I like to collect things and sometimes I collect things that I didn't even know I was collecting - like PINK rings! How many PINK rings should a girl have? I am counting 7 in that picture. There is pink morganite, pink beads, pink ice, pink cameo, pink fake...er...I mean pink faux. I just LOVE PINK! PINK is such a happy color! It just makes me feel better and wouldn't you know but a few walls in our home are PINK. Joining the PINK Saturday girls seemed like the natural thing to do. Please go visit some of their websites - they have some amazing pictures and stories to share and be sure to stop by at Beverly's blog: http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/. She is the creator of this wonderful idea!

Happy PINK Saturday everyone!

Encouragement

“Encouragement is the oxygen of the soul.”
—George M. Adams(1837-1920); US Representative from Kentucky

Call me Mrs. Barnabas because I am an encourager. A couple of days ago I talked about knowing your purpose. We get to understand how to work our purpose when we know what our gifts are. One of my gifts is encouragement and I like that one! I like to help people recognize their attributes and good things in their lives - we need to know that our life has value and purpose. There are people around us everyday that go unnoticed for their hard work or the things that we take for granted - be sure to recognize what it is they have done. When we tell someone "nice job" or "you can do it", we are giving them a gift. The bonus of it is that both the giver and the receiver are blessed! Who will you bless today?

I Have A Dream

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”
—Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888); Novelist

I am a dreamer - always have been - probably always will be and I'm no spring chicken either, sweetheart. Scripture teaches us that where there is no vision the people perish (Prov 29:18). How insightful those words are - we have to have hope - something to work toward. But, I have to add a word of caution. If we are not careful we can allow ourselves to always live toward the future without enjoying the present. I did that for years until one day I realized what I was doing...I had the "if onlys"...if only I lose weight, if only I had this job, this outfit, this house, was smarter....the list could go on and on (trust me). "If only" is a dangerous place to be because in our mind we are not "enough" until we get the "if only." So, I challenge you to look at your present circumstances and enjoy and embrace where you are and who you are because after all there "is only" one you!

Is Being Messy a Gift?

Find out who you are and do it on purpose.

Dolly Parton

I love this quote! Do you know people who try to figure out what their purpose is or if they are even here for a purpose? Or. . .have you seen people try to go out and create their purpose? We are all born with God-given talents and the combination of our talents is unlike anyone else - now if that is not knowing you are here for a purpose, then I don't know what is! If you are seeking to understand your strengths, then might I suggest the book, "Living Your Strengths." It has an online personality test by the Gallup Organization and helps you identify your top 5 strengths. When I took the test, I was amazed and pleased with the results because it was me. Sometimes people will say that their strengths are "boring" - not so!! We need all the strengths and whatever it is that you have, then use it! If it is organization, then come to my house cause I need it! If it is being responsible then teach others what that means. Did you know that one of the strengths even has to do with someone who likes to collect words or sayings or things? Now that was not in my top 5, but I'm tellin' ya that it was at least in my top 10 because I have the garage and basement to prove it - they are a (pleasing) mess of my collections of things that I see that have "potential." Oh, and let's not forget ALL OF THE BOOKS OF SAYINGS AND QUOTES that I have not to mention folders full of quotes on my computer. My office is full of them too. Yep, that is definitely a strength.

So, do like Dolly says, "Find out who you are and DO IT ON PURPOSE! Lookin' forward to meetin' ya!

One of my favorites...

The Touch of the Master's Hand

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who will start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar" then, Two! Only two?
"Two dollars, and who'll make it three?"
"Three dollars, once; three dollars twice;
Going for three..." But no,
From the room, far back, a grey haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With voice that was quiet and low,
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?"
"Two thousand! And who'll make it three?"
"Three thousand, once; three thousand twice;
And going and gone," said he
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth?" Swift came the reply:
"The touch of the master's hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
Much like the old violin.
A "mess of potage," a glass of wine;
A game- and he travels on.
He is "going" once, and "going" twice,
He's "going" and almost "gone"
But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul
and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the master's hand.

POWER

Power made me a coat. for a long time I kept it in the back of my closet. I didn't like to wear it much but I always took good care of it. When I first started wearing it again, it smelled like mothballs. As I wore it more it started fitting better and stopped smelling like mothballs.

I was afraid if I wore the coat too much someone would want to take it or else I would accidentally leave it in the women's dressing room. but it has my name on the label now, and it doesn't really fit anyone else. when people ask me where I found such a becoming garment, I tell them about the Tailor who knows how to make coats that you grow into.

First you have to find the courage to approach Him and ask Him to make your coat. Then you must find the patience inside yourself to wear the coat until it fits.

