Valentine's Day Memory Lapse!!

Found this amazing photograph of double hearts cast upon an open Bible. Thought is was appropriate since today is Valentine's Day and Jesus gave us the perfect gift through his sacrifice on the cross! Image below is linked to the photog's Flickr post!!



Woke up early today and it never occurred to me it was the actual day of Valentine's Day. Duh! There are really only 2 reasons I needed to remember this little bit of trivia.

#1....I would have found "something" red or pink to wear to church rather than blue. I told everyone I was color blind and thought I was really wearing red.

#2....I would have called my Aunt and wished her a happy birthday well before 5 p.m.!!!!!!

Come on brain.....is there a leak up there??? Are you losing oxygen??? Why oh why can't I remember ANYTHING anymore?

Well, I guess we know what is really important because I did remember Challenge #3 was out there in digi-world somewhere this morning. I found it and even created a LO before getting ready for church.

Here is what I did. This is all contingent upon my partner not wanting to do something more "alike" for our pages. I am waiting to confer with her before I post this in the galleries. If we go a different route then I look at it like this....I have a cute LO done.



Well, I am very tired. Need to put the computer (and me) to sleep. More later. Thanks for stopping by.

xoxoxoxo
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On...Off...On...Off...On...Off

This is the what my poor little under-the-desk heater endures all day long. The top half of my body never gets cold while I am sitting at my desk working.....um, mostly working. However, my legs and feet freeze. So, I turn on the heater. I will usually start to bake on top before the bottom half really gets cozy so I have to turn off the heater. Some time passes, turn it back on. Bake. Turn it off. Ugh....why can't I just be warm all over??? Probably because my legs sit under the desk and the "metal" from the underside of the desk just radiates cold.

And that made me think about being a christian. Yeah, that's right. A little under-the-desk heater can turn my mind toward the things of God. It doesn't always have to be a burning bush, or a sea parting or manna falling from the sky.

So, why does this make me think about being a christian? Well, one of the biggest problems people have with "christians" is hypocriticalness (is that a word?). Is now. We are warm & fuzzy at church or in a certain environment when around certain folk but then the next time you see us somewhere else, around other folk, we can be cold & stinging. Warm-Fuzzy...Cold-Stinging....Warm-Fuzzy....Cold-Stinging. But Jesus calls us to be in His image ALL the time. We have been given an internal heater, so-to-speak, in the form of the Holy Spirit. I need to be more mindful of Him in me and when I feel myself growing cold, call upon Him to warm me up again.

I ain't pointing no fingers here unless it is only at myself. It is just the thought that popped into my head as I turned my under-the-desk heater on for the umpteenth time today.

xoxoxoxo
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God speaks in parking lots.

Oh yes indeed-y He does.

How do I know this, you ask?

Because He spoke to me in the church parking lot just yesterday. And, here is the rest of the story...

It was a great weekend. Saturday was spent volunteering for a JOY FM radio station "Key To The City Walk" where $42,000+ was raised for their need. Five hours outside in below freezing temps & a slight breeze that just bit into any exposed skin. Five hours of whooping & howlering over seeing the donations come in & knowing every dollar was one dollar closer to seeing JOY FM's chance to reach a larger listening area for Christ.

Sunday I woke up ready to go worship and hear God's word. Our small group Bible study was on the topic of "The Battle Of The Mind". The gist of it was all about having a "mind set" and how that is both a noun & a verb. As a christian I have the mind set (noun) of Christ dwelling in me through the presence of the Holy Spirit. However, everyday I am faced with choices to make that are either right vs. wrong----Godly vs. worldly. It is in those times I have to call upon that "mind set" and put it into action (verb). It was a very good study.

However, something happened (the "who-what-where-why" is not important) and I became frustrated. Frustrated to the point of just wanting to go home and skip worship. The battle of my mind began. I could just picture on one shoulder an angel of the Lord and on the other a demon from the pits of hell and they were battling for my mind. The battle ended when I walked out the doors and entered my car to go home. Or did it? I continued to struggle with knowing my word of the year is REMAIN. I sat there.

Next, as I sat in my car in the parking lot of the church, I checked my phone and saw a text message from my BFF who was home recovering from pneumonia. The message read "Are you going to 10:55 service"? OUCH!!!!!!!!!! The battle was in full swing again.

RUN.....REMAIN.....RUN.....REMAIN.....RUN.....REMAIN.

I shut off my car, grabbed my purse and walked back in through the same doors I had just walked through moments before. I sat down in the pew I usually sit in and I proceeded to reply to my friend: "yes, i am here". Thinking maybe she decided to try to make it for worship I looked around but didn't see her. Oh well. The music began.....time to worship.

Dr. Hufty's message was amazing, as usual. However, I was expecting something in the message to really jump out at me and make me go "yep, that is why I was supposed to remain". That didn't happen. That's okay.....it's never a BAD thing to be in church hearing God's word. As Dr. Hufty closed in prayer before the time of offering he said "God has spoken today....through worship.....through His word.....He has even spoken in the parking lot I imagine" I nearly fell over when he said that. And I again wondered "so why God? why did you have me remain if I don't feel as though I really gleaned any new, amazing concept of you?" At that moment I felt a still, small voice simply say "you were just supposed to REMAIN".

okay.

