He Does It Again

[source]

A while back I started reading the New Testament. I have never read the whole bible, and I admit that the thought of reading the bible has not always thrilled me. I get so lost in the words I can't pronounce and names I can't remember that too often I find myself just putting it down altogether. But alas, here I am, plugging away.

The gospels were great. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...piece of cake. Then I got to Acts. Oh boy was I confused. I would read the same paragraph over and over and not realize that I had already read it. I wouldn't remember what I read the night before. I found it downright boring and I struggled to get through. And once I did get through it I realized I took very little from it. But oh well, I thought, I'll just move on to Romans.

Wrong.

At the beginning of July our pastor introduced our church's newest challenge, 40 days of prayer.  We would spend time praying separately and corporately, reflecting on the role prayer plays in our lives, and as Christians, try to understand what kind of prayer life God wants us to have. This all sounds great. I am totally in.

Then our pastor told us that we would be reading through a book of the bible, an essential book that discusses prayer deeply. "We will spend the next 40 days reading through the book of Acts," he said with a smile, as to ask "isn't that great everyone?" I on the other hand was not amused.

There have been so many times in my life where God is tricky. Really tricky. He sneaks things into your life when you least expect it but when you most need it. Maybe it's that song that comes on the radio, or the e-mail that pops up, or the person who calls at just the right time. Or maybe it's the pastor who gets you all excited to read a book of the bible, just to tell you it's the exact same book that you read last week and thought was boring.

So now I'm reading Acts again, and taking it slower. I'm journaling after each chapter and making sure I understand what the author is trying to teach me. I'm reflecting on it's meaning a bit more, and trying to let it sink in. And the re-reading over and over again of paragraphs has decreased significantly.

***

Here's a tidbit that I've taken away from Acts "take 2" that I thought I would share, but to set the stage, a little about me...I am an introvert and consider myself a relatively quiet person. I am usually the one that sticks to the back of the room and tends to listen rather than talk. Some call me reserved...I call myself reticent.

But you know what I think? I think God wants us to be extroverts when it comes to sharing His message. He wants us to sit in the front of the room, use our outside voices, and be the ones with our hands in the air wanting to talk.

There are so many examples in Acts where individuals were not just sitting quietly, being shy, and hoping to spread the word of God through osmosis. Instead they were raising their voices and addressing large crowds (2: 14), praying until the earth shook (4:31), teaching and proclaiming the good news (5:42), and "speaking boldly in the name of the Lord" (9:28).

When the apostles were jailed in chapter 5, an angel opened the door for them and instructed them to "tell the people the full message of this new life."

I am thankful that God opened my eyes to His word and led me back to Acts chapter 1 again. I'm excited to see what else He will reveal and to discover ways I can stand up and speak boldly in His name.


 

Twelve Crafts Winner

So I selected a winner of the Twelve Crafts Until Christmas but forgot to tell you who it was (forgetfulness seems to be a trend for me lately.

The lucky lady is Haylee from Giveaway Gal. Congrats! I'm sending you an e-mail right now.

Thank you to all those who entered and thanks Elizabeth for sponsoring!!

 

Look What I Made: Sewing Machine Cover

Hi Friends,

I'm back from our awesome anniversary weekend and here to share with you another project I recently tried. I found this awesome tutorial at Sparkle Power and thought, "I need one of those!"

Meet Ms. Sewing Machine and her new outfit! (did I really just write that??)

I am not talented enough to fashion pieces of fabric together, so instead, to add a bit of spice, I added buttons to the bottom of my version.

Ain't she pretty?!

[Check out my party page for a list of the blogs I post to]

 

One Year

I found this picture a long time ago.  I have kept it saved on my computer knowing that it was special. I don't remember where the photo came from or why it was created, but in the one year that Kyle and I have been married, I think all these keys have unlocked various parts of my heart as well as Kyle's.

faith

humility

respect

patience

compassion

courage

perseverance

I think I've learned that, however cliche this may be, these really are the keys to marriage. To a happy, funny, joy filled, understanding, i'm sorry, i love you kind of marriage.

I love that faith is the first key in the photo. Kyle and I have tried (and try again every day) to put Jesus Christ at the forefront of our marriage. We trust that the Lord brought us together and we truly want to use our relationship to serve and praise Him. When I was growing up, I would pray that God would send me a boyfriend. I had no idea that God would not only listen to my pray but send me His best.

