April, 2011, Ruby for Women

Ruby for Women “A Voice for Every Christian Woman” April, 2011

• Crochet an Heirloom Baby Blanket • Make Your Own Vintage Easter Egg Card • Spring Recipes: Orange Rolls & Hot Cross Buns • “What Brings You to the Cross?”

• Make Your Own Teacup Pincushion • Gardening on a Shoestring • Ladybug Hunt!

• A Garden of Love

• Making Treasures from Trash

In This Issue . . .

Staff Writers Ruby for Women

Page

Title

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“Let’s Celebrate the Arrival of Spring!”

Nina Newton, Sr. Editor

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Orange Sweet Rolls Sheila Watson Kraklow

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Katherine Corrigan, Graphic Designer and Creative Assistant

A Note from the Assistant Editor Amanda Johnson

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Laura Day, Story

Giving the Glory Beth Brubaker

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A Friend in Need Beth Brubaker

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Vintage Easter Egg Card Craft Vintage Image Craft

Beth Brubaker, Family Fun Editor

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What Brings You to the Cross?

Lynn Mosher

Dorothy Kurchak Homer, Gardening

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Footprints in the Mud Beth Brubaker

Rochelle Martin, Quilting

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Crochet an Heirloom Baby Blanket Jennifer Cirka, Jaybird Designs

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Spring Scentsy Fundraiser with Maritza Bonilla

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Make a Teacup Pincushion mamas*little*treasures

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Spring’s Resurrection Connie Arnold

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Connect the Letters Word Puzzle Beth Brubaker

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Gardening on a Shoestring Thrifty Mama

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Ladybug Hunt Ruby for Women

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Gardener’s Delight Quilt Block Rochelle Martin

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A Lesson in Giving and Hearing Sheila Watson Kraklow

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A Garden of Love Thomas B. Clarke

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Women’s Wisdom: Health and Wellness Bernadette Collins

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Every Bunny Loves “Thumb” Bunny Carolyn Arnold

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Thursday Night in an Olive Grove Keith Wallis

Nina Newton, Sr. Editor Amanda Johnson, Assistant Editor

Lynn Mosher, Devotions Keith Wallis, Poetry

Jennifer Cirka, Crochet & Cooking Carolyn Arnold, Kids Crafts

Spring Cleaning Time!

Let your blog and shop reflect your personality! It's easy and customized just for you at www.Made It For You You..com

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Page

Guest Authors and Contributors

Title

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New Life Heide Louise Wright

Deborah McCarragher

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Ask Beth with Beth Brubaker

Scott Henderson, Vintage Image Craft

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In a Word: Question Amanda Johnson

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Secrets About Love Laura Day

Kausar Iqbal

Connie Arnold, Poetry Sheila Watson Kraklow Dr. Yvonne Anderson Heide Louise Wright Bernadette Collins Thomas B. Clarke

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Katie’s Spinach Omelet Roll Katherine Corrigan

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Math Logic Number Puzzle Beth Brubaker

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Looking for a Change, Hoping for a Miracle Eldridge “Lady E” Cole

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Making Treasures from Trash Kausar Iqbal

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What Does the Risen Christ Mean to You? Deborah McCarragher

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Gardening with Aunt Dots Dorothy Kurchak Homer

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Sunday: Morning Dawn Keith Wallis

Eldridge “Lady E” Cole Amy Lignor

Sew Endless Specializing in handmade bags for women and children www.sewendless.etsy.com www.sewendless.etsy.com

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“Thumb” Easter Eggs Carolyn Arnold

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Vintage Easter Cards from Vintage Mama

53

The Connecticut Home for Imbeciles Amy Lignor

56

Anorexia Was My Best Friend Heide Louise Wright

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On This Hill by Keith Wallis

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Starving for Attention Sheila Watson Kraklow

60

Love from a Prayer Garden Thomas B. Clarke

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Sunday Morning by Keith Wallis

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Gotcha! Fooling the Family at Mealtime Beth Brubaker

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Hot Cross Buns from Vintage Mama

65

Deeper Water Dr. Yvonne Anderson

67

Puzzle Answer Keys

68

VIC Images for Easter Egg Card Craft

70

Meet the Ruby for Women Writers 2

Let’s Celebrate the Arrival of Spring!

This year it seems that our family is more than ready to welcome spring. Here in our little farming community, it is always a joy to watch the seasons change.

First the grass begins to turn that hopeful shade of whisper green, and then we know it won’t be long before we will see the tractors out plowing up the fields.

Around here the farmers grow corn and soybeans, so when it is plowing time, we are surrounded by acres and acres, all turned over waiting for the earth to warm up for planting time.

As the days and weeks go by, we love to watch as the fields are plowed and planted, and then they begin to sprout. Every day it seems there is new growth all around us, and it is always a miracle to see how God’s world continues to cycle through the seasons.

One of the things that is a big part of our spring and summer activities is 4H. We went to the 4H Callout this past Saturday to sign the girls up for their projects, and they both decided they wanted to work on gardening and scrapbooking. That will give us things to work on no matter what the weather is doing! And since we live by a lake, there will be lots of swimming and playing in the sand, once the weather turns really warm. Thinking about all of the new growth all around us brought to mind the ways that we grow each day. Some of us grow healthy, strong roots that keep us strong and steady in the midst of the storms of life. But even when we want to be strong, brave, and courageous in the face of adversity, we frequently forget that we have such an amazing Father God who is watching over us! That’s when we begin to wilt and become weary when we struggle through the rocky places on our journey.

Those are the days that I try to remind myself that His strength is sufficient for every circumstance in my life, and that He promises to give us everything we need for this day: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) How is your journey going as you look forward to the springtime of this year? Are the skies sparkly blue with wispy white clouds drifting lazily by as you delight in the glories of new life? Or are you experiencing the rolling thunderclouds of a storm that feels as if it might overwhelm you? Whatever you are facing, do not believe that you must travel on alone. He is right here with you, no matter the weather or the circumstances that are surrounding you. Let’s celebrate together the newness of springtime, and the eternal gift of God’s presence which gives us strength for the day and joy for the journey.

We have so many new and exciting events going on here in the Ruby for Women community, and we will be sharing some of them with you in this issue of our ezine, so be watching for the announcements of big news right here at Ruby for Women! Looking forward to hearing from you, so please be sure to email me at editor@rubyforwomen.com and please visit us at the Ruby for Women community at www.rubyforwomen.ning.com

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Orange Rolls and Sweet Dough, a delightful spring treat brought to you by Sheila Watson Kraklow My mother used to make melt-in-your-mouth, tender, Orange Rolls. They were delectable and I loved them. But sometimes recipes get lost in the living of life and we forget about them and don't even know we forgot. The other day I was going through my recipe files and ran across her recipe for these delights. Was I ever happy! (Oh you delightful rolls, where have you been for so much of my life?) If you are looking for a simple sweet roll to make for your next friend meet-up or coffee time, look no farther - try this recipe. These are sweet, tangy, and homemade; nothing could be better!

Sweet Dough: Mix in a saucepan…a moderately stiff dough that can be rolled out…knead only a few turns and shape immediately…then set to rise. Ready to eat in about 60 minutes.

Directions:

Ingredients and Directions

Glaze: Add powdered sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla in a small bowl, whisk to combine. Cover and reserve in the refrigerator until needed.

Heat to lukewarm in a medium-sized saucepan ½ cup whole milk

Directions to make rolls:

Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp. salt and 1 tbsp. sugar Crumble into the mixture 1 cake of compressed yeast. Stir until dissolved.

Stir in 1 egg and 2 tbsp. soft butter or shortening Mix in (just enough to handle easily) 2 to 2 ½ cups of sifted flour Mix dough with hand until moderately stiff. Turn dough onto a floured board and fold it over several times until smooth. Shape as above and let rise at 85oF. Bake.

Orange Rolls: Use one recipe of your favorite sweet-dough to make 16 rolls Filling ingredients: 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter 4 tsp. fresh grated orange peel For orange glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 3-4 tbsp. orange juice 1 tsp. orange zest

Roll one-half of the dough out on a lightly floured work surface, roll to 1/2 inch thickness, and approximately a 15 X 8 inch rectangle. Spread with butter and cover with sugar. Then sprinkle grated orange peel generously over sugar.

Roll dough up jellyroll style starting at long edge, and cut into 2-inch slices using a sharp serrated knife.

Place cut side down on a buttered baking sheet or 13x9 inch cake pan. Cover lightly and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free spot until double in bulk. (30 minutes) Preheat oven to 375oF. Bake rolls for 18-20 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove from the oven and cool 10 minutes then spread with orange glaze. Remove from pan and serve.

Imagine these delicate and fragrant Orange Rolls offered at your next family get-together, church supper, or holiday buffet. Once folks taste them you can soak in all the applause and praise for your great culinary flair!

Sweet Dough Recipe from Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book ©1950

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A Note from Amanda Johnson, Assistant Editor Ruby for Women Spring brings many gifts into the world around us each year. Flowers bloom forth into brilliant colors. Animals of all kinds can be seen out and about proudly showing off their young. Rivers and streams once frozen over by the cold of winter are flowing again with new life. The world is waking up and celebrating another glorious season of life.

What a blessing it is to rejoice and celebrate with creation in new life of spring and the new life each of us has in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Spring is the season of remembrance of one of the greatest gifts given to man; salvation through Christ.

This is the month to honor Christ, who knew no sin, for taking on the sins of the world and enduring a horrific crucifixion in order to provide us, a sin filled people, with forgiveness and cleansing.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Praise God that Jesus did not stay dead. He rose again on the third day conquering death and giving eternal life to all. These are the words the angel spoke to the women who went to visit Jesus’ tomb that third day. “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay (Matthew 28:5-6).

I love the words “Come and See.” They are words of excitement and great news! Come and see Jesus has risen; He has risen indeed!

This month we come together at Ruby for Women to celebrate new life. We invite you to come and see the following pages filled with stories, inspirational articles, spring craft projects, games and more!

Blessings and Happy Easter!

Send Out Cards with Danie K. Bell When was the last time you sent an unexpected card at an unexpected time to someone you care about? Do you think it would make a difference?

Do you remember people's birthdays and other special occasions? Do you think that matters to them? How about a simple thank you or expression of appreciation. Do you think that would make a difference?

With this incredible tool, not only can you remember people and share appreciation, you can motivate, uplift, encourage and truly make a difference!

www.sendthecards.com 5

Giving the Glory I would like to give glory to a wonderful dentist named Dr. Janine Reed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who has been working with me concerning my teeth. Not only has she helped devise a plan so I can afford the cost of my dental care, but her genuine concern about my dental problems and her gentle ministrations also make her a joy to visit! May God bless her and her dental staff - they were great too! ~~ Beth B. Is there someone in your life who helps others? Do they help you in ways big or small? We are looking for people you know who go out of their way to do good deeds for others! Please share their stories with us and if you have a picture or two, we'd love to see that as well!

Please direct e-mails to Beth Brubaker at bethatruby@aol.com with the words 'Giving the Glory' in the subject line.

God bless!

Discovery House Publishers Feeding the Soul with the Word of God

Visit Discovery House Publishers at www.dhp.org

A River of Small Stones

by Keith Wallis Available at www.ariverofstones.blogspot.com Poems written as “small stones,� polished moments of paying proper attention to life.

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A Friend In Need ‌ Is there something you need, but just can't seem to find? A recipe, a store location, or the best places to go in a certain area? Do you have an item you would like to give to someone, but no one near you needs it?

Send your requests to Ruby for Women’s e-zine at bethatruby@aol.com with 'A Friend in Need' in the subject line, and we'll publish it for you!

APRIL REQUESTS: * Does anyone have recipes containing just meat (this includes poultry and fish) and vegetables? I'm trying to cut down on flour. (Nothing with pasta, bread, or using flour as a thickener please!)

Thank you! ~ R.B. (rolandbeth@aol.com) * I am looking for vintage handkerchiefs that I can purchase. I have been working on a quilt that uses vintage handkerchiefs, and I need a few more to complete the project. They must be in good condition with not tears, holes, or rips. Please let me know if you have any that you would be willing to part with!

Thanks so much, ~ V.M. (angelbabiesboutique@msn.com) * We are looking for recipes for making Rose Petal Jelly. This sounds like a delightful project, and since we love to grow roses in our garden, using the rose petals in a creative way just seems like the right thing to do! Other recipes using rose petals are also welcome.

Thanks in advance for your help, ~ mlt (vintagemamascottage@hotmail.com) When making a request, please include a current email address for a direct reply.

Those who are answering queries are to correspond to the posted email address directly, and not to the staff of Ruby for Women. Items offered must be free (except for shipping costs, agreed to be paid by the receiving party unless otherwise agreed upon by the giver and receiver). All postal regulations must be followed. Ruby for Women will not be responsible for shipping costs or lost items.

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Victorian Easter Egg Card from Vintage Image Craft www.vintageimagecraft.com This vintage-look Easter Egg Card follows the Victorian rule - everything is better with moving parts. Here, the two halves of the elaborate Easter egg open up to reveal a chick peeping out his Easter message.

The pivot mechanism on this card is a crimped grommet (or eyelet), but you can also use a small brad. The grommet allows you to add a bow by threading a knotted ribbon through the hole and tying it in front.

We sized the images for a 5" x 7" card, which fits a standard A7 (5.25" x 7.25") envelope. A jumbo egg, to be sure.

The classic Easter vintage images include a "scrap" Easter egg, and a postcard, circa 1912. They are yours for FREE as a PDF download. Just click on the "vintage images" link in the list of materials below.

Materials to make the Victorian Easter Egg Card: • • • • • • • • •

Vintage Images (see pages 68-69).

Matte photo or presentation paper, or white cardstock (see Tips).

Ribbon, narrow pink satin, about 18".

Grommet and grommet-setting tool (see Tips).

Hole punch, 1/8".

Scissors.

Detail scissors or craft knife (and cutting mat).

Butterfly clips or large paper clips.

Antiquing ink, like Tim Holtz Distress Ink (optional).

Instructions 1. Print the vintage images on matte photo paper, heavy presentation paper, or white cardstock. using detail scissors, cut out the two eggs and the chick. When cutting out the eggs, you only need to trim completely around the left side of one egg, and the right side of the other. when cutting out the chick, cut away the legs and gently round the feathered edges.

2. Stack the two egg images, placing the left-side-trimmed egg on the bottom and the right-side-trimmed egg on the top. Hold the top point of both eggs with one hand, as a pivot point. With your other hand, pivot the top egg image about 3/4" to the right. Hold the egg images in this position with butterfly clips or large paper clips on the right and left sides.

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3. Cut a jagged line from the center bottom edge, where the two eggs overlap, to the top center pivot point. Remove the clips, discard the untrimmed halves, and align the two trimmed egg-half images. They should overlap about 3/4" inches at the bottom, diminishing to no overlap at the top.

4. If you wish, antique the edges of egg halves and the chick with distressing ink applied with a cosmetic sponge or tissue.

5. Carefully align the egg halves so they make an unbroken image on the front.

Clip these together with paper clips and turn them face down. Place the chick image, face down, on the back, aligning the bottom edges. Punch a 1/8" hole centered near the bottom where the three layers of images overlap.

6. Install a grommet through this hole from the front, crimping it on the back. The egg halves should rotate freely on the grommet.

7. Tie a double knot in the center of the 18" of pink ribbon. Thread both ends of the ribbon through the center of the grommet from the back of the card until the knot is tight against the grommet.

