Cards

I made a few more cards this weekend. Several of them are already on their way to Germany for Military Spouse Appreciation Day. It seems like I ended up using lots of purple. Not my usual color and none would win any awards (that's OK too) but a great use of scraps. Eva, do you recognize some of the ribbons? Thanks!!



This one shows I can't even sew straight when I'm just drawing the stitches! Some things never change! :/



The following four use 3D stickers from K & Company that also have glitter or bling on them. I think they're so pretty and are great for cards.

His Presence

This week's word is His Presence (OK, yes, it's more than one word.).

I chose these verses:

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving,

and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Psalm 95:2

Serve the LORD with gladness:

come before his presence with singing.
Psalm 100:2

Pray

Here is a layout I made using a picture I took of Kendra on Easter Sunday. I was really excited when it was chosen for the Project Spotlight for the week of 4/21/08 on Scraps-n-Such.

The journaling says:

Lord, we thank You for our daughter, Kendra. And we thank You that she has turned her heart to You. Thank You for receiving her, cleansing her and directing her path. We praise You Lord for what You've done in her. Now, in Your name, we bless her with courage, with faith, and with integrity. Lord, we call her a woman of strength, love and grace. We ask, as her earthly parents, that You would rain down favor on her that she would know that she is loved and treasured; That You will bless whatever she touches. Here is our daughter, Lord, and we give her back to You. Lord, we love her. Keep her and bless her. In Jesus name, Amen.
(Adapted from "The Flywheel")

Change & Joy

The week that Dad fell and ended up in the hospital, the Scripture Challenge word was Change. On the front of my card I wrote "Change can turn you upside down." I didn't know how right I was. I made the card 3 days before Dad fell. Here it is:



The back says:

God NEVER changes.

Malachi 3:5 For I am the Lord, I change not...

However, He wants us to change as we become conformed to His image.

Romans 8:28-29 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Next to this verse in my Bible I wrote a quote from an unnamed preacher, If it's good it's conforming us to God. If it's conforming us to God, it's good.

I missed the next 10 weeks of cards due to all the life events that have happened between now & then. I'm going to try to make them up gradually until I'm caught back up.


This week's word is Joy. On the front of the card I wrote the lyrics to the chorus The Joy of the Lord is my Strength. Here's the card:



The verses on the back are:

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth 3 John 4

...Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Psalm 126:3

A Few Cards

Over on Scrapjazz, one of the ladies has a card project to benefit the spouses of some of our soldiers for Military Spouse Appreciation Day. I told her I'd send her a few cards. Most of the cards below will end up in Germany to the wives of a combat unit recently deployed to Iraq. The pink & black ones are my favorites.

On Scraps-n-Such Jessica posted a Sketch of the Week Bonus Sketch on 4/19/08. Here's the card I made with her sketch. I love how it turned out. It's ending up going to a friend in England.

Circle Journal #2

At Faithfully Yours we are just starting a new Circle Journal. Each of us chose a theme, made the pages for our own journal, and sent it on its way. I really enjoy circle journals and can't wait to get started.

An interesting note about the first journal I did. The round finished and my album was waiting here for me when I got back home from Columbus after Dad died. Guess what theme I chose for that journal? Words of Comfort! We started these journals 6 mos. before. Only the Lord knew I would need these Words of Comfort 6 mos. later.

Anyway, for this journal, I chose Marriage Advice. With two young adults in the house, marriage and how to chose a marriage partner are frequent topics of conversation. So...my journal asks the ladies to do a page of advice they received and then a page of advice they would give now. It's understood that any potential marriage partner should be a Christian and that you should have similar beliefs, convictions, standards, etc.

Here are my pages. I used the Foof-a-La Red, Cream & Black line for all of mine.

This is the Title page:



This is the Introduction page & the Map page. Each participant will put a brad on the map showing where they live.




These are the Getting to Know You pages. Each participant will put a small pic, their name, username, how long they've been married & their favorite Scripture verse on the back of the tag that has their intial on it.



This is my LO of advice Dad & Mom gave me and then what advice I would give. I used a sketch from Triple the Sketch for this layout.



