The End of an Era

I have truly loved making birthday cards for my church's card ministry over the past 2 years.  It has taught me how to make multiple cards effectively and also has helped me collect some really cute birthday stamps! :). Plus, I was able to use the gifts that God has given me to serve Him and fellow believers at Pathway Community Church.

But last week I found out that January would be the last month that the birthday card ministry would be ending. So I created my last set of 100 cards. A sweet simple design using a birthday stamp that I bought awhile ago. They came together quickly and easily with the help of my Copic markers and stickles.  :)

And in tribute to this wonderful ministry, I thought I would share some of my favorite cards from over the past 2 years.  Hopefully they will give you a bit of inspiration.  :)

More Copic colored goodness...and a bit of sparkle!

Simply stamping with a fun Hero Arts set and Distress inks. :)

A fabulous design using the Oliver line from Basic Grey and my favorite...kraft cardstock!

Stamping with paint...divine!

Quick and easy...love how the stamps coordinate with the patterned papers from KI Memories.

Love these monster stamps and the bright fun papers that I paired with it create a fun birthday greeting.

Classic and beautiful using one of my all-time favorite Hero Arts stamps...Silhouette Grass. :)

Another favorite...lots of fun Copic coloring on this one too! :)

Love this card for so many reasons...plus I got it back as my birthday card in 2010. My family and I had a chuckle about that one. :)

"Whoo" knew owls could be this cute...lots of great stamps come together to make this card awesome!

Love the simple elegance to this one with alcohol inks...definately need to make more of these!

I first came up with this design while making samples at Archiver's and I knew it would be perfect for birthday cards.

Classic, simple, sweet, easy...a classic lift from Jennifer McGuire...love!

This is also my 100th blog post...woo-hoo! I will hopefully be back tomorrow with my 2011 Christmas card shares...a bit late but better late than never! :)

Looking Back on 2011

One thing I love about New Year's is that it forces us to look back on the previous year and reflect on the changes that have happened in our lives. We also get to look forward to the year to come and plan, and look forward to the changes that God has for us.
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before? Went to Israel, floated in the Dead Sea, ate my birthday cake, went to Pensacola Beach, Florida, and many more little things that are escaping me at the moment.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn't make an resolutions last year.  I tend to be really bad at keeping them.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My friend Paula. She had her darling daughter on December 23rd and we are hopefully going to see her for the first time today.
4. Did anyone close to you die? No
5. What countries did you visit? Israel...and a view of the country of Jordan from across the Jordan River.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? A classroom teaching job and maybe a new car....or a boy. :) {Still working on this one...definately closer to the boy one than I was last year. ;) }
7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I can't say that one particular date is etched in my memory...many of the days bring good memories, and a few not so happy memories as well. The highlights would be Israel, the beach with my family, and all the fun times I have had with my small group over the past few months.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Growing in my faith through many different events...Israel, my small group, teaching sunday school at church.
9. What was your biggest failure? Not trusting God's perfect plan in every area of my life. (Again this year, just like last year...this seems to be one of my biggest struggles.)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Just the occasional cold...it was a very healthy year for me.
11. What was the best thing you bought? My trip to Israel...I wouldn't trade those 10 days for anything.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My sweet friend Debbie...she has been there for me through the ups and downs of this year and I have truly come to admire her faith and trust in Jesus. :)
13. What person most touched your life this past year? My small group...they are my perfect fit. They make me laugh, smile, and giggle, but they also are the people I can count on for anything!
14. Where did most of your money go? Scrapbooking supplies, of course. :)
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? my church's young adult group, Threefold, on Thursday nights....it truly is the best part of my week. Also my bible study on Monday nights with Debbie, Matthew, Richey, Deborah, Alex and Lisa...we have so much fun together!
16. What song will always remind you of 2010? I See the Light from the Disney movie Tangled.
17. Compared to this time last year, you are: So ready for change!
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Spent more time in the Word, learning about Jesus. :)
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Worried about my future...it is so much more worthwhile to lay it in God's hands.
20. How did you spend Christmas? Surrounded by family to celebrate the birth of my Savior.
21. Did you fall in love in 2011? maybe.... :)
22. Best movie of 2011? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: part 2 - The end of a saga. I cried when it was over because we had reached the end.
23. What was your favorite TV program? Way too many to name....NCIS and NCIS:Los Angeles, Criminal Minds, Gray's Anatomy, and Hawaii 5-0. :)
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No
25. What was the best book you read? The Story...its the Bible in narrative form...we are going through it at church and I am loving seeing the story of Christ woven throughout the Scriptures
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Re-discovering the Newsboys...definately not the same without Peter Furler but still a fantastic group! :)
27. What did you want and get? My new Silhouette die-cutting machine... it was my Christmas present and I love it!!!
28. What did you want and not get? To go back to Disney for the holidays. I will get there eventually!
29. What was your favorite holiday? Christmas...lots of time with family and friends. :)
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 29 and had an amazing dinner with my family at Halls' Gas House. :) I also had a birthday bonfire where my friends and I hung out...amazing memories!
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A full time teaching job so I didn't have to work weekends. :)
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? Classic pieces with a few fun ones thrown in...
33. What kept you sane? My family and friends
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Not really any...I guess I don't follow celebs.
35. What political issue stirred you the most? Ummm...I can't say I really followed politics much.
36. Who did you miss? My sweet friend Rebekeh...
37. Who was the best new person you met? Matthew...he and I are so alike, especially in our love for all things Disney!
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011: Waiting on God's timing is hard work, but I can still serve Him and give Him the glory while I am waiting. :)

