"Thanks to you"

Ok, I know it has been a few days since you have heard from me... really I have been busy... like I've said before, "I don't know where I would find the time to have a job". Well, actually I do have a job now... I am now officially a Pampered Chef Consultant... my first show is Saturday... I am really excited about it... but also a little fearful. I was with Pampered Chef for 5 1/2 years, but gave it up in 2005 after we relocated to northern Michigan... I just didn't know enough people to keep my business going back then.

Speaking of the "fear" thing... I came across a couple interesting things regarding fear... first, what does F E A R stand for -- Fantasized Experiences Appearing Real... I love that... oh what my imagination can do!

The second was this: Three factors that make you fearful of talking to people, especially new people:
1. Projection: a defense mechanism whereby you “project’ or attribute to others
your own undesirable thoughts, motivations, desires and feelings.
2. Unrealistic expectations.
3. Fear of the unknown.

I am sure some of you deal with some of these same feelings... I need to remember to take the lead... not just let my feelings lead me.

"For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. "2 Timothy 1:7

Here is just a simple "thank you" I did the other day... I need to get back to doing more soon. This is thanks to you for stopping by today, with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Spring is around the corner... or is it???

We woke this morning to below zero temperatures... the trees were so beautiful covered with a blanket of frost. The sun was shining down on the freshly fallen snow... it was sparkling like diamonds. I do love winter... I love all the seasons in Michigan, but when it starts to get around the time when the seasons will soon be changing... I start to get a little anxious. So I was looking through some old projects of mine & came across this stationary/card gift set I did awhile ago... the colors look so springy to me... what do you think? Tell me what you think of when you look at it... the colors make me think of sherbet.

Thanks for stopping... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

From the heart (part 6)...

I am starting today's post off with one more of the thank you cards I did for that order this week... in case anyone cared to see it...

From my heart to yours... back in November, Luke & I started a challenge of sort... we decided to take the "Love Dare"... if you haven't heard of it... it is the book that is used in the the movie "Fireproof"... God has blessed us with a great marriage, but we also realized that if we don't keep growing & searching for more knowledge our marriage will not stay that way. Love Dare is a book about love... learning & daring to live a life filled with loving relationships... it is learning not to follow your heart, but lead your heart. I dare you to take the Love Dare... it will change your life. "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." I Cor. 13:7-8

Happy Valentines Day to everyone... hope your day has been a good one... whether you have a special someone to love or not... remember we all have a Special Someone who loves us so much... more than we could ever know and that is why I have a grateFUL HEART, carin

From the heart (part 5)...

I spent most of the day working on an order for some thank-you cards... I was feeling a little under the weather so it was a good day not to have to move around too much. Here is one of the cards I did... the person ordering was pretty specific... she wanted the color to be purple with a crown on them. It turned out pretty good... she liked them so that is what is important. I used diamond stickles to make the crown look like it had jewels. (can't see it too good in the pic)

From my heart to yours... day 5 already... why do we use the "heart" as the symbol of love?... what is your heart? Have you ever thought about that? What I do know is that it is the most important part of who we are... it is the center of the "real you". You always hear people say, "follow your heart"... many of us have found that is not always the best choice... "the heart wants what the heart wants"... not always good either. How can we know when to follow our heart? This verse in Psalms has the answer... "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalms 37:4 This verse rings so true in my life with all the radical changes that have taken place in our marriage in the last year... it is one of my favorites.

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

From the heart (part 4)...

I thought I would share this sweet Valentine I received from my cousin, Kelly, in California... this is her little boy, Aiden... isn't he too cute??? He has such a perfectly round head... no need for hair only fuzz.

From my heart to yours... like I said before the days around Valentines Day have always been some of my favorite/memorable times... mostly good memories... but also a few bad. I use to love it when I could make my Valentine box for school... even back then I loved to play with paper... writing out all the Valentines for everyone in my class... even the kid who ate the glue & chewed on the crayons *Ü*... you know we all had at least one kid in the class that did that! (sorry if that kid was you) Picking out the perfect card for the boy I liked... it had to be one that wasn't too mushy for fear he might figure out I had a crush on him... who wants to face rejection in elementary school??? Then there is the year I was 18... I ended up in the hospital for the week with Salmonella... not a fun time... but I got lots of gifts! *Ü* (of course that was the upside) But my favorite of all happened 19 years ago tonight... my sweet husband (then boyfriend) proposed to me... all the romantic gestures a woman could ask for... nice dinner at his place... a dozen red roses, candlelight, roaring fire... and him down on his knee... I will never forget the words he spoke to me... no, it wasn't your typical "will you marry me?"