8. Tie a simple bow on the front and trim the tails of the ribbon.

9. Write your greeting on the back of your Easter Egg Card. Happy Easter!

Tips * Premium matte photo paper or presentation paper will give you the best image reproduction, but it may be a lighter weight card than you prefer. In this case, you can print directly onto a high quality white cardstock. Alternatively, you can print the images on photo paper, then mount the photo paper on cardstock with spray adhesive before cutting. * We used a 5/16" (hole) grommet, but anything around that size will do. If you don't have a grommet, then a small brad will work. Just punch a 1/8" hole first, so the paper can rotate on the brad. If you use a brad, you can glue a small ribbon bow on the front head.

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What Brings You To The Cross?

by Lynn Mosher What Brings You to the Cross?

Standing at a distance, gazing upon the man’s dying, crucified body, the woman’s heart pounded in agony. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her knees began to buckle.

What brought her to the cross? A mother’s love. For this was Mary’s son, dying for the world.

John the disciple, who had leaned upon this Divine Man so many times, stood with Mary, in utter dismay.

What brought him to the cross? Genuine love and deep gratitude.

With John and Mary was also Mary Magdalene, trembling with grief.

What brought her to the cross? Love, for the forgiveness of the sins in her life, for scripture says, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.” (Luke 7:47a NKJV) The soldiers stood at this Man’s feet casting lots for His tunic.

What brought them to the cross? Their duty.

Two thieves hung on either side of this cross.

What brought them to the cross? Violation of the law.

Simon the Cyrenian was there.

What brought him to the cross? Bearing the burden of the cross to the hill of sacrifice.

The multitude gathered, murmuring to each other.

What brought them to the cross? Anger. Belittlement. Wonderment. Doubting.

The chief priests stood with the scribes, poised in pride and defiance.

What brought them to the cross? To mock Him, thinking it all utter foolishness.

What did all these have in common? They all needed the very thing for which this Man Jesus was dying on the cross: Salvation and the forgiveness of their sins.

Some accepted it; some rejected it. Paul later wrote to the Corinthians, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18 NIV) 10

What brings you to the cross? Love? Gratitude? Grief? Duty? Violation of God’s Law? Bearing a burden? Anger? Belittlement? Wonderment? Doubt? Pride? Defiance? Mocking?

Do you come weeping in pain, sorrow, or loss? Emptied of hopes and dreams? Feeling lost in your circumstances?

Without the cross, there would be no Garden of Easter Gladness…to lift you up, to wipe away your tears, or to remove your grave clothes of fear and depression.

Walk that trail from the cross to Easter’s Garden of resurrection. See your Saviour Jesus standing there, waiting for you. He compassionately whispers your name and says, “Do not wear the grave-clothes stained with the tears of grief. Come into My garden of beauty and I will give you the robe of Easter’s resurrection gladness. Take My Hand and let Me lead you along the path to life everlasting. I will never leave you nor forsake you. I gave My life that you might live eternally with Me.” Jesus always brings us hope of resurrection as on that first Easter morn. He says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 NKJV) Do you believe this? If so, weep no more. May you experience the salvation and forgiveness of the cross, the power of the resurrection, and embrace the risen life in a new way this Easter season.

What brings you to the cross? May it be...Genuine Love.

~~Easter blessings, Lynn~~ http://lynnmosher.blogspot.com http://twitter.com/lynnmosher http://www.facebook.com/LynnMosher http://www.linkedin.com/pub/lynn-mosher/11/146/206

Ruby for Women is a True Inspiration to The Write Companion Any writer who comes to TWC by way of Ruby for Women automatically receives a 25% discount on all of our services. From proofreading and editing to ghostwriting, research and reviews, Ruby for Women clients will get the very best prices. Not only that, but TWC will read the first three chapters of any manuscript and offer a full consultation for free!

Simply write to amylignor@hotmail.com to get the process started.

You can also find Amy on her website, The Write Companion, at http://www.thewritecompanion.com 11

Footprints in the Mud April Fools!

The Wearing of the Two-Faced Mask

by Beth Brubaker We've all seen it happen. We're at the store and one of the managers that's helping us sees an employee doing something wrong. He yells and condemns the person, “Get back to work, you moron,” then turns right back to you and as sweet as you please with a smile bright and cheerful says, “Good morning! How can I help you today?”

It's the Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome otherwise known as the Wearing of the Two-Faced Mask. Have you ever done that? I know I have.

I'm on the phone chatting with a friend, and the kids come up and shove something in my face. I place my hand over the receiver so I don't blow out the ear of my friend. “Stop that!” I yell, not even glancing at the paper, “I'm talking on the phone!” Then I lift my hand from the receiver and in a very nice, polite voice, continue my conversation. I think all moms have done this at least once a day.

We see it all the time in stores, restaurants and other public places. And not just moms, either. Bosses, employees and customers do it too.

Some without even realizing they're doing it! The TwoFaced Mask is something we all have, but don't want.

It's like looking in the mirror and seeing an ogre staring right back at you.

It's the nastier side of the looking glass, and the view ain't pretty.

Once in a while I'll catch myself in the midst of an ogre-like rant. It's especially funny when the kids catch me having a Jekyll-Hyde moment! One 'YouTube moment' was when I stubbed my toe right before I answered the phone. I ranted and raved right up until I picked up the receiver and then in a polite (if strained) voice,

greeted the caller. My kids were watching me the entire time and I had to stifle the phone because they were cracking up so loudly!

They also think it's funny because I use nonsense words instead of bad ones, but that's for another column. It makes me feel a lot better when I do though. I like keeping the ogre under control or at least keep the illusion alive that I have any control over such things.

I just wish I didn't have an ogreish side in the first place! I think there was an ogreish side in the Garden of Eden too. Take a look at that situation between Adam and God concerning Eve. You can almost see Adam telling Eve she was being a pinhead for taking the fruit in the first place (never mind the fact that they both ate it), then looking to God and speaking in a respectful tone (because God doesn't put up with much guff from His creations) to state his side of the situation. God saw right through that, and tossed them both out on their fig-covered rears.

The scary part is that God can see though our masks too. Good thing He still loves us even if we act like ogres! So the next time you go past a theatre with those happy and sad masks on the posters, give your own masks a bit of thought.

Have you reacted one way to one person and a different way towards another? Why? Were you just having a bad day? Did the person you treated nicely have chocolate? Did the person you treated nastily not have chocolate? Give it some serious consideration the next time you catch yourself. You might be surprised to see one of those Two-Faced Masks on your heart!

You can read more of Beth’s post on her blog at: http://footprintsinthemudblog.blogspot.com/ 12

Heirloom Baby Blanket

by Jennifer J. Cirka/Jaybird Designs Materials •MC : Bernat Baby Coordinates, 71.2% acrylic-25.6% rayon-3.2% nylon, light sport weight, (535 yds, 160 g per skien), color – White – 2 skeins (Or any light sport weight baby yarn) •US G-6 / 4mm crochet hook •Yarn needle Finished Size: Approximately 29’”x 40” Gauge: 15 dc x 10 rows = 4” Pattern: With MC, ch 164 Row 1: sc in second ch from hook and each ch across. (163 sc) Row 2: ch 3, turn. (counts as first dc now and throughout pattern) dc in next 2 sts. *sk2, (2dc, ch1, 2dc) in next st. sk2, dc in next 3 sts. Repeat from * across. (63 dc, 20 shells) Row 3: ch 3, turn. Dc in next 2 sts. *(2dc, ch1, 2dc) in next ch-1 sp. Dc in next 3 dc. Repeat from * across.

Repeat row 3 for a total of 56 rows or until desired length is achieved.

Row 57: ch 1, turn. Sc in each dc and each sc sp across. (163 sc) Border Round 1: Turn work 45 degrees to the right. Working across edge, 2sc in the end of each row. 3 sc in corner. Sc across unused loops of beginning chain, 3 sc in next corner, 2sc in the end of each row, 3sc in next corner, and sc across top and finish with 3 sc in last corner. Join with a sl st to first sc. (558 sc) Round 2: ch 1, sc in same st as joining and each sc around placing 3 sc in each corner. Join with a sl st to first sc. (566 sc) Round 3: sl st into next sc. Ch 3. (dc, ch1, 2dc) in same st. [*sk3 sts, (2dc, ch1, 2dc) in next st. repeat from * to corner. (2dc, ch1, 2dc, ch1, 2dc, ch1, 2dc) in corner.] 4 times. Join with a sl st to third ch of beg ch3.

Round 4: sl st to first ch-1 sp. (ch3, dc, ch1, 2dc) in same ch-1 sp. (2dc, ch1, 2dc) in each ch-1 sp around.

Join with a sl st to third ch of beg ch-3. Finish off and weave in ends.

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iBloom!

Visit iBloom today for inspiration, encouragement, and advice that will help you bloom! http://ibloom.co/ 14

Yes You Can! Make your own Teacup Pincushion by mamas*little*treasures Although I’ve been a designer and seamstress for many years, I had never thought of pincushions in any way other than purely practical. I have used them throughout my years of sewing, but they were just always there as part of my sewing room supplies, just like my scissors, iron, and tape measure.

I recently discovered some beautiful pincushions and I was so inspired that I decided I’d make some of my own. So, the first thing I saw when I was contemplating my new adventure was a couple of vintage teacups that I had picked up at the local thrift store. And since they had no sentimental attachment for me, I thought I’d try making them into little pincushions with a bit of bling, glitz, and glam. And now I’m hooked!

Who would have thought that a pincushion could be a collector’s item or decorative or an item to display in my sewing studio? Well, now I know . . . . . and these pincushions are so much fun to make. Quick and easy, they are perfect for a gift for mom or grandma, or for yourself as a special treat for all that you’ve accomplished in life. So, if you have a teacup and saucer around your house (probably not Grandma’s antique china, though!) – or if you stop by your neighborhood thrift shop or antique shop, pick up two or three sets – let’s get started on your very own teacup pincushion!

Basic Supplies * Vintage teacup and saucer * Ribbon scraps * Polyfill

* Fabric Scraps

* Buttons, beads, lace, charms

* Tacky Glue or Hot Glue Gun

* Needle and Thread

* Stick pins and various beads

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STEP 1: Gather your supplies: Begin by choosing your fabric, ribbons, and trims. Make sure you have a variety of coordinating notions to choose from. Gather your supplies so you can begin creating your little masterpiece!

STEP 2: Cut out your fabric Place your teacup upside down on your fabric. Measure out 1 ½” – 2” from the outside edge, using a water soluble fabric / quilt marker. Mark all around the outside edge, to make a circle that is a total of 3” – 4” larger in diameter than your cup.

Cut out your circle of fabric. This will be the main pincushion, and you will want it to be to correct size to fit inside of the teacup.

STEP 3: Stitch the gathering stitches on the circle of fabric Set your sewing machine for the longest straight stitch possible. On my machine that is a setting of 5.00 on a scale of 0 – 5.00. If you prefer, you can hand gather all around the outside edge of the circle by taking ¼” stitches around the circle, approximately ¼” in from the edge.

Stitch the long running stitch all around the outside edge of the circle of fabric, approximately ¼” in from the edge. For greater strength when closing up the circle for the top of the pincushion, I always run another long straight stitch all around the outside of the circle of fabric, approximately 3/8” in from the edge so that I have two rows of gathering stitches. That way, if one row of stitching breaks, I still have another row of gathering stitches to work with. This really does save time later on!

STEP 4: Gather and stuff the circle of fabric Now you will want to begin pulling the gathering stitches up on the circle of fabric to make a little “pouch” to put the stuffing into. I begin by gathering it up just enough to hold the stuffing, and then I put as much stuffing into it as I can before I pull the gathering stitches up tight.

When I do my gathering, I usually pull up one side of the gathering stitch so that I have one side gathered. Then I tie the threads on that end to keep it from “un-gathering” when I pull up the other side. Pull it first from one side to the middle, and then the other side. This minimizes the possibility of breaking a thread and having to start all over!

Keep putting as much stuffing as you can possibly get into the little “pouch,” and then GENTLY pull the gathering threads up as tightly as you can.

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Keep stuffing . . . . and stuffing . . . . down into the little empty places around the edges . . . .

Then begin to pull up the gathering threads, and you will still need to stuff even more polyfill into the pincushion top. The more stuffing you can get in, the firmer the pincushion top will be. This will make it prettier, but also easier to use.

When you have pulled your gathering stitches up as much as possible, tie the thread ends together to hold it in place. Again, be very careful with your threads, so as not to break one of the gathering stitches. Pull it up as tightly as you can, and you should still have an opening of approximately 1” – 2” that you will close up later.

Now you stuff even more polyfill into the pincushion top. Keep stuffing, down into those little corners where the gathers are!

As long as there is room for even one more little “stuff,” go ahead and shove it in there!

STEP 5: Closing the stuffing opening Now you will need to cut a circle that is approximately 2” – 2 ½” around from your fabric. This will be used to cover the opening in the bottom of your pincushion top.

Pin it in place, covering the opening and the gathering stitches, and hand stitch in place using an appliqué stitch. The hand appliqué stitch is taken by coming up with your needle and thread from the bottom, through the piece you are stitching on (in this case the small circle). Then go STRAIGHT down again, over the edge of the circle, into the fabric to which you are attaching the circle.

Go under that fabric for approximately ¼” and come up again, catching the edge of the small circle, and go down over the edge of the small circle into the pincushion top. Continue this stitch all around the small circle to enclose the opening in the bottom of the pincushion top.

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STEP 6: Gluing the pincushion top into the teacup For this step, you can either use Tacky Glue or a hot glue gun. With the Tacky Glue you will need to wait a few minutes to continue the project and add embellishments. With a hot glue gun, you will be able to continue right away but two words of caution: Be VERY careful not to burn yourself!

•

You will need to place the pincushion top into the teacup, accurately, very quickly as the hot glue dries almost instantaneously. If you have any concerns about getting the top placed exactly where you want it on the first try, you might want to start with Tacky Glue as it allows you to remove and replace the pincushion top if you don’t get it right the first time.

Place a line of glue all around the inside of the teacup, approximately ¼” from the top edge. Be sure to use enough glue that the top of the pincushion will attach securely. Carefully place the completed pincushion top into the teacup, adjusting it so that if completely fills the teacup and is centered and even. You might need to “squish” the pincushion top either flatter or puffier, depending on the top of your teacup. Just be sure that it isn’t lopsided or lumpy on one side!

STEP 7: Embellishing your pincushion As soon as the pincushion top is securely attached to the teacup, it is time to begin the fun part of embellishment! It might seem that it would be easier to embellish it before you put it into the teacup, but I discovered that if I tried to put on all the embellishments first, it didn’t always line up the way I wanted it to with the edge of the cup. It really isn’t too difficult to stitch on a few ribbons, buttons, and beads once it is inserted into the teacup.

Of course, you can embellish your pincushion any way you want, but here are a few ideas to get you started: I took a sheer ribbon and wrapped it around my fingers a few times to make a bow. Then I took three or four stitches right in the middle to hold it, and pulled the loops apart to make kind of a ribbon flower.

When I pulled the loops apart, I also twisted them to make it a bit fuller.

Then I took some sage green grosgrain ribbon, about 1” wide, and cut a piece approximately 3” long. Loop both ends forward to meet in the middle, making a point at the folded end.

Make two or three of these ribbon “leaves,” and press them flat.

Hand stitch the leaves on first, and then stitch on a couple of curled ribbon “tendrils” to hang down from beneath your ribbon flower.

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Then stitch the ribbon flower on top of the leaves and curled “tendrils,” making sure that the leaves just peek out from the edges of the “petals” of the ribbon flower.

If you want to add a button center on your ribbon flower, snip off the shank on the button and glue it right in the middle of the flower.

Add any other embellishments that you want! I added a little butterfly button right on one of the leaves.

I added three round pink crystal buttons to make some little “buds” by the leaves.

