The reading for this morning came from Philippians 4:14-19
When someone talks about giving people generally think about money, but it's much more than that. We can give our time, talents, intellect, etc.
Happiness is based on giving generously. The bible is a book about giving. Giving is mentioned more that any other subject in the Bible.
The book of Philippians is a thank you letter from Paul. Paul tells them that , because of their generous gift, God would take care of their needs.
A sacrificial giver is a beautiful person. When you to someone it's the same as giving to Christ (see Matthew 25:40).
You can't claim the promise (v19) without meeting the premise (v16-18).
God doesn't promise to supply our wants, only our needs.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
The Week That Was 29-10-2011
What a busy week this has been. I've been to the gym 3 morning this week and once to the pool for aqua-aerobics. We also had a couple of visits to the chiro, but the busiest day of all was yesterday.
Yesterday morning we went to Crochet and Knit class as normal, then Sue went to the Drs because of pain in her hip and nausea. The Doc thinks the pain in her hip was actually due to a problem in her back, but that's an ongoing problem. Yesterday afternoon Sue had an appointment with the physio and then we headed over to the show grounds to spend some time looking after the craft hall. We were there to make sure no one touched anything they weren't supposed to touch. It was a long day but we got plenty of knitting and crochet done.
Today I went back to the show grounds to spend more time in the craft hall crocheting and chatting. Sue didn't come today as she was still having trouble with her hip. It was a very productive day.
Of course, while I was at the show I had a good look around at all the craft item on display. One of my 2 entries managed second place in its category, so I was quite pleased. I have big plans for next year and only hope I can get at least half of the items I have planned finished in time.
That's it for this week.
Richard.
Yesterday morning we went to Crochet and Knit class as normal, then Sue went to the Drs because of pain in her hip and nausea. The Doc thinks the pain in her hip was actually due to a problem in her back, but that's an ongoing problem. Yesterday afternoon Sue had an appointment with the physio and then we headed over to the show grounds to spend some time looking after the craft hall. We were there to make sure no one touched anything they weren't supposed to touch. It was a long day but we got plenty of knitting and crochet done.
Today I went back to the show grounds to spend more time in the craft hall crocheting and chatting. Sue didn't come today as she was still having trouble with her hip. It was a very productive day.
Of course, while I was at the show I had a good look around at all the craft item on display. One of my 2 entries managed second place in its category, so I was quite pleased. I have big plans for next year and only hope I can get at least half of the items I have planned finished in time.
That's it for this week.
Richard.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Nothing to see here, move along.
Friday has arrived and sees me with no finished objects. I tried to get the angel finished for today but it just didn't happen. I think I got a little over exuberant with the fabric stiffener and the skirt of the angel got stuck to the polystyrene cone that it was sitting on. I did eventually get it unstuck, but with everything that I had happening today (more about that tomorrow), I just ran out of time. This was my first attempt at stiffening a crocheted item and I think I learned a bit about the process in the doing so I'm sure I'll do better with the bells, when I get around to doing them.
If I can get the Tunisian Crochet Mitred Square blanket blocked before next Friday, I should have at least 2 FOs for next week. In the mean time, check out Tami's Amis, I'm sure you'll find something to look at there.
Richard.
If I can get the Tunisian Crochet Mitred Square blanket blocked before next Friday, I should have at least 2 FOs for next week. In the mean time, check out Tami's Amis, I'm sure you'll find something to look at there.
Richard.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
WIP Wednesday 26-10-2011
Well, today is the day that I took my entries for the show down to the showground for judging. I'll find out on Friday how they went. In the meantime, I've been quite busy and have made progress on all of my major projects, so here are all the photos.
I thought I had run out of yarn for the border of the Tunisian Crochet Mitred Square Blanket but I managed to find the second ball that I was sure I had bought.
I should be able to finish the crocheting this week but I doubt if it will be ready for its final photo by Friday.
The crochenit cot blanket is actually starting to look a bit like a blanket.
The front of my hoodie is growing.
The scarf is still growing.
At this rate it should be ready for next winter.
The Toddler's Jacket hasn't seen a lot of growth but should see a bit more once the blanket is finished.
Even the tartan rug is growing.
It's actually folded in half because that's the only way I can get it all into shot. I may have to put this one aside for a while because it's starting to get too warm to continue working on it.
I'm still trying to find some inspiration so that I can design next year's show entries. I just feel more like playing games than doing anything that might be related to something called "work".
