I know I've been a stranger lately....

I've been busy, and I'm not sure where God's leading me with this blog anymore.

With that said, :), here's an article I'm reprinting with permission - I think it will help you out! :) (Written from a secular viewpoint, but worth reading!!) ENJOY!

Organize and Simplify Your Holiday Spending

Now that the holidays and holiday shopping are upon us, here are 10 simple ways to organize and simplify your spending.

1) Decide on a budget. Decide how much you can spend this holiday season. Once you have your number, determine who you're buying for and how much you can spend on each person to keep at, or under, your budget.

2) Use one credit card. Rather than using several different cards, consolidate all of your purchases on one single credit card. If you have to return something, you'll know which card you used. You won't have to carry tons of cards in your wallet everywhere you go. You'll only have to pay one credit card bill at the end of each month.

3) Think lightweight. When buying gifts for family members and friends that you need to send through the mail, keep the weight of those gifts in mind. The lighter the item (think gift cards!), the less the postage. This is especially true for your international packages.

4) Buy gift cards, for yourself. Determine what your shopping budget is and buy gift cards in your favorite stores for that amount. Whenever you purchase something, use your gift cards. When your gift cards have run out, you've reached your budget.

5) Buy family gifts. Rather than purchasing gifts for each person in a particular family, get one family gift that the entire household will enjoy, such as a game or movie tickets.

6) Simplify toyland. Many young kids will find just as much joy in playing with nested Tupperware containers, drawing on scrap paper and filling a bucket with snow, as they would with a store-bought toy. This is not to say you should be a scrooge this holiday season and I'm not suggesting you don't buy your kids any toys. But try to keep the volume of toys you plan to purchase in mind, especially since many toys are forgotten quickly after the wrapping paper is removed.

7) Shop early. Last minute shopping can result in overspending and tons of stress. You're in good shape if you could get all of your Christmas shopping done at least two weeks prior to December 25th.

8) Increase your income. Do things around the holidays that bring in some extra money, such as a part-time job at a retail store, babysitting, becoming the official neighborhood gift wrapper or selling quilts or whatever crafty thing you make.

9) Get creative. Rather than running to the mall whenever you need a gift, how about giving something you made using something you might already have in your house. Some ideas are hand-stamped stationery, homemade bread or fudge, a quilt or homemade soap. You could also give a gift of a service, such as free babysitting to a friend with kids, or free snow shoveling to a neighbor who is not able to do so.

10) Stick to your list. When you go shopping, go with a list and only buy things on your list. Keep your attention focused on those items you originally set out to buy. When people browse around and window shop, they tend to spend a lot more then they originally intended.

by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!
http://www.getorganizednow.com
FREE Idea-Pak and E-zine filled with tips, ideas,articles and more to help you organize your home,your office and your life at the Get Organized Now!Web site!

Cool email I received today!

BE BLESSED!!! (It DOES actually make a bell, but it's too wide for any of Blogger's layouts. SO, if you want it, email me and I'll send it to you. :))

THE BELL

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )

I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)

I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3:20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )

I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col 1:14).

I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)

I belong to God

Do you know Who you are!? Keep this bell ringing...pass it on 'The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you And be gracious to you; The LORD turn His face toward you And give you peace..' Numbers 6:24-26

Greg McDougal!

Go watch this video, and tell me what you enjoy about Greg. Leave me a comment!

Go to his website, www.ahouseformykids.com, and leave me a comment about he and his family.

For every comment you leave, you're entered to win a copy of his NEW CD, TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS - duets with MANY musical guests, including THE OAKRIDGE BOYS!

All you have to do to win is leave me comments. :D They MUST have something to do with the two lines above. No vague, "Enter me!" kind of entries will be counted. :D

ENJOY. And bless Greg and the new foundation in any way you can - prayers are most important, but financial blessings are the way God uses His people to be His hands!

Good Wednesday Afternoon!

PHEW. I think I usually block November out of my mind. :D I'm SO busy, I can't even think!!!!! Those of you who follow my stamping blog know I've been out of town on business, teaching two to three classes a week, and trying to keep all the OTHER balls up in the air - I've got a craft fair this weekend, and prayers for God's prosperity, whether that be meeting people, networking, or sales, would be greatly appreciated!

