Pink in Alaska

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Alaska when I worked at a residential treatment facility. I soon had my "favorites" - favorite restaurants, favorite shops, etc to go to during each trip. The first picture is a wall doll that I have hanging in our half bath....isn't she wonderful?

The next picture is a wreath that at the time I couldn't justify paying for. But, you know what they say - you should buy it when you see it because....when you get home you end up calling the place to see if they will ship it to you and then it costs THAT MUCH MORE! But, I'm so glad I did....the roses are a velvety light pink. This beautiful wreath hangs in another bathroom in our home. I bet you are thinking that our whole house is pink. ;0)

The last picture is the cutest pair of rhinestone opera glasses that I bought at a delightful tea shop in Anchorage. They were calling my name. (That tends to happen to me a lot).

Happy Pink Saturday to all who stop by. The lovely pink lady who thought all of this up is Beverly at howsweetthesound.typepad.com. Please stop by her place and say hello.

Creativity is seeing something that doesn't exist already. You need to find out how you can bring it into being and that way be a playmate with God.

I saw this saying earlier this week on the web and just loved it!! As with so many talents that we have, creativity is also inspired by God. It is fun to create with Him. I have often thought how much He enjoyed creating us and the incredible world we live in.

Go forth and create!

Creative blessings to you!

Pink Elegance

I'm no sure that I ever looked like this even on my best days, but doesn't this ad just ooze with elegance. I think that the ads of the past took us to the places that we dreamed of.

In the Pink - it just makes you want to buy it, doesn't it? The lines are so elegant and simple. It has a slight Erte' feel to it. I have a confession - I am a magazineaholic and I have always been! Even in my young teenage years I loved looking at magazines. I held onto them for 20+ years and eventually gave them away. Thank goodness for eBay! I was able to find my favorite Seventeen Christmas magazine from the mid to late 1970's. I think it was the last one they published in the large size. Isn't reminiscing fun?!


Did you read this ad? Isn't it fabulous?! I love old movies and old ads. There was such an elegance in everything they did - even down to an ad for makeup! These ads would make great pictures to be framed for a bathroom and boudoir.


Here is another fabulous Dorothy Gray ad.
I hope you enjoyed reminiscing with me today as we celebrate another PINK Saturday. Beverly, thank you so very much for this PINKerful idea and the privilege of being one of the featured blogs today. Please visit Beverly at howsweetthesound.typepad.com
Blessings to all!

Color my Hope Pink

No doubt about it - we live in challenging times. For those who have lived through difficulties and have hung onto hope, we understand the struggles that many are going through. Wouldn't it be nice if we could share that hope with others? What if we rocked our world with hope? What if we made a difference in our world because of the hope that is within us? The Internet has changed our world and it allows us to come together in many different ways. I would like to invite you to join us at womanofhope.com.

At Woman of Hope we want to rock our world with hope by making a difference in people's lives. I know one thing - when women join together for a cause, great things happen! Please join us in making a difference in people's lives - whatever gift you have been blessed with is what God especially chose for you. We invite you to join with us as we live out our purpose and make a difference in our world! I have an opportunity to share this with you because of Beverly's wonderful idea of Pink Saturday. Bless you, Beverly for such a lovely idea. I hope that you visit Beverly's site at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ as well as the other wonderful ladies who are a part of this fun event.

We are an online marketplace for women who have have a blog, etsy, or website to advertise. Each month one (or more) women will be in the spotlight and they will have an opportunity to share their website, products they might sell, and share their story of hope or what hope means to them. Right now I would like to invite you to submit your blog or website to woman of hope or leave me a message here that you would like to be a part of this marketplace and we will advertise your place until May 2011 - my compliments! I just ask that you take the woman of hope button and place it on your blog or website. Blessings to you wonderful ladies! I can't wait to see how God will work through us to rock our world with hope!

Furthermore: The Fullness of Time | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Furthermore: The Fullness of Time Christianity Today A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Waiting with Great Anticipation

Do you ever get to that point where you just say, "I give up. I surrender." We try and we try and we try and to no avail (or so it seems) we are not much farther than when we started. But then again, maybe we are....we just don't recognize it. I have to tell you, though, I feel like I'm on a treadmill - going and going and going and getting nowhere. That is where I've been this week. That was my moment where I said, "Okay, God, I surrender." I have thought about that song, "I surrender all." I have dreams, goals, and longings and have worked toward them for a l-o-n-g-l-o-n-g time and yet I do not seem to be any closer. So, I told God this week that I surrender. He is probably thinking, "finally"! Because God is bigger than my dreams, thoughts and doings, I have to believe that He has the best in store for me. I may not see that at first, but I know that I will see it eventually. He always has the best in store for those He loves. I wonder what He has in store for you?

