Friday Photos - Everyday Images #15

 Kym from A Fresh Cup of Coffee has a link up for "Everyday Images" and below is the list of prompts of August.  Kym says:  "I am sharing my photos every other Tuesday, along with my prompts for the next two weeks. You can use all or some of the prompts for your own photo posts, or none of the prompts and just link up a post featuring your photos. Simple rules: Your posts must be family-friendly; the photos must be your own; and the post must be mostly photos. If you do share I'd appreciate a mention and link to A Fresh Cup of Coffee on your post."  

August Prompts - Everyday Images #15

~~~~~

vintage

hidden

river

spot in town (quarterly)

yellow

forever

~~~~~

Vintage - Piano Babies are porcelain figurines used
to hold a shawl that served as a piano dust cover back
 in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Hidden - Hiding God's Word in our heart is very important

River - The Little Miami River yesterday afternoon

Spot in Town - Beautiful Gazebo in our town - sorry about
the barrier stuff, but the farmer's market was going on
in the parking lot.

Yellow - Tis the season for school buses again.

Another Yellow - Beautiful house in our town

Forever - God's Word is forever!

If you'd like to link up with Kym, you can do that here.  Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a great day.

Cathy

Share 4 Somethings - June 2023

 

I'm linking up with Jennifer at Overflowing With Thankfulness for Share 4 Somethings.  The prompts are things we loved, read, learned and ate in June.

Loved:  Our crochet group.  I'm enjoying getting back to crocheting more often.  But mostly I like this group because I'm making friends.  It's fun just being together and talking and crocheting and building friendship.  I'm so glad my sister invited me to join in with this group. Below is the project I'm currently working on.  In fact, when I get done on this post, I plan to find a movie to watch and crochet a little this morning,

Read:  I have read 4 books so far this month.  If you check my Good Reads in the sidebar, you can see what I've read.  I'm getting ready to download another book to read  Hopefully, I'll get some time to read a little bit this weekend.

I'm still enjoying reading the 4 Gospels along with Annie F. Downs each month.  This month we're reading the Gospels in the New Revised Standard Version.  I love reading a different version every month.

Learned: I like mysteries more that I thought. Earlier this year, I read a complete series of mysteries from Alana Terry and now Hubby and I have been enjoying some of the mystery series movies on Hallmark.  Mystery 101, Martha's Vineyard, Crossword Mysteries, Flower Shop Mystery (with Brooke Shields) and several more.  We save these to watch on the weekend usually.  I think I like them because they are not overly intense.

Ate: Hubby and I went to Ford's Garage for lunch yesterday.  We've eaten there a few times in the last couple of years and we both really like it.  We both got a chicken dish (not the same one though) and both were delicious. In fact I had my leftovers for supper last night,  It was probably one of the best meals this month.  We've also had a Starbucks drink a few times this month. I've also been eating blackberries mixed in with my yogurt...Delicious!  The blackberries are from my sister's yard that she has frozen.  She's got bunches, so she gave me a bag.  When I eat my yogurt, I grab a handful of the frozen berries and drop them in.  I've also been enjoying some melon and strawberries too.  In fact, I need to pick some up from the grocery as I am out right now.   All have been very good!

Well that's my 4 Somethings for June.  Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a good weekend.

Cathy

Bits of This and That

 

Good morning!

Happy Monday everyone.  It's been another nice weekend.  On Saturday I got up early and took another 30 minute walk with the dog and then came home and got cleaned up and headed out to lunch with my sister and her husband and my husband's mom.  It was so fun being with family and eating and laughing and talking.  Such a nice time together.  After that we went home and enjoyed a quiet evening watching a couple Hallmark Mystery Movies.  We both have been enjoying these in the last couple months.  We watched one of the Chronicle Mysteries and Mystery 101 movie series,  And I think hubby has a couple more of these recorded to watch.  We usually only watch movies on the weekend.  I know there are some new movie mysteries coming up yet this month that he has set to record. 

On Sunday we had 2 church services and in between hubby and I had Chipotle for lunch and then took a nice nap.  Below is the pre-recorded sermon from Sunday.  It is the last in the series called Big Promises for Big Problems.  This one is titled God's Answer to Despair.

