Cargo Pants out of a sheet

Fold the sheet twice lengthwise. The waistline should be 16" on the fold (making it a 32" waist). The baggy part side on the fold is 13" across on the fold, and tapered to an 9" at the bottom of the pants. On the side with the open ends and an extra fold, cut a "J" 8 " from the top and 4" across. (You should get 3 pairs of pants out of one sheet). You can adjust the pants measurements how you would like, these are just the ones I had.

Cut the fold open on the side and then open the two pieces, place right side together forming a "U". Sew the two pieces together along side the "U" about 3/4 and then another 1/2 inside to strengthen the crotch area.

On the right side of the pants, will be an inside pocket, taken from two of the "J" pieces cut out earlier. Measure about 4" from the top, and pin one side of the pocket to the pants matching right sides. Sew. Do the same for the other side.

Open pocket side and iron. Sew a finishing stitch on the front pocket as shown. Do the same for the other side.

I didn't get a picture of the waistline-turn under top of pants 1/4 and then another 1 1/2 inch for waist band. Sew around waist band along edge leaving an opening for elastic. Cut 26" piece of 1 inch elastic and pull through. Sew elastic together, making sure it is even all the way around. Close opening.

Sew a 3/4 in hem on the bottom of the pants. Now sew the side seams.

For Cargo Pocket: With the other two "J" pieces, square edges to be even on the sides. fold under one of the pieces like so, and sew a 1/2 " pleat in the middle.

On the second "J" piece, fold in half right sides together and even the edges for the curve on both sides. Sew the right sides together, leaving an opening to turn it inside out as shown. Sew along the edge.

Sew the pocket on the left side of the pants as shown on the outside fold of the pant leg.

The Finished product. Its hard to see the Cargo pocket but is is there on the left side of the pant!

Reading "The Shack" Part One

I'm reading the book "The Shack" and several statements in this book really stick out to me.

Not in so much about revealing the main points but I was aware of some comments made by others who were skeptical about God being a form of a woman in the book. When I first came to that part I was concerned as to where the author was going with his storyline.

This statement I read when Mack is talking with "Papa" stood out to me:

" I am neither male nor female, even though both genders are derived from my nature. If I choose to appear to you as a man or a woman, its because I love you. For me to appear to you as a woman and suggest that you call me Papa is simply to mix metaphors, to help you keep from falling so easily back into your religious conditioning." The Shack, page 93.

Growing up I really had no problem understanding the relationship with God as my Heavenly Father. I have a great relationship with my own father which helps facilitate the spiritual relationship.

So when I read about Mack's situation about his relationship with God is based on his lack of a relationship with his father, that part was hard to grasp.

The one relationship that I do have trouble in really understanding is the one of the Holy Spirit. Becoming pentacostal when I married (I was raised Catholic, and protestant), it was hard to grasp really who the Holy Spirit was in the begining. I'm learning on a day to day experience in understanding more of His personality.

The charactor of the Holy Spirit, Sarayu is interesting in this book. Mack sees her almost as flighty yet once he sees her "garden as a mess" it pleases her as its a representation of his soul and she is the gardener. Now this I can relate to!

I will post more as I continue on in the book. Its been a fun book to read and I'm grasping more thoughts as I go along.

On July 24th I did a pillowcase dress making event at our church. While we were there and brainstorming we came up with a new pattern to use. Below is what we came up with.


Pillow Case Dress Pattern-Sewn on straps version

Lay pillowcase on cutting board. Cut off 2” from the top. This will be the sewn on straps. Cut straps in two and cut off ends. Set aside.










Cut a 4” x 4” “J” on the sides for arm holes.












Turn down top ½ inch and then another ½ inch to conceal raw edges. Press.











Cut two 7” pieces of ¼ or ½ inch elastic
Sew casing leaving open to pull the 7” elastic through.









Sew on bias tape covering the arm holes.

Lay the cut 2” pieces flat and iron. Fold all raw edges in ¼ inch.















Fold ends of straps over raw edges of bias tape at arm holes from front to back of dress. Sew edges and side seams together. Finish with a an “X” at the ends to secure the strap to the dress.










The finished project:

When we see those God loves being put through the fire

I was reading an article yesterday about someone that I respect greatly in their ministry.

