Swing Out On The Promises

Swing out on the promises, the never failing promises;

Promises of Christ the Lord divine,

Cross the line of Canaan on His everlasting promises,

He will make your paths to glory shine.

Swing out on the promises, Jehovah's blessed promises;

Trusting in His power to make your whole;

He will not forsake the ones who trust His sacred promises,

Cast on Him the burdens of your soul.

Sing out on the promises, the holy Master's promises;

Give your life completely to the Lord;

He will not forsake the soul who trusts in His great promises,

Swing out on the promises of His Word.

- E. M. Bartlett -

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,

Through eternal ages let His praises ring,

Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,

Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,

When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,

By the living Word of God I shall prevail,

Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I now can see

Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;

Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,

Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,

Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,

Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,

Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,

Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call

Resting in my Savior as my all in all,

Standing on the promises of God.

Chorus

Standing, standing,

Standing on the promises of God my Savior;

Standing, standing,

I’m standing on the promises of God.

- R. Kelso Carter -

Bible scholars have pointed out that the phrase "fear not"

appears in the Bible 365 times-

a reassuring promise for each day of the year.

A daily dependence upon the divine promises 

is the only real remedy for our human fears.

The promises of God. . .

they are "yea and amen,"

the only assurance on which we can stand.

Whereby are given unto us 

exceeding great and precious promises.

- 2 Peter 1:4a -

Blessings and joy to you on this Lord's Day.

Love and hugs!

A Love Letter

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God 

with all thy heart,

and with all thy soul, 

and with all thy mind, 

and with all thy strength: 

this is the first commandment.

- Mark 12:30 -

A joyful hello to you, my dear friends and readers.

Today I have another delightful Valentine's Day tutorial

and it's one that brings a smile to my face. . .

I hope it does the same to you :)

For this charming fabric envelope you will need:

2 pieces of fabric that are 6-inches wide and 11-inches long

fusible fleece that is 5 1/5-inches wide and 10 1/2-inches long

metal snaps

embellishments

As you can see I used two contrasting pieces of fabric.

The soft pink gingham will be the lining

while the floral fabric will be used for the outside of the envelope.

Fold both the lining and outer fabric in half

and trim off the corners.

You should have a nice point

for the envelope.

Trim the corners on the fusible fleece as well.

Iron on the fusible fleece to the back side of the main fabric.

The reason the fleece is smaller than the outer fabric 

is so that it's not bulky when you fold the envelope together.

Place the two pieces of fabric with right sides together

and pin into place.

Sew along the edges with a 1/4-inch seam allowance

and make sure you leave a small opening!

Pull the envelope through the opening

and with a dull but pointy object push out the corners.

Press with a hot iron.

Sew on the metal snap.

One part will go at the top. . .

make sure you don't get it too close to the edge

since you still need to top stitch around the edges.

The second part will go on the bottom half of the envelope.

Measure it out and make sure it's in the center

and that the top snap reaches the lower snap.

Fold up the bottom half of the envelope

and pin into place.

Top stitch along the sides and top. . .

top stitching will also take care of the opening you used

 to pull the envelope out.

As you can see 

I used a fun little stitch on my edges.

Now for the sweet heart that will fill your envelope.

I used soft swirl/minky fabric for my heart, 

but you can use whatever kind of fabric your heart desires.

I simply folded the fabric in half with right sides facing each other

and traced a small heart {about 3-inches in size}

onto the back side of the fabric.

Then I sewed along the line

and left a small opening to pull it right side out.

Before I turned it right side out

I trimmed the heart around the seam.

Once it's been pulled right side out

simply fill with batting.

And sew up the opening.

I added a pink rose to the center of the heart.

For the fabric flower on the envelope I folded a 2-inch x 10-inch strip of fabric 

and sewed a gathering stitch along the edge.

I also used a shabby rose and sparkly bead for the center.

And that's it, lovely friends!

You now have yourself a sweet little love letter.

Take that sweet little heart. . .

and tuck it inside the fabric envelope. . .

for a special surprise for a loved one or dear friend.

And the delightful thing about these fabric envelopes is that

they can be used for other things such as holding your money, 

keeping your chapstick/lipstick from rolling around in your purse,

holding business cards, rewards card, etc,

and oh, so many other things.

I hope you're able to make a few of these little lovelies.

They are sure to bless and cheer your friends and family.