Journaling for the left page: My parents were perpetual sweethearts. Watching their marriage and how they treated each other was a constant example of what a godly marriage should look like. Dad always said, "Make sure yo marry the right person. During the day you can keep busy but if you’re married to the wrong person the nights can be awfully long."
Mom told me, "Don’t marry someone you can live with; marry someone you don’t want to live without." There are two pieces of advice Mom gave me for after I was married that have always stood out in my mind:
1. If your husband asks you to go do something, GO! Don’t let dirty dishes or housework keep you from saying, "Yes." The dishes & housework will be there when you get back but if you repeatedly turn him down, he’ll quit asking you to go.
2. Never say anything negative in public about your husband. Mom was extremely loyal. I remember her saying, "I live with your Dad, I know he’s not perfect. But I’m sure not going to tell someone else that or listen to them talk negatively about him."

Journaling for the right page: My top advice for marriage would be:
1. Put the Lord first in your relationship. Marriage is a wonderful thing but also a hard thing. You need to have the Lord’s help for a successful marriage. Ecclesiastes 4:12 "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
2. God designed you to be a help to your husband not someone who is in competition with him. Genesis 2:18 "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." Leave the competition in the sports arena and business world and kick it out of the home.
3. In the words of a wise man named Dr. Donald Worch, "If you do after you’re married what you did before you were married in order to get married, you’ll stay married." While it sounds a bit confusing, when you think about it, it makes perfect sense.
4. Be a team. Approach projects, challenges, joys, dreams, & activities together. Some things we do just for the sake of our relationship (aka Us). Sometimes "Us" goes to the scrapbook store and other times "Us" goes to Bass Pro Shops. Remember you’re both in this together and face things side-by-side – you need each other. Ecclesiastes 4:10 "For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up."

Each of the ladies will sign this page before they send it on to the next participant.

Why I've been MIA

For those of you who are not family members, you may be wondering why I've been on such a long hiatus from scrapping. That's certainly not normal for me! Well, Feb. & March were challenging months for us. Here's a timeline of some of the major events.

Fri., 2/8 We moved my Dad from one assisted living facility to another. About an hour after we left, Dad got up to get ready for dinner and fell. He landed on his wooden magazine rack breaking 2 ribs and lacerating his liver. He was life-flighted to Columbus.

Sat., 2/9 - Fri., 2/15 I spent the week in Columbus with Dad while he was in ICU.

Fri., 2/15, 6:45 pm While surrounded by his six children and 2 sons-in-law, Dad was ushered into the presence of the Lord he loved and served for so many years and was reunited with the wife he dearly loved.

Mon., 2/18 We had Dad's viewing & funeral here at our church. All of our family was here for the funeral except my oldest niece's husband. Dad & Mom would have loved seeing all 6 of their children, 13 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren and assorted spouses & one fiancee gathered together.

Tues., 2/19 We traveled to PA to have Dad's graveside service. After the service, we went to a cousin's house for dinner and then traveled all the way home.

Wed., 2/20 - Sun., 2/24 We had our annual Missions Conference at church. On Friday (2/22) one of the missionary men graciously went with us to pack up Dad's apartment. On Sat., the same man and several other men of the church moved all of Dad's belongings back here for storage.

Tues., 2/26 I had an appt. with my surgeon to schedule surgery on my left elbow. We've been doctoring this elbow for 2 years to put off surgery as long as possible. My time has run out and surgery is my only option. They put me on a cancellation list so that I could have the surgery ASAP. When we got home from work, there was a message on the machine that they'd had a cancellation for Thurs.

Thurs., 2/28 Surgery on my left elbow. I'd torn the tendon that runs between the elbow & wrist and had a bone spur on the elbow. The doctor said the damage was "significant."

Since 2/28, I've been recovering. I was in a splint for 2 weeks and a sling for 4 additional weeks. Then I'll have 6 weeks of physical therapy. Fun, fun! NOT!!

Fri & Sat 4/4 - 4/5, we had our annual Ladies' Spectacular. Since I'm the pastor's wife, I am the coordinator for the meeting. We've been working a lot the past couple weeks finalizing plans and putting the program booklets together.

Monday 4/7, Tim and I are going on a much-need and greatly-anticipated two night get-away. I can't wait. I have a doctor's appt. on Thurs. and I'll hopefully get my sling off then. I have a bit of infection in the incision. I hope that doesn't slow recovery down too much. I am hoping to be able to scrap this coming weekend after the sling comes off. We'll have to wait & see though.

So....that's why I've been on a creative hiatus. I truly miss scrapping but it is a difficult hobby to do one-handed.