And then I stitched on one wrapped pink bead, just for fun! Glue the teacup pincushion to the saucer, and add a few buttons or small spools of thread . . . . or even a tiny pair of embroidery scissors, all around the base of the teacup.

If you want to make a few pretty stick pins to go with your pincushion, just take some pins that already have a large bead on top. Then use your hot glue gun to add a few more beads either on the top of the bead on the straight pin, or add them underneath the bead that is on the top . . . . . or both! You can also purchase fancy stick pins, but I always like to make my own.

They look really pretty stuck into your teacup pincushion!

And there you have your very own teacup pincushion! What a fun gift for Mother’s Day, or Grandma’s birthday . . . . . or just a gift to say, “I love you!”

Have fun with YOUR very own teacup pincushion. And when you get it finished, please email me a picture of your masterpiece at AngelBabiesBoutique@msn.com Hope to hear from you soon!

Nina of mamas*little*treasures Here’s my “Ivory and Jade” Teacup Pincushion . . . what fun this one was with all the pearls, rhinestones, and gold accents in this sweet cup and saucer of a floral and paisley print, all in shades of light and dark green with just a touch of gold.

Copyright 2008 by Nina Newton aka mamas*little*treasures. All text and images contained herein are owned by and are copyright 2008 mamas*little*treasures. None of the contents of this pattern eBook may be reproduced or republished. This pattern is for the express and sole use of the customer for personal or home use, and may be used to create items for the customer to sell on his or her own.

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Spring’s Resurrection

by Connie Arnold

Connect the Letters Word Puzzle

by Beth Brubaker Hint: God wants us to be doing this each day!

In spring the resurrection from winter’s cold tomb brings new life once again as flowers start to bloom.

All creation sings a joyous song of spring as renewal of life brings fresh life to everything.

The earth’s crust is cracked by a hidden power, and what emerges is a stem, leaf and flower.

The icy grave of winter where no life can be seen transforms into a vibrant, living carpet of green.

Fresh hope arrives with the springtime air that our lives that once had seemed lifeless and bare, like the earth to which fresh life returns, can find the renewal for which our soul yearns.

How to play: Using the hint given, figure out the word by starting on the outer edge of the puzzle, and move to any of the connecting circles to form the word, using letters only once. Answer on page 67. *********************** Here’s an example: Women tend to use this a lot more than men.

Spring’s resurrection coincides with Easter, too.

All life that has ended, God is able to renew.

Since Christ conquered death there’s no longer separation, and we can join in singing the song of creation. © Connie Arnold www.conniearnold.webs.com

The answer to this example is Emotion

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Thrifty Mama’s Frugal Family Advice: Vegetable Gardening on a Shoestring “Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without!” That was my mama’s approach to living on a shoestring budget. I grew up hearing that saying, and I guess it has served me well, especially during the recent days of financial meltdown that many of us have experienced over the past couple of years. Realizing that we will all be just fine even if we don’t have the latest, fanciest gadgets and techno-wonders makes it so much easier when dollars are scarce. Seems like we all come out just fine, even if we have to serve pancakes for supper three times a week! Now that spring is here, we are looking at doing a bit more gardening than we’ve done recently, so I thought I’d share with you some of the frugal ideas that I’ve discovered, just in case you might be considering growing a vegetable garden this year.

We’ve always had great fun planting flowers in the window boxes and tucking some bright blooms around the corners of our yard. But we all know that it can get expensive to keep everything looking beautiful. Since many of us try to live on a budget, but we still would like our little corner of the world to be filled with beauty, here are a few DIY ideas for saving money on your summer gardening projects:

Take time to evaluate your growing environment Before you go out and purchase plants (or even seeds to start indoors), be sure to evaluate the growing conditions you have in your yard. In our previous home, our yard was almost completely in the shade, so I had to experiment to discover which plants would do well in that environment. Now our yard has quite a bit of shade, but we also have a very large side yard that gets almost continuous sunlight in the summer. Be sure to do a little research on the kinds of plants that will thrive in the unique growing conditions of your yard.

Start early and be thrifty!

Although it is so much easier to purchase well-established plants and then set them out in your garden, some of your plants can be started from seeds in an indoor planting space. We have a couple of small plastic containers with dome lids where we started a few tomato plants as well as some flowers. Since we started them rather early, the plan is that a few of them will be ready to set out once the ground is warm enough and they are big enough to handle the spring rains and breezes. In addition to starting plants indoors, you can also purchase some bushes and shrubs when they are still quite young and small. They will be much less expensive that way, and even though it will take a while for them to mature, the wait will be worth the savings. Just be sure to follow the directions on the planting tags and space them according to their full-grown needs. They will fill in over time, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing you are creating a beautiful yard while sticking to your budget.

Keep plants in proportion to your growing area This is important, especially if you have a modest-size yard or garden area. Be sure to find out how large a plant will eventually grow before you set it into any growing area in your yard. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made over the years is placing a plant in a small area (when the plant was small!) and then planting 21

other flowers or shrubs around it, before I knew how big the original plant would eventually grow.

Eventually I had plants that were growing over the top of each other, choking out the roots or the taller plant shading the smaller plants. This will definitely save you time and money, because you won’t be investing in plantings that will just have to be moved later or will need constant trimming.

Start a perennial garden If you want a yard filled with beautiful plants all growing season long, start out small and plant a few perennials every year. They are more expensive than annuals, but not only do perennials come back year after year, they typically spread their roots and can be divided. Once you have plants large enough to divide, now you have an endless supply of new plants to fill in every corner of your garden. The best way to do this is to shop for perennials that are at the end of their blooming cycle. Most garden centers will mark down their plants as they are losing their blooms, but the plants are still healthy and will come back into full bloom next season in your garden.

Shop at garden centers where you can come back for advice and refunds Occasionally you will purchase a plant that is guaranteed to grow, and it doesn’t! It probably doesn’t happen very often, but be sure to keep all of your receipts when you purchase perennials, shrubs, bushes, or trees, because you may need to return to your garden center for a refund. Because these particular plants are a bit more expensive than buying a flat of annuals, it is well worth the time and effort to keep track of these receipts so you can replace a favorite fruit tree or decorative bush.

Keep it simple and have fun!

One way to bring a bit of whimsy to your garden is to search through thrift shops, auctions, or antique malls for interesting garden décor items. An old, mismatched dining room chair can be painted and repaired, placed in the corner of your garden with a potted bright red geranium perched on it. Or take an empty can, paint it bright red or yellow or even purple, and lay it down on its side in your yard. Then, right in front of the opening of the can, plant a “splash” of flowers in a matching color so that it looks like the “paint” can tipped over and the “paint” is spilling out of it.

Another idea is to take a discarded section of picket fencing and prop it up in the back of your garden.

Then, plant climbing roses or Morning Glories, or any other climbing flower, all along the fence section and let it grow with abandon. Bird baths can also be made from found treasures at a junk store or thrift shop.

An 0ld dish pan setting on a stump works well, or even a heavy ceramic bowl nestled in a fallen branch would make the birds in your garden happy.

Or how about painting an old watering can and planting a few petunias in it, so that they trail over the edge? An abandoned little red wagon, repainted, makes an adorable planter sitting in your front yard!

You don’t have to hire a landscaping company to make your yard beautiful and inviting. Use your imagination, stick with your budget, and take baby steps toward creating a gorgeous garden. Thrifty Mamas can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary with their power of creativity. ~~ Thrifty Mama 22

Please join Ruby for Women for the April Ladybug Hunt!

We have hidden 20 ladybugs throughout this issue of Ruby for Women. They all look just like this: Only lots smaller! They are hidden in the articles, articles, the ads, and the ladybugs, ybugs, puzzles, so be sure to look closely. If you find all 20 lad email me at editor@rubyforwomen.com and the first THREE readers who email me with the correct number of ladybugs and the page numbers where you found them will win one of the the following prizes: • “How Can I Run a Tight Ship When II’’m Surrounded by Cannons?”” by Kathi Macias Loose Cannons?

• Handcrafted fiber art bookmark by mamas*little*treasures • An adorable ladybug timer from Katherine’ Katherine’s Avon shop Be sure to include your mailing address when you email me your winning entry!

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Gardener’s Delight

by Rochelle Martin This issue of Ruby for Women has the seventh block of Gardener's Delight which is the Entrance Block. In the next issue the instructions for the bottom white picket fence, flowers and bluebird will be given.

Materials The yardage for the quilt is in the May/June 2010 issue of Ruby for Women. Most grass fabrics have the grass pointing in the same direction across the width (WOF) of the fabric. The grass fabric for this block will need to be cut in LOF (length of fabric) strips and rectangles so that the grass will be pointing in the same direction.

To make one entrance block you will need:

Green Grass fabric: 2 - 1 ½" x 10 ½" LOF strips 2 - 3 ½" x 8 ½" LOF rectangles 1 - 2 ½" x 4 ½" LOF rectangle

Stone fabric: 2 - 3 ½" x 4 ½" rectangles 10 ½" unfinished One block needed

Instructions 1. Lay out in a vertical row a stone rectangle, the 2 ½" x 4 ½" grass rectangle and the remaining stone rectangle. Sew into a row in that order. Press the seams towards the stone fabric.

2. Sew a 3 ½" x 8 ½" grass rectangle to the left and right sides of the center row. Press the seams to the outside.

3. Sew a 1 ½" x 10 ½" strip to the top and bottom sides of the entrance block. Press the seams outward to make a 10 ½" block. ©2011 Cottage Quilt Designs

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A Lesson in Giving and Hearing

by Sheila Watson Kraklow Sunday morning I sat silently in my big comfy easy-chair weeping because I missed an opportunity to obey the Lord.

On Saturday I went shopping, and that is not a task I take on without weighing all the risks and making sure I have not undertaken more than my body will allow me to do. (I have a slight disability and until the Lord completes the healing I am expectedly awaiting, it does sorely exist.) In dealing with my painful, weak, constantly sore legs, and eventual pain-filled nights, I measure out my steps most carefully; making sure not to overdo.

So, here is the lesson - Saturday I had completed the rounds in one of the biggest WalMart stores in which I have had the pleasure of procuring my needs. I was exhausted as well as very vexed because the management of said store had seen fit to remove the conveniently placed “resting benches” I always use on my voyages into the depth of the vast store.

Annoyed, I more-or-less stumbled toward the front of the store; I knew I had seen some benches there by the portrait studio. I plunked mine-self down for a much needed sitting session before I could dare attempt the long wait in the check-out session. (Oh, how I dislike that waiting since it is standing still that really makes my legs hurt.)

While doing this sitting; I love to people watch, so I had started this watching after I had checked my shopping list to make sure I had gotten everything.

I was sitting right in front of the “Self-Checkout” lanes and found some amusement in watching folks try to do this without looking silly. I tried it once – I’ll not say more!

Well, there sitting prettily in the next lane was this baby girl. She was dressed in a red jumpsuit style of outfit complete with white lace around the wrists and ankles, and was wearing soft-looking crocheted booties on her dainty little feet. She was stylishly sitting inside a super-nice stroller covered in a very trendy shade of green. The baby was surrounded with soft blankets and a few shopping bags filled with stuff.

“Nice chariot” I said to her.

Now I don’t know if you have ever had this happen to you, but that baby girl hooked eyes with me. She looked at me, she looked through me, and she did not smile but just looked. I connected with this baby – so I started making faces, smiling, stretching my face into funny shapes – you know how we act with this kind of soul searching, ego-piercing gaze.

I clapped my hands quietly and tried to make her smile. I failed. So I took my soul back from her eyes and looked away.

Well, in a few minutes she caught my eye again, and she was almost jumping out of her charming-chariot, grinning at me, moving her hands in an up-and-down sort of “hey look at me again” thing. I was captivated again!

While I was looking at this child, I took notice of a struggle her mother was having with the cashier. She had handed the cashier several checks – “uh oh” I thought – “checks!” I had noticed earlier that this pretty mother had jars and jars of baby-food and the cashier was running them through the scanner one after the other. “Wow” I thought, “that’s a lot-o-baby food.” So, back to the checks . . .

I assumed (yes I am using that word on purpose) I assumed, that these checks were WIC checks and because I have experience in the complicated world of WIC; I knew what was next for this little mommy.

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Mommy - “What do you mean they won’t accept them – these are all I have?”

Cashier – “I don’t know – it just the way it is. So do you still want all of this?”

At this point Mommy walked away leaving the baby, the cashier, and the groceries on the counter. She demanded to know (from the Clerk-of-the–Day) why the checks (she had 2) weren’t acceptable. Turns out it had to do with the dates of the checks.

Mommy then says – “Well ok, I guess I can’t get this.”

Cashier says – “So you don’t want - all of this?” She almost shrieks at the poor Mommy.

“No, take it all out.”

Ok – this played out in front of my eyes and all the time that baby was looking at me. I thought to myself, “I want to buy this baby that baby food.”

I’m crying again right now . . .

I wanted to walk up to that cashier and say to her – “How much is it, I’ll pay for it.” But I didn’t do it! I didn’t get up off my perch and do that good deed, that random act of kindness.

I sat there resting, and wanting to do it. But I also thought, “Well, she does have her checks that she can use on the appropriate day – she will be fine.”

So Mommy gathered up her other bags and left the store with her remaining dignity trailing behind her, I stood up and got in line to do the same, promptly forgetting baby and mommy.

But when Sunday came around and I was listening to Joel Osteen, guess what his message was about? He preached on hearing the Lord’s voice and obeying Him, giving as the Lord prompts you to give.

So with much sorrow, tears, and eventual fervent repentance, I felt the full force of my actions or lack of them. And I now confess this sorrowful sin to you, my readers. I hope and pray that the baby is ok, I know she is – but all I have to offer her now are my prayers.

I hope that as time passes I can get her big, brown eyes, and sweet smile out of my head.

How could I have ignored her need, not to mention the nudging of the Holy Spirit and sit like a stone on that wire bench?

Lesson learned – next time… please Lord, give me a next time – I will obey – I will!

Ruby Pearls with Beth Brubaker * Time to clean out your medicine cabinet! Get rid of any medications that are past their expiration date, or at least 4 months old. Check boxes of bandages to see if you need more, and make sure any gauze, tapes or any other medical supplies are still sealed and undamaged. * Clean out while you clean up! As you de-clutter your house, bless others with your bounty by donating it to a friend, family member, or thrift store! * Gotta’ clean the windows? Use clean newspaper and window cleaner to get them nice and shiny!

Then simply toss into the recycling bin!

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A Garden of Love

Sew Endless

by Thomas B. Clarke

with Kelly Masson

A Garden of Love is an experience that takes us deep into the heart of God's love. Using flowers to paint images of Christian love, I would like to take you on a spiritual journey that touched my heart and will hopefully touch yours, revealing the depth of God's love. Thirty flowers are featured in this book, calling us to respond in intimate relationship with the Lord and the fullness of Christian love. Sense how the flowers usher in softness, gentleness, and peace as each precious plant reveals another aspect of grace or kindness, joy or forgiveness, patience or faithfulness.

A Garden of Love can be purchased on Tom’s website at www.bible-discernments.com

I am Kelly Masson and the creator of Sew Endless, an Etsy shop that specializes in handmade bags for women and children. I am now taking orders for Black and White and Color Personalized Photo Ruffle Bags for Mother's Day. I print photos onto fabric and piece them with coordinating fabrics to make the ruffles. For children I design messenger bags that would make a great gift for Easter. They are specially made to hold books, toys, coloring books and there is even an inside pocket for smaller toys or crayons.