So it was a really nice and relaxing weekend.  Just the way we like it.  Oh and I forgot, we finally got some good rain Sunday evening, which we desperately needed,  Thank you God.

Cathy

Share 4 Somethings - April 2023

 

I'm linking up with Jennifer at Overflowing with Thankfulness for Share 4 Somethings.  The prompts are things we loved, read, learned and ate in April.

Loved:  Jennifer Rothschild Bible study on Amos.  We finished it last Tuesday.  It was really good.  Who knew you could get so much out of such a small book in the Bible?  I recommend if you're looking for a good Bible study, that you try this one.

Read:  I read 4 books by Lynette Eason in early April.  I'm kinda in a slump though this last couple of weeks.  I actually have 2 I'm working on slowly.  We'll see if I get them finished before the end of May.  lol  

I've also been reading the 4 Gospels along with Annie F. Downs.  This month we're reading the Gospels in the Message version. 

Learned: I've learned that I should have watched the Chosen series a long time ago.  Actually, I did watch the first season but never watched the others.  So recently I re-watched the first season and am now in season three and I'm so enjoying it.

Ate: Yesterday, we went out to eat with hubby's mom and my sister and her husband.  The food was good, but the best part was just being together and having so much fun talking and laughing.  I love my family. 

Well that's my 4 Somethings for April.  You can link up here if you'd enjoy writing a Share Something post or visiting others who have.  

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a good weekend.

Cathy

Bits of This and That

 

Good morning:  It's Monday 4/3/2023 at 10:18 and it's 50 degrees out, rather overcast and starting to rain. 

Hubby and I took a drive to Middletown to drop off our tax information to the people who do our taxes each year.  These people are the best.  After dropping them off, we ran through McDonald's drive-thru and picked up a quick breakfast and are now at church.  I just completed listening to the scriptures for today.  3 chapters in Luke.  Below is what I'm using for my personal reading scripture each day.  If you're interested in knowing more, I've added a link.  If you click on the picture below it should take to where you can join in with Annie Downs for the reading of the 4 Gospels each month.  I've really been enjoying this. 

After I finish this blog post and read a few of yours, I will be working on the lessons for this week's Bible Study with the ladies on Tuesday night.  I'm a little behind but I have the rest of the morning and all afternoon to catch up.  If you're looking for a good study, we're doing Amos by Jennifer Rothschild and it's really good.

We've had a really good, quiet and mostly peaceful weekend.   On Friday, I finished book 4 in the Kennedy Stern Series by Alana Terry.  I went to Libby to get book 5 and had to put it on hold, as someone else is reading it.  I ended up getting book 1 in a series by Lynette Eason called Extreme Measures.  Book 1 is called Life Flight.  I really enjoyed this book a lot, but sometimes I had to put it down because the suspense would get so intense.  Sometimes I just have to step away for a bit and then I can come back.  I'm the same way with movies and some TV series that we watch.  It really was a very good book.  I finished it Sunday (I hardly ever read a book that fast) and now I'm reading book 2 in that series called Crossfire and I think it's going to be really good too.  If you are interested in checking them out to see if you'd like them, you can click on the link to my GoodReads account in the sidebar to the right.  The book I'm reading now is my 21st read of the year.  For some reason, I'm really in the reading zone.

Hubby and I went out each day this weekend for a bit, but we really spent a lot of time at home and I think we both loved that.

Sunday we had 2 really good services, a nap in the afternoon which all made for a perfect Sunday.  I'm posting the pre-recorded Sunday morning sermon which was the final sermon in the "What the Cross Meant" series.

Well, that is pretty much our weekend in a nut shell.  I hope you had a really good one too.  Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a great day.

Cathy

Currently - March 2023

 

Today it's time for the March Currently Post.  You can link up with Jennifer here, as she is the hostess.  This months topics are Things we are Currently Loving, Starting, Finishing, Trying, and Going.

