Golden Harps Are Sounding

 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, 

which are the figures of the true; 

but into heaven itself, 

now to appear in the presence of God for us.

- - Hebrews 9:24 - -

Golden harps are sounding, angel voices ring,

pearly gates are opened, opened for the King:

Christ, the King of glory, Jesus, King of love,

is gone up in triumph to his throne above.

He who came to save us, he who bled and died,

now is crowned with glory at his Father's side.

Nevermore to suffer, nevermore to die,

Jesus, King of glory, is gone up on high.

Praying for his children in that blessed place,

calling them to glory, sending them his grace;

his bright home preparing, faithful ones for you;

Jesus ever liveth, ever loveth too.

- - Chorus - -

All his work is ended, joyfully we sing:

Jesus hath ascended: glory to our King!

- - Frances R. Havergal - -

The author, Frances J. Havergal,

wrote this Ascension Day hymn

especially for a group of children

while visiting their school.

It is said to have been written 

within the space of ten minutes.

Golden Harps Are Sounding

is one of the few hymns for which Miss Havergal

also composed her own tune, "Herma."

- - Amazing Grace - Kenneth W. Osbeck - -

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; 

and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; 

and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is this King of glory? 

The Lord strong and mighty, 

the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; 

even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; 

and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is this King of glory? 

The Lord of hosts, 

he is the King of glory. 

Selah.

- - Psalm 24:7-10 - -

Have a most blessed Lord's Day!

Fashion Friday

Sweaters are just blankets

you can wear to work.

Hello, and Happy Friday, 

sweet friends!

I trust you had a wonderful week

and I hope your weekend is extra beautiful.

We had our first snow yesterday

and I thought I would share a few photos with you.

We enjoyed seeing the big snowflakes

falling from the sky.

My son played in the snow 

and came inside completely soaked.

It was a very wet snow

which later turned to rain.

Thank you for joining me for another Fashion Friday.

Today I thought I would share a favorite outfit of mine.

This sweater is one I wear often.

It can be dressed up or down

and it's ever so warm and cozy.

It really does feel like a soft blanket.

Here is what my outfit consists of:

- - Sweater - -

Old Navy

- - Black Jeans - -

Old Navy

- - Black Top - -

Wal-Mart

- - Booties - -

Francescas

- - Necklace - -

A gift from a friend

all the way from Australia

With the crispness of Fall,

comes a sense of change-

and the change to mix up your look.

Sweet Hanny popped in

to say "Hello!"

Do you have a favorite sweater

that you liked to wrap yourself up in?

Have a delightful weekend, friends!

{{{hugs}}}

A Secret To Die For - Book Review

Psychologist Grace Callahan has no idea that she has a secret-

one worth killing for. 

But when she finds out one of her clients has been murdered, 

she quickly realizes that the computer security specialist 

wasn't simply suffering from paranoia.

Detective Nate Quinn has just been cleared for active duty 

after a bombing killed eighteen people, including his partner, 

and left him dealing with PTSD. 

His first case back on the job involves the murder of Stephen Shaw, 

and his only lead turns out to be an old friend, Grace Callahan-

and her life is in grave danger. 

Someone believes Shaw gave his psychologist information before he died. 

Information they are willing to kill for.

With her signature pulse-pounding suspense, 

Lisa Harris takes readers deep into the heart of fear 

in this race against the clock.

My Thoughts

I must confess that I have mixed feelings about

A Secret To Die For.

First of all, I enjoy Lisa Harris

and I have read many of her novels.

Her writing is very good 

and the books I have read by her 

have always kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen with 

A Secret To Die For.

I enjoyed Grace's character

and appreciated her strong spirit and tenacity.

She was thrown a lot of curve balls

both in the past and the present,

and she used those experiences and heartaches

to grow in her faith.

She overcame a lot through the healing
of love and forgiveness found in the Lord.

As for Nate, 

I just didn't "connect" with him.

Honestly, I'm not sure why

though I suppose it could be because

his character seemed to swing back and forth.

One minute he is a competent cop

and the next minute I am wondering 

how he ever became a police officer.

His character seemed flawed

in the sense that there were too many little things

that took away from his true personality.

Nate felt incomplete,

if that makes sense.

The suspense was so-so for me.

I don't know, my friends. . .

the story was just lacking.

There were moments that seemed far too unrealistic

and not fully thought out.

Finally, the romance happened much too quick.