I have one envelope available in my shop

which you can see by clicking here:

And speaking of my Etsy shop. . .

I just listed a few new items made with the fabric 

that you see in the background of my photos.

Isn't it lovely!

There is also a new line of tea cozies available.

I also recently listed a few more surprise/mystery boxes

with a slight twist.

The four boxes available are as follows:

Pink Mystery Box

where everything has a pink theme.

Tea Theme Mystery Box

where everything is tea related.

Heart Mystery Box

where everything has to do with hearts.

Random Mystery Box

where you will get a lovely selection of goodies.

These boxes are valued at $50.00

but you can purchase them for only $25.00

and that includes free shipping in the USA.

As always,

it's a sweet blessing to have you visit.

May your week be extra beautiful!

Love and hugs to you!

From Every Stormy Wind That Blows

God sometimes shuts the door

and shuts us in,

That He may speak,

perchance through grief or pain;

And softly, heart to heart,

above the din

May teach some precious truth to us again.

- Unknown -

From every stormy wind that blows,

From every swelling tide of woes,

There is a calm, a sure retreat;

’Tis found beneath the mercy seat.

There is a place where Jesus sheds

The oil of gladness on our heads;

A place than all besides more sweet;

It is the blood bought mercy seat.

There is a scene where spirits blend,

Where friend holds fellowship with friend;

Though sundered far, by faith they meet

Around one common mercy seat.

Ah! wither could we flee for aid

When tempted, desolate, dismayed,

Or how the hosts of hell defeat,

Had suffering saints no mercy seat?

Ah! there on eagle wings we soar,

And sin and sense molest no more;

And heaven come down our souls to greet,

While glory crowns the mercy seat.

- Hugh Stowell -

For thou hast been a strength to the poor, 

a strength to the needy in his distress, 

a refuge from the storm,

a shadow from the heat, 

when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

- Isaiah 25:4 -

Come unto me, 

all ye that labour and are heavy laden, 

and I will give you rest.

- Matthew 11:2 -

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; 

and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: 

when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; 

neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

- Isaiah 43:2 -

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, 

that we may obtain mercy, 

and find grace to help in time of need.

- Hebrews 4:16 -

When the storms of life blow our way,

we can either cringe in despair

or flee to the heavenly Mercy Seat-

the God of all comfort.

 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, 

that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, 

by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

- 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 -

There we can find the help and strength to be overcomers.

Trials can sometimes embitter and harden our spirits.

However, if we use the trial to lean more fully on Christ

and to learn the lesson He desires to teach us,

we become stronger in our faith.

Always remember-

for the child of God,

life's storms are opportunities to learn more about Him.

Thank God even now 

for His heavenly mercy seat.

- Kenneth W. Osbeck -

Avail yourself of this "calm, sure retreat"

by using prayer to commune with the Lord

on a consistent basis.

Have a blessed Lord's Day, friends!

Love and hugs!

The Mark Of The King - Book Review

Life in this new world requires more strength

than she ever imagined.

After being imprisoned and branded for the death of her client, 

twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile 

to the fledgling 1720s French colony of Louisiana, 

where she hopes to be reunited with her brother, serving there as a soldier. 

To make the journey, though, women must be married, 

and Julianne is forced to wed a fellow convict.

When they arrive in New Orleans, 

there is no news of Benjamin, Julianne's brother, 

and searching for answers proves dangerous. 

What is behind the mystery, 

and does military officer Marc-Paul Girard know more than he is letting on?

With her dreams of a new life shattered, 

Julianne must find her way in this dangerous, rugged land, 

despite never being able to escape the king's mark on her shoulder 

that brands her a criminal beyond redemption.

My Thoughts

Tears, heartache, trials, courage, and hope

are just a few things that will draw you in and capture your attention

while reading The Mark of the King.

You will be drawn in from the very first line

and you will be held captive by the story long after you read the last chapter.

"The older woman's voice broke with empathy.

"But I want you to listen to me.

You will survive it.

If God wanted you with Him now too,

He would have taken you.

But here you are.

There is more life for you to live.

The sun will shine again."

With her hand pressed to her heart,

Julianne trapped a groan in her chest.

"Does the pain ease?

she whispered.

Francoise sighed.

"The pain changes, and you will change with it.

The sharp edges wear away in time,

but the loss remains.

You'll learn how to live with it."

