Looking For a Great Read?

I want to share with you a great young adult book I just finished! It is called Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans (publisher Simon Pulse, Simon and Schuster). What an amazing story! Michael is an average 14 year old with an average 14 years old's problems, except that he has a special power. He is electric! Michael finds out that he isn't alone and becomes hunted and captured. When tempted with worldly goods and the safety of loved ones, Michael had to make some serious choices. Check this book out and let me know what you think. You can get more information at www.MichaelVey.com

Looking Forward

As the year wraps up my thinking goes to setting goals. I can't help it. It drives my family CRAZY! but I just love a fresh start! I'm pretty much the same way with a new month or week! I guess we all have our little quirks. Any way...
I was reading Joshua 1 the other day and I was struck with a new thought. I am really good at making all these plans - I have the formula down! But I really lack in the follow through department.
In Joshua ! the children of Israel are getting ready to enter the Promised Land, after wandering forty years in the wilderness. God delivers some words of wisdom to the band's leader. And even though I have read this passage several times, God showed me a new meaning. Isn't He wonderful like that? He shows you just what you need, when you need it!
Joshua 1:7-9New International Version (NIV) 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
God tells us to be strong and very courageous. This tells me that this path will be difficult and scary at times. BUT God is good enough to give us the antidote for being afraid to take that next step. In verse 8 He tells us not to let the Book of the Law depart from our mouths, to meditate on it day and night, and finally, to do everything in the Book of the Law. GULP! Yep, it says everything. Oh, but there is a promise... God promises that we will be successful and prosperous!
So with his promise ringing in my ears, I put pen to paper to set out my map for 2012. I invite you to come along on this journey with me! It's going to be an amazing ride!

I'm Still Here...

Have you ever experienced life at such a speed that you don't know which end is up? That is how life has been for me lately. The more I try to slow it down the faster it seems to go. I have been dealing with a son going to college, bringing my other 3 teenagers home to school and several health issues. Throw in a couple of new jobs for my husband and myself and you have a mixture for my life. Now, I wouldn't trade a thing about it, God has really been teaching me a lot these past months, funny thing is I always thought by this age, I would be done with learning! I'll bet God had a good laugh at that one. Well, I am doing my best to wait at His feet for instruction and direction. I will be taking this blog in a different direction and I hope that all of you will join me on this journey. I will be including some crafty things that I am working on, but will also be including a lot more about my life and the lessons that God is teaching me. I hope you will come along on the journey with me.

Check out this SU promo!!!

This is such a great package! I can't wait to get it and make some Valentines. I think Valentines is my favorite holiday...weird, huh? Look at these great projects! I love each of them.



This page shows everything that comes with this package! Call me to order!

OOPS! I forgot...

Here are a few Christmas cards that I made this year. Some of them use retired Stampin' Up! supplies. I had an itch to use them up! I made these for a class that got snowed out, so I am planning on adding a Christmas card each month to our regular card classes. I hope you will join us for one real soon.

I like this card, it is bright and cheerful. It was a little labor intensive because of all the coloring. I used the huffing method to moisten the colors on the stamps.

This card is my favorite. It is so like nature, simple! I sprayed it with the Vanilla shimmer spray, which you can't really see here, but it looks pretty in real life. Just enough glimmer to keep it from being plain!

Gearing Up for a New Year

Just wanted to share a picture of my wonderful kids with everyone. They are the light of my life and I thank God for them daily.

I was reading a bible verse the other day. It was Matthew 7:24. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock." It is my goal in 2011 to build my house on the solid rock of God's love and more importantly his word. Doing this will prevent me from stumbling and my house from crashing down around my ears as the world's wind blow. I am looking forward to resting in Jesus as the year advances.

What are your goals for 2011?

Opening Day

In Michigan, today was a major holiday. It was opening day of deer season. We got the day off of school and all! The boys went out hunting. Jake shot us a nice doe, so there will be some tender juicy venison to add to the freezer. Damion missed one, but he has a couple more weeks to get another. Josh shot one and is in the process of looking for it right now. He really wants to find it before the coyotes make off with it. It is supposed to be a "monster". I am so blessed to have wildlife and family members that enjoy hunting. It really helps out with my grocery budget.
This leads me to my next point that I wanted to bring up. I have been really feeling the conviction to stock up on provisions. I think our world is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. I would love to hear your ideas on keeping a well supplied pantry. Mine seems so unorganized right now and it all just haphazard. I don't like haphazard...lol. I always dream of this uber organized life, but the real life shows up instead. That's ok, God has given me a good life.
I am reading A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George right now. Actually, I am rereading it. I love her writing, it is so down to earth and practical. The one point that really stuck out today is that I really want to begin living each second, minute, hour, day for my Lord and Savior. There are a lot of fears that come up when I make that statement, but I am trusting God to give me the strength that I need to follow Him.
Well, it is getting late and I am going to go relax with my wonderful family.
Take care!