and Will...

I have not shown any new pictures of will lately...and I am sure my Mom would appreciate this since I know she looks on my blog just to see Will's face sometimes..hehe. I just love this picture in his old man hat. :)

Gratitude Week Day 7 "Praise"

I wanted to wrap up Gratitude Week with part of David's psalm of thanks...of Praise!...yes, I know it is now monday, but I ended up going out of town saturday so I did not get to post this, but it is too important. 

Praise is declaring God's character; worshiping and honoring Him. It is so important to show appreciation to those around us, but giving thanks to the one who saved us is essential in our lives. I found a piece of paper in my bible that must have been from a study or a sermon, but it says... Happy moments, Praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, Worship God. Painful moments, Trust God. EVERY MOMENT, THANK GOD. What isn't there to thank God for? The list could go on and on...the key is to remember, to be aware, and to not forget.

I Chronicles 16:23-36

                                    ...Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.

		Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
		For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.
		For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
		Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.
		Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength,
		ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
		Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
		Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!"
		Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
		Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
		Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
		Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise."
		Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.  Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the Lord." I hope you all enjoyed Gratitude Week. If anything it helped me to be more aware of my attitude and more appreciative of the simple things in life. Have a super monday.

Gratitude Week-Day 6 "God's Gifts"

Numbers 11:4-9
		...The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat!
		We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost--also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.
		But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!"
		The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin.
		The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a handmill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil.
		When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down..... Every morning the Isrealites woke up to a ground filled with manna (food), but soon it was not enough for them. They were demanding more; they had forgotten and were not thankful for what they already had been given from God. Dissatisfaction comes when we start to focus on what we don't have instead of what we already have. The people of Isreal did not seem to notice what God was doing for them...first if all(if you read back a little) setting them free, giving them a nation and land...and now they could only focus on what good food they had left behind in Egypt. This made me think hard about what occupies my attention most of the time. Am I grateful for what God has given me, or am I always thinking about what I would like to have? I have learned that we should not allow our unfulfilled desires to cause us to forget about God's gifts of life...for example...food, health, family, friends, our jobs, our home, etc. So Simple, but yet so difficult today in a world filled of self-fulfilling commercials and STUFF. My prayer for you today is that you can focus and be thankful for the simple gifts that God has already and continues to give you, to stop having an attitude of.."when I have this or that then I will be satisfied." SMiles. :)

Gratitude Week- Day 5 " My Gratitude Journal"

One way to remember to give thanks everyday or to just focus on having a more positive outlook on life is to start writing in a gratitude journal. Set aside time everyday or once at the end of the week, whichever you prefer, and list 3-5 things you were thankful for that day. It could maybe be someone that did something nice for you, a simple object that made you happy, the weather, great decisions you have made, list of highlights, or maybe even the ways that God revealed himself to you that day. Pick a time of day when you can be consistant...before you go to bed is a great time so you can fall alseep thinking about the positive parts of your day. Those are all ideas, but this is something that obviously can be done any way. So get creative! Studies show that keeping a gratitude journal raises peoples satisfaction with life, improves health, increases energy, and promotes good sleep.

It seems like forgetfulness and lack of awareness are the reasons we are not grateful, so maybe recording what we are thankful for down on paper will help us to become more aware and to remember these simple important parts of our day. By writing in a journal we also have the option to look back on it weeks, months, or even years later and remember those things...or when you are having a bad day you can just open your journal and hopefuly it will help change your attitude. 

I decided to make my own journal so that it is a little bit more personal. You could just pick up any type of notebook at the store or if you are more of a computer person you could record your thoughts by, well you know creating a blog. :) Here is a picture of my journal I made with scraps of felt, drawing paper, string, and a scrap of one of my favorite fabrics.

You can find a tutorial on how to sew the binding of the book here. It is super simple; only taking about 10 minutes. It would even be a fun project for a child to do.

Here and here are also fun ideas to help get you started.

Happy Journaling!

Gratitude Week-Day 4 "Challenges"

"Life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it."-Chuck Swindoll

How do we keep our minds tuned toward all that is good and beautiful and bright? There is so much we are missing out on...Here is a list of ideas/challenges that I have come up with, please feel free to comment on any other creative ideas you can think of.

1-Make decisions about how much TV you watch, what magazines you read, or the music you are listening to. Click here for a great TV turn off challenge. This post is old, she may be having a 3rd annual soon, but you could make up your own challenge too.

2-Put away negative thoughts. It is hard to stop certain thoughts from coming in our minds, but we do not have to dwell on them.

3- Memorize positive scripture; try the James Challenge over at Sara's blog.

4- Get yourself around positive people; quit participating in negative talk, gossip, etc.

5-Look at uplifting pictures...here is a great place to start...or here is a great photoblog.

