Chair Love

It's been quite a while that I've been on the hunt for a vintage wooden swivel office chair. When Pottery Barn first started selling these, I'd drool a little.

But the $399.00 price tag is pure insanity. And they look too new and polished for my liking - I've been wanting an authentic antique one, with character and patina.

Today I was at my in-laws' most of the day for their yard sale. I've been so good about weeding things out over the past several months that the only thing I had to contribute was our dining room table, originally their hand-me-down anyways. (Oh yeah, and a vintage crock/beaters I got $5 for. Woop-de-doo.)

We were all getting hungry for lunch so I headed downtown to pick up pizza and subs for us. But I couldn't resist stopping at one neighborhood garage sale on my way. Turned out to be a little jackpot. I got hubby a huge stack of Reformed theology books (his reading passion) for 25 cents each and I found . . .

THE CHAIR!!!

The only thing I "settled" for was the style of the back. I would prefer to get something with a little more to the back, but this is surprisingly comfortable and forces good posture.

It swivels and the back adjusts up and down. The color of the wood, the old casters and aged metal...all exactly what I was hoping to find some day. Just needs cleaning up.

We are actually in the process of moving so for now it went right into my in-laws basement for storage. But I'm thinking it'll eventually go behind my computer and/or teacher desk or a crafting worktable.

AND....this chair - that I recently had to scoop up when I was thrifting at Sally's with a high school friend - will go where the swivel chair does not.

Just not in its present condition. This has great makeover potential - just repaint and reupholster. It was dirt cheap and I totally fell for the design on the back of the chair.

I have a weak spot for chairs. Somebody stop me.

Joys Which I Had Once Feared to Lose

It's been almost two months now since I announced that I've been on blog sabbatical. What started off as being too busy to blog turned into being unable to blog due to extremely limited internet access. My computer had a connectivity issue and I chose not to rush to get it fixed. And since I have a "dumb phone" I am literally disconnected. I haven't really cared about not having daily access to Facebook and email all that much. In fact, its been kind of nice. I've managed to check into those things quickly a couple of nights a week on hubby's laptop - just enough to send and reply to important message.... and maybe comment on a few FB posts. :) Really, its been awesome to be without the internet and not miss it. Even in the midst of major cleanout projects and daily summer adventures, I've managed to go to bed most nights in a neat, fairly clean house - a WONDERFUL new feeling. (I usually blogged at the expense of my kitchen counter!) And I've actually had time to make a decent dent in my quickly growing stack of books waiting to be read - yet again, a wonderful new feeling.

My biggest concern when I was first disconnected was that I would have separation anxiety from my blog. It all happened in the height of early summer yard sale season. I had a draft started about some of my favorite finds from a Friday estate sale (which I will finish and publish hopefully soon). And, I'd been working on more ideas for a blog redesign. But then, by act of God alone, I quickly just stopped caring. He literally eliminated my desire to blog. It wasn't long after that I came across this Augustine quote in the book When I Don't Desire God  by John Piper, "How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose . . . ! You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy." Augustine was talking about the experience of conversion, when someone first puts their faith in and commits their life to Christ, but it rang true for me in my current experience as well.

So without the internet or my blog, my time, focus, and attention have been on better things this summer. I'll admit there have been a lot of things I would have blogged about but instead they've just been private joys. And I've still been snapping away with the camera just in case some ideas do end up getting published...some day. When I do get my computer fixed soon (because I will need daily internet once school starts), I know I will not have time to keep up a blogging pace anything close to what I ever have in the past. I knew these days would come so I'm at peace with that!

I'm certainly not closing up shop though. I will always have thoughts swirling about that I'll contemplate sharing; I'll just have to be more selective about the ones that I do. And although I'm in a season of switching gears from collecting to simplifying, I'm sure I'll still stumble upon treasures I deem worthy of show and tell. Posts will be fewer and farther between, and probably shorter and sweeter too. We'll see. All I know is that this creative girl still needs an outlet and I'm just hanging on, seeing where God leads me, my treasures, and this blog.