Service ended and I left for the second time that morning. This time with an entirely different outlook. I entered my car and immediately called my BFF to tell her what had happened. I knew she had probably been listening to the online live-stream of the sermon since she was home sick. When asked if she heard Dr Hufty's remark about God speaking to us in the parking lot she replied, yes. I proceeded to tell her the whole story I just shared above. This is her reply:

Helen....I was home doing what I believe I was supposed to be doing....recouperating. However, I still felt like something was missing after being away from church for 2 weeks now. While I have been in the word daily.....praying continually, there is something missing and I know it is being at church for corporate worship and serving God. She continued....I was telling God how much I want to be better so I can go back to church where I feel like He can use me.

And in that moment, she realized He had used her....even from her sick-bed, He used her. Her text to me.....a text I thought was because she might be coming to church after all and I didn't want her to sit alone. When in fact she just needed me to carry out a task for her (but I didn't know that because she didn't say that in the text).

There was the other reason I was suppose to REMAIN....so Sheila could see how God can still use her.

Isn't God so cool??? I think so :)

xoxoxoxo

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Good Morning Saturday....

Up early today because me and a friend are volunteering at an event being hosted by Joy FM radio station. It is taking place outdoors and it snowed last night. I am prepared with waterproof boots, thermal undies, gloves, hat & scarf! Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Just jumped on to post a few recent layouts. Don't have much time as I need to get in the shower and finish getting ready. Here we go....

REMAIN

I did this one for a challenge/dare over at The Digi Dares. It is another page depicting my 2010 word of the year.

5 W's

This was for a Scrap Orchard challenge where we were challenged to create a layout about the who, what, when, where, why of our scrapbooking addictions. I enjoyed this non-photo layout alot!

Rock Star

My SIL captured a great photo of Caiden wearing his daddy's hat and sunglasses. So, of course, I had to scrap it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Moment

My brother loved this photo of our dad with Trevor sitting on his lap. This layout was also for a Scrap Orchard challenge where we were told to scrap using B&W photo(s). Okay, so not much of a challenge for me, hahahaha. I LOVE scrapping with black & white photos as it allows me to use ANY color schemed kit I want without fear of clashing!

That is all for now. It is 7:23.....must get clothes into the dryer and me into the shower. No rest for me today..............atleast not until well into the afternoon!!!

x0x0x0x0x0

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Raised to walk in newness of life

Just feel like sharing what's on my heart this morning at this moment.....when I should be focused on work.

Last night I went to see my personal, earthly miracle-worker, Lisa. She is my hair dresser and she dresses my hair splendidly. I walked in to her basement studio with 3/4" gray roots. I admit it. No sense denying it. I walked out with beautful chocolately undertones & blonde highlights. The best part.......no GRAY showing! Ahhhh, I feel like a new woman again, lol.

Then this morning I received an email from a friend informing me her friend we had prayed for a few weeks ago passed away from brain cancer. She went peacefully in her sleep. That made me think about what it will be like to go home to heaven. HOME. HEAVEN. The little house I have lived in for over 20 years is just that.....a house. It is a temporary dwelling place. But heaven, that is my HOME. It is where I will spend eternity in perfect peace praising Jesus.

In the words of a Casting Crowns song....."what a glorious day" it will be to one day be ushered into a place where there is no more cancer. No more earthquakes. No more murder. No more tears. And yes, no more gray roots to cover up. I will be "raised to walk in newness of life".

Ahhhh, I am seriously homesick. Is that an odd thing to say? No, though, it may seem so to some. It doesn't mean I don't love my life (okay, sometimes it does, lol)....or my family.....my friends. It just means I was given the best gift imaginable in 1996. A gift that starts out with receiving a huge wrapped box. You unwrap it to find another smaller, wrapped box inside. You unwrap it to find yet another smaller, wrapped box. The initial box opened I received my salvation and the Holy Spirit. Each consecutive box holds new and wonderful blessings as I continue to grow in my faith. One day I will reach that final wrapped box that holds the key to heaven.....my eternal HOME.

So, this is what is on my heart today.....at this moment.....when I should be focused on work. Or should I? Where is your focus today?

xoxoxoxoxo

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1 Peter 3:10

1 Peter 3:10 (The Message)
Suffering for Doing Good

8-12 Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

Whoever wants to embrace life
and see the day fill up with good,
Here's what you do:
Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
run after peace for all you're worth.
God looks on all this with approval,
listening and responding well to what he's asked;
But he turns his back
on those who do evil things.

Wow, did I need to read this today. I receive a daily Bible verse in my email inbox everyday. This was todays verse.

I needed this because I have been dealing with some "sharp-tongued sarcasm" lately. I even had a conversation with a friend recently how I am just not going to stand for it anymore. One more 'fiery dart' thrown at me and I am not keeping my mouth shut. I know it is wrong and that my former Pastor would always say "if you want to confront someone then you probably shouldn't". Oh, but it is SO hard for me to turn the other cheek. But when I read the second half of that verse: Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here's what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he's asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things. On January 1st of this new year I made a choice to REMAIN in Christ. A choice to REMAIN attached to the vine. In essence, fill up with good. And to do that I should say nothing evil/hurtful; snub evil, cultivate good; run after peace for all I am worth!!! These are the things God looks upon with approval.

So I ask myself.....from whom am I seeking approval from? Those spewing the sharp-tongued sarcasm? Or God? I choose to seek God.

