Amazing Grace

Grace! 'tis a charming sound,

harmonious to the ear.

- Philip Doddridge -

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; 

that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, 

may abound to every good work.

- 2 Corinthians 9:8 -

Enjoy the music while you read the beloved words

of this well-known hymn.

Amazing grace-

how sweet the sound,

that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost but now am found,

was blind but now I see.

T'was grace that taught

my heart to fear,

and grace my fears relieved;

how precious did that grace appear

the hour I first believed!

Thru many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come;

'tis grace hath brought us safe thus far,

and grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,

His word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be

as long as life endures.

When we've been here ten thousand years,

bright shining as the sun,

we've no less days to sing God's praise

than when we'd first begun.

- John Newton -

And of his fulness have all we received, 

and grace for grace. 

For the law was given by Moses, 

but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

- John 1:16-17 -

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. 

But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 

so that, just as sin reigned in death, 

so also grace might reign through righteousness 

to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD.

- Romans 5:20-21 -

Calling himself a "wretch" who was lost and blind,

John Newton recalled leaving school at the age of eleven

to begin a life as a rough, debauched seaman.

Eventually he engaged in the despicable practice of capturing natives

from West Africa to be sold as slaves to markets around the world.

But one day the grace of God put fear into the heart 

of this wicked slave trader through a fierce storm.

Greatly alarmed and fearful of a shipwreck,

Newton began to read The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis.

God used this book to lead him to a genuine conversion

and a dramatic change in his way of life.

Feeling a definite call to study for the ministry,

Newton was encouraged and greatly influenced 

by John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield.

At the age of thirty-nine, John Newton became an ordained minister

of the Anglican church to the little village of Olney,

near Cambridge, England.

To add further impact to his powerful preaching,

Newton introduced simple heartfelt hymns 

rather than the usual psalms in his services.

Until the time of his death at the age of eighty-two,

John Newton never ceased to marvel at the grace of God

that transformed him so completely.

Shortly before his death he is quoted as proclaiming

with a loud voice during a message,

"My memory is nearly gone,

but I remember two things:
That I am a great sinner 

and that Christ is a great Savior!"

What amazing grace!

- Amazing Grace - Kenneth W. Osbeck -

Saved by grace alone!

This is my plea:

Jesus died for all mankind,

And Jesus died for me.

- Philip Doddridge -

Have a blessed Lord's Day,

sweet friends!

Would You Care For A Cinnamon Stick?

Hello, friends!
And HAPPY DAY to you.

I'm so thankful to have you here

and while you're visiting,

can I offer you a sweet cinnamon stick?
I also have coffee or tea ready to be poured.

{{smiles}}

These cinnamon sticks are quite the treat

and if your sweet tooth is demanding something to satisfy it

well, these will do the trick.

Here is what you will need to make some:

1 puff pastry sheet-thawed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 F 

and spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Unfold the puff pastry and cut it in half, lengthwise, 

then cut into strips (less than 1 inch wide)

Gently transfer the strips onto baking sheet

and bake 8 to 10 minutes

or until golden brown.

While the cinnamon sticks are baking 

melt the butter and set aside.

Combine cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

While they are still warm, roll baked sticks into melted butter 

but make sure you don’t soak them, just coat all the sides

 then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. 

The original recipe called for a chocolate dipping sauce,

but since my husband is not a chocolate lover

I made a Confectioners' sugar icing dip instead.

I just mixed a little bit of vanilla with Confectioners' sugar and heavy cream

until I got the desired consistency for dipping.

These cinnamon sticks are incredibly sweet.

If you wanted to cut back on the sweetness

you could simply make the sticks

and skip the butter and sugar coating.

Just mix a little bit of cinnamon and sugar into the icing

and you will have a yummy, but not so sweet treat.

Mmmm. . .

enjoy, sweet friends!

Love and hugs to you.

* * * * * * * *

SALE! SALE! SALE!
Enjoy 25% off your order at

Rose Petal Blessings.

Offer good until April 30, 2018.

A Memory A Day For Moms

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: 

and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

- Psalm 127:3 -

Hello, friends!

Today I have a lovely little book

that I'm excited to share with you.

And it's just in time for Mother's Day next month.

Life is a collection of moments.

A Memory a Day for Moms

is an inspiring journal that will hold five years of memories

and reflections in one beautiful volume.

