Right Thoughts
2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"
As Christians, we can't accept every thought that comes into our heads. Instead, we need to measure each thought against the standard of Scripture, like the verse above tells us to do.
Here's a practical example: If someone hurts your feelings, or makes you angry you shouldn't remain upset with them. This only gives Satan the upper hand by giving him the opportunity to plant seeds of bitterness in your mind. The longer these seeds stay in your mind the better the odds are that they will become rooted in your heart.
Instead, you need to learn to see it for what it is and then go on and reject negative thinking. Refuse to let it drain you of your peace and joy.
You must turn to God and say, "Father, I need Your strength. By faith I choose to receive Your grace so that I may forgive those who mistreated or wronged me. I ask You to bless them and help me go on with my life. In Jesus' name, amen."
As our minds are renewed with God's Word, our thinking will change and line up with Scripture. Then, day by day, godly boundaries around our thoughts will be established and reinforced. These limits will not only keep out the deceptions of the enemy, but help you live a more enjoyable, godly life.
Step 1.
Cut two fabric pieces that are four inches by 20 inches. Narrow hem one of the long edges as shown.
Step 2.
Measure two inches from edge and mark with a pencil (see the dot jus above the 18). Now measure one inch from that point and mark again (ring finger is pointed at this dot). Again mark two inches from your last mark and then an inch from that point. Repeat this all the way across. (2 inches then dot- 1 inch then dot- 2 inches then dot- 1 inch then dot- Continue in this pattern until you come to the end)
Step 3.
To make pleats take the first mark you made and place it on top of next mark which should be one inch from your first mark. Repeat this all the way across pinning each pleat as you make it.
* This is what it will look like when you have pinned all of your pleats
Step 4.
Stitch across top of pleats as shown.
Step 5.
Pin edges together as shown on each of the short ends and sew across. Turn to outside and press. I like to add in a little spray starch before pressing- but then I starch everything!
* This is what your end pieces will look like after your quick stitch across.
Step 6.
Pin some wide ribbon to top of your fabric as shown below. Sew acoss the ribbon (both at the top of your ribbon piece and at the bottom to secure tightly).
Step 7.
Pin the ribbon side to the bottom of the cuff of your rubber glove. I like to turn under (about an inch or so) the rubber glove as I am pinning- just to give the rubber a little more stability. But this is completely opinional.
Step 8.
Stitch into place.
Tada! All finished and suitable for gift giving. You don't want to be the only one that looks smashing in a pair of rubber gloves. Right?
Ohhh! I almost completely forgot! Remember those pair of red gloves I was talking about earlier with the ghastly yellow cuff?
Not any more ... and it was just so ~sew~ easy!
Simple Home Made Wreaths
You don't need to be a ~super~ crafter to make these decorative door wreaths. All you need is a couple of styrofoam wreaths, a hot glue gun, a few essential materials and loads of patience ~since none of these are the type that can be made quick, fast and in a hurry~ But they are double cute and will save you loads of money by creating them yourself (I priced just the pinecone wreath and they ranged from $69.00 to $110.00 ~gasp~)
Pinecone Wreath
The pictures tell the story of how to create each wreath so no tutorial is really necessary. Just know that you'll be hot gluing either balls or pinecones or fabric strips for hours.
* Before beginning your pinecone wreath: Spray paint the styrofoam brown before gluing your pinecones to help blend in with the pinecones.
* A nice variety of pinecones are essential
Rag Wreath
To make the rag wreath - cut several dozens of fabric strips (approximately 6" strips) and either hot glue to your wreath or wrap around and tie off in a knot. You can do both - tie off into knots and hot glue the fabric - to give it a fuller look and to fill in any gaps that may be noticeable.
* In the orange wreath photo shown- two different size styrofoam wreaths were used. One placed inside of the other and hot glued together to create one piece. Each piece of styrofoam was covered with fabric prior to hot gluing together.
* In the pink wreath photo shown - only one styrofoam wreath was used.
TIP!
