True Happiness

It's midweek again - and mid-month - crazy, where is the time going?!  Don't forget about this month's giveaway.  Today I'm want to share with you the recent crafting project that my girlfriend and I put together for our church's Ladies event.

This is the set up of the room (sorry the picture is so dark).

At each place setting we put a box of 4x4 note cards.  First I cut out the boxes from the new Art Philosophy Cartridge.  The cards and tags on the boxes were also cut out using the same cartridge.

My girlfriend used the paisley stamp to stamp a 3x3 card that we pasted onto the 4x4 cards.

 This stamp taken from True Happiness set reminded me of Ezekiel 36:26.  In general True happiness does not come from the heart but from God. 

  

However, in Ezekiel 36:26 we read, "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
A new heart of flesh, a new life in Christ results in True Happiness.

May this day find you (and me) filled with True Happiness drawn from a Heart that is focused on Him.

Graditude

How - To on these journals can be found
at thesoutherninstitute blog

If you have been following my blog since "the beginning" you know that I have highly recommended Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts and her Blog A Holy Experience.  In her book she talks about keeping a gratitude journal.  I love how artistically she writes.  She is inspiring in the way she finds beauty and blessing in everything around her!  

^"4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7)


Linda Dillow shares that it is "our thought life-not our circumstances-determines whether we are content.  Our thought life-not our friends, husband, children, job or anything else-determines our contentment!"  


We need to:

• choose to give our anxieties to God
• choose to pray specifically
• choose to be thankful
• choose to dwell on the positive

For me this involves keeping a gratitude journal.  I started with number one (a very good place to start) and will just keep on going.  I write everything that is happening around me as a blessing from God.

Photo found here with instructions on a simple way to decorate a composition journal.

  

Photo and instructions found at Jeanette Lynton's blog here

How will you worship in your creativity today? 


I am praying for you today, dear ones, as I pray for my own strength.  May we be faithful in what we have been given.  Comments are read and appreciated, 

Remembering . . .

Welcome to midweek my friends.  Today I'm going to share with you an idea that surfaced through the devotional study I just finished by Linda Dillow.  In the chapter Trusting God With The If Onlys, Linda shares that if we are to find contentment in the midst of trial and uncertainty, we must accept our situation as being purposely allowed into our lives by a personal and loving God.  This starts by refusing to contract what she calls the If Only disease.

One way to do this is by Remembering how God has provided and blessed in the past.  "I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.  I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.  Your ways, O God, are holy.  What god is so great as our God?  You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples."  (Psalm 77: 11-14)

Close To My Heart just released a new My Creations Memory Game which is a white box with 24 chipboard pieces.  You can use this for a countdown to Christmas, mini album, memory game, etc.  I want to make a Memory Box.  

First I'll cover the box and then I'm going to stamp lines on the chipboard pieces.  I'll pretty up the box  and the squares and put the Psalm 77 on the outside.  It will be on our dinning room table and together we will write down the ways that the Lord has blessed each of us.  I plan to use the Cricut Cartridge to make some paper flowers like the ones shown on page 33 of the Autumn/Winter Idea Book.

I want to use the Dreamin Paper Pack because I think it is beautiful!  

Finally I plan to use the September Stamp of the month.  

Check back tomorrow for the Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month blog hop to see my creation.  

For now I want to close with this familiar prayer.  

"God grand me the serenity to accept that which I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference, living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right . . . so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next." 

I will remember all you have done, Lord!  Help me to remember!  

How will you worship with your creativity today?  

Comments are always read,  

Ways to Worship

Worship is more than just sitting in church singing hymns.  I am learning that worship is a way of living-stopping for moments to recoup, talking to God while doing the dishes, singing songs of praise while playing outside with my kids, sharing my heart and even crafting.  How can one worship with crafting?  I've been playing around with that question for a while.  I decided to post on Wednesdays ways that I am Worshiping my loving Creator, and Heavenly Father through my crafts.  