Just one simple thought a day 

to preserve five years of memories with your children—

finally, a record book that is doable! 

A Memory a Day for Moms, a beautiful five-year journal 

with carefully curated questions and writing prompts, 

offers you just that. 

Jot down a single thought, memory, or prayer, 

and build a treasured keepsake day by day.

Mothers in all stages of life will find something to love 

about A Memory a Day for Moms, 

as it allows you to reflect on and record your children’s growth 

and your own journey as a mom. 

Whether you are knee-deep with littles 

or navigating the tricky waters of high school and beyond, 

prompts such as 

"My child said the funniest thing today!" 

"My hope for my child is," 

and "Lately we’ve been enjoying _ together" will always resonate.

This luxurious journal makes a beautiful gift for a birthday or baby shower, 

a Mother's Day, or as a special treat for yourself. 

With spacious lines and a prettily designed interior, 

you will love coming back to A Memory a Day for Moms day after day.

I have shared with you in the past that I am not one for journaling.

While I would love to write down everything that happens in a week

I simply don't. . .and I kick myself that I am not writing down the memories.

This book is perfect for me as I can write down something special each day.

Every day of the year the book asks a question

making for a wonderful way to preserve the memories.

I love that I can use this journal for five years,

and how fun it will be to pass it down to my son when he is grown!

There is a place for special notes

and on each page you will find encouraging thoughts

and Scripture verses.

Whether you enjoy journaling

or maybe you're like me and you simply don't do it,

this book is for you.

It is truly a special way to remember those special moments.

Mother's Day is next month, my friends,

and this would be a lovely gift for any mother.

FAMILY:

today's little moments

become tomorrow's precious memories.

** I was given a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers

for an honest review. 

All thoughts are my own and no other compensation was received. **

Have a blessed Lord's Day!

Handkerchief Tissue Holder

Cuddles.

They are appreciated.

And tea.

And blankets.

And you.

- Unknown -

A few weeks ago a little cold/bug visited me

and when I had to go to town while sick

I grabbed a handful of tissues to stuff in my purse.

I immediately told myself that I was going to make me a tissue holder

when I was feeling better. . .

so I did.

I've made plenty in the past,

but have always given them away.

This time instead of using cotton fabric

I used a vintage handkerchief and pink lace from an old shirt.

I've always loved the pink blossoms on this hankie,

but sadly the handkerchief itself was in rough condition

with a few stains here and there.

I was able to use the good part of the hankie to make the tissue holder

so it ended up being a win-win creation.

For the bit of pink showing at the opening

I used a lovely pink lace that came from a shirt.

This is how I made this easy peasy tissue holder.

Supplies:

hankie or scrap fabric

sewing machine

tissues

Here is my hankie before I cut it. . .

I cut the handkerchief to measure 7 x 6-inches.

The lining or inside fabric was cut to measure 8 1/2 x 6-inches.

Place the fabric right sides together 

and sew along the edge with a 1/2-inch seam.

You are not sewing along all four edges, just the two ends!

You will notice I have extra of the pink/lining fabric;

that is okay!

Once you've sewn the one edge together

you will simply pull the fabric together on the other side

and sew along the edge.

The lining fabric will have a bubble because there is a little extra.

Flip the fabric right side out 

and press with a hot iron.

You will have a little bit of lining showing

like the picture below shows.

Fold the two ends in so that they meet in the middle

like you see in the picture below.

Pin into place 

and sew along the two raw edges with a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

Trim with pinking shears so that the edges don't fray.

Then flip the tissue holder right side out.

Voila!

You're done.

Of course I had to embellish mine with a little something.

I used these cute little daisies from a flower trim I found at Hobby Lobby.

Being sick can seem like all fun and games

until you no longer live with your mom.

- Unknown -

Place some tissues in the holder

and you are good to go.

Now I don't have to have a wad of Kleenex hanging out of my purse

next time I have a cold!

Happy day to you, friends!

Thank you for visiting.

{{{hugs}}}

Last Day To Sign Up For The Tea Cup & Mug Exchange

Hi, friends!

Just popping in to let you know that today, April 8th,

is the last day to sign up for the Tea Cup and Mug Exchange.

You can find out how to register for this event

by clicking on the link below:

12th Tea Cup and Mug Exchange

Have a beautiful and blessed Lord's Day!