Thoughts To Ponder

Life without thought is the road to disaster.

The most satisfying comments received on this blog are those that tell me these comments are causing a pause and reflection. This is the very purpose of this blog. Now that we have entered the Lenten season it is even more important. Stopping and reflecting not only on the crucifixion but on how that relates to our daily walk in this life. Things in the time of Christ could be sudden and deadly. The times may have changed but the speed with which things happen has not. The speed with which information and ideas can be shared is mind boggling. What used to take hours, days, weeks, months or even years is now all but instantly available. This has both good and bad implications for our lives. One of them is the speed of living. Have you noticed the younger generation and what this has done to it. Values are different as are expectations. The "I want it yesterday" attitude is prevalent now. "You owe me" this or "I am now educated and I deserve to start at the top" mind set is more the norm. The idea that growth are instantaneous seems to be expected.

Whoa there chief. Uh oh! I think I just woke up my alter ego, Cherokee. OK! Your thoughts Cherokee. "Irish not as dumb a you look." Thanks for the vote of confidence. "Welcome! The world moves to fast. No time to think about where next footstep falls. To much rush here and rush there. Sacrifice not in mind anymore. Only what can we get. No one lives for each other anymore. Cherokee lives for others too. Maw Squall pound to pulp if I forget. She is very sensitive to others. Irish smiling. No, not beat up with fist. That would hurt but tongue hurt more. What Cherokee see in Jesus is kindness, comp, uh, comp" are you thinking of compassion? "Yes, that word. Also give life for others. Great respect and bravery." Nicely put Cherokee. "Cherokee forget to say he has great love for everyone. Do not understand hanging on tree but Irish says not hang but nail and tied to wood cross." That is why we celebrate this holiday Cherokee. He took all of our sins and Made it possible for us gentiles to be saved. "Cherokee not gentle. Me warrior." Uh, that is not what the word gentile means. It means pagan of heathen. "Cherokee not those either." No you are not. Why do I get the feeling we strayed from my theme for today? " Irish scatter brain?"
Sometimes, yes.

The point is that we should stop several times during our day and make a conscious effort to look at how we are living our lives and if that reflects the example that was set for us 2000 years ago. Do you find it amazing that even now the life of Christ is relevant? How often do YOU pause to reflect on how you are being seen as a person in this life? Are you violent or gentle? Are you taking or giving? Need I go on? Stop, look, listen to what your life says to others.

 Eph 5:1-2,25

Time to say thank you to more followers.

Nat from simplysweetstamping. Nat is one of those stamper that has a knack for doing things the old fashioned way at times. She is Canadian and like staying at home, especially when she can craft. It definitely shows in her work. My kind o home body. Drop by and say hello. As always, done forget to leave a little bit of love in the form of a comment.

Kevin from mccraftys-cards. This is a site that has got to be experienced. Kevin is a master at card making. His work ranges from ornate to very sensitive and subtle. His coloring is second to none. His artistic eye will amaze you. Be sure to give him a bravo or two before you leave.

Sammy from SammyJean. Sammy is an English dynamo. Always exuberant and bubbly. she has several sites but this is the one I usually frequent. She is a great card designer. This is someone that will inspire you I am sure. She is also a very talented multi media artist. She does some amazing creations. Visit and comment. You will be glad you did.

Viv From Viv's Visuals. Another English gem. Viv has a great sense of humor and a great artistic eye. She will delight you with her creations. She loves her soccer, sorry football. I hope I got that right or I will not hear the end of it. She is full of English style surprises and some of the neatest cards around. Be sure to stop by and leave some love when you depart. 

Today I am going to share my Valentine card from Jill. Sweet and simple. Just the way I like it.

   
This card took 2 days 10 hours 44 minutes 10 seconds to make. It will take 30 seconds for her to find me, take back the card and shoot me for saying that. I don't know how long it took but I love it for sure. By the way, she liked that print for my shirt which I happen to be wearing right now. Love you too. 

That is it for today. Hope you enjoyed your visit and also hope you return next time. From both Cherokee and me, Remember to LOVE THE DETAILS or at least pay attention to the a little.             

February 14, 2015 The Little things (Continued from Who Am I)

Many manageable little things, if ignored become gigantic unmanageable things

Have you ever noticed that few things in life are huge and unmanageable? It is true. At least most things start out that way. All of that changes when we ignore those little things. For instance, those crafty things that are collected and put in their own categorized areas until we get to use them. Finally they are used and we are having so much fun that we don't put them away and more and more is added to our stash and where the heck did I put that die? What happened to the stamp I bought for this project? I thought I had more of this stuff! My God this room looks like the inside of the recycle bin! I know my chihuahua Fred is in here somewhere, I can hear him whimpering. Has your barbed wire collection turned into a steel cacti farm nightmare?