Author Unknown

My First Pink Saturday

Well, since it is my first PINK Saturday, I thought that I should get dressed up for the occasion and make sure that EVERYTHING was pink - including my toes. I always think that a little sparkle is good too - GLITTER TOES! Personally, I think the whole world should be PINK. I am so glad that Beverly thought of PINK SATURDAY. What a great idea!! You know, we should have a national holiday called PINK day where everyone wears PINK. Wouldn't that be fun?! I wonder if people's moods would be brighter? If I had to choose a color that would describe me, it would be PINK. I LOVE PINK - it is soft, feminine, girly-girl and makes you happy. I am definitely a girly-girl, soft spoken and I like to be happy and I LOVE being around other PINK personalities. How about you? Are you a PINK girl too?

Today is a better day

Today is a better day. I had time to think and reflect on where things are in my life. Do you remember the saying, "Rome wasn't built in a day"? That covers a lot - my life isn't done, what I believe God has called me to do isn't done but step by step with God's help, this will happen.

I bought on a whim a book called Ruby Slippers by Jonalyn Grace Fincher and it is going to be one of those that I will refer to again and again. Such wisdom comes from Jonalyn! She hits the nail on the head about what women struggle with - measuring ourselves against someone else whether what they have is better or worse. We put value into who we are based on our culture and what it teaches us. We have believed the lie that we are only worthy if we are beautiful or better than or....What we need to embrace is the truth that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made and that truly our beauty comes from our own soul. Wow! What a book. What a wise woman Jonalyn Grace Fincher is!

Aaargh!!!

I always liked the Charlie Brown comic strip probably because I can relate to so many of the characters. Often, I feel like Charlie Brown and today is one of those days. I am struggling today with understanding the desire that I believe God has placed in my heart. If the desire I have is real, then why hasn't it happened? Why is not a good question, but I'm asking it anyway because I need to know is it me that has kept it from happening or is the time not right yet? What does it look like? How will I know? Someone told me today that because my desire is so strong and has been there for so long that it is from God. Another person told me that our desire to be may not look like the vision we have. Can we trust God with our desire? Are we to learn to be content in all things? Wait a minute, let me reframe that? How do we know if our being content is a cop out from not moving forward because we are too scared, too tired, etc versus just learning to trust God with where things are? Like I said, I can relate to Charlie Brown! Aaargh!!!

Mary Moments

Once a month I have the privilege of joining several ladies as we learn from a woman who has been gifted by God to understand His word and apply it in very practical ways. I call this very special time my "Mary Moments" because I am mostly a Martha living in a Martha world. In Luke chapter 10 we learn that Mary wants to sit at Jesus' feet and listen and learn while her sister, Martha, is busy "taking care of things." she gets agitated at Mary because Mary wasn't helping, but Martha had a choice - she didn't have to do the preparations. So, today, I sat and listened to our dear teacher as she explained what leadership is from God's perspective. You know what I learned and it is hard for me. . I learned that it is not all about me and how much preparation I do or how hard I work, but rather it is about me saying, "Jesus, this is all I have" and allowing Him to work through me. That is exactly what He wants - it isn't about me and it is about Him. When I allow God to work through me and my life as it is, that is when things begin to happen. Hmmm...maybe I'll get more sleep since I don't have to do it all...that's another story.

A while back there was a beautiful bottle up for bid on eBay with an Alice in Wonderland theme. I contacted the eBay seller of this bottle and asked if I could post a picture of it on my blog. Little did I know that the artist of this bottle is the proprietor of rosesonmytable.com. Zinnia is the artist and runs this wonderful web page. It is a place for artists to come and share their ideas and learn new artistic endeavors. Please visit Zinnia and the other talented members there. By the way, isn't this bottle fabulous? I LOVE Alice in Wonderland. What a delightful story! Thank you, Zinnia, for allowing me to post this bottle on my page.

Relay for Life

Tonight was our local relay for life. What a special time it was. There are some people near and dear to my heart who are cancer survivors and they were there tonight. I love the silent walk we take in honor of those who have braved such a battle in their lives. I am proud to know them.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

Today I hosted a luncheon for some friends. We had such a nice time - good food, laughter, flowers, pretty china - just being together. With our fast paced world today, we often miss out on the one-on-one time that we spend with others. We are so busy driving, texting, working, etc. that we don't often take the time to visit with those we care about. I'm glad I slowed down enough to spend time with some of the special blessings in my life. At each of their places I wrapped a diamond ornament in some tulle and set it above their place with this saying: Diamonds are made beautiful and valuable under pressure. Thank you for being one of the diamonds in my life. I have been blessed with wonderful women in my life and they are all diamonds. Each of them has had their own struggles that has made their beauty shine through even more. I want to make sure that I let them know how special they are to me as well as to others. What about you? What is your diamond story?