Make a Difference in Your World

You've heard the saying, "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." There is a lot of truth in that statement, but I think that we are even more influential than what we realize. I can remember growing up and wanting to be a movie star or somebody "famous." Kids today hope to be somebody famous too and that is okay. But, reality is, most of us are going to be the person next door. That is okay. In fact, that is a good thing if we are willing to embrace where we are in life. I have lived several places and now we reside in a small rural community. I know many people here and everyday I have the opportunity to make a difference in somebody else life. So often we think that we have to make it big or do something of significance in order to make a difference, but we do not.

Just this week a man in our church congregation died unexpectedly. It was a shock to us all and such a void in our church and our community. He made a difference in the lives of many people including our family. He welcomed us when we were new to the community. He always treated us with kindness as well as those around him. I began hearing stories about him after he passed away. For as long as I had known his family, I had always noticed an old car parked to the side of their home. The story was that he bought it from someone who needed the money and he later paid someone else (who also needed money) to restore it. Evidently, he had a reputation of quietly helping out those who were in need. He wasn't "famous" or known worldwide, but to many people he was the world. I believe that throughout our lives we have the opportunity to be the world to many of the people that are placed in our lives. That's what it's all about - using what we have to make the world a better place.

What else can go right?

Have you ever asked, "what else can go wrong?" I have and didn't dare ask it this past week because I knew all too well what can go wrong - more! Then I was thinking rather than continuing in my negative attitude, I could ask what else can go right? So, here goes....

I was able to spend time with some dear friends this weekend

Every day I can enjoy a glass of iced tea

The sun is shining

Cooler weather is around the corner

My jeans are a little baggier...today

My website is coming along and I have a wonderful person to help me with it

I have a job

I've actually cooked this weekend

I could go on...you get the point. All to often we do ask that question and I am refusing to give into it. Yes, things do go wrong - sometimes terribly, but things also go right. Where will your focus be?

CC's Whimsies

Finally, finally, finally I won something by Christy of CC's Whimsies!! I have admired her work since she began her debut on eBay. I'm so glad that she followed her heart because our world is a little brighter because of her talents. Just look at what I won!! Thank you, Christy!

"I once listened to an Indian on television say that God was in the wind and the water, and I wondered at how beautiful that was because it meant you could swim in Him or have Him brush your face in a breeze." — Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz)

excerpt from interview with Gay Hubbard

In Habakkuk 3, he’s looking out over the waste in Jerusalem and he’s feeling terrible and says so; he’s frightened, despairing, and he looks out and he lists devastation and emptiness. Then he says, and yet I will praise the Lord and he will lead me sure-footed through all the rubble and destruction that lies around. The hope is that God will be present in the destruction in the rubble. In the face of loss, God will do a new thing; not the same thing over again, a new thing.
To read more of this interview, please click on http://www.examiner.com/christian-therapy-in-los-angeles/part-1-interview-with-dr-m-gay-hubbard-christian-therapist-and-author-of-more-than-an-aspirin
You can also visit gayhubbard.com
Dr. Gay Hubbard is one of the most gifted therapists of our time. She has tremendous insight into a person's pain and is equally able to assist them in the healing process while helping them find and believe again in hope.

The Airport

After 51 days, 8 hours and 10 minutes, I got to reunite with my daughter who had been away for the summer. I made the 3 hour drive up to Denver International Airport hoping and praying that I would not be late. I had received a text from her that said they were going to be an hour early. Needless to say I put the pedal to the metal. (I always wanted to say that). I arrived with time to spare because the plane was not as early as expected. Whew, I thought! I can relax a little. I found my way to a shop that was selling single roses for $5 each or a dozen for $19.98. Five dollars for a single rose?! Why, that's highway robbery as my grandfather used to say. But, they've got us because our emotions are running high and we would gladly spend money to show our loved one returning home how much we love them. Once I bought the rose, I settled down into a chair among others who were waiting for their loved ones to arrive. Some had gone to elaborate measures with signs that said, "Welcome to Colorado" or "Welcome to the United States." I watched as some lovers reunited in a warm embrace and a young lady yelling at someone and then running and jumping into his arms. It was then that I decided that I was sitting in the happy place at the airport. I had the opportunity to watch others including a little girl who kept telling her mama how excited her daddy would be. What a fun place to be - seeing people smile, warm embraces, the energy that they gave off because of their excitement....Then it was my turn. Surely this group, I thought, will have my daughter in it. I stood there and could feel my body tense up with excitement when I saw my daughters beautiful face. The lady next to me must have sensed it because I saw out of the corner of my eye that she was stepping to the side as if to give me room to make my way toward my daughter. I could see her looking for me and then I saw her eyes light up and her mouth form a smile and I knew that she saw me. Ahhh, it is in those moments that you wish time would stand still so that you could hold onto the memory just as it is. But, since that doesn't happen, I will just tuck that memory away in my heart and pull it out anytime I need to go to my happy place.