Isn't this hawk awesome?? I admire these birds - they are SO majestic! - but I have a tendency to forget that their prey is other animals and birds I love. He comes around our back yard every now and then, but this is the first time I've been able to get a picture of him; he's very wary of movement!

I chose this verse to go with this picture today because of something that is deeply troubling me - and it has to do with the church we used to attend. If you still attend that church, please know that I'm not trying to be ugly or gossip; I hope you know me better than that. But there is something I need to talk about: God's insistence that we LOVE one another, not only in a certain church body, but AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST.

As Christians, we are supposed to be known by our LOVE - for one another, for Christ, and for the world. Unfortunately, what I've seen happening the past 20 years or so is a building of walls in MANY of our church bodies; have you ever been in a sermon and heard something like, "Thank God we don't do what that church down the road does!"? Or, "Unlike so-and-so, we truly believe in the (fill in the blank)!"? Doctrine and theological differences are NOT reasons to build walls, my sisters.

Those walls are WRONG. We are to show LOVE to each other, not disdain. Now, we don't have to LIKE each other, at least from what I can read. :D But we DO have to show love. How?? Guess what! There's a whole chapter in I Corinthians that DEFINES love and how to show it!

It's NOT easy to love people who are different, or who we PERCEIVE as being different or having done something wrong to us. But that same chapter says we're to keep NO RECORD OF WRONGS. As a matter of fact, God tells us that if we don't forgive, we won't be forgiven (Matt. 6:14, Luke 6:37). Harsh, right? Nope. Take a look at the parable Jesus told us in Matthew 18:23-35!

That church has had a revolving door since we began attending ten years ago. People just leave. Regardless of the reasons involved, there should be nothing but love expressed toward each other, on both sides. Or, as Paul said in the Galations passage, we'll be destroyed by each other. Do you know how many people don't go to church anymore because of the hypocrisy they've seen? It's so very, very sad. The very place we should be able to go and be OURSELVES, and accepted for who we are, is the place that's become a place to put on a false front and pretend that everything's OK - because we might really get hurt if anyone knew who we really are.

It goes back to that poem I posted last month. We all NEED to be able to be honest about who we are. There is NOT ONE righteous among us, but in Him, we are ALL given HIS righteousness. Who are we to judge each other????

Sisters, LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER, FOR LOVE IS FROM GOD. If I have wronged you, please tell me so I can ask forgiveness and get us right with each other and with Him!!!!

We are LOVED by God; isn't it time we let the WORLD know we're His, by showing His love for each OTHER????? His GRACE is abundant enough for ALL!

What a beautiful morning!

Good morning, girls. I'm sorry I've been so absent lately; I call this my busiest month of the year, and it's definitely living up to that so far. :)

Did you go take the personality test in yesterday's post??? I'd love to know what you came out as. :D

It's THANKFUL NOVEMBER; I challenged you to post, SOMEWHERE, one thing you were thankful for each day of this month. I KNOW at least one of you is having an awful month, having to make life-or-death decisions with a loved one. While I know that doing this exercise won't make those decisions - or this period in your life - easy, I DO know it will help your heart to remember what God has done for you.

SO! Are you doing it? You should have six things on your list so far, since it's the sixth of November. :) Here are mine:

1. I'm thankful for my hostess club stampers, who help me keep in business!
2. I'm thankful for our new church, new pastor, and new lessons.
3. I'm thankful for new friends!
4. I'm thankful for a beautiful home and loving parents who grace us with it.
5. I'm thankful the election is OVER!
6. I'm thankful for my husband running errands so I don't have to!

You can use the comments section to list, everyone, or you can just use it to tell me you're listing. :) I promise you that this will make you feel even more grateful, and lift your heart. Remember the old song!

Count your blessings!

Name them one by one!

Count your many blessings -

See what GOD has done!

FUN personality test!!!!

I'll be back later with a check on how your Thankful November is going.... :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GINNY!!!

