Another Action Step

What is your dream? 

Is there something in your heart, an idea or a whisper

that continues to speak to you and doesn't leave?

"If an idea does not go away, 

begin treating it as though it is from God.  

Let Him bring it to pass."

from the book,

Let Prayer Change Your Life

by Becky Tirabassi 

For many of you that follow

 my blog, you will remember me choosing "ACTION" 

 as my word for 2010, 
realizing that God was serious about
wanting me to get going, get started, get beyond just dreaming
about doing and trust Him daily 
with the few things He wants me to JUST DO !
Well , let me tell you
about one of my dreams and an exciting opportunity
that could help make it come true. 

It is my desire 

to help teen girls and women to believe in

the beautiful person God has created them to be.

I want to help them

see beyond 

what the world says they should be,

and instead help them

to hear and believe in that very special,

unique and awesome creation that they are!

I want to help them find their wings so they can fly! 

This blog was started as an avenue for God to use 
me to encourage others and in turn it has been
such a blessing in my own life.
Yes, YOU have been a blessing to me!
Another way I believe God
wants me to fulfill this desire of helping others 
is through speaking 
at church and retreats or wherever I can
encourage and motivate teen girls and women.

Lysa Terkeurst 

from Proverbs 31 Ministries 
is offering a 
wonderful opportunity to win a scholarship to attend
the SHE SPEAKS Conference.
I first heard about this conference last summer,
when reading my daily devotions sent to me through 
proverbs31.org.  
I have been praying about finding a way to attend 
ever since.  I know it would help me become
better skilled in speaking my testimony 
and the message in my heart
that I want others to hear.
You also may want to go and check out 
this  wonderful opportunity and Lysa's blog.

Along with encouraging women through speaking, 

I would like to somehow

incorporate some form of  ART making

that everyone can participate in. I'm not sure how 

or what yet, but  Creating is such a 

great part of who God created me to be and I find

that it is so very healing,

and I want to pass that joy on as well.

"Show me the way I should go, for to you

I lift up my soul."

Psalm 143:8

Okay so I've opened up my soul
by letting you in on another part of my dream. 
How about you? 

Is there a dream in your heart
that won't go away?  

I'm cheering for you- can you hear me?

A- C- T- I- O- N

action action action!

(oh my goodness, I'm dating myself with that old cheer)

 

I'm Telling You

Today was one of those days! 

I've had a toothache for a few days now 

and today I had to go and have a.......

~ oh I don't even want to say it ~

ROOT CANAL 

OUCH

OUCHY

and OUCHNESS does not describe it well!

Have you had to have this procedure done?

I was of course still very numb upon leaving the dentist

office and decided to stop and treat myself

to one of these....

a Blended Spice Chai

  It helped  to ease the anxiety I had from all of that

prodding and poking earlier.


Oh the excuses I can come up with
just to drink one of these yummy delights!!
 

I'm so glad I drank it before the numbness

wore off, because later  I was 

hurting much worse.

Can you believe I have to go back in 2 weeks

so he can finish this stubborn tooth?

I guess I'm one of those few

who it doesn't work on the first time.
It figures!!!!!

I'm happy though, due to the fact they were able

to work me in for this procedure today,

so that I can travel next week

to see these two

special and sweet  and

bestest

(yes, I know this isn't a word)

Grandchildren 

in the whole wide world!

Who cares about pain

when you have this to look

 forward to?

Smiles,

Pleasing Light

Rachel over at http://rachelolsen.blogspot.com/ is having a devotional carnival  where you can link up with a post on what you think is "Pleasing to God".  I thought I would  try participating this month.  If you'd like, you can join in too!

I've thought about this and have come up with a long list of ways
we could please God, but this one pops in my head first.
God is pleased with us when we are being the unique and special creation
He designed us to be.
He loves it when
our individual and specialized
light SHINES for HIM.

Have you ever tried 
to light a battery operated candle
with a match?

A battery operated candle is the kind you turn on with a button 

  at the bottom of the candle. 

I just found that out when at a birthday tea party recently, 

I tried to help a friend prepare

the table for the guests. She handed me the matches

and asked me to go around the table

and light all of the candles.

The large candle in the middle was giving me fits

because it wouldn't light no matter
how many times I tried.

The wick held a flame for a few seconds, but quickly blew out.

After about seven tries, I decided to ask her
to come and light it herself. 

This is when she informed me that it was a special 

 and unique battery operated candle

and it wasn't meant to hold a flame...and of course

she got a big chuckle out of my silly mistake.

Like this candle,

how many times have we tried to be

something or someone we are not meant to be?

The LIGHT can't shine through a vessel
that wasn't created for that purpose.

How many times
have we chosen to dwell on what we are not

instead of letting His light shine through

who we are? 
Dwelling on who we are not is a lot

like trying to light a candle over and over

and getting no where except maybe frustrated and confused.

"For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together

in my mother's womb.

  I praise you because

I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
       your works are wonderful, 
I know that full well."