As I read both sides I felt the Lord tell me that the accuser was at it again, trying to destroy one that He has called.

It was an event that happened a few years ago. I was hoping to meet up with this person a few weeks ago and was suprised to see that they were not at the event. When I read the article it made sense.

I was praying for him through the day and night, knowing that the Lord had His hand on his life.

This morning I was reading in Proverbs 24 and the verses 11- 12 stuck out to me.

"Rescue those being led away to death, hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, 'But we knew nothing about this,' does not he who weights the heart percieve it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Wil he not repay each person according to what he has done?"

I at first thought something different until I read the scripture before it.

vs 8-9 "He who plots evil will be know as a schemer, the schemes of the folly are sin and men detest a mocker. If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength?"

Sometimes we want to look at the worst in a situation because of the way the world views events, when in God's eyes He knows all that has taken place. That whom He has raised up to share His word will be put through the fire and the fire will be that of which the person's heart is matched to what God has called that person to do.

We may not know anything about what is going on in a person's life or what the media percieves what happened. As God's people, those that He's called to be His servants we are to only to rescue them, not accuse them. We aren't to make judgements on them but find ways to build them back up to where God had placed them. We are to give them back the appointments God had given them when satan "dis" appointed them from that position.

Gal 6:1 says : "Brothers if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted, carry each other's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
So today, pray for those who are going through the fire. Even if you find out something about someone thats make you question where they truly stand. Don't judge them, but begin to pray over them blessings. God will take care of the rest.

A Contrite Heart

When I pray, I go for the gutsto. I go for where the root of it all is and that's the heart.

I was reading the other day during devotions Psalm 51. From verses 15 to 19 it shows what God wants from us.

"O Lord open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifce, or I would bring it. You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart. O God, you will not despise. In you good pleasure make Zion propers. build up the wall of Jersalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar."

As I was walking through the San Fransico Airport I was watching people walking around or sitting in the food court on cells, computers and reading Wall street journals. Some in expensive suits and some in jeans and polo shirts making deals and doing whatever in the business world. There were moms whose strollers were filled with extra luggage and had children in tow either in a carrier on their chest or they held their hand with one of their own while pushing the stoller with the other.

One this day and when we returned the security level was at an orange.

Even though I had what is the equivalent of an associate degree in business related skills (I do have a diploma at least that says I have this!), I don't get what is going on as I watch these activities. The mom thing I could definitely get, (even with one child but I do have nieces and nephews that I took with me places too, just not in an airport!). I thought of the orange alert that we were at, and my heart cried out for them, as much as they were planning and such were they prepared that they may not make it to their next destination and had they prepared themselves for the afterlife?

I prayed over the airport during the time I had left, but I know God is preparing me for a longer time of praying when I return. I need to plan accordingly for that event as well.

Something that thrilled me while at PrayerQuake 2010 was that the govenor of Arizona has declared a week of prayer and fasting for the state!

I love it! A time for Arizona to get on its knees and ask God for wisdom in how to handle the events of their state! A time for hearts to be geared and to be contrite towards Him for the answer. I don't know if the Govenor is a believer of Christ, but the fact that he took this stand speaks volumes for who he is trusting in.

When I pray, like I said I go for the heart. Its the heart that beats for Christ that will show Christ to the world. I don't understand all that about business as its changed so much from when I got my diploma. I'd be lost trying to figure out a plan for whatever anyone was trying to plan for their meeting. Even when we broke up in groups in one of the classes I was listening to more strategies to teach someone how to pray and I felt as if my response would not fit. Talk to God from your heart, tell Him is in it. He wants to know you some much more then you want to know Him. He wants your heart to beat as His beats.

There's a new journey forming with in me. Its has to do with a word God gave me before I left for PrayerQuake about no passivity in Brookings. No more putting off what needs to be done because of lack. We need to get up and move. The body of Christ needs to wake up, because if we are asleep, so is Christ because we are members of his Body.

Sometimes we just have to go through the blahs

Back in February with I was dismissed from my employment even though I handled it well and went back to work for former clients and took on a new one in home care, I was really having a tough time trying to get it "together".

I like to be active, like to have things to do all the time and down times are rare for me as I am always doing something with my hands.