Currently I am:

Loving:  I'm still loving reading the gospels along with Annie F. Downs.  This month is going to be very interesting.  I just finished todays and I think I'm going to really like it.  First of all, we're reading from the NLT version which is my favorite.  Secondly she will be reading it chronologically.  Now, last year I read the whole Bible chronologically using the YouVersion App.  But this plan she's using is by passages and not chapters.  It's a lot of flipping around in the Bible.  Today I followed along in my Coloring/Journaling Bible and I think that may be a little too distracting.  So, I may choose to just listen to her read it.  We'll see.  Either way, I think it's going to be very good.  

I don't have a link, but look for this wherever
you listen to podcasts.

Starting:  Our Ladies Bible Study will be starting up next week.  We are doing another study by Jennifer Rothschild.  This one is on the book of Amos, an Invitation to the Good Life.  I'm really excited to get started. 

Finishing:  The crochet project I started last month, is coming along and I hope to finish it this month sometime.  I'm also hoping to finish the current book I'm reading.  It's called The Secret Society of Salzburg, by Renee Ryan.  I'm about 3/4 of the way through it.  

Trying:  I'm trying to get back to walking more. I know I've said that before and I do it for a few days and then the weather changes and I let up on it.  But honestly that's a cop-out, because if it's too cold or raining, I could find a place to walk inside.  Okay, March is the month (I hope)!

Going:  No plans to go anywhere in March, but if the weather stays nice, we may take a day trip or two.  Time will tell.

That's it for today.  Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a great day.

Cathy

Thankful Thursday

 

Link up here.

Things I am thankful for this week:

**Beautiful skies and sunsets

  

**Another anniversary - 34 years together with my husband. I feel God blessed me so much by giving me this man.  I think hubby would say the same about me.  Thank you God for letting us meet each other and love each other.  Again, what a blessing.

**Scripture - I am enjoying reading the 4 Gospels along with Annie F, Downs.  In January we read from the NIV version and this month we are reading from the ESV version.  I'm noticing things that I don't remember seeing before.  I just want to know more about Jesus and where better to learn than in the Gospels.

**Ruth Series of Unexpected Grace in our Sunday morning sermons at Church.  Ruth is such a short book, but it is stuffed full of good stuff.

**Reading - I have read about 11 books so far this year and I'm currently reading another good one and I have several in the wings waiting.

**Crocheting - I'm really liking crocheting again and I am so thankful for the ladies that started a group and invited me too.  First of all, I'm loving getting to know them.  I'm so thankful for new friends.

**Journaling/Coloring Bible - I am still enjoying this so much.  This is the one I'm currently working on.  I am so thankful for the grace of Jesus and I can't imagine surviving in this world without His grace.

**New Garage Door Opener - Our old opener was having problems.  It only worked intermittently.  Hubby called a company we have used once before.  The guy came out Monday and several options were give and hubby decided we'd be better to get a new one.  We've had this one for a long time and trying to fix it would have cost almost as much as just putting in a new one.  You don't realize how much you use something until it isn't working any more.  So thankful to have it working again and it's much quieter too.

**Revival - I'm so thankful for the revival at Asbury and the outpouring of the Spirit.  It's so encouraging and I hope lives will be changed for everyone there and then that they will testify and share to all they know and that the Spirit will change many more lives through them.

That is all for today and I hope you have a great day and thanks for visiting!

Cathy

Bits of This and That

 

Hello on this beautiful Monday.  Blue skies and beautiful clouds and it's 55 degrees outside.  And to me, this is perfect weather.  

Met my 2 sisters this morning and went to pick up some groceries and stuff and then my younger sister picked up lunch from Frisch's Big Boy before she went back home.  I then dropped my other sister off at home and I picked up a couple sandwiches at a local shop for hubby and I and I'm back at church working on this post.  This week seems to be starting out at a racer's pace.  lol

We've been having some trouble with our garage door opener for about a week and a half.  Last night we had to lower the door manually, so hubby called a company we've used before and they will be out this afternoon between 4:00-6:00 to check it out and see if it can be repaired or does it need to be replaced.  Either is fine with me as long as we can get it working soon.  We prefer entering the house through the garage because our Lucy is a runner and will take off if given half a chance.  Coming through the front door could be a problem.

