Got the Power in you?

"God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us." —Ephesians 3:20

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I am still here even though it has been over a week since I last posted... I have been busy, but not really sure doing what????? Ok, I did finally get the painting in my bedroom finished. One thing off my list... don't know if I said before but I painted it "Grasshopper Wing" which looks to me like SU Always Artichoke or a hair lighter. I think it turned out really nice & Luke likes it too so that is really all that matters.

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Let me see what else is going on... I started at Weight Watchers this week. A friend of mine asked me to go with her & I was willing to go... I went before but by myself... it is so much better to do it with a friend. We also have another friend who is walking with us & we will try to be good support for each other. I need to be accountable to someone... that is just how I am made. I am a lifetime member of WW... in 2002 I joined for the first time and lost 54 pounds in 10 1/2 months. I reached my goal & kept the weight off for 3 years. I know that now is the time to do something about it... I need to be real & face the facts... and I am trying. So I am sure over the next while this will be a part of my blog... the good... the bad... and the ugly truth. Hope you will join me on this adventure.

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Here is a little gift I made for a friend... I wanted to give her a little something that would have that homemade touch. This is a distressed frame I picked up for less than $2.00... not cheap... thrifty! The picture doesn't show the colors very good or the sparkly Stickles on the dragonfly's wings. Hope she liked it.

It is cool & rainy today... good day to stay in. Luke is service director at church tonight so we will be going to church on Saturday this weekend... that is definitely different for us, but then Luke is leaving early tomorrow morning to head to Wawa, Ont., Canada to do some fishing. He will be back Wednesday. And I am heading with my PFF girls, Ruth & Heather, to the Thumb to visit my family & go to Ikea near Detroit... I am so looking forward to this little trip. Hope my friends aren't easily scared... hope my family is on their best behavior.

be blessed & have a restful weekend... with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Thinking of you...

I can not believe how quickly the weeks of summer are flying by... only 10 more days in August!!! Wow, I remember how my Grandma Bessie use to say, "the older you get the faster the time goes," never really believed her, but she was right. My Grandma Bessie use to have a lot of "interesting" things to say... some day I will have to do a post on some of her great sayings.

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But for today... these are cards I did as a note card set... the yellow & orange one makes me think of Summer. Nothing fancy... a little heat set embossing for the flower.

Off to "play" with some friends today... they will be scrapbooking... not sure what I am in the mood to do... maybe just relax, chat & nibble.

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"Be devoted to one another in brotherly(sisterly) love; give preference to one another in honor." Romans 12:10

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This verse is for my "real-life" friends and to you my blogging friends too! Thinking of you!

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with a grateFUL HEART, carin

A New Song...

Good Monday to you... is it really good??? It has been rainy & dreary all day here in northern Michigan... I know the weather is not what determines my mood or rather what should determine my mood... sometimes it is just hard.

"O sing to the LORD a new song; for He has done marvellous things: His right hand, and His holy arm, has gotten Him the victory." Psalm 98:1

Let me see... I know everyday I wake up I should have a "new song" to sing to my Lord. Do you ever feel some days it is harder to find that new song??? Maybe it is because my whining is drowning out any song at all!!!! *Ü* I am kidding of course... to tell you the truth I have not been whining either... although I feel like I could. I have a choice to make... do I give into my emotions & feelings & start whining & being miserable or do I seek strength, wisdom & guidance from the Holy Spirit & make the best of the day that God has made???? It really is no choice at all when I think of it like that... how about for you??? I will sing a new song for my awesome Redeemer, Protector, Provider... my Heavenly Papa.

Here is a CAS card I made over the weekend... embossed on the CuttleBug... SU punches & stamps... sometimes simple is the best.

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

Camping Out???

I was at church yesterday "working" as receptionist... not too much to do except answer the phone, so I was blog surfing some.

I had to share with you about the couple that spoke at our church Wed. night... it was Harry & Cheryl Salem. Cheryl was the 1980 Miss America... her maiden name was Prewitt... she is as beautiful today as she was 29 years ago... beautiful inside & out. She overcame so much to be where she is today & she gives God all the glory. They had a tremendous testimony. Really made me think...

One thing they talked about was how we can get stuck at a bad experience & it stops us from moving forward... I have things I don't particularly like in my life, as I am sure we all do... what their message was to me was that I don't have to like everything that happens in my life, but just because I don't like it... I don't have to camp out next to it... disappointment can really be stifling if I let it be... I need to keep moving forward.

Thought it was a good thought to share today I am off to have a little fun playing with paper with some great friends (PFF girls). But first I want to share this card... it is the same as a card a did a few weeks ago only I changed the colors... yes I used some of my Razzleberry Lemonade... yummy DSP.

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Cast all your cares...

Starting with a picture of one of the 2 resident frogs in our pond... how cool we having some living creatures in our pond... at least no snakes! yikes!

We had a great getaway for our anniversary, but I am having a hard time getting going today… I just feel sooooo lazy… where is my motivation???? I know my motivation needs to come from my Papa.

I am trying not to let the burdens sneak in & take over… I need to remember… "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." —1 Peter 5:7 That was yesterday’s Daily Bread… now today’s (which I put off reading) was in Matthew 14 where Jesus is walking on the water & Peter gets out of the boat… how that when Jesus spoke the words, “It is,” that should be enough… if He says “it is” you know that IT IS! At those times when I feel so overwhelmed… He is… He just is. What assurance that brings to me… the hard part is keeping a grasp on that & not losing sight of Him.

"Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.'” —Matthew 14:27

He is carrying me through whatever I am going through & always… but why do I keep trying to do it myself??? Have you ever tried to carry yourself???? It doesn’t work so good… why do I continue to be so stubborn? Recently, I heard a good definition for the word, “stubborn,” it means that I think I know better than God does… ooooh did that ever step on my toes, but it was a good crunch! Do you ever have those moments when the Holy Spirit crunches on you to get your attention??? The obedience isn't in what you know it is in what you do with what you know.

Lord, today & everyday I need You to be my motivation… I need You to be my provider… I need You to carry my burdens… I need You to carry me through...

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with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Time flies...

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband... 19 years have come & gone... in so many ways it feels like just yesterday... in so many ways I can't remember my life without him. So I just had to share a couple pictures with you today.





The first one is obviously at our wedding... don't you love my "cheerleader" hair??? that was how we did it in the early 90's... and Luke he had hair... actually now I think he looks funny with that much hair. He did look so handsome in his dress blues.



This other pic is one that our pastor's wife sent to me a couple months ago... it says so much of where we are at now compared to even five years ago. I will share a little about this pic... before our church went into putting up our new building we had a blessing of the land & communion on the property where the new building is now... this is a shot taken of us praying & taking communion together out in God's great sanctuary. It thrills my heart to see how God has taken a good marriage and made it into a great marriage... all we had to bring was a willing heart to follow Him... no matter where He leads.

Thanks for indulging me with my lovey dovey post for today... I promise I will get back to stampin' on my next post.

with a grateFUL HEART... oh so grateFUL, carin

with much LOVE...

I have lots to do today, so I will just share this quick, simple card I made for my sweetie for our anniversary, that is tomorrow. I have a hard time with masculine cards... so I usually go with simple is better.

Have to get everything done for the surprise... hope he likes it!

Thanks for stopping! with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Guilty of fun?

It is a rainy, dark Saturday morning here in northern Michigan... at almost 9 a.m. it is as dark as 6 a.m. Sorry to start off with such a "depressing" statement... I feel like climbing back in bed, actually!

I do have a couple things to share with you though... First I want to thank my friend, Teresa, for this "Circle of Friends Award". I met Teresa, aka VA Sunshine, through blogging. She does such beautiful cards. She is such a creative, godly woman... I am so grateFUL I have gotten to know her.

Now I am to pass this award on... Teresa would be on my list, but since she gave it to me I will pass it on to... drum roll please... Diane at Diane's Designs, Renee at Renee's Ramblings (yes, she is my sis, but she is also a good friend), Mari at 365 days (she is a new blog friend, but I really love her photos on her blog) and the last two have to be Heather at Bits & Pieces, and Ruth at Real Life & Faith (these 2 are not real consistent in their blogging, but they are two of my best friends in cyber space & in real space too!

Now for my second attempt at the tri-shutter card. I created this for a graduation party we went to last night. These cards are fun, but time consuming... especially when I had to put 3 fan fold flowers on it. I really like how it turned out.

I forgot to take a picture before I wrote in the card, but oh well you get the idea. In the center part where I stamped, "For You" I slid in a gift card.

For the last thing today... the word "joy" has been coming up a lot the last few days in my reading... like this verse: "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Nehemiah 8:10 How are you doing on the "joy meter"? I read something that really made me think about my joy... am I enjoying life the way God wants me to be??? I tend to be too serious at times... yes, I am goofy (as you can tell by some of my posts), but I really can let the weight of my world steal my joy sometimes. So, when was the last time you did something just for fun... or you laughed until your stomach hurt... or you acted like you didn't have a care in the world??? I am asking myself that same question... I know I am not always too fun to live with... thank the Lord I have a very patient hubby! I decided today I want to be guilty of having too much fun in life... where do I start... where will you start??? Share something fun you are doing.

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Find joy...

Do you have days when you try to get so much accomplished, but it seems like you are just spinning your wheels, so to speak??? I just may be having one of those days. My mind is on other things that I am looking forward to, but I can't talk about it on here because my hubby reads my blog & it has to do with a surprise I have planned for him.

So what I can talk about is this art journal I created as a gift... the journal is from SU & so is most of the paper... a little of this... a little of that... some glitter... some stickles... a little Cricut action... and viola! What do you think... would it be a gift you would like????

The verse on the bookmark is "I will thank You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things You have done. I will be filled with joy because of You. I will sing praises to Your name, O Most High." Psalm 9:1-2

That is an uplifting verse... when all in your life may not be going exactly as you want... you have to make a decision to thank the Lord with all your heart. Praise Him in the good... praise Him in the bad... just praise Him!

with a grateFUL HEART, carin

Bubbling with joy...

I know I have been lax in my blogging for the last week... really I have not been sitting around the house eating bon bons! Ok, I did have a Hershey's kiss the other day, but no bon bons... although those peanut butter bon bons from Walmart are really good!!! Sorry I will get on with the post.

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Her is a "mini" card I tried... the back is just a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 piece of CS... and the mini part is just 2 1/2 x 3 (started w/a 10" piece of CS folded accordion style). It is a simple little card... I think the SU DSP makes it. It is hard to see but in the frame it says, "there's only one you"... and that is true of all my blog visitors.

I am off to serve as receptionist at the church today, but before that I want to share this verse with you that my pastor used last night at church... he has been teaching on re-energizing your life... I had an aah hah moment with this verse:

"May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope." Romans 15:13

I know I have read that verse many times before, but for some reason this time it just jumped off the page at me... it was exactly what I needed to see & what the Holy Spirit needed me to "hear". How about you... do you need to be re-energized too???

with a grateFUL HEART, carin