Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Better!

I am so glad to have a better start to a new week.  I feel like I have already had a productive one, it feels so good.  It is finals week for my children, they are home earlier than normal.  The evenings are spent studying and trying to get enough rest for the next round of tests.  I am looking forward to the weekend so there will be less stress in the house.

My first art journal.  I took my inspiration from Donna Downey.  I do believe I am in LOVE!  

I am journaling special truths, things I have learned over my life, things I NEED to remember.  The constant glow of Christ, leading to hope into the Guckpit with my Truthteller leading the way.  The Truthteller being my God.  I am so glad that I am NOT in this dark place anymore!!  Thank you God, you are awesome.    

Monday, January 24, 2011

A four day migraine really puts a damper on one's life.  I woke up with it, early last week.  It was frustrating because I normally have some kind of sign but not this time.  I have learned over the years to just push through the pain, instead of feeling sorry for myself.  Feeling sorry for myself doesn't make it better.  I nap when I can(even if it is for only 10 minutes), drink plenty of water and put more protein in my diet.  Creating makes me feel better to, so I am in and out of my corner quite a bit.

So despite the week I was able to do a few things for the Soul Restoration class I am taking.  It feels so good to have something physical, that can help me to remember not to let stuff bother me.  To help me to remember that everyday I can choose to listen to my Truthteller.  Everyone's Truthteller is differant, mine just happens to be God.  He is the foremost in my life and the one I make a choice everyday to listen to. 

Cover:  This took the longest time to figure out what I wanted to do.  When I think of what makes me happy so much comes to mind and it makes it hard to choose.  I started by creating the white flower out of white cardstock and then covered it in Mod Podge so it would hold up to being on the cover.  The colored flowers came from my stash and were also covered with Mod Podge.  After they completely dried they took on the look of leather, very cool.  The butterfly was embossed onto white cardstock and colored in with Distress inks.  You can't tell by the photo but I then cover it with Glossy Accents to give it a nice shine.  Same thing is done with the Closed for Restoration sign.  I love everything about this cover.

A few pages:  I so enjoyed the process of creating my house and all the backgrounds.  It has taken me years to be okay with who I am and to take care of me.  The daisies and ladybugs are stickers I found in my stash.  They took on a real cool look after everything was covered in Mod Podge because a few of the flowers lifted up on the edges, giving a little dimension to the page.  The flowers on the last page shown here are again covered with Mod Podge and I added some Martha Stewart clear mirco beads to the center of the flowers.
   

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Wonderful Stuff

I am in the second week of the Soul Restoration class. I am learning so much but I also am seeing how much of what is being taught I started about 5 to 10 years ago. It feels good to have confirmation that I have been headed in the right direction.  I am excited to see what the next few weeks hold.  I just have to remember it is all good.

One of my most favorite times of year is coming closer, Valentine's Day.  If you would like to get a little headstart on something fun, head on over Craftily ever after for her fun give away.  I can't wait to put it all together in a frame!

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Unredeemed

I am so thankful that this is the promise God has for us.  I hope it helps bless your day like it has mine to be reminded that even when we don't see Him, He is right there.




The cruelest word
The coldest heart
The deepest wound
The endless dark
The lonely ache
The burning tears
The bitter nights
The wasted years

Life breaks and falls apart
But we know these are…

Places
Where grace is
Soon to be so amazing
They may be unfulfilled
They may be unrestored
But when anything that’s shattered
Is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be
Unredeemed

For every choice
That led to shame
And all the love
That never came
For every vow
That someone broke
And every life
That gave up hope

We live in the shadow of the fall
But the cross says these are all...

Places
Where grace is
Soon to be so amazing
They may be unfulfilled
They may be unrestored
But when anything that’s shattered
Is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see
It will not be
Unredeemed

Places
Where grace is
Soon to be so amazing
They may be unfulfilled
They may be unrestored
But you never know the miracle
The Father has in store
Just watch and see
It will not be
Unredeemed

Monday, January 03, 2011

Resolutions, not here

Happy New Year!

I don't like resolutions so there for a I don't make them.  I have really worked hard over the last few years to just stop beating myself up.  I am happier that way.  There isn't much I can do about the past but I can make changes for my future even if it is only one step at a time.  One of the things I am trying to make sure that I am doing more of is writing about the little things, which I have always felt it important to do.  Someday I am not going to be here to tell the stories or to tell my children that they are loved.  I don't want any of that to disappear so that is a reason I scrapbook, journal or blog.  So onto a important little thing.........     

Durning winter we always let our outside dogs become inside dogs.  They LOVE it but it is an adjustment for me.  I love them but they are always underfoot and it can be very frustrating.  Like most dogs they thrive on attention and I do think they believe they are people not dogs.  I don't allow them up on furniture unless there is a blanket.  At night they will wonder around the house so we put them in the laundry room with there blankets. 

This is our oldest dog Arthur, he is 12.  We've seen some changes in him this past year, as you do with most older dogs, that has required us to make adjustments on how we interact with him.  His sight has been changing for months, he can still see but depth perception is a problem.  It is better if he has plenty of light to see when going downstairs and one of those flameless candles in the laundry room helps him at night.  The big thing that has changed is he has gone deaf.  We started to notice it this summer when the fire station would turn on the sirens and he wouldn't be howling.  He responses to vibration in the floor, knocking on the garage door to let him in and of course he watches the other dogs pretty closely.  If he is sleeping sound we have to be ever so careful as to not startle him.  We touch him gently to get his attention.  When my son is home he is by his side, even if he just gets up to get a pencil he is the constant shadow.  My son is his boy.  There are days he still thinks he is a puppy especially then the snow falls.  He eats snow even when his water bowl in the house is full and loves to chase after snowballs.  He will dive right into the deepest snow to find them and will bark very loudly when his boy isn't making snowballs fast enough.  It is quite funny.      

At his last vet appointment over the summer he had lost a bunch of weight so we had to adjust his feeding schedule from once a day to twice.  It seems that his body can handle it a lot better.  He has put back on the weight so for that we are glad.  He has always had this thing of not being able to stand on anything but carpets, it makes going to the vet interesting.  We have to actually carry him in and place him on a blanket because he feels safe.  On our wood floor landing, we have to have a small carpet because he won't come upstairs otherwise.  It will be a sad day when he is gone.     

Saturday, January 01, 2011

Welcome 2011

I have decided that as much as I have loved this process this month of my journal.  My journal ends with Day 31 and I am really okay with it.  Today it has all about resting, which we will also do tomorrow.  Everyone is back to the regular family life as of Monday.  Yes, my husband has been home.  He has taken the kids vacation time off for as long as I can remember.  The only thing I don't like about everyone returning to work/school is that all of our animals are so use to people being around that they are pouty when the schedule is back to normal.

Day 28, Indulgences there were so many of them but it is all good!

Day 29, Can't let time go by without talking about a few of the movies I love watching.

Day 30, A short summary of 2010. 

Day 31, Goodbye 2010 and Hello to 2011.