It's my friend Ginny's birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Please, if you read my blog at all, you know how important uplifting each other is. Ginny and her husband, Phil, and her girls are battling Phil's cancer, plus Ginny has health challenges, too - but their faith is in our Heavenly Healer. Please head over to HER BLOG to say happy birthday and uplift her today!!!

LOVE YOU, GINNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a GLORIOUS Sunday afternoon!

I don't know where YOU live, but here in middle Tennessee, it's a beautiful fall day; the temperature is hovering around 70, with a brisk wind. The pyracanthus (sp?!?!?) is almost to its full, glorious orange-red in the back yard - expect a photo soon. :D

Friday morning, I was sitting here at my desk working and I looked out the window. I didn't get a picture of the hawk that was out there earlier in the day, but I DID get a picture of this first: a flock of wild turkeys RIGHT outside our back door!!! They were between the back steps and the garden - so MAYBE 10 yards from my desk!!!! It's NEVER happened here that I know of, but I'm SO glad I was sitting here to see it!! :D Aren't they funny???

Once again, God blessed me by putting me in a quiet, still place to see the blessing He had for me. Dear one, I encourage you to see the place He has for you. Big or seemingly small, there is a blessing waiting for your notice RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good morning! :)

Yes, I'm actually up this early today. :) Mom and Dad are leaving on vacation, and Kenn had to work early. So, I'll probably take a nap in a little while. :D It's a cool, crisp, still-dark morning. I love this time of day - but I'm not so sure I enjoy being AWAKE.... :D

This is our house. It's a warm, welcoming, inviting place to come - at least, most people seem to think it is. Mom has done an incredible job with it; the decorating, the thoughtful little touches around every corner - she's put a lot of thought into making this house a home.

In the 80s, when I was in college (I know, I'm dating myself pretty badly there!!!), there was a booklet used heavily by Campus Crusade called MY HEART, CHRIST'S HOME. Did you ever read it? It compared our hearts to a house, and how it can't be His home until He has the keys to EVERY door in it.

It occurs to me that some of us don't even really LIVE in our "homes". I see a lot of people whose hearts are more a storage area - some things they don't want to think about take a lot of the closed-door rooms; some things they want to dwell on are just inside the front door, so they can reach those and get out without having to face those closed doors.

I want to encourage you, TODAY, to allow Christ to air out your house. Give God permission to move you!

Psalm 19:14: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 26:2: Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind....

Psalm 37:4-5: Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this....

And finally, let us cry out with David!

Psalm 51
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you are proved right when you speak

and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;

you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will turn back to you.

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,

the God who saves me,

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart,

O God, you will not despise.

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;

build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices,

whole burnt offerings to delight you;

then bulls will be offered on your altar.

As the sun rises this morning, I am praising God for the good work He has started in our hearts today - and KNOW that He is faithful to complete it. May you allow Him to "clean house" today, to restore the joy of your salvation in your heart. :)

You are LOVED, dear friend. We are highly favored, treasures to Him. We are blessed beyond measure - let us LIVE for Him today! Give HIM the glory for EVERYTHING today!!!!

Good afternoon!

How are you doing, dear friend??? I know it's been a while; real life is sooooooo busy for us in the fall - between photo sessions, craft fairs, and classes, I end up wiped out. :) But that's the season for me. I take December off, so I can enjoy friends and family without being SICK the entire month, and to enjoy the quiet winter mornings, the twinkling lights, and a hot cup of tea any time I wish. :)

What season are you in right now? Is it a busy season for you? Do you feel like you're chasing your tail? :) Or are you in a fallow season, wondering what God has for you next?

He's told us there's a season for everything! No worries. Keep chasing after Him, and He will lead you into each and every season, every activity you're to do! Be sure to consult Him, THEN your calendar, before you add something new! :D

My stamping business is keeping me SUPER-busy right now; I've got two craft fairs next month, and I also show my customers lots of new things during this time of year. I'm further ahead than NORMAL, but that's not saying much. :D PLEASE don't let me totally off the hook; leave me a message if I'm gone too long!!!!!

YOU ARE LOVED, dear friend. God loves you. He cherishes you, cares for you, and seeks an intimate time with you! Count your blessings - don't forget! We're going to start posting ONE thing a day in November!!! :)

Good morning!

