Adventure continues.............

So when I landed I was whisked away from the airport to Miss Fiona's@ Bubz Rugz.............

She is just fabulous and we had a great time together..........

I enjoyed some great long walks in her area and found some lovely things to photograph along the way............

the plant above looked like 3 plants next to each other and thick and only short..........but great colours and look in the garden...........

gorgeous frangipanis flowering everywhere.......different colours too..............I stole a few from Fiona's garden actually Mr Bubz Rugz garden...........

Grevilleas...........

Spider lily? very delicate and pretty none the less..............

Even found some old cattle yards in my walk........old timber joins...........they don't make them like this any more............
I ended up walking 6kms around the suburbs...........felt a bit too flash walking on paths even............

 After all that walking I relaxed with some hand stitching and then moved onto my Churn Dash quilt..............I stole Fiona's design wall............

thanks for the loan of a machine Fiona............I had all but one seam left to join when I went out for the evening............

 Yep I gate crashed Friday night stitching..............

Kris @ Tag-along Teddies was there so great to catch up with her also...........I did some hand stitching and also pinned the last seam on the quilt.............

Straight after sewing I came home to Fiona's and joined the final seam and my churn dash is now finished..............OMG it is bigger then I thought............this is a queen bed I laid it out on.........I only added an extra row to one side and the bottom........

Oh well as I say bigger is better..........

Found these gorgeous gluten free cup cakes on a fete stall that I worked on while away too..............OMG they were amazing............

I wished I had pics of the others there........it was so pretty..........

After all that fun I had to pack up and leave the beautiful green Toowoomba and head home to a dry brown farm.............

Catch you later.............

Chookyblue.............

Bible Verses for Voice Of Truth

I have been reading through the Bible this year and have been noticing a pattern that starts back in the Garden of Eden. There is a choice repeatedly laid before mankind. Choose to listen, obey, and trust God's voice or to listen to other voices (including your own). Choose to walk in the ways of God or to go your own way.

There are several times that Israel's leaders have called them to make this decision. 

Moses admonishes Israel before he died and they entered the promised land under Joshua in Deuteronomy 30:19-20 �I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.�

Similarly, when Joshua is old he also urges Israel to follow the Lord in Joshua 24:14-15 �Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.� 

Elijah called to the people to choose God over Baal in 1 Kings 18:21 Elijah came near to all the people and said, �How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.� But the people did not answer him a word. 

We are similarly called to follow the Lord rather than go our own way by repenting and believing in Christ and His death for our sins.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14 �Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.�

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, �If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

Acts 17:30-31 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.�

Paul recounts in Acts 26:12-20 �While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, �Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.� And I said, �Who are You, Lord?� And the Lord said, �I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.� So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.�

Then, as believers, we are also told to listen to God's voice and follow in His way:

Jesus says in John 10:27-28 �My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.�

Voice of Truth

by Steven Curtis Chapman and Mark Hall

Verse 1:
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand

Matthew 14:23-29a After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, �It is a ghost!� And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, �Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.� Peter said to Him, �Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.� And He said, �Come!�

But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

Matthew 14:29b-30 And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, �Lord, save me!� 

Chorus:
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"

Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?

God said in Isaiah 41:10 �Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.�

The voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"

Ephesians 1:14 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Psalm 95:7-8 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness,

Verse 2:
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

1 Samuel 17:31-41 When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him. David said to Saul, �Let no man�s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.� Then Saul said to David, �You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.� But David said to Saul, �Your servant was tending his father�s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.� And David said, �The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.� And Saul said to David, �Go, and may the Lord be with you.� Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, �I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.� And David took them off. He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd�s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him.

But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

1 Samuel 17:42-44 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. The Philistine said to David, �Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?� And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine also said to David, �Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.�

Bridge:
But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground

1 Samuel 17:45-48 Then David said to the Philistine, �You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord�s and He will give you into our hands.� Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

And the waves they don't seem so high
From on top of them lookin' down

Matthew 14:31-33 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, �You of little faith, why did you doubt?� When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, �You are certainly God�s Son!�

I will soar with the wings of eagles

Isaiah 40:31 Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus singing over me

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Grand adventure......

last week I set off on a grand adventure..........cars, planes, trains, ferries, cruise liners and the whole lot in reverse.........

It meant driving to the nearest airport an effort in itself......had to go the night before after work.........blew a tyre on the way.............thanks to a lovely farmer who heard the noise and came to help me change my tyre.........

A relo dropped me off early to the airport............

the countryside is so dry..........

love seeing the clouds........they look so soft and fluffy.........

A very different approach to the city this time............

Yep Sydney Harbour.............snapped this photo on the train coming around past Circular Quay Station.........the Sydney Harbour Bridge...........a  cruise liner was in there too........

A short ferry ride............

And here was my cruiser liner.................Noordam..........

