.....and that my identity is in Him ~~ because He makes me new. Every Day. ♥
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
~2 Corinthians 5:17
There's a girl in the corner With tear stains on her eyes From the places she's wandered And the shame she can't hide She says, "How did I get here? I'm not who I once was. And I'm crippled by the fear That I've fallen too far to love" But don't you know who you are, What's been done for you? Yeah don't you know who you are? You are more than the choices that you've made, You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, You are more than the problems you create, You've been remade. Well she tries to believe it That she's been given new life But she can't shake the feeling That it's not true tonight She knows all the answers And she's rehearsed all the lines And so she'll try to do better But then she's too weak to try
But don't you know who you are? You are more than the choices that you've made, You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade. You are more than the choices that you've made, You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, You are more than the problems you create, You've been remade. 'Cause this is not about what you've done, But what's been done for you. This is not about where you've been, But where your brokenness brings you to This is not about what you feel, But what He felt to forgive you, And what He felt to make you loved. You are more than the choices that you've made, You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, You are more than the problems you create, You've been remade.
I had planned a really deep, thought-provoking post today.....
BUT woke up to day 2 of another Headache-that-ruins-my-good-intentions. {Notice I said Day 2....which is why I didn't work on it ahead of time =( }. It hurts. Really bad. = (
Soooo.......I'm trying to get my kids to keep the arguing noise level down as I struggle to get anything worthwhile done and pray my large dose of extra-strength pain reliever will kick in.
I came across this....and am thankful that God gave me something to make me smile in spite of myself today.
Hee hee hee. Ouch. Laughing hurts at the moment, but sharing with you so that you can laugh, too. =)
If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get. ~Frank A. Clark
321. Another room completed....almost =)
322. A very clean house....if I tie my children to the dining room chairs and my husband to his "throne" in front of the TV, do you think I can make it last more than a day ????
323. A very organized utility/laundry room....I thought of painting it, too, in the hopes that making it prettier would inspire my family to stop treating it as the-room-we-can-throw-everything-into-any-which-way-it-lands-because-no-one-but-us-ever-sees-it, but decided all other rooms have priority. If these people who live with me don't respect my hard work and effort this time , I may consider selling them on ebay. { <--------- totally kidding, please do not call the authorities}
324. My little house on the cul-de-sac packed with loud, hyper kids and ♥sweet friends♥....
325. ......to help us celebrate the 4th of July.....
326. the fireworks show on the Riverwalk.....although, I have to admit I often enjoy watching the kids' reactions more than the fireworks =)
327. Wisdom to make more potato salad, baked beans, corn-on-the-cob, and banana pudding than we needed.....so that last night all I had to do was marinate & prepare.....
328. Some amazing chicken on the grill!!
329. Planned leftovers = easy night for the chef ; )
330. Our land of liberty, which allows us to....
331. Live freely,
332. Love freely,
333. and WORSHIP freely
334. under the provision of the God that I trust....regardless of circumstances, regardless of the unknown to come, regardless of anything... ♥
Praying for my country today, it's leaders, and it's future.....
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
I've been joking with my family that Design On a Dime should pay me to be on their show, because that's what I feel like I'm doing with my summer.....trying to see how much re-do I can do without breaking the {modest} budget available to me! ; )
Our latest room re-do has been the downstairs bathroom. This bathroom has always served as the "boys' bathroom" as well as the guest bathroom. I have filled in holes, sanded, and painted this small space, ripped down a very ugly grid-like ceiling thing (that in itself was a huge improvement!), changed the color scheme from royal blue, grey and brassy gold to a very welcome and manly grey, black, white and red, and yesterday, my ♥husband♥ installed new doors! It looks soooo much better!! =) My daughter commented, "Mom.....this bathroom looks so classy now! I can't believe how good you are at always making things look better". I think perhaps it will not be just the "boys' bathroom" anymore. ; )
As I was re-hanging freshly painted shelving and new towel bars, I remembered two black-and-white sailboat pictures that I had stashed upstairs after removing them (and a few other things} from the walls of our office/Sweet Diva room to allow for more shelving for my ever-growing collection of fabric and supplies. They were perfect for the wall above the towel bar, but the space needed a little something more.