It's a beautiful day here in middle Tennessee; the temperatures are supposed to stay in the mid-60s for a few days. It's cloudy today, but tomorrow is supposed to be cool AND sunny. Now, that's what I'm talkin' about! :D I love the fall, I'm starting to feel better, and I am blessed beyond measure.

If you don't receive our emails daily that include a photo like the one above (but usually better, cuz it's Kenn's :D) and some Good News to help you through your day, I want to invite you to email me and ask for it. We get SO MANY comments on how it's a breath of fresh air for many people, but I sense a lot of reluctance from many of you, too. :) There's a link on every single one where you can unsub whenever you wish. Please email me and ask to be put on the list, at least for a trial period!

Do you have a favorite psalm? I'd love to know what it is! Mine is Psalm 100.

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving thanks.

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Especially at this time of year, thankfulness and gratitude are themes in my life. I have SO MUCH to be thankful for! My family, my husband, my friends - both IRL and online! :) - my all-powerful, loving God - I could go on and on! How about you? Have you made a blessings list lately?

I'm going to challenge you AND myself: from November 1 until Thanksgiving Day, I challenge us to either post somewhere - my comments section is fine! - or journal one thing a day you're thankful for. Some days will be difficult to find something nice, I know. :D But there's no better way to be in a place of gratitude than to take the time to recognize how much we are, truly, blessed.

OK, dear friends. I'm going to run; I have a big stamping event on Saturday, and it's a lot of work for me. I LOVE doing it, but I'm glad I only have it once a year. :D

Recognize your blessings, dear one. Know that you are loved far beyond anything you could know; trust that the God Who created you and everything you see created you for a purpose. Not only is He your God, He is your Father; allow Him to comfort you, to give you guidance, and to be more than Someone you think about only on Sundays!!!!

From a Friend....

A dear friend sent me this a month or so ago. Some of you know Kenn and I are sick with head colds - so silly when it's 85 outside!!!!! - but I thought I'd let this say what I want to say today. :) I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!!! BE BLESSED, dear one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beautiful Christian Sister
by Maya Angelou

'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean livin''
I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.
When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain..
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!
Pretty is as Pretty does... but beautiful is just plain beautiful!

PLEASE go read this post!!!

WOW. I still have tears in my eyes. GO READ THIS. It will make SUCH a difference in your day!!

http://joyfullyliving.blogspot.com/2008/10/eternal-perspective.html

Pleasant Monday Afternoon to You!

Good afternoon! Boy, this day is FLYING by!!! (I'm really hoping this picture is bigger when I publish this blog....)

I'm sorry it was raining outside your windows, girls. :D Actually, I'm not. We haven't had rain in weeks again, so you're getting blessed! :D And I bet it's even nice. I remember New York State, Ginny. :) The rain still makes me feel so glad to have a cozy home!!! :)

ANYWAY. We had an incredibly busy weekend, and I needed most of yesterday afternoon and evening to get my brain back. Phew, I felt braindead yesterday! Today, Kenn had to take off quickly when they called and told him he'd had an early-morning assignment no one bothered to tell him about; he'll be gone all day. So, I've been working, blogging, and trying to make home a pleasant place to be again. I've got a long way to go, but every little bit helps!

Think about this: if pleasant words are a balm to the soul, I think there's something as great about our environments that affects our well-being. Of course, it's usually easier to control our homes than our TONGUES.... :D But I think that's why women really respond to calm places, to colors, and why one of our heart's desires (usually, it's not always true!) is to create a HOME. Not just a house, not just someplace to eat and sleep, but someplace that is a refuge. Someplace that is what a tired soul needs after fighting the fight.

I don't do a good job with following through a lot of times, but I DO have that desire. I've done pretty good about fighting my packrat tendencies, but I have to fight Kenn's, too, and sometimes it overwhelms me. But Mom and Dad have provided us with SUCH a wonderful place to live, I'm determined to continue to fight! :D

OK. I'm off to do some design work, and to work on my home a little. I'd love to hear from you! What are you doing? How do you feel about what I wrote? How was church? (I'll try to remember to post about our services yesterday; I just run out of words to tell you BLESSED we are, every time we go!!!)

