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Thursday, November 20, 2008

While I'm on the topic of Christmas lists

There just aren't a lot of things on my Christmas list this year...mostly things like "more time" and "less work to do."

But I've been thinking there are a few "nice to haves" I like to have:

Although I love my old standard Fiskars 12 inch trimmer, I'd like to have a new rotary trimmer. This is the one that I end up holding in my hands often a the craft store, then putting back on the shelf: (just click on any image to get to more information:



The Rotary, Scoring, Perforating, and Deckle blades would be nice too.

I've been wanting an ATG for some time, but haven't ever really taken the plunge on that one either...but I understand that this tool reduces adhesive costs when you consider how much you get for the price. If you click on this image, you'll find an amazing starter kit for a very reasonable price!



Other than that, maybe just a few days away somewhere would be nice...a retreat of some kind...I could really use a massage! lol

Peace, Ya'll

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

More things for my Christmas List

While looking at the aprons, I thought "Those would make a good Christmas present." Which naturally led me to thinking of other things that I might want...the list is, frankly, not that long. I've got a lot in my life... a lot to be thankful for and really nothing that I need.

But these were nice...if you click on the picture it will take you the page where the item is located.

Happy hunting!







Peace, Ya'll!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Challenges

Saturday was my monthly scrapping day with Bert and Deb...I was working on SFTIO layout challenges...

This challenge was to think about a mondern appliance you are grateful for:



This one was on a key relationship:



nd this is one that I did some time ago, that I just haven't posted...



Peace, ya'll!

Friday, November 14, 2008

Crafty Aprons

I'm in need of a new craft apron because...well...because I get adhesive and ink all over me when I scrap...so...I was on etsy.com today looking for some neat aprons...These are my favorites: (just click on the image to get to the etsy page)

This one is just pretty



I thought this one looked really cute AND particularly handy with all the pockets:



I LOVE the color on this one:



And this one is in the "Gotta have it!" catetory...its entirely too cute!




Peace. ya'll!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Layouts and Good News

There was a design team call over at Scrapbooking From the Inside Out and I threw my own hat into the ring.

The decisions have all been made and we found out that Laura, Anan, and Nic will be the new design team. YEA!!!! Congrats, ladies!!!

I was SOOOOOO thrilled that they asked me to be a guest designer for them sometime in the next 6 months (more on that soon!)

Anyway, these are the layouts I submitted for the call:







I've never actally submitted for a design team call before and this was TRULY fun and challenging. I'll be trying this more often! It REALLY stretched me creative muscles!!

Peace, ya'll!

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Conversations

As I sit and write this, I know I will be scrapping it. I can see a picture of my open Bible and a cup of coffee.

The words, though…they are harder.

Of all things I’m most grateful for in my life (and there is A LOT!), my personal relationship with Christ rises far and above the rest.

But finding the words to describe that relationship and my gratitude – it stretches my writing ability to the max.

As I look out over my faith journey, I realize that God has become a bigger and bigger presence in my daily life – not because He is any bigger, but because I have made more room for Him. Part of that making room is conversation.

I realize it makes lots of people nervous to consider that I have conversations with God. Some are more comfortable considering that I speak only to Him. Some are not even comfortable with that.

But for me, these conversations are very real. I talk to Him. He answers me. I talk to him about everything…what to have for breakfast, requesting that my family would sleep well, how to drive to work, how to handle a difficult co-worker, what I should read, listen to, scrap about. I try to make Him a part of everything, even the tiniest details.

He speaks to me through others. He speaks to me directly, as a voice in my head. He quickens things to my heart in such a way that I MUST do what I feel. He answers my questions through my daily scripture reading. He speaks to me by resolving situations in my world with no effort from me. He speaks to me by putting strangers in my path who coincidently meet whatever need or desire I’ve have. He shows me his faith by returning my faith exponentially.

Over time, He has opened my eyes to see the real world around me. Sometimes I see things so clearly its frightening – like I’m telepathic. He shows me things to pray about, to help with, to be understanding about, so that I can love people, understand them, be sensitive to who they are and what they are going through.

He has opened my heart – despite what others might think, my Christianity has not closed me off to what others believe, but opened me up. Not so I can believe what they believe, but so I can understand where they are coming from, have empathy for them, converse with them, pray for them.

He has made my world both smaller and bigger…my circle has certainly shrunk. But my opportunities to meet new people and affect lives for the better has grown.

He has changed the way I talk, how I approach difficult situations, how I handle small irritations, demanding people, crazy circumstances.

He has caused me to smile, even when no one else does.

He has helped me search deep inside, heal from debilitating emotional wounds, rise above my circumstances. He has helped me take responsibility for my actions, make different choices, risk more, and suffer less.

My conversations with God have shown me light where there was once only darkness, understanding where once there was confusion and growth were once only deadness existed.

As I become who I was meant to be, I discover that He had much in mind for me that I would never have purposed for myself and awakened things that I never even realized existed.

And I am eternally grateful that He would make the time to have a conversation with me.

Peace, ya'll!

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Red, Green and Yellow

Daddy to Jay:

What do we do when the light is red?

Wed mean dop!

What do we do when the light is green?

Geen mean go!

What do we do when the light is yellow?

Pause....

GO FASTAH!!!!!!


Go, Daddy!

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Monday, November 03, 2008

Spirit, Body, Mind

How often do you consider the care and feeding of YOU?

