God's Beauty... really!

I have bunches to share with you today... I am getting back into the swing of things... hope I don't over-due it with this one post! *Ü* First, I have a card I tried to case, well kind of, from Michelle at Freedom in Creating... I just love her stuff... the miracles she does with a Versa Mark... WOW!

My card is okay... still not too sure. What do you think? Once again the stamp is SU's God's Beauty.Then next... here is a pic of the ink pad/marker holder my dad made for me... I told him what I wanted & he did it just like I wanted... it is great having a daddy that is so handy! If you might be interested in one for yourself... I think I could arrange it... he can do them to accommodate any number of pads, markers & ink refills. I think I may paint mine white... haven't decided.

During my quiet time this morning I came across these verses... I am sure I have read them a million times before (well, ok not an actual million, but you get the idea!). Anyway, I was thinking how blessed I am to have grown up in a Christian home... I was taught from birth what it was to be a follower of Christ... in fact I was 2 days old the first time I went to church. I thank God for my parents & that He placed me in this family... where could I have ended up if that wasn't the case????

"Listen, my son/daughter, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck." Proverbs 1:8-9

The part of these verses that really jumped out at me was "will be a garland to grace your head & a chain to adorn your neck"... I have to question myself... am I wearing what is gracing my head & adorning my neck as a good representative of what I have been taught????

Recently, Pastor Chris (that is the senior pastor at RLC) gave us a 90-day challenge... the challenge was to wear a bracelet that says, "AM I HONORING GOD?"... for those 90 days we are to see what a difference it makes in us. We are now at day - 20 & it does make a difference... it is a visual reminder of what I am doing to represent Christ in this world. How about you would you take the challenge... would it make a difference in your life, when you are in a hurry & you get behind the lady with 50 coupons at the grocery store... when your kids are getting on your last nerve... when your husband doesn't get home when he says he will... when someone hurts your feelings... when someone makes you mad... listen I am "stepping on my own toes" here too... does it/would it make a difference? Just something to think about.

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The last thing I just had to share today are these gorgeous pictures my hubby took of the sunset looking off our patio... no I did not doctor these pictures... that is truly God's beauty!

This one looks like angel wings with that little puffy cloud being a halo... can you see it or am I totally bonkers????

have a great day... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

All sorts of sorts...

I know I have not been very good about posting lately... I still am feeling out of sorts... more about that later. I wanted to share a couple pics with you... the first is our small pond just off our patio behind our house... I just love the tranquility of the moving water... I am so grateFUL my hubby had the vision to put in this pond... he is the best! I had to post a pic of this plant that is taking over... it is called "Cat Mint"... we just planted it last year & this year it is so beautiful & the big bubble bees love it.

Next here is a little card (4x4) I tried using the Raspberry Tart... love that paper! I think it turned out pretty good... what do you think?
Now for the out of sorts thing... I am having trouble getting into the rhythm of things... STILL! I don't know why... I usually write in my journal at least a few times a week & I have been making every excuse not to... I love writing, but for some reason I am having a hard time. One thing I do know... for sure is God is always there for me... He is here in the middle of my unclear thoughts... even when I am feeling so discombobulated He is always there... He always knows the way... He always knows the answer... even when I am not sure of the question...

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I thank-You, God -- You were... You are... You will always be.

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"Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand." Psalm 73:23

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

Glorious life...

It has been such a great day... Saturdays usually are, but today was extremely great! I started off my morning by meeting 2 friends for a little garage saling & breakfast (thanks "pink flip-flops")... we had way too much fun! The garage sale was not even open when we got there, but that didn't stop us... we (Ruth) knocked on the door until they let us in... boy oh boy, was it worth it. The lady that was having the sale sells women's accessories to hi-end boutiques... we hit pay dirt... all that she was selling were her samples & she was selling for half of the wholesale price or less... needless to say I came home with some beauuuuuutiful things.

