Morning

 by Charles Spurgeon

"Sing forth the honour of his name, make his praise glorious."
Psalm 66:2

     It is not left to our own option whether we shall praise God or not. Praise is God's most righteous due, and every Christian, as the recipient of his grace, is bound to praise God from day to day. It is true we have no authoritative rubric for daily praise; we have no commandment prescribing certain hours of song and thanksgiving: but the law written upon the heart teaches us that it is right to praise God; and the unwritten mandate comes to us with as much force as if it had been recorded on the tables of stone, or handed to us from the top of thundering Sinai. Yes, it is the Christian's duty to praise God. It is not only a pleasurable exercise, but it is the absolute obligation of his life.

     Think not ye who are always mourning, that ye are guiltless in this respect, or imagine that ye can discharge your duty to your God without songs of praise. You are bound by the bonds of his love to bless his name so long as you live, and his praise should continually be in your mouth, for you are blessed, in order that you may bless him; "this people have I formed for myself, they shall show forth my praise"; and if you do not praise God, you are not bringing forth the fruit which he, as the Divine Husbandman, has a right to expect at your hands.

     Let not your harp then hang upon the willows, but take it down, and strive, with a grateful heart, to bring forth its loudest music. Arise and chant his praise. With every morning's dawn, lift up your notes of thanksgiving, and let every setting sun be followed with your song. Girdle the earth with your praises; surround it with an atmosphere of melody, and God himself will hearken from heaven and accept your music.

 

"E'en so I love thee, and will love,

And in thy praise will sing,

Because thou art my loving God,

And my redeeming King."

Note from the Schoolmarm...  Please pray for my dear coworker and friend.  Her dear mother passed away suddenly this morning.  Thank you so much.

The View From My Desk...

   Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

 

    Hi!  How was your week?  Well, let's just say I am glad it is Friday.  I need some quiet time.  I am here, at home, with no radio or television on.  My window is open letting in the cool night air (Autumn is definitely here!).  Crickets are chirping slowly and softly.  My Fall decor is up.  I am thankful with all of my heart that God provides these "quiet moments".  

     Don't get me wrong, I love teaching and my students!  But 12 kids who love to talk, I mean LOVE to talk- over you, on the side, in the hall, loudly in the lunch room- you get the picture, well,  I need stillness.  Since I have not done any major crafting, although I will be posting my fall decor, a couple of crafts I was able to sneak in, and some eBay tidbits, I thought I would post about "The View from my Desk".  I love to see all of your homes and decor.  I love hearing what is going on with your families.  Well, my classroom is my "home away from home" and my students are MY family.  So, here is what went on in "my home" today. Thank you for stopping by!

Blessings,

Heather

Lunch time and an empty class.  Ahhhh.  I love my smartboard in the background.  I have my screen saver set to Fall vistas, so it is like a giant window to the outdoors.  The fish tank is nice and clean because I cleaned it last night (Ew.).

Looking forward to the front of the room.  Can you guess two topics we are studying? (Hint- one is one the whiteboard and one is on the bulletin board to the left.)

Student art to brighten my day.  The green bag was made by a creative student after she finished her snack.  She used the bag to make me an owl.  The one on the top right is pretty.  I am not sure what it is.  It is plastic over construction paper with glitter all over it.  But, I love the colors and sparkle- AND the heart that gave it to me.

This is our new class pet, a teddy bear hamster named "Biscuit II". My dear Biscuit I died in my lap on Thursday.  He was the nicest hamster ever- cuddly and gentle.  But he lived to a good age.  I was thankful to cuddle with him to the end.  This gal, Biscuit, is asleep with her face against the glass.  Not the most attractive look, but she is actually really cute!

Coffee-a must have!  My itouch- classroom needs tunes! And my little star hole puncher.  It usually is on my lanyard with my whistle.  I use it to punch bonus cards.  Most of the time, it falls off my lanyard, and kids find it various places around the school.  It is like a mini game of "Where's Waldo?"  Some other variations I play are "Where are my car keys?", "Where are my worksheets?", and, one from today, "Where is the remote to the projector?" (Okay, and the answer to all of the games is...UNDER A STACK OF PAPERS! Ugh.)

Hot lunch today!  Teachers can eat the leftovers- Mmmmmmm- Lasagna and cucumber spears.  Shamefully, quite a few of the teachers (Um, me too...) went foraging for the apple pie that the kindergartens made today.  Alas, it was eaten.  None left.  We need to get those kids baking some more pies.  Hmmm.  That would be like child labor.  That is frowned upon.  I wonder if I could make apple pie in a cup?  Hmmmm...

Using Skittles to learn about statistics.  We gathered information about colors in bags and numbers in bags (the fun-sized ones).  My baggy didn't have a purple one, so I had to eat a couple bags to find one.  In front of the students.  After they had eaten their allotment of one bag.  Which they couldn't eat until the lab was finished.  Which took two days. This is an actual pioture of what was in a student's bag!  We were amazed by the colors and symmetry.  Believe me- this is rare.  I am not sure what is going on with quality control at the Skittle's factory...  You can't "Taste the Rainbow" if all of the colors aren't there!

