Ironing Board Cover Tutorial

At last! The project I have long been anticipating is complete!

One becomes aware, suddenly or gradually, of the ill repair of certain items about the home. An ironing board cover is mayhap overlooked more than any other object, but -- oh! when at once one becomes aware of its drab and filthy state (yick!), one is determined to rectify the problem. And promptly.

A dear friend in a larger Alaskan city has been so gracious and faithful to shop for my family as we are able to buy few things in the village (at an exceptional price). However, when purchasing particular items, it is not possible to know exactly what we will be receiving as the specifics of the item is determined by another. =) Upon receiving the fabric in the mail, how happy was my surprise to see what our friend selected. Daisies I specified, but  the colors I did not. Yellow and green were exactly the colors I had hoped for! A blessing indeed.

This project was so fun and blissfully simple! After reaching a general understanding from online tutorials, I adapted the process to suit my preferences. I am sharing my instructions in hopes that they might be helpful to someone.

Continual Commitment

This is a brief biographical sketch which I was assigned to write for last semester’s Life of Paul class.  It is basically an overview of what I learned about three men of God, used greatly of God: the apostle Paul, Hudson Taylor, and David Livingstone.  I enjoyed every moment of the class.  I praise the Lord for the ready and willing vessel the professor was.  God used him to work in me.  The recurring theme of the class was Paul’s total commitment to God’s will.  He daily lived out his initial request--“Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”  God’s will was everything to Paul!  Oh, may it be everything to this handmaid of the Lord.

I am now full swing into my next semester of Bible “homecollege.”  What a blessed opportunity and provision this is!  Presently, I am taking only two classes, Fear of the Lord and Old Testament Survey, as I need to be finished by mid-April; my family and I will be going on furlough early this summer.  I am expectant to learn rich new truths from God’s Holy Word as I continue my endless growing process in Christ Jesus my Lord!

~ ~ ~

Paul is referred to as the apostle to the Gentiles while Hudson Taylor is called the most widely used missionary in China’s history.  The efforts of David Livingstone opened up Africa, a country which was once dark and secluded from the Gospel and its bearers.  These three men were used tremendously by God to reach the world for Christ.

God was ready with an answer before Paul asked Him, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6)  Paul was chosen specifically by God for a specific work.  The only thing which stood between the fulfillment of God’s plan was Paul’s own will.  Because Paul faithfully bowed to God’s will, he was instrumental in reaching countless nations for Christ.

Praise from a Blessed Heart

Blessed be the Lord, 

who daily loadeth us with benefits, 

even the God of our salvation. Selah.

{ Psalms 68:19 }

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, 

and cometh down from the Father of lights, 

with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

{ James 1:17 }

The Lord gave these simple, precious words to me within this hour. How good He is! I was humming and singing 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, and, as some other thoughts came together, this poem from my heart came into being. It can be sung appropriately to the tune of 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, or even What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

Oh, I ought to praise the Savior,
Dwell upon His boundless love,
Knowing ev'ry gift I'm given
Comes from God in Heav'n above.

Praise the Lord! Oh, I must bless Him!
How He's blessed me o'er and o'er!
Glory to my precious Savior!
Oh, I ought to praise Him more!

Oh, I ought to praise the Savior,
Lift His glorious Name on high.
He is great, and loves so greatly;
Ev'ry need He doth supply.

Yes, I ought to praise the Savior;
Why be downcast when He's near?
His joy fills the heart with music,
His love dries up ev'ry tear.

Bless His Name! How rich the goodness
Which He daily loads on me!
May His praises e'er be ringing,
E'en throughout eternity.

~ Naomi Ungry

February 2, 2010

Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
and why art thou disquieted within me?
hope thou in God:
for I shall yet praise him,
who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

{ Psalms 42:11 }

In the photos: Wildflowers from the Fairbanks, Alaska area

Recall What God Remembers

 Devotional by Oswald Chambers; from My Utmost for His Highest

Jeremiah 2:2 "I remember... the kindness of thy youth."

Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Am I full of the little things that cheer His heart over me, or am I whimpering because things are going hardly with me? There is no joy in the soul that has forgotten what God prizes. It is a great thing to think that Jesus Christ has need of me--"Give Me to drink." How much kindness have I shown Him this past week? Have I been kind to His reputation in my life?

God is saying to His people--You are not in love with Me now, but I remember the time when you were. "I remember... the love of thine espousals." Am I as full of the extravagance of love to Jesus Christ as I was in the beginning, when I went out of my way to prove my devotion to Him? Does He find me recalling the time when I did not care for anything but Himself? Am I there now, or have I become wise over loving Him? Am I so in love with Him that I take no account of where I go? or am I watching for the respect due to me; weighing how much service I ought to give?

If, as I recall what God remembers about me, I find He is not what He used to be to me, let it produce shame and humiliation, because that shame will bring the godly sorrow that works repentance.

~ ~ ~

God really spoke to my heart this morning with this devotional. My love for my Savior grows cold so easily. The cares of the day avert my gaze from His lovely face so quickly. "Tell me the story often, For I forget so soon. The early dew of morning Has passed away at noon..." This sinful, weak-willed flesh must be put down continually or the Holy Spirit can never have His way in me. Sober vigilance is the only way to fight this battle! I am resolved to renew my devotion to Him daily. Help my weakness, Lord! "Without Me ye can do nothing."

Craft Fair Projects, Part 1

Hinted at in my previous post were some projects featuring buttons. I'm pleased to present several recently knitted items created specifically for a craft fair which took place in my village last month. Keeping in a constant (and frantic!) knitting mode for an entire month was a challenge, I must say. I'm ever so glad I was able to accomplish what I did, however! =)

Above and to the left is a red and purple iSock, made respectively with Microspun and Cupcake yarns, an ideal item for protecting iPods and iTouches. sold After arriving at a basic idea for the construction, I guessed my way through the piece. The main body was knitted in the round and finished with kitchner stitching. At the back of the opening, I picked-up-and-knitted slightly less than the total width, allowing space on either side for an earbuds cord to pass through. Lastly, I crocheted a chain hole for this iSock's perfect button (after I laboriously hunted for that same perfect button for a good twenty minutes =D). For the record, I don't own an iPod--but I almost wish I did since my iSock pattern turned out oh so cute!