Longing for Fall -- I Feel Alive

We're having a revival at my church, and it is such a blessing. Combined with my morning devotions, my days are filled with such wonderful feelings -- I don't want to stop at all. I feel so alive. I just want to praise forever.

Outside it's getting cooler every day. I can feel it in the breezes. Fall breezes have the ability to get into my skin, making it tingle. There's something very special about that Fall air that makes me want to run about just to feel it move against my skin. I want to be in the mountains, staring out over the misty blue yonder just to be there in God's creation. I've said it many times, how much I love the mountains. I've become obsessed with them as of late, and look forward to camping there soon. I've got mountain fever, I know it.

Lovely weather and church aside, I have a wee announcement.

My hard drive has died. I can't even get to the login screen on my big, beautiful computer, which means I am down to using my little laptop until I can get it fixed. This shouldn't be too much of a problem, but it will certainly keep me from getting online as much as I did with my desktop computer. It's an older laptop, a Windows XP,  and the screen is small, but she runs. So I won't complain at all. But, like I said, it may make my computer habits get slow.

When I'm not online, I hope to be writing something or crocheting , or taking pictures to share with you all so I can mass post them and spam your dashboards.

Have a beautiful, blessed Tuesday, my friends! ♥

DIY: Blue & Black Floral Patterned Bangle!

This is a wonderfully quick and easy way to make a great looking bracelet that doesn't break the bank! Great for kids!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

-Wooden Bangle Bracelet (I got mine from Hobby Lobby.)

-Acrylic paint (I chose blue, but you can use any color you like.)

-Permanent Marker (Preferably a Sharpie.)

-Sand paper (Optional: In case your wooden bracelet is rough!)

First, start by painting the entire wooden bangle with the acrylic paint of your choice and let dry.

After it has dried, get your marker and draw on the first flower of your pattern.

Once you have it drawn, add two X marks on either end of the horizontal petals. These will be the centers of your next flowers.

Working around the X on the right, draw in the remaining three petals (the first petal is one from the previous flower). Afterwards, draw an X on that flower's horizontal petal and repeat all the way around the bracelet until you connect with the X on the left.

Your pattern should look something like this:

Looks classy already, but we're not done yet!

Next, draw a line close to the inside edge of the bracelet. Do this on both sides.

Then draw another line alongside the first one and make sure it touches the very tips of the petals. Do this on both sides, as well.

And there you have it! A cheap and easy way to make a pretty little bracelet that is great for gifts, party favors, or anything else you can think of! Use different patterns and colors to really make it fun and classy. Let's see what you can come up with!

Hope you all enjoyed this little DIY tutorial! 

Have a blessed, great Saturday! ♥

The Day That Has Been Made

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 

God has blessed me with another morning, another day for me to see. He has given it to me. Why should I not be happy about that? 

I have been making an effort to have devotions every morning, and have found that I am much more lighthearted in these mornings than I have ever been. Even if something takes a turn for the worse during the day, big or small, I don't fret. This is a day that the Lord has made for me. Whatever happens during this day is in His will and I have no complaints about that. I trust Him to take care of me. Why should I worry, then?

He has made this day for me. I can't get over that. Everything I see, hear, and feel right now is something He has created. The summer bugs outside my window, chirping and whirring away in the bright, heated sunlight. The tall, lively green shrubs giving those bugs a place to rest. The grassy yard and the mighty pines beyond. The garden that is overflowing with plants, the bees further down the the way that zoom around in the warm air and float along the cool breezes, the silk-soft tree frogs I find plastered onto the side of the house, the fish in the ponds that dart about in streaks of vivid oranges and reds through glassy waters, the fruit trees and spindly blueberry bushes that will someday explode into great proportions, and the great blue sky high above with birds and clouds of every kind in it. It has all been made by God and given to my family and me as a gift. It's a beautiful picture, and I am humbled by just this thought alone.

What has the Lord made for you today?