I understand that Grace and Nate knew each other from college,

but I just didn't "feel" the love that grew between them

throughout the pages.

Like I said,

I love Lisa Harris as a writer

and I will continue to support her,

but A Secret To Die For

was not my cup of tea.

That isn't to say you will not enjoy it.

We all have different tastes

when it comes to books.

** 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. 

Thank you Revell! **

About the Author

Lisa Harris is a bestselling author, 

a Christy Award winner, 

and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel 

from Romantic Times for her novels Blood Covenant and Vendetta. 

The author of more than thirty books, 

including Vendetta, Missing, Pursued, Vanishing Point, 

and the Southern Crimes series, 

Harris and her family have spent almost fifteen years 

living as missionaries in southern Africa. 

Learn more at www.lisaharriswrites.com.

Embroidered Owl Pillow

Wise old owl

lived in an oak;

the more he saw

the less he spoke;

the less he spoke

the more he heard:

why can't we all

be like that bird.

- - Edward Hersey Richards - -

A happy hello to you!

Today I will be sharing a sweet and simple owl pillow

that is made from soft felt.

Supplies Needed:

felt

beads

small felt flowers

embroidery thread

sewing needle

scissors

batting

sewing machine

hot glue gun and glue or fabric glue

For the owl body you will need to cut out a piece of small felt 

like the one pictured below- 

mine was probably about 3-inches across and 4-inches down.

I  rounded the bottom and made two pointy tips at the top.

Two small circles for the eyes and two somewhat beads

{the beads will be used on top of the round circles}

Two tear drop shapes for the wings - about an inch in size.

A small {very small} triangle for the nose.

For the pillow you need one sheet of felt cut in half.

For the branch cut out a piece of felt like the one pictured below.

And don't forget to cut out some leaves - I used five on my branch

{every shape was cut by "eyeing" them- 

the shapes don't have to be perfect}

Thread your sewing needle with the embroidery thread

and sew the branch onto the top piece of the pillow.

Then, sew on the leaves.

Make sure you don't get the branch or leaves too close to the edge 

since you will need about about 1/4-inch off the edge

for sewing your pillow together.

Next, sew the owl onto the branch.

Once the owl is on you will want to sew on the wings and felt eyes.

Add the beads on top of the felt eyes.

The nose will be glued on since it's such a small piece.

If you want and so desire,

you can add a little embroidery detail to the middle of your owl.

For a charming touch you can sew a sweet heart 

onto the back piece of the pillow.

Finally, glue on the small flowers 

where the leaves meet the branch.

Pin the two pillow pieces together and sew along the edge

{you can use your sewing machine which is what I did 

or you can hand sew the pieces together}.

Leave a small opening to fill with the batting; 

sew closed.

And voila!

You're done :)

You now have a darling little owl pillow 

that is sure to bring a smile to someone's face.

These pillows make thoughtful gifts for special friends and loved ones

or they are perfect for adding some extra charm to your home.

I hope you enjoyed this fun sewing tutorial

and I hope you're able to make your own owl pillow.

I want to thank each and every one of you

for the kind and loving sentiments 

concerning the passing of my grandfather.

All of you are so precious

and your sincerity has greatly touched my heart.

Thank you for the sweet thoughts and wonderful prayers.

Grandpa celebrated his 91st birthday a few weeks ago.

He lived a full life

and now he is with his beloved Savior 

and "his dear Betty."

Love and hugs to you friends!

When Love Shines In

True Christian love

always seeks to lighten the burden of others

and to bring happiness into their lives.

- - Kenneth W. Osbeck - -

Jesus comes with pow’r to gladden,

When love shines in,

Every life that woe can sadden,

When love shines in.

Love will teach us how to pray,

Love will drive the gloom away,

Turn our darkness into day,

When love shines in.

How the world will grow with beauty,

When love shines in,

And the heart rejoice in duty,

When love shines in.

Trials may be sanctified,

And the soul in peace abide,

Life will all be glorified,

When love shines in.

Darkest sorrow will grow brighter,

When love shines in,

And the heaviest burden lighter,

When love shines in.

’Tis the glory that will throw

Light to show us where to go;

Oh, the heart shall blessing know,

When love shines in.

We may have unfading splendor,

When love shines in,

And a friendship true and tender,

When love shines in.

When earth’s vict’ries shall be won,

And our life in Heav’n begun,

There will be no need of sun,

When love shines in.