How about you? Are you being a blessing or are you being disagreeable, sarcastic, uncompassionate?

xoxoxoxo

The Missing....Found

Received this email from my dear, sweet friend, Christina....

So…I thought about sending out an email, but I had basically asked everyone if they had seen it so didn’t really see the point. I searched and searched frantically all day yesterday for this notebook. This morning on the way in, I gave the loss of my notebook to God. I convinced myself that if I wasn’t to find it, God was going to teach me something from it….take care of my things better (because you might lose your notebook), remember my list of to dos better (because you might lose your notebook), don’t keep important conversation data only in your notebook (because you might lose your notebook), don’t be so mean to people (because they might steal your notebook, lol)

Anyway I told God that I could accept that I lost it if he wanted me to. Know what he said (immediately)? He told my sweet friend Hilary to send an email without asking me because the one person that knew where it was is in the field 95% of his day and wouldn’t realize that it was mine and I was missing it so much….

It’s so amazing the little things that God uses to bring you back to the right way of thinking.

You might think the point I am trying to make by posting this email is to show you how much God cares about those little things (that are really huge to us). Well, of course, I believe that is very true. He does care about what we care about....even little things.

However, what I think He cares about even more is our response to Him when things/people in our life go missing. Do we kick, scream, cry, pout and take it out on those around us and God? Or, do we go to God and humbly say "Okay, God, I am okay with this.....if it be your will." Sometimes God has to use these moments to get our eyes off us and back on HIM.

Thank you Christina....for sharing this with me.

xoxoxoxo

Hearing God's Voice

Yesterday morning I met my dad at Starbucks a few minutes past 7:00 to buy him a coffee and Apple Fritter for his birthday before we went to church. I love the coziness of Starbucks. Everything from the music, the decor, to the yummy smell of coffee in the air!!! It was a nice way to start a Sunday.

Pastor Mark delivered the message because Dr. Hufty was out of town this week. At first I was disappointed. Not because I don't like Mark. No, not at all the case. Mostly because I have come to REALLY love Dr. Hufty's messages and especially his delivery of them. Yes, it will be hard one day to say goodbye to him when a new Senior Pastor is chosen for our flock. {sigh} However, if God could prepare my heart to be so fully open to this interim pastor just 6 months after losing Pastor Fred then He can prepare my heart for the one He has planned for us down the road.

The message was on Learning To Hear God's Voice. Hmmmm, really? I have heard other sermons on this topic and wasn't sure if this would be much different from the others. Well, I am not sure if the message was different this time or if "I" was just different. Either way, I really took a lot from it. Here are some of the points he made.....

There are 5 steps in the process of learning to hear God's voice.

1. PRAY....how can I possibly expect to hear God speak to me if I never stop and open up a line of communication?
2. GOD'S WORD.....am I unsure of whether or not I have heard God? Test it against God's word and determine if lines up with it or if it contradicts it? God will never tell me to do something that is not in line with His Truth.
3. GOD'S PEACE....if I think I have heard God speak yet I am still very confused or just unsettled then likely it is not from God. However, if I have peace for several days then I can be sure it is from Him.
4. CONSULT PRAYER WARRIORS....have two or three people in your circle that you know pray faithfully and when you are seeking God's voice, go to them and ask them to pray about it with you. If, after praying for a period of time they come back and share with you what they felt God saying to them and it lines up with what you heard God say then you can be sure it is God.
5. GOD'S CONFIRMATIONS.....through dreams & signs. I fully believe God still speaks to us through dreams today. I know of one time in my life where He did this for me. I think it is because we are so busy going....doing.....talking.....etc, that He has to wait for us to fall asleep and be still/quiet so He can speak to us.

It was a good weekend. Yes it was.

xoxoxoxo

2010 Inspiration Challenge

Last post today, promise!

I love the "dare challenges" at The Digi Dares. However, I rarely stop and do the challenges. I want to attempt to do atleast one dare a month this year. The reason I love their dares is because they challenge you to look within and scrap memories or life and not just photos. I forget sometimes to stop and do some layouts about things such as ~what I like/dislike at the time~ ~my favorite songlist at certain point and time~ ~what inspires me~. And so, I took the "inspiration" challenge and this is the result. This is what inspires me in January 2010:

There are so many other things that inspire me but I tried to narrow it down to an 8x8 layout, lol. As I thought about the different things/people/places that cause inspiration to well up inside me I realized I draw my inspiration from two different worlds.....#1 The real one, which I live among daily and #2 The cyberspace one, which I also tend to live among daily.

For this reason I split my layout into those two worlds. There are five blogs I follow obsessively because these ladies/blogs are often Christ centered and so uplifting (and real). It really doesn't matter that they reference many of their posts around their spouses & children. Being a single girl myself you might think that would be hard & tiresome to read about regularly. However, they do it in a way that when all is said and done, God is glorified and I am left challenged to be a better person in Christ. Here are a list of those blogs (they are also in my "favorites" sidebar but I will list them here, too). I challenge you to visit one a day over the next work week and see if you aren't inspired, too.

Sarah Markley

(in)courage

Chatting At The Sky

The Creative Mama

It's Almost Naptime!

Seriously...this is my life! (I added this one because my cousin's blog is also a great source of inspiration on many topics as well, including God).