I'm hoping to get the angel stiffened tomorrow so that I can glue it together on Friday. If all goes to plan, I should have the final photo for FO Friday.
Anyhow, check out Tami's Amis for more WIP Wednesday goodness.
Richard.
I thought I had run out of yarn for the border of the Tunisian Crochet Mitred Square Blanket but I managed to find the second ball that I was sure I had bought.
 |
| Tunisian Crochet Mitred Square Blanket |
The crochenit cot blanket is actually starting to look a bit like a blanket.
 |
| Crochenit Cot Blanket |
 |
| Front of Hoodie (pattern is Dawg by Drew Emborski) |
 |
| Knitted Scarf |
The Toddler's Jacket hasn't seen a lot of growth but should see a bit more once the blanket is finished.
 |
| Toddler's Jacket (pattern by Ellen Gormley) |
 |
| Rose Dress Tartan Rug |
I'm still trying to find some inspiration so that I can design next year's show entries. I just feel more like playing games than doing anything that might be related to something called "work".
I'm hoping to get the angel stiffened tomorrow so that I can glue it together on Friday. If all goes to plan, I should have the final photo for FO Friday.
Anyhow, check out Tami's Amis for more WIP Wednesday goodness.
Richard.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Planned Giving: Commitment
Our reading this morning came from Malachi, with the main focus being on Malachi 1:8
Malachi was commissioned with one purpose in mind, to re-establish the standards of excellence amongst God's people.
Are you giving your best? Doesn't God deserve our best instead of leftovers?
God gave us His best whe He gave us His son. We need to give our best back to God. We need to put aside time for God, not just think about Him when we have some to spare. We need to aside some of our talents and money for God not just give Him what we have left when everything else is done or paid for.
We need to do this because God requires our best and because the love of Christ empowers us. We need to do this so that, when we stand before Him we will hear the words "Well done, good and faithful servant".
Malachi was commissioned with one purpose in mind, to re-establish the standards of excellence amongst God's people.
Are you giving your best? Doesn't God deserve our best instead of leftovers?
God gave us His best whe He gave us His son. We need to give our best back to God. We need to put aside time for God, not just think about Him when we have some to spare. We need to aside some of our talents and money for God not just give Him what we have left when everything else is done or paid for.
We need to do this because God requires our best and because the love of Christ empowers us. We need to do this so that, when we stand before Him we will hear the words "Well done, good and faithful servant".
Saturday, October 22, 2011
The Week That Was 22-10-2011
Another busy week has come to an end. Most of the week was the usual routine of gym, pool and crochet class and even today wasn't particularly special with our monthly trip to Benalla markets but you can see from my WIP Wednesday and FO Friday posts that I have been quite busy.
Today's market wasn't looking real good for a while there. By 11:00 (more than 3 hours after we had finished setting up) all I had been paid was compliments. Now compliments are all very nice and they can make me feel real good about the work I'm doing, but they don't pay the bills. We did get a few sales with our first sale around 11:00 and another 2 sales in the next couple of hours put us over our break even amount so we can say it was a good day. I think I may need to check my Madeit store to make sure I'm not trying to sell something that's already sold.
While at the market I ran into a small problem, I ran out of the yarn that I was using for the border of my Tunisian Crochet Mitred Square Blanket and now I have to decide what to do about it. I don't think there is much choice as I don't think the yarn is available anywhere. It was a ball I picked up at one of those $2 shops so I suspect it was an end of line run. This means that my only other option is to undo as far as I can and change to another colour. It may look a little odd with half the border done in one colour and the other half done in another but I don't see that I have much choice.
I also got out my entries for this weeks Albury Show today. One of them needed a bit of fixing as a couple of ends were sticking out. Now all I need to do is attach the tickets to them and deliver them to the show grounds. I'm still trying to commit a few design to paper for next years show and having a little trouble with getting motivated. I really need to finish off some other projects before I get started on new ones.
That's it for this week. God bless you all richly in the week to come.
Richard.
Today's market wasn't looking real good for a while there. By 11:00 (more than 3 hours after we had finished setting up) all I had been paid was compliments. Now compliments are all very nice and they can make me feel real good about the work I'm doing, but they don't pay the bills. We did get a few sales with our first sale around 11:00 and another 2 sales in the next couple of hours put us over our break even amount so we can say it was a good day. I think I may need to check my Madeit store to make sure I'm not trying to sell something that's already sold.