Sabbatical

AAhh! I'm too busy to blog these days! I've got a bunch of posts in progress but they will just have to wait. Between preparing to put our house on the market and summer vacation...I've got too much work and play that's further up on the priority ladder than this little hobby. I'm not complaining. It's exciting. But I'm putting this on the back burner until...well, I don't know when. I just know posting will be slowing down for some time. Treasure hunting - that never stops. It's just the blog that is pausing. :)

Ten Cent Estate Sale Treasures

No sooner had we pulled out of our driveway a few weekends ago, on our way to a local town-wide yard sale (view that loot here), than we passed an estate sale a few doors down from our house. I was familiar with the little brown ranch and the elderly woman that lived there. But I didn't want to turn around and be late for the town-wide sale we were on the way to. I figured maybe we'd stop on the way back or something. It turns out I didn't finally stop until the next afternoon. As I mentioned in my how-to yard sale post, sometimes dropping by at the tail end of an estate sale can be very beneficial.

Well, there were no great big scores to be had. But they had a ton of junk marked down to a dime. And one woman's junk is another woman's treasure. Here are the few things that I scooped up for pocket change. Literally.

First, three more rolls of wallpaper for my collection. I LOVE the middle one especially. So these will wrap presents, line drawers, matte frames...who knows. 10-cent rolls, that's what I'm talking about. ;)

And that peach ribbon was one of many in a whole 10-cent stash. But my daughter had another use in mind for it. One she was more than willing to model for the camera.

Here's the rest of the ribbon. There's satin, crushed velvet, gross-grain, burlap and cording. So what you do is use the yard sale ribbon to tie around and make bows on the gifts you wrap with yard sale wrapping paper.

Hmm, colors seem a little messed up in these pictures. Green is looking teal. Whatever...

This next item definitely fits into the tacky category right now, but my plan is to remove the quilted greenery and just keep the crushed bright red velvet swag of pillow letters for Christmas decorating. You gotta trust me...

I like to stick with natural green and bright traditional red for Christmas decorating, and as always, with a little vintage flair. So this is perfect. Again, ten cents. 

So nothing major, just a few things for when I have time to get crafty.

Town-Wide Yard Sale Loot

Several weekends ago I hit up a local annual town-wide yard sale that is always one of my favorites. This year we made it a family affair and were out and about for over five hours! The loot was decent. So here we go...

I ended up with a decent stack of books (and some flash cards) for the kids, which you can see here on top and in front of the $5 like-new toaster oven.

"There was an old lady who swallowed a horse. She died of course."

The toaster oven is basically what we have now but bigger and new. As in perfectly clean, never used. (And yes, I follow my own advice. I plugged it in at the sale to verify it works.) I don't really need a new toaster oven but they don't last forever, and why not upgrade in the meantime? For $5. When it comes to things like a fridge and stove, I'd prefer stainless steel, but for counter-top appliances, white is A-O.K. for me.

Hubby also scored a LOT of books to add to his personal library, named in memorial honor of his beloved cat. I never loved that cat. I married into the existing relationship between my husband and HIS beloved cat. How many times did I come to bed to find that cat on my pillow and I'd start freaking out and hubby would just reply, "Hey, he has squatter's rights!" I don't miss him. Sorry, I digress....

Another book I got is called In The Womb, featuring photographs of David Barlow's award-winning models that look SO REAL. (Pardon the sideways picture - it won't flip for me so I give up.)

I loved the look on my girls' faces when they were thumbing through the book and I was explaining the ages and sizes associated with each picture. I wish I'd had this book when I was still pregnant to follow along on with the kids. Oh well.

Sort of related to books - I got four of these small lined notebooks/journals. They were beautiful and they had birds on them and they were 50 cents each. I can gift them, use them as note paper...whatever. Did I mentioned they had birds on them?

When it comes to kids games (which yard sales are LOADED with), I usually only bring home the classics. This week it was Boggle (Jr.) and Charades (for Kids).

Turns out, Boggle is a fun way to sneak in summer spelling practice on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

We also picked up a fun new craft which my six year old couldn't wait to get working on.

Memba those?? Huh?? :) Grandmothers and aunts may or may not end up with home-made potholders as Christms gifts this year. ;)

I couldn't go wrong with a bucket of Tinker Toys for $1.50. How'd we survive without that classic construction toy until now?

I survived just fine all this time not picking those pieces up from all over the house, that's for sure. And as with any construction toy, God forbid you break apart and put away their masterpieces at the end of the day. On second thought, maybe the $1.50 was a rip-off.

Here is a wooden hanger for scarves with the 75 cent price tag still proudly displayed.

Have I mentioned that yard sales are great places to pick up scarves? My best scarf-score ever was a really cute green and white floral Vera Wang for $1. I'm not exactly sure where it is right now or I'd show you. Then again I'm not sure where most of my scarves are - which is why I need something like this to keep them together.