I really feel that God has given us gifts and how we use them is a form of worship.  I just finished a study recently called Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow.  I was struck by how many art projects I could use to incorporate into her study.

On the chapter of Worry Is Like  rocking Chair Linda talks about making an Anxiety Box.  My girlfriend created one out of Martha Stewart's pastry box but you could use anything you had.  Here are some suggestions

Compartment Box

A photo storage type box

Vintage Wood Box

Vintage Bread Box

Any box will do.  Linda shares that every time anxiety starts to take over she writes what is causing her anxiety on a peice of paper and puts down the date.  Then she places the paper in the box and prays "God, I am giving You this worry that's tearing me apart.  As I place it in the box, I'm saying to You that it's Yours.  I give it to You.  You can deal with it much better than I can."  She then closes the box and thanks God that the worry is now His.  

For Linda this tangible evidence of worry and handing it over to God means that every time she sees the box stuffed with her worries, she is reminded that God is carrying them - not her!  If she shakes the box she can hear the pieces of paper rustling inside. Every now and then she reads through the worries in her box and thanks God for the ones He has already taken care of.   

How will you worship God with your creativity today?  Loving your comments,

Make It Monday (#3)

So before I start with the project for you today I wanted to share that I am also keeping a gratitude journal inspired by Ann VosKamp and her book One Thousand Gifts.  She also has a blog aholyexperience.com that I love, am inspired by and encouraged daily in my walk with God, my role as wife and my work of raising little ones to know, love and respect God, others and the world around them.  She encourages people to count and share their lists so on my "Make it Mondays" I'm not only going to share a project with you all but the reasons that truly make my Monday and every day worth living!  Look for my list at the end of this post and then head over to Ann's blog to see her list and many others.  Won't you join us in praising our Creator for his gifts (those we perceive as good and those we perceive as bad because all come into our lives filtered through the loving hands that bear the mark of sacrifice!).

So for our project today.  I was looking around at different blogs (I know you are all so surprised) and discovered this one which is new to me V and Co.  Now my kids are too young to actually do this craft but they watched me with intent interest as I made one for myself.  What happened next is why I think this qualifies for Make it Monday!  They each wanted their own and then I made my daughter a headband using the same technique.  Here are my photos and tutorial.  For a more detailed tutorial check out V and Co. blog link above.  Happy Crafting!  Oh and for my favorite teen girls who follow this blog I think you might enjoy making these for yourselves - super fun and comfortable.  Then again I've never claimed to be in on the latest fashion (don't you dare come to this blog looking for advice on make up, hairstyles, fashion, shoes, etc.  -  if I get a shower and changed out of my pj's I call it a good day) so I could be completely wrong on this and these may be the worst thing after fanny packs.

Take an old T-shirt.  Funny story about this one (ALERT - if not interested in a bunny trail just move along to the next photo).  When I was pregnant with my youngest I had the strangest cravings for citrus.  I would go through a box of clementines in two or three days.  But it wasn't just the taste I craved it was the smell.  I would boil water with clementine peels in it on my stove.  My husband would come home from work and I'd be smelling the peels.  Along with this unusual craving I wanted to smell Vicks Vapor Rub all the time.  I would put it all over myself.  Did you know that Vicks Vapor Rub stains clothing when you layer it on your skin?  Well that is what happened to this shirt pictured above.  So now I am using it to make this project.  The End.    

Back to the project . . . cut the shirt or fabric into 1" strips (tutorial on the blog says 1" by 52" or something like that - I just guessed)

See the tutorial in the blog linked above for how to attach the strips to each other.  You will need two or three strips.
Weave the strips around your fingers, then make a larger loop over both fingers and pull the loops over each finger like the bottom picture.  

Sorry Mom I don't own nail polish remover.  The polish is slowly chipping away.

This tutorial is very sparse I am realizing I am missing a lot of pictures for the steps so please check out the blog link above for a more detailed tutorial.