After that we went for breakfast to "The Coffee Cup"... yes that is a very "exclusive" restaurant in Lake City... by exclusive I mean I have never been to a place quite like it before... but the food was good & it was clean. It really doesn't matter where we are when we 3 get together because all we do is laugh... sometimes I wonder if people think we are crazy... no matter to us... we love the time we get to spend together.

Today in the mail I got such a nice surprise from Diane at Women to Women Sharing Jesus... I just had to share it with you...

this thank you card is from her along with the gorgeous photo album... I made a collage of the pics because I wanted you to see how pretty it is on the inside... I love that paper... thank-you Diane!

"Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind -- finds life itself—glorious life!
Prov. 21:21

I thank God for the glorious life He has given me... everything I am... everything I have it all is from Him.

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

In Colors... blog candy

You have to check-out this blog candy on Scrapmaster's Paradise... wow!

He is with me...

Winding my way through Wednesday... yes, I said winding not whining! It has been a weird day... I have little to no ambition & then that makes me feel a little anxious... I don't let myself just be lazy too often. Today has been a gloomy, rainy day... so I could blame it on the weather. Here is a verse I came across today...

"The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love,

He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

This should make me shout for joy... I just need to stomp on the enemy & keep moving forward... Do any of you ever have days like this???

Here is the graduation card I made for Brooke... I used my Cricut to cut out everything but the butterflies... they were punched with MS punch... in the inset you can see the inside of the card... it had a pocket on the left side for a little gift $. Of course, had to add diamond stickles too... so what do you think?

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Graduation... congrats!

I am still trying to get back in the swing of things since being gone for a week & a half... things need to get back to normal... whatever normal is for me???? Playing catch-up with laundry & house cleaning... yuck! I don't mind doing the laundry... I just hate folding & putting away. And as far as the house cleaning... I love for my house to be clean, but I hate to dust & do windows... and both need to be done... I am an "OCD" house cleaner... once I really go at cleaning the house I about kill myself to make it spotless... that isn't always the most fun for my hubby to have to live with... okay that is my confession for the day!!! (love you Luke)

On to funner things (is that a word??)... anyway... here is a grad card I made for an open-house we went to for a dear friend's son... I find masculine cards so hard to do... and let's face it does an 18 year old boy really care???? So I tried the "tri-shutter card" for the first time... very cool design... I will do one of these again. I put the gift $ behind the striped pieces in the center. What I used: SU Baroque burgundy CS & ink, DP from a generic multi-pack, SU stamp set "Say It With Scallops" & "Send a Celebration", SU circle punches, and Cricut to cut the stars, numbers, parentheses.The verse I used was "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and Jesus." - II Peter 1:2 from the SU set "God's Way"... great verse!

BTW... I will be celebrating my one year blogoversary this week...

Time to get ready for church... until later... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

God's Beauty...

I am back home from my stay at my parents, plus a couple day trip to the U.P. & to a very chilly Mackinac Island... brrrrrr! Is is really June when the temperature is 45º... winds are 35 miles an hour... and it is raining??? With all that we still made the best of things & had a good time with family & friends... I doubt my aunt & uncle from southern California will want to experience the island again anytime soon!

Just a couple quick pics for today... this first one is of a card set I did for a friend's birthday gift... she loves homemade cards so now she has some to share with others. I used SU - Pink Pirouette & Kiwi Kiss textured CS, Raspberry Tart DP, Rose Red ink, Versa Mark w/white emboss. powder, God's Beauty stamp set.

This other picture was taken at the Wings of Mackinac Island butterfly house... it was a balmy 75º in there... we didn't want to leave once we were in there. I thought this butterfly looked like a tiger... I don't know maybe that is its name... I can see God's beauty in this too!

Ready to go curl-up with my hubby... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Party Day...

