It's All About Gratitude!

Today, as I do five days a week, Monday through Friday, I got dressed and prepared to go out for my morning walk.  Well today, as happens more times than I care to remember, I didn't feel like it.  I felt fine physically but mentally I was lagging and almost decided not to step out the door.  However, I finally let my better judgement rule and out I went.  It wasn't very long as I was walking towards our central park in the middle of our apartment community that I had an attitude adjustment.  Whether it was a thought put there by the Lord or something that just occurred to me (I really do think it was the former) in a reflective moment, I can't say for sure but I began to realize how fortunate I am to have two strong legs to carry me on my walk every day.  I thought about the dear people in Boston who had lost limbs in the recent Marathon bombing.  They will never walk or run again.  Yes, they'll be fitted with prostheses which is a wonderful thing, but it won't be the same as it was before.  I thought of my husband lying in bed with a serious back problem.  Though temporary, he would love to be out walking again.  I'm sure I could think of many more examples.  I quickly repented of my attitude.    

I like to think of myself as a grateful person.  And I think I am for the most part.  I thank the Lord daily for all His many blessings and benefits, but sometimes we let our feelings get in the way.  At least I do.  It doesn't matter how I "feel" when it comes to doing something I don't want to do but know it will help me in the long run  We all know how beneficial exercise is, and I am so glad I got out there and took that walk.  And I am doubly blessed that while I am doing something good for my health, I have the added pleasure of walking in very lovely surroundings.  We have many beautiful flowers, plants, manicured lawns and a wide variety of trees to enjoy while spending time outdoors.  Who could ask for more?

Thank You, Lord that you have caused me to have a change of heart this morning.  Thank You for the beautiful place you have given me to live.  Help me to awaken each morning with a song in my heart and on my lips - a song of praise and thanksgiving for all You have given me.  May I always keep my eyes focused on you and not on my feelings.  In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

And More Cards...

Here are several of my most recent card creations.  Right now I am working on my autumn cards as it will soon be time to begin making some for Thanksgiving and Christmas! 

The cupcakes are part of a small stamp set from Paper Wishes, a wonderful site where I order many of my craft supplies.  Check it out at www.paperwishes.com/.  You will be delighted at all they have to offer.  In addition to card and scrapbook supplies, they offer tutorial videos on many of their products. 

These adorable pleated flowers are from a Hot Off The Press template called "Pretty Pleated Flowers."  They were easy to make and fun to create. 

This is a card made by using my Spellbinder Grand Calibur, some pretty lace and a rose stamp colored with my Marvy Le Plume pens.  A simple card to make and can be used for any kind of greeting card. 

This jar full of candy treats is made from my new Hot Off  The Press "Well Preserved" stamps.  With a lace doily as background and some pink patterned paper and a pretty ribbon added, it makes for a cute gift for a special friend or family member who likes to can.  Actually, anyone would be delighted to receive a paper gift of candy delights!   

My favorite cards to make are those representing the Victorian or vintage era.  On the card above I printed out a photo of a lady from this time period and added a few embellishments ~ lace, felt roses, dazzles and a date stamp.  This will be a birthday card for my mother-in-law Dorothy's 90th BD in November. 

New Cards & Tools

Hello, Friends!

It's been a while since I've taken the time to blog.  I plan on doing that later this week after I have recovered from this nasty summer cold.  Yuck!  In the meantime, I wanted to share a couple of my latest cards with you.  I've bought some new stamps, learned how to make 3-D roses, and just had fun experimenting with new ideas and tools (such as my scor-buddy).  God bless you and I'll see you again very soon!

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love tea so I was delighted when I came across these tea stamps from Hot Off The Press!  I used colored pencils to fill in the spaces in the tea pot, in the corner roses, and in "Tea Time." 

These roses were made using a flowers template.  So easy and lots of fun!  They came from www.paperwishes.com/

The lines in the yellow background of this card were made using my new scor-buddy.  They give the card more depth and enhancement.

New Tea Pots!

Here are my two most recent tea pot purchases.  While back in my hometown for a recent visit with family, I had bought the Rooster Tea Pot (found it at Walgreens Drug Store) for my sister Alice who collects tea pots and roosters.  I knew she would love this combination that gives her two collectibles in one!  When I returned to L.A. I decided to check our local Walgreens to see if they had the tea pots here, and not only did they have the rooster tea pot, but several others as well.  And best of all, they were on sale so I was able to purchase two for the price of one!  They are part of the Martha Vaughn collection.  I am so pleased to have found them and to be able to add them to my collection. 

The Brevity of Life

I'm feeling sad today.  My friend Kristine's sister-in-law passed away a few days ago and her funeral was held today.  I didn't know Janelle, but I felt I did because I read her blogs on a daily basis.  Janelle was 53 years old and had a brain tumor.  She hadn't been able to post for the past 3 months, so her husband began to give weekly updates on her condition.  She knew that unless God chose to heal her here on earth, she would be healed by going Home to be with Him.  I was inspired by her upbeat and encouraging posts and looked forward to reading them every day.  She would usually post a Psalm and expand on it by adding a personal word of what that particular one meant to her and how it helped her to trust Jesus and to know that whatever happened, her life was in His hands.  She knew that He was in control of her life.  She was so brave and lived life to the fullest.  Even when she was so ill, she focused on the positives in her life and most of all on the goodness of God.  She loved Jesus with all her heart and dearly loved her husband and two children.  My heart goes out to them during this time.  I know they are hurting, but they take comfort in knowing that Janelle's 9 month struggle is over now and she is with her beloved Savior. 