I started looking for just the right thing every time I was out running errands, but hadn't been able to find just what I was searching for. I was determined to wait until I found the perfect thing that fit what my mind had envisioned.......and then, I was contacted by BuildASign. =) I was so excited......a sign with a phrase, quote or saying was exactly what I'd been looking for, and although they are everywhere right now, I had been unable to find just the one with the right colors and words {I was determined not to have one that said "bathroom" ; ) }.
While I navigated the BuildASign site and started playing around with my options, I became even more excited! The Street Sign was just the right size and I set to work customizing it. After choosing a template, I chose my own text, mixing it with some of their clip-art to give it my own personal flair. =) They have many fonts and clip-arts to choose from, or you can upload your own design from your computer. They actually had everything I needed on their site and I was so pleased with the result!
Our bathroom had always had a nautical theme for my water/boat loving husband, and although I changed the color scheme, the black and white sailboat prints allowed me to keep a somewhat nautical feel. In rehanging and changing around our art throughout our home, I've also had the desire to incorporate scripture and Biblical references as much as possible.....constant reminders and encouragement to help us combat the ever-increasing negativity of the world in which we live. As I was trying to think of of a way to do that, I found clip-art of an anchor and a ship's steering wheel in the collection of graphics on the BuildASign site. Immediately, a song that I've heard more times over the years than I can count and that our choir at church has actually sung came to mind, "The Anchor Holds" written by Lawrence Channing. I generally have a song come to mind in many circumstances =) , and I combined the song title with a scripture that reminds us that regardless of the storms in life and the ever-changing winds that blow, our Savior is unchanging. He is the one constant and keeps us standing strong in the midst of whatever comes our way......
The customer service at BuildASign has to be among the best I've ever experienced. I was juggling quite a few things on the couple of days that I worked on this, and sometimes when I'm trying to do too many things at once my normal common sense takes a leave of absence ~ I asked many silly questions while choosing which sign and which material to go with. Each and every one was answered with patience and in detail. After a good night's sleep, I was able to make a better decision and finalized my order. I couldn't wait to receive the sign and see how it looked in real life! I received a notification that I would have it by July 10, and was thrilled when it arrived not on the 10th, but the 1st!!!
After unwrapping the packaging, I took a quick picture:
I chose an aluminum sign, figuring it would hold up the best and would be fine for framing or for hanging as is. I was very pleased with my choice ~ my custom sign is very sturdy and the colors are beautifully crisp and vivid! After holding it up where I wanted to place it in the bathroom, I decided I definitely wanted to add a little more flair to it and, taking my sign with me, I headed to ♥Hobby Lobby♥ to see what inspiration I could find. =)
I browsed through frames and then wandered over to their metal/ironwork wall art section, where I fell in love with a lovely black wall decoration that was 50% off ~ which made me love it even more! ; ) A little ribbon and a little help from my hot glue gun, and my sign was transformed into just what I wanted:
I love that I have something custom and tailored just for us and think this could be quite addicting ~ I've already thought of other ideas for my kids' rooms! I am thrilled with the results and so happy that I found BuildASign {or, actually....they found me}! A custom sign was provided to Sweet Diva in exchange for my completely honest review.....an easy task because I really do love it!
The Anchor Holds
by Lawrence Chewning I have journeyed Through the long, dark night Out on the open sea By faith alone Sight unknown And yet His eyes were watching me CHORUS: The anchor holds Though the ship is battered The anchor holds Though the sails are torn I have fallen on my knees As I faced the raging seas The anchor holds In spite of the storm Ive had visions Ive had dreams Ive even held them in my hand But I never knew They would slip right through Like they were only grains of sand CHORUS I have been young But I am older now And there has been beauty That these eyes have seen But it was in the night Through the storms of my life Oh, that's where God proved His love to me CHORUS (repeat)
Happy Crafty Tuesday.....what are you crafting today?
will be hosting Fun in the Summer Fun link up events.