I also picked up a few clothing items for my nephew and a couple of plain tops (25 cents each) for myself. I wasn't going to bother taking pictures of the clothes because they were pretty boring and basic...until I uploaded the picture of the scarves and was like, OOooooh, wait!  One of the boring pieces was a yellow tank top which happens to go so nicely with two of the above scarves - combinations I'm not sure I would have thought to put together if not for this blogging process.

This first scarf was actually a gift from a friend.


This next scarf was a yard sale (or maybe Salvation Army) find. But I better hurry up and wear it because I'm guessing the 90's watercolor floral come-back is not likely to last more than a season.


For $1, I picked up this white row of pegs on driftwood. There is something about the way I found it that I like - it sort of has a boating vibe. But it would need a makeover someday if I was to ever incorporate it into my home decor. However, this is the one thing I came home with that I'm having doubts about. I could have done without this but I'll figure out something good to make the $1 worthwhile.

I found yet another old garden rake for uses I have not yet disclosed but I didn't bother to take another picture of the same thing so click on the link if you're curious about that.

For the following, you're probably either going to love them or hate hate. I love them of course. I think I will spray paint the frames white and try to work them into one of the girls' rooms. How sweet are these?

I love that vintage look. And for a total of 50 cents, they are worth a try.

On a side note I'm considering how to work the color black into the older girls' room decor while still maintaining a vintage feel and I just noticed the black accents in these pictures. Hhmmmmm.....

The following is my second favorite score of the day - a never used electric roaster and buffet server. Perfect for hosting big meals, which I'd like to do more of. The woman selling it wrote the manuals for stuff like this so she got it for free from the company but never used it. The price tag - $10. And yes, I tested the power on this before buying too.

Last but not least, my favorite treasure of the morning, the one that really makes me smile - a gigantic framed map of the ancient world for $7.

That proud look on my daughter's face pretty much sums up how I feel about it too. :) I almost bought a large rolled up map of the world at the local annual homeschool convention in April but I decided to put it back and wait till we move to see if we'll have a place to display it. Little did I know I'd stumble across this rare find of a frame to fit it. At this point, I'm feeling fairly confident I'll end up with a homeschool room, so I decided to get it. I'll probably end up buying a new map eventually since this one is a little wrinkled under the frame. And I'll definitely paint over the honey oak (barf!) frame.

Well I think that's all. For a town-wide sale, it was an okay day. Could have been better, could have been worse. No super-fun home decorating finds, but that's good because I'm not supposed to be decorating this house any more!!! (SO. HARD.) I'm supposed to be un-decorating. Cleaning out. But I can't go all summer and not do any yard saling!  I thought I was slowing down, that this would be my last hoorah before taking a break to buckle down on house projects. But I've since had a couple of most lovely treasure hunts that I can't wait to share. At the rate I'm going on posting here, it could be another two weeks before you are privy to any of the details. So stay tuned but not with bated breath.

Yard Sale-ing 101

Being the practically professional yard-saler than I am, I figured I'd throw together a Yard Sale-ing 101 for those of you that may be interested in starting or just stepping it up a notch. There are tricks to the trade.  After decades of perfecting the art and science of this treasure-hunting hobby, I've got tried and tested tips to share. So I am. :)

