Earlier this week I was sharing my life story. I concluded my monologue with the words, I have hope and HOPE does not disappoint us. Do you have hope? This week we hit a few new challenges in our journey in the "in between." Frankly, aside from trusting God, I could throw up my hands in despair. In sharing my story I realized that I am living in hope. My hope is not the kind you can conjure up. It's not hope based on positive thinking....though I do believe we need to choose a positive outlook. It's simply based on knowing God and believing that he is my … [Read more...]
Happy First Day of Spring! With all the snow we've had this year, you would think that I'd steer far away from white for spring. Nope! I went for brightness by creating a simple, dramatic white mantel for spring. Spring has more than her fair share of cloudy days. And there's nothing like a background of white with color pops for a dramatic look to brighten the spirits on a gray gloomy rainy day. I'm excited that spring has officially arrived. You too? There is still a bit of snow in the forecast. But, the reality of spring's appearance is seeing larger and larger … [Read more...]
May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours. That stay with you all the year long. Irish Blessing This year I used book pages to help decorate the mantel for St. Patrick's Day. If you missed the post, check it out here. And now, on to our Extraordinary Link Party.... I am so excited to join with Mary Beth from Cupcake and Crinoline, Malia from Yesterday on Tuesday, and Stephanie from The Silly Pearl, my co-hosts here at Project Inspire{d} to see what you've been working on this week! Your … [Read more...]
Need true peace? Actually, most days it's amazing that I am not completely overwhelmed and stressed to the max. The only thing that keeps me from a full-blown panic attack is trusting God. The only thing. I'm a doer. A fixer. And right now I can't do or fix anything. Everything is out of my control. Except for one thing. I can choose to trust God. My mind can invent every scenario imaginable. My mind can be paralyzed so that it's impossible to accomplish anything. Or... I can choose to focus instead on God … [Read more...]
St. Patrick's Day. It's all about the green....and this saint that seems to have spoken out against slavery, valued women, and influenced Ireland with Christianity. All good things, wouldn't you say? So why not splash a few shamrocks around the house. Flash some green. And listen to some toe-tappin' music. When it comes to seasonal home decor, I'm all about simple and using what you have on hand. And...because I love all things book page, I decided to use book pages and hand-cut shamrocks in decorating the mantel for St. Patrick's Day. This little project was … [Read more...]
Back in October I wrote a 31-Day Series, "31 Extraordinary Days to Be..." In a nutshell I took us on a journey to learn to Be… fully and beautifully alive in our “skin” and in our homes and beyond. Each week during the series, I addressed how we could Be...Encouraging. It's always great to be on the receiving end of encouragement. Some of you are amazingly encouraging and I have been the blessed recipient of your kind words. Others of us don't come by it naturally, so I put together a list of 52 Practical and Thoughtful Ways to Encourage Others. Essentially one for each week … [Read more...]
It's not what you think. No. It's much worse. The "s" word you're thinking of pales in comparison to the "s" word I have on my mind. The "s" word on my mind....is deplorable...appalling....despicable Especially in 2014. Yet....there are more than at any other time in history. Unimaginable. Why should there be even one? What am I talking about? Slaves. Human trafficking is modern day slave trade. There are lots of words that people use to make it sound more palatable. But that doesn't change the reality. And one more thing. It isn't over … [Read more...]
How was your week? Sometimes, we arrive at Sunday, the fresh squeaky first day of the week, all used up and worn out. We look ahead and sigh, already worn down with not-so-positive anticipation. Sometimes, we cannot wait to greet the new week and joyfully zoom off at full speed. Where are you on the continuum? Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. - Isaiah 25:1 NIV This week as I came across this verse I had a big … [Read more...]
With St. Patrick's Day coming soon... I put together this old Irish Blessing Printable for you. Download this FREE 8x10 St. Patrick's Day PRINTABLE for personal use ONLY I love using graphics and pictures in vignettes. Maybe you would like to frame this FREE Irish Blessing printable and use it in a St. Patrick's Day vignette. And now, on to our Extraordinary Link Party.... Thank you so much for coming by and sharing your extraordinary creativity and ideas and tips each week. I truly appreciate you! And...I can't wait to see what you've … [Read more...]