For my IRL (in real life) inspiration list I chose these (in no particular order):

#1 {Music} I love music....contemporary Christian music to be more precise. Chris Tomlin is my absolute favorite praise & worship singer/songwriter. His songs can take me to a level of worship like few others can. This man certainly has used the gift/vision given him to bring immense glory to God.

#2 {Nature} Ahhh, nature, like music, can sweep me into a whole other realm. As pictured, just about anywhere in Colorado inspires me because of the various mountain ranges through out. Sunrises, a field of blooming flowers & blazing autumn colors can evoke the same inspiration in me.

#3 {God's Word} The Holy Bible.....if you can't find inspiration here then trust me, you cannot find it anywhere. I guess you can but then who do you give credit to for the inspiration? It is the foundation of all things that inspire. God's word, like God himself, is as same today as it was yesterday and as it will be tomorrow. It is what feeds and quenches our souls while we live out this time on earth.

#4 {These Boys} You had to know Trevor & Caiden would be one of my top sources of inspiration. Simply put, they inspire me to be a better person (period)

#5 {God's Gifts} I have blogged in the past about my love for rainbows. I can't imagine there isn't anyone who doesn't love these magnificent arching beauty's. For me to see a rainbow is, frankly, like receiving some of the best news possible. Seriously. If I am driving and able to pull off the road to just sit and stare at one I will. I have been known on many occasions to run outside after a thunderstorm has moved over and I see the sun break through the clouds just to try and catch one. I believe God has used rainbows to speak to me during 2 very low points in my life. The first was through a dream I had about many rainbows in the sky at one time. The second was an actual rainbow that appeared on my livingroom ceiling in 2008. Both times I needed God's promise of better things to come and both times, after the rainbows appeared, the clouds parted in my life and the sun began to shine again.

xoxoxo

What Is Your Vision

So, yesterday I chose my word....REMAIN. I chose my verse....John 15:4 "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

Today, I went to church. The first Sunday of a new year. During Sunday school I found myself feeling defensive during the bible study and comments being made by the group. I could hear satan whispering "this is why you came today?? for this?" I remained in my seat. No, I would not run. I would remain.

Dr. Hufty, our interim Pastor, as always delivered God's message in a way that really brings it home to the heart. Today he spoke of vision or lack thereof. Our scripture reference was Numbers 13:30-31 where it talks about Caleb bringing the report back to Moses saying by all means they should go up and take possession of the land as surely they could overcome it. However, other men objected, stating they were not able to go up against the people, for they were too strong for them. These other men did not have the vision of God's plan for them, therefore, they would never see the promised land.

Three reasons people lack vision according to today's message is

1. Because we do not fully realize who God is. God's love for us is immeasurable. Even as much as we love our own children/family.....it just cannot compare to how much God loves us.

2. Because we do not fully realize who We are. I am a child of God. God has plans for me (and you) and He says so in Jeremiah 29:11.....plans to prosper, not to harm. But, how often do we let this world cloud our vision of the plans God has for us? How many excuses do we make to not follow God's vision for us instead of just obeying? God has wired us each in our own way to bring Him glory. Use how He has wired you to reach others for His glory.

3. Because we do not fully realize who He wants us to be. Spiritual atrophy....the weakening of our spirits due to lack of daily exercise with God. If we do not renew daily....if we do not exercise ourselves in God's word, prayer, obedience daily.....we will grow weak and satan is just sitting on the sidelines waiting for the dark clouds to cover you or the tragedy to strike and then he moves onto the playing field....because he knows you are weak. Oh, how this part spoke to me. I realize I have allowed my spirit to atrophy during this time of depression which has given satan a foothold to keep me down. Wow!

Today, I chose to REMAIN despite hurt feelings, aching heart, depression....I chose to REMAIN. Each day will be a choice. Will I always choose wisely? I know now the answer is no. But, today I did. And I see the sunshine out the window differently because of it.

What will you choose today....tomorrow.....this week that will bring you joy over sadness? My prayer is that you make that choice....despite it all.

xoxo,
Helen

R.E.M.A.I.N.

My cousin has done this for a few years now and I see it becoming more and more popular. Choosing a "word" for the year. It is a choice that is personal to each individual based upon things such as family, goals, religion, etc.

I have never done this and truth be told, I had no intentions of choosing a word for this year. And if I am going to be honest I might as well 'fess up completely....I still don't "want" to.

However, I believe God wants me to. See, I pretty much ignored Him all morning as the thought of "a word of the year" would pop into my head. How God? How can I do this? You know where I am....you know my heart....you know ME. The. Real. Me.

Then, at 12:47 p.m. this afternoon my phone rings. I fully expected to see a certain name appear on the caller ID screen but to my delightful surprise it was a dear friend from Colorado. A dear friend I so rarely get a chance to really "talk" to because she doubles as Super Woman while raising 7 year old quadruplet boys & working full-time as a Project Engineer. You think you're busy? Ha! I usually call her during our early morning commutes to work and we are lucky to get in 10 minutes. So, to see her name on my phone was pure joy. We didn't talk about anything deep or spiritual....just 33 min 40 sec of chit-chat about the holidays, kids, ripped jeans, weight loss. You get the picture. I hung up and was refreshed. I smiled. God knew what I needed today and He provided. My dear friend has no idea how God used her today.