I am awake very early this morning... have such a busy day & I know I will need a nap in about 2 hours! Probably not very likely today! Brooke's party is today so I thought I would share a couple more pics with you... sorry no stamping today. I spent quite a bit of yesterday balling 2 watermelon & then carving both watermelon into turtle shells... I will have pics to show at a later time of that... I also cut up cantaloupes & honey dew melons until I was all sticky. *ö*


Last night we went to decorate at the hall where the party is being held... above you will see the turtley cake my sis carved out of cake... 2 - 16 inch round cakes for the body, 2 - 6 inch cakes for the head, an 8 inch cake cut for the legs & other various pieces... so although you can't tell in the pic... it is a GREAT turtle... oh btw it is chocolate & white marbled cake... yummy!

Also, here is one the table decorations I helped my sister put together... as you can see she used her Big Shot die cutting machine for the flowers. As I've said we can be a little over the top, but Renee really wants this to be memorable for Brooke... especially at this time dealing with the fire & being "homeless"... Renee wants this day to be so special... they really need a celebration of Brooke's accomplishment... and her parent's accomplishment too... parenting the hardest job in the world, but the rewards are priceless!

ok, I have rambled on enough... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Turtle...turtle...

How is your week going? Mine is going really good! Very busy... I am staying with my parents for the week... while actually with my parents & my sister & her husband that are living at my parents since their house fire... it is a very full house, but we have only had a couple bumps in the road so far this week. I love spending time with my family, but I miss my hubby & kitties... I hope they miss me too!?

Like I have said, I am here to help with Brooke's graduation party prep... Mom & I got the napkins stamped yesterday with turtles we also got the molded chocolate turtles put in little treat bags & then stamped toppers for about 100 or so bags. Yes, my sister does go over & above, but she only has 2 daughters & this is her last high school graduation. In case you are wondering about the "turtle" thing... Brooke collects turtles... it goes back to when Brooke was very small, plus there was a movie quite a few years ago that talked about something being "very turtley"... it is my family's weird sense of humor. Oh, I also did a flower arrangement in this ceramic turtle. What do you think?

Today is cake "sculpting" day... yes, I said cake sculpting... my sister, Renee, baked the cake yesterday, now today she is sculpting it into a turtle... she is a professional... don't try this at home *Ü*

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Tomorrow I am carving a watermelon into a turtle to use as a fruit bowl... like I said we are a little over the top, but we love to do this kind of stuff... I will post more pictures later... if it turns out good. *ö*

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with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Grace... now

Grace is something we need now... grace is something I received immediately from God when I turned to Him... even before I turned to God, He had already showed me grace through His Son, Jesus. Then why do I struggle with showing God's grace to others right now???? It isn't something I should have to pray for... it is something I should give "graciously" because that is what I have received from God. But my flesh is telling me to show the opposite of grace... where does that get me??? I think the answer to that is... NO WHERE!

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"Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary’s mount out poured, There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.
Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin."

No card today, but a picture of my niece, Brooke, who graduated on Sunday. Had to snap this picture with her & her Uncle Luke. We are so proud of her!

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Face it... Face Him...

I am staying with my mom & dad this week... helping with the prep for my niece's graduation party... I am sleeping on a sofa-sleeper in my mom's craft room, so I was woke up this morning to a discussion on the TV... they were talking about stress & how we let stress become the ruler of our life... how destructive that is. So my thought today is... do I seek God's face or do I seek His hand???? Do I look for the "things" He can give me, which in so many cases can cause stress... or do I just seek His face... to look into His Word to find Him & to see what He has for me to get me through another day??? To seek & to find what He already has for me to help me towards His destination for my life. How simple is that... just seek Him & all the rest will fall into place. Maybe that seems like a simplistic approach, but does it have to be difficult? God doesn't make it difficult... I do, we do.

"When You said, 'Seek My face,' My heart said to You, 'Your face, LORD, I will seek.' Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.

"Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!" Psalm 27:8-9 & 14

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Here is a card I made for a special person's birthday... can you tell orange is her favorite color?

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thanks for stopping! with a grateFUL HEART, carin