Creatures in My Shop

I haven't talked about my Etsy shops on this blog in a while, so, if you are interested in what's new, read on.

I was so excited to get an order this past weekend for 10 of my vintage button items from The Button Lady shop from a woman who wanted to sell them in the gift shop of the Texas Quilt Museum in LaGrange, Texas. I think my items are a different but unique compliment to sell along with quilting items.

I am always striving (and shopping!) to come up with unique, different vintage items to put in my Etsy shop NaNa's Things.  As I was going through and tweeking my listings, I realized that I have a lot of creatures in my shop. These are the nice, woodland, cute creatures, not monsters and slimy creatures. I also found some unique vintage figurines from the 70's that I will be listing soon.

This cute creamer is handpainted to look like a bird...

I fell in love with this little fawn souvenir from the 1000 Islands....

This pair of swans are a planter, attached to form a heart....

I LOVE this cow creamer and bucket sugar.....so 1930's!

There are also fish, a hen, a fawn and doe, a stork, a horse, a couple of rabbits and Mickey Mouse.

So here are my new finds from the 1970's. Do you remember when "I Love You This Much" was so everywhere you looked and the most trendy thing to say? I found two of those along with a World's Greatest Grandpa, Greatest Golfer and World's Best Boss. Someone must have dropped off their whole collection of figurines from the W & R Berries Co. circa 1970 to our local goodwill. I picked up a "few" plus two chalkware banks including one Cuss bank....

The colorful clown looking one in front is the Cuss bank. On the back it reads:

CUSS BANK

I'll make you put in money

But I'll change you if I can,

From using rough, tough swear words,

Even a quiet little damn.

TEMPER CHARGES

For just a naughty word from you

A five cent charge will do.

But if the word is "rough" this time

That, of course, will cost a dime.

For using language you should not oughter,

The charge will be a great big quarter.

I'll leave you with that. Of course we all know that the tongue is the wickedess part of our body and so we always have control over it.....right?!

AnnMarie :)

 

Getting Through the Day......

Ever have one of those mornings where you are just dreading all that you have to do and wondering how you are going to get through it? When that happens to me I just get in my prayer closet (the shower!) and ask the Lord for the strength and time to accomplish all that I need to do. And, oh, if He has plans for me for that day other than my own, please let me know so I can re-focus!
This mornings devotion in Jesus Calling has the solution:

"Let Me help you get through this day. There are many possible paths to travel between

your getting up in the morning and your lying down at night. Stay alert to the

many choice-points along the way, being continually aware of My Presence.You

will get through this day one way or the other. One way is to moan and groan,

stumbling along with shuffling feet. This will get you to the end of the day eventually,

but there is a better way. You can choose to walk with me along the path of Peace,
leaning on Me as much as you need.There will still be difficulties along the way,
but you can face them confidently in My strength. Thank Me for each problem
you encounter, and watch to see how I transform trials into blessings."

And He does.

AnnMarie :)

Sharing My Daily Devotions with You

Like everyone else, I have my routines that I do everyday. They are such  a normal part of my life that it is easy to forget that not everyone may enjoy the ones that I do.

For example, every night, whether I am sick, so tired I can't keep my eyes open, or we are away from home, I read all of my devotions before I go to bed. There are at least six of them. I thought I would share them with you because they speak to me every night through scriptures and the wisdom from those that write them.

I read them in the same order every night. I start with the Daily Bread which is a free publication from RBC Ministries. It is a monthly publication with a devotion for every day written by Pastors and Christian leaders such as William E. Crowder and H. Dennis Fisher. A page of scripture follows each devotion.

The next one is the monthly InTouch magazine from In Touch Ministries by Dr. Charles Stanley. There are wonderful articles by Dr. Stanley and others with a daily devotion in the back called "early light" with scripture references.

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young is the most talked about new devotion right now. It is a yearly devotion written through the inspiration of the presence of God in Sarah's life. The beginning of the book explains how it all came about for her to hear personal messages from God. It is one of those devotions that always seems to have just what you needed to read that day. It is available in most Christian bookstores, or here at Amazon.com .

 

The other three or four devotions I read every night vary. Right now I am reading 100 Days of Prayer for Women, a gift from my husband. There are many books like this out in the marketplace to encourage the specific needs of women. Check out that the book is scripturally sound and it can be an assest to your scripture reading and prayer life.