The finished project - headband for my daughter

The bracelet.

Bracelet on her.

We had two friends over for the day and each person wanted their own bracelet.  Here are all the kids showing off their bracelets.  I really think once you get going with this it would be a great project to do with older kids.  Have fun together - and Make this Monday count.

Making my Monday Count For Greater Things
834.  The sunshine through my windows
835.  My precious children, Little One's smile
836.  Early morning hours-quiet-time with my Creator
837.  A house to live in, large enough to entertain
838.  Dishes piled high in the sink-shouting out to me that we have enough to eat and people who share food and fellowship with us
839.  My Faithful God who remains Faithful even when I am not
840.  Forgiveness in Christ and Encouragement through Him to continue on after I have fallen and failed yet again-He carries me
841.  My encourager, my laughter, my love - My Preacher Man - who holds my hand, father's our children and teaches me what it means to follow Jesus

Home

Good morning!  We are home from our trip to Chattanooga and we are changed because of it.  Thank you for your prayers.  I am happy to report that all of our children are doing fine and we survived the week unharmed.  God is so good!  Please continue to keep the children in Chattanooga in your prayers as well as Hope for the Inner City.

I hope to try some new projects and post on here soon this week but it may be a few days as I have a lot to do to recover from being away.  Sometimes I think the piles of laundry, cleaning and meal preparations will never go away . . . that is probably because they won't on this side of heaven.  Thanks again for your prayers!   

Please Pray

I've started praying at bedtime for and with each of my children.  We have always prayed as part of our bedtime routine but I like Stormie Omartian's approach of praying specifically for each child by name.  Since I started doing this my middle boy won't let me forget - this really means a lot to them.

Photo Credit

 There is something about knowing someone is praying for me that speaks volumes.  I remember certain times when I have called my mom to share a burden with her and right there on the phone she will pray with and for me.  Sure lots of people say they will pray for me but when someone stops and takes the time to pray for me I am so encouraged. 
This week my little ones will be with their grandparents as their daddy and I go on a missions trip to Chattanooga with our youth group.  I'd appreciate your prayers.  This will be a tough one for me.  My children will be fine - it is more their mommy that I'm concerned about. 

Thank you and feel free to contact me with any of your own prayer concerns.  Have a great week!  May you be inspired, encouraged and blessed this week - so much so that you return the inspiration, encouragement and blessings to those around you! 

Weekends are for Rest

Enjoy the weekend friends!  May this weekend find you resting in Jesus surrounded by those you love.

Weekends are for worship

Worship - "to pay honor to God"
There are so many ways to worship God, in all that we do throughout the day.  I worship on my knees scrubbing spills off the kitchen floor, sitting on my floor reading stories of God's goodness to my children, at the table using paper to create works of art to send to friends and those we pray for,

in the fields catching fireflies and in my church pew singing some of my favorite songs.  Where ever this weekend finds you may you worship God with all you are, in all you do and with others - for corporate worship is like none other!

Closing with one of my favorites songs!!

Weekends are for relaxing

So the weekend is here, finally!  Relaxing is not something I do well.  More to the point, contentment is not something I do well.  Linda Dillow in her book Calm My Anxious Heart talks about finding contentment not in the circumstances around you but in the heart within you.  I am struggling through this life begging God to change my heart and make me like Jesus.  May this weekend find you relaxed on the outside but more importantly on the inside - God change me from the inside out!

Vision and Focus

I've been wearing glasses or contacts since I was in 6th grade (maybe even earlier).  I can hardly see 2 feet in front of me without them now.  Sometimes in my walk with God I feel as if my vision and focus is just as messed up if not more than my sight.  I've been doing a study with some friends from the devotional Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow and this week's lesson was titled A Faulty Focus.  Linda challenges the reader to find a focus and have a vision.  I remember back in January when I was reading Passionate Homemaking that Lindsay was challenging her readers to come up with a personal missions statement.  The verse that came to mind then was Proverbs 29:18 (AMP) "Where there is no vision the people perish. . . "  Now I know that is not exactly what this verse is talking about but I do find many Biblical reasons to have a focus, a goal and a renewed purpose.  So this week I started thinking about my own.