Count your blessings, dear one. I know some of you are going through an INCREDIBLE struggle right now. My heart hurts for you. Please know I care, and I'm praying for you. And God loves you. He can take all your disappointment, anger, frustration, lost dreams, and LOVE you.

Until next post! :) YOU ARE BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's FINALLY fall!

Good evening, dear ones! It's FINALLY beginning to cool down here - today was such a beautiful day here. Kenn and I went to the orchard, and took a wonderful drive in the country. It was cool, and clear, and just beautiful. :) I love days like today!

God is SO good. He gives us days like this to enjoy. Have you taken the time to look around and see what He's blessed you with out your window?

You MUST go see FIREPROOF. Seriously. Even if you're not in a relationship, it's SO worth your support and worth SEEING. I can't tell you enough - GO. Check out the link! And take a tissue with you..... :D

Many of you are facing trials again right now; I've heard from several of you. Please remember to lift each other up in prayer, dear ones. You NEVER know when God will bring someone to mind, and how important it is you say a prayer right then!

I'm going to run; Kenn's on his way home from an assignment right now, and he has to leave quite early in the morning.

Be blessed, dear one. Open your eyes to the blessings God has poured out on you already - it will AMAZE you when you start looking. He LOVES you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here I am. :)

So sorry I've been MIA. I haven't felt really well on the days I've not been busy. Please pray that that cycle STOPS. I'd like to feel GOOD for a bit. :D


Today's post is a poem that I fell in love with in college. It hit me right where I was - I used to wear masks all the time, for fear of others' opinions of me. What I learned the year I found this poem was that everyone has fear of others. We're all in the same place - we need to be loved. Regardless of whether the author is Christian or not, I think his message SHOUTS about how we should interact with each other.


Let me know what you think. :)

Please Hear What I'm Not Saying

Don't be fooled by me.

Don't be fooled by the face I wear

For I wear a mask, a thousand masks,

Masks that I'm afraid to take off

And none of them is me.

Pretending is an art that's second nature with me,

but don't be fooled,

for God's sake don't be fooled.

I give you the impression that I'm secure,

that all is sunny and unruffled with me,

within as well as without,

that confidence is my name and coolness my game,

that the water's calm and I'm in command

and that I need no one,

but don't believe me.

My surface may be smooth but

my surface is my mask,

ever-varying and ever-concealing.

Beneath lies no complacence.

Beneath lies confusion, and fear, and aloneness.

But I hide this. I don't want anybody to know it.

I panic at the thought of my weakness exposed.

That's why I frantically create a mask to hide behind,

a nonchalant sophisticated facade,

to help me pretend,

to shield me from the glance that knows.

But such a glance is precisely my salvation,

my only hope, and I know it.

That is, if it is followed by acceptance,

If it is followed by love.

It's the only thing that can liberate me from myself

from my own self-built prison walls

from the barriers that I so painstakingly erect.

It's the only thing that will assure me of what I can't assure myself,

that I'm really worth something.

But I don't tell you this. I don't dare to. I'm afraid to.

I'm afraid you'll think less of me,

that you'll laugh, and your laugh would kill me.

I'm afraid that deep-down I'm nothing

and that you will see this and reject me.

So I play my game, my desperate, pretending game

With a façade of assurance without

And a trembling child within.

So begins the glittering but empty parade of Masks,

And my life becomes a front. I tell you everything that's really nothing,

and nothing of what's everything,

of what's crying within me.

So when I'm going through my routine

do not be fooled by what I'm saying.

Please listen carefully and try to hear what I'm not saying,

what I'd like to be able to say,

what for survival I need to say,but what I can't say.

I don't like hiding.

I don't like playing superficial phony games.

I want to stop playing them.

I want to be genuine and spontaneous and me

but you've got to help me.

You've got to hold out your hand

even when that's the last thing I seem to want.

Only you can wipe away from my eyes

the blank stare of the breathing dead.

Only you can call me into aliveness.

Each time you're kind, and gentle, and encouraging,

each time you try to understand because you really care,

my heart begins to grow wings --

very small wings,

but wings!