I had a invitation from the Cancer Council to go to a special lunch............

It was hosted on the "Noordam" a Holland America Cruise ship..........

they support several cancer organisations around the world and every cruise has an opportunity for everyone to participate in Cruise for a Cause.........

they handed over a cheque with a nice donation to the Cancer Council...........

OMG it was very ornate........I've never been on a cruise ship ever so it was very exciting..............

looking down a few floors..........gorgeous stairs and the carpet............

I'm a farm girl nothing like this at my place.........

silver service......4 course meal.............OMG it was amazing watching them work...........nothing was a trouble........

Entree...........the food was sooooooo delicious.............

I got to meet Heather..........she is the ambassadoor for March Charge this year.....shes only 93.........a spring chicken........competes in Masters games too..........if only I am that well at her age.............she was lovely..........

got in trouble for taking these pics...........something about a customs area but I still don't understand............

A huge ship...........

A view of ANZAC Bridge while i enjoyed lunch............

And to finished the day I made a new besty............Meena is another fundraiser and she was lovely......She does a biggest morning tea at her workplace......

 she has lots of people working there...........

we hit it of while waiting to board the ship.........

&&&&&

I'm doing March Charge once again...........If anyone wants to sponsor me or walk with me that would be great but I will do another post about that soon..............

Walked 7kms this morning.........

Anyway my adventure continued last week and I didn't fly home............I flew north.............but you will have to read the next post about that..........

Catch you later......

Chookyblue.......

Bible Verses for That Was Then, This Is Now

It is clear from the Bible that we are transformed when are saved through faith. There are three types of transformations for the believer. I like to call them the three tenses of salvation 

• Justification - All that happens the moment that a person believes the gospel. For believers, this has happened in the past (and continues to be true).
• Sanctification - The ongoing process by which God works in us to make us more and more like Him. For believers, this is present.
• Glorification - The final transformation when our bodies are changed and we are free of our sin nature. This is still in the future.

This song is about the transformation that takes place when we are first saved. We are made new and changed. Here is my favorite Bible passage about the transformation that takes place in believers at the moment they believe in Jesus and His death for their sins:

Ephesians 2:1-10 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

That Was Then, This Is Now

by Josh Wilson and Ben Glover

Verse 1:
We used to hide from the light.
We made friends with the night.

John 3:19-20 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Ephesians 5:8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 

We were headed the wrong way on a one-way track
Going nowhere fast.

God says in Isaiah 65:2 �I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts,�

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14 �Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.�

Verse 2:
We got used to the dark,
We thought this is who we are,

Matthew 6:23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

And we figured that we were just too far gone,
But we were wrong.

David speaking to God, in Psalm 139:11-12 If I say, �Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,� Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.

Pre-Chorus: 
�Cause love came running like a river

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

And we got washed in the water 

Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

Then He said you're forgiven

Luke 5:20 Seeing their faith, He said, �Friend, your sins are forgiven you.�

Your sins are gone.

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

Chorus: 
That was then, this is now.
You're bought by the blood, saved by the Son the saints all sing about.

Acts 20:28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

1 Peter 1:18-19 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

 John 3:16-17 �For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.�

That was lost, this is found.

Jesus said in the parable about the prodigal son, in Luke 15:32 ��But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.��

Jesus said in Luke 19:10 �For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.�

And it's time to say goodbye to the old you now.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

So go ahead, put the past in the past.
Box it up like an old photograph.
You don't have to go back,
�Cause that was then and this is now.

God says in Isaiah 43:17-18 �Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.�

Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Ephesians 4:22-24 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. 

Verse 3:
We've been remade by grace,

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

We've all got new names,

Revelation 2:17 �He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.�

And nothing we do could ever change
What He did that day.

John 10:28-29 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father�s hand.

Pre-Chorus: 
When love came running like a river

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

We got washed in the water

1 Corinthians 6:11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Then He said you're forgiven

Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

And you belong.

1 Corinthians 3:23 and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.

Chorus: 
That was then, this is now.
You're bought by the blood, saved by the Son the saints all sing about.
That was lost, this is found.
And it's time to say goodbye to the old you now.
So go ahead, put the past in the past.
Box it up like an old photograph.
You don't have to go back
�Cause that was then.

Bridge: 
If we turn and confess every unrighteousness,
He is faithful and just to forgive.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Oh, so turn and confess every wrong and regret
And see what it means to live.

Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

Chorus: 
That was then, this is now.
You're bought by the blood, saved by the Son the saints all sing about.
That was lost, this is found.
And it's time to say goodbye to the old you now.
So go ahead, put the past in the past.
Box it up like an old photograph.
You don't have to go back.
�Cause that was then and this is now.

International Women's Day

International Women's Day...........

I am so thankful that i live in a country where women have a voice...........