I am a stay-at-home mom and have six children, ages 18 to 3. I have been sewing for about 17 years since my oldest was a baby and decided 2 years ago to turn my passion into a home-based business. I come from a long line of seamstresses and I feel honored to have a gift that continues a legacy which has preceded me for generations.

http://www.sewendless.etsy.com http://www.facebook.com/sewendless

A Real Change International with Sandi Krakowski Sandi Krakowski, renowned social media coach and founder of A Real Change International, has spent years developing programs that turn small businesses into multi-million dollar companies. Her personal success in the business world has made her coaching sessions, eBooks and online marketing classes extremely popular.

“I've spent years developing quick and effective methods for generating income using blogs and social marketing. We reap the biggest rewards in life when we give back -- that's why I'm so passionate about empowering other business owners to do the same.”

If you are looking to make A Real Change in YOUR life, visit Sandi at her website, A Real Change International at www.arealchange.com/blog/ 27

Women’s Wisdom for your Health and Wellness

by Bernadette Collins, The Living Well Nurse

“The Five Absolute Worst Foods You Can Eat” We’ve all been told that there are no “bad” foods, and that we should eat all things in moderation. As it turns out, there are actually a few foods that are, in fact, “bad” for you. Not only do these foods have no nutritional value, but they also put a large dose of toxins into your body. That should make the thought of eating these foods “hard to swallow.” Here are the foods that you just might want to avoid:

Doughnuts Doughnuts are fried, full of sugar and white flour and most all varieties contain trans fat. Store-bought doughnuts are made up of about 35 percent to 40 percent trans fat. An average doughnut will give you about 200 to 300 calories, mostly from sugar, and few other nutrients.

It's too bad that Americans view doughnuts as a breakfast food as, nutritionally speaking, eating a doughnut is one of the worst ways to start off your day. It will throw off your blood sugar and won't stay with you, so you'll be hungry again soon. You are better off eating no breakfast at all, or better yet grabbing a quick glass of Whey Healthier.

Soda One can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, and is loaded with artificial food colors and sulphites. I can't think of any good reason to ever have it. The diet varieties are also problematic as they are filled with harmful artificial sweeteners like aspartame.

Studies have linked soda to osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease, yet the average American drinks an estimated 56 gallons of soft drinks each year. Plus, drinking all that sugar will likely suppress your appetite for healthy foods, which pave the way for nutrient deficiencies.

Soft drink consumption among children has almost doubled in the United States over the last decade, which is not surprising considering that most school hallways are lined with soda-filled vending machines.

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Schools often make marketing deals with leading soft drink companies such as Coca-Cola from which they receive commissions--based on a percentage of sales at each school--and sometimes a lump-sum payment, in exchange for their students' health. School vending machines can increase the consumption of sweetened beverages by up to 50 or more cans of soda per student per year.

If you routinely drink soda--regular or diet--eliminating it from your diet is one of the simplest and most profound health improvements you can make.

French Fries (and Nearly All Commercially Fried Foods) Potatoes are bad enough when consumed in their raw state, as their simple sugars are rapidly converted to glucose that raises insulin levels and can devastate your health. But when they are cooked in trans fat at high temperatures, all sorts of interesting and very unpleasant things occur.

Anything that is fried, even vegetables, has the issue of trans fat and the potent cancer-causing substance acrylamide.

Foods that are fried in vegetable oils like canola, soybean, safflower, corn, and other seed and nut oils are particularly problematic. These polyunsaturated fats easily become rancid when exposed to oxygen and produce large amounts of damaging free radicals in the body. They are also very susceptible to heat-induced damage from cooking. What is not commonly known is that these oils can actually cause aging, clotting, inflammation, cancer and weight gain. You can read the article "Secrets of the Edible Oil Industry" for more information.

It is theoretically possible to create a more "healthy" French fry if you cook it in a healthy fat like virgin coconut oil. Due to its high saturated fat content, coconut oil is extremely stable and is not damaged by the high temperatures of cooking. This is why coconut oil should be the only oil you use to cook with.

I am fond of telling patients that one French fry is worse for your health than one cigarette, so you may want to consider this before you order your next 'Biggie' order.

Chips Most commercial chips, and this includes corn chips, potato chips, tortilla chips, you name it, are high in trans fat. Fortunately, some companies have caught on to the recent media blitz about the dangers of trans fat and have started to produce chips without trans fat.

However, the high temperatures used to cook them will potentially cause the formation of carcinogenic substances like acrylamide, and this risk remains even if the trans fat is removed.

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Fried Non-Fish Seafood This category represents the culmination of non-healthy aspects of food. Fried shrimp, clams, oysters, lobsters, and so on have all the issues of trans fat and acrylamide mentioned above, plus an added risk of mercury.

Seafood is loaded with toxic mercury and shellfish like shrimp and lobsters can be contaminated with parasites and resistant viruses that may not even be killed with high heat. These creatures, considered scavenger animals, consume foods that may be harmful for you.

Eating these foods gives you a quadruple dose of toxins--trans fat, acrylamide, mercury and possibly parasites or viruses--with every bite.

If you have a taste for seafood, there's an easy solution. It's best to avoid your local fish fry and try the only fish I now eat--the delicious wild red Alaskan salmon that was proven through independent lab testing to be virtually free of harmful levels of mercury and other contaminants.

Quoted from the original article by Dr. Joseph Mercola @ www.mercola.com

Vintage Image Craft Instant Vintage Images Beautiful Retro Crafts, Cards & Scrapbook Projects www.vintageimagecraft.com

Visit Katie for recipes, crafts, give-aways, humor, photography, women’s wisdom, and so much more! www.goaskkatie.com 30

"Every bunny loves 'thumb' bunny" an Easter craft by Carolyn Arnold

1. On a sturdy piece of card stock or construction paper, draw a background for your 'thumb' bunnies. You can even print off a photo of your yard, house, or garden to use.

2. Apply paint to thumb, covering from the tip to at least the first joint. Be generous with the paint, you're going to press four times.

3. The first press is at a diagonal. This will be the body of the bunny.

4. Lift thumb slightly.

5. Move thumb to just above the first print and press second time. This will be the head of the bunny.

6. Tilt thumb so only the tip of it will touch the paper and press down two times, close together, above the second print (head).

These will be the ears.

7. Add a drop of glue at the bottom of the first print (body) and a tiny bit of cotton for a tail if you wish.

8. Everybody can join in and you can create your very own bunny family!

9. Remember to write the date on the back or bottom of the paper.

www.sewendless.etsy.com

www.tatterstotreasures.etsy.com 31

New Life Thursday Night in an Olive Grove Luke 22 v 39-46 After the meal, the banter, the revealing, a walk in the night air to clear the head.

In a grove of olives, unready as half grown fruit, He searches for His Father’s will a sense of unfinished business searing His soul.

Man-sense and God-sense at war within Him. Alone again.

The captain of a ship with unripe crew and a sinking feeling.

This can’t be right, they are not ready, this storm cannot be stilled with quiet authority.

This is God stuff.

This is the agony of time within a frame unconfined by days yet destined for the breakers yard.

This is a pivot of eternity and they are not ready to be alone.

Alone as gods are.

My daughter, I want you to be open, And then in your Spirit you shall receive, My ever-loving kindness, And the solution to your every need.

I long for you to spend more time with me, Through my word and in prayer, And then you shall gain tremendous strength, And will learn to cast away your every care.

Sometimes life can be painful, Yet I provide healing and forgiveness is the key, So take this step and open the door, And you will discover all you dream and more.

Also, begin to choose your every thought, Don't allow past hurts to evolve, Guard your heart: don't let your emotions control, Instead allow the fruit of the Spirit to feed your soul.

For I shall bring to you prosperity, And bless your life indeed, I created you for a mighty purpose, And through your experience you will bring hope to so many in need.

I use everything for good, for those who love me, All hurts, all pain, all fear, I can make all things new and all things flourish, Just continue to trust in me, my dear. © Heide Louise (Wright)

Alone as We are.

Alone as You make Me. And I am not ready but Yours is the power the glory and the will to which I surrender.

~~ Keith Wallis 32

Ask Beth

by Beth Brubaker

Dear Beth, How do you remove ink stains from the couch, clothes, car . . . etc.?

-- Stained and Strained Dear Stained, Your question has several answers! The best way to remove ink stains from clothing is hairspray. It can be a pump or aerosol, as long as it doesn't contain conditioners or oils, because that will only stain the garment further. Choose a simple spray with an high alcohol content. Aquanet or its generic counterpart would work well. Spray a bit of hairspray onto the stain and scrub gently to remove ink.

Multiple ink stains can be harder to remove, so I'd recommend using detergent. Treat each spot with a little dab of detergent, then let set for about 15-20 minutes and rewash. Shout also works well on stains; just spray on and rub gently before washing.

If the ink is dry or has been dried in a dryer, it will be a lot harder to remove, since the stain has been set. Wet with an alcohol based substance (like hairspray or rubbing alcohol) or even some carpet cleaning sprays for the best results. Some people suggest vinegar, but this may not work well on furniture fabrics.

Non-bleach dishwasher detergent or dish soap can also remove ink, but can also remove color from some fabrics. Test a corner of the fabric first to see if there's any fading before putting on the stain.

Dab detergent/soap onto the stain and let sit for at least 20 minutes. Wash as usual, but be aware there might be more suds in the laundry if you use dish soap.

Permanent ink stains require different treatment, since the inks were meant to last. If you catch a permanent ink stain while it's still wet, you may be able to remove most of it by using the methods above. You may have to work at it for some time, scrubbing and reapplying alcohol or hairspray to remove or lighten the ink stain. However, after it dries, you might only be able to make the stain fade slightly. The sooner you catch it, the better your chances are of removing it.

Do you have a question for Beth? Please submit it though her email at bethatruby@aol.com with Ask Beth in the subject line.

She would love to hear from you!

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In A Word: Question

by Amanda Johnson During the month of March I had the opportunity to be part of an online group of bloggers called National Blog Posting Month.

The group encourages writers to write a blog every day for a month based on the month’s theme. In March the theme was “In A Word,” which basically meant that writers must choose a different word to blog about each day. Below is my blog based on the word “question.”

My cousin went to a job interview recently and was asked the following question: "If you could have dinner with anyone (living or dead) who would it be?" Apparently this is a clever and fun way to gain personal insight into the mind of the job candidate. I asked myself the same question, wondering what the answer might reveal about me. My answers varied from authors and songwriters to missionaries and people of the Bible.

Literary writers such as Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and Charles Dickens came to mind as well as contemporary writers including E.B. White, Janette Oke, Max Lucado, Andy Stanley and Sarah Young. All of these writers found their voice and learned to put their thoughts into written words for hundreds of thousands to read.

Missionaries and famous songwriters were also at the top of the list, including: William Carey, Amy Carmichael, and Gladys Aylward. They each felt the Lord calling them to serve Him not only with their lives, but also in foreign and dangerous lands they had only read about.

Singer/songwriters of old such as John Newton (Amazing Grace), Fanny Crosby (Blessed Assurance), and Mahalia Jackson (known as The Queen of Gospel) also found strength in the Lord to overcome their circumstances and give praise and thanks as they walked through life's trials.

Heroes of the faith such as King David, the twelve disciples, and the apostle Paul were very much regular every day people, yet they had a remarkable willingness to obey and be used by the Lord in great ways. They shared their faith through the success and failures they faced in life and gave all glory to God in doing so.

And then, there are my own family members that I'd like to meet or see again. Great-grandparents I never knew. My grandfather's mother whom I discovered I bear a great resemblance to. My grandma and great-grandma, because I miss sharing the latest news in my life and seeing their smiles and hearing their words of congratulations as well as encouragement. They had such a wealth of knowledge in their hearts and minds, and I miss gleaning gems of wisdom from each of them!

I soon realized the main reason I chose the people I did was because of the trials they faced in life and the way they overcame obstacles by putting their trust and faith in the Lord. I wanted to learn from them. This brought about a new question. Would anyone choose me as a person of interest to dine with?

I've been through trials and hardships, but has the way I've handled them and the way I've learned to lean on God been reflected to others?

Have I done a good job of telling others that while my life on the outside looks great, on the inside it's falling apart and it if it were not for the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ I would be nothing.

Is my life one that stands out and lights the world around me in a way that will change the lives of others? Would someone choose me as the one to sit down and talk with over dinner? Would someone choose you?

Read more from Amanda on her blog at www.ajwrites4him.blogspot.com

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Secrets About Love

by Laura Day Chapter 11 In the previous chapters of Secrets About Love, Jessica Amy finds herself in Cedarville, Michigan. She has recently moved into a house and is fixing her new home to her taste. She meets her new neighbor, Mark West, a helpful and very charming young man her own age. They strike up an unexpected friendship together as they both deal with issues in their separate lives. Mark and his girlfriend Fiona suddenly break up leaving the way clear for Jessica, but she still holds back for reasons of her own; because she carries a secret deep in her heart. When Mark has an attack of appendicitis, Jessica takes him to the emergency room and stays with him. As the two grow closer together Jessica’s feelings flourish for Mark. In the meantime Macie, Mark’s sister is having problems of her own. Her boyfriend Howard is hurt in a car accident and she admits to Jessica that she harbors a secret from Howard. She saw another man behind Howard’s back and now she has to admit it. Will love blossom between these young couples or is fate due to take a hand? Find out in the next chapter of Secrets About Love!

Jessica sat in Aunt Charlotte’s garden enjoying the sunshine. She was sprawled out in a chair with her feet up on a plastic stool.

Her head leaned back and she soaked up the late summer sun. Since moving in with her aunt, life had become much simpler and now with the publication of her latest book money was pouring in. She had even begun house hunting in the nearby area. Aunt Charlotte had been very good to her and she wanted to remain close to her last relative.

“Jessica, I’m going shopping now. Can I get you anything?” Charlotte called through the kitchen screened window.

“No, thank you.” Jessica paused thinking. “Oh, could you grab Jake a few cans of his favorite pâté?”

“Jake shall have exactly what he wants…” Charlotte’s voice faded into the background while she crooned to the cat.

Surprisingly she had grown very fond of Jake ever after an unfortunate incident with Pinky, the newly deceased canary.

Jessica sighed, enjoying the silence and leaned back farther in her chair. She watched the nearby Russian Sage blowing in the wind and she let her mind wander.

She played with plots in her head for her next book for awhile. Then a picture of a face came into her mind that she hadn’t thought of in awhile. Mark. Why did he come to mind so suddenly?

“You look comfortable.” A voice called from behind the picket fence sheltering the garden from the sidewalk.

Jessica sat up immediately recognizing the voice. She looked past the fence and saw a young man standing there watching her. It was Mark.

“Do you think you could let me in? The gate is latched from the inside.” Mark pointed to the gate.

“I suppose I could,” Jessica replied, still feeling dazed. What was he doing here? He was the last person she would have expected to see. She opened the gate and he stepped into the garden. He wandered down the cobblestone path and then turned facing her.

“You look well.” Mark gazed at her looking a little uncomfortable.

“I feel well, how are you… and Macie of course? Something hasn’t happened…”

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“No, she and Howard are fine making wedding plans. I am not so good.” Mark glanced behind him. A very old tree stood at the back of the garden offering shade. “Would you come sit with me for a bit? I have something to say to you.”

“Well, since you came all this way, I feel I’m obliged to.” Jessica closed and latched the gate and then passed Mark leading to the tree.

They sat down and faced each other. Jessica absently played with a stray clover from the grass and watched Mark’s face.

“I think I should say first that when I found out you were married, I never let you explain. I was so angry I didn’t give you a chance and I’m sorry.”

Jessica watched him silently. He did look genuinely sorry, but why now? Why come all this way? Why not send her a note in the mail or pass a message through Macie.

Unless… Her heart began to beat faster suddenly. She couldn’t let herself get excited and hope or could she?