{ The Mark of the King - pgs. 199-200 }

Will the characters face pain and heartache?

Yes.

Will they endure trials and difficulties?

Yes.

Is there joy, hope, and restoration in the morning?
Most definitely yes. . .

just as God's Holy Word promises.

The history in this book is spot on and truly amazing. . .

Indeed, I was left in awe of the accurate historical presentation.

The author does a phenomenal job of portraying what the French people

faced and endured in the 1700's in New Orleans, Louisiana.

And the characters she uses to present this portion of history 

will touch your heart in a mighty and beautiful way.

The Mark of the King is my first book by the talented Jocelyn Green

and it most certainly will not be my last!

I looked at this book on CBD.com and saw {at the time} 34 reviews. . .

32 of them being 5 stars.

I happily add my 5 stars to the others

and highly recommend this book to you, dear friends.

You won't regret reading The Mark of the King.

** I was given a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers for an honest review.

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

About the Author

Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning author 

of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, 

including Wedded to War, a Christy Award finalist in 2013, 

and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, 

which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman. 

Jocelyn lives with her husband and two children in Iowa. 

Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com.

A Pocket Full Of Love

All love that has not friendship for its base,

is like a mansion built upon the sand. 

- Ella Wheeler Wilcox -

Hello, my lovely friends!

I trust you are well 

and having a splendid week.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner

{where oh where has January gone?!}

I thought I would share this fun and easy penny pocket tutorial.

This little pocket is perfect for filling with goodies 

for a special loved one or friend for Valentine's Day

or simply make one to give as a "happy happy"

to bless or cheer someone.

What you will need:

two 10-inch squares of fabric

one 5-inch square of fabric

lace or ribbon for the handle

one strip of fabric that is 1 1/2-inches wide

and 10-inches long {this is for the fabric flower}

beads

pink roses or other embellishments

Cut the 10-inch squares in half.

Take the 5-inch square. . .

And fold in half.

Fold in half again.

Top stitch along the two edges.

This isn't necessary,

but I like the look of the stitching.

Pin the folded 5-inch square to the center of the front side fabric.

Pin the handle halfway underneath the triangle.

My handle was about 14-inches long.

Place the lining fabric right side down onto the front side fabric

and pin into place.

Using a 1/4-inch seam allowance

sew along the edge that you just pinned together.

Open it up and press with a hot iron.

Tuck the handle up underneath the triangle.

Now fold the square along the seam. . .

Pin into place and sew with a 1/4-inch seam allowance

along the two raw edges.

Make sure you leave a small opening in the lining 

so that you can pull everything through.

Pull the penny pocket through the opening

and with a blunt but pointy object 

{like a chopstick, the end of a crochet hook, etc}

gently push the two ends out so that they are nice and pointy.

Sew up the opening

and push the lining inside the main fabric.

Press with a hot iron.

To make the fabric flower

take the 1 1/2-inch x 10-inch piece of fabric

and fold in half.

Sew a gathering stitch along the raw edge

and pull gently to gather.

Attach the two ends to create a flower.

And finally. . .

add some beads to the bottom of the penny pocket

by simply stringing some beads onto some thread.

Take the needle to the backside of the pocket like so. . .

Pull the thread all the way through so that the beads are touching the fabric

and knot it off.

As you can see,

I applied the flower to the triangle

and also added a silk rose to the center.

You will see some pearls behind the flower.

To finish it off

I attached a paper tag to the pocket with a small clothespin.

And here's the finished product. . .

You are probably wondering what I tucked inside

so let me show you.

In the pocket you will find:

3 tea bags

2 chocolates

1 fabric heart ornament

The ornament is made out of soft minky swirl fabric.

Oh, it's so sweet and soft!

You could hang one of these penny pockets on someones door

as a delightful surprise on Valentine's Day.

Also, I should tell you that you can make two penny pockets 

out of the two 10-inch squares.

You will simply need one more 5-inch square.

And if you're not into sewing

or simply don't have time

than no problemo!

I have some of these charming penny pockets listed in my Etsy shop

and they have already been filled with goodies.

You can check them out by clicking here.

And just to let you know

I made some Scripture tote bags

and have just listed them in my shop.

They can also be used as lunch totes, yarn totes, etc.

Thank you for visiting, sweet friends.

Your visits bring me great joy!

Love and hugs to you!