One thing that I had on my list of things to do for yesterday. I sorted through SOME of my yarn. I boxed up a bit, but arranged on my shelves by color. Because I get the 'leftovers' of yarn that are donated at Needles of Hope, many skeins and bits of yarn that I get are just one color, rather than several to make something. I often then end up 'mix and match' colors. I try to get the same brand-type so that they feel the same, but it's hard to do at times. Did you know that yarn has different textures? Some are so soft, others feel 'harsh'. You buy that yarn for what you want to make from it. Sometimes when it's on sale, you buy it without knowing what you will do with it. Yeah, I have done that. But I do try to use it. Found I have a lot more purple then I thought I did. Guess I will be making purple baby blankets for awhile. And that's ok. I had two partial skeins of black/white so was able to use up both of them in a baby blanket last night. It didn't come out to the size of a blanket so I will finish it up with solid black. It will still look good. But I did get the yarn straightened out to see what I had - at least the majority of it. I still have an orange skein (not something I would have bought!) still in a big tangled mess and am still working through it to get it rolled up.
Finished a book I started the other day last night as well. I think that gives me 3 or 4 thus far. I've got to keep focused and spend time reading as well as crocheting. I enjoy both. Still need to work on the baby quilts too. I think I have figure out how I'm going to secure the batting to the material - finally. I've tried sewing strips, I've tried specific spots - but just not feeling it. I'll take the easy (yet, hard) way out and do it with yarn knots. My fingers will be hurting with this one. Still, I need to get them done.
I'm learning to be very creative with meals with this new eating. I will confess, I cheated yesterday. I am a stress eater; and when I'm upset, I want to eat. Yesterday was not a good day. Or rather, last night. I was 'good' throughout the day; hubby left me alone and I worked with my yarn. But then... sigh. I'm trying to complete a form on my phone (registering for an upcoming women's conference) and he comes into the kitchen and sits down (dinner is cooking so of course he comes and sits down) next to me and starts talking to me. He asks me questions about what are we having and how many carbs, etc. as he is trying to follow along with me on not eating so many carbs. I stop and answer him 3-4 times before I (obviously) have this look of irritation on my face as I still try to input the information needed to register. Then he gets after me because I have a scowl on my face. He can see I'm doing something on my phone and he keeps interrupting me to ask questions that he can see what the food is when I take it out of the oven!! Did it have to be done BEFORE it is even ready? I guess because I had been busy all day he didn't have anyone to talk to (with) so was trying to make up for it. We didn't speak much the rest of the evening. He's one of 'those people' who has to have your complete attention when he is speaking. I finally did get registered and then I got the 'you never told me about the conference, who is going with you, when is it, etc. Sigh. It's not until the end of March. I know I want to go; I don't know who would go with me, if anyone. Yes, it's in town. I.DON'T.KNOW.ALL.THE.ANSWERS. I just registered!! I'm sure I will be telling him about it long before it happens. I just wanted to get registered. I am feeling controlled and smothered.
That scenario sort of reminds me of the message I will be doing this morning for the RV Park. Yes, I finally got it completed last Tuesday and have reviewed it, changed it, reprinted it, since then. I have already gone through it this morning and I think I'm ok with it. If something changes my mind, I'll figure it out. But the message is about 'are you listening (to God). When God speaks, He wants our undivided attention, you think? Have you heard God speak to you? Can you sit back and think of the time(s) He has spoken and you paid attention? I do. One of the stories I am telling this morning is when, many, many years ago I was up early doing my quiet time. Now, my quiet time then and now are not quite the same, and I want to go back to before I started inserting time to type in here (could you handle an occasional post versus every day?). Back then I feel I was more focused on God and reading several chapters in my Bible, writing in my journal, praying long prayers, and even had a listening time when I would just sit and listen for God to speak. I miss those days and I'm working now to gain them back. I really am. I'm slowly eliminating some things so that I can give God all my morning quiet time, not just a portion of it. Anyway, I was praying, and this one day I was praying for my little sister. She was single then (I told you it was a long time ago) and had two small boys. I don't recall what I was praying about, but I heard God tell me, "Send xxxxx $20." What? I paused and thought about it. Yes, I knew she could use money, but so could we. I had $30 in my wallet. Well, I wanted to be obedient, so I took $20 out of my wallet, wrote my sister a note that God had told me to send her $20, and mailed it. A couple days later she received it and thinking it was a letter from me, (before we had computers), she opened it and the $20 fell out. She called me; she had a prescription at the drug store that was $20 and she didn't have the money to get it, and had prayed that God would somehow provide it. And He Did. And she was able to show her boys that God does answer prayers. What if I hadn't listened? Well, God would have provided in another way, through someone else, but He let me be her answer to prayer. Isn't God so cool?
I don't always 'hear' God, I will admit. Sometimes He may tell me to do something I don't want to do and it is so easy to ignore Him. But He does speak in different ways. He speaks through our minds and hearts via nudges, or we can even hear Him speak. Not audibly, but you know it is Him. He also speaks through circumstances. He speaks through people. He also speaks through His Word. And sometimes He speaks through dreams. But the question remains - Are you listening?
Deuteronomy 13:4 (NLT): Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.
I am sure that I have responded to God's nudges or words at other times, but at the moment, that is the one that has come to mind. But I have realized over the past year that I have let the chaos of marriage, the world, and pleasing others get in the way of my keeping my ears tuned to what God has to say. Yes, this is confession. I still don't know where all my time goes. I think part of it is back then I was up at 11PM completing tasks, where now I go to bed at around 8:30PM. Sometimes I need to. Other times, well, it's the 'I'm going to bed, are you coming?" and it is easier to stop crocheting or reading and just go to bed for I know that I need the sleep, even if at that moment I am not sleepy. Sometimes I have stayed up. Perhaps I need to start doing that again occasionally. We can't always hear God when we are in the midst of noise and chaos.
When was the last time you got alone with God? Yes, I do it every morning, but I admit that I don't always carve out listening time. I keep one eye on the clock and read my Bible, write in my journal, pray, and then jump on here. I need to put God first always. And I have. But He doesn't always have my full attention. Maybe I should switch this to evening. Or maybe I should switch writing in my journal at evening time. Something to pray about; think about. Do something about. How important is listening to God to me? to you?
And with that, I need to get off here and start getting ready for the RV Park.
Blessings!