- - Refrain - -

When love shines in,

When love shines in,

How the heart is tuned to singing,

When love shines in;

When love shines in,

When love shines in,

Joy and peace to others bringing,

When love shines in.

- - Carrie E. Breck - -

Our emotional soundness and even our physical health

depend on the quality of our love for God.

And as a result, we gain an attitude of love

and concern for humanity.

Negative feelings of hate, anger, and selfishness

can destroy the well-being of any individual.

How important it is to allow God's love to shine into our lives,

not only for the good it brings to others

but also for the health it brings to our own lives.

- - Kenneth W. Osbeck - -

Let your light so shine before men, 

that they may see your good works, 

and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

- - Matthew 5:16 - - 

But the path of the just is as the shining light, 

that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

- - Proverbs 4:18 - - 

Giving thanks unto the Father, 

which hath made us meet 

to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

- - Colossians 1:12 - -

Dear friends,

the hymn I shared today seemed fitting

and I must say that these particular lines touched my heart,

Darkest sorrow will grow brighter,

When love shines in,

And the heaviest burden lighter,

When love shines in.

You see, just yesterday I received the news
that my dear grandfather passed away.
It was very unexpected.
Darkest sorrow will indeed grow brighter
when love shines in.
I am thankful for the love God pours upon our heavy hearts.

Have a most beautiful Lord's Day!

Apple Butter Week: Apple Butter Snickerdoodles

Cookies

make the world

a better place.

A happy hello to you, friends!

On Monday I shared an apple butter pie recipe,

on Wednesday I shared some apple butter streusel muffins,

and today I am going to share apple butter snickerdoodles.

I made my own apple butter for the apple butter recipes 

and you can find that recipe by clicking HERE.

Now let's make some cookies,

beautiful friends of mine!

- - Ingredients - -

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter softened

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar + 1/3 cup divided

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup apple butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + 1 teaspoon divided

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 

Set aside.

Cream butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar in a mixer until fluffy. 

Mix in eggs, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and apple butter.

Beat just until mixed. 

Add in flour mixture and mix until just blended together. 

Chill your dough at least 4 hours.

This dough must be cold before baking. 

Because of all the butter and apple butter, 

the cookies will spread quite a bit if you skip the chilling!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line cookie sheets with parchment.

Place 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl.

Scoop balls of cookie dough

 and roll them in the cinnamon sugar.

Place on your cookie sheet. 

Bake cookies for 11-12 minutes for slightly underdone, 

13-14 minutes for fully done.

Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheets.

- - ENJOY - -

Today Me will live in the moment

unless it's unpleasant.

In which case

Me will eat a cookie.

- - Cookie Monster - -

Thank you for joining me this week,

dear friends.

I hope you enjoyed the apple butter recipes.

Also, I had a little glitch in my shop

which was blocking people from ordering anything.

I wanted to let you know that the problem has been resolved.

And because of the little "hiccup"

I am extending my sale until this coming Sunday.

Receive 25% off your order

by using the code:
OCTOBER

when you check out.

Rose Petal Blessings

Sweet hugs to you!

Apple Butter Week: Apple Butter Streusel Muffins

Have a muffin,

sweet friends.

I'm so glad you're here,

lovely friends and readers.

On Monday I shared an apple butter pie recipe

and today I have an apple butter streusel muffin recipe

that is sure to tickle your taste buds.

I made my own apple butter for the apple butter recipes 

that I'm sharing this week

and you can find that recipe by clicking HERE.

Shall we get to baking. . .

- - Muffins - -

2 cups flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup apple butter

- - Streusel - -

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter (softened)

- - Glaze - -

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons milk

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, 

baking powder, cinnamon and salt. 

In another bowl, mix the egg, milk, and oil. 

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients 

and mix just until combined. 

Do not overmix!

For the streusel, 

combine the flour, cinnamon, and sugar.

Cut in the softened butter until you have a crumbly mix 

and the butter is all mixed in.

Spray jumbo muffin tins with cooking spray or line with cupcake liners

and spoon batter into the bottom of each cup. 

Put a tablespoon of apple butter over top the batter. 

Then sprinkle some streusel topping over the apple butter.

Bake at 425 for 5 minutes, 

then reduce the oven temperature to 375 

and cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes. 

The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Mix the powdered sugar and milk together until smooth, 

then drizzle with a spoon over top the muffins.

A tasty treat 

with a cup of afternoon coffee or tea.