Again, word-of-the-year, thought pops into my head. Okay God. Okay. I get it. I can do this but only if I REMAIN in you. Remain is not the word I initially thought of. Words such as focus, joy, provision all came to me first. It wasn't until I went to ChristianityToday.com that the words "Remain in Me" jumped off the page at me. I read the article and the John 15:4 verse that accompanied it and I just knew.....this was the word.

It is terrifying to post something like this for God, family, friends, blog followers to read because it now becomes "in writing" and if I fail....I feel guilty. Everything within me wants to pull the covers over my head and fade into non-existance. The thought of getting out of bed tomorrow morning to go to church overwhelms me. There are SO many things I want to accomplish but the thought of failing stops me. Why? I would have to say it is because I see myself doing these things in my own strength. In my own time. In my own way. Until I bring God back into the formula of how to reach my goals....I labor in vain. Only God knows the hold depression has upon my life. Only God can break that hold and give me back the desire, energy, & focus needed to receive the abundant blessings He has waiting for me.

So, here we go 2010......this is the year to REMAIN in Him!!!

ps- if you hadn't noticed...I changed my blog design and incorporated my WOTY in my banner. Great idea Angela....hope you don't mind I lifted that idea from your blog :)

Happy Birthday Jesus

Luke 2:1-20

Christ Born of Mary

1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,[a] who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory in the Highest

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold,[b] an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

[c]15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely[d] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Merry Christmas

It's beginning to look alot

like the Christmas (winter) season around Scrap Orchard!!!! I tell ya, this one amazing group of designers!! Here are few of some of my favorites from the Fresh Fruit Friday selection this week. All of the kits shown below are linked to the Scrap Orchard store just by clicking on the previews. And, the BEST part is......these are all 20% off for the next week so what the heck you waiting for??? Get clickin' and grab some adorable Christmas & Wintery kits to work on all those upcoming photos!!!

I adore all these little snowmen!!! There is even a snow kitty & snow puppy! How cute?

Who doesn't love hot cocoa & marshmellows? This kit is perfect for scrappy those snow days!


I think my favorite element in this kit is the little lamby!

And I just love everything about this one!!!

There you have it.....some Friday Fave's of mine :) Enjoy & stay warm!!

Singles Conference Huge Success!

We said goodbye to Kent Bottenfield a little over an hour ago while outside of Farmer's Restaurant in Highland. It was such a let down to see him go. After the months and months of planning the FIRST Singles conference at FBC Maryville was an incredible success. Some might be inclined to follow that comment with the question, "So then, you had a large number turn out for the event?". To that I would reply "No, not a large number but the perfect number showed up." It was a success not because of numbers but because we honored God in every aspect of this event.

The preparation began Friday morning about 10:00 a.m. when my friend, Sheila, and I went to buy bottled water, soda, and various items for Kent's welcome bags. We arrived at the church at 12:30 p.m. and met up with others on the team to begin setting up tables & chairs in the gym. We decorated tables, arranged plates/napkins/utensils, stuffed carry-out bags, sorted through prize give-aways, etc etc. We left the church around 4:30 exhausted. We went to eat at Applebee's where we were entertained by Tyler and his impressions of Stuart & Lorraine. Okay, I was entertained and I entertained everyone with my hysterical laughter.

Saturday morning many of us arrived at the church by 10:45 a.m. to take care of the final details of getting registration tables in order, sorting t-shirts to sell, making copies of ice-breaker questions. The anticipation was mounting as 1:00 p.m. rolled around. We looked as though we would pounce on the first person to walk through the doors. It really was quite comical to look at. People began to arrive and the buzz started. My feet were insanely sore already. Soon it was nearing 2:00 p.m. and it was about to begin. Years of praying and a year of planning was about to unfold before us. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning eagerly ready to see the gift beneath the wrapping paper.

The worship band opened with 4 songs to bring us into an attitude of worship led by Brian Carr and the college band. Next was the human video by our very talented Steve Moutria. His ability to minister through these human videos just amazes me. I kid you not, you do not take your eyes off him the entire time he performs. We were so glad he had the forethought to ask us to move the video to the beginning of the conference vs. beginning of the concert.

Then it was on to the break-out sessions....1, 2 & 3. I was only able to listen in on 2 of the 3 due to a few glitches that came up. What I heard on the subjects of Flexibility, Unity and Purity was the heart of God and nothing short of that.

Now we are coming the really good part of this event. Yep, you guessed it, the food. Come on, we are Baptists and we love our food fellowships. Cuz let's face it, is there such a thing as a fellowship without good eats??? Oh no, no such thing! LOL We had purchased extra food just in case and there was SO much left over it was sickening! Farmer's restaurant out of Highland prepared it and we had Fried Chicken, Italian Roast Beef, Mostaccoli, Green Beans, Corn, Mash Tators, 2 Gravies, Salad, and bread. PLUS, delicious Boston Creme Torte Cake donated by our Sunday school teacher from his business. Seriously....insanely.....out of this world good eats!

We opened the concert at 6:45 with prize drawings and then Kent Bottenfield took the stage for his first set. Sitting in the very front row was bittersweet. While one moment I could sense Pastor Fred's presence and could easily picture him in my mind with that big grin on his face, lifting those eyebrows and doing that quick little head bob and giving us a thumbs up.....the next moment I was seeing the events of March 8th. Both visions would bring me to tears. And of course, I did not have my kleenex! Hello? I thought it was church policy to have boxes of kleenex in the front pews. If not, it should be!!!