While at the market I ran into a small problem, I ran out of the yarn that I was using for the border of my Tunisian Crochet Mitred Square Blanket and now I have to decide what to do about it. I don't think there is much choice as I don't think the yarn is available anywhere. It was a ball I picked up at one of those $2 shops so I suspect it was an end of line run. This means that my only other option is to undo as far as I can and change to another colour. It may look a little odd with half the border done in one colour and the other half done in another but I don't see that I have much choice.
I also got out my entries for this weeks Albury Show today. One of them needed a bit of fixing as a couple of ends were sticking out. Now all I need to do is attach the tickets to them and deliver them to the show grounds. I'm still trying to commit a few design to paper for next years show and having a little trouble with getting motivated. I really need to finish off some other projects before I get started on new ones.
That's it for this week. God bless you all richly in the week to come.
Richard.
Friday, October 21, 2011
FO Friday 21-10-2011
I know I said on Wednesday that I wouldn't have anything finished for today but I kinda cheated just so I could have something to show. I took a Christmas Tree that I showed earlier and decorated it.
I used some shiny beads, some fluffy balls, some sequins and some red and rainbow Flurry. I'm thinking of entering this in a Christmas Tree show that one of the local churches runs.
Checkout Tami's Amis for more FO Friday goodness.
Richard.
I used some shiny beads, some fluffy balls, some sequins and some red and rainbow Flurry. I'm thinking of entering this in a Christmas Tree show that one of the local churches runs.
Checkout Tami's Amis for more FO Friday goodness.
Richard.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
WIP Wednesday 19-10-2011
So much for posting every day for a month. I missed Monday because it was too late by the time I got around to the blog after all my other reading and yesterday I just couldn't be bothered trying to come up with something to write and since I had already missed one day it didn't seem to matter that much if I were to miss another. There was no way that I was going to miss WIP Wednesday though, I have so much progress to show you.
I have added another 2 squares to the Tunisian Crochet Mitred Square Blanket.
Added a few more rows to the Crochenit Cot Blanket.
Added a few more rows to the front of my hoodie.
Made another bell that still needs to be stiffened.
Made all the pieces of an angel.
It also needs to be stiffened as well as glued together.
And I even added a few more rows to a tartan rug.
At this stage I don't expect to have anything finished for Friday so don't be surprised if you don't hear from me until Saturday.
For more WIP Wednesday goodness, checkout Tami's Amis.
Richard.
I have added another 2 squares to the Tunisian Crochet Mitred Square Blanket.
 |
| Tunisian Crochet Mitred Square Blanket |
 |
| Crochetnit Cot Blanket |
 |
| Front of Hoodie |
 |
| Christmas Bell # 3 |
 |
| Angel in 3 pieces |
And I even added a few more rows to a tartan rug.
 |
| Rose Clan Dress Tartan Rug |
For more WIP Wednesday goodness, checkout Tami's Amis.
Richard.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Commitment and Soul Surfer
This morning's sermon was a follow up to a couple of messages from THQ To do with being Marked by Prayer and Marked by Holiness and was to do with commitment. It was only a short message so my notes are quite brief.
People that are marked by prayer and holiness want to bring people to Jesus, to live lives that make people ask "why?".
If you are wondering about the "Soul Surfer" part of this weeks title, that just happens to be the name of the movie that we watched this evening. The Corps decided to show it as a fund raiser for "Gifts that keep on giving".
This was a great movie about a young girl that lost an arm to a shark while surfing. I can highly recommend thins movie to anyone. It's not about the surfing, it's about how we carry on after a tragedy. I will admit that during this movie I was kinda stunned when the attack happened even though I knew it was coming, I cried, I laughed and I almost cheered when she caught a big wave.
God bless you all richly this week.
Richard.
People that are marked by prayer and holiness want to bring people to Jesus, to live lives that make people ask "why?".
If you are wondering about the "Soul Surfer" part of this weeks title, that just happens to be the name of the movie that we watched this evening. The Corps decided to show it as a fund raiser for "Gifts that keep on giving".
This was a great movie about a young girl that lost an arm to a shark while surfing. I can highly recommend thins movie to anyone. It's not about the surfing, it's about how we carry on after a tragedy. I will admit that during this movie I was kinda stunned when the attack happened even though I knew it was coming, I cried, I laughed and I almost cheered when she caught a big wave.
