Finding joy in the everyday

 Artist: Andrei Belichenko and Maria Boohtiyarova Hello to all my regular readers and those who are new to my blog. Today's artists (and there are two of them) paint very pretty and feminine works which I hope you all enjoy. The women and children look lovely in their long flowing dresses and floppy hats. They make summer looks so beautiful (which for us in Australia is still months away). Hoping that you all have a wonderful weekend ahead — I am planning on doing some quilting, baking and reading :) All the activities I thoroughly enjoy doing!! xxx *****

Sometimes I don't have a clue what to write about and today was one of them!!!  I rack my brain for ideas and sometimes nothing comes  . . . then I stumble across an interesting fact and think that perhaps I could write about XY or Z!!  My interesting fact for today was the that women of the past use to spend up to 4 hours per day caring for their stoves — that is a lot of time and energy and thought how blessed I was to be a woman of this modern age where I have electricity, gas, plumbing and lots of mod-cons that make my life so much easier.  I really don't have a lot of complain about.  So as a result of my little fact, I though I would re-visit the home of a woman 150 years ago, perhaps a pioneer woman a long way from civilisation and her family — they knew what hard work was all about. We really don't have a clue, but that doesn't stop us from complaining about our tough life!  These days, we no longer need to spend all day everyday doing housework

I am a fan of mug rugs: they are quick to make, fun, use up scraps of fabric, inexpensive and you can be as creative as you like. There are so many wonderful mug-rugs about, it can be hard deciding what to make!! If you are not familiar with mug-rugs, just pop onto Pinterest and have a look — there are lots and lots to look at. I find that they make great gifts as you can customise them for the person you are making it for and its easy to post long distances.  The one below is for a young lady who has just turned 11. I made one for her mother, which she uses as a place mat. This one for Miss H has been enlarged (the original pattern was quite small) to make it more suitable as a place mat. I have been wanting to learn how to do "free-motion" quilting and thought it might be good to start on something small, such as this mug-rug !! I am not great at it—but with practice I think I will improve — slowly !! *****

Many Christian women go off to work each day — and you are all doing great jobs even if others like to tell you that you shouldn't be there.  Most of these women are not working so they can have a fancy career or to make lots of money — they are just doing their bit to help out the family financially.  We need to go cheerful and with a joyful heart. We need to be thankful for what the Lord has provided us with and go along with His plan and not ours, even if we disagree.  For those ladies who do go off to work — do you: Talk with God at work?  Do you realise He is with you all day? He isn't exclusively for the with women who stay at home. . . . He is with you (yes you)  ALL DAY LONG   and you are just as special to Him as any stay-at-home wife or mother.    He sits beside you as you work, you just need to look up and see. He comes into those meetings that  aren't very pleasant, He is with you whilst you on the phone talking with a difficul

Art Friday: Mi Chunmao Born China, 1933 And why, are you wondering, did I choose this Chinese artist - because his cat illustrations are just ADORABLE and anyone who can draw a cat looking CUTE, is going to be on my LIKE list!!! ****

And if you have lots of sunshine yourself, why not try and spread it around to your friends, family and perhaps strangers too!! Have a wonderful day  lots of love and hugs xxxx

I love to smile and believe it is very important to do often . . . so  I t hought would do a little research into smiling and find out more about  it.  This is what I found out: Why we should smile: Smiling is good for our health Smiling is contagious Smiling makes others happy and brightens their day Smiling exudes positivity Smiling brings us closes to our friends and family Smiling reduces stress and calms a person Smiling helps us cope with situations Smiling can lift a bad mood Smiling makes a person beautiful Smiling completes our outfit Smiling brings about happiness Smiling feels good Smiling can help land you a job Smiling is natural Smiling can lead to laughter and that too is very good for you. Smiling is free Smiling is a universal language understood by all So start smiling as it is very good for you, body and mind . . .  Did you know that there are many different sorts of smiles ( source ): Brittle smile — d

I love those who love me,  And those who seek me diligently will find me.   ( Proverbs 8:17-18) He is everywhere and always within our reach — we are never alone in our sorrow or suffering as Jesus is EVERYWHERE. To all the women struggling this week, remember as you stand in your kitchen feeling as if life is getting the better of you (or at your desk at work) — Jesus is there with you and what a comfort that is. Instead of panicking or stressing, sit down, grab your bible, read a little and pray.  Once finished you will feel revitalised and ready to tackle the day. Your problems may still be there, but you aren't battling on alone.  Tis not far to Jesus, He is everywhere, Watching o’er His children With a tender care. Refrain Early if we seek Him, Early we shall find Him; ’Tis not far to Jesus, He is everywhere. ’Tis not far to Jesus, No, ’tis very near; He is all around us, He is with us here.

I cannot imagine the life of a refugee, to become displaced and no longer able to live safely in my own country as a result of war. To be forced to find another home in a world that doesn’t want me. Those of us who in live in first world nations such as the USA, UK, Canada, Europe and Australia have no concept of the struggles that millions of people around the world endure each and every day. We complain about our first-world problems as if they are big and important when in reality, those in war torn nations are just trying to stay alive and make a home for their families. We really have no idea and most do not move out of our comfort zone to find out. Some women simply avoid the news as they find it upsetting — how would a poor Syrian woman feel if she knew that we didn’t want to know her plight as we found it too distressing.  As a consequence of the war in Syria, more than 100,000 lives have been lost and there is approximately 1.6 million Syrian war refugee

It is tough being a mother today. So much criticism about the choices you make as if everyone else has the right to an opinion about you and your family.  Every woman is an expert about your situation and they are very willing to tell you. Even Hollywood celebrities have become experts and now  write books on motherhood and add to the confusion of the best way to bring up baby. On regular basis newspapers and magazine run articles with headlines such as "The misery of being a mother" and others that focus on all the difficulties of motherhood and skip over the joy. No one would ever pretend that motherhood is 100% fun, many a tear will be spilt over the years but likewise, many a laughter will also happen (which those giving advise seem to forget to tell you!!).   Mothers need to get on with being mothers and ignore all those "experts"!! Deep down in your heart, you know what is best for your children and you aren't often wrong. Love your children,