This week we had a tough decision to make. If we decided one way....people would applaud us and cheer. If we decided another way....people would think we were being foolish. We were pretty certain in our hearts what the decision should be. And then we read this verse.... 15 Listen! The Lord, the Eternal, the Holy One of Israel says, Eternal One: In returning and rest, you will be saved. In quietness and trust you will find strength. But you refused. 16 You couldn’t sit still; instead, you said, “No! We will ride out of here on horseback. Fast horses … [Read more...]
Actually these may be your great grandma's brownies. Recently I have wanted to make brownies. Not the box kind. And not the kind where the chocolate comes from cocoa powder. I wanted to make brownies made with unsweetened baking chocolate. Right off I need to confess that I am not a fan of cakes. Brownies are another story though. When I first got married, I thought I was Martha Stewart, that was before I knew who she was. I thought I needed to make everything from scratch. I was a real-foods health-nut kind of person. But, I liked my brownies. And … [Read more...]
I love this Thoreau quote on winter... “One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.” ~Henry David Thoreau This week...my bit of summer has been bluebirds.....perched high up on the tree in front of my window. Those round feathery puffs of blue and orange are a true delight while the branches sway and the snow drives horizontal. They are the true blue promise of spring. It may be February, but I'm counting the days 'til spring. You too? Thank you for stopping by today. I appreciate you and your sweet comments make my … [Read more...]
Have you ever noticed that when you come to a river, or any running body of water, you pause? Last weekend we went for a morning walk. When we got to the river, we carefully walked a lumpy path carved by massive tires and made our way close to its shore as we could get. And we paused. Yes, I took lots of photos....breathed in the beauty....and most of all...lost my hurry. Pooh Bear said, "Rivers know this: There is no hurry, we shall get there some day." Ahhh...what's your hurry? And now, on to our Extraordinary Link Party.... Thank you so … [Read more...]
The deeper your love, the higher it goes; every cloud’s a flag to your faithfulness. Soar high in the skies, O God! Cover the whole earth with your glory! And for the sake of the one you love so much, reach down and help me—answer me! ~Psalm 108:4-6 The Message One of my favorite things to do is to go for a walk and take in the beauty. Today, the sky was brilliant blue, the sun was intense, and the white crusty ground reflected both. Though the wind was biting I was warmed by the glory all around me. Do you ever go for a walk expecting to see the earth filled … [Read more...]
Yesterday, Ann Voskamp's blog post hit my inbox. As I was reading through the post I came across these words... When you’re overwhelmed with the goodness of God to you — you overflow with the goodness of God to others. Ann Voskamp I had to ask myself this question... Are you overwhelmed with the goodness of God Maybe you'd like to join me in contemplating this question and Ann's statement. Thank you for stopping by today. I appreciate you and your sweet comments make my day. Overwhelmed... Diane P.S. Don't forget the check out or link up to our Project Inspire{d} Link … [Read more...]
Winter weather seems to be the topic of conversation everywhere. Did you get snow? I love hearing the excitement of those of you who are experiencing the first real snowfall in a long time. Please tell me you celebrated by making snow ice cream. Yesterday the sun was shining here in the Mitten State, for a while, and the temps were all the way up to the low twenties! My husband and I celebrated by going for a long walk at a local park. The best part was walking on some of the frozen marsh. I know...it doesn't take much for me. [wink] And of course, I took a bunch of photos … [Read more...]
When I was reading this verse in my Bible, the words seemed really familiar to me. It seems that a pastor of a church I attended used to say something very similar when he prayed, just prior to preaching his sermon. May the words from my mouth and the thoughts from my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my defender. Psalm 19:14 GW Most of us have been taught to say only things that build people up and not run them down. What's the phrase? "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." We've also been taught to think the best of people. And some of us have … [Read more...]