Don't just LOVE THE DETAILS, take care of them and deal with them. Did I mention that the person who thought the money was a gift from God was a Sunday school teacher? REALLY? Beware the world and its teachings. God's gifts are not hurtful or twisted but straight forward. They can be for our benefit but are always meant to be redistributed to others. What is for one is actually for all. Christian living is living as Christ lived. I keep saying that will be noticed but I tell you this, so will dishonesty and deceit. Which example would you rather be? There is no better feeling than having someone you do not know tell you they took notice of the way you treat everyone with respect and are helpful when they are in need even if you are not treated that way in return. Our lives are a light to those around us that we are dedicated to Him. It is humbling to be counted among His followers but uplifting in following His ways. His ways are life giving and always to be shared.  Read 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:10



It is time to say thank you for joining me on my journey but first HAPPY VALENTINES DAY. 


Becky from A Diamond in The Rough. Becky is a christian and very strong in her beliefs. She is a bible reader and studies daily. Her card making is excellent and reflects her beliefs in every way. Stop by and say hello but make sure you not only check out her cards but read her blog as well. Be sure to leave her a comment.


Petra from Kaartjiekreatief/Cards Creative. Petra is one of a kind when it comes to creating beautiful and very different cards. She is from South Africa. She has a style all her own. It is hard to describe her work other than to say her eye for art and creativity is unique. You will absolutely love her work. It is obvious she loves what she creates. Be sure to leave her a comment when you stop by.


Cheryl from Cheryl Quilts. Cheryl is a Christian card maker and a sweetheart. Very  talented at card making and a prayer warrior for those of us that need prayer. A very handy combination if I do say so myself, and I do. She delights in getting visitors and comments. Please do both.


Lis from Paper Maker. Lis is very unusual in that she makes her own paper. She makes cards with the paper she makes. How is that for creative? Can't recycle better than that now can you. Love Lis' cards too. They are just as creative as the paper. As with the others, be sure to leave a comment to let Lis know you were there.

Today I am sharing two cards. One that I am not completely satisfied with (and am still working on) that was for my DW for Valentines day. The second one is the one she will actually get for Valentines day. Grab a cup or glass of your favorite beverage and enjoy. (I hope)

First the unfinished card that Jill said she likes but I don't. She said it should be posted anyway so here it is. 

 I think it still needs something. The card stock, heart (Freude am Schreiben), tree die cut and Adhesive gem stones (KARS) are from a wonderful gift package sent to me by Marie of rieslingmama. The Gazebo is Spellbinders Shapeabilities. It is colored with Copic C2 and T5 inks. The corners were done with a Martha Stewart Swirling lace Corner punch And colored with Copic R29 pen. The inside is also feeling unfinished.

The hearts are EKsuccess Brands bling. I will work on it some more and post it again when I am satisfied or at least more so than I am now.

Next is the card Jill will actually get. This one turned out nicely. 

 This is a bit different than other cards I have done. I used one sheet of scrapbook paper from Best Creation Inc. called "Forever More". I cut it into four even squares 6" on each side. I matched the imaged glitter papers to best effect for front, back and inside and used 7/16'' tape to put them together. I used Dazzles Lacy butterfly stickers for a little more pizazz inside and out. 

The sentiment was created in MS Word, cut out and fastened with Tombow mono permanent adhesive. The card front and back binding is made from card stock on the out side with a strip of cloth ribbon on the inside. Tombow was used to adhere them to the front and back for binding. Just like a book don't you think? The loop at the top is gold colored string and is more or less ornamental.

The problem with this card was that I couldn't find an envelope that it would fit in so I made one.

   

The front

The Back with the die cut buttons to keep it closed and the cutout tab to make it easier to get the card out.

This is the envelope closed.

Well, that is it for today. It is time to wake up and shake the cobwebs out. Hope you had a good nap. If you'er not to groggy please leave me a comment and tell me what you think. Uhhh, on second thought, just leave me a comment, thank you. LOL. Just remember, no matter what, always pay attention to the details. You thought I was going to say "LOVE THE DETAILS" didn't you?  

Next post we may have some fun with Cherokee. He has been quiet for awhile. We shall see. By the way that picture of me in the garden is not me reading. I fell asleep sitting there after working in the tomato bed. The snoring gave me away. LOL.