It's hard to believe that Kyle and I will have been married for one year today. It seems like only yesterday that I told Kyle that I would marry him,

that we sat outside the coffee shop where he proposed and we called our parents,

that we chose a date and a church and picked out our cake,

that we wrote our vows,

that we (I) stressed about the little details,

that I picked out a dress,

and Kyle tried on his tux,

and I walked down the aisle to Hootie and the Blowfish,

and we tried not to cry,

but did anywhere,

where we said "I Will,"

and we made a promise to honor each other, forever.

A couple nights ago as we were lying in bed, I asked Kyle if he thought we had grown as a couple this past year. He definitely thought we had, and I agree. We have both learned a little bit more about what it means to live (and share) life with another person. What it means to trust someone and love someone more than we love anything else. Yes, there is still a lot more growing we can do, but it feels so good to be with the man who I want to grow with.

This past year I have learned that in order to succeed as a couple (and yes I use "succeed", because in a world where divorce seems to be the norm, we both plan on sticking to the "until death parts us" part):

We must have faith in one another and in our creator;

We must be humble and strive to put the other first, even when it is no fun;

We must respect each other for who he/she is and who he/she isn't, and as the lady in this marriage, I must give my husband the respect that God says he deserve and needs (without condition);

We must be patient...oh my, this needs to be closer to the front of the line I think;

We must show compassion in on things, in every way;

We must have courage to face the hard days and the courage to know that God has sealed our marriage and He's holding our hands through it all.

And we must persevere. At first this seems like a strange key, but it reminds me of something our marriage mentors told us during our pre-marriage counseling. They said that, as much as we like to believe we might be soul-mates, we also have to remember that marriage is a choice. There will be times when your marriage is weak and things are tough, really tough. Marriage is a choice, and we chose one another. Good and bad. Forever.

So happy anniversary Kyle. I love you big and little, to the moon and back. I can't wait to spend all my years with you, for as many years God blesses me with.

Not So Crafty Today

Hi Friends,

Kyle and I are off celebrating our anniversary, so there's no Saturday is Crafty Day today. I'll be featuring some of my favorites from last weekend's party this week.

 

Giveaway Reminder

Don't forget to enter the Christmas in July giveaway from Twelve Crafts Till Christmas!!

Click here to enter.

 

Be Inspired

I posted lots of inspiring projects this weekend at my other blog, the road map. Feel free to check them out and get inspired!

 

Funny Break

Pardon the interruption, but isn't Flo hilarious? Maybe I'm the only one, but I just love her!!



"Unicorns and glitter!" It's my facebook status right now, really it is.


 

How Does Your Garden Grow, Cont'd

Early in the spring, the husby got the itch to grow veggies, but living in a residence hall, we don't quite have the space for a garden. We got approved for a bit of space near the side of the hall, and Kyle found a genius solution... a bucket garden!

Here are the baby plants all lined up.

Here they are a bit bigger (with the happy gardener).

And look! Veggies!!

Interested in making your own self-watering double-bucket planters?

Below is the tutorial Kyle followed.

(for pictures, click on the link)

step 1

Gather your materials

If you already own most of the cutting tools and the drill, this instructable costs about $13-15. We got everything at Home Depot, but you can find similar stuff at any hardware store. Materials pictured: 2 big paint buckets that stack (~5 gallons each) 1 lid 1 plastic tub OR drain grate (The height of the tub/drain grate should be approximately the same height as the…

step 2

Mark the buckets

1) Hole for wicking basket On the bottom of the first bucket, trace your drain grate or plastic tub and mark a circle on the bottom of the first bucket. Be sure your circle is smaller than the lip of the container. 2) Hole for pipe Next, mark a hole for the pipe, also 1/2" from the wall of the bucket 3) Side drainage holes On the side of the second bucket (not th…

step 3

Cut the holes in the buckets

Cutting plastic kicks up a lot of little plastic dusty bits. Protect your eyes and nose and mouth accordingly. For the big holes on the first bucket and the lid, start them with a drill, using a 1" masonry bit. Use the utility knife to widen the holes. Cut drainage holes in the bottom of your first bucket, using a 1/4" diameter drill bit. Next, cut the side drain…

step 4

Prepare the pipe

Cut an angled segment from the bottom of the pipe, using your hacksaw. The reason you're doing this is so that water can flow out of the pipe when it's at the bottom of the buckets.

step 5

Assemble the wicking basket

Either line the drain grate with mesh, or cut holes in your solid plastic container. We found these as a three pack at the dollar store. You could also use food containers, etc., as long as there is enough of a lip and they are the right height. Even though it's significantly more expensive, I highly recommend the drain grate option. They both seem to be performing equ…

step 6

Assemble the bucket!