THE DAY/NIGHT BEFORE

• SEARCH FOR SALES by doing any or all of the following:
• Make a note of any yard sale signs you've seen driving around your community during the week.
• Check local newspapers under the Yard Sales heading in the Classifieds. Although this is a little old-school, sometimes the best stuff is being sold by people who don't know how to use modern technology. So don't dismiss this. I still remember the days when this was the only way.
• Search Craigslist under "Garage Sales" in your area. People usually list the type of stuff they are selling so you can sort through what may interest you or what you want to skip.
• Also search online for garage sales in your area at gsalr.com.
• MAKE A LIST of the yard sales you want to hit up. Include the address, start and end time, and any items in the listing of interest to you. This will be helpful if you find you need to be more discerning about which ones you actually end up stopping at. "Hun, we got about 20 more minutes before we need to head back for that birthday party. Do you want to go to the one with all the books or the one with the tools?" :)
• PLAN YOUR ROUTE. If you want to get an early start, it usually makes sense to start in an area with the highest concentration of sales that begin the earliest. (I rarely see them start before 8AM.) From there, plan out the best route you can in your head, if you're familiar enough with the area, or using a map. Gsalr.com even has a trip planner feature that will map out your route for any of their listed sales you select. After I've made my list of sales on paper, I go back and number them in the order I plan to stop at them. If there is a sale listing that you definitely want to have first pickins at, plan to go there first, or arrive right before they open. Be sure to respect sellers that specify no early birds. However, for Estate Sales, lines many start forming well before the sale begins so you may want to plan to arrive 1/2 hour early to be one of the first ones in.
• HIT UP THE BANK for cash. If you're only looking for big furniture or expensive items, a wad of 20s from the ATM on your way out in the morning will do fine. But if you're looking for less expensive items, its a good idea to have change on hand. That means small bills and even some quarters. (I remember growing up I could head out with just a bag of coins and be fine because it was normal to have things priced for nickels and dimes. It's hard to forget its been twenty years and I get outraged when people overprice.) Don't expect sellers to be able to break your big bills. Also, when you're trying to haggle a $5 item down to $2 and then you whip out a wad of $20s, apologizing that that's all you have, it doesn't go over as well as when you look like you are digging for and counting up your ones and change. At the same time, when you stumble upon the full dining room set you have to have for $150, don't count on the seller taking a personal check because you don't have the cash on hand. While some sellers may hold something for you while you go and get more money, not all will.
• FILL UP THE GAS TANK. You don't want to get stuck cutting into precious shopping time the next day because you're running low on fuel. If you don't gas up the day before, leave plenty of time in the morning on your way out.
• (update 7/4) MAKE / UPDATE YOUR SHOPPING LIST. I haven't actually put this one into practice yet but I need to. I have a mental list of things I'm on the lookout for, either for myself or that other people have asked me to buy if I find. Well, after three kids mental lists are pretty much useless. There have been several times when I realize when I get home that I passed right over something that I had been looking for and just forgot. Recently I was about to leave a sale when I suddenly remembered something a friend had asked me to look out for. I asked the seller if she had any and she pointed them out. I had looked right at them and passed on by because my list wasn't fresh in my mind when I started. That's another thing you can do - ask sellers if they happen to have things on your list. Sometimes items you are hunting for are hidden or not yet for sale, until you ask. And don't assume you can'd find anything at a yard sale. If you want or need it - put it on the list. Remove items when they don't belong there anymore. And read over your list at least once before you leave, if not after every few sales as well.  

BEFORE YOU LEAVE IN THE MORNING

• DRESS APPROPRIATELY. That means a few things.
• First, especially at the beginning of the season in early spring and end of the season in late fall, it can be quite cool. So wear layers. Check the weather and be prepared appropriately. If you melt in the rain, bring a raincoat or umbrella. Garage sales will keep going in the rain even if yard sale sellers close up shop. Wear or at least pack sunscreen or hat. A full day of yard-saling in a tank top can lead to sunburned shoulders otherwise.
• Wear waterproof shoes or flip-flops because many sales land you in people's lawns and this means wet dew in the morning. Again, I've learned from experience - especially with the kids - their sneakers get soaking wet in no time.
• Dress very casually. First to be comfortable, but second - the nicer you look, the more sellers will assume you can afford to spend. If you want better success in haggling and scoring some great deals, don't wear your nicest jeans, go decked out in bling, or have your Coach bag hanging on your arm. If you run into me on a Saturday morning and I look like a bum, you know why. Heck, I usually forgo a shower on Saturday mornings as well. :) The poor-harried-mom-with-lots-of-kids look is usually in my favor.
• PACK REFRESHMENTS, depending on how long you plan to be out and about. I like to make a day of it, and usually have my kids in tow, so that means packing breakfast and lunch for the road for all of us. If we could actually get out the door early enough we might stop for coffee and donuts but I'm usually pulling the kids out of bed to make it to 8:00 sales when they start. Stopping on the road to get something to eat later just cuts into precious shopping time. (Stopping to pee does the same thing so take it easy on the fluid intake.) You could miss something amazing because you to had to stop for snacks or bathrooms. Especially if you are in the middle of residential island, you may have to drive 15 minutes out of the way to make that pit stop.
• CHOOSE A VEHICLE to drive (if you have a choice). Your spouse's or friend's vehicle might be a better option than your own, depending on a few things. If you are specifically looking for large pieces of furniture or expect to come home with a lot of inventory, go in the biggest vehicle you can. The down side of that can be finding parking closest to the sale. If you are going with kids and plan to be out for several hours, a vehicle with a DVD player can provide much needed entertainment when the kids are bored (or if you're sick of wasting time getting them in and out and buckled and unbuckled). Also keep in mind that trying to haggle that item to the lowest price possible may be easier when the seller saw you step out of a beat up old Corolla than a shiny new luxury SUV.
• LAST MINUTE POTTY for yourself and especially the kids right before you head out the door. I can't tell you how many times we have been in some stranger's driveway when my kid has announced, "Mom! I really gotta pee right now and I can't hold it!" Believe it or not, a few sellers have heard this and let me into their house to let my kid use their toilet but I don't count on it. Packing a training potty for that age is also something to consider.

