Amazing Grace and More

While I was checking my email today a very good friend of mine that I met through a bible study at my church had sent me an email entitled Amazing Grace. Please check it out. It is absolutely amazing! It really blessed me and I hope that it will bless you as well. Thanks Ramona....

http://pjcockrell.wordpress.com/2007/11/22/amazing-grace-just-the-black-notes/

Latest Jewelry

I have been working on some cold connections and some bracelets. I have to tell you that this liver of sulphur really STINKS! Another close friend of mine was kind enough to suggest a raffle during one of her horse shows. I was so humbled at the kindness of this offer. I have been so blessed to have TRUE friends in my life. Anyway, I made the turquoise (chalk turquoise) bracelet with the hopes that it might work for this event. It will be on May 10th and will be held as a Mother's Day raffle so you all, please give me your input. I am working on others that I will post as I finish them.

Cold Connections

First attempt at Filigree.

This is the braclet I had made as one of the choices for the raffle. It is chalk turquoise and sterling silver.

The Fishing Trip

My husband and my dad took my daughter fishing. Just in case you don't know my dad he is a FISHERMAN! I remember going fishing with my dad and I had to be quiet so that I did not scare off the fish. I was also not allowed to fish on the bank while he was using his popping bug. I had to fish in the middle for the bass which was fine with me. My behind always got a little sore after about 4 hours though. lol

This is a lake/pond across the road from our house. My daughter was in hog heaven fishing with her papaw and her dad. Of course, this was her first time in this type of boat and it was so funny. They were using popping bugs and crickets. She did not want anyone to move and of course my dad and husband decided to rock the boat and flip her out. She finally got use to it but I bet that was a site to behold. lol

Well, that is all for now. I have pictures from the mission trip to Mexico so I will post them this week. Wishing you all a wonderful and blessed week.

Updates

This Sunday Morning

Our dogs began barking (all 10 of them) and so hubby got up to see what they were barking at. He couldn't see anything since it was still dark so he laid back down. About an hour later he came upstairs and woke me up to tell me that there was a car in the corner of the pasture across from our house that was demolished. I jumped up and while hubby was putting his pants on I took off out the door in PJs and all. What I saw was so horrifying! You could not even tell that it was a car. There was a lady out there and I asked her if anyone was in the car. She said yes, it is my brother. By then her father had gotten there and I have never in my whole life felt more helpless than I did at that point. My husband and I tried to comfort them and prayed with them. The sister was on her way to work and drove by this scene that had taken her brother's life. The young person in the car was 21 and died on impact. He had slammed into a tree. I always hear of accidents and am saddened but to actually see if first hand was devastating. I just cannot get this young person and his family off my mind. Please pray for this family because they had just buried their grandmother this past Wed.

5 yr. old Laurin Fowler

This little lady had surgery this past Tuesday (15th). They had to travel from SC to AK because no one else would consider doing the surgery and this doctor had done the first one and wanted to do this one as well. He was able to remove 70% of the tumor and Laurin was doing remarkably well later that day to have gone through what she did. She has been recovering very well and I think it is in part to the prayers from people like you. Thank you so much and please continue to keep them in your prayers. Here is the site again if you would like to read her story and the journal entries that her parents have entered.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/laurinfowler

Jewelry For A Cause

We have a lady in our Sunday School class who is fighting breast cancer. Her name is Janie. Janie is going through chemo treatments and it seems with each one the treatments get worse. She is a trooper though and I ask that you keep her in your prayers along with all of the others that are in the fight for their lives. I am listing her link and if you could please consider joining the team or making a donation on her behalf. http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=team&fr_id=8645&team_id=286575

Here is a link to the team member that I am helping. Her name is Patricia Ward and she is not only one our Sunday School members as well but she is also a very dear friend of mine. http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RelayForLifeSouthAtlanticDivision?pg=personal&fr_id=8645&fr_id=8645&px=6067172

You may also purchase a Luminaria in memory of someone you have lost or in honor of someone who is a survivor. https://secure3.convio.net/tacs/site/Ecommerce?PROXY_ID=286575&PROXY_TYPE=22&FR_ID=8645&VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=1733&store_id=8769

I thought about making some earrings to sell for this cause. I would love your opinions. If they pass approval then all of the proceeds (excluding materials) will go toward this team.

Well, that will about do it for right now. God bless you all.

Sam

Jewelry in the works/Other

Jewelry

I had to wait on my order of wire but have been diligently working on a few pieces at a time. They are not at a place for me to take pictures yet so you will have to wait on those. I am considering teaching classes in my area. Would any of you or anyone you know be interested? This is just a ponder right now because I am trying to find out if there would be enough interest for me to invest in the necessary tools and inventory. I don't know of anyone in the Rock Hill, SC area that does this outside of a few in Charlotte, NC. Please see the attached Poll.

Other

We are about to wind down with this school year and prepare for our summer activities. I was looking at my youngest child (the only one still at home) this past Sunday and was amazed at how she has grown this past year. It just seems that I notice things so much more being an older mom than I did as a young mom. Maybe it is because I am not concerned about what I am missing out on or maybe I just have more of an appreciation for life the older I get. I pretty much grew up with my first two children and have a lot of regrets about some of the things they had to go through from living with a single parent at that time. I was ecstatic when we (my second husband and I) decided to have a child and God found it in His heart to grant us this wish. Granted, not every school day goes smoothly but I would not trade this experience for anything. I know people that are having to deal with routine ER visits w/their child due to health complications the child was born with. People that are having to deal with brain tumors in their children and others having to deal with other types of cancer and yet others that are having to deal with the loss of a child. The amazing strength that I see in these parents is such an inspiration and makes me realize that my problems are a mere needle in a haystack compared. Listed below are some links to some of these people that I have mentioned. If you have a spare moment please take a look at these sites and keep each and everyone of them in your prayers. I know that there are many more out there but these are the ones that I have had contact with.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/laurinfowler

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ashlynhunter

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/rileyfriddle

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ourquiverfull?emc=&m=3883395&v=1027093589&l=1

Blessings to you all until next time.

Back to normal

My husband left last Tuesday for a mission trip to Mexico and he is due back home tonight. Boy am I glad! This has been one long week and we have missed him so much.

Anyway, I have been busy making a few items. The earrings were gone before I had a chance to take a picture of them but here are some of the bracelets that I made. Oh yeah, I wacked my finger with a rubber mallet in the process! Boy did that hurt. It was my index finger at that. Don't worry though, I have a band-aid on it now while making jewelry. I am keeping this thing covered and CLEAN.