True Love Story

O, for a faith that will not shrink, Though pressed by every foe, That will not tremble on the brink Of any earthly woe! That will not murmur nor complain Beneath the chastening rod, But, in the hour of grief or pain, Will lean upon its God. A faith that shines more bright and clear When tempests rage without; That when in danger knows no fear, In darkness feels no doubt. That bears, unmoved, the world’s dread frown Nor heeds its scornful smile; That seas of trouble cannot drown, Nor Satan’s arts beguile. A faith that keeps the narrow way Till life’s last hour is fled, And with a pure and heavenly ray Lights up a dying bed. Lord, give me such a faith as this, And then, whate’er may come, I’ll taste, e’en here, the hallowed bliss Of an eternal home. - William Hiley Bathurst - Discouragement can easily cause our faith to shrink, and we may even at times consider quitting our service for God. One of the chief characteristics of spiritual maturity is the ability to persevere - even in the ...

Hello, lovely friends! I just looked at the calendar  and realized Christmas is only two months away. Where has the year gone? I don't know about you, but I am the kind of person that likes to get ready for the holidays early so that when the time arrives I can simply relax and enjoy time with my family. Just last week I ordered my Christmas cards and in a short while I will begin the joy of addressing them. Today I have a fun and sweet Christmas ornament to share with you. You can hang it on your Christmas tree or use it at as a gift topper. What you need to make this ornament: 6-inch wood embroidery hoop lace tulle trim {found at Wal-Mart} lace burlap or cotton fabric pearls beads or buttons To make the lace tree simply sew strips of lace that are about 5-inches together {if you don't sew I think you could glue the strips together}. As you can see I also used trim with sequins on it. . Once you've sewn the strips together cut into a tree shape. Then sew or glue the tree  ...

Fight the good fight of faith,  lay hold on eternal life,  whereunto thou art also called,  and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. - 1 Timothy 6:12 - Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will serve the King? Who will be His helpers, other lives to bring? Who will leave the world’s side? Who will face the foe? Who is on the Lord’s side? Who for Him will go? By Thy call of mercy, by Thy grace divine, We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine! Not for weight of glory, nor for crown and palm, Enter we the army, raise the warrior psalm; But for love that claimeth lives for whom He died: He whom Jesus nameth must be on His side. By Thy love constraining, by Thy grace divine, We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine! Jesus, Thou hast bought us, not with gold or gem, But with Thine own life blood, for Thy diadem; With Thy blessing filling each who comes to Thee, Thou hast made us willing, Thou hast made us free. By Thy grand redemption, by Thy grace divi...

Bright, curious, and restless, Ruthie Stoltzfus loves her family  but is stuck in a sea of indecision about her future:  Should she stay Amish?  Or should she leave?  She's done all she can to prepare to go- passed the GED, saved her money- but she can't quite set her journey into motion. Patrick Kelly is a young man on a journey of his own.  He's come to Stoney Ridge to convert to the Amish  and has given himself thirty days to learn the language,  drive a buggy, and adapt to "everything Plain."  Time, to Patrick, is of the essence.  Every moment is to be cherished,  especially the hours he spends with Ruthie, his Penn Dutch tutor. Ruthie's next-door neighbor and cunning ex-boyfriend, Luke Schrock,  is drawn to trouble like a moth to a flame.  Rebellious, headstrong, defiant, Luke will do anything to win Ruthie back -anything- and Patrick Kelly is getting in his way. Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites readers back...

Happy, happy, happy Wednesday, my friends! Won't you join me for a spot of tea? But before we have that delicious tea let's make a few tea time napkins, shall we. This is what you will need to whip up a few cloth serviettes. . . My Canadian grandmother always called napkins serviettes. She was such a proper lady. As I was saying, you will need. . . cotton fabric lace trim {optional} daisy embellishment {optional} sewing machine and all that good stuff Measure and cut a piece of fabric that is 14 x 14-inches. On the backside of the fabric, measure down 1-inch on each corner and draw a line. Fold each corner with right sides together and place a pin smack dab in the center of the line. Once the corners are pinned take the fabric to the sewing machine and place your sewing foot right where the pin is {it should be in the center}. Begin sewing in the center right on the line and remember to back stitch. Trim the corners close to the seam, but make sure you don't snip your seam...