Challenges

We all face challenges in life.  Some rock our world while others are a part of our everyday life and we just learn to live with them.

I think one of the challenges we all face is finding enough hours in the day to do all we want or need to do.  The devotional Bible I am reading had a story about time today with a pretty good breakdown of the hours in a week and how they might be used.  First of all, we all start out with the same number of hours:  7 days x 24 hours per day = 168 hours.

Sleep:  56 hours
Eating:  12 hours
Work:  48 hours
That totals 116 hours for your basic needs.  That leaves 52 hours to do with as you please.  Of course, this will vary with each individual.

A "tithe" to God was taken from these remaining hours.  So, 5.2 hours belongs to God.  Those of us who attend church 3 times a week use up 3 of these hours, not counting travel time.  That leaves 2.2 hours that still belongs to God.  If you divide 2.2 hours by 7, you get .31428571 hour per day (roughly 20 minutes) to spend in prayer and Bible study.  THAT doesn't seem like very much to me.

So, what you have left is 46.8 hours for the week.  Divide that by 7 and you still have 6.68571429 hours per day to do what you "want," which will include drive time, house work, groceries, dressing, etc.

What you do with these remaining hours will depend on your priorities in life.  Also, the job that God has called you to do.  Luke 16:1-3 "And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.  2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.  3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed."

I'm afraid that I am guilty of wasting a lot of time on things that are of no real importance in light of eternal matters.  And, I'm wondering if the "tithe" of time should be taken off the "gross" just like our tithe we give to the church.  That would be 16.8 hours spent for God throughout the week.  That is a little over 2 hours per day working for and serving the Lord.

It would probably be wise to take inventory more often of how we spend or time.

On to part of the activity today that I "wasted" some time on....doing some challenges at the DigiChick:

I made a bookmark for my prayer journal.

I made this calendar for my desktop on my laptop computer

 

This was done for the quote/scripture challenge.

Done in my art journaling Bible

This morning, after I got up at 8:15, I made the bed, spent an hour on my devotions and prayer, got my shower then headed to Planet Fitness.  I walked for 30 minutes at 2 mph.  Then I went to Aldi's for groceries on the way back to the house.  After lunch, Tim and I went to see Mrs. Parks.  She was doing her physical therapy.  She was working out on a rowing type of machine.  Doing very well, too!  She will be able to come home soon!

That was my day!  Hope you had a good one!

A Do-less Day

Today was a do-nothing day, basically.  I got up at 8:15 or there abouts.  Made the bed, checked my e-mail and facebook, cleaned up the kitchen, then got ready to leave to go to Planet Fitness for a bit.  By the time I got there, it was after 10.  I walked for half an hour at a pace of 2 miles per hour.  I was feeling it after 6 minutes, LOL!  I am sooooo out of shape!

After I finished walking, I ran over to AC Moore.  I'm looking for Art Basics brand of clear gesso for my Bible Art Journaling in the Bible I got specifically for art journaling.  I had a 55% coupon that I wanted to use on it.  No deal, however.  I'm beginning to wonder if they even carry it.  They have other Art Basics supplies.  May have to order it from Amazon.

When I got home I fixed some lunch and sat down to check the e-mail and facebook again.  After I finished eating, I worked on the church sign.

Well, since I have recollected everything, I guess I actually DID do a little bit today, didn't I?  :D

That was about it, however.  The rest of the afternoon I spent in front of the computer searching through artsy stuff for inspiration.

At 4:00, I put some sweet potatoes in the little toaster oven to bake.  At 4:30 I turned up the temperature because they just weren't really cooking.  Then about 4:45 I went ahead and turned up the temperature again.  Jessica called at 5, which she does most Monday's on her way home from work.  It serves 2 purposes, touching base with me and helps the time pass on her trip home.  It means a lot to me that she takes the time to call, especially since we don't get to see one another very often.

So, after dinner I started working on the "31 Days of Scripture Art Journaling" on line class at artbyerinleigh.com that I started quite awhile ago.  So, I'm on Day 2.  Today was practicing lines and then using LOTS of lines in a project.  Here's my practice and the project.

Line Practice

The project

I created a guide to use in the placement of everything.  I slid the guide under the sketch page and drew pencil lines to follow as I penciled everything on to the page.  Then I went back over everything with a black micron pen.  Then I had to erase all of the pencil lines.  Took FOREVER, but it turned out pretty well, I think!

Now, I think I will go and do some reading.

Art

So, I told you last night that I would post some pictures tonight.  Here are the projects I have done over the last couple of months.  Enjoy!

6x6" mixed media canvas for my SS room

cover of my Bible art journal from a summer class

The first page in the Bible art journal

Bible art journal (can you see the grapes?)

Bible art journal

Bible art journal

Bible art journal

Bible Art Journal

Another challenge, but don't remember what group I did this for.

Bible Art Journal

Don't recall the challenge group.

 

This was the beginning of...................

.......this 6x6" mixed media canvas.

Don't remember the group I did this one for.

Documented Faith Challenge

Documented Faith Challenge

Bible Art Journal Challenge with Rebekah Jones

Documented Faith

Documented Faith

Here's some digital pages I have done:

These pages were done using Kimeric Kreations kit collection, Autumn on the Great River Road found at the DigiChick in her shop here:  http://www.thedigichick.com/shop/Kimeric-Kreations/

Done for the Documented Life Project

Another one for Bible Art Journaling Challenge with Rebekah Jones

Documented Faith

This one is using Kimeric Kreations kit collection, Dear Diary.

Documented Faith

Here is a HUGE canvas project I did.  I'm going to go through the process in making it:

STEP 1 - added 5 colors to this 24x36" canvas.

STEP 2 - spread and blended the paints

STEP 3 - gathered up a bunch of stencils to use to give the background texture and interest

STEP 4 - printed out this silhouette and cut it out

STEP 5 - added tissue paper for texture

STEP 6 - cut out the silhouette

STEP 7 - using stencils, create more interest in the background

STEP 8 - added verse to silhouette

STEP 9 - still needed to add lots of stencils to the background.

STEP 10 - after getting everything in the background the way I wanted it, I then decided to paint the silhouettes.  Then I added the lettering and sealed it and this is done!  Now to find a place to hang it!  :D

Well, that's it for now.  Hope you enjoyed viewing my art.

Rain, Rain.......

Well, it has ONLY been 2 months since I posted here!  That's less time that has passed than I thought!  :D

All I need to say about the "Rain, Rain....." is that I'm ready for it to move on!  I would like to be outside, at least a little bit, to enjoy some Fall weather!

Let me see.  What have I been doing for 2 months?  Just as a quick wrap-up.....

Aug. 3-7
VBS went fairly smoothly, even though Tim was sick the WHOLE WEEK and I had to be the VBS Director!  I was REALLY glad when the week was over!  :D  I DID enjoy Michael, Hannah, Ryan and Abigail getting to spend the week with us!  Papaw really hated it that he didn't feel well enough to enjoy their company!

We did something different on Friday this year.  We had a "cook out" for the parents and kids.  There were a few parents who came, but not as many as we thought.

Aug. 7-11
Jessica brought Chance, Thad and Araya and spent the weekend with us.  They made it time for VBS.  Elisabeth came for the meal, too, then took Hannah, Ryan and Abigail home with her.  Jessica and I loaded up and went to her house on Saturday so the kids could do some swimming.  Then on Sunday, Jessica took her gang home after lunch.  I met Liz half way and picked up Hannah who wanted to attend the Mallard Ridge Assisted Living services with us on Monday.  She spent the night and then Liz and I met on Tuesday (if I remember correctly!).

Aug. 13-14
Tim and I did thrifting in Raleigh, NC, spent the night and went to the "BIG" farmer's market there!  That was a waste!  The one near us is just as good, if not better!  AND, the thrifting was the P.I.T.S.!!!

Aug. 17
Hannah turned 11.  :(

Aug. 30
5th Sunday dinner at church with afternoon services and then no evening service.  Always nice to break up the routine!

Sept. 4
Preacher's Fellowship Meeting at Rupert Missionary Baptist Church in Rupert, WV.  We always enjoy our fellowship with everyone at this meeting!

Sept. 7
Tim's mom's birthday!

Sept. 9
Liz turns 32 today!  WOW!  Where has the time gone!  That means 32 years and 3 months ago (June 1983), Tim became the assistant to Bro. Hensley at the Addyston Baptist Church!

Memories:
We rented a house with carpet on the livingroom wall (as a sound barrier between apartments) in Cleves from a dentist.  The dental office was located behind the house and they did not fancy the kids playing outside during business hours!  WHAT?!  We didn't stay there very long.

