Waiting

This is how I feel

Do I just sit and wait on God? "Be STILL and KNOW that I am GOD.

or

Do I try to find a way out of this place?

Here We Go Again

thomas-moran-oil-painting-on-canvas-the-angry-sea

I feel like this ship tossed on the angry sea.

Tomorrow my husband is going in for a heart cath to put stints in to relieve more blockage. He has been having trouble for months but we didn't have insurance so we were waiting until I could get a job with benefits. That hasn't happened and so we could not wait any longer. We go to meet with the surgeon today.
I am still looking for a job. We went to a trucking job fair Friday and are seriously considering driving a small sprint truck. We might as well see the country. Our girls are at college and we don't have a house so we could do this to get back on our feet.
(As long as my husband gets better.)
The lady we are living with is getting tired of us I think, so I am really feeling the pressure to find a new place. ( but I don't know where)

I know with all my heart God is in control
That these trials make us stronger
Most days I am at peace, trusting in Him and waiting. Knowing He has a plan.
The pastor yesterday had a great story about letting Jesus steer my bike.
It was a great illistration. I felt better.
But
Today I do not.
I'm scared
Getting scared gets me in trouble.
So it's back to FAITH and TRUST.
He has not let us down yet and we really are not in need of anything important.
He has truly blessed us so why do I get scared?
I'll be fine but I'm just really feeling that I don't have the strength He thinks I have.
If you are so inclined I'd appreciate your prayer support.
Thanks

Help Please

A library in need...

I LOVE books. I LOVE to read. I want everyone to LOVE to read or at least have the opportunity to read. When I came across this post I knew I had to share. We have to many books to move again so I am just going to bite the bullet and let them go. I hope you have some to pass along or can buy some nice used books from your local 2nd hand book store and support local! Win, win for all involved.

The original post comes from Danielle ~ here http://www.frenzyofnoise.net

"The literature section of Ballou Senior High School's library in Washington, DC has 63 books, not enough to fill five small shelves. In the area marked "Pure Science," there are 77 volumes. The generally accepted standard for school libraries is 11 books for each of Ballou's 1,104 students."
Why we should care:


"It's a challenge for kids to take their literacy seriously when they don't even have books to read. Ballou is located in the most dangerous ward in our nation's capitol. Right now, the library serves as a physical safe space and a refuge for students in off school hours, but wouldn't it be great if they had something to read while they were there--even choices across genre?....This is not the only school in the country with needs, but when the flare went up we saw it and chose to respond."
What they need:
Everything. From Shakespeare to Octavia Butler to Richard Wright. Fantasy, sci-fi, YA, adult fiction, history books, poetry, classic literature, science. Basically anything and everything suitable for teens. She said they would take anything as long as it is in GOOD condition and has no writing in it.
I've asked if they would accept ARCs (new or old), and the director of the book drive, Lisa, said YES.

How to donate:
If you have books you want to give, please mail them directly to:
Perry School
c/o Margaret Pegram
128 M St. NW suite 318
Washington, DC 20001
Inside the box put a note that says "c/o Lisa P. Ballou Book Drive".

The school will be accepting books until August 22nd.

(Also, if you'd like to include some kind of quick note for the kids, words of encouragement, that would be awesome!!)

Spread the word!
Reblog this post on your blog. Tweet this post. (we're on twitter at #HSBookDrive) Tell everyone. Send books

Solitude and Silence

I am currently studying Dallas Willard's book The Divine Conspiracy. Today he was teaching us how important times of solitude and silence is to our spiritual growth.

I usually feel the need to be busy. I feel guilty if I just do nothing.

I like solitude. Actually I LOVE it!

So reading that it is necessary gave me permission to just enjoy this day of rest the Lord tells us to observe.

Quietly observing nature

meditating

praying

reading some

napping

What a great day!

I named this file "Builder of Dreams"

Just thought I'd share some summer images and a prompt to stop and be silent sometime this week.

Happy 4th and some weekend estate finds!

We started our celebrating Friday evening with friends in Columbus at their Red, White and Boom fireworks show.

As always we had a great time!

Sat. I went to some garage sales

Found these wonderful bottles. I will be altering these and putting them in my Etsy store with some of the items below and some will be Halloween poison bottles!

In this cool metal box was a treasure trove of ephemera.

I just about died! Look at all of this greatness.

some other random stuff that was in the box also. Just found this sale by a sign on the road!

Do you think a baby teethed on this during church?

Then on my way to my Dayton Etsy meeting I saw an Estate Clearance sale sign.

"Clearance" really?

Favorites of this group

Love how delicate!

Very cool wooden frame and portrait

I'm keeping the Meaken ironstone! Jewels for altering.

All of the above from Estate clearance...$9.00!

Then Sunday was an auction. I was really just there to get some paper ephemera items if I could find any.

Could not let these go. They are going in my Esty store. So awesome. Love all the different shapes and sizes.

