Sundays

Have I ever mentioned that Sunday is my most favorite day of the week? I love that it starts with worship service. My church truly feels like home and my church family is most definitely that........ a reminder of how large and loving God's family is.

Today I had the opportunity to share that with a good friend who is thinking about relocating to Pendleton in about a year. One of the major factors in his decision is being able to find a home church and I was happy to be able to introduce him to our church today.

In spite of being a small group because of the holiday weekend and our pastor being on vacation, I think he got a very good feel for what our church family is like. .......the singing, the prayer time, the way everyone works together to get things right, the fellowship and how welcoming people are. It was a privilege and made me proud to be able to share that today.

summer is almost over

Due to my new position I am spending the last of mine getting training and helping to set up the classroom. I am excited and also a bit nervous. I do have to admit that it was good for my ego to be told that I was part of a hand picked group of staff that were picked for our specialized skills and talents we will bring to this new program. Also met my new head teacher and think I will like her a lot. And it turns out I know both of the other staff in the room and I think we will all work quite well together and make a great team.

Looking forward to this weekend and some special plans I have.

I am working on my new ending and loving how it is looking so far :-)

exciting things

are happening! It is almost the start of school. I was offered and accepted a new position this year. When first approached about it last year I was hesitant and not really wanting to leave my job in Title One. I really love what I do there. But there is a brand new program starting that is aimed at serving students at the level they truly need rather than trying to make them fit where they really don't. I did some thinking and praying about it after being approached again yesterday and decided this morning if they still wanted me I would do it. My nursing background as well as my experience writing training programs for people with developmental disabilities will hopefully be an asset to the program and the students who will be in our room.

So, the position is now mine and I will spend the last 2 days of my summer vacation getting some specialized training and helping to get the room set up and ready to go.

a brand new ending

I got this quote from a scrapbooking friend.

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending'. - Carl Bard

There have been many days for me when I wished I could go back and make a brand new start. There are most definitely decisions I would change and things I would like to have worked out differently.

But I also find this quote oddly comforting and ever since I was given it I start each day with a conscious decision that I am working on my brand new ending. And I become more sure every day that it will be a happy one.

We have been camping :-)

I helped chaperone a youth group overnight camp retreat In spite of the weather, pouring rain and thunder and lightening for part of the time, we had an amazing night and morning....................... spent fun time together, praise singing, some bible study and devotional time................. very cool.

I am so thankful to have Jon and Melissa Nitz leading our youth group. They do such an amazing job of helping out little ones and teens grow in faith and do it so unselfishly. It is a privilege to support them in any way I can. :-)

Ready To fly

I love the little radio I was able to insert in my blog. Lately I find songs are speaking to my heart quite often. I feel like I am on the brink of something big in my life............. big changes with big rewards. I loved hearing this song by FFH today

I've been here grounded far too long
I'm ready to see the open wide
Ready to sing a different song
I've seen my troubles 'long the way
I want to sail towards the sun
I want to turn another page
I'm on my way

I'm ready to fly,
I'm ready to soar
I'm ready to leave this world behind.
I'm ready to open up the door
I'm ready to fly,
I'm ready to spread my wings across the sky
I think it's time
I'm ready to go
I'm ready to fly.

You've told me I could rise above
Like an eagle on the wind
I can glide upon Your love
But I feel the pull of gravity
And it's a weight upon my shoulders
i can't stay here any longer
I've gotta be free

And it's been so long
Since i've seen the bright morning sun
Through the early morning horizon
And it's been so long
Since i've felt the air under my wings
And seen all of these things from above

Today is the Day

These lyrics are how I want to choose to live my life each day............... trusting in what He says
and here is a link to a site where you can listen if you would like

http://www.musicremedy.com/l/Lincoln_Brewster/videos/Today_Is_the_Day-24735.html

Here we go!
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh

I`m casting my cares aside
I`m leaving my past behind
I`m setting my heart and mind on You
Jesus

I`m reaching my hand to Yours
Believing there`s so much more
Knowing that all You have in store for me is good
Is good

Chorus:
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
And I won`t worry about tomorrow
I`m trusting in what You say
Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh

I putting my fears aside
I`m leaving my doubts behind
I`m giving my hopes and dreams to You
Jesus

I`m reaching my hand to Yours
Believing there`s so much more
Knowing that all You have in store for me is good
Is good

Chorus:

(Guitar interlude)

(2x`s)
I will stand upon Your truth.
(I will stand upon Your truth)
And all my days I`ll live for You
(And all my days I`ll live for You)

Chorus:

Michael W. Smith: "I Will Be Here For You"

for a certain someone to find and play :-)

Discerning God's voice

This has been an area I have spent much time on lately. In the past I have made decisions based on what I believed was God's voice leading me and then felt afterward that I had been horribly fooled because of the outcome. I was reminded by an amazing friend that all things are used for good and even though I can't see the good in it yet that does not mean I should doubt His plan. A good lesson and a very comforting thought for someone who has for many years blamed myself for several things because of what I perceived as my inability to hear and recognize His voice.

There are many things going on in my life right now that I need to make decisions about. I need to be able to feel confident in hearing direction in response to my prayers. It is good to remember that God is ALWAYS in charge even at times when we wonder why bad things are happening and also in the face of decisions that are important and sometimes frightening.

my Friday night creation

Often when I host the second Friday crops at First Presbyterian church I do not get any scrapping done myself. Just as when I used to work the Friday night crops at the Scrapbook station, I am often too busy walking around looking at what everyone else is doing to work on anything of my own :-) Well last Friday I had a Creative Team assignment for ScrappyJo's site and went in with a folder full of goodies to play with. My assignment was to alter some items and use them. So......... tons of altering going on here. The layout itself is built behind and on top of an acrylic page frame (love the shape of this one). The arrow in the upper right corner is also an altered acrylic shape (paper behind and rub ons on top). The swirl element and number would be the first Tim Holtz grungeboard I got to play with. LOVE how well this stuff takes ink and added some stickles also for sparkle. I altered a biggee brad with a rub on and added stickles to a paper flower. The end result ....... a very fun frame now displayed in my living room

"Sorry" by Buck Cherry

Buckcherry Sorry Lyrics

I was given a CD and told to listen to this particular song. (If you click on the graphic it will take you to a site where you can listen) I threw the CD in my glove box and forgot about it for about a month. I found it yesterday and decided to listen. This was the song that I was told to listen to. I will admit it made me cry a bit for dreams lost but I don't see actions that go along with the words to make me believe the person who gave it to me really means what the lyrics say

the day after

the crop :-)

Last night was tons of fun. We had some new friends for the first time and some old friends we haven't seen for a while. The prize drawing winner for the second month in a row was Connie. You go girl! :-)

8/8/08

if eight is your lucky number, today is your day :-)

The new fall/winter idea books finally arrived! As always this is jam packed with awesome new papers, stamp sets, embellishments and pages and pages of creative ideas! Planning an open house to kick this one off that will be a little different. For one it will be held over an entire weekend in my scrap studio. Also a $50.00 purchase (besides getting you a ticket to the prize drawing) will also get you a ticket to shop my "garage sale" of retired CTMH stamps and a ton of wood mounts that I just never use anymore.

I am looking forward to the second Friday crop tonight. I enjoy the smaller group that sometimes turns up on Friday nights in my scrap studio but always enjoy this crop.....................more space means more people means more fun and creativity going on :-)

Monday, Monday

This weekend was a good weekend. All 3 of the kids went to visit their dad and had lots of fun with him. I am always so happy for everyone when visitation goes well.

I also got up the courage to ask Rex if he was ready to sit somewhere other than with me in church, making it clear to the children that they could sit with whoever they wanted. Things have been so up and down and tension filled with Rex and I that I just find myself unable to focus during worship anymore. To my surprise (and his credit) he graciously agreed that he would be fine sitting somewhere else and said he wanted me to be able to focus my heart and mind where they needed to be during worship. It felt like the music, scripture, and sermon were speaking directly to me and for the first time in a long time I left feeling rested and re-energized. Grateful to Marc for helping me to realize that this was ok for me to ask for and not totally selfish.

Today I finish the final prep for a gathering in Weston tomorrow. The hostess is someone I met at my open crops and the guests will all be new to me. I am excited just listening to how excited and enthused my hostess is and looking forward to a totally fun time tomorrow

changes and discoveries

A friend introduced me to a Christian performer who is new to me but not so new really. His name is Scott Stapp and I so far have found 2 of his songs that speak to me........ "The Great Divide" and "Surround Me". As I continue to grow and make changes in my life that I pray are guided by God I find myself using songs like these as a part of that process.