The Cracked Pot

I came across this fantastic little fable while I was cleaning off my desk today and I thought I would share it here with you, my blog friends in hopes that it will lift your spirits and make you smile.

"An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots. Each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.  For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.  Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.  But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.  "I am ashamed of mysel, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house." The old woman smiled and said "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always know about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the pat, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
                                                                               - Author Unknown

I love the story this teaches. I definately need to hear this at this point in my life and be reminded that God is in control and that He has a plan. Each of us has our own unique flaws. But its the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. It's what allows God to work in our lives and show the beauty that can come if we trust in Him and celebrate our flaws as God-given gifts and use them to help glorify Him.

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas morning and as usual it is the one day a year where I willingly wake up early. In fact, I am usually the first one awake and this year is no exception. I spent some time in my Bible, reading the account of my Savior's birth in Matthew 2. I am so thankful for this amazing gift that God has given to me as well as anyone else who chooses to believe in Him and His incredible saving grace. My LORD and Savior chose to come to this Earth as a little baby because He loved me so much. He was born in a manger in a little town called Bethlehem. Shepherds who were told of His birth by angels on the hillside, came and worshipped Him because they heard the Good News and believed. It truly was a strange, yet amazingly beautiful way for my Savior to enter this world. :)

Now I am waiting for the rest of the family to wake up, so we can head downstairs and see what Santa has brought us. This is one of my favorite times of year....uninterrupted time spent with my family, all gathered together around the tree, laughing and sharing gifts and memories from Christmases past, watching as each of us take a turn opening our presents. Around and around we go, until all of the gifts has been opened. I love doing presents this way. It makes it last longer and we get to see who got everyone what and it makes the gift-giving even more special.

Well, it sounds like people are up and moving so I had better go. merry Cristmas everyone!

Remembering To Be Thankful

I guess my gratitude posts are turning into more of a weekly thing so here they are from the past week.  

Thursday, November 17th - I am so thankful that Dad has a job where he can occasionally meet me for lunch. I love our little tradition that we have established over the years and how I can talk to my dad about anything during these times. It is time set aside for us and he is constantly encouraging me and lifting me up.  I know that no matter where we end up, I have my dad there to lend a listening ear and uplifting words. 

Friday, November 18th - I am thankful for my sister Renee.  She is so amazing and she loves me for who I am. We have grown so much closer in the past few years and I love her so much. I am so thankful that God made us sisters and I know that there could be no one better than her. :)

Saturday, November 19th - I am so thankful for my friend Rosalie for so many reasons. She is an amazing friend and I love getting together with her to just catch up on life. She was my support system for me during that last year I worked at Arcola and she is the only good thing that came out of that year. And ever since then she has been such an encouragement to me as I struggle with finding a teaching job. She is truly amazing and I am so glad that God has put her in my life. 

Sunday, November 20th - I am so very thankful for quiet days at home where I can relax.  Whether it be spending time in my scrap room getting creative, watching a movie, or hanging out with my family, I love days when I don't have anywhere I need to be and my time is my own. Today was one of these days and I loved every minute of it. 

Monday, November 21st - I am so thankful that God gave me the desire, ability, and talent to be a teacher.  To be able to positively influence a child's life is the greatest privilege in the world. 

Tuesday, November 22nd - I know this sounds kind of lame, but I am thankful for television. The ability to know what is going on in the world around me is fantastic, and I also love that I can get totally lost in a good show and forget the cares of the world for awhile. 

Wednesday, November 23rd - I am thankful for traditions. I am the sort of girl who likes tradition. They are a way to connect with the past and they give is something to look forward to. They are familiar and comfortable. Just like our annual day before Thanksgiving shopping trips. They have become one of my favorite parts of this holiday because I just love spending time with my family. 

So Grateful...

Still trying to stay caught up on the gratitude posts, so here are mine from the past few days. 

Saturday, November 12th - I am grateful for the beautiful weather and being able to spend time outside with my family. 
Chatting with my parents and playing frisbee with Bailey... These are the things that matter most. 

Sunday, November 13th - I am grateful for my church, Pathway Community Church. It is a place where I feel like I truly belong. I have so many friends there and I am fed and encouraged each week by our amazing pastors. 

Monday, November 14th - I am so thankful that God has called me to be a teacher. It is so worthwhile to be able to positively influence children and I know that He has a plan for me on this one. 

Tuesday, November 15th - I am so thankful that God has given me a passion and a talent for photography. I love being able to capture the world around me and show God's beauty in everything, whether it be a flower, an animal or a child. 

Wednesday, November 16th - I am thankful for technology that allows me to connect to those around me. Whether it be a text to a friend to see if they are feeling better or a log post to share what is going on in my world or a phone call with my dad when he is out of town, I can stay in touch with the people who are most important to me. 

A Week of Gratitude

I can't believe it's been a whole week since I posted! I guess life just has just been getting in the way and there is so much to do and be thankful for. So I am going to play catch up from the past week on this blog.  

Saturday, November 5th - I am so thankful for my family. They are so amazing and love me for just who I am. :)

Sunday, November 6th - Today on my birthday I give thanks to the one who gave me life, my birth mom. I may not know who she is but I am so grateful that she chose to have me instead of getting an abortion. I am also so grateful that she chose to give me up and that God placed me with the most amazing, loving, and supportive parents ever!

Monday, November 7th - I am so thankful for the friends that God has placed into my life. They make me laugh and I enjoy hanging out with them so much. Thanks to each one of you who made my birthday so amazing with your birthday wishes. :)

Tuesday, November 8th - I am thankful for the substitute teaching jobs that I have gotten this year. When I am in the classroom, it just feels so right and I know that this is what God wants me to do with my life. 

Wednesday, November 9th - I am so thankful for my amazing friend Emily. God placed her in my life 21 years ago and she has blessed my life in so many ways. We have experienced life together and I am so glad that we are still such good friends. 

Thursday, November 10th - I am thankful that God gave us music so that we could express our love for Him with it. I was at a christian concert tonight and I love how a group of believers can get together and praise Jesus and have fun too. 

Friday, November 11th - today is Veteran's Day and I am so very thankful for our servicemen and women who have served our country and risked their lives to protect our freedom!