With your power to touch me into feeling

you can breathe life into me.

I want you to know that.

I want you to know how important you are to me,

how you can be a creator--an honest-to-God creator --

of the person that is me

if you choose to.

You alone can break down the wall behind which I tremble,

you alone can remove my mask,

you alone can release me from the shadow-world of panic,

from my lonely prison,

if you choose to.

Please choose to.

Do not pass me by.

It will not be easy for you.

A long conviction of worthlessness builds strong walls.

The nearer you approach me

the blinder I may strike back.

It's irrational, but despite what the books may say about man

often I am irrational.

I fight against the very thing I cry out for.

But I am told that love is stronger than strong walls

and in this lies my hope.

Please try to beat down those walls

with firm hands but with gentle hands

for a child is very sensitive.

Who am I, you may wonder?

I am someone you know very well.

For I am every man you meet

and I am every woman you meet.

By Charles C. Finn

Remember my talking about making posters available?

Well, we've found a way to do this! :) We'll be adding more, but all the flower shots with verses that I have done are uploaded on this site. If there's a picture you'd like a specific verse on, or anything like that, please let us know! :) We're excited about getting to share our work with you!

http://heavenlyperspective.shutterbugstorefront.com/

Enjoy browsing! :)

Guest Article Today!!!

Good morning, everyone! I know it's been a while since I posted, and I apologize - but thank you for coming back. :D

Today, I have permission from Carmen to post her blog post here. I've been struggling to get enough time to write the article I said I wanted to, and Carmen's post was on the Internet Cafe Devotions earlier this week. It's EXACTLY where I wanted to start, and Carmen graciously allowed me to "share the love". :) So that's what I'm going to do. Here, in its entirety, is Carmen's post. Thank you, Carmen!

H.U.G.S.!
More than anything, keep loving each other actively;because love covers many sins.~ 1 Peter 4:8

Have you figured out yet that this life is all about relationships? The Relationship Expert Himself wrote an entire Book about this matter of relationships. The First Four Words of The Ten (Commandments) He gave us had to do with relating to Him…and the Last Six Words had to do with relating to everyone else!

What I’m trying to say, folks, is that it matters to our LORD how we deal with one another…yes, even ‘Sister Scouring Pad’ (the one known for her abrasive qualities). Did you know that our (horizontal) relationships are the TELLING FRUIT of our most vital (vertical) relationship to the Father...the ROOT? We are able to know the true condition of how our Heavenly Father views our relationship with Himself simply by examining our relationships with the 'one anothers' in our lives.

We all have at least one relationship in need of His healing touch, don’t we? 1 Peter 3:8-12 describes a process of His sanctification in us through friction with others…’it is to this we have been called that we might receive a blessing’. We receive this blessing as we do things His way and give up the right to ourselves.

Recently, I had the privilege of sipping some very expensive coffee (as in ‘Venti fat-free hazelnut latte, please!’) across the table from a new friend. We both shared our strange love for acronyms. You see, the LORD gave me a brain that can be easily confused, so I have found that acronyms serve me well in remembering what I should do in a complicated situation. Sometimes I do not have time to grab my Bible and look up the appropriate responses. Perhaps this is why His Spirit instructs us to ‘hide (the Word) in our hearts that we might not sin against Him’!
H.U.G.S. is surely one great acronym to commit to memory in dealing with inevitable conflict. The definition of conflict is ‘to come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition; to clash’. Has this ever happened to you? John records these words from Jesus: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

We have tribulation because sin resides in every human heart. But let’s not kid ourselves - even if you or I were the only one on this earth, we’d still have our issues! Therefore, we can look at conflict as an event and H.U.G.S. as appropriate God-honoring, Christ-exalting responses to a brother or sister. Until the LORD comes back, His Spirit will be teaching us all about His blessed grace and giving us ample opportunity to grow in it and extend it to others.

What would our relationships look like if we dealt in the following manner with each other?