God bless you all richly this week.
Richard.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
The Week That Was 15-10-2011
We have had a very busy week here. Early in the week Sue was getting a bit panicky about her brother and his wife coming down from Dubbo to do a bit of sight seeing on their way to Tasmania and wanted the house to be clean and tidy for their visit. It only seems to happen when we have an inspection imminent or possible visits from friends or family.
Thursday we took time out to go for a drive so that we could show them around the area. It seems that it was too big a day for Sue as she has struggled a bit since then and was sick this morning.
Last night we went and supported a trivia night organised by the Rotary club. Since we belong to one of the organisations that they assist we thought it was the right thing to support them. Our team came 8th. We enjoyed ourselves though, and we didn't really want to win anyway as the prize included bottles of wine and we don't drink. It might have been nice to actually be able to say that we beat one of the other teams but, since there were only 8 teams there, we can't. Ah well, better luck next time.
This morning I had another market, this time at Thurgoona, which is only 15 minutes away instead of the 45 minutes or more that it takes to get to the others. I didn't sell much but what I did sell was enough to cover cost for the day. I did get a lot of compliments, but they don't pay the bills.
That's it for this week. I'm looking forward to another busy week next week as I try and get a few more Christmas items finished as well as getting to the gym and other activities.
Richard.
Thursday we took time out to go for a drive so that we could show them around the area. It seems that it was too big a day for Sue as she has struggled a bit since then and was sick this morning.
Last night we went and supported a trivia night organised by the Rotary club. Since we belong to one of the organisations that they assist we thought it was the right thing to support them. Our team came 8th. We enjoyed ourselves though, and we didn't really want to win anyway as the prize included bottles of wine and we don't drink. It might have been nice to actually be able to say that we beat one of the other teams but, since there were only 8 teams there, we can't. Ah well, better luck next time.
This morning I had another market, this time at Thurgoona, which is only 15 minutes away instead of the 45 minutes or more that it takes to get to the others. I didn't sell much but what I did sell was enough to cover cost for the day. I did get a lot of compliments, but they don't pay the bills.
That's it for this week. I'm looking forward to another busy week next week as I try and get a few more Christmas items finished as well as getting to the gym and other activities.
Richard.
Friday, October 14, 2011
FO Friday 14-10-2011
Another Friday has come and I have 2 items to show off today.
While at Myrtleford Flea Market last Saturday a young girl was admiring Tommy Turtle but wasn't real happy when I told her the price. It seems she collects turtle so I offered to make her a small one and have it for her next month. It only took a couple of days to make.
The other item finished this week is another tree.
I'm not sure why the colours on this one came out so wrong while the colours on the turtle were so good. Both photos were taken in about the same place, at about the same angle and within 10 minutes of each other so the lighting shouldn't have changed that much. One day I'll figure this out.
For more FO Friday goodness, check out Tami's Amis.
Richard.
While at Myrtleford Flea Market last Saturday a young girl was admiring Tommy Turtle but wasn't real happy when I told her the price. It seems she collects turtle so I offered to make her a small one and have it for her next month. It only took a couple of days to make.
 |
| Small Turtle with a pink shell. |
 |
| Christmas Tree in Variegated Green |
For more FO Friday goodness, check out Tami's Amis.
Richard.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Blogtoberfest Day 13
I have been an advocate for Linux for quite a while. I have found Microsoft Windows to be buggy, unreliable and prone to attack from many angles.
While it's true that I have had problems in the past with not being able to find Linux compatible drivers for different hardware it just seems so much easier these days.
Last night my choices of operating systems was vindicated. While my wife struggled to get a particular piece of hardware (a usb wireless modem) to work on her machine without much success she decided to let me test it on my new machine and it just worked. She eventually found some software that allowed the device to work on her machine but it took a lot of work.
It seems that while Windows has been languishing in "plug-and-pray" mode Linux has matured to be a true "plug-and-play" OS.
Richard.
While it's true that I have had problems in the past with not being able to find Linux compatible drivers for different hardware it just seems so much easier these days.
Last night my choices of operating systems was vindicated. While my wife struggled to get a particular piece of hardware (a usb wireless modem) to work on her machine without much success she decided to let me test it on my new machine and it just worked. She eventually found some software that allowed the device to work on her machine but it took a lot of work.
It seems that while Windows has been languishing in "plug-and-pray" mode Linux has matured to be a true "plug-and-play" OS.
