O For A Faith That Will Not Shrink

O, for a faith that will not shrink,

Though pressed by every foe,

That will not tremble on the brink

Of any earthly woe!

That will not murmur nor complain

Beneath the chastening rod,

But, in the hour of grief or pain,

Will lean upon its God.

A faith that shines more bright and clear

When tempests rage without;

That when in danger knows no fear,

In darkness feels no doubt.

That bears, unmoved, the world’s dread frown

Nor heeds its scornful smile;

That seas of trouble cannot drown,

Nor Satan’s arts beguile.

A faith that keeps the narrow way

Till life’s last hour is fled,

And with a pure and heavenly ray

Lights up a dying bed.

Lord, give me such a faith as this,

And then, whate’er may come,

I’ll taste, e’en here, the hallowed bliss

Of an eternal home.

- William Hiley Bathurst -

Discouragement can easily cause our faith to shrink,

and we may even at times consider quitting our service for God.

One of the chief characteristics of spiritual maturity

is the ability to persevere - even in the face of adversity.

God often permits difficulties to come into our lives

simply to allow our faith in Him to become stronger.

A faith that is never tested and strengthened

soon becomes a shrinking one.

But if our faith is real,

it will stand every test and prove to be an overcoming faith.

- Kenneth W. Osbeck -

{ While taking photos for this post the sweet neighborhood cat joined me

and I got distracted with taking pictures of her.}

* * * * * * * * * *

And the apostles said unto the Lord, 

Increase our faith.

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, 

ye might say unto this sycamine tree, 

Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; 

and it should obey you.

- Luke 17:5-6 -

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: 

as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

 - Romans 1:17 -

Above all, taking the shield of faith, 

wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

- Ephesians 6:16 -

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; 

but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

- 2 Timothy 1:7 -

Ponder this question-

Could I stand to lose everything 

and still have an implicit faith in God

and know with certainty that He is in control?

When the world seems at its worst,

Christians must be at their best.

- Unknown -

Blessings and joy to you

on this Lord's Day!

DIY Embroidery Hoop Ornament For The Christmas Tree

Hello, lovely friends!

I just looked at the calendar 

and realized Christmas is only two months away.

Where has the year gone?

I don't know about you,

but I am the kind of person that likes to get ready for the holidays early

so that when the time arrives I can simply relax and enjoy time with my family.

Just last week I ordered my Christmas cards

and in a short while I will begin the joy of addressing them.

Today I have a fun and sweet Christmas ornament to share with you.

You can hang it on your Christmas tree

or use it at as a gift topper.

What you need to make this ornament:

6-inch wood embroidery hoop

lace

tulle trim {found at Wal-Mart}

lace burlap or cotton fabric

pearls

beads or buttons

To make the lace tree

simply sew strips of lace that are about 5-inches together

{if you don't sew I think you could glue the strips together}.

As you can see I also used trim with sequins on it.

.

Once you've sewn the strips together

cut into a tree shape.

Then sew or glue the tree 

onto a piece of cotton fabric or lace burlap.

You will see in the photo below that I used two pieces of fabric

so that you cannot see the seams from sewing the tree onto the top piece of fabric.

Once you've placed the fabric in the hoop

you'll want to hot glue the tulle trim onto the back side.

Finish off the tree with a lovely little topper.

I used a lace bow and a sparkly bead.

As you can see

I went for a non-traditional Christmas color 

when making this pink ornament.

Pink is perfect for any holiday, right? {{smiles}}

For the burlap ornament 

I sewed a string of pearls onto the lace tree.

And then I cut out three burlap hearts 

to apply to the backside.

Simple yet elegant.

As you can see on these two ornaments

there is a tree trunk which is simply a strip of cream ribbon.

And last but not least. . .

this one has some pretty greenery with berries and flowers.

How about you, dear friends,

do you like to get ready for the holidays early?

Thanks for visiting!

I hope the remainder of your week is extra beautiful.

{{{hugs}}}

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The big reveal for the 9th Tea Cup and Mug Exchange 

will be next Wednesday, November 2nd.