Such sweet memories! Hope I haven't bored you with my reminiscing. A verse that I have come across the last couple days is:

"Love flashes fire, the very flame of Jehovah. Many waters cannot quench the flame of love, neither can the floods drown it." Song of Solomon 8:6-7

Now, it's your turn... share a sweet memory with me... I love to hear other people's stories.

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

From the heart (part 3)

The day kind of got away from me today so this will be a short post... I know for once! Here is a little poem I came across... thought it was good...

Hours fly.

Flowers die.

New days,

New ways

Pass by.

Love stays.

-Sohail Rana

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

From the heart (part 2)

We had an wonderful time last night at Night Out For Ladies... the speaker was so good, as always... people had a good time... lives were changed... I am honored to have a part in it all!


I had a friend come & "play" today... we have stamping in common along with being sisters in Christ... what more do you need for a great day??? We talked a lot... stamped a little. Here is a card I made for someone special... I got these birdies from Verve stamps awhile back, but today was the first time I used them on a project... I just think those "love birds" are so sweet. My dad thinks they look like fish instead of birds... you've heard of "flying fish"? *Ü*

Now, from my heart to yours... today I was reading a devotional about unconditional love & what that can mean for a couple. I truly never understood unconditional love until the last few years where my husband was concerned. I said I loved him… I knew I loved him, but what did that all mean??? I have to admit for the first years of our marriage, just like so many women, I tried to make Luke what I wanted him to be… he was pretty perfect for me, but there was still some things that I thought needed “tweaking”… causing conflict because I was still not seeing him for exactly who he was… just not loving him because he was who he was… why couldn't I just do that??? What I came to realize is that it had nothing to do with him, but all of it was me… I wanted him to fit with me the way I was, but I wasn’t so quick to fit with him in the way he was… I had to be truly comfortable with me & totally love myself before I could love Luke unconditionally.

Let me tell you a little secret… when I saw the total unconditional love Luke had for me I could let go of all those little things I thought needed “tweaking”… I learned to love myself through my husband’s eyes… he sees me for what I am or who I am & loves me in spite of it… he sees the goodness & potential that I can’t always see in myself because I am too critical of me.

...let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. I John 3:18 & 20

I John 3:20 is one of my favorite verses... I am thankful that God loves me just the way I am & that He gave me a sweet, sweet man to share my life with.

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

From the heart (part 1)

Valentines Day has always been one of my favorite occasions... even when I didn't have a special love in my life... so in honor of Valentine's Day I am going to post something regarding the heart or love each day this week.

First, here are a couple little projects I did for our Night Out For Ladies which takes place tonight... I did a little Valentine theme bag for the birthday bags...

... a these little bookmarks were made with my cricut too... just for a little extra something for the ladies.

Now, from my heart to yours... I realized I have spent so much of my life seeing through eyes of fear not eyes of love… fear of looking stupid, fear of being rejected, fear of letting people get too close, fear of being hurt… how much better it is to live in love not in fear? The opposite of fear is faith… faith that if I look stupid… people that know me still love me... faith that if I am rejected… those people don’t know what they are missing out on & I will show them love anyways... faith that God will bring great people into my life that I can be close with... faith that if I do get hurt by people… God’s love can heal all wounds. This was put on my heart not only for me, but hopefully for some of you too.

Perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4:18

Now, for the news I have to share... I am now a Pampered Chef consultant (once again)... my first show will be Feb. 28 & my sis, Renee, is hosting it... it will be great to be with family & old friends too for my first show... thanks Na!

Until tomorrow... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

It's me... I'm still here...

Once again I have not been good about posting... I have been keeping up with everyone else's blogs but not my own. So, my hubby & I went to Boyne Mountain for a couple days the first of the week. It is a very nice place where we stay... we bought into a "vacation club" last year before I lost my job... so since we already paid for the club... we might as well use it. They are very nice condos right at the foot of the "mountain" & no, we don't ski... but we had a good time just getting away from the norm. Here is a pic Luke took of an ice formation Boyne City created by running a water hose up a pole & letting it run & form... thought it looked pretty cool... hee hee... sorry about the bad pun!

I have not been doing a lot of creative things lately, but I am getting gift bags ready for our Night Out for Ladies at church... I made new toppers to brighten things up a little. I only had to do an additional 4 dozen to have a totally of 75 ready for Monday night. We have been averaging around 40-50 first-time visitors each month so I better be ready. For any of you that haven't seen these before... we include a emery board, chap stick, candy & a pack of tissues... it is kind of neat how the tissues coordinate with the toppers... leave it to me to notice that.

I might have some news to share tomorrow so I will be back then... thanks for stopping, with a grateFUL HEART, carin