Don't forget me, he said........

I went to a funeral today. Stan’s wife had died this past Sunday after a 2 ½ year battle with cancer. In true character, Stan was at the door greeting people when they walked in. We hugged, I told him I was sorry for his loss, we talked for a bit, and then he said, “Don’t forget me.” I couldn’t believe that this man was saying that. Stan is the neighbor that everybody wants. Stan knows everybody in the community – you think I’m exaggerating, don’t you? But, he does. He knows what is going on in their lives and can tell you the names of all their family members. Stan is the one who is out plowing the neighborhood in his small tractor after the blizzard so that people can get out to the store. Stan is the one that I called when my dogs went on a 6-hour hiatus and he heard the concern in my voice and said, “I’ll be right there.” He drove from his job and came and picked me up because his pickup could take the terrain that my car could not. I could go on and on, but you get the point. ..How could anyone forget Stan?! He lost his wife of 48 years this week and I think about how lonely and quiet the house will be. It happens so suddenly, doesn’t it? Even when we expect it, it just seems so quick. Life goes fast. As I work to build my business, network with others, my job, etc., I remember that the most important thing is relationships. It truly does not matter how big our bank accounts are, how many people love our designs, how good we are at our jobs. What does matter is the people that God places in our lives and how we allow Him to reflect His love to those around us. Who has God placed in your life?

I wore it today...

I wore my new favorite shirt today. I love it and thought it was fitting for PINK SATURDAY. I bought it at Victoria’s Secret in the mall. I had seen the shirt on a gal two days before and she said that she had just bought it. Two days later I was in the mall and bought THE LAST ONE. Woohoo!! It made me think about the times that I have gone to buy something and there weren’t anymore and I would think, “Darn it! I ALWAYS miss it.” So, I decided that I would start to pay attention to when I “got the last one.” You know, if you do this, it will be amazing how many times you are the one who gets the last one. It’s kind of fun. Anyway, back on track….I have focus issues…I bought it, wore it and am telling you that if you want one, you’d better get going to Victoria’s Secret so that you too can say, “Woohoo, I got the last one.” Happy Pink Saturday everone! Oh, and remember to stop by Beverly’s place – she is the one that started this great idea!

Change

Went back to work today…SIGH….it looks like I will be back at work now, even though I am officially not back to work for two more weeks…SIGH…new year, new faces, new responsibilities, new schedule, pretty much new everything. You know what that means? It means change and we don’t like change. Okay, maybe that is unfair to assume that you don’t like change, but I don’t like change. I am sometimes afraid of it – I sit there and wonder about the unknown (insert the Twilight Zone music here). I play the “what if” game. But, I have to think that if I am doing this that the others in the change boat are doing the same thing. We all handle change in different ways because we are afraid of it and don’t know what to expect. Some choose to put their guards up, some walk around in their own bubble and others realize that they must ban together to get through it. I hope that I am a banner togetherer and that there are other banner togetherers there too. Look that word up in Wikipedia in a week or two. =0). Here’s to all of those who are getting ready to embrace change!

It finally happened....

Well, it finally happened. I knew it would. I was waiting for it…and it did. It was so embarrassing…

It was Saturday morning and I was in the garage with the garage door open and taking a picture for one of my PINK Saturday posts when I see a car drive by. I can hear the car slow down and eventually stop as if hesitating….here it comes…I know what’s going to happen….a lady walks up our drive and says, “Are you the one having a garage sale?” No, I say, I just like going to them. You see, my garage is, well…okay, it’s kind of full…on one side. We CAN get a car in on the other side, but the other half is full of my “collections.” I tell people that I am not a hoarder, I am a collector. That is the truth as this truth is defined by me. But, nonetheless, it is true. I am a collector….I’m justifying myself here, but hoarders have pathways to move around their house and you can walk in mine….it is just cluttered here and there with my “collections.” I love stuff. Why, earlier this year I was with my daughter when I saw a small plastic strawberry milk carton in the trash. I was getting ready to say, “That would make the cutest….my daughter then cut me off, took the carton out of my hand and said, “no, mom.” Can you believe it? My daughter was correcting me! Why is it that I can see potential in so many things? I can look at twigs and see potential doll arms or hands or hang my newest creations on the limbs or….you get the picture. So, back to the beginning of the story, this very nice lady just smiled at me as if to say, “I get it” and said, “You’re funny.” “Yeah, I thought to myself…wait until my husband hears this….”