WHILE YOU ARE SALE-ING

• HAGGLE. Just do it! Don't pay $1 if you can get'm down to 50 cents! :) Even if you know you're getting a steal, it never hurts to ask for a better deal. You may insult someone on what they think their stuff is worth, but so what, like you're ever going to see them again! Back in high school I used to go yard sale-ing with a friend...we'll call her Teeny. She'd always ask me if the item she wanted was a good price and I'd always tell her that I thought she could get it for less. She was too scared to haggle so she'd give me her item and ask me to go haggle it for her. I was such an enabler a good friend. :) Learn to haggle for yourself. Never go home wondering if you could have paid less.
• PUT ON YOUR POKER FACE. Act like you don't care about or are not sure of the amazing finds that you want to grin from ear-to-ear and jump up and down about. Pretend like you're hemming and hawing even though you have every intention to purchase something. This little act helps during price negotiations. But while you're pretending to just be curious about an item, hang on tight so no one else scoops it up from under your nose. It happens.
• ALWAYS TEST ELECTRONICS.  If it takes batteries, ask the seller if they have any new batteries you can test it with. If it plugs in, ask if they have an outlet nearby you can test it with. I've learned the hard way. If the seller is unable to test something for you, then beware of that risk. Even if they claim it works, trust no one! It's easier to take your chance with a $1 kids toy than with a $20 cordless drill. I'm just a little bitter about being burned on that one.
• USE A GPS or have a good old-fashioned map. Because while you are out and about you will come across signs for more sales. And because you won't want to pass them up they may send you on wild goose chases, off your carefully pre-planned route. If you don't have a GPS, check out your local Chambers of Commerce for current road maps of your community. For me, that includes the Corrider Nine, Blackstone Valley, United Regional and Milford Area Chambers.
• SCAN FOR TOYS from the road if you have kids with you. Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT have kids get in and out of the car at every sale if you don't have to. You will only get to half the yard sales you want to that way. Instead, buy them a token entertainment toy and/or a few books at one of the first sales you can. This will help keep them distracted for the rest of the trip. Then, when you pull up at future sales, take a quick glance for toys and if you don't see any (or many), tell the kids, "Oh, it looks like this one doesn't have any good toys. Stay right here while I just hop out quick and take a look." The kids buy this line sale after sale, week after week. Of course do this ONLY if you are parked close to the sale and can see your kids in the car. I would never leave my kids in the car out of eyesight. You do want to stop at a few "kid sales" here and there so that they can shop and to instill in them the love of treasure hunting. :)
• BUY WITH YOUR HEAD AND YOUR HEART. If you don't shop smart, you'll end up a hoarder. :) Don't buy things you don't need or really want. I come across tons of stuff that's really cool or unique and I am tempted to get just because its cheap or "I might need it some day" or "if I have a shop some day." But then I remember that I don't have room to store "maybe some day" stuff and I leave it behind. I've learned to say no and walk away. At the same time, sometimes its worth it to spend a few bucks on something you're not totally sure about because your heart says "do it!" There is nothing like that sinking feeling that haunts me at home when I wish I had bought something that was pulling at my heart strings. Even purely functional items can do this. It's basically the opposite of buyer's remorse. I want to kick myself for the ones that got away. :(
• GET GIDDY. After you load up that totally amazing treasure that you just can't even believe you #1 found, and #2 got such a great deal on, when you get back into the drivers seat and pull off, it's okay to smile real big and let out a loud "WOOO HOOOOO!" and dance a little jig in your seat, followed by turning up the music really loud and singing along on your way to the next sale.
• RETURN TO PREVIOUS SALES that had items you were very interested in but were priced too high. By the end of the day, sellers usually just want to get rid of everything. Most are home owners mainly looking to clean out and make the most money they can, but at the end of the day they'd rather give stuff away than have to haul it off to the dump or The Salvation Army. So if you have time and you're not out of steam, it can be to your benefit to backtrack on your way home and see there are any steals left. Or, if you weren't able to make it out early in the day, don't assume things are picked over by noon. It's still worth a shot to head out late. This especially goes for estate sales if you can swing by the last hour on Sunday before it ends.
• (update 7/4) DIG, PICK AND REALLY LOOK. I can't believe I forgot to mention this first time around. This is crucial for successful treasure hunting, whether it be at a yard sale, thrift shop or antique shop. If you want to find the good stuff, you have to try harder than just walking around and glancing. You have to stop. Actually look at every item on a table. The gems are often nestled in with all the crap, easily disguised. At yard sales, you need to look high and low. Rummage through every box. Even if you think its a box of junk, take a closer look. This might take a little practice at first, and even old pros like me can become lazy and fall into bad habits. Once you've developed this important skill, don't ever let your picking hands get rusty or your eagle eyes get cloudy.