I can go where I want and do what I want to.........

And it is a day I think of all the amazing women I have in my life..........

friends and family.....

virtual and in real life..........

Catch you later

Chookyblue.....

Stuff.....

ThAnKyOu  for all the the beautiful comments on my blogaversary/blog birthday post...........11 years is a lot of memories.........blog friends have come and gone to the darkside or disappeared altogether so I appreciated all those that still blog and I have lots on my list still...............I updated my pic from that post to my header...........

Life is a little hectic with a quick trip away for a family funeral.............this bible above is a family bible............given to an ancestor many generations back i'm not sure of the line as it's Mr Chookys side...... the ancestor was given this bible on his 52nd birthday from his mother......way back in 1879.....there is currently 4 generations alive.........

so it was a very long way and very quick trip............

along the way we saw some wind farms................

they are huge..........

missed the pic but I did get some EPP stitching done on the way home................

I'm a little busy over the next week........so blog posts will be quick phone ones or none at all...........

Also a little busy and terribly excited about Scrub Stitchin'.............all the fabrics have arrived for the little kits.........secret plans are still being squirreled away with my partner in secrets Sonia @ Forever Always........

I've been trying to work out what I want to take..........

some hand stitching and some machine....

we still have a few beds if anyone is interested.............

39 sleeps to go.......

then it will be 4 days of fun.......all meals prepared....no cooking or cleaning involved just heaps of chatting and stithin'

And I signed up for March Charge (Cancer Council walking fundraiser) again...........was still thinking what to do when I found out a special feathered friend has cancer so that made my final decision..........we've lost two family members to cancer in the last few months.......

I've commited to 4kms/day..........lets see what I can do.......I set 3kms/day last year and did stacks more.............

I know Julie @ Simple Stitches is doing it too......

So as usual I have tooo much going on........but you only get one crack at life so need to fit in as much as possible........

Catch you later.......

Chookyblue.......

Taking Salads In A Jar to Friends In Need

Maybe you've been a recipient of a Meal Ministry or maybe you have made a meal to bring to someone going through a rough time. Either way, taking someone a meal is a ministry that has been a standard of Christian hospitality and service. 

Why Take A Meal

Usually, when something major happens in the life of a friend or family member you want to do whatever you can to help. Unfortunately, when you are watching a friend go through a difficult time, you feel helpless. The small things that you actually can do to help feel like nothing important. However, even doing small things like taking someone a meal can just send a message that you noticed their needs and care about them. While making a meal for someone can save them the time and money, it can also let them know that you see them and what they are going through, that you love them and want to do something to help.

Romans 12:10-13 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

1 Peter 4:9-11 Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and  dominion forever and ever. Amen.

When To Take A Meal

• After a couple has their first baby
• Following a surgery or illness
• For a housewarming gift
• An elderly person who is having trouble cooking for themselves
• When a family (without children) is grieving

What To Take For A Meal

Great options for a meal to take include:

• Soups (chicken noodle, chili, beef stew...)
• Lasagna or pasta dishes
• Pot Roast
• Casserole
• Quiche
• Casseroles
• Or check out some ideas on Pinterest

Don't forget to take:

• Food packed in disposable containers, so they don't need to keep track of your dish
• Any directions for preparing the food
• A side dish (bread, vegetables, potatoes, or even a fruit salad)

And consider sending:

• Paper plates so they won't have to do dishes
• A dessert
• The recipe so they can make the meal again if they loved it

What To Consider When Choosing A Meal

Every family has different opinions on foods they like or don't like. Here are some things to consider when you are cooking for another family.

• Food Allergies - not only should you not send a food if the family has a member with an allergy, but you should clean your cooking area well to be sure you don't contaminate the food with traces of that food
• Dietary Restrictions - low fat, gluten-free, dairy-free - some people have food intolerances or other food restrictions based on health issues
• Food Preferences - vegan, vegetarian, dislikes (some of the most common ones are seafood, blue cheese, liver, and broccoli, and olives)
• Children - if the family has children, you may consider making meals that are more kid-friendly like spaghetti instead of a chicken broccoli casserole

A Different Idea

Sometimes you need a different idea. Maybe all of your ideas are taken by others or you need something with different dietary restrictions. So I decided to send some salads in a jar. 

Salads in a Jar are perfect for:

• First-time moms and dads
• Families with children not eating solid foods yet
• Single adults
• Couples without children
• Seniors
• Vegetarians or vegans

How To Make A Salad In A Jar

Salads in a Jar are very easy to make, especially in quantities. I use wide mouth canning jars with plastic storage lids. I line the jars up on the counter and then I layer in the following:

• Salad dressings, sauces, salsa, sour cream... anything wet
• Hard vegetables or fruit (carrots, onions, apples...)
• Soft vegetables or fruit (tomatoes, kiwi...)
• Meats or protein (chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu...)
• Cheese or hardboiled eggs
• Beans, grains (quinoa, couscous, rice...), or pasta
• Nuts or seeds
• Greens

Store any crunchy toppings (croutons, tortilla strips, wonton strips, cheese crisps...) in a separate storage bag or container.