The remainder of the concert was super and the presentation by African Vision of Hope was so informative but done in a way that did not bore you or turn you off. I pray their ministry was hugely blessed by the platform given through this event. Kent ended the night by grabbing the mike from Pastor John to make this announcement "I have NEVER, EVER done this in my performing career but I am asking you to please go out and buy my CD's. Every dime from those sales will go to AVOH." I just could have cried when I heard that. Humble, gentle, kind, compassionate, selfless man of God = Kent Bottenfield.

Afterwards we took Kent to......Applebee's! I don't eat there for 6 months and then I am there 2 days in a row. It was nice and relaxing to just sit and enjoy Kent's company.

Sunday Kent did the sermons of all 3 services. Wow!!! I could have listened to him speak all afternoon. He is a visual speaker and I LOVE visuals! He spoke on the subject of 'Intentional Pursuit of Godly Passion'. Purpose-Attitude-Satisfying-Sacrifice-Invest in Others-Non Negotiable was the acronym he used in his sermon. As always God gave yet another confirmation this was all HIS plan when Kent touched on several key notes of our class lesson from the previous hour.

After church our class & the speakers of the event took Kent to, no not Applebees, Farmer's in Highland. It seems most restaurants follow this code of architecture that states "Always design the dining rooms with high, open ceilings & tile floors so every sound echoes and when there is a room full of diners it is so loud no one can hear what the person sitting next to them is saying.....thus, your table turn around will be much faster and you will make more money" SERIOUSLY! Still, it was a delicious lunch and a great 1 1/2 hours of fellowship with Kent.

And then it was time to let Kent go so he could get back to his family and rest. This was an amazing weekend filled with great purpose....an attitude of worship....satisfaction of jobs abundantly well done....sacrificing of time and sleep....investing in others in our church and surrounding community....and the bringing forth of the non-negotiable Word of God. All this combined made for changed lives and what an incredible honor that God allowed me to be a part of it all.

Here I am with Kent outside the restaurant.

Miracles In The Midst of Agony

I promised you (7 days ago) a story about how miracles can be happening even while the world around us is in chaos. Read this story from my cousin's blog

"K was born on February 21, 2001 in Galveston, TX. Sadly, she was born very sick and it took a while to find out what was wrong. The doctors figured out there was something wrong with her liver when she was six weeks old. They tried every thing to make her better but nothing worked. In the end they said only a liver transplant could save her life.

When she was six months old she was severely ill, sick in the hospital waiting for a liver transplant. One bright September morning K's parents and doctors learned that a donor liver was available 800 miles away (in Nashville). However this was no ordinary morning, it was September 11, 2001. America was under attack, and as a result all airplanes were grounded. K's liver could not be flown to her in time. But nobody wanted to give up on K's liver. Many phone calls too place between Houston, Nashville, and Washington D.C. The Pentagon gave permission for the Air National Guard to fly the liver to Houston on a giant C130 military plane.

As a result K's life was saved. This heroic act saved one life on a day when thousands of others died. On the 8th anniversary of 9/11, K is a 3rd grader.

Such an amazing life story. As someone once phrased 'it gives me chicken skin' when I read it. You might know the phrase as 'goosebumps'.

I have been scrapping but just not posting, sorry. I will put a few on here before I leave. Dont' expect to see much from me until after 9/27 sometime. The Singles Conference & Concert that has been in the works for this whole year is now just 6 days away. All the loose ends must be tied up this week. I am taking off work Friday to allow for all the church prep work. Hopefully that will all me to rest up Friday night & Saturday morning before the event starts. Basically I will be living at FBCM from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. Hoping Grandma & Grandpa will take Molly for the weekend so she does not feel like an orphan doggie.

This was for a journaling challenge at Scrap Orchard. Since the 6 month anniversary of Pastor Fred's death and the 9/11 attacks fell in the same week AND I had failed to take my meds for depression for over a week......well, let's just say I was not in a happy place. I was terribly weepy that week. When I get weepy like that, I find writing is a great outlet. That was the inspiration for this LO.....my weepiness & love of writing!

This was for another SO template challenge. I used a new kit from LCC Amy Stoffel called Hanabi's Heart. The colors lend themselves to gorgeous fall pages.

Here is a LO I did last Saturday while sitting up at the church waiting for potential ticket purchasers. I was trying to decide what I wanted to scrap and came across this photo of me and my precious doggie, Little Bit aka Itty Bit. So, I did a Christmas page.

And you know my post would not be complete without a layout of at least ONE of the boys. These were some photos I stole from Andrea's camera while I had her SD card in my possession last week. I loved this series of pics with Trevor and his bubble lawn mower. My favorite photo is the one on the bottom to the left of the 2 smaller photos with his hat off. I think it looks like he is would be saying "I give UPPPPP....I have HAD it!!!!"

And here is another yesteryear layout using a photo of me from 17 years ago, yikes! Yes, this is a Glamour Shot photo and yes, I know, I had very big hair. No need to post comments about the hair, LOL!

M.I.A.

I knew I had not been on to blog for a while but did not realize it had been 12 days. As I look back over those days I cannot see exactly why I have been MIA on my blog. I have not been "that" busy. Busy, yes. Hmmm, I really don't know. But, I am here now.

It is Sunday morning. I have 14 minutes before I need to get up and get ready for church. If I have time when I am ready I will come back to the computer and work on unzipping & loading some awesome new Pea fonts I just downloaded.