January 31, 2015 Who Am I

All that you are I am.

Do you have a phrase that you both love and hate? I have several but there is one in particular. It is "But for the grace of God there go I". It is true in one sense. Without Him I could not exist nor would it be possible to strive to be sin free. On the other hand, what a gross case of judgmental audacity to imply someone is better than another. That includes self. We were brought into this world with every sin, every possible tendency and fault of every other person that ever existed. Quite a paradox, huh! Want proof? Have you ever been brought to the point of saying or thinking you would like to kill someone for something they did to you? Or how about, I got an extra twenty cents in my change at the grocery store. It must be a gift from God. REALLY????? Give the twenty cents back because if you don't you just stole money from the store and cashier. She may have to make that up at the end of the day. Give it back even if it is a penny. Do you ignore "Do not touch", "Do not handle" or "Do not move" signs? Do you hold grudges? Do you get even? Should I go on? Didn't think so. The flip side to this and the reason for the statement is not that one person is better than the other but realizing you have been given a chance at redemption by changing the way you perceive things and how you act on events in your life. If you are invited to a party that will have 40 guests and you volunteer to bake a cake will you bring only half a cake to the party or the whole cake? I know someone who would and does bring half a cake. How self centered and crass. The "I and Me" must become the "You and They" in your life. There is only one place that "self" cannot be compromised and that is your salvation. This is the only place where self is number one. To get there means removing self when you are around others. Christ became a servant when dealing with others and became the example of what we are to be. We are to be the example of Christ working in our lives but always mindful that "all that you are I am but for the Grace of God." 

Listen closely to my words, be attentive, understand what I am saying. Does the ploughman plough all day to sow, breaking up and harrowing his ground? Once he has levelled its surface, does he not scatter fennel, sow cummin? Then he puts in wheat, millet, barley and, round the edges, spelt, for his God has taught him this rule and instructed him.

The New Jerusalem Bible. (1985). (Is 28:23–26). New York: Doubleday.
I will be dealing with this further in the next post.

Time to introduce you to a few more of my followers. 

Benzi from Benzy Stamps. Brenda was one of me first followers. She is a southern gal with a huge talent for card making and could be a poster child for southern charm. Stop by her blog and say hi.

Maxine D from Kiwime's Kreations. Maxine is from New Zealand. She is a Christian crafter with a flair for the imaginative and always has a fresh take with the cards she creates. Give a look and remember to leave a comment.

Teresa from Crafting All Day Creations. Let me tell you that if you like vintage you will love Teresa's cards. Be sure to drop by and ogle her work. You can tell it is a labor of love.
While you are there be sure to tell her how much you like her creations.

This post I want to share a few Hubble photos with you. The pictures are available for download at the Hubble picture album. God's glory is awesome. 

M51 The whirlpool Galaxy and it's small companion NGC5195 in the constellation Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dog).

The "M" stands for Messier and the "NGC" is for New General Catalogue.

NGC 5128 (better known as Cenaurus A) The two lobes or jets coming from the top and bottom of the galaxy disk are what are known as radio jets from a very active black hole at the galaxy core. Beautiful but deadly if you were in that galaxy.

 NGC 1300 is barred spiralin the constellation Eiridanus (The River) 

This is a general idea of what our home galaxy would look like if we could see it from afar. Our galaxy would have more arms.

NGC 1073 in Cetus (The Sea Monster) 

This is another barred spiral. It is considered to be an archetypal type barred spiral.

A nearly perfect ring of hot, blue stars pinwheels about the yellow nucleus of an unusual galaxy known as Hoag's Object. This image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures a face-on view of the galaxy's ring of stars, revealing more detail than any existing photo of this object. Notice the apparent second ring galaxy in the far distance between the ring and the core at the one o'clock position. Fascinating!

 

NCG 4313 in Coma Berenices

The ring is composed of hot new young stars. It is enhanced to show them more distinctly. 

Arp 148 in Ursa Major (the Great Bear or The big Dipper)

Arp 148 is the staggering aftermath of an encounter between two galaxies, resulting in a ring-shaped galaxy and a long-tailed companion. The collision between the two parent galaxies produced a shockwave effect that first drew matter into the center and then caused it to propagate outwards in a ring.

I hope you enjoyed my short tour of the wonders of my long time love affair with astronomy. The beauty and wonder of God's creation is mind blowing. It does not matter if you don't understand the jargon, just enjoy the beauty of the object and images. Thank you for joining me and allowing me to share the wonder and truths of our Lord.

Until next we meet, Remember to LOVE THE DETAILS.