You can use whatever recipe or combination you want. Chicken Caesar salad, steak gorgonzola salad, taco salad, BLT salad, or BBQ southwest salad. The possibilities are endless.

You only need to store the jars upright and they easily last 3-5 days. Then, when you are ready to eat them, shake it and add any crunchy toppings from your separate storage bag or container.

Gifting a Salad In a Jar

When you make a salad jar as a gift or to take as a meal ministry, make one jar for each person in the household. Then, add these tags with a hole punch and a ribbon so that they know how to reuse the jars to make salads for themselves.

I've recently gifted these... twice. They both were well received.

11 years on.....................

Wow too busy yesterday I missed my blog birthday............

Monday 19th Feb..........

11 years ago it was also Monday 19th Feb 2007...........

It has been one of joy, connection, friendship................

I have met some amazing lovely special people virtually and some eventually in real life........

I dream of a world trip to meet some of my friends overseas...........

I've been inspired to try different things, different techniques, colours, 

its been the fun of swaps, Stitch-a-longs, blog meets, virtual retreats, 

But the most important thing is you out there reading...............while this is a record for me of my life on here..........

If you didn't stop read and comment I would probably not be here..............

I love the connections I have made with like minded people...........

something I didn't have here where I live and still don't really...........

So I thank you my readers..........

my wonderful virtual friends........

Catch you later............

Chookyblue.............

Remember to keep the love of blogging alive................

So nice to so feral.....

the day started off just gorgeous.............

from this to this in 2 mins......

my screen was not big enough to capture it for you it was so big and so amazing I was in awe..........so pleased I had turned around to shut the gate..............

then when the sun was about to rise about 10 mins later the clouds behind the mountains were just outlined at the top with the bright light............

the the power had already gone off for ages at work so we finally left and a dust storm was hitting town as I left...................

early on my road home it was down to 50m visibility due to the dust.......it then improved..........i had some rain...........then dust again and at times both together..............

The verendahs are beyond disgusting..........off to start vacumning now.............

the temps dropped from 37 in town to 23 in the car when I got home..............

How could a day start so pretty and end so feral............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue........

The good and the bad.......

I'm glad the emailing pics to your blog posts has helped some of you girls...........

Also I know we are all busy so I thank those who take the time to visit and comment on my blog.........

bad - the sheep chasing me for food............need to start feeding...AGAIN.....

good - the churn dash rows are coming together..........

Have a great week........its going to be a little cooler here low 30's will be glorious.......

Catch you later...

Chookyblue.......

Fancy stitching......

Before we start I did not make this.......

 I just got to see it....... and doesn't it look beautiful in the chair..............

I know both the lady who made it and the lucky one who now owns it.........

Simple beauty.............attention to detail...............Just look at all the gorgeous stitched flowers........

Catch you later.....

Chookyblue.....

Bible Verses for Blessed Be Your Name

Life always has plenty of ups and downs. The difficulty in all of it is remembering the Lord. Remembering to praise his for His blessings. Remembering to trust Him through the difficult times and praise Him even if...

Some of the these beautiful "Even If" moments are found in these verses:

After all the tragedy in Job's life, Job says in Job 13:15 �Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.�

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are faced with going through the fire, they say in Daniel 3:17-18 �If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.�

After Habakkuk hears about the coming judgment on Israel, he says in Habakkuk 3:16-19 I heard and my inward parts trembled, at the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, and in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, for the people to arise who will invade us. Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds� feet, and makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.

Blessed Be Your Name

by Matt Redman and Beth Redman

Verse 1:
Blessed be Your Name in the land that is plentiful.
Where Your streams of abundance flows, blessed be Your name.

Deuteronomy 8:10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.

Deuteronomy 26:10-11 Now behold, I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, O Lord have given me.� And you shall set it down before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God; and you and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household. 

Blessed be Your Name when I'm found in this desert place.
Though I walk through the wilderness, blessed Be Your name.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

Pre-Chorus:
Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise.

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 Otherwise, you may say in your heart, �My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.� But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.�

When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say...

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Chorus:
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name.

Daniel 2:20 Daniel said, �Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.�

Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your glorious name.

Psalm 72:18-19 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen.

Verse 2:
Blessed be Your name when the sun's shining down on me.
When the world's all as it should be, blessed be Your name.

James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering.
Though there's pain in the offering, blessed be Your name.

Psalm 42:5 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Bridge:
You give and take away. You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name.

Job 1:21 He said, �Naked I came from my mother�s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.