My life verse has been Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is mighty to save, He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."  We don't have to guess how much He loves us - He tells us and shows us over and over again!
And another verse that I recently found new meaning in Philippians 3:10, "For my determined purpose is that I may know Him that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly" (AMP).  Just today I put those two verses together and came up with my own personal missions statement.  Although my purpose in life is continually in progress, I am more clear in the direction the Lord wants me to take.  My missions statement is: To purposefully and faithfully live a life of creativity and gratitude.

• Purposefully: To daily ask God what He has for me to do, to love Him intensly, to love and serve my husband and children, to inspire and encourage, and to pray for others (especially my children) and above all to love with a purpose
• Faithfully: To do this with consistency, trusting God even when I can not see Him working, believing He can do in others (particularly my children) what I can not
• Creativity: Creating beauty all around me, seeking it and making it, teaching my children and others how to create beauty and trusting God to create beauty within me
• Gratitude: to daily journal my thanksgiving; seeing all that God has given me (whether I perceive it as good or bad) as his blessing, grace and mercy in my life and recognizing that all comes through His perfect and loving hands

 I hope you find encouragement in this today my friend!  God sings over me and loves me (& you) - because of that love I desire to know Him even more deeply.  Ann Voskamp has encouraged me greatly in the gratitude part of this statement, check out her blog and go find or make beauty today!

 

Broken People

Broken relationships are different than relationships between broken people.  I think often how "messed up" I am when I interact with my husband, children, friends, family, etc.  I wonder how it is that anyone could love me when I find it so hard to even like me.  Now this is not a post for a pity party or for comments telling me how wonderful I am.  This is just being honest  I know the state of my heart and it is not pretty.  I need changing, I need a Savior and I need to be restored.  And as long as we are being honest, you do too.  Nothing brings this to light more than relationships.  I think of how I mother my children.  How dearly I love them.  I cook for them, bathe them, dress them, cuddle them, read to them, create with them.  I laugh with them, pray with them, play with them.  But then I also scream a them, get frustrated by them, want to be alone without them, and say things I don't mean.  I don't like that about myself.  Yet I am reminded that there is nothing that God can not redeem.  He can and has redeemed me.  He can redeem my children no matter how messed up I think I might make them.

So as I ramble on I am reminded that the best relationship that brings out the worst in me is my marriage.  At a friend's wedding that I attended recently this song was mentioned.  I listened to it and was struck with the thought that this is the best love song I have ever heard.  Seriously.  You listen and tell me if there is a better one out there.

"You bring out the worst in me.  It is a side I need to see."  These words hit home like none other.  I am daily reminded in my marriage of my heart and my need to confess and repent of my sins.  My friend, Kate and her husband have a marriage blog that I just love.  They posted about praying together in your marriage using the Lord's Prayer.  My prayer is that we all remember though we are broken we are forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Forgiveness isn't free-it cost Jesus everything.  Forgiveness is free-it cost me nothing.    

Weekends are for Singing

So its the weekend and I think on weekends I'll share some songs that move me.  I love to listen to music when I'm cleaning or doing the dishes.  My children and I dance to music on the computer or from the radio.  We make our own music with dishes, toys and even singing.  If you walk by my house on any given day you might hear what sounds like dying animals but no worries it is just me and my kids playing music band.  To be honest it is the sound of dying animals I'd rather have you hear than me screaming at the kids (which happens more than I care to admit-forgive me Jesus).

 The truth of who I am . . . I am broken, I have "paper skin" and I need Jesus every single minute of every single day!

"By the grace of God I am what I am . . ." I Corinthians 15:10

and finally may you remember where it is that our strength comes from