The Reason Behind the Lull

I've been trying to think and pray about the purpose of this blog lately, thus the lull in between posts.

I like to be able to record family events. I like to have an outlet to write out my thoughts and feelings. But I'm just not sure it's serving any purpose any more for anyone other than me. (And maybe that's okay.)

 These are some questions I have:

Is this blog promoting relationships in real life or replacing them with something in the cyber world?

Does this blog provide fun and maybe some entertainment for the readers?

Is this blog leaving the legacy I want? Is it pointing to Christ?

I guess one reason I ask these questions is because I rarely get feedback on what I write (not looking at the few of you who have commented faithfully).

Even though it rubs on me the wrong way to ask, I am going to be bold and ask for some feedback on those questions because I'll never know if I don't step out and ask.  Could you comment in the comment section, or email, text, Facebook, or phone me and give me some feedback?

Here's a song that came to mind as I was thinking this post over. It speaks to the desire of my heart.

Just Enough Light (re-post)

**Reposted From October 15, 2007

Today marks the five year anniversary of this here blog. I thought I would re-post my very first post. This explains the reason for the name Just Enough Light.

If there is one thing I am learning in life as a Christian, it is that often God gives me just enough light for the step I'm on.

Trust.

Why do I lack trust when God has yet to fail me? I pray as I move on in my life, I remember God's faithfulness to me and my loved ones as we have faced difficult times. It seems the more difficult thing is waiting on God's timing. But His timing is always perfect. Just think how we'd mess things up if we rushed ahead. I am so guilty of wanting to do that.

Just Enough Light
Sometimes only the step I'm on,
or the very next one ahead,
is all that is illuminated for me.
God gives just the amount of light I need
for the exact moment I need it.
At those times I walk in surrender to faith,
unable to see the future
and not fully comprehending the past.
And because it is God who has given me
what light I have,
I know I must reject the fear and
doubt that threaten to overtake me.
I must determine to be content where
I am, and allow God to get me where
I need to go.
I walk forward,
one step at a time,
fully trusting that
the light God sheds
is absolutely sufficient.

-Stormie Omartian

Blogging or Sewing...?

I seem to be able to spend my extra time either sewing or blogging. If I emphasize one, the other is neglected. Based on the fact that it's been a week since I blogged, it's safe to say I've been busy with sewing.

But never fear, I have a few post subjects in mind, so I will get back to this.

To make this post a little more interesting, I thought I'd throw in a couple of pictures that were on my phone:::

My sweet hubby brought me some roses a few days ago.  One red one and two yellow ones. This yellow one was particularly pretty, so I snapped a photo. 

 Hubby knows what a sucker I am for yellow roses. I carried them in our wedding.

 Oh gosh, who are those younguns? (and no, this photo wasn't on my phone, it's a bonus)

 

I saw this sign at a store a couple of weeks ago. Made me laugh. Maybe I should get one for my house. I think it's a good sentiment. What do you think???

July Journal -- The Blogs I Read and A Post

I like to read blogs. I guess that's no surprise since I write a blog. I like to read posts that are funny, informative, and sometimes serious and sometimes just newsy. The reasons I write a blog are many. I write to keep family and friends we don't see very often informed on what's going on with us. Sometimes I write to work through some thoughts I'm having or something I'm struggling with.
I write to record memories. (Each new year I have my blog from the previous year published into a book form.) Sometimes I am criticized for bringing up things that have happened in the past, but when my friend who recently passed away left a comment on my blog last December, I decided I will never back off from talking or writing about my memories. She said that she had read in a devotional that nostalgia is good for us. It says it helps us to stay true to ourselves despite huge life changes; it gives us perspective; it boosts our memory.

Anyway...

I thought I'd share links to some of the blogs I go to regularly.

I have several quilting blogs I like to go to for ideas and, let's face it, just to look at all the prettiness.

Moda Bake Shop
Missouri Star Quilt Company
Sew Many Ways
Saltwater Quilts
Diary of a Quilter

Okay, I'll stop. You get the idea.

I also read blogs that friends of mine write:

Acorns For Thought
A Song For Everything
(these are both college friends)

Chinese Neighbors
(friends who live in China, showing God's love to their neighbors)

Swiss Family Olson
(a friend I stumbled upon in the blog world and we have even met in real life!)

 From This Side of The Pond
(a bloggy friend. I don't remember how I stumble upon her blog, but we have so many things in common it's so fun to read her blog. She's funny and insightful. Maybe someday we'll meet in real life.)

I read other blogs that have content that interest me:

Pioneer Woman
(I admit I love reading her blog mostly for the food.)


