365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 44

The news has been depressing with all the talk about the government and budget crisis. I have often heard a politician say we have to be thinking about our children because what we do today will affect their lives. This made me think about what am I teaching my children, how well am I preparing them for their lives, are we laying a good foundation in faith so they will stay the course with the Lord as they grow up and become adults? By far the greatest blessing you can give to your children is a solid foundation for their faith. My foundation ended up cluttered with weeds that tangled with any real growth and overcame it. It wasn’t until my mid thirties when I went through the clash of my past sins with my current desire for a second child. This challenge led me to weeding the personal garden of my soul. I had to clear out all the weeds of sin and have since continued to go back in and pull those weeds that pop up so that my growth in faith continues. The Lord says we are to be talking the talk, walking the walk and communicating all that we know of Him to our children. These years when they are young are the times we as parents can prepare the soil and plant the seeds. A good garden will always do better when the soil has been prepared well. So no matter what may happen with our country or our physical life here on Earth, my children will hopefully have good soil and those seeds will blossom and I will teach them how to go to God for forgiveness and keep the weeds in the garden out. My children are such a blessing and have given me such joy and it is my hope and prayer that God will equip me to be a good gardener and keep preparing and richening their soil so the seeds being planted will blossom. Lord, help me to show them that you are the Way, the Truth and the Light. For their joy in you will be my joy too.

Proverbs 10:28 The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 280

I am getting this praise out a little later than I normally do. I have been looking into career avenues to take and got hooked on a website that may be an answer to prayer. Needless to say, I was so wrapped up in it this morning that I left the house for work and realized I hadn't done my praise. It's becoming clear that God is calling me to be a Christian Counselor. The schooling will be more extensive but in the end I believe this is the road the Lord is steering me to. Still so much to research and figure out but I keep remembering my time with my sister and Mom in San Anotonio earlier this year and how with the Lord's help I helped them get pasted some relationship issues with each other. I had told them I was trying to figure out what to do with my life in terms of a career and my sister asked if I had considered going to seminary.  On my drive to work this morning, the Lord put this all in the forefront of my mind and I laughed and thought the answer had already been there right in front of me but I think like Jonah I have been not obeying.  For me it was more because I don't feel completely confident in my capabilities to do this but I am learning from my research that God will equip me with what he is calling for me and so I need to let go of that fear and committ to the schooling, time-committment and cost and let the Lord figure out all the logistics. Thanks be to God for stealing away the tent that I have been in so I can see the bigger picture of his calling.
1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see only reflections in a mirror... but then e shall be seeing face to face.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 61

I hope this won't sound like a sales pitch. I really am grateful for inspiration for scrapbooking and cardmaking, whatever the source may be but I am really grateful for the How To books that Close to My Heart has created. The instructions are easy to follow with visuals to aid you as you do it and in the end you are adding all those embellishments, titles and photos that really make it all "yours". I created this layout with the Cherish How To book and just am thrilled with how it came out. I used the new paper pack called Florentine, a retiring stamp set called Treasure Life and the January Stamp Set of the Month, Mad About You. I finalized it with some Olive hardware and WOW! I am so thrilled by how it all came together.

You can make this design with Florentine or any of the other Close to My Heart Duo Paper Packs. It will be available for you to create at the upcoming FTLC Crop in Februray or you can order a kit. Visit my Close to My Heart website to find the paper that suits you and your photos best, than send me an email and I will get you hooked up with this easy to do layout! So, thanks to the creativness of others to help me when I am in need of a little inspiration.
Hebrews 13:21 ...equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.