Our Sunday was a really good day.  We had church and hubby preached Sermon #7 on Ruth and Unexpected Grace.  I'll post it below in case anyone has been following along.  After church we picked up some chicken for lunch and watched part 2 of a documentary on an earthquake at Mt. Everest in 2015, while we ate lunch. After that we both took a nice nap and then Lucy and I took a walk around the neighborhood.  It was so nice out but really windy.  After that we went to church for Bible Study and then home for the evening and relaxed and watched some TV and I did a little crocheting.

Not a great picture, but if you look closely
you can see Lucy laying a pile of blankets on
the recliner.

Saturday was our 34th Anniversary so we went out to lunch at Texas Roadhouse and I had an absolutely delicious Dallas Filet, baked potato and house salad.  About the best that I've had in quite awhile. I sure do love this man! Below is our wedding day and below that is a selfie at the restaurant.

On Thursday hubby and I took my sister and her husband to the hospital for a procedure he needed to have done.  The hospital is 30-40 minutes away.  We dropped then off and then we went for some lunch and then came back and sat in the parking lot waiting.  It took a 4-5 hours, but we didn't mind.  We had stuff to read and I took some crochet and we both love to people watch. On the way to lunch we passed the cemetery where my grandparents are buried.  It has been a long time since I've stopped there.  We did this day and here is a picture of their tombstone.   These are my dad's parents.

Sunday's Sermon

That's all for today.  Thanks for visiting.

Cathy

Thankful Thursday

 Good Morning: 

I love to take time to say thanks to God for all He does for me.  This scripture is a favorite this week. The Lord is definitely good and I don't understand how people can go through hard times without Him.  I'm so glad I can talk to Him anytime and anywhere.  You can trust Him for sure always and forever.

**I am really enjoying my journaling/coloring Bible.  Here are some pages I colored from the book of Ruth.  I love the book of Ruth.  It really shows how God is working things out in our life before we even know about the problem we may be facing.

**I'm thankful to have had the time to watch a movie and have a cup of hot chocolate because of a snow day on Monday.  For the first time in many years I am enjoying snow (not necessarily being in it, but looking at it from inside.    It's so beautiful and I don't even mind shoveling it.  Since I no longer have to get out and drive in it to go to work, I can just enjoy the beauty.  And that is what I'm doing.

**Believe it or not, I'm thankful for having a good dentist.  Now, I really, really hate going to the dentist, but I'm thankful that my dentist is good and takes good care of my teeth.  Actually, I've been seeing him for years, but now I'm seeing his daughter.  Nice to keep it in the family.

Waiting Room

That's it for today.  The link-up is here.  Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a blessed day.

Cathy

Thankful Thursday

Things I am Thankful for (not in any particular order):

**Life - Waking up in the morning is a wonderful gift.  So many don't wake up.  I'm choosing to be grateful for every day I wake up on this side of the dirt. 😁 

**Family - I'm blessed with a wonderful husband, 2 daughters, 2 son-in-laws (well the 2nd one will be my son-in-law in July, 1 grandson, a fun and wise mother-in-law, 2 sisters and 1 brother.  I'm blessed with a great brother-in-law and a sweet sister-in-law, nephews and nieces and 1 great nephew.  Plus, tons of cousins, some aunts and uncles.  I love every one of them.

**Home - We have a nice home (built by my father) that keeps us dry and warm.

**Dog - Love my dog Lucy.  She brings me so much laughter and love and sometimes annoyance, but I wouldn't trade her for anything.

**Church - I love our church and church family and I believe they love us too.  

**God - He is so good to us and loves us beyond all measure.  I pray I will always be able to see others through His eyes.  

**Bible - I love the scripture more and more.

**Child of God - "John 1-12 says "But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God."  It thrills me to know that I am a child of God.  I mean, really that is the most wonderful thing in the world.  I'm thrilled to be my mom and dad's child, but being a child of Almighty God is amazing.  We are joint heirs with Jesus Christ!!!  What could ever be better.  If you are not a child of God, but would like to be, Romans 10:9-10 tells you how.  "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.'

**Blogging Friends - I so appreciate each one of you that stop by and visit from time to time.  I love reading your blogs too.  You teach me so much and remind me to stay close to the Lord.  You share your recipes, your pictures, your words of wisdom and encouragement.  I cannot tell you how much that means to me.

