Day 2 - Monday Ministry...

Welcome to the second day of The First 25 Days of 2012.  It's Monday, so I'm going to share a minisrty with you...my church - Open Door Baptist Church. The website has all the essential details, like the times we meet, where we are located, our doctrinal statement, sermons to listen to, and other things like that. So, since that it is already covered, I'm going to share some of the things that make a church more personal.

I started attending this small country church in 2002...Chad started attending with me in 2003 and we were married here on a beautiful July afternoon in 2004. We love our church! It is a big part of our lives and we try to do whatever we can to help out to further the ministries of the church.

The church has many yearly functions that are looked forward to and are enjoyed by our great church family. A Valentine's banquet, summer picnics, VBS, junior and teen camp with Commonground Baptist Ministries (which will be covered later this month), a harvest party, our church Christmas party, and the New Year's Eve game night are just some of the awesome things we do at church.

The church is also home to Open Door Baptist Academy, a K - 12, ACE school. There are 13 students enrolled this year. I am able to volunteer my time once a week to help the kids with the questions they have on their work and to enrich their lives. As Amber gets a little older..and less distracting :) I hope to resume helping two days a week. Lizzy will be attending school here for Kindergarden this fall, I can't beleive she's getting so big!

I love that my girls can grow-up with freinds that they can attend church and school with. The people at our church are wonderful!

Come see for yourself :) The church also has a Facebook page. Stop by sometime, either in person or virtually, and see what's happening...we'd love to have you!

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot:

I would thou wert cold or hot.

Revelation 3:15

As we serve in our church we need to remember that is a service to the LORD. We need to remain on fire for God...or do nothing at all. To quote from a 'classic' movie...Marila tells Anne "God does not want a fair weather friend." He wants our total affection, all the time... which He deserves for giving us the greatest gift...salvation.

Serve fervently...
Amanda

Welcome 2012...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Welcome to the New Year and our celebration of it with The First 25 Days of 2012!

For the next 25 days I am going to try to post everyday... I'll be showing some of my projects from Christmas, I have a few tutorials to share, rejoice with some favorite songs, spotlighting some ministries, and dive into great recipes. The ending to this extravaganza will be a giveaway...my very first for on my Birthday.

Question...should I open the giveaway on my birthday and pick the winner a few days later, or should I open the giveaway earlier and announce the winner on the last day of The First 25 Days of 2012?

I'm so glad that you have decided to join me. Here is a quick overview schedule of what will be happening each day...

Sunday's - Singing Sunday...rejoicing with a favorite song. [Not including today :)]

Monday's - Ministry Monday...spotlighting a ministry I have interest in.

Tuesday's - Tasty Tuesday...giving out a few of my favorite recipes.

Wednesday's - Working Wednesday...continuing Works-in-Progress posts with Lee at Freshly Pieced.

Thursday's - Teaching Thursday...posting a tutorial.

Friday's -  Fabulous Friday...sharing some different items that catch my attention.

Saturday's - Show, Show Saturday...showing off the different things made for Christmas gifts.

I hope you enjoy the celebration and check back everyday!

Today, I'll show the chair that Chad made for Amber. She didn't get it till New Year's Eve because the stain wasn't drying well...but she really seemed to like what Daddy made her!

This sweet chair was made from our first piano. The pins were going in it, so when Chad bought me a different piano, we scraped the old one. We saved some of the wood, which is now this chair and the 'cutting board' looking top on the wire shelf unit in my sewing area. I love how it turned out!

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts;

and be ready always to give an answer

to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope

that is in you with meekness and fear:

1 Peter 3:15

May the New Year bring us to the point of always praising God and sharing with others what God is doing for us. He is the hope we have to make it through another day, another week, another month... another year! Our faith in Him to guide us and carry us is what we need to share with others that seem to have no hope...they too can find it in Christ!

May you have a Happy New Year!

Amanda

Gearing Up...

A new year is almost upon us and I'm getting ready for it by just going with the flow today! Whatever I get done, I get done!

I finished up my very tall mountain of laundry yesterday...it had been piling up while I was sewing for Christmas. I haven't sewn anything all week...even the fact that on Monday we had to take my machine to the LQS for servicing doesn't mean a whole lot when they had it fixed on Tuesday! Chad went and picked it up for me that night. What I can't believe is that I haven't turned it on to see how it's running...YIKES! Hopefully a little later today :)

I have been working on my entry for the Blogger's Fat Quarter Bundle Contest over at Quokka Quilts...it just seemed like a fun project to 'veg-out' on just after the busy holiday season.

So here's my choices...

It took me a couple of days, but I really like it. I'm not sure why these colors...except maybe I've noticed that I lean more to the greens, burgandy, and tan colors -- time to branch out! (OK, OK, so it's not that much of a stretch...baby steps!)

Not only that, they are also similar to the colors I do have for making new curtains for the living room....which hasn't been done even though I bought the material this past Spring. The funny thing is, this morning I asked Liz what I should sew today and her very cute 3 year old answer..."Oh, maybe a curtain." I just laughed, it was just so cute, especially when I've never mentioned to her about sewing curtains :)
 

Today, I'm also working on The First 25 Days of 2012. The schedule is coming along and I may even start writing up a couple of the posts. It is still a little tough to comprehend writing a post for everyday...but I think it can be done :)

Sunday, January 1, 2012 will be a Welcome and intro schedule to get you excited for the things to come during the first 25 days of the New Year! There is a little bit of everything...at least that interests me... sewing/crafts, music, food, and ministry :)
Hope to see you there!