6-Make a gratitude journal- stay tuned for tomorrow...:)

7-Put up post-it notes in places you will look often (bathroom mirrior, door to walk outside, etc.) filled with positive quotes/verses.

8-Use an alarm, maybe on your phone, or a computer memo to remind you to be grateful at that time each day.

9-You could try the 7 Days of Gratitude Challenge over at LifeCoachesBlog.com.

10-Write letters to friends or family to show them how much you appreciate them. Check out this gratitude wrap made by Amanda Blake Soule to store your stationary.

11-Think of 5 ways you are thankful for your spouse or friend before seeing them or having a conversation with them.

Being grateful in even the hard parts of life shows who is in control of my life. (God)

Gratitude Week-Day 3 "I am Thankful for..."

I am thankful for...

adventure and Autumn and air and blankets andBeauty and baths and community and children andCreativity and Daisys and daddys and energy andEnthusiasm and family and Friends and God and gentleness and husbands and hugs and Health and hands and Ice cream and intelligence and Joy and jeans and Kindness and laughter and love and Leaves and Mothers and music and memories and Nature and neighbors and Oranges and oceans and Peace and prayer and pajamas and questions and Quality time and rest and Rain and romance and sunshine and Strawberries and smiles and stars and Trees and talent and tomatoes and Uniqueness and unity and vacations and Vision and water and Wisdom and eXpression and Youth and yellow and Zeal.

What simple daily things are you thankful for?

Gratitude Week-Day 2 " Don't Compare Yourself"

It is strange that as humans a lot of times we tend to compare others strengths with our weaknesses. How is that even fair? It is an incredible waste of energy! Then it is even worse...we seem to resent that person for how good they are at that one thing we are not good at. I personally have learned that if i try (and it can be hard when our minds are stubborn) to catch myself before I compare so I can think about all the things I am blessed with. Like...what are my strengths?...What unique spiritual gifts has God given me to shine with? ...and sometimes we have to be okay with not being perfect. (another struggle of mine) But for today's gratitude I want to focus on loving, respecting and honoring ourselves.

"If you keep focusing on everyone else’s journey, you’re going to stop paying quality attention to your own. What I mean by quality attention is attention free from jealousy, worry, envy, strife, etc., - just a calm, objective look at your own journey that can provide answers to help move you forward or to even determine what that journey should be in the first place."- Brian Kim

I love this quote! Don't think hierarchy; think journey.There have been way to many times in my life where I was so focused on what others thought about me and how "they" did things... that I forgot who I was, or how I wanted to live. We have to learn to think independantly and what is best for ourselves reguardless of what the rest of the world says. What is your motivation? Be grateful for who YOU are and what YOU bring to the table. 

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. 

Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

Galations 6:4 (the Messege)

Today I challenge you to make a list of all your spiritual gifts. All the qualities that God has given you specifically to help strengthen community. What special qualities do YOU have that others don't?...be thankful for who you are and live it out! Stop comparing and start living how you were designed to live. :)...make sure you click on the link below for lots more monday encouragement from this mama.

Making your Home Sing!

Gratitude Week-Day 1 "Watermelon Stories"

One summer in college a good friend and I spent most of our time trying to figure out how to make enough money to live. Ha, sounds funny...but it is really hard when you don't have a car to get you to a job that pays well. We rode our bikes everywhere. Which looking back on now I loved that we did that, and I kind of miss it. I worked so many random jobs because it was hard to find anything close enough that was full-time, or that paid enough money for rent and food etc. No worries...I did have parents that would never let me go homeless, but I tried to do what I could. It was my responsibility. . I worked at Jimmy Johns because it was two blocks from our house, I also worked for the phonebank at the university (that was no fun trying to get money from people, I will never do that again!), and also did catering since we lived so close to campus. There were also a few other random jobs here and there that we did to get some extra money...but anyways...one day we decided we really wanted some watermelon....

 It was a hot July afternoon and we lived only a bike ride away from the grocery store. I remembered seeing the day before that for half a watermelon it was only like a $1.47 or something like that. So we gathered our change, and came up with exactly what we needed. I put on my backpack so we had some way of biking home with the huge melon and on our way we went. Well, we got there, picked out our melon and went to check out. What was I thinking? $1.47 per pound! Duh! We were both so embarrased and had to explain that we did not have enough money...until the man behind us said "I got it." He bought our watermelon for us! It was only like 3 bucks or so, but I remember that story to this day because we were determined to eat watermelon on that hot day. We biked all the way there just for that refreshing taste. We were so excited that we had just enough money, and we got shot down, until this man came in and did that simple kind deed that he did not have to do. He just told us to pass it on to someone someday. That was such a neat experience. He saw us put that melon in our backpack and bike home. I think it made him feel good too because he obviously knew that we were low on money and that made our day. We were sooo thankful. I will never forget that story and it was such a simple thing he did. What kind of stories do you have that made you feel thankful?...or maybe you were the man who bought the watermelon.