This orange wreath will take you from Autumn all the way through Thanksgiving- which will give you plenty of time to locate some festive Winter or Christmas fabric to make another. Then of course you will want to make a pretty Spring one with pastel fabric... ~wink~
Ball Wreath
Simply begin to hot glue your ornaments in no special pattern. I think using both large and small ball ornaments makes it a little more interesting.
Also; use non-tradional Christmas colored balls for a Christmas wreath twist or to use in the spring of the year.
Have fun creating your homemade wreath and when someone asks where you got it you can proudly say "I did it myself"!
Glass Bottles and Bath Soaks
I confess! I am a glass bottle junkie.
I absolutely abhor plastic bottles and consider them to be a blight on humanity. I am equally not fond of drinking out of a plastic cup or bottle. In this day and age when it is becoming increasingly harder and harder to find anything packaged in actual glass I find myself actively seeking out glass bottles that are visually interesting and hoarding them like a squirrel preserving nuts for winter.
The problem then becomes what to do with all of those visually interesting glass containers that I just had to have.
Solution: Homemade Bath Soaks
I came by the idea when my daughter gave me a recipe for a Mimosa Cocktail- which turned out to be a beverage that I love! and have to have upon occasion {all things in moderation; as you know} for Sunday brunch. However; champagne doesn't have a very long shelf life once you've opened the bottle and really! who likes a flat cocktail?
The same holds true for Wine Spritzers. Unless you are drinking them on a daily basis then you end up with a collection of half full bottles of flat wine looking pretty sad sitting the the back of your refrigerator. Sure, sure. You say that you are saving them with the intention of adding them to some exotic recipe that you downloaded off of the Internet but really? If you are honest you'll admit that you are also saving your money for all of the exotic spices you have to have to go with the exotic recipe that you downloaded off of the Internet and in the meanwhile all of those half full bottles of wine are staring at you every time you open the refrigerator door.
So; here is what you are going to do. Scrap the exotic recipe that probably won't taste near as good as it looks and use the money you have been saving to buy more visually interesting glass bottles. To which you will add the following recipe.
Red Wine and Champagne Bath Soak
Simply add your red wine or your champagne or a combination of both to your glass bottle.
Pour a glass (or more) of red wine or champagne (or both) into your running bath. Soak for 20 minutes. Feel decadent.
Don't worry. Unless you filled the tub up with red wine it isn't going to stain your skin.
Info!
The polyphenols in red wine are incredible antioxidants and the tartaric acid in champagne lightens skin and helps reduce discoloration and fine lines. Both red wine and champagne are also great for cleansing pores and then reducing their appearance.
So never again will you have to throw out that flat champagne or wine that’s sat alone in the back of the fridge. Now, you can bathe in it. Genius!
Simple Mimosa (for those interested)
Ingredients
1/2 oz triple sec (or) grenadine
1 1/2 oz cold pineapple (or) orange juice
3 1/2 oz chilled Champagne
pineapple (or) orange slice for garnish
Preparation
1.Build the ingredients in the order given in a Champagne flute.
2.Garnish with the pineapple or orange slice.
3. Enjoy!
Beauty for Ashes
Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV)
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Lovely, Lovely Lemons!
What a bright, fresh scent that just sings "wake up, feel refreshed!" This attribute must be why I often think of lemon's scent on hot sticky days. I expect it goes along with the appeal of a cold glass of lemonade. Besides adding lemons to drinks there are a number of ways to use lemons in the home.
Like vinegar, much of lemon's gift is that it is an acid. It smells much fresher than vinegar, which is fermented. As an acid, lemon juice provides the benefits of vinegar, such as being a very good antiseptic killer of mold, germs, and bacteria.
What better time to learn some of these household hints during the heat of the summer when you and your family can receive a bright aromatherapy boost from the scent? Here are tips for using lemons for hair spray, cleaning metal, freshening the air, cleansing your skin, lightening your hair, and more.