I'm going to stop there for today. I'm linking up with Jennifer at Overflowing With Thankfulness for Thankful Thursday.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a great day.

Cathy

Things I'm Enjoying This Week

 Doing a new kind of post today.  These are some things I am enjoying this week.

** Books - I'm currently in the middle of two books.  

Actually, I finished this book last night.
I plan to get another one by the same
author later today.

This one is going a little slower for me.
There are lots of descriptions and I'm more
of a person that wants things happening and
I need very little description of where they
are.  Although, it's been fun because Ellen at the 
Happy Wonderer is posting about her trip
to the place that this book is about.  So, I'm
actually seeing some of the places on her 
post that are in this book.  You should check 
her out today. 

**Sky -  There was a beautiful sky the other night as the sun was starting to set. Of course, I feel my phone seldom does the view true justice.

**Inspire Bible - I am so enjoying this Bible.  I enjoy the coloring and I know I can journal in it too.  Here are a couple of the pictures from the book of Ruth that our current Sunday morning sermon series of Unexpected Graces is from. 

**Movies - I'm enjoying watching free faith-based movies even when they make me cry sometimes. 

"The Girl Who Believes in Miracles" (and it
really did make me cry) is really good.  I 
watched it on Tubi.

Well, that's all I have time for right now, as I have to go meet my sisters in a few minutes.  I hope you all have a really great day.  Thanks for visiting.

Cathy

Currently - January 2023

Loving - This bracelet from MudLOVE in the picture below that I bought while we were Myrtle Beach.  I love wearing it almost every day to keep reminding myself to choose joy.  I ordered 2 more today that says hope and the others says loved.  Each bracelet pays for 1 week of clean water though the group Water for Good.

And I also am still loving my coloring/journaling Bible too.

Resolving - I'm resolving to read the 4 gospels in January along with Annie F. Downs. 3 chapters a day is supposed to cover all 4 gospels.

Organizing - I just ordered a new desk for my church office and then I'll use the current folding table I'm using to hold some storage bins so I can get things more organized there.  Right now I have things stacked all over and then I have to move stuff to get to other stuff.  I'm really hoping this will help.  My next step is to organize the guest room/craft room in the house.

Anticipating - the desk I talked about above.  I love getting new things that help make life a little easier and nice.

Eating - Hubby and I both are trying to cut out some of the carbs we've been eating over the holidays.  I lost 15 lbs. before the holidays and I'm mostly maintaining.  But it's time to get back to business, walking, eating better and just taking better care of myself.

You can link up here for January's Currently if you'd like.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a good day.

Cathy

New Year's Eve - Retirement Anniversary

December 31, 2021 I retired from work after being employed for 45 years.  Today is my 1 year anniversary and I have loved being retired as I have said on here many times. It's hard to believe it's been a whole year.   Now, onto year 2 of retirement.  I'm excited to see what will happen.

This year, I completed the Chronological Read the Bible in a Year on the YouVersion App. I love this App and would recommend it to anyone reading the Bible and looking for an app so you can read it on your phone.  Some days I read it myself and some days I read along with the audio version.  I recommend this app and this Reading Plan. 

For 2023, my plan was to spend the year in the New Testament.  Then I heard about what Annie F. Downs is doing.  She is planning to spend the year in the four gospels and is each month reading all 4 of them in different versions.  She is reading them on a podcast and that podcast will post each day.  She says if you read 3 chapters each day, you will complete the four in a month.  I'm committing to January and see how it goes.  She is using the NIV version for January.

My 2022 Reading Goal was to read 50 books and I finished my 50th book on Tuesday night.  I'm planning to make the same goal again for 2023.

Tonight hubby and I are just staying in.  We went to Red Lobster for lunch and then to the grocery.  We took a nap and I made some potato soup for supper.  We're watching TV and doing laundry and just having a typical Saturday night at home.  Exciting right? lol  But I'm happy and it will be great to have the laundry done to start the year out.

I'm hoping our 2023 will be a great year.  But no matter what I'm trusting God to be with us each step of the way.  Just like He was this year.

Happy New Year to all.

Cathy