Learning of Janelle's passing has made me think about the brevity of life.  If you were to look up the word brevity in the dictionary, its primary definition would say "noun. 1. shortness of time or duration; briefness: the brevity of human life".   And isn't that so?  I Peter 1:24 says, "For all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall."  But if we read the following verse, we see that "... the word of the Lord stands forever."  We are here such a short time, friends.  This life is just a blimp on the radar screen, but even so I want my life to count for something.  When I stand before God I want to hear Him say those words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."  (Matthew 25:23). 

Let's hold our loved ones close today.  We aren't promised tomorrow, but praise God we are given His promise of a glad reunion day with those we love who know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.  I so appreciate each day that the Lord has given me and will do my best with His help to live each day with gladness of heart, no matter what comes, knowing that I'm on a short journey here but my true home is in heaven.  We'll experience no more pain, sorrow or separation, but will spend an eternity with Jesus and those we love. 

Thank You, Jesus, that though we must say goodbye to our loved ones for a little while, we will meet them again one day soon.  Help us to value each day, to remember that our time here on earth is short but we have all of eternity to look forward to with You.  May we appreciate each new day and live with hearts that overflow with gratitude for You and for all Your many blessings.  Be with those who have recently lost someone near and dear to them.  Bring hope, healing and comfort to them and the promise of a brighter tomorrow.  In Your most holy and precious Name I pray, Amen.

Detours

I had a dream last night and when I woke up this morning, it was still fresh on my mind.  I dreamed I was driving my car when suddenly I came upon piles of debris on every side.  I knew I was witnessing the affects of a bad storm or tornado.  I crept along slowly, due to the road forming a narrow pathway in the midst of all the chaos.  I saw that several men were directing traffic.  I remember thinking in the dream that I wanted to turn left, but was unable to do so because of all the wreckage in the streets.  One of the men motioned me to keep moving forward.  After a short distance, I came to another crossroads where I wanted to make a turn; this time towards the right but once again I encountered problems and was unable to make the turn.  Another man pointed me in the opposite direction.  And so it went until I woke up. 

The first thing that occurred to me was the symbolism.  Isn't this so like our lives?  We have plans to do one thing, but for whatever reason, the Lord steers us in another direction.  Perhaps if we'd gone the way we wanted, it would have ended in disastrous results.  Just like the piles of debris I encountered in the dream, it wasn't safe for me to go the way I intended.  But God knows best and graciously leads me in the right way to go.  Sometimes we're required to take detours in life.  But the bottom line is that as we trust our heavenly Father to guide us, we can be assured of reaching our destination.  It may not be in the way we would have chosen, but it will be the better way.  And isn't the journey so much more interesting! 

Here are a few cards I've made for Easter:

The Legacy

Yesterday morning I stepped out of the elevator into our lobby in preparation for heading out for my daily walk,  As I always do, I glanced to my left at the table standing against the wall.  Imagine my surprise when I spotted two large stacks of Bibles setting there!  People often leave books, pamphlets, small household items that they no longer want and even an occasional bag of clothing on the table, but never have I seen so many Bibles outside of a Christian bookstore at one time!  They were in various sizes, most in Bible covers and there were a few books and devotionals included in the mix.  Now to one who absolutely loves Bibles and their various translations and loves collecting them, I was in heaven!  :)  Though the majority of them were in Korean, I did find a New American Standard translation of the Bible in English, a book written by Joel Osteen and a very interesting resource entitled, "Discover What the Bible Says About 500 Real-Life Topics."  Not having an NAS version of the Bible, I decided to keep it in addition to the other two books.

While leafing through the Study Bible, I imagined what the owner of this Bible was like.  Had he or she passed away and relatives decided to leave this collection in the lobby for other tenants to pick up and take home?  Had someone moved away and decided to leave many of their Bibles behind?  I had serious doubts about this last option, as I couldn't imagine any believer parting with his/her Bibles willingly; at least that's how I would feel unless it was for a very unusual and good cause.  I have a Bible that is coming apart at the seams, but I treasure it above all others and wouldn't give it away for anything.  I'm sure there might be other reasons as to why the Bibles were left there, but I tend to think that the first case scenario might be what happened.  When I opened the Joel Osteen book, there was a notation in the inside front cover that read, "Congratulations Kevin Lee!  Shepherd Christian Church, Rev. Myung Hur."  Perhaps Kevin won this book or it was given to him on a special occasion.  I don't know for sure if this book or the other one belonged to the same person who owned the Bible, but it does seem likely. 

This was written on the inside back page of the Bible:

Obviously, I don't read Korean, but I can't help being curious about the writing and the date.  Was 1984 the year he bought the Bible, or maybe the year he was saved?  I also found strips of paper in the Bible, marking various passages:  Psalm 23, Matthew 4, Matthew 1:20, John 10:7 and Romans 3:10.  These verses of Scripture must have had special meaning for him.  Though there are no marginal or footnotes on any of the pages, I can tell this was a well read and well loved Bible.  The front binding has been carefully taped where it had begun to separate.  The pages are beginning to show signs of age but look as though they've often been lovingly thumbed through. 

I will never know for sure who owned this Bible, but it doesn't take away from my pleasure and enjoyment of speculating and from having a new translation of the Word to read.  I whispered a prayer to the Lord last night, requesting that if Kevin Lee has gone on to glory, to please let him know I have his Bible and am taking good care of it.  And to tell him that someday when we meet, I'll look forward to sharing our love for Jesus as we praise and worship Him together.  I have a feeling Kevin will smile when he hears this.  :)

My latest Valentine creations: