To my dismay, I remembered when I last worked on the family tree my computer crashed. Everything I had saved at the time, was saved on a floppy. So when I got my new computer, guess what... no floppy drive.
Thus, I lost everything I had typed before.
Luckily, I do have a hard copy, though very faint, of my family history. Plus I kept a hard copy of any new information I found.
So, I'm starting over and traveling back to 1520, when my five-greats grandpa, Humphry Benton was born in Epping, Essex, England. It's going to be a long but interesting trip.
I'm wiser now. I will be saving to a CD as I go, that way if my computer messes up, I will still have the history.
I got curious about what was going on in 1520, so I went surfing.
Well... Henry VIII was ruling and desperately needed to forge an alliance with either France or the Holy Roman Empire. He had a choice to make.
Here is the interesting thing... King Henry challenged King Francis, who ruled France, to a wrestling match.
Well, Francis won that wrestling match and Henry wound up signing a treaty of alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V.
Boys will be boys.
I can imagine my five-greats grandma, Joane, thinking this when she heard about it from her mother, while discussing the current Act of Six Articles. Henry passed this Act in 1539; laying down the beliefs of the Church of England. I wonder how that conversation played out.
Okay... enough history.
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Microsoft clip art
Also to my dismay, I lost a filling tonight.
And even worse, I think I swallowed it. yuck!
Too bad there really isn't a tooth fairy to magically fix it.
The electricity is out and the house is pitch black.
My son and I wake up at the same time and open the doors to the hallway. I'm afraid to move, for fear I'll run into him. He flips his phone open and we have enough light to get to the lighter and the oil lamps.
It's very sultry feeling, with a light breeze blowing through the windows. Lightning strikes and thunder rolls as I go through lighting the oil lamps so that we can get ready for the day.
I think about what it must have been like back in the day, when this type of lighting is all they had.
Everything is so much more peaceful, without the hum of the fridge, fans, or other electronic devises.
I use my little book light to read my Bible and daily devotion. Back then, I would have had only the candle light.
Though it is muggy, it is nice to hear the raindrops outside the window and as the rain slows, to hear the birds singing the earth awake.
Sweet serenity.
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The Best Shop Hop Quilts are now posted on the Quilts tab.
Please vote if you have not done so already.
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Projects this week...
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I will start back on my family tree this week.
My dad asked about it today.
I have been remiss in the endeavor and have let it slide to the back burner.
Microsoft clip art
So, I will begin again, picking up where I left off.
I believe I left off around the Revolutionary War.
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In Closing...
God is not the author of confusion but of peace. 1Corinthians 14:33
This weekend has been a slow one. I made the little coaster above to take to work to use at my desk.
I have been looking for a Easter pattern to make. I think I will make a wall hanging with lilies and a cross. I may not get it done in time for Easter but I'll have it for next year. :)
I also looked at bag patterns. I have some old jeans, I'm thinking of turning into tote bags.
I also looked at a few panels I have, some Christmas themed, some Children themed and thought about making them, due to the easiness of them.
Microsoft clip art
As you can see... I've had a lot of thinking going on and not a lot of doing, this weekend.
It has been a very warm weekend and I haven't had much energy other than to think.
I even came close to falling asleep in church this morning and that is very unusual for me. I did much better this evening. :)
I trust you had a nice weekend and hope you have a great week ahead.
Until next time...
God bless and keep you,
Sonia.
P.S. if you haven't voted yet on the best Shop Hop Quilt, please do so. The poll will close this coming weekend.
Also, check out and help support the Children's Miracle Network, on the left. It's free... just click on the socialvibe link.
About a month ago, Feb. 28th to be precise, I wrote about a sense of change... change beyond my control. At that time I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was bigger than me and stated that I would sit back, watch and wait to see what happens.
This morning, I asked God to show me His will and to guarantee His presence in my life today. I try to do this every morning and some days it blows my mind. :)
Today, I sat down in my chair at my desk at work and before I logged onto the system these words went through my mind.
When a door closes, God opens a new one.
Hmm... I thought.
I signed on, opened my mail and in my mailbox was two messages from two different friends. These messages contained a Bible verse. Revelations 3:8 I know they works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. These are the words of Jesus.
The email basically went on to say don't worry, God is in control and everything will be okay.
Okay, God what are you trying to tell me? - Is my next thought. I knew something big was going to happen today. I just didn't know what it was.
Well this stayed with me all day and God's presence was strong, reminding me no matter what, everything will be okay. It was so strong, I came home at lunch and told my husband about it.
This afternoon I found out what it was. The man, who has been the manager, VP of Manufacturing and has become a friend over the last 22 years I have worked at Stark Mfg LLC, was given the "option" to retire early today. He accepted it and today was his last day.