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?

Believe

I saw this wonderful idea from a fellow creator of all things beautiful and I decided to make one to submit to our annual scholarship auction to help send a high school senior to college. It was great fun to make and I think turned out really good. This could make great birthday gifts!

Getting ready for prom night

My beautiful daughter and her beautiful friend

Thank you

A wonderful gift from a wonderful person....Char is oozing with talent and I'm so glad she shared some with me.

hugs

xoxo

Two New Ideas

Recently I went to a quilt show and to my amazement and others, I didn't buy a thing. WOW! But, I did come home with two new ideas in my head. I made sure that I didn't go to bed that night until I finished them.

The first idea is a pretty friendship ball. It is made of a lovely ice blue damask. It is embellished with a sequin rose and strings of pearls.

The next idea is a doll pin. Her head is a large bead and then her arms and legs are made of various shapes and sizes of beads. Her body is fabric and stuffed lightly with a beaded edge and to finish her off, I attached crazy yarn to her head for hair. She looks like a happy doll.

Really?

I have made a dear friend through our love of dollmaking. I saw her at a local artisan show and the doll you see here "spoke to me." I told Char that I had to have her. Char created a custom outfit for her because of my love of pink and green and "tada." So, we were trying to figure out what to name her...we weren't sure of her name but the look on her face says, "really?" We both smiled at the attitude this new dolly of mine has and Char said that it reminded her of me, and to that I say, "really?"

When you can, please visit Char's place at http://therustyknob.com/

Her work is amazing. My prediction is that she is one of the up and coming PRIM artists. Yes, really! =0)

One of my favorite sayings!

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. --A. A. Milne

Woman of Hope

I have been working on my new website that I hope to get up and going soon. It is called Woman of Hope. It is for women who need hope, have experienced hope, or want to give hope. I am looking for women who make beautiful items to sell on this website. I hope it is a place that people will stop by often and take refuge. The wonderful lady who did my graphics is Natalie from Australia. What a lovely person she was to work with. Thank you, Natalie!

J. Knowles Hare

One of my goals on my vision board this year was to find the author who did this picture. I found him! Now, my next task is finding this picture in a size that I can frame. She is so soft, beautiful and feminine.

thoughts

Isn't it funny sometimes where your mind can go? So, I turned 50 this year and noticed that my skin doesn't "bounce" back as fast as it used to. Maybe I should say that it just doesn't bounce back at all. Anyway, it got me to thinking (dangerous)...I wonder what people back in the beginning looked like when they turned 50. After all, they lived for several hundred years. I wonder if when they turned 300 years old if they "looked 50."

I told you it is sometimes dangerous for me to think.....

Camp Gay

This past summer I was able to spend some time with people that I love - one of which was Dr. Gay Hubbard. She is my mentor and I believe that I am one of many that she mentors. Myself along with several others have the awesome privilege from learning from her once a month at her home. We learn truths that we can apply to our everyday lives. Gay loves us into being our best.

Oh, the flower is one that she has grown. Did I mention that she is also a master gardner and pianist? I love you, Gay.

Vision Board

I teach a craft class and am always looking for ideas that don't cost much or nothing at all, and I thought that a vision board would be a great idea - it's the opportunity to set goals and be creative. Well, I decided that if I was going to accomplish my dreams that I needed to put it in writing...there is something very powerful about that.

So, let's see here. I put a diamond stud in my nose like the girl in the picture. I found the name of the artist of the lady with roses. I am currently looking for a bigger print of that. I am working on my dolls (the pink one is in process) and I have been working on my website. That's pretty good. I'll have to keep everyone updated as I continue to progress.

Ponderings...

So I was thinking last night (I do that sometimes) and I wondered...we want people to understand the things we struggle with (or at least we think they should be understanding), but do we seek to understand what others struggle with?

April 3, 2010

On March 31, 2010 we will be flying into Syracuse, New York and then driving 3.5 hours with my oldest son to get ready for his wedding. Dain and Becca will be uniting in marriage on April 3rd, 2010. What a blessing it will be - both are such special people. It is no doubt but that God has brought Dain and Becca together. Happy marriage you two!