“I read your book. Macie brought it to me three weeks ago. At first I wanted nothing to do with it. I figured it would be just another silly romance, but it was different. It was about you and me. I read the whole thing all in one night, and I felt like such a fool. As soon as I read the last page I knew I had to come see you.”

“You liked the book?” Jessica asked, the author in her coming out.

“I loved it. I felt like we were having a conversation. Something the book didn’t explain that I wanted to ask you. Two things really, why didn’t you tell me about him, and what happened to your marriage?”

Jessica looked down at the clover she twirled between her fingers and she took a deep breath. This is what she had hoped and prayed for; a chance to explain to Mark.

“When we first met, I had no idea anything would happen between us. Then things began to happen so fast. Me staying with you at the hospital, meeting your family, becoming involved in your life. Then it was too late. I was in love with you.” Jessica blushed slightly at her admission, but it was time for the truth. “After I realized what was happening I knew I had to distance myself from you, but then you found out.”

“Weren’t you happy in your marriage?”

Mark asked gazing deep into her eyes.

“At first I was. At first it was quite lovely to be married. We were like children pretending to play house together. Then we both began to realize we had made a mistake.

Eddy joined up in the army and he left me shortly after to go to Iraq. A few months later I found out he was having an affair with another girl in his squadron. That’s when I packed up my things and moved. I had already decided we would have to divorce.”

“I could take a lot of things, the lying, the name calling, the jealousy, but not his cheating on me. I wrote him a long letter just before I moved telling him I was going to file the paperwork. I never heard back from him. I’m not even sure if he got it. He was killed by a roadside bomb around the time he would have gotten it.”

Mark leaned over and placed a hand on Jessica’s trembling one. He spoke softly. “If you feel guilty about the letter, don’t. The situation was of Eddy’s own making.”

“I did feel guilty for awhile and I grieved, because I did love Eddy at one time. He was a good husband in the beginning. I try to only remember those days.”

“Jessica there is another reason I came to see you. I still love you. I’ve always loved you as much as I’ve tried to fight it, and I was hoping that when you’re ready that you would marry me.”

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“Mark, I love you too.” Jessica threw herself at Mark beside her and they both fell back rolling in the cool grass. They spent a long time together there, talking, kissing, and laughing It wasn’t for a couple of hours later that they heard footsteps in the grass and they both looked up.

“Well aren’t you a pretty pair. Who is your young man Jessica?”

“Aunt Charlotte, this is my fiancé, Mark.”

Jessica and Mark stood up brushing a few blades of grass from their clothes.

“Really? Well you better come inside and tell me all about it. Jake can’t wait too much

longer for his pâté. Come along, and I’ll make us some coffee to go with the cookies I bought at the bakery.”

Jessica and Mark walked together to the house, holding hands, smiling at each other.

They had their whole lives in front of them, and she had a feeling it was going to be a good one. ******************************************* This was our final chapter of Secrets About Love.

Our deepest thanks to Laura Day for sharing this beautiful story with us! If you have a short story that you would like to be featured in Ruby for Women, please e-mail Amanda Johnson, assistant editor, at ajohnson@rubyforwomen.com! .

Dove Chocolate Discoveries Chocolatier Sharon Rowley, Sr. Manager Enjoy the sweet life with me – Exclusive chocolate products, home tasting parties or a ground-floor opportunity with a brand name company.

It can be Your Sweet Life! www.dove-chocolate-discoveries.com/chocolatelovers

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Katie's Spinach Omelet Roll At “Katherine’s Corner” you can always find great recipes for any occasion and all seasons! Please visit Katie when you are looking for a recipe for someone special or for your next family gathering.

What You’ll Need 12 Eggs separated (yolks in one bowl whites in another) 1 Cup milk 2 10 oz packages frozen spinach (chopped) 1 Cup swiss cheese (shredded) 2 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp all purpose white flour ½ tsp Salt ½ tsp Black pepper 1 Cup salsa (your favorite) or fresh tomatoes and onions (chopped) Non-stick cooking Spray 15 ½ x 10 ½ Jelly Roll Pan Wax Paper Saucepan 1 Large mixing bowl Hand mixer Cloth towel

1 Medium mixing bowl Whisk

Before You Start: Line jelly roll pan with wax paper and spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350°.

Let’s Make It! In a saucepan over medium high melt butter, and add flour, milk, salt and pepper, whisk well to avoid lumps. Cook until thickened. Reduce heat to low. In a medium mixing bowl whisk egg yolks well.

Slowly add egg yolks to saucepan mixture and increase heat to medium low, stir often and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. In a large bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula gently fold the cooled yolk mixture into the egg whites.

Spread into jelly roll pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Prepare spinach according to package directions and drain well. Place a clean cloth towel onto your counter and invert the omelet onto the towel. Peel away the wax paper. Spread spinach evenly over the omelet, sprinkle evenly with cheese, and roll up. Cut into slices and serve with salsa (or chopped tomatoes and onions) on the side.

Serves 4-6 **Katie’s Tid-Bits** Need it quicker? Use leftover spinach. Make an omelet in your skillet as usual, spoon in leftover spinach, (cooked bacon if you don't want it meatless) and cheese. Fold and eat.

Visit Katie at www.goaskkatie.blogspot.com for more recipes to celebrate the arrival of spring!

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Math Logic Number Puzzle

by Beth Brubaker Add arithmetical symbols between the 2’s to make each equation true. You may use (+), minus (-), times (x), and divide (/) symbols, as well as parenthesis and brackets for grouping.

Ruby for Women is searching for . . .

Questions!

We need your help. Ruby is looking for questions in the following areas: * “Ask Beth” * “Ask a Silly Question” Can you give us a hand? Please send your questions to Beth Brubaker at bethatruby@aol.com with one of the two titles in the subject line of your email. Your response is very much appreciated!

National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs

Answer on page 67.

You Can Make This!

www.youcanmakethis.com

Visit National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs and discover 90 Days to Marketing Success! The National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs was born out of a passion to connect women who are ready to create, collaborate, and contribute to changing the world.

We gather people and ideas together through online content, tele-courses, individual / group coaching, and retreats. Our desire is to unite under a common goal of helping one another to succeed and thrive in business. We are blessed to share in a common faith in Jesus Christ, and yet know that we might each choose to worship in a different way.

www.nacwe.org 39

Looking For A Change…

Hoping For A Miracle

by Eldridge “Lady E” Cole

A few years ago . . . I was one who had no idea who she was underneath working a decent job and caring for my family. This is what I found myself writing down . . .

Then, finally (and for what seemed like forever) the answer came (it always does,) and that day everything I had been going through made sense. I found, or more accurately, I had discovered my direction.

A few months ago my ability to power through life came to a screeching halt when I quit my job with no financial back-up plan to sustain the extra income I had been bringing in. It was OK at first, but then financial hardship set in. My marriage, hmmm, was strained almost to the breaking point. Because we were now strapped financially, there was no extra money for anything. I couldn’t buy any of the things I was used to buying when I was working.

Months went by and a pattern began to emerge. Slowly the vibrant, active person I had been began to disappear. I barely got dressed (unless I absolutely had to), I had no social outlet, and I didn’t go anywhere (gas was too high). I spent my days doing projects around the house. I became reclusive.

A lot of the time I didn’t feel well. I had always liked to read, so I read a lot. I did start a daily prayer and meditation time each morning. It helped, but a dark cloud of depression was descending upon me. I didn’t THINK I was depressed, (denial) but the pressure to get a job and be productive was taking its toll on me.

I just had no joy, not really anything to speak of going for me in my life. (So, is this what getting older is like?) Everyday, I’d pray for a change.

“Change my life Lord. Help me, please.”

Day in, day out, I was looking for a change, hoping for a miracle. Yet, things remained the same. I knew I needed to DO something, but what could I do?

After a long “Dark Night of the Soul,” a resourceful experience I fondly refer to as “turning water into wine” or “letting God show you how He can make something out of nothing,” I emerged from that experience transformed, with a clear vision of my unique purpose.

I sat down to write in my journal, and allowed the Spirit of God to speak to me. In those pages that afternoon He turned water into wine for me. So many things that I’d been questioning, trying to figure out; ALL became clear to me.

Everything I had tried to do, but failed, made sense to me now. I knew in that instant WHAT I had to do and what needed to be done. The change I was looking for had to come from inside of me. I had to change the way I thought.

The motivation for serious self-reflection often begins with the realizing that there needs to be a change.

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This often comes as a result of some kind of crisis: an illness, the loss of a job or relationship, or whatever . . . we may not know what to do next. We may feel lost, empty, and confused. But as uncomfortable as this can be, it is actually a very important experience that we must go through to get to where we’re supposed to be.

Consider the story of Moses. His beginnings were humble, but he was “rescued” and spent 40 years in the palace as royalty. Then, because of some poor decisions, he was reduced to a life of exile, ending up on the backside of the desert and spending the next 40 years as a sheepherder in a foreign land (humbled again).

I can imagine his feelings of depression, despair, regret, and possibly hopelessness.

Maybe he thought as we do, “Is this it for me?”

“Is this the best I can do?” “Is this what my life has come to?”

Similar to the one I experienced. It’s a Job experience . . . tested, tried; having hit rock bottom with nothing. But there is a promise: “That your latter days will be greater than your former days.” Job 8:7

But through it all, God was in control. God had a plan . . . He was at work, mysteriously and with purpose. He was training Moses during those forty years in the desert for the role he would play in God’s master plan. God was preparing him for his mountaintop experience, for greatness. God spoke to Moses from a burning bush and Moses’ life would never be the same. (Talk about looking for a change, hoping for a miracle!)

“You can’t enjoy the mountain top experience, without going through the valley.” With all there is out there to teach us how to have it all, how to think positively, how to live the abundant life, with all that is available to us, why are we still in the state we’re in?

You know the rest of that story; but when it comes to the story of your own life, know that you are not alone. God is with us in all our circumstances. Regardless of how bleak they may be. Keep in mind there is a purpose for it.

Things happen the way they do for a reason!

So, what must I/we do to turn my life around?

I’m looking for a change, but hoping for a miracle.

He works all things after the counsel of His own will (Ephesians. 1:11). “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). God is always at work on our behalf, even in the tiniest details.

For starters, understand that your change may be closer to you than you imagine. First, we must be willing to be changed (that may be a miracle in and of itself!). If your circumstances are difficult, your lifelong dreams have yet to materialize, you’ve lost your joy and in your heart you feel a lack of purpose or direction, remember that God has not forgotten you.

“For I know the plans I have for you...They are plans for good...to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Do you see where I’m going with this? There is a time and a season to every purpose under Heaven. Nothing in life occurs without God knowing about it and His sovereign hand orchestrating the outcome.

Things may not look promising. You may be in the valley of despair, staring down the shadow of death.

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Everything you’ve tried has had either short term results or failed. But if you recall in the story of Moses & Job, they had it all, they were living the life most of us are striving for, but then, life happened to them and they lost everything. Like the prodigal son, they were brought to nothing so God could do something in their lives.

He had to get them to the place where they were ready and willing to accept the change He had in mind. They had to be in a place where God didn’t have to fight their ego, or challenge their way of doing things. God had them in a lowly, humbled, broken position so He could pick them up, fix them and make them fit for the Master’s use. He had created the circumstances designed to accomplish His will.

Are you at the end of your rope? Does it seem your life fits the profile of a Moses or Job experience? Do you feel like something in your life needs to give? Are you screaming “God, I need something better than this!”

“HELP me, help me please.” Right there is where He needs you to be.

How different our perspective on things can be when everywhere we look is up, because you can’t go down any further! You’re broken, humbled, ready and willing to accept change.

So if you are looking for a change, hoping for a miracle, God wants you to know, you’re not forgotten and that He hears you and He will answer. He always does. God knows where to find you. Your answer, your breakthrough, your change, your miracle may not come the way you’re expecting it to manifest. (It never does.)

You probably won’t hear God's voice from a burning bush, but take heart, your answer WILL manifest. Even in your darkest hour, Even if that hour has dragged on for a season.

Know that God’s powerful plan is unfolding, and He is at work accomplishing His plan to prosper us and bring us to our future and the purpose for our lives and for His glory.

Follow Lady E. on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Girlfriends-SistersSocial-Network

DoveQuill Publishing is a grass-roots company created out of our need to have a voice in the mainstream publishing world. DoveQuill Publishing is ever-busy creating familyoriented books, pamphlets, and associated products so we might offer the Christian family high-quality literature and information.

Please visit us for all your publishing needs at www.dove-quill-publishing.com 42

Use Your Imagination to Make Treasures from Trash

by Kausar Iqbal In our trash, sometimes we find interesting products to be crafted into something useful like this little felt-covered box to keep beads, buttons etc.

Things required for this project: * * * * * * * *

Tin box Scissors 1 felt red felt sheet 1 black felt sheet Hot glue gun & glue sticks A tray to keep the cut pieces A place to assemble your project Pearl beads.

1. Cut a strip from red felt and wrap around the tin box and fix it with glue.

2. Cut a square piece from black felt and stick on the lid of tin box. (If the tin has sharp edges, file them down before wrapping the felt.) Once the circle tin and the lid are covered, cut away any extra felt sticking out.

3. Now it’s time to add some dÊcor by decorating the tin with lace.

Simply cut some strips of lace and wrap them around the tin and fit it with glue.

4. Cut a red square and fix on the bottom of the tin. Again, cut the extra felt away so that your tin is perfectly covered. Glue a bow on the lid and then glue a pearl in the center of the bow. Voila! A handy little box is ready.

Jaybird Designs specializes in unique crocheted photo hats and props for newborns, babies, and children along with women's hats and accessories, and original crochet patterns. www.jaybirddesigns.etsy.com 43

What Does The Risen Christ Mean To You?

by Deborah McCarragher In the hymn “Christ Arose”, Robert Lowry expresses the hope conveyed during this Easter season in the rousing chorus as it explodes with joy: Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o’er His foes; He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever with His saints to reign, He arose! He arose!

Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Our Lord Jesus left the confines of this earth and stepped into the heavenly realm on Resurrection Sunday, three days after dying on a wooden cross for humanity’s sins on Mount Calvary. This is what Christians celebrate during the Easter Season. But what significance does this event hold for you and me today? We know Jesus appeared to many people after His resurrection. A look at scripture can better frame our thoughts about it.

In the gospel of John, chapter 11, Jesus is speaking with Martha. They have been talking about her brother Lazarus, who died four days earlier. Jesus is preparing her for the miracle He is about to do concerning her brother. Martha conveyed to Him that if He had only been there sooner, Lazarus might not have died.

She then states that she indeed believes that he will be raised in the last day. But Jesus will reveal to her His deity.

John, chapter 20, records Jesus’ resurrection on the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene had come to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone in front of the tomb had been removed. Upon hearing her report, Peter and John ran to the tomb and discovered “the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself” (vs. 7).

After they departed, Mary stood outside weeping, peering inside the tomb. She conversed with two angels and explained that someone had taken away the body [of her Lord] and turning, she saw a man she perceived to be the gardener. Jesus lovingly and compassionately spoke to her, “Mary!”

He assured her that He was “ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”

He states in verse 25, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

In Luke 24:13-32, we have the account of Christ appearing on the road to Emmaus. Two followers of Jesus were traveling and conversing about all of the events of the past few days concerning Jesus of Nazareth.

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Unbeknownst to them, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. They told Him of all the hopes and dreams many in Jerusalem thought the prophet would accomplish in order to redeem Israel. They even mentioned it had been three days since it happened, and that certain women had discovered His tomb empty. Then in verses 25-26 Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”

Then in Luke 24:33-48, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of His disciples as they gathered in Jerusalem to pray saying, “Peace to you.” He showed them that He is flesh, not spirit, and proceeded to instruct them about His fulfilling what was written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Himself. Even those who doubted His appearing finally proclaimed who He was. Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!”

