I Am a "Kept" Woman

My friend Charlotte sent this great poem too me. It was so good, I printed it and saved it. I just found it on my night stand it's still a keeper so I thought it would be good to share it with y'all. I hope you enjoy it!

You see there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind,

     But God KEPT me sane. 

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds

are steadfast, because they trust in you. (Isa 26:3)

There were times when I thought I could go on no longer,

     But the Lord KEPT me moving. 

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, 

and I will bring you back to this land. 

I will not leave you until 

I have done what I have promised you. (Gen 28:15)

At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong,

     But the Lord KEPT my mouth shut. 

 ¹ How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?

   How long will you hide your face from me?

² How long must I wrestle with my thoughts

and day after day have sorrow in my heart?

   How long will my enemy triumph over me?

 ³ Look on me and answer, LORD my God.

   Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,

⁴ and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”  

and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

 ⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love;

   my heart rejoices in your salvation.

⁶ I will sing the LORD’s praise,

   for he has been good to me. (Psa 13)

Sometimes, I think money just isn't enough,

     But GOD has helped me to KEEP the lights on, the water on, 
     a roof over our heads, and food on the table, etc...

 ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, 

what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.

Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; 

they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, 

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 

Are you not much more valuable than they? 

²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

   ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes?

See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 

²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor

was dressed like one of these. 

³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, 

which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, 

will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ 

or ‘What shall we drink?’ 

or ‘What shall we wear?’

³² For the pagans run after all these things, 

and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 

³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,

and all these things will be given to you as well.

³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, 

for tomorrow will worry about itself. 

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

(Matt 6:25-34)

When I thought I would fall, HE KEPT me up

     When I thought I was weak, HE KEPT me strong! 

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 
(1 Peter 5:7)

 ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 

and I will give you rest. 

²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, 

for I am gentle and humble in heart, 
and you will find rest for your souls. 

³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

(Matt 11:28-30)

I could go on and on, but I'm sure you hear me!

     I'm blessed to be "KEPT."

I hope you are "KEPT" too.

Scriptures are taken from the New International Version (NIV). For a GREAT online Bible, in different languages and several versions, go to http://www.youversion.com/

Product Review: Martha Stewart Paper Trimmer

I am a paper trimmer fanatic. At home, I have a GENESIS TRIMMER, they're handmade and I waited 8 months to get it. They're also an investment. I have never regretted that purchase. But haven't been so lucky finding a portable paper trimmer. I have bought a bunch of them, some have been so bad they just go straight to the trash, not even on to anyone else. My friend Karine is right up there with me. The two of us could probably go on a nice little trip somewhere with all the paper trimmers that we've bought and haven't liked.

We want a trimmer that works well, cuts straight--on cardstock and vellum, doesn't fall apart all the time, doesn't break when you drop it, and doesn't take an engineering degree to operate. Not too much to ask. I've been so pleased with my Martha Stewart Punches, that I decided to look at the MARTHA STEWART PAPER TRIMMER. I went to Michaels and actually took it out of the package right in the store to investigate further. I immediately told Karine I may have found one and had to wait til I got a coupon to get it. She had a coupon, bought it and liked it so I got one too. I even had a 50% off coupon on Martha Stewart products and some money left on a gift card from my Sister-in-law Sherry--Thanks Sherry!

     

The verdict: I do like it! In addition to the above requirements, it has a storage compartment underneath where you can store your embossing and cutting blades--no more searching for lost blades! Most trimmers have a swing arm that pulls out so you can cut your 12x12" papers, this has a slide out tray of sorts; you get measurements from both the top and bottom, not just one side. From what I have read this is good for both left- and right-handed individuals.

There is a magnifying glass on the sliding part that covers the measurements; a help for my aging eyes! Another feature I like is with the blades. I worry about throwing sharp things, like old blades, away. No worries here. In the photo below, see those little round things, those are actually covers.

Once you set your blade in the trimmer, the cover SLIDES off--don't pull it off, slide it off.  Put it in the back storage compartment and save the cover until you are ready to throw the blade away. When the time comes, slide the cover back on your used blade and when you throw it out, nobody gets hurt by it poking through a bag.

While it is still new, after YEARS and YEARS of searching, I think I have finally found my favorite portable paper trimmer!

NOTE: If you read this when I post it, the Paper Trimmer and the MARTHA STEWART SCORING BOARD & ENVELOPE TOOL, (another great product) are both on special at Michaels as their Deal of the Day for 50% off on 9/13/2011. You cannot beat that price!