WHEN YOU GET HOME

• UNLOAD IMMEDIATELY. Otherwise crap takes over your car. For me that means finding all the empty juice boxes, string cheese wrappers and stray Cheerios as well. Unlike me, don't let your stash of loot sit in piles by the front door for over a week. Clean them up. Put them away. Start using them.
• GLOAT, at least a little, about your top treasures of the day. Maybe take a picture of your favorite score or best deal and throw it up on Facebook. Just to inspire your peeps to get out there and yard sale too, of course. :)

So there you have it.  I put this up on a Thursday to give you a day to prepare for Saturday morning. Am I forgetting anything?? I don't think so. Feel free to ask questions in case I did. :)

HAPPY HUNTING!

GOD IS...(9)

Last week I started a weekly summer "Poolside Book Club" with a bunch of girl friends from my church. (By the way its open to anyone - contact me for more info if interested. Kids welcome.) Our first book, that I'll be finishing up this week, is "Practical Theology for Women" by Wendy Horger Aslup. The subtitle is "How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives."  Theology is a scary word for many people but this book is not deep/heavy. It's, well, practical -  just as the title implies. It's beginner level. It takes you to where the rubber meets the road, not just a bunch of fluffy ideas.

Seeing as the word theology literally means the study of God, the book is JAM PACKED full of scripture references about who God is. There is waaaaayyy too much to include here, so for now, I'm not including any of it. The book is A-MA-ZING. A must read for everybody. Man or Woman. Christian or not. I hope to write a little more about this book another time. Actually, it would be a great way to wrap up a post I started drafting....oh...6 months ago? So in the meantime, here I am catchhing up on God Is...

1 Corinthians 2:7,10 God's wisdom was a secret that had been hidden and that God destined for the glory of those to whom His Spirit reveals it to. "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God."

1 Corinthians 2:11 "...no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."

1 Corinthians 2:12 When we receive the Spirit who is from God, we can understand what God has freely given us.

1 Corinthians 2:16 No one has understood the mind of the Lord that they may instruct Him.

Genesis 1:11-23 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the third day. And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights-the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the fourth day. And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning-the fifth day. (Don't ask me why but I stopped there - never read about day six or seven.)

1 Corinthians 3:5 The Lord assigns tasks to each of His servants.

1 Corinthians 3:6. Some plant the seed [of God's Word/the gospel], some water it, but it is God that makes it grow.

Psalm 18:2 "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Daniel 3:28-29 God sent His angel to rescue His servants from a fiery death because they trusted in Him and were willing to give up their lives rather than worship any god except their own God. "...no other god can save in this way."

Psalm 34:4 The Lord answers us when we seek Him and He delivers us from all our fears.

Psalm 34:17-18 The Lord hears the righteous when they cry out to Him, He delivers them from all their troubles. "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 22:4 God delivers those who put their trust in Him.

Jonah 2:1-2 "From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said, 'In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me.  From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.'"

Daniel 3:17 God is able to save us and rescue us.

Jonah 2:10 "And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land."

Psalm 18:19 God brought David out into a spacious place; He rescued him because he delighted in God.

Psalm 91:14 "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name."

Joshua 10:11 The Lord hurled large hailstones down from the sky on the Israelites' enemies and more of them died than by the swords of the Israelites.

Acts 12:11 The Lord sent His angel and rescued Peter from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.

Psalms 5:3 "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

Psalms 5:4-6 "You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with You the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors."

Psalms 5:7 By God's great mercy we come into His house.

Psalms 5:11 All who take refuge in God are made glad. He spreads protection over those who love His name and rejoice in Him.

Psalms 5:12 The Lord blesses the righteous and surrounds them with favor as a shield.