Matthew 28:18-20 tells us that Jesus came to the disciples in Galilee, to the mountain which He had appointed for them, and said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

In Luke 24:49-52 Jesus said, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” Jesus lifted up His hands and blessed His disciples, departed from them, and was carried up into heaven.

In John chapter 21 Jesus appears to seven of the disciples after a long night of fishing. They caught nothing. But in the morning, Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”

After an answer of “No”, He then said, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” The disciples dragged the net, full of large fish to the shore, and after eating breakfast they knew it was Him, though they were afraid to question Him. Then in chapter 21:15-23 we witness the personal conversation between Jesus and Peter.

Jesus is tenderly restoring Peter to Himself by asking Peter three times if he loved Him. Jesus tells him, “Feed My lambs”, “Tend My sheep”, and “Feed My sheep”.

Jesus is preparing Peter for the work ahead as leader of the church after He has departed. Then He tells Peter to set his sight on Him and “Follow Me.” Peter asks about the other disciple, and Jesus tells him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” So what do we glean from the Lord’s visitations to His followers after He was raised? How do we apply those same lessons and revelations to our lives? We discover that we experience the very same things.

Jesus is still: Giving a gentle touch and reassurance, as He did with Mary at the tomb; Expounding truth and wisdom to us, like He did on the road to Emmaus; Stilling fear and uneasiness, as He did for the disciples in the upper room; Blessing and bestowing a commission to us, as He did for his followers; Providing for and encouraging His children, as He did for His disciples; Restoring and leading you and me, as He did for one of His dearest disciples.

That is what Christ does for us through His resurrection power and love.

Deborah is the author of a Christian inspirational book for women titled “Mission Possible”. The book addresses living in a spirituallyuneven household. You can visit her website at http://www.Alabasterboxpublishing.com for more information about her book.

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Gardening with Aunt Dots

by Dorothy Kurchak Homer As of last month, Spring has officially arrived! Depending on where you live, the weather will be different as well as when spring flowers will begin emerging. In zone 5 of the U.S. it’s still cool and damp. I noticed these little toadstools (mushrooms) in the grass. They were only a couple inches high. By the end of the day they had dried up. I went on several Internet sites in an effort to identify them but was unable to find the information I wanted.

Searching on the Internet is frustrating most of the time.

With an increase in sun light there is a hint of growth along the south wall of the house where the sun hits the house. That’s where the rose garden is and there are daffodils which are showing tips of green. Also some grape hyacinths. Grape hyacinth is one bulb generated plant that spreads by seeds also. In the summer when the flowers dry out there are seeds present and they readily grow where ever they fall. They are so thick in the rose garden and in front of the house that I’m unable to plant anything else there. Some sweet alyssum do come up despite the competition.

I do love daffodils! I have about a dozen species scattered about throughout the gardens. They are so easy to grow. They are planted in the fall. But florists sell them in the spring also. After they bloom I plant them in the garden so they can finish their growing cycle and replenish the bulb for next spring. Remember not to cut off the foliage as they need it to collect energy from the sun and rain for next spring’s blossoms.

The birds start housekeeping quite early in the spring. So check out your bird houses, especially the blue bird houses. They come quite early to my area. I clean their house in the fall so I’m ready for them. The picture is from John and Diane’s garden. The bluebirds who come to their garden come quite close to the house. The bird bath is one of their favorite places! The door to my church bird house was enlarged by the squirrel I believe. It will need some repair this year. The wrens and sparrows occupy most of the other houses. The wrens are such sweet singers. I hope to attract as many of them as I can.

Start cleaning the gardens as soon as the debris thaws out. Doing a little at a time makes clean up easier. If some plants have heaved out of the ground replant them.

Uncover spring bulbs so they can receive the heat of the sun. If the ground is soft enough you can do some weeding. The weeds seem to get a faster start than the plants! If you use a pre-emergent herbicide now is a good time to apply it before the weed seeds germinate. I guess I will have to resort to it in my garden paths.

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In the late fall I noticed the paths were full of flower seedlings. I have garden fabric under the stepping stones and gravel, but the wind blows dirt into that which gives the seeds just enough dirt to germinate. Even the asparagus has become a pest by reseeding where ever it wishes. It’s coming up under the grapes, in the path, and in the iris garden. The roots of the asparagus grow quite deep so they have to be dug out, not pulled.

How about those garden catalogs! When I start looking through them it keeps me awake at night dreaming of new gardens. I would like to enlarge the border of the round garden in the back yard, but I don’t believe I will create more gardens. This garden is pretty in the spring and summer.

In the spring the weeping cherry tree has pink blossoms and the hyacinths are pink. In the summer the garden is filled with cat mint.

This summer I have a new husband, Willis, to help me. He can cut the grass so I’ll have more time to take care of the gardens. We also will be taking care of his yard. It will be our first summer as a couple, and we’ll find out if we can maintain two homes.

Willis was a farmer. He rents out his farm now, but he is up on current crops and market prices.

Back to the catalogs. Buying plants from the catalogs is cheaper than the local nursery because the plants are shipped bare root. When they arrive check them over. The roots should be healthy looking and the packing material should be slightly moist as well as the roots. There may be some white or gray surface mold which isn’t a problem. If there is fuzzy blue mold, it may indicate there is some rot. Ask for a replacement if this type of mold is present.

If you buy bare root plants at a local store, pick packages that allow you to see the roots. Some roots may have some growth which may be spindly. This growth will recover once it’s planted and receives some water and warmth. My brother-in-law warms up the water and adds soluble fertilizer to get his plants started. He has a postage stamp size garden compared to mine. I plant and water and let God do the rest.

With my new helper I plan to enjoy the flowers more this spring and summer. I’m hoping I’ll have time to rest more often, too.

See you later,

Aunt Dots

Visit Alabaster Box Publishing, Inc. where you will find “Mission Possible” 47

Sunday: Morning Dawn Summoned by early birdsong and dawns new finery the new day fleshes out into colour.

A fresh blanket of reality smoothers the grey shades delivering wakefulness to sleeping blooms.

The great fire ball begins its arching race across the sky sending darknesses, in decreasing stature, behind bright exposures.

This is mastery, this monotheistic dictatorship, subjects all before its glare.

Not content with veneration, the great fire bleaches and burns demanding sacrifice above worship.

Returning blistering thirst blinding brightness and fierce scorching for another day.

Crops are stillborn sterile memories of a time when effort was rewarded.

Mouths no longer salivate, breasts no longer nourish, in this punishment of sunlight an endless parching sentence.

But it is not weather that withers, the entrancing promise of early moment that becomes this devouring demon is no seasonal tide.

This is not a barren hillside but grieving love drawing you close to an empty tomb where refreshing darkness of a greater Light delivers its children from the blaze of sin and burn of decay.

~~Keith Wallis Keith Wallis began submitting work for publication in the 1980s. The small press magazines and anthologies of that era used his poetry and graphic work. Four small booklets followed: Wordsculptures Marketplace of Masks Real Tears and Crocodile Smiles Concrete Womb Joining christianwriters.com in 2005 (and subsequently becoming a moderator) re-energised his writing.

Recently work has been published by: RootsWorship, EveryDayPoets, PoetryMonthly International, Word Catalyst Magazine, The Cypress Times, Christian Poet's Pen, Perpetual Magazine, and Bewildering Stories and he is His blog is at: http://wordsculptures-keith.blogspot.com/

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Everybody will love “thumb” Easter eggs! an Easter craft by Carolyn Arnold 1. Draw an Easter basket for the background of your “thumb” Easter eggs on card stock or sturdy construction paper.

2. Apply paint to thumb from the tip to at least the first joint.

You can use more than one color at a time for extra-colorful Easter eggs.

3. Press thumb to paper.

4. Keep pressing thumb prints until the paint is gone or add different colors to each press. Have fun!

5. Remember to write the date on the back or bottom corner of the completed Easter egg picture.

www.youcanmakethis.com 49

Make Your Own Vintage Easter Cards

by Vintage Mama

May the God of peace bring you joyful Easter blessings!

Celebrate new life!

Celebrate the joy of Easter!

Celebrate God’s gift of Eternal Life!

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Â[x tÜÉáx? [x tÜÉáx? [tÄÄxÄâ}t{4 V{Ü|áà tÜÉáx4Ê

Joyous Easter blessings to you and your family as you celebrate new life!

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Making your own Easter cards is a fun way to share the joy and blessing of the season with friends and family. Just print out the pages with the vintage images and glue them onto card stock.

Write your own message in the space below the greeting, and you’ve got your own, personalized Easter card. ~~ created by Vintage Mama

Celebrate the arrival of springtime!

Celebrate God’s gift of new life!

* Both of the images on this page for the front of your cards are sized to fit with the inside message image.

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A Touch Of Humor with Amy Lignor of The Write Companion

The Connecticut Home for Imbeciles Everyone has the “story.” All folks who have put pen to paper can sit among over-priced cups of coffee and tell others what exactly it was that made them begin their journey into writing. Since we’re just beginning with each other, I wanted to open up and allow you into my brain. Here is a world where Freddy Krueger rolls his eyes as he has to take a backseat to annoying vampires and their boring girlfriends, while Scarlett O’Hara dumps Rhett and travels to Jane Austen’s world in order to kidnap Mr. Darcy and take him home to Tara. After all, HE was the good-looking one.

I'm a Connecticut Yankee who has traveled far to find my niche, which mans anywhere without snow. So, here I sit, staring out the window at sun and sand, remembering the very moment in my life when I KNEW there was a God who he had a sense of humor, and he really wanted me to write down the things I‘d seen.

I had gone to a champagne breakfast at an old, renovated inn in smalltown Connecticut when I was about sixteen. Suffice to say, I wasn’t having the time of my life, as I listened to people drone away in slightly haughty tones about the local gossip. I know now that they must've been practicing to be a part of the yet-to-be-seen Real Housewives of Litchfield County. I picked up a large book off the coffee table to tune them out and a page fell out and fluttered to the floor.

As I reached down to grab it and hide it (because there was no way I could afford to replace a million-dollar book), I looked down at a black and white picture that showed a young girl leaning exhaustedly against a sign post. She wore a look of utter disgust, but there was a small smile pasted on her face like she knew something she wasn't telling me.

The caption underneath said that the renovated historical, high-priced inn I was sitting in was once called the Connecticut Home for Imbeciles, and the girl in the picture was leaning against a diamond-shaped sign embossed with big, black letters that read "Dip." That's when I knew more than a few things: 1) The higher powers were enjoying a good laugh; 2) The inn pretty much still served the same clientele as it had way back when; and, 3) It was time to leave home. We traveled the country, my daughter and I, and the humor that I found along the way was the very foundation that taught me to document it for posterity . . . and for fun.

Amy Lignor is the founder of Write Companion. Her blog touches on various subjects important to the industry like the power of social networking for authors, the world of self-publishing and how it’s starting to make the normal way of doing business obsolete, as well as subjects dealing with the art of writing, film, books, the classics, daily life, etc. that will hopefully inspire authors while adding a laugh or two to their day.

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How can you use greeting cards to build relationships?

Every month, Danie K. Bell of “Send Out Cards,” shares another tip for using greeting cards to build your business, re-establish friendships or family relationships, and making a difference in the lives of people you know and love.

This month, Danie’s “Send Out Cards Timely Tip” is about how to use greeting cards to “get your foot in the door” with a potential business client.

The Preemptive Cold-Calling Card.

Send a greeting card to a potential business client, letting them know you are going to stop by to see them, or that they can expect a call from you to set up an appointment.

You can use greeting cards in a variety of business settings: Example: Perhaps you are a wedding planner, and you want to get your name out in the community. Send a "cold calling" card to local photography businesses or florists. Let them know you are new in town and would like to share your business with them and in return you can help them receive more clients. It’s a "wto the local mortgage brokers in town. Send them a "cold calling" card letting them know that you are planning to stop by to drop off your business card and introduce yourself.

There are so many ways you can use greeting cards! This type of card can be used for any situation. Use your imagination, be creative, and “Send Out Cards” to build YOU business!

You can find out more about “Send Out Cards” by visiting Danie K. Bell at her website at www.sendthecards.com

Empowering Christian Women ~~ Online Christian Resource Center ~~ with Karla Meachum CONNECTING you with CHRIST-centered resources & ministries that will EMPOWER you in your DAILY walk with Christ! www.empoweringchristianwomen.com 54

Have fun while earning Host Rewards—free or half-price Scentsy Products—when you host your own Scentsy party.

Looking for a new blog banner, website button or header, or Etsy shop logo? Katie can create a professional, attractive design make just for you! Visit Katie at Made It For You today and get started redecorating projects all your online projects.

www.madeitforyou.com

The Write Companion was created by authors who truly believe that the writer is the precious gem in the publishing business. Each and every writer should have the option to let their creativity and imagination shine and end up with a manuscript that will grace both bookshelves and bestseller lists.

From TWC you’ll receive quality proofreading, editing, research, ghostwriting services, and a real friend to help you meet your goals so that your ideas have a chance to be seen and enjoyed by book lovers across the globe.

Contact Amy Lignor at amylignor@hotmail.com or fill out the contact form about your project at www.thewritecompanion.com. As an author who has struggled with industry highs and lows, as well as the vast expenses that companies charge the writer, I very much want to help authors polish their manuscripts so their careers can take off! I look forward to working with you.

Amy Lignor, Owner

Scentsy . . . . we make perfect scents!

Contact Maritza Bonilla www.bonilla.scentsy.us

Welcome to the Forest Hill Soap Company We are a small, family-owned business specializing in luxurious homemade bath and body products. Our cold process soaps are handcrafted, from scratch, in small quantities using traditional methods.

Our ingredients include the finest vegetable oils along with essential oils, quality fragrance oils and other skin nourishing additives. We invite you to browse our site and discover distinctive body care products to create a luxurious spa experience in your own home. www.foresthillsoaps.com 55

Anorexia Was My Best Friend

by Heide Louise Wright During her ten-year battle with anorexia, Heide knew her own strength was not enough Ruby Writer Tells Her Story In Challenge Magazine After thirty hospital admissions, for up to 7 months at a time, twice forced to have a naso-gastric tube, Heide Wright has finally lost her affection for the anorexia that became “like a best friend.”

“Even though I hated every minute of living with the illness and torment that I would undergo, there was also a tremendous fear to let go,” Heide explains.

Heidi’s battle began at age 16. Once dropping to just 29 kg, her weight would only rarely tip above 35 kg, even with drugs and drip feeds in hospital.

Heide Wright with her father, Werner

On top of this condition, Heide also battled with obsessive compulsive disorder, depression and anxiety, all of which greatly hampered her treatment. “Often I battled with all four at once. It was horrible. I am unable to describe in words the trauma I went through and the desperation I felt.”

Even while in hospital, she would go to great lengths to avoid a meal or trick the nurse into thinking she had eaten. “My O.C.D. meant I also pushed all the boundaries to make sure my ‘routine’ was complete. I was not a nice person if anyone tried to stand in my way.”

“It was all driven by fear and I hated what I had become but I was unable to turn myself around.”

When she was 24, all treatment avenues now exhausted, Heide moved to Melbourne to study.

“I was frightened and even though the hospitals never helped me emotionally, they did at least keep me alive.

“My fear led me to start attending a church that I felt drawn to in some way. I began listening to God’s Word through the sermons and also began reading the Bible at home. I had never known how powerful and relevant the Scriptures could be to my life in this day! I really felt God speaking to me and I longed for more. I still struggled with anorexia but a tiny fire had begun to burn in my heart.”

As a 15-year-old, Heide attended a Christian youth conference, and the message given impacted her greatly. “ I felt a prompting from God to ask Jesus to come live in my heart. I asked for forgiveness of my sins and acknowledged that Jesus died on the cross for me.”