Psalm 139:13-14

Being content with who God created YOU to be 

and letting His light

SHINE through your unique design, 

must make our loving Creator very happy and in turn 
you are a happy camper too.
So my friend, be YOU,
because God took the time to plan and make only one
special mold like you.
He has great plans for you,
and if you do
I'm sure He will look down and say

"I'm well pleased my child. Let your

little light SHINE ON".

 scroll down to bottom of page and mute my music
to hear this video without interruption

Now go out and be that special YOU 
and light up your world.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.........humming
this tune along the way might really help. 

From Someone Who Knows You

I thought I would leave you with a  post
this Sunday,  of a beautiful message from

our Heavenly Father.

I just LOVE it that He
cares so much for YOU and I

and wants to tell us so.

If my music player begins playing music, you can
scroll down to bottom of page to pause it so you can hear this video.

Enjoy being who you were created to be,

THERE'S A SONG IN THE AIR

It is the most beautiful and sunshiny day here

in my part of the country.

I can even see my tulips starting to press

through the ground.  

How exciting that SPRING is

beginning to show it's beautiful clothing.

There is something so renewing to the spirit of a person

when spring arrives.  God is so wise
to have made the seasons.

Just like the seasons, our hearts find renewal after a

life storm when the light of God's new hope

begins to shine through.

Little by little, we begin to notice new and wonderful 

things that we hadn't noticed before, all because 

God has enriched our souls as He brought

us through that storm.

He gives us a new song to sing.

We have inspiration and a new way of looking at life

that we haven't had before.

"He has given me a new song to sing,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see what he has done
and be astounded.

They will put their trust in the Lord." 

Psalms 40:3 

I pray that I will always remember to stop and look at life,

no matter what it brings, 

with the eyes of a child,

 .... To cherish every moment and the journeys,

...to laugh a lot and have fun with those I love and

those I will meet,

 ....to allow myself to cry when it's needed,

....to give lots of hugs and kisses,...to 

say "I love you" many times a day, .....to notice
when someone

needs a hand to hold and be there,

...to remain excited about creating and trying new

things with anticipation,...and to remain thankful

to my Heavenly Father
  for everything that I am
because of His Great love for me.

 These two pictures are of my granddaughter a few years ago.

I just had to share who I get my inspiration from in

"looking through my life with the eyes of a child".

How about YOU?  What floats your boat?

Remember.....
to go out and sing your song loudly this week!

If I hear you, I will come over and

give you a great BIG hug.

SHOW SOME CREATIVITY SATURDAY #11

I haven't posted a 

 "SHOW SOME CREATIVITY SATURDAY" 

for a few weeks.  

It seems I've been so busy with other things

and haven't been creating.

Are you like me, and get stuck creatively when busyness and

being tired strikes you?

 Well, I decided to try something new. Learning new

things is one of the ways I can set a spark under myself

 to get ME going creatively again.

I'm very new to so many art materials but love learning 

NEW ways to create.

While watching "American Idol" the other night,
(yes, I love that show)

I ink doodled some flowers on watercolor paper and then

colored them in with watercolor crayons, which I've never
used before.

Can't say that I'm good at blending them yet, but with practice

I'm sure I will love using them.

 

" Flowers are the sweetest things God 
ever made
and forgot to put a soul into."

Henry Ward Beecher

So what do you do 

to get yourself going creatively when you find yourself  in a slump?

Maybe YOU do something else besides being creative,

to get out

of the slumps of life. 

If so, please share! 

We all want to know. 

Also please feel free to leave a comment

with a link to one of your creations if you'd like. 

Have a fabulous weekend!

Girly Time Fun

Last week was full of girly girl time!

One evening last week I had a get together with three of my wonderful friends.  

We've adopted the name Ya Ya Sisters for our little group

and we've been having a monthly

get together for over seven years now. .  I tell you, these girls know

how to listen

and know just what to say and do

to make me cry and laugh all at the same time!

 Sue,  me

AND

Gale and Peggy

Thank you Sue, Gale and Peggy for the  MANY WAYS that you

bless my life.

You truly are AMAZING WOMEN.

Last Saturday I spent the day shopping with

my two very special sisters and my
wonderful Aunts.

Melanie (sister), Cindy (sister) and Me

Aunt Becky and Aunt Kathy

Hobby Lobby, Olive Garden and the Mall were the places
we hung out for the day.

I think my sisters and I talked all the way there and
all the way home and in between,

while Aunt Kathy and Becky listened most the way. OKAY, since I 

know my sisters and aunts will be reading this, I better
confess up.....
I'll admit that it was probably ME

  that talked all the way there and back!!!!

Where did I get that talking gene??

I am so blessed to have such special friendships

with the BEST SISTERS in the world,

and  love spending 

time with two of the most wonderful aunts there ever could be.
Thank you God for my family!

"It is the sweet, simple things of life, 

which are the real ones after all."

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Now go and be your wonderful girly self,
and take a long and enjoyable bubble bath!