Be Grateful Challenge~ May 29, 2014

Only $360 to begin car maintenance needs; ice cold Dr Pepper, tuna sandwich and full tank of gas ($4.06/ gallon w/ fuel card) at Speedway; having a job and the free exercise program it provides due to the 'unique' nature of the work; shiny clean everywhere; funny tenants; Matt and stories of gym class; buckets of suds...

Home; cool, peaceful house; trimming a bit out back; Matt making mac and cheese with tomatoes for supper; load of towels in the washer; wishing for a milk shake or big bowl of ice cream; rethinking my bill-paying binder; breezy front patio and clean new door mat; bare feet.....

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300 N Pine St, Joliet, IL 60435

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Hat #39 For MorningStar Mission 2014

Hi! Welcome back! You've caught me at Bill Jacobs in Joliet waiting on car repairs (fuel induction service~ throttle sticks) and knitting... As I finished the last hat I remembered the two (2) hats I set aside to enter at the Will County Fair, bringing my total at that point to 38 warm hand-knit hats to share! So I have currently 25 for women and 13 for men that are finished... Plus this mens hat in progress... I've knitted the bands of color while waiting and have about 45 more minutes, so should be almost finished today!!

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Be Grateful Challenge~ May 29, 2014

Peaceful morning; critter dropping things on our tent at 6am; warm and comfy; Matt's sweet chatter as he fell asleep last night...

Few dishes washed as Matt slowly wakes out in the tent; more motivated and organized morning (wish I could replicate this!); Matt eating cereal on front patio and his funny chatter; school bus on time...

At Bill Jacobs Chevrolet early for technician to diagnose my car (acceleration issue); fresh, hot coffee; Fox News on waiting room TV :)

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Joy Dare May 2014

*27th~ 3 gifts found in church~~ family; education; support *28th~ 3 gifts in today's work~~ little smiles; doing books; kind tenants *29th~ a gift at 8am, 12pm, 8pm~~ *30th~ 3 gifts blue~~ *31st~ 3 gifts you gave today~~

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Homestead Plantings

Softly glowing iris highlight my front parkway...

Hostas, a Japanese maple and an angel statue greet our visitors...

Soft flowers naturalize out back...

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Me~ Day 235

Catching up a bit on balancing out books at work... Nice to have books and filing as caught up as possible and my cubicle tidy!!

On to basic cleaning now~ a break from books and a good opportunity to exercise and pray....

Time at home after Bible study... together Matt and I are 'water-proofing' the tent, hauling out trash and getting ready for bed time... tonight we are thanking God for Bible study, church, our homestead and all He has done for us... we are very comfortable and safe these days... so I know it's time for Him to move mightily in our lives!

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Philippians 4:4-13

As I read today I am reminded of how much I already have~ how extremely He has already blessed me! How can I be more at peace in Him and use the gifts He has given me to fulfill His will on my life?!

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Religious Persecution vs My Fussing

As I fuss and complain to God about my life I am halyed in my track by the plight of Meriam Ishag, her new baby girl and her husband. How pitiful my childish fussing must seem to our Lord in comparison to a new mom about to be hung for choosing Christianity and standing by that choice! As I refocus my prayers from "poor me" to "bless Meriam Ishag, her daughter and husband", I ask that you also keep them in prayer. "Please, oh please, God, work Your divine will in their lives!!"

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Pineapple Sage and a Quiet Bench

Off to work with an everwhelming sense of trepidation so I'm deep in prayer today...

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As my evening quietly winds down I am knitting, thinking and praying... Knitting for the homeless at MorningStar Mission... Thinking about moving far away from mean-spirited people and realizing running isn't the answer and He'll use this to make me stronger... Praying He'll show me His plan in all this... I have to trust and pray... I'd love to move out of state (drop off the planet) and buy an old victorian house, few rental cabins, gardens.... But that's just my list and I am waiting for His!!

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Be Grateful Challenge~ May 26, 2014

Bit of laundry folded and put away; beds set up neatly in tent;

Wind picking up;

Tent blowing in the 'breeze' and hoping anchors hold; Matt walking to store for milk and Coca Cola in the rain and trating it like the ultimate adventure; Matt returning with only milk; red beans and rice with diced tomatoes for supper; cool breeze; coffee and cereal bowls set up for morning; knitting and good movie and haning with Matt; more laundry hung indoors and started in washer; treat before bed...

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Be Grateful Challenge~ May 26, 2014

Bit of laundry folded and put away; beds set up neatly in tent;

Wind picking up;

Tent blowing in the 'breeze' and hoping anchors hold; Matt walking to store for milk and Coca Cola in the rain and trating it like the ultimate adventure; .. ... ... ..... ..

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Hand Knit Hats for MorningStar Mission!

Hi! Welcome back! Come on in and set a spell. I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee so you're just in time!! I'd like to share with you about my hats I've been knitting. I really felt I no longer needed to share my hats with the homeless at MorningStar Mission. I was wrong. Ever since I decided to sell my hats at a craft fair this year I've felt really really convicted. Wednesday night, at church, I made the decision to go back to my original plan share all my hats. So... I've bagged up the hats, separated as male or female... And I've got some Pocket Testaments (Book of John) in each bag...I have so far: 12 Hats for men 23 Hats for women Okay, so I'm at 35 hats~ not nearly enough! No Where Enough... And I'm very low on yarn for hats... I'm going to have to check thrift stores soon.... New yarn colors = New knitting fun!! And that means fun hats for homeless heads. Would you want to sleep out all winter without a really really warm hat? Do you have any spare yarn?

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Be Grateful Challenge~ May 26, 2014

Waking in the tent to a peaceful neighborhood; fresh, hot coffee; knitting while watching a few minutes of news; Bible study; Matt sleeping in (teens love to sleep late!); eating 'chocolate spooners' from the bag with Matt; defective cable connection; knitting and good movies; sweet boy/ teen; allergy pills; Matt helping clean; catching up on dishes; seeing a light at the end of the tunnel;

5 Minute clean-ups every 15 minutes and the fun of doing it together; juicy burgers; paint samples for the kitchen; knitting hats for all those who dine at MorningStar Mission during the winter (will blog more on this in a bit); team work; renewed hope; relief from the foggy head sinus congestion brings; ... ... ...

Hanging out; chatting; salads with lettuce, home grown garlic mustard, twistos and blue cheese dressing;

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Finished Hat!!

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Be Grateful Challenge~ May 26, 2014

Waking in the tent to a peaceful neighborhood; fresh, hot coffee; knitting while watching a few minutes of news; Bible study; Matt sleeping in (teens love to sleep late!); eating 'chocolate spooners' from the bag with Matt; defective cable connection; knitting and good movies; sweet boy/ teen; allergy pills; Matt helping clean; catching up on dishes; seeing a light at the end of the tunnel;

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Philippians 4:4-7

Okay, last Wednesday night our Pastor asked us to each read these verses every day for seven (7) days. Well, I must unfortunately admit that this is only the third time I've read it. And I can see my rough week would have been better for both Matt and I had I cooperated! I have to say I have been worrying a lot~ about work (does anyone ever know if they'll still have a job tomorrow in this financial climate??), keeping up the homestead and how the school district will transition Matt from intense special ed classes for ADHD and autism to general ed/ gifted classes in time for him to start high school completely ready... Rather than simply read these verses then thank and trust God~~ I have been worrying... And I know better than to behave that way!! And so now? I will read this every day Trust Him Thank Him for Everything!

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