Time With Friends Of The Heart

Finally, finally, finally... dear friends we had the opportunity to have a girls night over! Do you long for those special moments to gather with friends of the heart...that deep need for some time together with those people that feed your spirit...whether you are sharing moments of pain, joy, deep sorrow or wonderful spiritual awakening. 

Our first evening we had a really unique time of spiritual worship as we participated in an event at their church, Crossroads Christian Fellowship. It was so uplifting. It was like getting a wonderful drink of cool water on a hot, hot day. Here is a quick question for you dear readers. What does worship mean to you? 

The next day we all went to a mineral hot springs, Crystal Hot Springs. My first experience of this type in our state. Wow the day was absolutely perfect. This week our temperatures had finally headed into the 70's, what perfect weather. The pools are various temperatures... some like relaxing bath water, some cooler and some hot. There are these fun waterslides also although we opted for the relaxing pools this visit. What a perfect afternoon we had. 

We ended our fun stopped at a drive-in that has been around since 1937... that is 85 years! It is well known for it's yummy shakes made with rich homemade ice cream, a place called The Peach City. It tasted so divine! In all fairness it just might also have been extra special because not included items like this in my food plan for a bit. I have been on a weight loss journey for a while and usually choose to exclude such foods with low nutritional density to food energy ratios. Yes it was a treat and yes I enjoyed every yummy spoonful. 

Driving home I reflected on all the moments we've shared and how special it is to have "friends that know the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”

Have you been on empty for a while? Is it time for you too?

The Craft Room Clean-Up Challenge

The title says it all... getting my craft space tidied up HAS been a huge challenge!

 

I have started on this endeavor repeatedly with the aim of a CLEAR craft space and a fairly organized surrounding area. What has really taken place is I get the desk top 2/3 of the way clear and then...Then I am drawn away to another task, another project, another key focus...errrr! 
A sweet friend and crafter Melanie D came over with the express purpose of helping me get my table CLEAR...Yeah! I was actually able to get the vacuum in and get the floor clear of paper bits. It looks so much better thanks to my dear friends help.

OK, now I've spent a little more time evaluating and what my next steps would be are....I am on a mission to find a cart that will roll under one table. My handyman (DH extraordinaire) will be adding a couple shelves to my current shelf to better house stamp cases.  I have hope!!

 In the meantime I want to show you a fun project I was working on EVEN with my space being in such a disarray.

 

  I'll update everyone  soon, I hope to show you a far more organized creative space!

 

How To Cultivate A Home And Heart Of Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. -Psalm 107:1

I know...it's a bit early to start talking about Thanksgiving...Or is it?
Thanksgiving... How do we create or cultivate a home and heart of Thanksgiving? As the season of Thanksgiving approaches we may find ourselves pondering this topic. Actually it has been on my heart alot lately for a number of reasons.
A dear friend discovered in the earlier part of this year she had stage 4 colon cancer.The same friend has been supporting her husband through his own battle with lung cancer this past two years and thier daughter has been having seizures from an unknown cause. Our friends have been an amazing example of "What do I have to be thankful for"? Through the pain, chemo, medical bills, changes the future has brought I witnessed a spirit of joy, Thanksgiving and gratitude. How did they manage to do that? We will be celebrating my friends life this week and saying our last goodbyes...it is on my mind as I prepare a talk to honor her. It won't be easy and yet it won't be hard. We have so many great shared  memories. Her life and legacy are in the lives she touched, sometimes just the simplest of gestures... a hug, a word of truth, an idea for our business teams. She will be sorely missed, I wish it could have been longer and I feel so privileged for having had her in my life.
One thing I loved was visiting her home during seasonal holidays. Her home showed off her love for beauty in the small things whether with people or the beauty within her home.
I found this website a while back, it inspired me. How to Create a Home and Heart Of Thanksgiving
She talks about tangible ways to create a home and heart of Thanksgiving...not just in this season but throughout the year.
I liked this idea from Denise's post:

• Have a visual way to leave encouraging notes and verses for the entire family. Use a chalkboard or whiteboard to write a daily scripture or thankful note.

I already have a cork & whiteboard up so I'm going to add a scripture  and note daily.  I also am going to start a series of Thankful For posts beginning today to remind myself and cultivate gratitude. These are not in order of importance but rather what is most on my heart today.

Do you like my digital paper and font? Here is a link so you can make one too. The one I used today from Shabbyblogsblog, Thank You Keren!Thanks Photobookgirl, I love the font links and digital paper she shared.

As we enter this special season it is my hope and prayer that you and I would take time to count our blessings. If you've had a difficult season could I encourage you to like my dear friend make it a choice to put on a spirit of joy, Thanksgiving and gratitude for whatever you can.