Since February I was feeling kind of blah, not really wanting to do much of anything. I started studying a new children's church series and was getting used to writing everything out by hand as I didn't have the programs or items I needed to present it in the manner I'd been taught while working with Child Evangelism Fellowship.

An event a couple of weeks ago kind of woke me up. My mom was in the hospital and at one night after a family graduation I went back to say good night. Other family members had already gone home.

While there talking with my mom I remembered how I treated those while in the nursing home. My goal was to treat them as as if they were my own family members.

Now someone dear to me was in that postion. At that moment while I was in the room alone with her I woke up from the blah feeling that had been hammering me for months. It was then realized where I was to be from now on.

During "blah" times that God brings us through are not times that He lets us dilly dally either. He does keep us busy with projects that at the time seem useless but when the "blahs" have receded we find that the projects that looked rather out of place fit together in the this picture puzzle God has of our lives.

Since February I'd been a vegetarian/vegan more times then not. (In the last three weeks that lifestyle went out the window, but is slowing coming back).

I learned last week that I've been actually working on feeding my soul during the blah times. Learning more of what God wants my soul to be fed to please Him as I am His employee. I had thought I had forgotten that, but I've been in His employment as a "Blah Supervisor"for quite awhile. (Hubby has stated when I get more blah then him we are in trouble!)

It sometimes is hard to see if He's a good God when we see all that is taking place in the world. But He really is a good God. He provides goodness for those who trust in Him. Sometimes we have to go through the blahs to see His goodness.

"I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the my God, then dwell in the tents of the wicked". Psalm 84:10b is a very good example.

Being in His presence of protection give you insight to what is going on around you. His nature is good as He has wonderful things to give us to enrich us. But as humans we have a human nature and we tend to go for the tents in our blah times because we don't think we deserve to live in His House and His courts even though as children we have those times to use to grow closer to Him.

Even when David was in the strongholds in 2 kings he felt as if God had deserted him. Instead, God brought to him those that were broken hearted, in debt and it was those that David learned to use as his army to fight Saul. David was in God's protection and he saw that those who were in dispair had hearts that matched the burden of his own. He knew who he could trust to carry out his orders.

So when you are in the "blahs", look to see how to use thise time for His glory. Chances are He already started preparing you for your next assignment.

Watching God's plan in the ones you love

This has been a tough week for several people that I know including myself. Through personal events and watching friends go through their own crisis its been a trying time for everyone.

I've had some inner issues I've had to work through only because I've seen things from a different perspective in certian events this week. In doing so I became stressed and more cautious over those involved. This morning I was getting my coffee ready and thinking of this situation, my mood was a bit off in that I was worried about something and as an afterthought thought "Oh well God's in the situation". That was when I felt that "smack" on the side of the head that I get when I know its time to wake up and smell the coffee!. (In reality, its no joke now. I used that phrase so much that one time when I used it I was in the coffee ailse at Krogers/Fred Meyers.)

One of the many things I learned this week was that we aren't to touch God's anointing. I also take this to mean that when God is working in someone's life, no matter what it is we are not to interfer with our own judgements or perspectives in whatever they are going through. God's plan is infinite and He is a soveriegn God and is working in all lives including those we love. In other words we don't let our pride get in the way of what He's ultimate plan is in someone elses life.

I'll take this a step further. As believers in Christ, we are one body. Keeping that in mind we all go through different stages in our lives because of whatever we brought into the family of God from our past, "which we are allowed to look at through the blood of Christ" ( a quote from a sermon from Bill Johnson). As it states in Roman's 8:1" For there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus".

Being now adopted into the family of God we are now striving to be like Him, but are working through and learning to leave behind that which we brought into God's family with us and remembering that its covered by His blood. We need to remember Prov 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths". We must allow God to manifest Himself His way, which to quote Bill Johnson a second time "He manifests opposite to the manner of the day".

What may have taken place in one person may not take place in another because of what they are bringing in the situation. In thinking on this and also that I learned this week to be careful how I treat God's anoited I was able to apply it to the situation I was dealing with. I now have a new understanding of the events that have taken place. He is using them for His Glory and my attitude of being stressed and cautious wasn't helping the work He was doing.

So after repenting of this one (Its too early in the morning to start this!) I now have better thoughts of the situation and know that its part of God's plan. Its going to be amazing to see what He does, in addition to all that He's done this week!