The minute I saw this news the feeling I felt all day left and I knew I needed to share the message to him. I knew that God was telling me to tell my friend that everything will be okay. So I did.
It will take some time to get used to not seeing my "boss" (he doesn't like to be called that) every day. He has the patience of Job. I know this, because I have tested it over the years. :)
So... I had a message about a month ago that the winds were beginning to stir and today felt the full gale force of them. Now, it's time to sit back again, wait and see what else the wind blows in.
I have boxed up the mug rugs to send to my mug rug swap partner, Michelle. I will mail them tomorrow.
I also made two cute Easter bunnies tonight (nothing like being in my sewing area to reflect on the day). I found the pattern earlier in the week at http://www.alfreecrafts.com .
Spring has sprung with a mix of warm and cold days.One day last week, I woke to a warm morning, this morning there was frost on my husband’s car and it was downright chilly.
Spring is always a tough time for me, actually spring and fall.Why?Well… Spring fever kicks in during the early part of the year and Holiday fever kicks in at the end of the year.Each fever has me unsettled.
For example, today as I sat in my cubicle, trying to do my job, my mind was either in my sewing area or my writing area.I was not focused on work.
I get so antsy during this time that it takes all the self control I have to stay at work.I would like nothing more than to shut down my computer and say “Adios Compadres, it’s been nice working with you, but I have better things to do!”
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My goals this week
Mail off to mug rug package to swap partner, Michelle.
Work some more on my little afghan (has been put on back burner last few days)
I love the Lord. He is my strength, for without Him, I was nothing. But because of Him, I am alive!!
Let me begin by stating: I'm a child of God. But didn't start out that way, I was lost and going to Hell.
I was raised up in church, my dad was my pastor. Everyday there was talk of the Lord, reading of the Bible, and prayer. My mom and dad were and still are walking examples of living by faith.
I was a church member, walked the aisle, had been baptized, taught vacation bible school, and could tell you how to be saved...the whole nine yards. Anyone who knew me would have said "that's a good Christian girl", but all they were actually seeing was a dying sack of flesh and bone walking around, bound for Hell.
I can remember talking myself out of salvation and then turning away each time He called.
I married a Christian man who was and still is a daily example and he played a role in my eventually coming to know the Lord.
Before I met him, I lived a life of being in the bars every night - closing them down, or drinking otherwise, smoking like a freight train and cussing like a sailor (hung on to some of those things for awhile after meeting him), My husband would tell me "Sonia, ladies don't talk that way." I would reply "I'm no !@#%$! lady, I'm your wife." I had a bad temper (was nothing for me to hit a wall or kick a hole in one, I had a lot of resentment and anger inside & was as two-faced as they come; smiling on the outside but dying on the inside. Kind of tells what I was like to live with.
We didn't attend church regularly, partly because my husband worked weekends, and the rest was because I didn't want to go to church. I didn't want anything to do with church. When I was 29, I started reading the bible, to ease my mind and to appease my husband. My husband always encouraged me to go to church either with him when he was off work or go by myself when he was working. I see now, that I was searching.
Then one Sunday morning in the fall of 1996, I was watching a preacher on local TV, Dale Thompson and he asked a question I had heard my dad ask many times in his sermons. "If you were to die today, where would you spend eternity?" It was then, God decided to give me a glimpse of where I was heading. I believe if I had turned Him away at that point, I would still be lost today.
I want to tell you Hell is very real and is the most horrible, terrifying place anyone could imagine. There are no words that can truly describe it, and there is no picture that can truly depict it. I can tell you though, that I felt a fear to the very core of my soul when I realized where I was going to spend eternity.
Nothing compares to the fear I felt. Not even the fear I felt when my dad was having quadruple bypass surgery and we thought we were going to lose him, or when I found out my mom had a cancerous kidney (that was the same day 9-11 happened). None of that was remotely close to fear I felt when I realized what Hell was going to be like.
I literally begged the Lord to save my soul from an eternity in Hell. I begged Him to forgive me for denying Him all those times. I'm a proud woman and don't bow down to anyone, but that day, I let go of pride and begged for my life.
Well, the good news is I'm alive in Christ, a child of God! Hallelujah! The old hateful, angry, boozed up, smoking, foul mouthed woman I use to be is now gone, I am new in Christ!! If God can save a vile sinner like me, He can save you. There is nothing beyond His forgiveness if you just ask.
I like to think of Paul, remember he used to be Saul the persecutor of Christians, yet God loved him so much He knocked him off his horse, made him blind and woke him up! The persecutor became the preacher for God.