We moved to 5 Main Street in Addyston, renting a house from Ray and Margie Deffinger.  First thing that happens is the kids coming down with chicken pox.  Elisabeth was barely 3 months old and had the worst case of them.  Michael and Jessica barely had anything.  Poor Elisabeth had them in her diaper, on her head, everywhere!  We weren't there very long when Ray and Margie sold the house.

Next, we rented a house on Race Road in Western Hills.  We were there about a year and a half before moving to the farm house on Kilby Road in Harrison in April or May 1985, right before Nathanael was due.  We were there 3 years, I guess, before buying Mrs. Stutzman's house at 7 Main Street in Addyston, 2 doors down from Ray and Margie's old house, that the Creeches bought.

Too many fond memories to go into from living in the house in Addyston for the 9 years we lived there before being called to serve the Lord in Buffalo, WV in 1997.  OK, back to this year...........

Sept. 10
Tim's brother, Jeff's birthday.

Sept. 14
Mallard Ridge Services.  Tonight we handed out the lap blankets our ladies made at the last ladies meeting.  There was a record crowd of residents in attendance and we handed out ALL 17 lap blanket!!  The Lord worked all of that out because I had no idea how I was going to keep track of who we had given a blanket to and who to give one to month after month til we got rid of all of them!

Sept. 19-21
Tim being scheduled to preach the Addyston Baptist Church homecoming, we left early Saturday so we could see his dad and mom while we were in the area.  ABC put us up in a hotel Saturday and Sunday night.  It was sooooo good to see all of our old friends there at the church!  Jessica and her family were able to make it for the church service, lunch and afternoon service.  Tim preached his wonderful message, "But if not..." that EVERYONE who hears it enjoys.  My brother, Joe, was able to come to the services, too.  We made plans to go to his church Sunday evening.  He was not going to be able to hang around afterwards because of a mandatory meeting at Home Depot.  So he decided to come to ABC's services so we could spend a little time together.  Then on Monday morning, we met the Pitmans at Cracker Barrell in Harrison to have breakfast and some more fellowship before heading back home.  We don't get to see them often enough!

Sept. 24
Tim had his gamma knife procedure on the 2 cancer spots in his brain.  All went well.  If you want to know more about the procedure, google gamma knife procedure at Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, NC.  Better to do this procedure now than wait for the cancer to grow and spread in his brain and end up having to do whole-brain radiation!  He will have another Brain MRI in 2 months to see if there is scar tissue formed where the cancer has been killed, or whatever.

Sept. 28
Preacher's Fellowship Meeting at Draper Valley Baptist Church in Virginia with Bro. Willie Overton.

Oct. 1
Tim's day off, as usual.  We did our thrifting around the 485 loop of Charlotte.  We have started eating breakfast out, then skipping lunch every other Thursday.  This being a breakfast week, I wanted to eat at Cracker Barrell.  So, they have a restaurant at Liz and Brad's exit in Salisbury, so we met them there to eat on our way to Charlotte at 8:45.  It was good to see Brad.  He got done on a job early, so took the day off as a personal day instead of getting sent out of town again to somewhere else.

Oct. 2
While we were at Addyston Baptist Church, Sis. Parks passed out in church here at around 11:10.  Sharon could not find a pulse and at one point thought her mom was gone.  The EMT's were called.  By the time they arrived, she was starting to come around.  Long story short, she ended up having to have a pace maker "installed" for lack of a better word, LOL!  Now she is in rehab.  We saw her today and she seems to be doing really well with her therapy.  Joy and Bobby checked her out so she could come to church on Wednesday.  Hopefully they can check her out again for services on Sunday.

Oct. 3
So, that brings us up to today.  In the Fall, we do church visitation on Saturday, since the weather is cooler.  We start visitation back up in September.  However, with the Labor Day holiday, our going out of town, and the continual rain, we have YET to be able to do any visiting on Saturday.  Today being another day we had to cancel for the rain!
.
Saturdays are also my days for cleaning the bathrooms and doing laundry.  I like to do all of the laundry on Saturday so that Tim can begin the week with all of his shirts and pants clean.

Well, this has gotten long, so I think I will close for now.  I'm going to do some creative work before taking some time to do some reading.  Tomorrow I will post some of my latest creations.