Richard.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
WIP Wednesday 12-10-2011
It has been a busy week of crocheting and knitting here this week. Only one of my current projects didn't get any work done on it so I have lots to show.
Another square has been added to my Tunisian Mitred Square Blanket
Only 3 more square to go, then finish the border, sew in the ends and block it.
A few more rows have been added to the Crochenit Cot Blanket.
I still have quite a bit of the aqua in the ball but I think I might change colours anyway and save the rest for later.
I have add quite a few rows to the front of my hoodie.
A few more inches have been added to my scarf.
This scarf is almost as long as I am tall but still isn't long enough to tuck the ends through the loop after folding it in half and wrapping it around my neck so I'll keep going a little longer.
I'm not sure why the colours didn't come out very good in this picture and the previous one. All the the others seemed OK.
I've added another new item to my repertoire.
I still have to figure out how to stiffen these starting with what I'm going to use as a former, but I'm sure I'll find something.
My Toddler's Jacket has had a bit of a set back as it needed to be frogged back to the second row, but I think I have it headed in the right direction now.
Somehow I managed to mess up one of the increases on the second row but didn't notice until 4 rows later. Hopefully I have got it right now.
That's is from me for this week. I have 2 finished objects to show off on Friday so check back then. In the mean time, check out Tami's Amis for more WIP Wednesday goodness.
Richard.
Another square has been added to my Tunisian Mitred Square Blanket
 |
| Tunisian Crochet Mitred Square Blanket |
A few more rows have been added to the Crochenit Cot Blanket.
 |
| Crochenit Cot Blanket |
I have add quite a few rows to the front of my hoodie.
 |
| Front of Hoodie |
 |
| Knitted Scarf |
I'm not sure why the colours didn't come out very good in this picture and the previous one. All the the others seemed OK.
I've added another new item to my repertoire.
 |
| Christmas Bells |
My Toddler's Jacket has had a bit of a set back as it needed to be frogged back to the second row, but I think I have it headed in the right direction now.
 |
| Toddler Jacket - Ellen Gormley's pattern. |
That's is from me for this week. I have 2 finished objects to show off on Friday so check back then. In the mean time, check out Tami's Amis for more WIP Wednesday goodness.
Richard.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Blogtoberfest Day 11
I have been trying to think about what I was going to blog tonight in order to keep up with doing a blog everyday for a month. I don't have any tips that come readily to mind so I can't really do a "Tip Tuesday" post and I have got that round tuit organised on the tutorial I was going to do (I'm sure someone else has already done it anyway), so what do I have to say that worth saying?
I thought about calling it "Tantrum Tuesday" and having a rant about things that irritate me but I don't really think you want to read about that.
This afternoon while I was being massaged (I go every 6 weeks) I was thinking about what I am going to do for next year's show. I have entered a couple of rugs in this year and they will be judged around about the 27th and go on display on the 28th through to the 30th. I'm not sure that my offerings this year are up to the standards that I set a few year ago in Canberra, but I figured that I might as well have a go and see what happens.
My plans for future show entries include filet crochet table runners featuring the different states and territories of Australia. I made one a few years ago that covered the whole country but now I want to do 8 more. I have also been thinking of doing one that shows Albury/Wodonga's unique features making a total of 9 table runners to design and make. Since I'm not allowed to put more than 2 items in any category I should have plenty of time to make all 9.
Another technique I want to try is intarsia and I have a couple of Christian themed banners that I'm going to try to make (once I get the design sorted out) and I would also like to make a banner for the stall. I thought about doing that in filet also but that would require some sort of backing to hi-light it whereas intarsia wouldn't.
Since there are also separate categories for children's clothing and woollen articles I could also put something in in one those (I'm already making myself a woollen jumper so that could be entered).
So many ideas and a whole year to implement them. Anybody else want to chip in with some idea or do you think I have enough?
Richard.
I thought about calling it "Tantrum Tuesday" and having a rant about things that irritate me but I don't really think you want to read about that.
This afternoon while I was being massaged (I go every 6 weeks) I was thinking about what I am going to do for next year's show. I have entered a couple of rugs in this year and they will be judged around about the 27th and go on display on the 28th through to the 30th. I'm not sure that my offerings this year are up to the standards that I set a few year ago in Canberra, but I figured that I might as well have a go and see what happens.