Getting back into the swing of things by joining some of the linky parties on my right side bar...don't forget to join the fun!

Blessed is the man that heareth me,

watching daily at my gates,

waiting at the posts of my doors.

For whoso findeth me findeth life,

and shall obtain favour of the LORD.

Proverbs 8:34-35

As the New Year begins, I pray that the wisdom that comes from listening to the LORD will fill my life and be shown. At times I know I lack control of my emotions and I pray the LORD will help me. I've always loved the sentiment in the Serenity prayer...

God grant me the

Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

and the Wisdom to know the difference.



May we all ask God for the wisdom we need as we go through our lives...especially as we begin a new year!

Seeking God's wisdom...

Amanda

Merry Christmas!

May your day be joyful as we celebrate the birth of the Savior,
Jesus Christ the Lord!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given;

 and the government shall be upon his shoulder:

and his name shall be called

Wonderful,

Counsellor,

The mighty God,

The everlasting Father,

The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6



Amanda

Last Night's Accomplishments...

The productive evening I had envisioned was a dream...but my Friday Night Sew-In was still successful!

I did get the backing done for Liz's Sashed Postage Stamp Quilt yesterday, late afternoon. From there I took a break...for dinner and stuff...then worked on a mug rug. I was actually hoping to get all three that I need made, but only one was accomplished!

It's a really cute one...but I had a few issues that slowed me down.

The idea for this came from a google search for mug rugs. There was no directions...so I just did my own thing (which is nothing new) from looking at the picture here. This one is 8" x 8" on the straight sides.

My issue came when I wanted to add the solid aqua to the fanned printed material section. After finagling and cutting two different aqua pieces,  I finally improvised...and it turned out rather well.

I wanted to try some curved pieces to find out if I wanted/needed to take Rachel H.'s (Stitched in Color) Curves class come the new year. I think that I might be taking the class :)  Chad even asked if there was a ruler I needed to do this and if that's what I want for Christmas...so I think I'm getting a Retro Flowers/Drunkards Path Template!  He really is great about my sewing...

I also have another ruler on my list to my in-laws that can be used to make circles...I think the new year will be full of curves!
After the mug rug, I moved on to basting Liz's Sashed Postage Stamp Quilt.

I also decided on how to quilt it...I'm going to make a template from this flower, and put them on each square.

Today, I think I may work on the other mug rugs and start tracing flowers onto the quilt.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you;

that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things,

may abound to every good work:

2 Corinthians 9:8

God will make sure we have what we need...especially to do that things He wants us to do.

Amanda

Sewing Through The Week...

I have been sewing quite a bit this week...yet there is still so much to be done! My list seems to grow faster than I can get things made :)

I was able to get Liz's Sashed Postage Stamp Quilt top done. The back is mostly peiced. Tonight is FNSI...so I may get the back done, baste it, and start quilting. However, I'm also leaning towards starting on some of the other things on my list. If you come back tomorrow, you'll find out what I decided to do!

For now though, I'll give you a glimpes of Liz's quilt top...

 

and among my other finishes...

a quick journal for a birthday present

and 3 aprons for the Christmas play at church...but I think I'll show those later :)

So, a few finished to keep me going and to share on crazymomquilts' finish it up Friday linky party...along with a few of the other parties on my right side bar.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,

neither have entered into the heart of man,

the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1 Corinthians 2:9

When we love God, we are going to being willing to serve Him and follow His commandments...and with that we have no comprehention, in ourselves, the great things God has waiting for us. Even through the hard times and rough patches, God is faithful and has our best path laid out for us...we just have to follow it and trust the outcome to God. Remember, He sees the whole picture...we only see one pixal at a time :)

Keep trusting...

Amanda

The Lost Month...

That is probably what most of December will be here on the blog. However, I already have a plan to redeem myself...The First 25 Days of 2012!

So, as the last month of 2011 hurries by with crafting, shopping, decorating, and celebrating through the season...plans are formulating for the New Year!

The thoughts in my head include
   ~ a post everyday ;0...
   ~ a couple of tutorials...
   ~ and maybe a giveaway at the end...

But I have a month to get all my Christmas presents made and my ideas together before it starts...I think this will be a very busy December, but fun!

This actually started because of Chad...I told him that I thought about trying to write a post a day till Chirstmas, but I didn't know how well that would work. Also, I didn't know how to show the things I'm working on without showing Christmas presents to some of the reciepents. Chad suggested just showing them after Christmas...I told him that was an idea, I could start it on the 1st of January...and it could be a countdown to my birthday :)

Looking forward to an exciting New Year...but I'll try not to forget to post between now and then :)

I'm almost done with Liz's quilt top, so I'll definitely be showing that soon...

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are My ways higher than your ways,

and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:9

It is always good to have plans, goals, and ambitions...but we need to remember that the Lord has plans for us, better plans than we might have for ourselves. We need to seek Him in our plans to make sure we are doing what He wants us to do...and be able to change the plans we've made to do what God wants from us!

Looking ahead...
Amanda