But now, as Heide began reading her Bible again, she realized why she still struggled with anorexia.

“One night, I came across a verse, 1 Corinthians 6, verse 19, that hit me like a ton of bricks.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore, honour God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6, verse 19).

“I knew God was referring to the anorexia and that I was putting it before Him. But how do I change? I had tried so many times in my own strength but, of course, my strength alone was never enough.”

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Heide knew God was directing her to be baptized in water, to publicly demonstrate her commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, and affirm her belief that God had made her a new person.

Luke and Heide with Arielle, Nathaniel, and Josiah

“After this, my faith became even stronger and God spoke to me more and more. My pastor David, a beautiful and kind man, guided me through my recovery. He became my ‘spiritual dad’ and I will always be grateful for his patience, time, help and love.”

Besides overcoming anorexia, Heide also dreamed of marriage and children.

“I was always so afraid no man could ever love me and the doctors also said I probably would not be able to have children. However, God promised me that if I let Him help me get better, He would provide me with a husband and children.

My favourite Bible verse is ‘Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart’ (Psalm 37:4) But the condition was only if I let Him help me get better.”

As Heide began to put on weight, her depression began to deepen.

“I was unable to cope with my new body,” she remembers. “I felt disgusting and worthless. So I cried out to God all the time and even got mad at Him at times, but He would still remain so patient with me. I made slow progress only because I depended on His strength.”

According to Heide, one way God delivered her was through poetry.

“God gave me a gift of poetry and He used my poems to help me understand I am His child, His princess and He loves me unconditionally, even when I get a little cranky. As Ephesians chapter 1 says, God has sealed me with the Holy Spirit, who lives in me, to guide and prompt me on what I should do. I can go to Him for reassurance and love all the time.”

Heide is now happily married to Luke, a diesel mechanic, and they live together in Perth with their three children.

“God promised me a ‘prince’ and I have been married to Mr. W-right for six years now. I love God’s sense of humour! We also have three beautiful children, Arielle, Nathaniel and Josiah and another blessing on the way and due in March.

“Oh, God is faithful,” Heide concludes.

Heide has published a book of her poetry, entitled Bring Me Roses. This book, plus cards and magnets, are available from her Facebook fan page entitled, “Bring Me Roses.”

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Congratulations to Heide Louise Wright and her family on the birth of Tobias Stephen Wright born March 17, 2011 at 8:59am (WA time) Weight: 3.2kgs / 7lb 4oz.

Length: 49cm. ♼ Children are a gift from the Lord!

(Psalm 127:3)

Celebrate the first day of summer with a 3 day Blog Bash!

The first annual Blog Bash 2011 is coming soon this summer Do you want more followers?

Do you want to meet new bloggers and discover new blogs?

You can be a part of Blog Bash 2011!

-you must host a giveaway on your blog with the total prize value equal to or more than $100 -giveaways will start on June 22 12:00 AM and end on June 24 11:59 PM (this is a 3 day event)

Readers will hop from blog to blog and enter each give-away for the 3 day period.

IT IS FREE to be a participating blogger!

Blog Bash will be heavily promoted, so a big turnout of giveaway entrants is expected.

Want to participate?

Please email contact@familyapprove.com and you will be emailed with more information 58

On this hill

Starving for Attention

by Sheila Watson Kraklow Lonely one that most ignore, you’re waiting for vital care; small and thin from lack of food I hardly see you there.

In darkest daylight with all sin revealed the host is lifted high.

There is no melancholy melody to this sacrifice, no quietude of choir-filled gentility to align thought and soul.

This altar of absorbing pain staggers the senses, grips the mind.

This is a solitary place.

A hermitage crowded with broken hearts and wounded spirits oblivious of their fellows.

Let sense be dulled; for here the sting of death awaits those who turn their face for easier vistas.

This unquiet beauty of wracked passion steals the splendour of simpler creations and scourges art and word and song.

Tears are the sea from which this mast arises, this lighthouse which signifies wrecking rocks and vicious tides.

The storm which ravages here breaches time and place, pulsing of life and void of death.

A lightning flash shears the curtain, the thunderous roar a fanfare to sanctity.

I barely pay attention to your shrinking, ghostly being; you might just die and float away and that would be quite freeing!

You utter soft alluring thoughts and words, quietly and low and then react in screams of grief "I do not want to go!"

So stay with me my skinny soul I promise now to seek, bread to fill your spindly void, dripping oils your thirst to tweak.

Stay within my depths Dear Soul, do not fly away!

I pledge your lips to fill with verse; your rasp with clean fresh days.

You’ll nosh upon God’s precious Word; then drink sweet hymns for wine.

I vow to feed my aching soul sweet sustenance Divine.

Now be at ease my deep-set heart, for soon you’ll rise and shine!

On this hill eternity is on trial; a single soul its witness, the jury a world of closed eyes.

A timbered suffering sacrifice sees my small pain and weeps for me.

~~ Keith Wallis 59

Love from the Prayer Garden Trust the Lord

by Thomas B. Clarke Jesus said, “And why worry about your clothing? look at the lilies of the field and how they grow” (Matthew 6:28).

Resurrection Sunday is traditionally the day of the loveliest of women’s outfits – floral pastels, sunshine yellows, passionate purples, and serene blues, each with ruffled, embroidered, sequined, beaded, or pearled accents. One by one, they walk into the church’s sanctuary only to be taken back by the surprising beauty of the ultra-white Easter lily, Lilium longiflorum. Just as Jesus’ resurrection stunned those who knew of his crucifixion, so the Easter lily greets the congregation with its sudden appearance. A few days earlier, people were talking of his suffering and ultimately his death; now, the song is “He’s Alive” – these funnel-shaped pure white lilies symbolize his new life.

A considerable amount of controversy surrounds what is the “lilies of the field” from Matthew 6:28 and Luke 12:27. Some suggest that the Madonna lily, Lilium candidum, is that plant and then use the Easter lily, shown on the opposite page, due to its striking similarity; many Biblical plant scholars rather suspect that the “lilies of the field” refers to a red-flowered anemone that appears far more frequently throughout Israel. Either way, the lilies and the anemones are bulbous plants, and that is the important consideration regarding the teaching on “lilies of the field”: “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”

(Luke 12:27,28).

The challenge that Jesus was suggesting is “Look again at how the lilies grow.”

Lilies, anemones, tulips, and cyclamen each have bulbs or tubers that are built into their root structure that provide a reserve supply of nutrients during drought periods. In a land where a drought can last for multiple years, the ability for a tuberous or bulbous plant to survive in Israel during their difficult times was critical.

Therefore, the tubers are not seen by the naked eye yet they provide for the survival of the plant.

The tubers also helped when the plant was “thrown into the fire.” The practice in many nations is to build a fire after the harvest is completed, fully consuming the excess plant material in preparation for the next season’s plantings. Any lilies that were growing above the surface were burned, but to their surprise, new lily plants sprouted quickly because the tubers, located several inches below the ground surface, were deep enough to ensure that the heat of the fire would not harm them.

As Jesus taught this lesson, the drought and fire appear as symbolic representations of trials that people go through: 60

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. … You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:7,8).

The lesson of the lilies is this – if God so wonderfully provides tubers to lilies and such plants, won’t he do even more for us? Trust and love the Lord because he is gushing and overflowing with love for us – that is the lesson of the lilies.

Copyright © 2009 Bible Discernments. Excerpt from A Garden of Love by Thomas B. Clarke, a book about love for anyone that enjoys flowers. Tom is the caretaker of the Gethsemane Prayer Garden in Syracuse, NY which is open to the public. A Garden of Love is available on Amazon as well as www.agardenoflove.com.

Introducing Thomas Clarke of The Gethsemane Prayer Garden I am the caretaker of the Gethsemane Prayer Garden in Syracuse, NY, and an author/publisher of Christian books. Both gardening and writing are part-time jobs for me, but they are my heartfelt passion: to help others experience Jesus Christ in a more personal way and to grow in love.

A Garden of Love is distinctly different from my first two books which analyzed the books of Joshua and Proverbs. With this book, I felt the Lord moving me from analysis and into my heart, focusing on love.

The result is the first of what I believe will be a series of books that attempts to show the essence of Christian love by looking at the loveliness in flowers. My sense is that if I can help others feel and know this profound love and the beauty that God created in flowers, they can then apply that to their own lives in the evidence of love.

Therefore, this has become my life verse: "What is important is faith expressing itself in love." (Galatians 5:6) In the love of Jesus Christ, Tom Clarke fitful remembrances and frightening imaginations, 61

Sunday Morning (A narrative meditation).

First thing Sunday morning, the birds have ceased their reveille and the sun is yet to ward off the remaining fingers of cold.

Two nights with little sleep toll heavy with a cold of their own.

Friday night was full of anger and hurt, the six-hour sight of suffering a lingering bad breath in the mind fighting off the need for sleep.

Saturday night was full of fear and loss, fitful remembrances and frightening imaginations, and the terrible sense of a thing unfinished.

So, less than fresh, she met the awakening day.

How she came to be here, already outside the city a mystery of preoccupation, familiar streets merely ghosts in passing.

Now, the aroma of the spices in her hand slowly bring the day into perspective, as the road brightens beneath heavy feet.

How she would bribe the guards to move the stone, still unformed, a strategy of beguiling, formed from poverty, may need to suffice.

Why she was going, to perform the ritual, a disparity of honouring the dead and a last chance to touch Him. Entering the garden, an acrid incense of stale spice and stale bodies overcomes the well intentioned scent of the gardeners craft.

Death has its own bouquet.

The path leads quickly to the tomb, though each footfall is an age of distress, each turn - a curtain of protection removed, before the inevitable encounter with reality.

At the tomb, the mouth of an abyss its jaws open in emptiness, the world falls apart and unshed tears fall unfettered from a broken heart.

~~ Keith Wallis 62

Gotcha!

(Fooling the Family at Mealtime)

by Beth Brubaker What better way to start April Fools Day than to play a trick on the family! But what's the best way to go about it, so no one really notices? How about at 'dinner' time?

My kids always expect something silly to happen on April first. My husband and I love to trick each other (as well as pranking the kids), but it's all in fun and never in a mean way.

This year I was running out of ideas until I found something interesting on the Internet. One guy made a 'cake' out of hamburger layers, then 'frosted' it with mashed potatoes.

Another creative mind made 'hot dogs' out of a cake bun, with a frosted hot dog in the center, complete with a wiggly stripe of frosting 'mustard'. It all looked real until you ate it!

That got me to thinking of how I could trick my family. What kinds of vegetables would look interesting if mashed? Blue potatoes? Carrots? Squash? What could I possibly use them for? What about pasta? Could colored spaghetti be used as fancy lettering on a 'cake'? Or maybe use the spaghetti on a regular cake and see their eyes open wide when they take a bite!

Or take mashed potatoes, coleslaw, rice or hamburger and make an ice cream scoopsundae out of it, with a sliced sausage as the 'banana'. Mashed potatoes can make a really neat-looking whipped cream, especially if you have cake decorating tools! And brown gravy for the 'chocolate' sauce‌can you imagine getting dessert for dinner?

What about crumbs? Mush up some chocolate and strawberry cake to make them look like meatballs, or if you have a pasta maker, make sweet pasta (the Internet has some great 'dessert' pastas) and drizzle some frosting over the top to make it look like a meal. Or use crumbs as sand or dirt, depending on what you concoct. You could do other fun things too like make a funny food face on their plates, or an edible sculpture of something silly with 'furry' crumbs or frosting. Just make sure the food looks like something else!

This might also be good for the pickier eaters. Make it fun and interesting, and your child might try something new, just because it looks different. If you can change the way their favorite foods look too, they might be more inclined to experiment with foods they aren't as familiar with eating. I don't know about you, but I'm going to take a good look in every aisle of the supermarket when I go next time. Who knows what I'll find to surprise my family on April Fools Day! If you decide to trick your family with an unusual meal or dessert, please send us pictures of your April Fool's Feast! Just send the pictures (and the story behind it) to Beth at bethatruby@aol.com with the words 'April Fools Food' in the subject line. We would love to see what you've created!

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An Easter Tradition: Hot Cross Buns

by Vintage Mama We have been making Hot Cross Buns in our family for Easter for many years. It is a simple, sweet yeast roll recipe which has raisins or currants, and then we always make the sign of the cross on the top of each bun before baking by using our kitchen scissors and snipping from one side to the other, and then snipping across the first cut. When the buns are cool, we use an easy powdered sugar frosting to outline the cross sign on the top of each bun. Hot cross buns have been part of our Easter celebration for a very long time!

This is a great tradition to pass on to the next generation of your family, too.

Hot Cross Buns Ingredients:

Glaze:

1 cup milk 2 Tbsp yeast 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp. salt 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 4 eggs 5 cup flour 1 1/3 cup currants or raisins 1 egg white

1 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar 1/2 tsp. lemon extract 1-2 Tbsp milk

In a small saucepan, heat milk to very warm, but not hot (110째F if using a candy thermometer). Pour warm milk in a bowl and sprinkle yeast over. Mix to dissolve and let sit for 5 minutes.

Stirring constantly, add sugar, salt, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs. Gradually mix in flour, dough will be wet and sticky. Continue kneading until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough "rest" for 30-45 minutes.

Knead again until smooth and elastic, for about 3 more minutes. Add currants or raisins and knead until well mixed. At this point, dough will still be fairly wet and sticky. Shape dough in a ball, place in a buttered dish, cover with plastic wrap and let rise overnight in the refrigerator. Excess moisture will be absorbed by the morning.

Let dough sit at room temperature for about a half-hour. Lightly grease a large baking pan. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Shape each portion into a ball and place on baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 400째 F. When buns have risen, use kitchen shears and carefully slash buns with a cross. Brush them with egg white and place in oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350째 F, then bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack. Whisk together glaze ingredients, and spoon over buns in a cross pattern. Serve warm. Makes approximately 24 buns.

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The Christian Easter Tradition Some historians date the origin of “Hot Cross Buns” as an Easter tradition back to the 12th century. In 1361, an Anglican monk named Father Thomas Rocliffe, was recorded to have made small spiced cakes stamped with the sign of the cross, to be distributed to the poor visiting the monastery at St. Albans on Good Friday, known at that time as the “Day of the Cross.” According to the scholar Harrowven, the idea proved so popular that he made the buns every year, carefully keeping his bun recipe secret. Traditional hot cross buns contain flour, milk, sugar, butter, eggs, currants and spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. The cross on the top may be cut into the bun or made out of pastry strips. In America, the cross is often fashioned out of icing.

According to tradition, “Hot Cross Buns” were the only food allowed to be eaten by the faithful on Good Friday. They were made from dough that had been kneaded for consecrated bread used at Mass or Holy Communion, and thus represented Christ’s body.

Deeper Waters

by Dr. Yvonne Anderson “Put out into the deep [water], and lower your nets for a haul” (Luke 5:4) In this scripture, Jesus tells Simon (Peter) to put out into deep water and lower his nets for a haul. Simon begins to tell Jesus that he had worked all night and hadn’t caught a thing, but because He had told him to, He would lower his nets again. Simon had a “nevertheless” moment. He heard the Word. He believed the Word. He acted on the Word, and because of his obedience, Simon caught so many fish that his nets were at the point of breaking.

Have you ever had the Lord tell you what He told Simon? Have you ever responded like Simon did in telling Him that he had already gone through the motions investing endless hours with nothing to show for his efforts? I did.