KeropokMan: Singapore City Photo
(some Singaporean dude who frequently posts pictures of stuff around Singapore)
KeropokMan:Singapura Makan
(same dude who writes about places he eats around Singapore)

Organize and Decorate Everything
(I admit the title just makes me giddy)

Of course there are quite a number of food blogs I love. Here's just a few:

Skinnytaste
Jamie Cooks It Up
The Cheapskate Cook

The other day I came across this post from a link someone posted on Facebook:
http://deeperstory.com/this-for-me-is-enough/
I wanted to stand up and applaud and say, "Amen, Sister!" I know I listed a lot of links here. If you don't look at any others, read this one.

I read a lot more blogs, but I'll stop here.

July Journal -- The Odds and Ends

There are a couple of things I want to point out that are new-ish in the column on the right. I added a little box that says "Follow by Email." A couple of people have asked me for that and I finally got around to figuring our how to add it. It was not hard at all and I kinda felt silly because I put it off until I had "time to concentrate" on it and it took me about a minute to do. (The quote marks are there because I quoted myself -- at least what I said to myself in my head, so no one really heard me and no one really knows if I actually said it.)

In the column on the right I also added back the "About Me" blurb. Not a lot of new info in there, but I find myself looking for that when I am looking at a new blog because I like to learn a bit about the writer. Maybe I'll revamp that someday.

I also added a little copyright blurb. I know stuff out here on the World Wide Web are very public, but I just wanted to stick a reminder on there so people may think twice and be courteous about copying stuff from my blog without my permission. I once saw one of my photos show up on Facebook and that really annoyed me.

Okay just so this isn't the most extremely boring post in the history of my blog....

I took this picture on Friday and posted it my Facebook wall.

Friday morning I was in the basement working on a quilt. All of a sudden I noticed something looking in the window at me. (Heart pounded hard for a few beats...) I looked up and there was this deer! So close! I think she was enjoying the shade and wondering if there was anything good to eat along the house.

Hi There

Well. That was a long blog break, huh?

I guess I just hit a dry spell there for a while. I find it hard to write on this blog when not much is going on in my life. I have also noticed that when each new season begins and we still live in the same place, is really hard on me. I am so ready to live some where else.

 Enough whining though.

Today's blog-post is brought to you by insomnia. I woke up a bit before 5am. I tried to go back to sleep, but to no avail. So about 6:15 I drug myself out of bed, played a little Solitaire on my phone and read my Bible. Then I got rolling on my to-do list. We are having company this weekend, so the list was lengthy. Believe it or not, I finished everything on my list by 1pm. Crazy.  So, because of the insomnia, I have some time to write today. Not that I have been so busy that I haven't had time.  But, well, the point is, I'm writing.

Since the beginning of March, I have been sewing...making quilts. I have finished four receiving blankets and three quilt tops. (!) One quilt top is quilted and waiting for me to finish the binding. When I get that done I will make sure to post a picture. I like how it turned out. :)

A couple of weeks ago, I ran out of thread. Quite tragic when I have to drive 25-50 miles to find some place that sells good quality thread. So one Saturday I talked Hubby into driving 50 miles so we could go out for lunch and I could go to a quilt shop and buy some thread. So exciting, I know. That hubby of mine is a trooper. I just love him.

While we were in that little town, we went looking through a couple of antique stores. We have become very interested in browsing through antique stores. Sometimes we find neat things. Mostly we just look and love finding something that reminds us of a toy we had as a child, or something our grandmothers had in their homes. This is one of the antique stores we stumbled upon:

We have driven by this multiple times as we drove through this town, but have never stopped. I was more interested in looking at the building. I believe it used to be an old gas station. It was quite cool.

Speaking of sewing... (I was...check back a paragraph or two) I made an upgrade in my sewing room. For years I have had this $10 lovely for a chair:

Yeah. I know. Not the most comfortable looking thing. Nor the most comfortable thing to sit in.

A couple of months ago, while visiting my in-laws, my sister-in-law and I went to a quilt shop (a quilt shop I dream about, it was so awesome) and I found a new chair!

This one adjusts all over the place and I absolutely LOVE the red color.

Well, that about wraps up this post. (Now you might understand why I haven't written much.)

Election Day Perspective

Today is election day in the USA.  Please go read my son Caleb's post about having perspective on this day.

Daniel 2:20-21

Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said:    

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
   wisdom and power are his. 

He changes times and seasons;

he deposes kings and raises up others. 

New!

I decided to change the look of my blog.

What do you all think?