Feeling better now

I haven't posted here in a few weeks. I was sick for about a week and a half and I'm feeling much better now. I was glad to get rid of that cold or whatever it was. I felt fine, I just was annoyed with a chunky chest and sounded horrible.

Things have been pretty much as usual for me lately. We had a Fall Family picnic and pig roast at church a couple of weekends ago, which was alot of fun. It's always nice to be sociable and fellowship.

This weekend, I enjoyed the Autumn Advance at my mom's church. Everything was beautiful and nice. I actually got to go for free because my mom's friend who bought a ticket couldn't go at the last minute and so I was able to take her place. We had the options to take 3 of the classes they offered. I chose 1. Scripture books, 2. The power of prayer & 3. Cake decorating 101. The first class making scripture books, has inspired me to a new project for the revamping of our women's ministry at my church. We have been talking about how to minister more and I think the scripture book idea is just the thing we need. You can theme the books for encouragement or love or salvation....the possibilities are endless! That way, if we send someone to visit someone in the hospital, we can leave a bit of the Lord's word in a creative and interesting way. They can take it home with them and flip through it whenever they like! Or for new visitors or whatever! I was a little let down by the second class only because the teacher spent a great deal of the time talking about the effects of prayer and not so much on skills or practical applications. Of course, this is my continued complaint with most teachings and preachings. I'm just a hands on kind of girl. Which brings me to the third class, cake decorating. Now, I already know some about it and have some supplies for doing it, I just thought why not? Besides, we got to take home the cake we decorated!!! Which I took directly to some friends of mine with 5 kids so they could enjoy and make use of it and I wouldn't be so tempted to eat it myself :)

I watched my two 'nephews' on Sat. night so my friends could enjoy a nice date night out. A rarity for them these days, I was happy to help and happy to spend some Aunt Becca time with the boys. I went for a visit with my cousin and her family on Sunday. My brother is out of town bow hunting, he's called 2 times now, he got a buck and a doe so far.

I have been way into renting movies from the Red box lately and have enjoyed the luxury of watching them in bed all curled up with my ear buds in. It's fun for me! Also, I'm in the midst of applying for a part time job being a concierge at a retirement community overnights on the weekends. I need to do something to pay off some bills and get this debt under control. My normal income just doesn't cut it anymore. I'm sure you all know exactly what I mean there.

My eating plan and bible study is still going. I don't work on my bible study as much as I'd like to...perhaps I shouldn't be watching so many movies, priorities, Becca! The eating plan is going well, this weekend I discovered I needed to switch around a couple of days and I did so without any problems. I will need to do that again for the different holidays. My only issue is staying as strict with it now as I did in the beginning. Also, getting back on track with what 1/2 really is. My halves have been too hefty lately. So, with that in mind and the fact that I now own a scale that will weigh me, as long as I lose *something* each week, I feel like I am on track. It's really more about honoring God with my eating and well, everything else too.

So that's me in a nutshell. I am so grateful for the Lord allowing me to find such a wonderful and spiritual website that offers me support and education to live my life more to the Glory of God than ever before!

A refresher course in crocheting

Crocheted coaster 10/7/08

I have fond memories of my mom crocheting when I was growing up. I remember she would take it with her different places when she knew there would be down-time or if we went to the country to visit family, there she'd be with her yarn and hooks. She was always making coaster, table runners, doilies, squares for bedspreads and so on.

She taught me how to crochet when I was much younger and I remember making a few projects with spare yarn she had left over from her various projects. I've dabbled with many different crafts throughout the years. I have enjoyed embroidering, latch hook, crocheting, finger weaving, friendship bracelets, painting, old skool scrapbooking (with those big books bound with string and big black pages and scotch tape), contemporary scrapbooking (complete with top loading pages, cutting tools and tape runners), rubber stamping, card making, sewing and knitting, just to name a few. We even did those ones where you use fabric paint in different colors in a dot pattern to make pictures. Basically, if it was crafty, I enjoyed it or atleast wanted to try it!

Recently, I've been wanting to get back to some other crafts I've enjoyed in the past. I came across an old tote back from when I was a child and inside I found a group of white embroidery squares that were partially completed. So I worked on that for a while and really enjoyed it! I just need some new patterns for that. My decorating tastes have changed since then. I've also tried crewel in the past. Crewel is a mix of stitches and threads on a preprinted picture to add embellishment. I really enjoyed that type. I'm just so bad about starting something and NEVER going back to finish it! Books, crafts, cleaning and so on and so on.

I've been on my mom lately about refreshing my memory on how to crochet, so Tuesday night that's what we did. After a couple of bad starts, I finally got er' going pretty good and made a nice coaster for my desk at work (see photo above)! It didn't take long for my carpal tunnel to overtake my grip and my right hand began to go numb. Just like in knitting, I have to take frequent breaks...which allows distraction to set in and hence, I'm less likely to finish a project. However, I was happy to complete the coaster and we'll see what other crafts I can get myelf involved in. I have a sewing project for a couple a church to finish soon, it's way overdue.

Interesting blog title, where did it come from?

The French Alps in route to Italy from England - Sept. 2007

I've always enjoyed flying. There's just something so special about being above the clouds looking down at the earth with awe and wonder, this is God's view! The tops of the clouds themselves are much more interesting and beautiful than the underside we can see from here.

Leonardo De Vinci once said:
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

Wow, how could he have known? It's not like they had airplanes back then! The thing is, the closer I walk with the Lord and the more I long for my real home, I know for sure, I'm living on the wrong side of the clouds! This life will be a short one full of toils and troubles, heartbreak and sorrow. Sure, there are plenty of pleasures to enjoy, for a time, but they do not satisfy my heart! I still long to be in heaven, away from this world and all it's hatred and pain. That's why I called this blog 'The Wrong Side of the Clouds'. It's about my journey from here and all that goes with it! I hope you will bookmark this page and stop in from time to time. Please comment and let me know you're there. Thanks for stopping by!

Hmm, just a tidbit.

I'm really enjoying my Bible study and wanted to share this with you from today's lesson:

Finding pleasure in Christ is what The Lord's Table course is really all about. You see, many diet groups feel successful if one of their members stands up and testifies, "I have lost 30 pounds in 60 days, have gone from a size 14 to a size 8, and now everybody notices the new me." This is not success at all. Where is the mention of the heart finding repentance and forgiveness, the soul feasting on Christ, and the joy over a life that now lives to honor the Lord, rather than to gratify the flesh? This feasting and rejoicing and honoring the Lord all come from repentance. Any change apart from this will lead to pride and will-worship. "I did it, I lost weight, I overcame, I, I, I."

No, our purpose is not to exalt the will of man or woman. Our purpose is to honor the Lord, to magnify His grace, and to show the power of God in our lives. Repentance is the only way to truly be free from the power of temptation and sin, to honor the Lord with a disciplined life, and to savor the preciousness of Jesus Christ.

This is great stuff! I really feel like I have hit the jackpot with this study! I feel changed in my heart about food and eating and this is the only way to get there!