This is my one student "holding hands" with our new furry friend while he reads his book.  Actually, he just held one finger to the glass the whole time he was reading.  It was so cute!  What is not cute?  The slipper that has been sitting under that table for a week.  The kids wear slippers in class- to be comfy and because I hate grass and mud tracked into my classroom.  My policy is that if a slipper or shoe is not where it belongs, I toss it out in the lawn outside the back door.  I think I feel like drop-kicking a slipper... I'd better start practicing for Monday!

 

 

 

He Stoops...

"No God is like the God my soul desires;

He at whose voice heaven trembles, even he,

Great as he is, knows how to stoop to me. "

--- Charles Spurgeon


Blessings to you all!
Heather

Reading, Writing, and 'Rithmetic...

     So, I don't know if you have ever heard of or played the games "Appleletters" or "Bananagrams"- think "Scrabble" without the board.  Well, some of my boys asked if they could use all of the letters for a surprise.  They were working so diligently, I didn't have the heart to say "no". There was a lot of whispering and directing going on.  Finally, the surprise was revealed- the first board is all of our vocabulary words.  The second one (done today) is a part of our memory verse.  I did have to laugh because I found out that they were using permanent marker to make the letters they absolutely couldn't find.  I said that I would prefer them not to use those markers, but that I had other markers they could use.  The one boy said, "It's okay.  This marker will come off."  I had to wonder.  What did he think, "permanent" meant? LOL!

There is a time...

A Time for Everything 

Ecclesiastes 3

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 

a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up; 

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 

a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 

a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

 

What gain has the worker from his toil?  I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.  I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;  also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.
I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.  That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

Fresh on eBay... UPDATES!

Here are some of my new tid-bits and gatherings... If you are interested, there is a link to my selling page on eBay in the left side-bar.  There are still some of the previous gatherings there. But, quite a few have been sold or are currently being bid on! Thanks for looking!

Umm, I decided to keep it since it did not sell.  If anyone is really interested in it, let me know!

Sold!  Thank you!

Sold!  Thank you!

I did not relist these, but if anyone is interested, I can certainly make them available!

The End of a Long Week...

       Well, seriously, after the sandal thing, you might imagine what my mental state was by Friday (the "Sandal Scandal" was on Wednesday for those of you who are just joining us...).  The week was full!      

     The day after Back-to-School Night was the all school "Gleaning Field Trip".  This is a time where we go to a local farm, Pete's Produce, and glean their fields to provide food for local food pantries. This is based off of the Israelite custom as described in the Story of Ruth (Read the story of Ruth- it is just a beautiful story of dedication, love, and commitment!).  Usually, we help pick tomatoes and peppers for them.  Because of the warm spring, the harvest was early.   So, there weren't really all that many veggies to pick.  Instead, we pulled up irrigation tubes and pulled out tomato stakes and stacked them.  These kids worked HARD!  My fifth graders were paired with the first graders (to keep these little guys on task but mainly to make sure they don't wander off.  It's a full-time job!).  They grabbed and yanked and pulled and dug.  They paid no thought to the dirt, cuts- anything!  They were truly serving the Lord with their whole hearts and bodies!  I wish I could post pictures of the beautiful faces of these children!  Praise God for the little children!

     The last two days of the week were very positive ones concerning my students' behavior.  They are settling down into the routine of our family, and their behavior has been fantastic.  All of your prayers have definitely been heard and appreciated!   I must admit that I feared this class because of their reputation for misbehavior.  The first few weeks were rocky.  They wore me down.  I haven't decorated for Fall still because between them and my cold, I was just wiped.  Christine, from Preferably Prim, has been an encouragement to me in my prayer for this class. The verse in this devotional from Morning and Evening, "For this child I prayed," really stuck with me.  I know Hannah was praying for a child of her own because she did not have a child and her husband's other wife had many.  However, it is a demonstration of how "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much..."  I can sit here and fret and complain about the behavior of my class, but what they need is my dedicated prayer.  For these children, I prayed...