Place the assembled wicking basket in the bottom of the bucket. Push the pipe through the holes in the lid and the bottom of the inner bucket Stack two buckets, with the basket hanging between the two. Now you're ready to plant!

step 7

Planting

Use your favorite potting mix, compost, plants, seedlings, etc., and put it all together! This part is really up to you, but I would encourage you to soak the wicking basket first, and only use a small amount of fertilizer. The bucket recycles it, so you probably won't need to add fertilizer again for a very long time. If you cut smaller holes in the lid, gently thread…

Here's a simple to follow (although a bit boring) video that shows the steps. 

Our bucket garden hasn't been without it's challenges, though. We've been battling blossom-end rot, which " may result from low calcium levels or high amounts of competitive cations in the soil, drought stress, or excessive soil moisture fluctuations which reduce uptake and movement of calcium into the plant, or rapid vegetative growth due to excessive nitrogen fertilization" (source). To beat the rot, Kyle has been spraying on liquid calcium. We are crossing our fingers and hoping it works. We also lost a plant early on to yellow leaf curl; "As the leaves develop, they appear distorted and fold their tips backwards. Diseased leaves are usually thicker and softer than the normal, unharmed leaves. The colors of the leaves are also unique. Instead of the normal green spring leaves, the colors turn yellow, followed by purple, until finally a whitish bloom covers each leaf" (source). In order to prevent spreading, we had to let it go. Wow, who knew you'd learn so much!


All in all we're very pleased with how our garden is shaping up. I think it's making the whole "living in a residence hall" thing a little easier on Kyle, too.

So, how does your garden grow?

[Check out my party page for a list of the blogs I post to]

 

Winner

Thanks to those who participated in my spontaneous etsy giveaway! The winner (as selected by random.org) was Sweet November who said:
Sweet November said...


"I love these. I love the bright floral one (the very last one on the Etsy page). I think it'd go with anythings! I also love the Polka dot one! Too cute!"

If you e-mail me your address you'll get your favorite hair pin in the mail :)

Christmas in July Giveaway: Twelve Crafts Till Christmas

This giveaway is now closed.

If you've taken a stroll around blog land , you have surely run into Twelve Crafts Till Christmas. Elizabeth is one of my absolute favorites, and for good reason...she's incredible!

First, the idea behind her blog is genius. She's on a mission to create handmade Christmas gifts for her adorable girls, one month at a time.

Second, she really delivers. Her creative ideas have been featured just about everywhere. Some of my favorite include:

Soda can jewelry

Adorable felt food

And my favorite, the mail carrier kit!

Now Elizabeth wants to give you a gift!

The winner will receive a stocking full of supplies, including an easy pattern for making a crayon and coloring book bag, a rotary cutter to help make the bag, crayons, and a coloring book. How fun!!

Want to win?

1. follow Twelve Crafts Till Christmas

2. subscribe to Twelve Crafts Till Christmas via e-mail

3. follow along for the ride

4. blog, tweet, spread the word

Please leave a comment for each item you complete.

A winner will be drawn on Monday July 26.

 

Etsy Shop!

The giveaway is now closed.

I finally have a few items in the shop! I'd love it if you took a look.

Along for the Ride: Designs

Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite item is and I might just surprise one of you with a little treat!

The Rusted Chain Giveaway

Hi Friends,

Blessed Little Nest is hosting a Rusted Chain giveaway! The Rusted Chain has some incredible jewelry...I especially love the "God is good" necklace, because we can always use a little reminder.

Go over to Blessed Little Nest and enter, maybe you'll win! But like all gorgeous giveaways, I'd prefer if you didn't.