Another such book is by Beth Moore, one of my favorite evangelical woman bible teachers. I have done many, many of her video/workbook bible studies through my church and she has a way of getting God's word to you in a clear, scripturally sound and funny way. Her book Praying God's Word, Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds is a must read. It looks like a bible with leather cover, gold gilt on the page edges and an attached ribbon bookmark (it is the fourth one down in the first picture). The chapters include subjects like Overcoming Idolatry, Overcoming Unforgiveness and Overcoming Food-Related Strongholds. She includes scriptures and prayers you can recite to help get you through that particular stronghold.

 

My newest devotional reading is a book called Prayers for Prodigals, 90 Days of Prayer for Your Child by James Banks. These are direct prayers to God written by Dr. Banks for his children. They are encouraging and are a model for how we can specifically pray for our children too. It is published by Discovery House which is the same publisher for RBC Ministries.

Last but not least I am reading a book called Heaven written by Randy Alcorn. It is 476 pages long and I am on my third renewal from the library to finish it! It gives a lot of insight and scripture on what Heaven will be like for those who have given their lives to the Lord. He covers everything from what we'll eat and drink, what our relationships will be like to the animals that will be there, and everything else in between. A very good read. According to Stu Weber "Other than the Bible itself, this may well be the single most life-changing book you'll ever read".

Of course our Bible should be the first source we go to for answers for all that goes on in our lives. A devotional can supplement that and help interpret things that you are experiencing in your life daily. If you were thinking of getting a new devotion to read or just need some encouragement in a particular area, I hope that these particular ones that I enjoy reading will become your daily devotions too.

AnnMarie :)

Honesty is Alive in Upstate New York!

I love a good barn sale. And just driving about 10 minutes from my village home I can find plenty of barns and countryside. The last barn sale I went to was great. The setting was quaint and out front was a sign for fresh eggs. There was a small building attached to the barn with an open sign on the door. One of the helpers told me that there were fresh eggs in there for sale. I asked if someone was in there to take money and she said it was all on your honor. I was too involved in all the fabulous things I was finding to buy at the sale so I never bothered to check it out.

The next time I was driving by I noticed they had added a sign for Rhubarb for sale, so I stopped. I can never pass up fresh rhubarb! I was not prepared for what I found inside.

There was a bucket of fresh rhubarb and a refrigerator full of fresh brown eggs. I was looking for a metal box with the slit in it or a coffee can for the money. What I found was an open cash box full of money and a large yellow note pad to write what you've bought on!

I

I was so surprised because although I understand the concept of the honor system, I couldn't believe there was a box full of cash, presumably to be able to make change. I thought it was great to have each person take the responsibility of writing down the purchase. It helps to keep you honest!

I just was so impressed at the faith in human nature the owners displayed by putting their items and a cash box out behind closed doors........and they live right next door!

I drove off with my bunch of rhubarb having MY faith in human nature renewed!

AnnMarie :)

A Clear Conscience

I am not sure why I seem to be coming across poems and writings lately (my last post has this one and before that the 10 steps of being a virtuous woman) having to do with Christian living, but I know we are all to check ourselves on how we are living out our individual walk, in order to be a good witness for the cause of Christ. I take that seriously and so will share another poem that was in my devotional reading last night....

"I have to live with myself and so,

I want to be fit for myself to know;

I want to be able as days go by,

always to look myself in the eye.

I don't want to stand with the setting sun,

and hate myself for the things I've done.

I want to go out with my head erect;

I want to deserve all men's respect.

Here in the struggle for fame and wealth,

I want to be able to like myself.

I don't want to look at myself and know,

that I'm bluster and bluff and empty show.

I can never hide myself from me,

I see what others may never see;

I know what others may never know;

I can never fool myself and so,

whatever happens I want to be,

self-respecting and conscience free."

                                             Anonymous

We need to have a conscience for our actions and a clear conscience before God should be our goal.

Paul writes "So I strive always  to keep my conscience clear before God and man" Acts 24:16 (NIV)

And to Timothy he said ".....so that by following them you might fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith." 1Timothy 1:18-19 (NIV)

Blessings,
AnnMarie :)

When I say "I am a Christian"......

This poem was sent to me in one of those "pass it along to get multiple blessings" chain emails. I usually delete them without opening. But thank you Lord, that I did open it because I love how this poem reads. See for yourself.....