I don’t mean the indulgent, “I deserve an ice cream” kind of care…I’m talking about the priorities you place on your own well-being.

If you are a woman – and most of my readers are – you are most likely giving yourself away day by day in the care and feeding of other people or business.

I think most of us have heard of the external priority mantra set forth by Mary Kay Ashe – God First, Family Second, Work Third.

But what about the priorities you set for yourself? When you need feeding, what do you feed first?

When you need answers, which part of you do you satisfy first?

If things are tough and you have but a few moments, which part of you gets those few moments?

I propose that usual mantra – Mind, Body, Spirit – is actually backward.

I believe it should go this way: Spirit, Body, Mind. Allow me to explain:

Your spirit is the most essential part of you…it is the life cord to God, the well-spring of creativity and the birthplace of compassion. Without Spirit, the other two priorities in this equation get out of balance, start to overwhelm the rest of your life. Spirit provides the deep meaning in our lives – the WHY. It deserves first dibs at whatever time we can give it. We should feed our Spirit the best we have and first – mediation, prayer, time alone with the Bible, time alone in nature, moments of silence and attention to keeping the junk out of are Spirit are the essential first step to real health.

Second should come the body. The body should come second because it provides the shell in which we navigate this world. Its is essential to keep it healthy, exercised, rested and cared for. Our body deteriorates over time. No matter how strong our spirit or well-fed our mind, if the body is not willing, nothing will happen. We must care for our bodies!! By care, I mean BALANCED eating and BALANCED exercise and BALANCED rest. These things are hard to balance. Some people eat too much and don’t exercise enough. Some people rest so much they are slack and lifeless.

The Body should never come first – worship of the body tends to fall into two categories – either you give into every fleshly desire you have – eating too much, eating too little, promiscuous sex, obsession with cleanliness (germ phobias) – or you deny every single thing to the body and over work it – fanatic exercise, worship of your muscles over your spirit, etc.

The Body should never be last, because…well…then because we would have no time left for the body and it would be completely neglected all together. Not a good approach.

The Mind should come last. Let me state for the record that I believe most people put the Mind first. They feed it horrible things like racy books, violent movies, negative news programming, trashy reality TV. I say – Garbage In, Garbage Out. We tend to regurgitate what we feed our minds…and these days, most of it is junk. Not to mention the fact that we also tend to feed our mind LONG before we get to our spirit.

And, well…an over-fed mind is a bit like Fran Drescher’s The Nanny – loud, rude, uncompromising…and too full for new ideas, for fresh ideas, for alternative points of view. It tends to stifle the Spiritual wisdom we could be hearing internally with loud comments like “That just isn’t possible.” And “Give me the proof!” Our spirit suffocates and dies when the mind is over fed.

The Mind is always “on.” We literally have zero ways to stop the input of information our senses bring in. We only have filters to categorize, file and retrieve information. So…your mind doesn’t actually need encouragement to take everything in – everything within the range of your senses that is. So, if you surround yourself with junk, your mind takes in junk through all your senses as long as you are breathing. The nearly pornographic bill board? Check – its in there. The nasty song lyrics? Check – they are in there too. Witnessing the horrible way that people treat each other on MTV’s the Real World – oh, yea…got that too. And when the mind is filled with that stuff…it’s been categorized and filed…when there is SO MUCH of it going in – well…that is what comes out.

Yes the Mind should really be force fed and given LAST priority when taking time for you. If you start with the Spirit – especially meditation, spiritual or soothing music, holy reading material – then the Spirit is fed and strengthened and the mind is force-fed good things to categorize, file and recall.

If you follow with the Body, then the body is strengthened and made healthy. And the Mind is force-fed things like vitamins, minerals, oxygen, great views if you are feeding the body outside (this is highly recommended!)…the Mind will be FAR more healthy this way.

This seems like a less toxic way to live..its about living life on purpose and filling yourself up in the right way so that you have good things to offer your world, so that you don’t burn out, or wear out, or lash out.

What do you think?

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Praiseworthy

Read this:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. - Philippians 4:8

And wondered - do I DO that?

hmmmm....lets truly examine...

Do I focus on what is right and not what is wrong?

Do I edify?

Do I lift up?

Do I make the most of the most and least of the least?

I’m not certain.

I can be a whiner…I can be focused on the things that are going wrong!

For example – I was sick…for TWO weeks…then Scott got it and the baby had a virus and then I tweaked my neck and I’ve been REALLY focused on the discontent I have with my body…

And then I read these words and I had to wonder…what do I focus on? What do I speak out of my mouth?

Words are life-giving…If I give my words to the bad stuff, I give them life.

So…its time to adjust my focus.

In these times, it is so easy to be focused on what is not happening, what is not being done, how I don’t feel, what I don’t have, on all that is missing…

But that would be backwards…

I say, lets lift up the good stuff…say something nice, focus on the positive, let go of something that hurts you or bothers you…Speak life over the praiseworthy things!!!

Whaddaya say????

Wanna play to?

What can you say that is nice today?

Now go do it.

Saturday, November 01, 2008

IF…

IF I had stayed married the first time, today would have been my 16th wedding anniversary. WHOAH!!!

IF I had not miscarried the one and only other time that I was actually pregnant in my life before Jay came along, I would have a 12 year old child.

IF I had not raised my hand that fateful morning in church, I would have missed out on 11 years walking with Christ.

But I didn't...

And I did...

And boy did I...

Life could sure be different…

What about you?