I'm looking forward to seeing the tea cup and mug treasures
that the lovely ladies received.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Get started on that holiday shopping.
Handmade Christmas items and more available at
Rose Petal Blessings.

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Who Is On The Lord's Side?

Fight the good fight of faith, 

lay hold on eternal life, 

whereunto thou art also called, 

and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

- 1 Timothy 6:12 -

Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will serve the King?

Who will be His helpers, other lives to bring?

Who will leave the world’s side? Who will face the foe?

Who is on the Lord’s side? Who for Him will go?

By Thy call of mercy, by Thy grace divine,

We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!

Not for weight of glory, nor for crown and palm,

Enter we the army, raise the warrior psalm;

But for love that claimeth lives for whom He died:

He whom Jesus nameth must be on His side.

By Thy love constraining, by Thy grace divine,

We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!

Jesus, Thou hast bought us, not with gold or gem,

But with Thine own life blood, for Thy diadem;

With Thy blessing filling each who comes to Thee,

Thou hast made us willing, Thou hast made us free.

By Thy grand redemption, by Thy grace divine,

We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!

Fierce may be the conflict, strong may be the foe,

But the King’s own army none can overthrow;

’Round His standard ranging, victory is secure,

For His truth unchanging makes the triumph sure.

Joyfully enlisting, by Thy grace divine,

We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!

- Frances R. Havergal -

As Christians, we are to take our places in God's army

and not be ashamed to be counted as one of His.

The work of the gospel, 

inviting individuals to be personally reconciled with God,

is an urgent task, not a spectator sport.

It demands our whole-hearted, zealous involvement.

This militant hymn text by Frances R. Havergal

was originally titled "Home Missions,"

and was written in October 1877.

It was based on the Scripture setting in 1 Chronicles 12:1-18,

where a very select group of soldiers was preparing to join King David

in warfare against the enemy.

The poem later appeared in Loyal Responses,

published by the author in 1878.

 - Amazing Grace - Kenneth W. Osbeck -

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, 

choose you this day whom ye will serve; 

whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, 

or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: 

but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

- Joshua 24:15 -

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, 

it was needful for me to write unto you, 

and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith 

which was once delivered unto the saints.

- Jude 3 -

Have a blessed Lord's Day, friends!

The Devoted - Book Review

Bright, curious, and restless, Ruthie Stoltzfus loves her family 

but is stuck in a sea of indecision about her future: 

Should she stay Amish? 

Or should she leave? 

She's done all she can to prepare to go-

passed the GED, saved her money-

but she can't quite set her journey into motion.

Patrick Kelly is a young man on a journey of his own. 
He's come to Stoney Ridge to convert to the Amish 
and has given himself thirty days to learn the language, 
drive a buggy, and adapt to "everything Plain." 
Time, to Patrick, is of the essence. 
Every moment is to be cherished, 
especially the hours he spends with Ruthie, his Penn Dutch tutor.

Ruthie's next-door neighbor and cunning ex-boyfriend, Luke Schrock, 
is drawn to trouble like a moth to a flame. 
Rebellious, headstrong, defiant, Luke will do anything to win Ruthie back -anything-
and Patrick Kelly is getting in his way.

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites readers back to Stoney Ridge 
for a story of dreams deferred and hopes fulfilled-
complete with Fisher's signature twists that never fail to leave readers delighted.

My Thoughts
The Devoted is the third book in The Bishop's Family series
and while I have found this series to be so-so
this third book charmed my heart - I absolutely loved it!
It starts with a scene that is completely unexpected
and it's sure to capture the readers attention.
From the moment you start reading the first line of the first chapter
you will be swept away into the world of the Amish.

I greatly appreciated the sound doctrine and faith presented in this book.
Reading The Devoted was a great encouragement to my faith and walk with the Lord
as I learned through the lives of several of the characters.
Suzanne Woods Fisher does a phenomenal job of presenting God's Word
with sincere truth and clarity.
I also appreciated the emphasis on how important our time on earth is. . .