• H - Honestly (Proverbs 24:26; Romans 12:9-10)
• U - Understandingly (Proverbs 14:29; James 1:20)
• G - Graciously (Colossians 4:6; Proverbs 11:16; Ecclesiastes 10:12) AND finally…
• S - Simply (Matthew 5:37; Proverbs 10:19; Ecclesiastes 5:7)

Jesus said that the world would know we are His disciples by the love we have for one another (John 13:35). This ahava (Hebrew: ‘love’) is the first attribute listed of the Spirit’s fruit because it is from this ‘ahava’ that the remaining Kingdom fruit flows. Ahava, at its core, is a heavenly action displayed through an earthly vessel. It is His very love flowing through us.

Because HUGS are a very SUPERnatural response, they are able to soften the edges of even the harshest Sister (yes, even Sister Scouring Pad or Brillo Britches…whichever you prefer).
Baruch Ha Shem ADONAI!!
Because HE Lives!
Carmen
Join Carmen daily at her personal blogspot

Absolute Truth John 17:17

This, That, and The Other....

Good afternoon, dear friend!!! I'm so glad you stopped by to visit me. :)

Yes, indeed, I do have too many ducks. :D But I'm beating them into submission, I promise. :D

Thank you, those of you who prayed for the insurance by the state to pick me up! It DID!!! Unfortunately, they don't have funding to help out with the premiums, so please continue to pray for that financial burden - it's considerably more than COBRA was, but it's still insurance! :)

Rhonda and I are making plans for her visit for Thanksgiving; I think she's pretty excited. :D She's ready to come NOW, but I told her I need the next two months to get everything done I need to! LOL!!

This photo is part of our fall decorations; this is on the mantel in my stampin' room. Isn't it beautiful??? I love fall, and then comes CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!! :D Mom had all the decorations up in an afternoon; the outside will go up when we can get corn stalks from the farmer's market.

I just wanted to post and say thank you. :D And THANK YOU goes out to Karna, also; she sent me a papercrafting book! :) It was very sweet, and I'm blessed beyond measure just by her friendship!

Have a wonderful, blessed day, dear friends!!!! I treasure you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Count your MANY blessings, and see how loved you are. :)

Happy Tuesday!!

Hi, girls! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted - I'm going away AGAIN this coming weekend, and I'm trying to make sure I have all my ducks in a row. PHEW. I gotta lotta ducks! :D

ANYWAY. We had a lovely time getting away to Smyrna this weekend. :) We went and dropped Kenn's wedding band off for resizing- my gift to him for our anniversary. :D Then, we went and had lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings - Kenn loves to play trivia there! :) He has a LOT of knowledge, and always impresses me.

Off to the hotel we went, and checked in just fine. We had a "suite", and it was really comfy. We set up our computers and made sure we both could get online ;), and off Kenn sped to work - just a few minutes away!

I took a short nap, then worked most of the afternoon. But it was so nice to not have other things I "needed" to do distracting me; I watched TV, had a snack, read some of a book I took, and just generally kicked back while working. :D Kenn came back around 8, got changed, and we went to a local restaurant for dinner. We had a really good dinner! Appetizers, and dinner - and we were soooooooo full, but took a piece of their carrot cake with us; we'd been told it was their signature dessert. :)

Back we went, and it wasn't too long - some football scores later :D - that we went to sleep.

We got up about our regular time on Sunday, our real anniversary. We got ready - this is Kenn that morning :) - and Kenn brought some breakfast up for us. We also ate a bit of the carrot cake. WOW, was it rich. We decided to take it home with us, but it didn't survive the heat. It was MUCH warmer than I thought it was supposed to be!!!!

We left the hotel - which was about FIVE minutes from church - about 15 minutes after we normally would leave our HOUSE for a 35 minute drive. Can ANYONE say ANTSY?!?! ::::::::sigh:::::::::::: That's Kenn for you, in case you didn't know. :D

Church was EXCELLENT, as usual, and then we had sushi for lunch and came home to relax and unpack.

There. Now you know the whole weekend! :D It was really nice. Thank you for your well-wishes and prayers for us. :)

God's stirring up that topic in me again, girls. I'll be posting soon, the next in the series of Christian relationships.

Leave me a note, let me know you visited!!! :D BE BLESSED, dear one! YOU ARE LOVED AND HIGHLY FAVORED!!!