This has been an odd morning. My mind has been racing with thoughts. The kind of thought processes that remind me of the magician pulling the colored scarves out of his pocket and it never ends. The colors change (as my thoughts are) but there is just one after another after another after another...you get the idea. Oy! I wish there was a pause button on my brain. Okay, maybe I should watch what I wish for. Really, I don't want to check out in the brainwave department permanently....just pause it for 30 minutes. As I say that I think of the word PRAYER. See, another thought process! Maybe instead of wanting to close my eyes and go numb for awhile I should PRAY. Praying takes the focus of you and whatever is surrounding you and your mind at the moment and puts onto the outward things. Well, I guess that depends on how exactly you pray. If the prayers are filled with God help ME....God I need this or God please grant ME, well then.....the purpose is kind of defeated.

This past week was the 8th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks as well as the 6 month mark of losing Pastor Fred. Ugh, double whammy! I didn't turn on the TV Friday as I did not want the images of 9/11 flooding my brain. Don't get me wrong, we ALL need to NEVER forget. It is just that I am still dealing with the images of our churchs' own 9/11....only our date is 3/08. I could not handle anymore "images" this week.

However, there is a wonderful story I would like to share about 9/11. Yes, I said wonderful. It is a story of how even in the midst of our country's most tragic moments, God was still working miracles. More on that in the next post....I am 8 minutes behind where I said I needed to be to get ready for church. Last thing I need is to start running late and then get all "in a mood" before church....wouldn't that just make the devil so happy. I won't give him the satisfaction.

Be blessed!!!

Hope....

This little four letter word that comes out of my mouth probably more than realize stands for something much larger than I give credit. What do I hope for?

• the conference sales are enough to cover costs
• more work comes in to meet the weekly obligations
• all my plans for vacation go according to my wishes

What should I hope for?

• God sends to our conference the ones who are desperately seeking the kind of change only He can offer through Jesus!
• That I can be the shining light of Jesus in the work place, even when things seem bleak
• That God give me the opportunity to share His love to someone while on my vacation

So, what IS the difference between my first set of hopes & my second? OBJECT OF MY FOCUS! If I could have a recorder that only recorded those times when I say the words "I hope [fill in the blank]" and then replay those words I bet 99% of them would all be selfishly spoken with only my own concerns & comforts in mind. The hardest thing to remember is that hope is NOT this switch we turn on only when "we" need something to go our way. Hope is an eternal flame that should burn inside us....with the main focus being on God....the giver & sustainer of our Hope [in Jesus].

I don't believe it is wrong to hope for all the little things we hope for. After all, God lays on our hearts certain hopes and desires to take us in certain directions at different times in our lives. But, if we never place Jesus in the center of those hopes then are those things really worth hoping for? Sometimes the hardest thing for me to remember is "It's not always about ME" even though I often feel I "deserve" to have those hopes and dreams realized. In reality, all I deserve is what Jesus did for me over 2000 years ago in the greatest act of love imaginable through His death on the cross. That's what I deserve! But, my Jesus loves me so much He paid that price for me and has bridged the gap from my heart to God's with His blood.

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. Psalm 130:7

What are YOU hoping for today? Hope in Jesus and you will not be let down.

If God is for us.....

who can surely be against us? If you don't know the answer, read on. If you do, read on.

This was taken from It's Almost Naptime and I read it at 2:45 a.m. this morning. Yes, you read correctly. I fell asleep earlier than usual and woke about 2:09 a.m. to go to the bathroom (darn bladder). My four-legged darling has been scratching & scratching for days. No fleas but I put the meds on her anyway. Well, I could not stand it anymore, I gave her a bath at 2:25 a.m. to see if possibly that would help. She is lying peacefully next to me, still damp from the bath, on the arm of the recliner as I type. I digress as this post was not supposed to be about my itchy dog. Here goes....

Psst - Paul wants to tell you something
By Missy @ It's Almost Naptime

Beth emailed me today, Have you ever read Romans 8 in The Message? Wow!I hadn't, not in The Message. So I just did. And Beth summed it up - Wow. You need a Wow this morning? Read on:

With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.

The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn't deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.

Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored.

But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!

So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!

That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.

All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mmmmm, good stuff, huh?

Blessings on your day,
Helen

A very fine weekend!!!

Well, this was a full weekend. Saturday I walked out the door at 7:30 a.m. and drove to my "2nd home"....WalMart. I had a list of things to pick up for sorting/organizing the t-shirts we are selling to raise funds for our singles conference in September. That list consisted of large rubbermaid containers, sharpie markers, large rubber bands, box tape & 2 school folders for the paperwork we need to keep track of. Finished at WM....check!

I cannot be that close to Starbucks and not get a mocha & blueberry scone. So, I drove through and got my caffeine fix....check!

I drove on up to Edwardsville to the printers to pick up the shirts and as usual, I was far too early. [I have a horrible sense of foretelling time]. So, I parked and liesurely sipped my mocha & nibbled my scone. A Venti size SB's drink usually lasts me up to 2 hours but this morning it was gone in 40 minutes. Hello? There had to be an invisible caffeine addict in the car with me stealing gulps of my mocha...no way did I down that in 40 minutes. Atleast that is the story I am sticking with.