 Evening

by Charles Spurgeon

 "For this child I prayed."
1 Samuel 1:27

Devout souls delight to look upon those mercies which they have obtained in answer to supplication, for they can see God's especial love in them. When we can name our blessings Samuel, that is, "asked of God," they will be as dear to us as her child was to Hannah. Peninnah had many children, but they came as common blessings unsought in prayer: Hannah's one heaven-given child was dearer far, because he was the fruit of earnest pleadings. How sweet was that water to Samson which he found at "the well of him that prayed!" Quassia cups turn all waters bitter, but the cup of prayer puts a sweetness into the draughts it brings. Did we pray for the conversion of our children? How doubly sweet, when they are saved, to see in them our own petitions fulfilled! Better to rejoice over them as the fruit of our pleadings than as the fruit of our bodies. Have we sought of the Lord some choice spiritual gift? When it comes to us it will be wrapped up in the gold cloth of God's faithfulness and truth, and so be doubly precious. Have we petitioned for success in the Lord's work? How joyful is the prosperity which comes flying upon the wings of prayer! It is always best to get blessings into our house in the legitimate way, by the door of prayer; then they are blessings indeed, and not temptations. Even when prayer speeds not, the blessings grow all the richer for the delay; the child Jesus was all the more lovely in the eyes of Mary when she found him after having sought him sorrowing. That which we win by prayer we should dedicate to God, as Hannah dedicated Samuel. The gift came from heaven, let it go to heaven. Prayer brought it, gratitude sang over it, let devotion consecrate it. Here will be a special occasion for saying, "Of thine own have I given unto thee." Reader, is prayer your element or your weariness? Which?

 

Praise God for the things HE has done!

Blessings,

Heather

What I Wore Wednesday...

...And I didn't know until my coworker pointed it out at lunchtime.

Good Morning...

Morning

by Charles Spurgeon

"The liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free."
Galatians 5:1 

This "liberty" makes us free to heaven's charter--the Bible. Here is a choice passage, believer, "When thou passest through the rivers, I will be with thee." You are free to that. Here is another: "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee"; you are free to that. You are a welcome guest at the table of the promises. Scripture is a never-failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace. 

It is the bank of heaven; you may draw from it as much as you please, without let or hindrance. Come in faith and you are welcome to all covenant blessings. There is not a promise in the Word which shall be withheld. In the depths of tribulations let this freedom comfort you; amidst waves of distress let it cheer you; when sorrows surround thee let it be thy solace. This is thy Father's love-token; thou art free to it at all times. 

Thou art also free to the throne of grace. It is the believer's privilege to have access at all times to his heavenly Father. Whatever our desires, our difficulties, our wants, we are at liberty to spread all before him. It matters not how much we may have sinned, we may ask and expect pardon. It signifies nothing how poor we are, we may plead his promise that he will provide all things needful. We have permission to approach his throne at all times--in midnight's darkest hour, or in noontide's most burning heat. 

Exercise thy right, O believer, and live up to thy privilege. Thou art free to all that is treasured up in Christ--wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It matters not what thy need is, for there is fulness of supply in Christ, and it is there for thee. 

*Pictures from 2011 Field Trip to Hershey, PA

eBay Update...

Sold!  Thank you!

I have some new gatherings up on my eBay Seller Site! I had fun sitting on the floor trying to create different combinations! See my side bar for a link to my site if you want to take a peek!  I am still working toward having a site dedicated to my hand-dids once I get that up and running!  Stay tuned!

Sold!  Thank you!

Sold!  Thank you!

Sold!  Thank you!

Sold!  Thank you!

Doll is sold.  Thank you!

Sold!  Thank you!

Makin', Flippin', & Goodies in the Mail...

Making...

I must admit, this was like last weekend.  Not much done this week!

I coffee stained my grandma's old doilies.  They were just too white.  I need to fix the one with spots.  I used a pizza pan to put them in the oven. Ooops.  I am thinking about offering the homemade goodies on my own selling page instead of eBay.  I will continue to offer my flipped items on eBay.

 

So, here's one of my little prairie doll pouches.  I planned on them to be able to hang on a peg. But as you see in the second picture, she's a lazy gal.  She keeps tilting over.  I need to fix that. What do you think?  A wire on the back?  Ribbon or lace hanger?

Here is my attempt at crazy quilting for my pincushions.

And finally, my apple pie for the church function last Sunday.  Apple Pies are the one thing I make well.  My husband is really the cook in our family! :)

Flipping...

Between Goodwill and Shupp's Grove, I found some goodie to sell on eBay.  Total purchase for the haul-$16.50.  There are some antiques, vintage items, and handmade folk art.  I will try to post them tonight! :)

 

It looks like an older courting candle that someone sprayed with textured paint.  It is a grey/blue with rusty areas.  It would look great with berries or pumpkins in the middle.  It is really deep!

This is a wall hanging.  But, it needs something.  I may paint it and letter it with "Welcome".  What do ya'll think?

Goodies in the Mail... 

It is a blessing to look around the house and see the works of the hands of my dear blogging friends.  I feel like I can have a part of y'all over for coffee!  I should arrange the things around the kitchen table and have a little tea party like when I was a kid (Okay, so that was last week. Shhhh...).

Salmon Falls Prims- She let me pick my colors!

The Tin Crow- It goes with my crow shelf sitter and little crows that I also purchased from her- Sooo prim!

The acorns are from Angela's Prim Attic and the quilt piece I found on eBay.  It is part of a Civil War quilt- prim and a teaching tool!  Perfect!

And, my dearest purchase- A penny rug and stump doll from my dear friend, Christine!  I was so excited to get a package from a kindred spirit from across the pond!  I just love them!  And the pillow is a creation of hers too!  They are definitely treasures from a treasured friend.