Friday, September 30, 2011

Update on Iranian Christian Pastor…

Thank you to all of those praying for this Pastor who has been sentenced to die for his refusal to renounce Christ.

Here is the link to the latest news on what is happening.

Keep praying!

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/222887/20110930/iranian-pastor-death-sentence-youcef-nadarkhani.html

 

Still following,

Elizabeth

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Friday’s Favs…More autumn touches…

I mentioned in the post about my autumn mantel that I wanted my autumn décor to be more simple this year.

Less “orange explosion”, and more subtle touches.

Then a mishap with a simple autumn door wreath became anything but simple!

Oh my!

At least I’m still alive and well to tell about it.

Here are some pictures of simple autumn touches here and there around my home.

I’m lovin’ fall!

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Happy Friday Everyone and Have a Blessed Weekend!

Elizabeth



vintage inspiration button1aaadoveladygfairy006Tidy Mom

 
Stuff and Nonsense

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Front door wreath mishap…

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It could be a rumor

or an urban legend.

I heard tell there was once a woman who lived in a tall two story house.

She had a freshly painted, metal front door that she wanted to hang an autumn wreath on.

She had made the wreath with her own two hands and a glue gun.

She used a grapevine wreath and assorted faux fall foliage.

Because her front door was metal she couldn’t hang the wreath from a nail or screw.

She didn’t have a wreath hanger either, so she had the oh, so brilliant idea to hang it with jute webbing

and hot glue it to the top edge of the door.

Then she went outside in her pajamas, with uncombed hair, to take photos of her beautiful blue door and fall wreath.

She noticed that the thickness of the jute webbing made the door difficult to close.

So she pulled hard on the door until it shut.

She quickly took pictures of her beautiful door and wreath before the neighbors noticed her on her porch in her pajamas.

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When she went to open the door, the thickness of the jute webbing had, in essence, wedged the door shut as tight as a drum.

She began to thrust her full weight against the door over and over again, praying and hoping it would pop open.

She also prayed and hoped no one was watching.

The door would not budge.

She checked all the other doors and windows on the first story of her house and they were all shut and locked safe and sound.

Her cell phone was in the house, and she began to fear she was going to have to go door to door in her pajamas asking if she could use a phone to call her husband.

This thought made her pray.  It made her pray hard.

“Dear God.  Please forgive me for my foolishness.  Please, please, please help me get into the house.”

Then she remembered that her second story office window was open.

She remembered they had a tall ladder, weighing approximately two thousand pounds that they used to get on the roof and clean the gutters.  (They being the young man they paid to come and do this terrifying job.)

So now, with her right shoulder throbbing from being used as a battering ram, she wrestled the 2 ton ladder into place by the office window.

Fearfully she climbed the ladder. In her pajamas. With bare feet.  Her uncombed hair blowing in the breeze.

The window screen was wedged tightly in place.

She climbed down the ladder and found a screw driver. 

Thank God.

Fearfully she climbed the ladder.  Again.

She used the screwdriver to pry the window screen out and was able to climb in the office window.

She began to laugh and cry hysterically.

She went downstairs and out the back door to put the ladder away, trying to hide all evidence of the morning’s shameful events.

She then walked down the hallway to the front door, and without so much as a hard pull, it opened right up.

She tore the wreath off the door.

Then she took a handful of Advil for her sore shoulder.

The End.

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PS: Rumor has it that that crazy woman was so traumatized that she has left her front door

“bare nekked” and wreathless.

Imagine that!

They say she went and hung that wreath safely indoors.

Of course, this is all just hearsay.

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Still following,

Elizabeth

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Urgent Prayer Needed…

An Iranian Christian Pastor is facing death for refusing to renounce Christ.

Will you pray and spread the word?

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/09/28/iranian-pastor-faces-execution-for-refusing-to-recant-christian-faith/

And so I hope…

 

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He said,”The glory You have given me, I have given to them.”

I read it there on printed page

I know these Words are Truth

Yet my mind can’t wrap around this

God’s glory in us

All I see are broken vessels

Clay pots, misshapen and cracked

This is His glorious church?

How can it be?

Me so broken, us so broken

So I follow the golden thread of this word “glory”

Through the tapestry of the New Testament

The momentary afflictions of this life work in us

Produce in us eternal glory

Creation groans and waits and waits and groans

For the day His glory is revealed in us

Through us in its fullness

When He comes again He will be revealed in the fullness of His glory

And we, imagine that!

no longer misshapen

no longer cracked

we will be revealed with Him in glory

The glory of God revealed in its fullness in the Son

and in His people, His bride

And so I hope

Waiting and groaning, groaning and waiting

For that great day

 

Still following,

Elizabeth



Monday, September 26, 2011

Simplified autumn mantel…

                                                        I’m a notorious over doer.

Last fall I had so much fall décor going on in my little house it basically looked like an orange explosion.

Then I weeded out the excess and was a lot happier with the result.

This year I tried to go simple right from the start.

Less “orange explosion”, and more calm and peaceful neutrals.

I removed a large painting and wall sconces from the wall above the mantel,

using this chippy old window as the focal point instead.

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Even my choice of pumpkin colors this year is more subtle.

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I’m looking for some type of vintage autumn card to perch in this old flower frog.

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I love my carved wooden goose.

I bought it in Maine on our visit there 10 years ago.

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A simple decoration of Indian corn held by twine hangs on the old window.

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I’m liking this year’s simple, less “over the top” mantel!

 

Still following,

Elizabeth


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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Oceans of love…

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The sea always speaks to me…

of His love that never fails,

like the ceaseless rolling of the waves,

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of His love so overwhelming, so powerful,

like the untamed might of the sea,

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of His love immeasurable,

like the bottomless depths of the sea.

Oh, how He loves us!

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I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little green journal.

 

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-the Hubs reading excerpts from Brennan Manning’s book aloud to us as we drove along

-safe travels from Nova Scotia back to Portland, Maine

-Mama’s girlhood home, beautiful Bath, Maine

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-brick sidewalks

-old historic homes

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-my Nana’s home, where Mama grew up

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-lunch at Maxwell’s

-lobster roll

-blueberry pie

-quaint shops downtown

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-Popham Beach

-dinner at Taste of Maine with my Aunt, Uncle and cousin

-visiting at my Aunt’s home after dinner, talking and laughing together

-the blessing of this whole amazing trip

-a safe flight home to Portland, Oregon

-beautiful faces of our oldest daughter and youngest granddaughter to pick us up at the airport

-HOME!

-the way He loves us

-the sunrise out of the window of my home office, cool morning breezes through the open window

-a bike ride with my friend on a gorgeous fall Saturday morning

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-the freedom of obedience

-daily bread

-God’s amazing love

 

Gratefully yours,

Elizabeth