My plans for future show entries include filet crochet table runners featuring the different states and territories of Australia. I made one a few years ago that covered the whole country but now I want to do 8 more. I have also been thinking of doing one that shows Albury/Wodonga's unique features making a total of 9 table runners to design and make. Since I'm not allowed to put more than 2 items in any category I should have plenty of time to make all 9.
Another technique I want to try is intarsia and I have a couple of Christian themed banners that I'm going to try to make (once I get the design sorted out) and I would also like to make a banner for the stall. I thought about doing that in filet also but that would require some sort of backing to hi-light it whereas intarsia wouldn't.
Since there are also separate categories for children's clothing and woollen articles I could also put something in in one those (I'm already making myself a woollen jumper so that could be entered).
So many ideas and a whole year to implement them. Anybody else want to chip in with some idea or do you think I have enough?
Richard.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Monday Madeit Madness
I haven't been getting any feed back on my Madeit store so I thought it might be time to give it a bit of a plug.
The things I have trouble with in regards to selling online is what to sell, how much to sell it for and how much to charge for postage. My one and only sale taught me that I was undercharging for postage, especially if I am going to send things out registered mail. I decided on sending things registered mail because I had heard of some people buying off others claiming that goods hadn't arrived and I figured this way I would have some way of tracking the delivery and, since registered mail has to be signed for, some way of identifying who received it.
Today I would like to hi-light some of the toys I have available.
I have a cute little robot, a sausage dog, a witch, a panda, a teddy bear (looking a bit sad) and a large turtle, all of which have appeared at some time on this blog.
I am also in the process of reviewing all my prices so some may go up and some may go down depending on what feedback (if any) I get. I will be adjusting all my postage prices when I get around to it and that will definitely be going up.
Richard.
The things I have trouble with in regards to selling online is what to sell, how much to sell it for and how much to charge for postage. My one and only sale taught me that I was undercharging for postage, especially if I am going to send things out registered mail. I decided on sending things registered mail because I had heard of some people buying off others claiming that goods hadn't arrived and I figured this way I would have some way of tracking the delivery and, since registered mail has to be signed for, some way of identifying who received it.
Today I would like to hi-light some of the toys I have available.
I have a cute little robot, a sausage dog, a witch, a panda, a teddy bear (looking a bit sad) and a large turtle, all of which have appeared at some time on this blog.
I am also in the process of reviewing all my prices so some may go up and some may go down depending on what feedback (if any) I get. I will be adjusting all my postage prices when I get around to it and that will definitely be going up.
Richard.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Living a lif of Christian Joy
The reading this morning came from Philippians 3:7-9
The cause of christian joy is fellowship with other christians.
Who are you? Are you the same person in church as you are in public? Are you the same with friends from outside church as you are with those from church?
There are three words we can get from today's scripture that help understand christian joy.
Bankruptcy - or as Jesus put it - "poor in spirit". Paul reflects on what he had before Christ called him and considers it rubbish. Being proud of our heritage is not necessarily a bad thing but that pride shouldn't develope into arrogancy. We should see ourselves as having nothing of value.
Intimacy - we need to personally know Jesus. We need to put our spiritual lives in order. When we share intimacy with Jesus we share in His victories.
Expectancy - Do you expect God to do things, to answer prayer? Do you expect opportunities to share your faith in everyday life? Paul did! When you tune out everything except God's voice then you will know the joy of expectancy.
Earthly prizes mean nothing. We shoul follow Paul's footsteps and press on to the goal, hoping to hear the "Well done good and faithful servant" from God when we reach the end of our journey.
The cause of christian joy is fellowship with other christians.
Who are you? Are you the same person in church as you are in public? Are you the same with friends from outside church as you are with those from church?
There are three words we can get from today's scripture that help understand christian joy.
Bankruptcy - or as Jesus put it - "poor in spirit". Paul reflects on what he had before Christ called him and considers it rubbish. Being proud of our heritage is not necessarily a bad thing but that pride shouldn't develope into arrogancy. We should see ourselves as having nothing of value.
Intimacy - we need to personally know Jesus. We need to put our spiritual lives in order. When we share intimacy with Jesus we share in His victories.
Expectancy - Do you expect God to do things, to answer prayer? Do you expect opportunities to share your faith in everyday life? Paul did! When you tune out everything except God's voice then you will know the joy of expectancy.