" Time.
Time was precious, it was fleeting, it was not in her control.
She had been wasting time, treating it as infinite.
Not valuing the life she'd been given, 
coveting what she didn't have.
Wasting time.
Wasting it!
Time should be cherished.
Every single day."
{The Devoted - pg. 280}

There is tender romance. . .
romance that is not be heart-pounding and over the top,
but rather soft and gentle, pure and sweet.
I also enjoyed the humor.
Jesse, Leroy, and Sammy especially had me smiling more than once. . .

"Jesse reached for a screwdriver and it slipped right out of his hands
and dropped on the ground with a thud.
He picked it up and sniffed it.
Every single tool had been polished with a thick, greasy coating of lard.
"I distinctly remember that you said to polish the tools,"
Leroy said, looking offended, when he and Sammy arrived at the buggy shop for work.
"I distinctly remember it.
Polish them until you can see your reflection in them.
So clean you can comb your hair from it.
That's what you said."
He reflected for a moment.
"We did think it was a peculiar custom."
Sammy nodded.
"We thought it was strange.
But we did what you asked."
"Clean and polish!
With mineral oil.
Not grease them with bacon fat."
"So that's where my can of lard went,"
came a certain voice, sharp as a pinch."
{The Devoted - pg. 86}

The "downside" of this book
{and I have said this with the other two books in this series}
is that there is a lot going on.
There are many characters that the reader needs to keep up with
and while I enjoy them all it can, at times,
be quite the task keeping up with their lives and activities.
During one chapter you will be reading about Ruthie and Patrick,
but then you don't hear from them again until several chapters down the road.
According to the back cover
Ruthie and Patrick come across as they main characters
yet I felt like there were more secondary simply because there are so many characters.
You have David, Birdy, Dok, Jesse, Ruthie, Patrick, Matt, and others
and they all have a story taking place.

The Devoted is a 4-star book in my eyes.

I would recommend reading the first two book in the series
before reading the third one.

** I was given a free copy of this book from Revell Publishers for an honest review.
All thoughts are my own. No other compensation was received. **

About the Author
Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning,
bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including The Imposter, The Quieting, 
and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish,
including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. 
She lives in California.
Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com 

Make Your Own Tea Time Napkins

Happy, happy, happy Wednesday, my friends!
Won't you join me for a spot of tea?
But before we have that delicious tea
let's make a few tea time napkins, shall we.

This is what you will need to whip up a few cloth serviettes. . .
My Canadian grandmother always called napkins serviettes.
She was such a proper lady.

As I was saying, you will need. . .


cotton fabric
lace trim {optional}
daisy embellishment {optional}
sewing machine and all that good stuff


Measure and cut a piece of fabric that is 14 x 14-inches.

On the backside of the fabric,

measure down 1-inch on each corner

and draw a line.

Fold each corner with right sides together

and place a pin smack dab in the center of the line.

Once the corners are pinned

take the fabric to the sewing machine

and place your sewing foot right where the pin is

{it should be in the center}.

Begin sewing in the center right on the line

and remember to back stitch.

Trim the corners close to the seam,

but make sure you don't snip your seam!

You will see I have a small opening on the corner

because I did not sew along the entire line.

Turn the corners right side out

and gently push them out with a blunt, but pointy object.

Now iron the fold down

along all four edges.

Take the 1/2-inch fold
and tuck the raw edges under.

Press the fold down with a hot iron.

Once you have done all four edges

this is what you should have. . .

Sew the fold down on all four sides.

And voila!

Beautiful mitered corners.

Sew a strip of lace onto one edge of the napkin

for extra loveliness.

I also sewed on a small daisy embellishment.

And that's it, my friends.

You now have some beautiful cloth napkins. . .

or should I say serviettes.

Pull out your delightful china

and enjoy a tea party with a friend or two.

These sweet little napkins are reusable

because all you need to do is throw them in the washer

after using them during your tea party.

While making the tea napkins

I decided to sew up some dinner napkins as well.

These are larger in size,

but they were made the same way.

There is just something lovely and elegant about a cloth napkin,

wouldn't you agree?

These charming napkins are available in my Etsy shop

which you can find by clicking here.

Happy tea time, sweet friends!

And have a beautiful day!

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