More linens 2 ladies thought weren't good enough. They kept running the price up on all the hankies and doilies. Good thing I had gotten mine the day before. They were paying $20.00 a box lot. I paid $5.00 for these.

This group is my favorite of all I got for $5.00

Then I found these Photochrome Stereo View cards Great for mixed media folks. Going into Etsy.

Then the one thing I have been hoping to find are old cards and game pieces. I walked into the auction and what did I find right away?

This!

I waited 4 hours but it was worth it!

So much fun. Now I am off to spend the day with my husbands family eating good food and having relaxing conversation.

Oh yeah my friend we are living with, had the best fireworks show right here in our back yard.

Amazing.

Hope you all have had a wonderful weekend also.

Winners and a Sunday Drive

I'm a day late announcing my winners because my husband wanted to take a drive down to the Ohio River yesterday.

He needed to get away for a day and it was beautiful here finally.

We left pretty quickly so I didn't take a camera. I wish I had. We passed so many fields

Beautiful farms and homes

I love the rural areas. I'm just a country girl at heart. I didn't grow up in the country but my house was on the edge of town and I had a farm across the street. I had the best of both worlds. Most of my cousins lived on farms so they called me "town girl". I spent a lot of time at my Grandparent farm so I still feel like a country girl.

Homes getting ready for the 4th of July. We saw lots of flags.

So you are saying, if she didn't take a camera what are these photos of? Well I'm cheating and using photos from the country roads where my Grandparents farm is and all the places I remember when I was growing up. The 1st red brick home is their house. The rest are places near by. This is the small country church I grew up in.

I miss those simpler times.

We did have a wonderful Saturday (actually) drive down around southern Ohio and over into Kentucky.

Country roads are best .

Did your family ever take Sunday drives?

Ok, now for the winners.

Relyn is the winner of "The Long Journey Home"

Karena is the winner if "The Randolph Legacy"

and

Amy is the winner of "Caleb's Crossing"

Ladies, send me your addresses at my email and I'll get them sent ASAP! Happy Reading.

smash585@earthlink.net

Current Books and a Giveaway!

I am doing something I HATE to do!

I am reading 3 books at one time.

I started this book because it was on an all time favorite list

of an author I really enjoy reading.

All of the reviews are 5 stars.

They do warn that it is a bit long but so worth it.

I'm trying, but I may have to give up. It's a bit like Alice In Wonderland.

I really do not know what the point is or

where it is going and I am on page 120 of 538.

Has anyone else read this and should I keep going?

I have loved all of the books by Geraldine Brooks that I have read so far so I was sad when I read Marie's review of her latest book here http://www.bostonbibliophile.com I do like a lot of the same books that Marie likes, but we may disagree on this one. Well she had a giveaway of this book and I got it! I am currently reading it,

(Little,Big is on the shelf right now)

and I have to say it is keeping my interest.

Last Friday Marie asked on her Friday Finds, what books did we add to our shelf this week? Since I can not spend any money on books right now I have not been adding any new books but I had something exciting happen last Saturday so I have a list!

While I was sitting at my craft show last Saturday,

(which was a bust :{ ) looks like a mustache instead of a pout LOL,

Sorry I digress.

I planned to continue reading Caleb's Crossing but I left it in my car,

which my daughter needed so that left me at the show without my book.

Gurrrrrrrrrrrrrr

As luck would have it the local library had a free book booth there!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So,

Here are the books I added to my shelf! FREE

The 1st one here on top, I read this week.

(Caleb's Crossing went on the shelf with Little, Big too)

The Randolph Legacy by Eileen Charbonneau

I really liked this book!

Is is historical fiction with lots of twist and turns to keep it a page turner. She gives you enough info to string you along so you can't put it down. I really have not read a book this interesting in awhile.

The next 3 I also picked up. BTW, I really support our public libraries so I asked if I could leave a donation and she was very pleased so I did.

I have no idea if I will like any of these but they all sounded like good reads and I could not pass up free books. I tried not to be greedy.

Now on to one of the books I found at a garage sale. My copy is Old, published in 1922 so it doesn't look like this.

I am trying to include a classing here and there through out the year so I hope to start this one soon. The fact that mine is vintage makes me like it more ;) plus it cost me .25!

OK, so now for the give always!

I reviewed The Long Journey Home here

http://theeccentriclady.blogspot.com/2011/06/long-journey-home-book-review.html#links

I received it as one of my Library Things early review books.

If you would like to receive it, I will pass it on.

Leave the title in your comment and I will draw a name to see who will receive this book.

I will also pass along Caleb's Crossing as soon as I finish it. (I started reading it again today) Leave this title in your comment and I will draw names to see who gets this book.

I might as well pass along The Randolph Legacy also! Do the same thing.

I will draw the names Saturday June 25th. Please only one book per comment.

It's always fun to get a free book so I hope some of you will leave a comment to be included in my giveaway. Hope you have a wonderful week.