Earthly prizes mean nothing. We shoul follow Paul's footsteps and press on to the goal, hoping to hear the "Well done good and faithful servant" from God when we reach the end of our journey.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
The Week That Was 08-10-2011
This week has seen a bit of a slow down on the crafting front, mainly due to no craft group or crochet class (crochet class will be back next week after the school holidays). We did get out to Myrtleford today for the flea market but didn't sell much.
So for I have 3 Christmas Trees ready for decorations and plan on starting on angels and other ornaments soon. I've had to delay the Christmas stuff for a couple of days while I make a small turtle for a young girl (an order received at this morning's market). I've managed to get the shell done and should be able to finish it completely tomorrow. I could have left it for a few weeks as the next market in Myrtleford isn't until 12 Nov but there's no point in putting these things off.
Richard.
So for I have 3 Christmas Trees ready for decorations and plan on starting on angels and other ornaments soon. I've had to delay the Christmas stuff for a couple of days while I make a small turtle for a young girl (an order received at this morning's market). I've managed to get the shell done and should be able to finish it completely tomorrow. I could have left it for a few weeks as the next market in Myrtleford isn't until 12 Nov but there's no point in putting these things off.
Richard.
Friday, October 7, 2011
FO Friday 07-10-2011
Hi All,
Time to show off my finished objects for this week. I have two, and they're both Christmas Trees.
As you can see, I haven't added any decorations yet but the trees themselves are finished. I have another on the hook at the moment and it's almost finished so you will get to see it next Friday.
As usual, check out Tami's Amis for more FO Friday goodness.
Richard.
Time to show off my finished objects for this week. I have two, and they're both Christmas Trees.
 |
| Green Christmas Tree |
 |
| White Christmas Tree |
As usual, check out Tami's Amis for more FO Friday goodness.
Richard.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Blogtoberfest Day 6
I'm not sure if I can keep up a blog a day for a whole month without boring everyone to tears, but I'm going to try.
Today I thought I would review my to-do list (which seems to be getting a little out of control).
Current Work In Progress:
Rose Clan Dress Tartan Rug (this one isn't making much progress while I concentrate on getting a few things done for the markets)
Tunisian Crochet Blanket (only need to do 4 more squares, finish the border and sew in the ends)
Crochenit Cot Blanket (trying a method for doing rows that are longer than the hook)
Knitted Scarf (it has almost reach 6' long, not sure how much longer to make it but it doesn't seem long enough yet)
Toddlers Jacket (started a new one with yarn I bought specifically for these)
Jumper (sweater to you Americans) for me
Christmas trees (I've finished 2 so far but haven't decorated them yet)
Things I'm itching to get started on:
Doily in #50 cotton (I've had the pattern for a while)
Tunisian Crochet Dishcloth (for tutorial I want to write)
Crochenit Knee Rug (same as Cot Blanket and will also use up some of my stash of 8ply)
Crocheted Slocks
Something from my "99 Granny Squares" book
Something in Tunisian Crochet Lace (I'm thinking of modifying Ellen's Jacket pattern by substituting a lace stitch in the main body of the pattern)
Something from Ellen's new book.
A doily from an old pattern book I bought today.
Tunisian Crochet Intarsia
Crochet Intarsia (I have been looking at some pictures to do for these last two)
I'm trying to cut down to 4 or 5 active projects at a time but I'm having difficulties. I figure if I can get it down to one crochet, one knit, one crochenit, and one tunisian project things will get done a little quicker.
Richard.
Today I thought I would review my to-do list (which seems to be getting a little out of control).
Current Work In Progress:
Rose Clan Dress Tartan Rug (this one isn't making much progress while I concentrate on getting a few things done for the markets)
Tunisian Crochet Blanket (only need to do 4 more squares, finish the border and sew in the ends)
Crochenit Cot Blanket (trying a method for doing rows that are longer than the hook)
Knitted Scarf (it has almost reach 6' long, not sure how much longer to make it but it doesn't seem long enough yet)
Toddlers Jacket (started a new one with yarn I bought specifically for these)
Jumper (sweater to you Americans) for me
Christmas trees (I've finished 2 so far but haven't decorated them yet)
Things I'm itching to get started on:
Doily in #50 cotton (I've had the pattern for a while)
Tunisian Crochet Dishcloth (for tutorial I want to write)
Crochenit Knee Rug (same as Cot Blanket and will also use up some of my stash of 8ply)
Crocheted Slocks
Something from my "99 Granny Squares" book
Something in Tunisian Crochet Lace (I'm thinking of modifying Ellen's Jacket pattern by substituting a lace stitch in the main body of the pattern)
Something from Ellen's new book.