Here's the line up:
The 1st Monday of each month: link up your "Kid friendly summer activities"
The 2nd Monday of each month: link up your "Kid friendly summer crafts"
The 3rd Monday of each month: link up your "Kid friendly summer recipes"
The 4th Monday of each month: link up your "How to stay cool in the summer heat"
Here’s our “kid friendly summer activity!”
Find Your Sea Legs {or freshwater legs ; ) }.....and Get in the Boat!!
Several weeks ago, my husband took my daughter on a canoe outing. We are blessed to live in an area where there are ample waterways in which we can explore the amazing and beautiful creation God has given us, and my handsome other half loves to get the canoe out and go adventuring! He would love getting his sailboat out even more, but since that dream has yet to come true......he has to settle for the canoe!
With our daughter getting older at lightning speed, I urged him to take advantage of the opportunity to spend some quality time with her.....it's amazing how very cool our kids can be when they're not being irritated, provoked, and keeping the rivalry going with their siblings! ; )
Our boys had a musical rehearsal that day, so it gave them the perfect opportunity for a Dad-Daughter date. Our dog, Pogo, always enjoys the ride. =)
Wild Florida.......breathtaking!!
Ahoy, Captain! I ♥ him. =)
My favorite picture of the many they took.....so ♥sweet♥
It's getting too excruciatingly hot now for a voyage in this location because taking a swim break is a necessity that is not possible......unless you want to take your chances with the wildlife, which my precious angel is not allowed to do! Along this journey, they were thrilled to meet up with an alligator, an otter, many feathered friends, a few snakes, and the highlight sighting.....a manatee swan right by their boat!! ♥Ashlyn♥ came bursting through the door late that afternoon talking excitedly about their day.......some of the best memories we can make for our children don't cost much in the way of money and this was one she'll hold close. She's an adventurer, too. =)
While our captain prefers the wilder locations, we do have a few places we like to go that are more swimmer-friendly......where we can cool off and be refreshed in a place that I don't have to experience panic attacks over what might be swimming with us. My personal favorite is DeLeon Springs, but I urge you to take a look at what is available in your community or perhaps a short drive away. Most places will have canoes and paddle boats {with life vests available and required} to rent and plenty of trails, adventures and fun available for exploration!
Get away from the hectic pace of city life and go wild for a day......it can restore a weary soul and make memories your kids will never forget. =)
Have a Kid-Friendly Activity to share? Link up with us.....we'd love to read about it!!!
Aggravation ; ) .....the kind of week where you feel like it takes forever to get things done, when what you think will be quick and easy turns into long and arduous, and you force yourself not to stress because your expectations/goals aren't lining up with your realities =) <--------- and you also force yourself to smile through it all because life is not as much fun when you don't!!
In our homeschool this week…
Little bit of school time, little bit of friend time =)......a take-it-easy week with lots of reading and household projects here and there
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
see the very last part of "In my life this week"......I'm not always successful at doing that, but it's worth it when I am ; )
I am inspired by…
"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." ~ Proverbs 16:3
Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
Ahoy, Matey!! I have a HOT DATE tonight to go see "Pirates of the Caribbean" ~ yay for movie gift cards and a sister-in-law who wants to spend time with my kids!! =)
My favorite thing this week was…
finishing one of those aggravating projects.....what a relief! ; )
Questions/thoughts I have…
I'm considering participating in the next "Read the Bible in 90 days"....have you done it?
Things I’m working on…
Invoices for my bookkeeping job are due at the first of the month....have to get them finished!! woo-hoo ; )
I’m reading…
I Am His by Rita Platt
Secrets of the Vine for Women by Darlene Marie Wilkinson
I’m cooking…
ummmm.......things I don't like because I want to lose several pounds!!!
I’m grateful for…
My children, who roll their eyes and say...."You aren't gaining weight, Mom....you look great!" {meanwhile, my clothes are tight!! I know the truth every time I get dressed ; ) }
wisdom in financial decisions/extracurricular choices
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
I never know when I might be treated to an impromptu performance of some kind in my home.....please pay no attention to the mess in the background ~ I have mentioned we have several home projects going on which sometimes result in piles of stuff laying around while certain areas are being worked on ; )