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Beadedly Challenged

Is that a word? All summer I have been looking forward to a dear friend showing me how to bead. She made the most beautiful Santa head that was loomed. The finished piece is about 5x7". It is stunning. Why is it that when I want to learn something new that I start with the most difficult project imaginable hoping for a masterpiece? Sigh. Well, today I did feel “beadedly challenged.” It made me think, though, about life. How many times do we go through something and we want to learn it and BE DONE so that we don’t have to learn it anymore? I know that I have…many times. Sometimes the learning seems so painful, so long, so…..But, I have come to find out that if I didn’t experience the process of learning that I would truly not be able to appreciate the outcome, or in this case - a masterpiece. All though I have questioned God more than once, He knows what He is doing in our lives. If we ran before we learned to crawl, then we would fall flat on our face. But, because we go through the steps to get us to run, we are able to do so and not grow weary. No, I don’t always like the process but I do enjoy the masterpiece. What beautiful masterpiece is He working on in your life?

I have pondered and pondered what to write about today. The main reason I am struggling is because I have a friend who is going through a difficult time and I wish so much that I had the right words or the answer she needed, but I don’t. She told me that her faith is really shaken right now (been there, done that). So many thoughts come to my mind…sometimes we think that if we are just “good enough” that things will get better and guess what? They don’t. We wonder what we’ve “done wrong” and what we need to do “different” in order for things to get better. . . that isn’t the answer either. We wonder how the rest of the world seems to go on and no one seems to understand, or worse, care about the depth of the pain we are feeling. The difficult thing is the world does go on and no human can probably understand the depths of our pain or wants to because it hurts too much. Here is what I can say because I have been through a dark night of the soul experience. When you come out on the other side you see how faithful God was. It isn’t about God coming in and making everything okay (believe me, this idea caused me a lot of heartache) as it is God being with us in the process. God is faithful and He does take care of His own…it’s just that we don’t tend to see that until the event has passed. That does lead us to another truth, though, and that is, “This too shall pass.” That is a promise and a good one. Difficult times make us better – if we choose to. How many times have we gone through painful situations only to find that after the storm has passed that we are stronger and a better person because of it? I am sure that is not what my friend wants to hear right now. So until the storm has passed just know that I am lifting you up in prayer, my friend.

Mediocrity

Entry Word: mediocre
Function: adjective
Meaning: 1 of average to below average quality
Synonyms common, fair, indifferent, medium, middling, ordinary, passable, run-of-the-mill, second-rate, so-so
Related Words acceptable, adequate, all right, alright, decent, OK (or okay), reasonable, satisfactory, sufficient, sufficing, tolerable; moderate, modest; presentable, respectable; minimal, unexceptional; fine, good, nice

Antonyms a basketball in the hands of Michael Jordan (ok, so I added my own twist here)

Hmmm….what is this post about? Mediocrity? I don’t want to hear about that. Am I the only one or have you at some point in your life strived to be more than mediocre? I know that for me I want to be great at my job. I still want to look nice when I dress up, be a good cook, be a good artist/doll maker, plan an awesome meal and entertainment for 100 ladies, and…the list goes on. Well, if the truth be known, in my self-evaluation I find that for the most part I am just mediocre. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I can still cook some good things, work hard at my job, put on a nice evening for 100 women, etc but I am not stellar in any of them. But….is that such a bad thing? We strive and we strive and we strive to be the best at something. What if we just do our best and leave the outcome to God? Now, that seems reasonable. I rather like that – it takes the pressure off. Besides, I think that is how God would like to have it. He wants to shine through us. In God’s Word it says, “My power works best in your weakness.” Wow! What this teaches me is that I can quit trying so hard to be. That doesn’t mean that I do nothing, it just means that I bring what I have to God and allow Him to work through me. It is sort of like being a basketball – A basketball is only a basketball until placed in Michael Jordan’s hands…then it becomes unstoppable.
What can you give to God today that He can work His power through you?

Woman of Hope

While I am thinking about it, I want to let people know about my website. It is called Woman of Hope and it is just that! Have you ever been at that place in your life where you were at the bottom and the only thing that you could hold onto was hope? I have. It was the darkest time in my life. However, it is out of the darkest hours that our character is developed. Because of my own personal experiences, it has made me understand and empathize more with others who are experiencing pain. I am thankful for that. I am attaching a picture to this post because I saw this picture several years ago in a magazine while sitting in a waiting room. It spoke to the author of the article about Hope and is aptly titled, "Hope" by George Watts. If you look at the picture you get the feeling that she is barely hanging on. There is only one string left to play and she strums it, hoping to get something in return. I love that. We play what we are given - that is all we can do and then we trust the outcome to our God.

Julie and Julia

Did you see the movie Julie and Julia? It is definitely one of my current favorites! It was inspirational to me too as I thought how great it would be to blog everyday....Alas, here I am several months later and revisiting that idea...I'm going to try and see if I can do this. I think that part of what stopped me at sitting down to blog everyday was the fact that there are some other sites that I visit and they blog every day ALONG with AMAZING pictures of something new they have created, etc. So, I had to have a talk with myself and say that it is OKAY if I don't have pictures every time. I'll just have thoughts, ponderings, musings...Speaking of musing, I just went and looked it up. I really liked the quotation. It said, "an elegant tapestry of quotations...." Isn't that fabulous?