 

Saturday is Crafty Day #10

I've been out of the loop lately with everyone's projects, so I can't wait to see what you have all been working on!! Share away...

This Weekend

(found here...this is where i'll be spending my weekend, at home sweet home)

Oh how the weeks fly by! I look forward to my weekends because it's when I get to spend some alone time  at home creating, reflecting, cleaning, and praying...all the things that give me energy for the week.

How do you spend your weekends? May I offer a few suggestions?

- Write some love letters. Think of 5 people who you love but haven't kept in touch with. Take some time this weekend to write them a thoughtful, snail-mail letter. Better yet, create a handmade card and send a little smile!

- Create with what you have. Pull out some craft supplies and put them together in new and interesting ways. Steer clear of the craft store. Instead, if you don't have the perfect item, get creative and improvise.

- Pull out your cookbooks. Experiment with a new style or culture of cooking. Challenge yourself to use ingredients that might be foreign to you. Try something difficult and see how it goes (and if you're like me, anything outside of boiling water is difficult).

- Deep clean. Pick one section/element of your house and clean it well. For me, that area is the shower. I dread cleaning it, but love it when it sparkles. Get out the gloves and the elbow grease. And let's face it, there are few smells better than the smell of clean.

- Pray. If you are a Jesus type of gal, spend some time talking to Him. Talk with Him about the past week and your concerns for the week to come. Process through struggles and ask Him to hold your hand if things are particularly rough. Thank Him for celebrations and be encouraged that He gets even more joy out of your accomplishments than you do.

As for me, my weekend holds a lot. The Etsy store is coming along and I hope to have items in there by the end of Sunday. I will also be sharing your Etsy advice here next week (it's been fabulous...thank you!). I would love to take a bike ride with my hubby. And of course, there's always laundry.

I hope you have a wonderful and productive weekend!


 

Guest Posting at Pure Joy

Today I'm guest posting [and sponsoring a giveaway] at Pure Joy.

"There are things I will never understand,

like how it's easier to be impatient with my husband

 than to show him respect or

why it's so difficult to put my selfishness aside

for the needs of others, but I believe that

God is showing me, calling me, toward kindness."

Come read the rest here!

Etsy Shop Advice

So I did it, I started an Etsy shop. Now, don't get too excited yet. There's nothing in it...

I have so many ideas in my head for things to list that I can't quite gather my thoughts. I've been working on things for the past few weeks and hope to have items up soon.

I'd love to get your feedback. For those of you who have an Etsy shop, what's one thing you wish you knew/were told before you got started??

 

I'm a Lucky Ducky

Recently I won a giveaway sponsored by Make the Best of Things (that was held on the Blog Guidebook).

I absolutely adore this necklace. I'm wearing it right now and have already received a ton of compliments. I'm such a lucky ducky!!

I Made It: Reusable Sandwich Bags

I have been wanting to try these for a while...and now that I have, I can't stop making them!

Meet the reusable sandwich bag.

I originally found the tutorial here via here. I also have it posted here.

Aren't they so fun?!

I made a few tweaks to the original design so I'm working on a tutorial for you. So far I've made a few for my husband, a few for my dad, and I have lots of material cut and ready to go!

[Check out my party page for a list of the blogs I post to]

 

Miscellany Monday

As you know, I've been in a bit of a funk lately. I thought I'd start of the new week right with a few randoms...

1. Right now my husband is making us some mango smoothies.
Ingredients:
two mangos, orange pineapple juice ["some" is the measurement my husband told me], ice [we're trying it with strawberries tonight...we'll see how it goes]
Directions:
Figure out how to cut a mango. This site helps.
Put mango, some juice, ice in a blender.
Blend.
Enjoy.
"Mmmm mango. Where have you been all my life?" -Kyle

2. We brought back bikes from Ohio last month and I am loving it! My bike is a pretty yellow Schwinn. What she really needs, though, is a bell and a basket. I'm thinking of trying to make one like this.

3. Apparently I forgot to fill up the ice trays as Kyle just told me "uh oh, all the ice trays are in here naked." Luckily we live in a residence hall with an ice machine. Saved!

4. Lately I've been a little bit down, little bit crabby, little bit mean and I'm hoping that this week I'm much more cheery. Because there really is so much to cheer about!