Positive Homemaking

There was an article in Family Circle Magazine that Nancie Carmody wrote about being positive and thankful. She wrote about how she was thankful that the alarm clock went off "because it means I'm alive!" and when her clothes fit snugly "because it means i have enough to eat" and when there was cooking, cleaning, and fixing "because it means I have a home" and when she was exhausted at the end of the day "...because it means I have been productive."

After reading this I realized that I have more blessings than I think, but sometimes I have tochose to be grateful in life's challenges. I am going to try to keep this in mind this week and see how much more exciting life can get! I am going to practice gratitude, learn to be content, laugh a lot, put away my negative thoughts, and adjust my focus on what the apostle Paul says...

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."

Each day next week I will be posting something about gratitude and a positive attitude. I feel if I continue this for a few days it will more likely become a bigger part of my life. So those that want to join me should visit me back here next week. I would love to hear what you are thankful for, what has been a blessing in your life, and how you have learned to be content.

For starters here is a list of 12 things I love about homemaking and being a mommy...

1. I can lay down and snuggle and giggle with Will anytime I want.

2. Yummy smells in the kitchen.

3. I get to keep learning how to make my home a special place...slowly decorating each room to     make them come alive.

4. Watering and watching my plants grow.

5. I get to wear my sweats as long as I want.

6. The humm of my sewing machine and that I get to make things with beautiful fabrics.

7. The warmth of the clothes when they get out of the dryer.

8. The smell of a freshly bathed baby.

9. The excitement of trying a new recipe and chopping colorful veggies.

10. Capturing everything during the day with my camera.

11. I can take full advantages of the seasons-getting outside during the day or enjoying a view         from the window.

12.I like serving for the Lord, and He called me to do this.

Have a lovely weekend, hope to hear from you next week.

Wordless Wednesday "A Day at the Park"

Will and Mia

Yesterday my friend Heather came over with her daughter Mia who is  6 months older than Will. She is such a little cutie, and it is so much fun seeing how fast these two grow! Mia was the first to purchase a linky, Yay!!... here is a picture of her enjoying...

And the two together...look Will is sitting up for the first time by himself!

Look at this little guy...I am so proud of him! :)

Have a great weekend-Love ya!

Etsy Finds-Natural

Maple Teething toy by littlealouette

oatmeal honey almond goatmilk soap-with camomile by RiverCitySoaps

Tree-mixed media illustration print by Carambatck

Grow-ceramic ruffled dish by Mudhutt

Just wanted to share a few fun finds.

Wordless Wednesday "Sweet Will"

Have a beautiful Wednesday!

spring cards

The past couple of days I have been working on a hand full of fun spring cards...sewn with paper, felt and buttons. I love the colors in these! I can not wait for spring!...its coming. :) 

Wheatgrass

It was actually pretty nice a couple days this week, but I know not to fool myself...it always seems to get cold again this time of year. I decided I needed a little bit more green in our house and i found this great idea from mom in madison. Wheatgrass!...it sprouts and grows so fast its a lot of fun to watch. I literally woke up every morning this week and went straight downstairs to look how much it has changed.

It is so easy to do, and I chose to do it in glass so i can watch the growth process. All you need is a little sand, potting soil, wheat berries(i found organic from our farmers market),plastic wrap and a container to plant in.

First soak the wheat berries in room temperature water for 8-12 hours-drain and change the water about half way through. Then fill the bottom of your pot/jar with one inch of sand.(this is to keep it from getting waterlogged) Then put about 2 inches of potting soil layered over the sand, and then top it with a thick layer of wheat berries. I think I may have put too thick of a layer-as the grass has grown and it has been pretty crammed, and too thick of a layer makes it easier for mold to grow....so just enough to cover the soil. Water lightly and then cover loosly with plastic wrap and place it in a shady spot. 

march 2

Spray with water morning and night. Berries should sprout after the first day; after sprouted you may remove the plastic wrap and keep it in a window to get light. In a few days you should have grass! Continue to spray with water every morning and night. Once the grass is growing you may want to rinse it out everyday to prevent the lower berries from molding.(fill the jar with cool water then use a finger to drain.)

It is so much fun once the grass starts growing, it can grow like an inch or more a day! You can trim it when it reaches 4 inches or so...this makes for some green in the house during these long winter months...you could also snip it and add it to smoothies, or if you have a grinder some people grind it and take shots of it...I don't know enough about that, but my step mother does that. Just beware of the overwhelming scent it gives off when snipped. :)

march 4

march 5

march 6

march 7

Its always nice to have a little more green life in the house when its cold outside. :) Have a good weekend.