The Lord began to show me that up to that point in my life, I had been standing in shallow waters, and that I had become comfortable in them. I had built up such a trust and confidence in who and what I had become more than who and what I should have been moving towards in Him. As long as we live in these fleshly bodies, we will be required by God to “bear more excellent fruit.” We will never “arrive” on earth, which should compel us to keep moving forward in Him. Sooner or later, God will require us all to come out into a deeper place in Him, and like Simon Peter, we will have to decide whether we will rely on what we know, have experienced, or been trained to do as opposed to having a “nevertheless” moment where we realize that because He is calling us to it, it can only be to our benefit, if we will step out to find out.

If God is calling you to a deeper place in Him, know that there is never any investment that you or I will ever make in or for the Kingdom of God for which God will not bring about a generous return. When Simon Peter gave Jesus the use of his boat and lowered his nets, as He instructed him to do, the Bible says that he caught so many fish in his nets that they were at the point of breaking. Simon Peter had to call for help because he had so many fish. In other words, because he made an investment in the Kingdom, the Lord not only blessed him, but he blessed him so that he could be a blessing.

Whenever God asks for a Kingdom investment or desires to make a change in our lives, it is not just for us alone.

That investment and/or change may have far reaching effects that will impact the lives of other people. That’s love.

That’s God. Follow Dr. Yvonne Anderson on her site at www.thedoctorsinnsite.org

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Introducing Scentsy the Hottest New Thing in Candles Whether you have heard of Scentsy before or are discovering it for the first time I know that you will find something to love. These products are absolutely amazing!

Scentsy is becoming the fastest growing candle company because Scentsy provides a safe alternative to the traditional candles that you have burned before. Scentsy Candles are flameless, wickless, leadless, and soot free, which makes them worry free! You no longer have to worry about harmful chemicals being released into the air that lessens the quality of life for you, your loved ones, friends, and pets.

Our unique Scentsy Warmer System uses a 25 watt light bulb that slowly melts the Scentsy Bar into a pool of wax that releases only the strength and fragrance of the Scentsy bar. You can then enjoy your favorite scents without the harmful effects. Each Scentsy Bar will last about 60 hours. Scentsy Bars are made only from a top quality food-grade based wax and the highest grade of fragrance oil before processing. This is to uphold the safety and quality of the Scentsy product.

Scentsy Warmers generate minimal heat that does not burn to the touch which is what makes them ideal for any environment including classrooms and daycare centers. Parents and teachers alike no longer have to worry about burns should their pets or little ones touch the warmer or get the Scentsy Bar wax on them.

We have variety of more than 60 Scentsy Warmers to choose from including Plug Ins (that use a 15 watt light bulb) as well as the larger Full Warmers. There are more than 80 Scentsational scents to choose from in addition to a new scent and warmer that are released each month. You can also combine and save with our multi-Packs. Also, available are Scentsy Scent Circles, Travel Tins, Scents Paks, Room Sprays and our adorable Scentsy Buddies and much more. You will love our Scentsy Products!

For more information about Scentsy products, or to learn how you can become a Scentsy hostess, please visit Maritza Bonilla at Mtbonilla8@aol.com www.bonilla.scentsy.us 702-738-6901

Abundant Comfort and Grace Inspirational Poetry by Connie Arnold www.conniearnold.blogspot.com 66

Linda Jones, the artist and creator of

Visual Smiles Gallery www.LindaGJ.Etsy.com Whimsical and charming charming artistic gifts for every occasion!

"The world is so full of a number of

things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings!" Treasures can be found everywhere you look, and here at "Tatters to Treasures" we will bring you the best of vintage for your wardrobe and home.

www.tatterstotreasures.etsy.com

Math Logic Number Puzzle

by Beth Brubaker

Connect the Letters Word Puzzle

by Beth Brubaker

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Our special thanks goes out to Scott Henderson of Vintage Image Craft for sharing their beautiful vintage Easter Egg card project with the Ruby for Women community!

Please visit Vintage Image Craft for more seasonal craft projects that you can make with the vintage images available on their website at www.vintageimagecraft.com Be sure to watch for the next craft project from Vintage Image Craft in the May issue of the Ruby for Women magazine.

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Meet the Ruby for Women Writers Aunt Dots, Master Gardener Aunt Dots has been writing for Ruby for Women since the very beginning. Her love for gardening started early in her life: “I believe I got my love for growing flowers from my mother. She had a large flower garden with annuals and dahlias. I had my first flower garden after I married and we lived in a garden apartment. I planted seeds in a small 4 X 6 plot in front. Then we moved to a house trailer next to my mother where I had annuals.” She now has perennial gardens, rose gardens, grape vines, asparagus, currants, gooseberries, walnut trees, apple trees, and hazelnut trees. In the winter months, Aunt Dots sews, making quilts that she has donated to a Mennonite Relief auction. She has also made hand-made paper and greeting cards with pressed flowers.

In her “spare” time, Aunt Dots volunteers two afternoons a week at a nursing home, as well as serving on the mission board at her church and teaching an adult Sunday school class.

Scott Henderson, Vintage Image Crafts Scott is the creator of Vintage Image Crafts, a website where vintage images are the inspiration behind all of the crafts and scrapbooking projects. From the romantic to the whimsical, Victorian and turn-of-the-century illustrations can give your creativity a distinctive touch. These classic illustrations and photographs are rich in color, artistic technique and symbolism. This bygone art captures the essence of life's highlights holidays, celebrations and sentiments – vividly. You can find Scott at www.vintageimagecrafts.com

Beth Brubaker, Footprints in the Mud and Ask Beth Beth is the “Family Fun” editor here in the Ruby for Women community. She is a mother of two very active kids whose antics are sprinkled liberally in her columns.

She has been married for 13 years to her Knight in Shining Armor, and she is delighted to share with us that they still hold hands in public! Her day job is working as a fabric artist, a homemaker, and a writer. Beth says, ”I enjoy making people laugh at life’s ironies. I also love animals, being creative, and cooking . . . but I hate cleaning up my own messes!” Beth will be writing humorous articles about life in general, puzzles, and an advice column that is based on readers’ questions, as well as sharing hints and tips for everyday life that she comes across in her travels between her laundry room, living room, and kitchen. Don’t miss Beth’s columns in every issue of Ruby for Women! You can read more of Beth’s posts on her blog, “Footprints in the Mud” at www.footprintsinthemudblog.blogspot.com or email her at bethatruby@aol.com

Rochelle Martin, Gardener’s Delight Quilt Block Project Rochelle is the owner of her quilt pattern company, Cottage Quilt Designs, which she started in December of 2004. Her quilt designs are featured in quilting magazines, books by House of White Birches, fabric companies, and various fabric shops and online shops. Rochelle contributes a quilt block pattern in every issue of Ruby for Women ezine that can be used to create a complete quilt design, Gardener’s Delight.

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Laura Day, “Secrets About Love” “My name is Laura Day. I have been writing since I was a child, but only recently was published in Cotton Spice Magazine. I’m married and have two cats, Zoey and Missy who are often inspirations for my stories. My hobbies are reading, writing, eating chocolate, and gardening.” Laura writes a serial story with a new chapter published in every issue of Ruby for Women entitled “Secrets About Love.”

Lynn Mosher, Devotions Since the year 2000, Lynn Mosher has lived with fibromyalgia and other physical conditions.

During this time, the Lord placed the desire in her heart to write for Him. Now, armed with God’s purpose for her life and a new passion, she reaches out to others to encourage and comfort them through her writing, giving God all the glory. She lives with her husband in their empty nest in Kentucky. On occasion, their three offspring, who have flown the coop, come to visit, accompanied by a son-in-law and three granddaughters. Visit Lynn at her blog, Heading Home, at www.lynnmosher.blogspot.com

Carolyn Arnold, Kids’ Craft Editor Carolyn Arnold is a stay-at-home mom. She has been married for fifteen years to Craig and they have five children. Carolyn has written many poems and has recently expanded her writing to novels. She graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Elementary Education and holds a current teaching license. Carolyn enjoys doing memory crafts with her children, teaching aerobics at the YMCA, tending her family's ducks and chickens, swimming, and reading.

Eldridge "Lady E" Cole, Cole, Guest Writer Eldridge "Lady E" Cole is a high spirited, fun loving creatively talented leader with a passion for helping others. She enjoys teaching people how to live beyond mediocrity and she leads by example. Ms Cole is a dynamic, charismatic (sometimes animated) inspirational speaker. Ms Cole speaks from the heart drawing from some of her courageous life experiences as her platform of wisdom. Eldridge pours her passion for creativity and out-of-the-box thinking into everything she does.

Bernadette Bernadette Collins, The Living Well Nurse Bernadette Collins, The Living Well Nurse, offers advice and encouragement to women seeking guidance on improving their health and wellbeing. She partners with a medical doctor to provide health prevention coaching and information. Bernadette has authored articles on nutrition, diabetes, menopause, heart health and exercise for the Ruby for Women community. We are looking forward to learning much from Bernadette in the coming weeks and months.

Kausar Iqbal, Crafts and Recipes Kausar shares traditional Pakistani crafts and recipes with the Ruby for Women community.

Heide Louise Wright, Poetry God has been such a rock for me throughout my life. I suffered with anorexia for 10 years and only He and He alone can take credit for my recovery. He walked me through it step by step and now I know without a doubt He wants me to share my story with the world and help others overcome as well.

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Katherine Corrigan, Recipes and Crafts Hello, my name is Katherine. I am an open minded and spiritual person who strives to always maintain a positive attitude and greet each new day with grace, dignity and gratitude. I'm honored to meet you and to call you friend! I am originally from England and now living in the US. I have had the privilege of living in, and visiting, several different countries throughout my lifetime. I hold a rare dual citizenship with the UK and the USA, and I am a proud citizen of both. I work very hard to create designs for my shops and to provide an entertaining and informative website and blog. I hope you’ll stop by. Hugs, Katherine www.madeitforyou.com www.giftsbykatherine.com www.goaskkatie.com

Jennifer Cirka, Crochet Patterns and Recipes Jennifer Cirka, the designer behind Jaybird Designs, is never without a hook and some yarn in her hands! This Crochet Guild of America recognized Professional Crochet Designer has a book of her girls’ sweater designs with Leisure Arts and has been featured in major crochet magazines such as Crochet Today, Interweave Crochet, and Crochet World, with more publications coming out each year! www.jaybirddesigns.com www.jaybirddesigns.blogspot.com www.etsy.com/shop/JaybirdDesigns

Connie Arnold, Poetry Married with 2 children, 3 grandsons, author of Beautiful Moments of Joy and Peace, Abiding Hope and Love, and Abundant Comfort and Grace, recently published by RPJ & Company. Visit my website to read more poetry. My first children's book, Animal Sound Mix-up, is now available from Guardian Angel Publishing. www.conniearnold.blogspot.com

Sheila Watson, Kraklow, Guest Writer, DoveQuill Publishers Sheila is the author of several books, including “Nana’s Great BIG Storybook,” and “A Mission for Leedle Burro,” as well as a cookbook filled with her “sassy recipe” articles.

Sheila is also the owner of DoveQuill Publishing Company. www.dove-quill-publishing.com

Deborah McCarragher, Devotional Contributor Deborah is the author of a Christian inspirational book for women titled “Mission Possible”. The book addresses living in a spiritually-uneven household. You can visit her website at www.AlabasterBoxPublishing.com for more information about her book.

Amy Lignor, The Write Companion Amy Lignor is the founder of Write Companion. Her blog touches on various subjects important to the industry like the power of social networking for authors, the world of selfpublishing and how it’s starting to make the normal way of doing business obsolete, as well as subjects dealing with the art of writing, film, books, the classics, daily life, etc. that will hopefully inspire authors while adding a laugh or two to their day.

Dr. Yvonne Anderson, “The Doctor’ Doctor’s Innsite” Innsite” Author, educator, writer, life coach and counselor, Dr. Anderson shares wisdom and encouragement with the members of the Ruby for Women community.

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Keith Wallis, Poetry Keith Wallis is an English poet with decades of experience from the era of the “small press” to the era of “the web.” He’s been on this planet since 1949 when, by a strange manipulation of the universe, he arrived early and half-cooked. He is a husband, a father, and grandfather. His first chapbook of poems, “Wordsculptures,” owes its title to him being called a “Wordsculptor” by a colleague thirty years ago, and the name just stuck. His occupation is in engineering design, but he sees poetry as a “gifting” and works hard to keep it in shape. Relaxation comes via dabbling in artwork and photo manipulation. He is currently a moderator at ChristianWriters.com. His particular interest is the use of the language of poetry within a worship environment – church (where he is on the leadership team) is getting used to being “experimented” on when he leads services! www.wordsculptures.com www.christianwriters.com www.wordbrief.blogspotcom

Thomas B. Clarke, “A Garden Garden of Love” Love” I am the caretaker of the Gethsemane Prayer Garden in Syracuse, NY, and an author/publisher of Christian books. Both gardening and writing are part-time jobs for me, but they are my heartfelt passion: to help others experience Jesus Christ in a more personal way and to grow in love.

Amanda Johnson, Assistant Editor Amanda has been writing for Ruby for Women for the past six months, and she has been a free-lance writer for several years, beginning her writing career as a young teen-ager. She also works for Love Unveiled, a ministry to women in undeveloped countries around the world. Amanda brings experience as well as a passion for ministry to the work of Ruby for Women, and she has a heart for reaching out and touching the hearts and lives of women everywhere. Amanda will be working with all of our writers on their submissions, as well as assisting in keeping the Ruby for Women blog and website up-to-date with new information daily.

Nina Newton, Sr. Editor When all of my four older children were in school, I returned to college as a “nontraditional student.” Eventually, I earned degrees in Classics and Philosophy, and a graduate degree in Medieval Studies: History of Theology. After teaching at a small community college in Michigan for seven years, my husband and I were blessed with the adoption of our two beautiful daughters, Gracie and Annie.

Gracie is 10 years old and Annie is 8. They were both born in China, and we were able to travel to China two times to bring our daughters home. We live in northern Indiana in a small farming community where I work from my home office. For the past six years I have been designing and creating children’s clothing and various crafts. I began writing ebook patterns for my designs in 2007, and have several patterns available for sale on You Can Make This at www.youcanmakethis.com. I have also been a free-lance writer for many years, writing for two local newspapers when we lived in Michigan. My personal blog is at www.mamaslittletreasures.typepad.com where I frequently post tutorials and patterns for crafts and other sewing projects, as well as weekly reflections on life as a woman, wife, mother, and daughter of the King.

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Credits and Copyrights All stories and articles are copyright by the authors.

All pictures and images are copyright by the authors and / or have been purchased, used by permission or are in the public domain. If any pictures or images have been used inadvertently, and they do not belong in this publication, please email us and we will immediately remove them.

Nothing in this issue of Ruby for Women may be reproduced, copied, or shared without the permission of the author.

Advertising information is available at www.rubyforwomen.com/advertise Questions? Email Nina @ editor@rubyforwomen.com Or Amanda @ ajohnson@rubyforwomen.com Ruby for Women is published by rubyforwomen.com All submission inquiries should be directed to Nina Newton, Sr. Editor Ruby for Women editor@rubyforwomen.com or Amanda Johnson, Assistant Editor ajohnson@rubyforwomen.com Graphic design by Jorim http://jorimslist.com/portfolio Web Design and Creative Consultant, Katherine Corrigan of Made It For You www.madeitforyou.com Special thanks to Maritza Bonilla for sponsoring the Scentsy Fundraiser.

Please visit our community website at www.rubyforwomen.ning.com to see how you can help support the ministry of Ruby for Women.

Special thanks to Scott and Martin of Vintage Image Craft for sharing their amazing craft ideas with the Ruby for Women community!

The new Ruby for Women banner was created by Katherine Corrigan of Made It For You at www.madeforyou.com

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