*** LAST DAY ***

Please enjoy 25% off your order

plus free shipping at

Rose Petal Blessings.

Simply use the code:

OCTOBER

when you check out.

I'll "see" you on Friday

for the last apple butter recipe.

Have a beautiful day, friends!

Apple Butter Week: Apple Butter Pie

Oh. . .

Pilate's?!
I thought you said

PIE and LATTES!

My dear friends,

this apple butter pie is a delicious treat 

and it's perfect to enjoy during the fall. . .

actually, it's perfect to enjoy any time of the year.

It is similar to pumpkin pie,

but it's made with apple butter instead.

And of course it's oh-so-tasty with homemade apple butter.

We have two apple trees in our yard

so my son and I picked a basket full of apples

for this tasty apple butter recipe.

- - Slow Cooker Apple Butter - -

3 pounds of your favorite apples

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Peel, core and roughly chop the apples.

In the bottom of a slow cooker

stir together the honey, sugar, and spices.

Add the apples, and stir to coat.

Cook on low for 6-7 hours. 

Remove the lid, and stir until the apple fall apart. 

Continue cooking with the lid off for 30-60 minutes, 

or until the apple butter thickens slightly.

Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

- - Apple Butter Pie - -
1/2 cup apple butter 
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups evaporated milk
2 teaspoons apple pie spice 
pie crust
fresh whipped cream
Cinnamon sugar, for dusting, optional

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. 

Make your favorite pie crust
or use a refrigerated crust if you are short on time.
Roll it out and place it in a pie pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the apple butter, egg,
sugar, flour, evaporated milk and spices
until blended and smooth.
Pour into the prepared pie shell.
Bake for approx. 10 minutes,
then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F
and bake for 35-40 minutes,
or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
The pie will continue to set up as it cools.
Cool the pie completely before garnishing with fresh whipped cream
and dusting with cinnamon sugar, if desired.

Please cut my pie into four pieces. . .
I don't think I could eat eight.

You are the apple
of my pie.

Stop by on Wednesday and Friday, my friends,
as I will be sharing more apple butter recipes.
Mmm. . .Mmm. . .good!
{{{hugs}}}

Happy October, lovelies!
In honor of the 1st day of October
please enjoy 25% off your order
plus free shipping at
Rose Petal Blessings.
Simply use the code:
OCTOBER
when you check out.
Offer is good until Wednesday, October 3rd.

I'm so glad I live in a world
where there are Octobers.
- - Anne of Green Gables - -

When All Thy Mercies, O My God

O give thanks unto the LORD;

for He is good:

for His mercy endureth for ever.

- - Psalm 136:1 - -

When all thy mercies, O my God,

my rising soul surveys,

transported with the view, I'm lost

in wonder, love, and praise.

Unnumbered comforts to my soul

thy tender care bestowed,

before my infant heart conceived

from whom those comforts flowed.

When worn with sickness, 

oft hast Thou with health renewed my face;

and, when in sins and sorrows bowed,

revived my soul with grace.

Thru every period of my life

Thy goodness I'll pursue,

and after death, in distant world,

the glorious theme renew.

- - Joseph Addison - -

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: 

with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness

to all generations.

- - Psalm 89:1 - -

The Lord is merciful and gracious, 

slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

- - Psalm 103:8 - -

A reflection upon God's blessings

will always result in a response

of worship and praise;

a neglect of gratitude will eventually produce

a lifestyle of selfcenteredness.

- - Kenneth W. Osbeck - -

If gratitude is due from man to man,

how much more from man to his Maker.

The Supreme being does not only confer upon us

those bounties which proceed immediately from His hand,

but even those benefits which are conveyed to us by others.

Any blessing which we enjoy,

by what means soever derived,

is the gift of Him who is the great author of good

and the Father of mercies.

- - Joseph Addison - -

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, 

then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, 

full of mercy and good fruits, 

without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

- - James 3:17 - -

Joseph Addison, the author of this hymn,

was recognized in his era as one of England's literary greats.

He was not only a writer and a moralist,

but a man of affairs in his government.

These words were thought to have been written

following his rescue from a shipwreck 

during a storm off the coast of Genoa, Italy.

The hymn originally had 13 stanzas.

It was published on August 9, 1712,

in a London daily paper.

- - Amazing Grace - Kenneth W. Osbeck - -

Have a beautiful and blessed Lord's Day!