The printer's opened at 9 a.m.....actually 8:59 a.m. according to my vehicle's clock. I walked in, handed over a check for $1000+ and walked out with 2 heavy boxes. I could not believe there was over a thousand dollars sitting in my trunk.....100% cotton shirts at that! I reached the church at about 9:30ish and started to lovely task of making 5 trips to/from my vehicle to unload the WalMart purchases & the $1000+ boxes of shirts into the church foyer.

The next 3 hours was spent making stenciled posters & sorting out the tshirts. Then I filled up the large rubbermaid containers and proceeded to load them on a flatbed cart and haul them up the elevator to the 2nd floor & unload them in our Sunday school room for the next morning. It was now 12:30 and I was very hungry & very tired.

I drove through Taco Bell and grabbed a bite to take home and I tried to nap before leaving at 3:30 to go to a Premier Jewelry show at 4:30. I did not get home from that until nearing 8 p.m.

Sheila & Ashlee came by to pick up Chandler-Bing [I dog-sitted for them while they were on vacation the past week] about 9:15 p.m.

Now, that was all just Saturday! Today I left the house at 7:50 a.m., went to McD's to pick up breakfast for class because I thought it was my day for it (it wasn't). I arrived at the church about 8:15 a.m. and started carrying chairs to our classroom while I waited for Ursula to arrive and help me prepare the t-shirt table. Then we lugged those containers filled with the $1000+ 100% cotton tshirts to the table and set it all up. I was sweating before 9 a.m.....at church.....in church clothes....how gross! We had several people come by & pick up their pre-ordered tshirts and even sold 7 or 8 of the extra shirts we bought just to have on hand to sell.

Church service was great....Reggie Joyner from Northpointe Church in Atlanta, GA did our services today. I was so excited when he said where he was from and that he works with Andy Stanley. I have talked about Andy before and how our singles group spent over a year with Andy as our Sunday school teacher on DVD. Can't say enough great stuff about Andy and his way of bringing God's truth to light through his awesome visualizations & wonderful speaking voice. Reggie was much the same in that respect....very much grabs your attention and keeps it. At times I found myself not breathing while he carried on several sentences without taking a breath. I am serious....I had to make myself breathe, lol. He, too, used some visuals and he kept out cameramen busy as he rarely stood in one place for more than a few seconds. He spoke about how if we have a spiritual goal we want to reach (or any goal for that matter) we need to strategize what needs to be done to reach that goal and then do it....keeping that end goal in our focus at all times. It is similar to how I learned to drive a car at age 15. I got behind the wheel and started slowly down the road with my eyes focused intently on.......the very front of the car. Looking up briefly to the road ahead but most of the time just directly at the front of the car's hood. It was very awkward and I remember asking my parent (probably my dad) how you keep from veering all over the place? He could tell what I was doing and explained I needed to look further down the road.....toward my goal. It seemed so very odd to hear that but sure enough, when I kept my eyes looking forward, that is when I was better able to "keep it in the middle of the road". Same with out Heavenly Maker....when we keep out eyes focused on Him, we will find ourselves on the path of His perfect will and not tripping & falling because we took our eyes off. Wow! What a great God-bit to take in to the new week.

After church we lugged all those containers of shirts out to my car and lugged myself home to rest. After all, isn't that what Sunday is supposed to be....a day of REST? Hello? Can I get an amen???

My weekend of course is not complete without some kind of scrapbooking layout. Below you will find something out of the ordinary for me to do in sb'ing. This style of sb'ing is called Fantasy. This is far from my style of doing layouts but I have to admit, I was drawn to this piece of artwork I found on Feed Your Soul....a place where artists can place their artwork for people to download for free. The hot air balloon in the layout below is from this website and was designed by Ellen Hozyra Currier and the moment I saw it I knew I had to use it in a layout. The balloon my my LO is a bit different as the flowers trailing off the basket did not extract well so I removed them. I added Trevor's little head popping up from the basket and then began the task of laying in papers & different effects to create the sky, ocean & beach scenes. I extracted another photo of Trevor to sit on the beach. Like I said, this is not my style but could not pass up the chance to use the balloon.

That was my weekend. It has been raining for a little while now and I decided rather than take a nap I would blog. Thanks for stopping by today.


CREDITS:
You Don't Know Me by Shawna Clingerman of Sweet Shoppe Designs
Summer Oasis by Cara Mia Designz at Natural Designs in Scrapbooking
Summer Sampler Week 5 from Sweet Shoppe Designs
Sand Pile by Lorilei Murphy of Rosey Posey Studio
Digital Compilations,Ocean Breezes, by Cinda at Faith Sisters
Rainbow's Touch by Laitha

Link to Feed Your Soul and the artist's original piece.....
http://indiefixx.com/Feed_your_soul/downloads/EllenKozyraCurrierl_fys.pdf

(In)Courage gets FIVE STARS!!!

I talk about a LOT of different sites that I follow but there is a new one that just started this month which has me bubbling over with excitement to share!

It is called (In)Courage and it is managed/maintained by about 27 women....all women of faith in the Lord. Here is a link to their main page http://www.incourage.me/ and I strongly (in)courage you to go visit.

One of the topics is called "Courage" and here is just one story....one awesome, amazing, faith-building story to share with you....it is about "believing in the power of prayer"


This photo is from their website....click on the photo to go to the story of "believe the impossible"

Hope you are blessed by the visit!!!

Hugs, Helen