When I say 'I am a Christian', I am not shouting that 'I am clean living'.

I'm whispering 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven'.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I still feel the sting of pain.

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner who received God's grace.

I hope you were blessed by this today as I was when I first read it.

AnnMarie :)

Her Price is Far Above Rubies

As with most holidays, when they are approaching, our thoughts may turn to what it means or what it is all about. At Christmas we think of Christ's birth, at Easter His resurrection.

For Mother's Day, of course our thoughts turn to Mom. At my thrifting adventures last week, I seemed to continually come across items having to do with mothers and particularily the Blessed Mary, mother of Jesus. At a rummage sale the next day I found another reminder of Mary...a picture of her with Jesus as a toddler.

For me though, reflecting on my own motherhood seems to be dominating my mind. My mistakes, my bad choices, my selfishness and my regrets. But I was redeemed from all that when I gave my life to my savior Jesus Christ. It is forgetting the past as far as the east is from the west, as our Lord does, and looking to the future that is hardest.

As I strive to be a better mother and woman of God, Proverbs 31:10 comes to mind and this is what I and all woman can strive for....

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

Below are the 10 virtues of a woman taken from the website A Virtuous Woman whose ministry is to encourage women to serve God in every aspect of their lives.

1. Faith - A Virtuous Woman serves God with all of her heart, mind, and soul. She seeks His will for her life and follows His ways. (Proverbs 31: 26, Proverbs 31: 29 – 31, Matthew 22: 37, John 14: 15, Psalm 119: 15
2. Marriage – A Virtuous Woman respects her husband. She does him good all the days of her life. She is trustworthy and a helpmeet. (Proverbs 31: 11- 12, Proverbs 31: 23, Proverbs 31: 28, 1 Peter 3, Ephesians 5, Genesis2: 18)
3. Mothering - A Virtuous Woman teaches her children the ways of her Father in heaven. She nurtures her children with the love of Christ, disciplines them with care and wisdom, and trains them in the way they should go. (Proverbs 31: 28, Proverbs 31: 26, Proverbs 22: 6, Deuteronomy 6, Luke 18: 16)
4. Health – A Virtuous Woman cares for her body. She prepares healthy food for her family. (Proverbs 31: 14 – 15, Proverbs 31: 17, 1 Corinthians 6: 19, Genesis 1: 29, Daniel 1, Leviticus 11)
5. Service - A Virtuous Woman serves her husband, her family, her friends, and her neighbors with a gentle and loving spirit. She is charitable. (Proverbs 31: 12, Proverbs 31: 15, Proverbs 31: 20, 1 Corinthians 13: 13)
6. Finances - A Virtuous Woman seeks her husband’s approval before making purchases and spends money wisely. She is careful to purchase quality items which her family needs. (Proverbs 31: 14, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 18, 1 Timothy 6: 10, Ephesians 5: 23, Deuteronomy 14: 22, Numbers 18: 26)
7. Industry – A Virtuous Woman works willingly with her hands. She sings praises to God and does not grumble while completing her tasks. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 24, Proverbs 31: 31, Philippians 2: 14)
8. Homemaking – A Virtuous Woman is a homemaker. She creates an inviting atmosphere of warmth and love for her family and guests. She uses hospitality to minister to those around her. (Proverbs 31: 15, Proverbs 31: 20 – 22, Proverbs 31: 27, Titus 2: 5, 1 Peter 4: 9, Hebrews 13: 2)
9. Time - A Virtuous Woman uses her time wisely. She works diligently to complete her daily tasks. She does not spend time dwelling on those things that do not please the Lord. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 19, Proverbs 31: 27, Ecclesiastes 3, Proverbs 16: 9, Philippians 4:8 )
10. Beauty – A Virtuous Woman is a woman of worth and beauty. She has the inner beauty that only comes from Christ. She uses her creativity and sense of style to create beauty in her life and the lives of her loved ones. (Proverbs 31: 10Proverbs 31: 21 – 22, Proverbs 31: 24 -25, Isaiah 61: 10, 1 Timothy 2: 9, 1 Peter 3: 1 – 6)

To strive to be all that can only come when we keep our eyes on the Lord and ask for His help daily. Then the sweetest reward comes when "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." Proverbs 31:28

Happy Mother's Day!

AnnMarie :)