HOUSEHOLD USES
Lubricant
Lemon oil is renowned as being very lubricating, which is why it is so often used on furniture.
Aromatherapy
Known to calm fears and lift depression, adding a few drops of pure lemon oil to a diffuser is considered to be a good tip for when someone is experiencing these symptoms.
Antiseptic/Deodorizer
Lemon juice is a great choice for deodorizing counters, cutting boards, and more. The acid in lemon juice kills mold, bacteria, and germs. While not a 100 percent kill rate, you can't sterilize your house anyway, so if you look at lemon juice as a solidly good deodorizer you will turn to it when you aren't needing a hospital-level disinfectant job.
Using leftover lemon and lime rinds in the garbage disposal is a great way to deodorize this apparatus, which so often can give off an odor.
Glass and China Cleaner
The acid in lemon juice will break down the alkaline minerals found in hard water. It will also work on stains. Make a solution of ½ water and ½ lemon juice and place in the glass, letting the solution set there for a few hours before washing as usual.
Air Freshener
Simmer sliced lemons in water. I like to use 2-3 lemons to about 4 cups of water. Simmer for a few hours, replacing water as needed.
Microwave Cleaner
Just put a slice or two of lemon in a cup of water and put in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Use a cloth to clean dry. You can substitute a tablespoon or so of lemon juice with water.
Metal Cleaner
An acid like lemon juice works wonders for cleaning metals such as chrome, copper, and brass. There are myriad ways to get the lemon juice onto the metal, from simply rubbing the metal with a cut lemon (use the majority of the juice for a salad dressing), to mixing lemon juice with salt for a bit of an abrasive.
Whitener
Lemon juice and the sun combined proves to whiten clothes, hair, and more. I like to soak grey clothes in some water and lemon juice (add ½ a cup of lemon juice to a small load of laundry and let it soak, agitating occasionally, before rinsing and hanging on the line on sunny days).
Soap Scum/Shower Stalls
Soap is very alkaline and when it combines with hard water minerals it tends to form soap scum that can then coat shower stalls, bathtubs, and sinks. Acids cut through this soap scum. I'd suggest using lemon juice straight on a sponge and wash it onto the soap scum, let set for a few hours, and then rinse.
Mineral Buildup/Scale
Minerals are very alkaline and the acid of lemon juice cuts through and dissolves the minerals. Known as scale, mineral buildup frequently gets hard and in particular resides around faucets. Pour straight lemon juice on a washcloth or clean cloth. Lay the cloth over the scale and let set for a few hours before rinsing and cleaning the area.
PERSONAL CARE
Alpha Hydroxy Acid
Freshly squeezed lemon juice on my face is one of the best facials I have ever given myself. Lemon is a natural alpha hydroxyl acid and works like a charm to remove dead skin cells. Add some carrot juice for some vitamin A and you have something as good as found in any spa!
Hairspray
The solvents in most commercial hairspray could light your hair on fire if you were ever near an open flame, so I recommend you make this lemon-based natural hair spray at home, instead!
Hair Lightener
How many Saturdays I spent on the front lawn in the summer, my hair rinsed full of lemon juice, lying in the sun for a few hours, hoping to lighten my brown tresses. Squeeze ½ cup of lemon juice into a container with a spout, pour on your hair, work it through, and set in the sun until it is fully dry and then wash as usual. Make sure not to get the lemon juice in your eyes!
Skin Lightener
Dab freshly squeezed, straight lemon juice on dark spots like "liver spots" that you want to remove. Let it fully dry and then rinse.
~ Make It Work For You ~
Place a sturdy rubber band around an open paint can to wipe your brush on, and keep paint off the side of the can
Use a post it note to catch drilling debris.
Use a Plastic Comb to Keep a Nail Steady for Hammering
To keep the straw from rising out of your soda can stick it through the tab
Put wooden spoon across boiling pot of water to keep from boiling over.
Use a (clean) dustpan to fill a container that doesn’t fit in the sink
How to properly put shoes in the dryer for drying.
