered that thyme, hyssop and balm are in the mint family and since I like peppermint herbal tea, my hubbin ordered me a couple of boxes of the thyme and hyssop teas. They came with medical warnings on the back, so I took a couple of packets with me to my last doctor's visit and he checked them out with the school of pharmacy staff on campus and they okayed the thyme and hyssop teas in moderation -- no interaction with any of my medications, however, people who are on metformin should NOT drink balm as it can raise blood sugars. I take metformin for PCOS. 

I found a couple of websites/YouTube channels that may be helpful for the Mediterranean Diet.

1. Dimitra's Dishes. YouTube. 

2. From the Grapevine

3. Mediterranean Living

EVENTS: (I'm to share the good times in my life!)

I have been out a couple of times since lockdown began. Went to the doctors and went to help my mother-in-law celebrate a birthday. 

Love the blooming flowers in our garden -- dollar plants, red, white, and pink peonies, and spiderwort. 

A new book is being researched by Dr. Melisa O. Berry, a theology professor from the Northwest Christian University. Included in the book will be a story about Bertha (Wilson) Lillenas. Read part of her story here! 

My husband was so sweet to me this month -- I'm celebrating 🎈 that he remembered all of these occasions with a card -  Mother's Day, his mother's birthday and our anniversary! Yay!

I'm continuing to draw coloring sheets each week and am so thankful that my pastor agreed to print them out and distribute them to our congregation via snail and e-mail. One of my favorites this month was Sunbonnet Sue and Smilin' Sam paper dolls along with this verse: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are WALKING in the truth. ~ 3 John 4. I also added a list of schools I attended either as a student or as a homeschool educator. 😁

My armchair bike tracker. Did better this month than last. Been fiddling with the playlist on YouTube. 

I added a new video to the Gratitude Tools Playlist. See side menu below. 

Friends come and Friends Go - Listen to Podcast - "A Reason, A Season, A Lifetime." Be thankful they were part of your life! 

YouTube Video!