A doily from an old pattern book I bought today.
Tunisian Crochet Intarsia
Crochet Intarsia (I have been looking at some pictures to do for these last two)
I'm trying to cut down to 4 or 5 active projects at a time but I'm having difficulties. I figure if I can get it down to one crochet, one knit, one crochenit, and one tunisian project things will get done a little quicker.
Richard.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
WIP Wednesday 05-10-2011
Another Wednesday and more progress to show. There hasn't been as much progress this week due to the crochet class taking a break and no craft group, plus we still have a garage to sort out. There has been some progress and here it is.
A few more rows have been added to the front of my hoodie.
And I've started making christmas trees.
I've already finished a green one which I will show on Friday.
As usual, you should check out Tami's Amis for more WIP Wednesday goodness.
Richard.
A few more rows have been added to the front of my hoodie.
 |
| Front of Hoodie |
 |
| White Christmas Tree |
As usual, you should check out Tami's Amis for more WIP Wednesday goodness.
Richard.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Blogtoberfest Day 4
Greetings all. I would like to thank all my loyal readers for their suggestions on how I should celebrate my blogaversary, but since no one let me know what those suggestion were there doesn't seem to be any point in doing so. :)
Instead I tell you a little about our evening at church. Sue and I attended a concert this evening. The performers were the Watoto Choir. These children form Uganda really know how to praise the lord with singing and dancing. A real energetic group. And all this in spite of the hardships that they have had to endure. It was a great night!
Richard.
Instead I tell you a little about our evening at church. Sue and I attended a concert this evening. The performers were the Watoto Choir. These children form Uganda really know how to praise the lord with singing and dancing. A real energetic group. And all this in spite of the hardships that they have had to endure. It was a great night!
Richard.
Monday, October 3, 2011
A year of blogging
This morning I read a blog that reminded me that October is the month for blogging every day and that some people call this "blogtoberfest". Having remembered that this month is blogtoberfest I also remembered that blogtoberfest started shortly after I started blogging last year, which means that I missed my blogaversary!
It's hard to believe that I've been blogging for a whole year. It just doesn't seem that long, and I don't really know what I should do to celebrate this milestone.
The other thing I'm not sure about is writing a blog post everyday for a month. I'm quite used to doing 4 posts a week even though I sometimes forget, but every day for a month? That could get quite tedious and boring, and I don't really want to bore people.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Richard.
It's hard to believe that I've been blogging for a whole year. It just doesn't seem that long, and I don't really know what I should do to celebrate this milestone.
The other thing I'm not sure about is writing a blog post everyday for a month. I'm quite used to doing 4 posts a week even though I sometimes forget, but every day for a month? That could get quite tedious and boring, and I don't really want to bore people.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Richard.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Towards the Goal
Are you continuing to mature in Christ? Are you straining to reach the goal? Our goal should be to be perfect, just as Christ is perfect. Even the apostle Paul acknowledged that he had not achieved his goal and was pressing on.
Maturity in Christ means being single minded. Dwelling on the past hinders our present efforts and our future progress.
Maturity in Christ means being single minded. Dwelling on the past hinders our present efforts and our future progress.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
The Week That Was 01-10-2011
I can't say that this week was any more exciting than any other week but I fighured I had something to tell.
Apart from the usual routine, I went to the show grounds to put my entries in for this years show. I've entered 2 items in the Open Crochet Other Projects section.
I don't know that I'll do any good but I figured I would have a go anyway.
Another thing that has happened this week is that Sue's laptop gave up its blue smoke and now we need to look at getting her another computer. She is going to need one if she is to get any paying clients for her bookkeeping business. I just don't know where we're going to find the money for this. I guess we need to put this one into God's hands and see what he does for us.
Richard.
Apart from the usual routine, I went to the show grounds to put my entries in for this years show. I've entered 2 items in the Open Crochet Other Projects section.
 | |
| Rose Clan Hunting Tartan Rug |
 |
| Salvation Army Crest Blanket |
Another thing that has happened this week is that Sue's laptop gave up its blue smoke and now we need to look at getting her another computer. She is going to need one if she is to get any paying clients for her bookkeeping business. I just don't know where we're going to find the money for this. I guess we need to put this one into God's hands and see what he does for us.
Richard.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)