my thankful thought for today

thankful for the struggles in life, they made me who i am.

the weather is a changing ...

I woke up this morning to snow.  Yesterday was a beautiful 61 degrees.  Today it is cold and very windy.  It is the first day of many cold days.  The weather is a changing!  And honestly, it is a welcome change.  I am excited for the holiday season.  I am excited for snow days and sledding -- hot chocolate and warm cookies.  I am thankful for the changing seasons -- without the changes, life would be monotonous.  With every changing season, life brings new challenges and new joys.  As I take another sip of my hot coffee on this blustery morning, I'm thankful for the new joys this new season brings.

trust. believe. dream.

Today I am grateful for my Lord who guides my every step.  Knowing this and living this is admitting that nothing I have done or will do can happen without Him allowing it to happen.  That takes away the power of regret.  That takes away the power of worry.  And just leaves me with the joy of today.   

Day 1 of my thankfulness journey ...

It's November.  A month for thanksgiving.  What better time than now to reflect on gratitude. 

Okay, I'll admit it.  I have wasted a lot of my days worrying or regretting. A lot of my time has been spent wondering -- what if? I have spent too much time looking back or looking forward.  

But for a while now, I have made an effort to be present in the moment and to be thankful for that moment.  And something has been changing in my heart ever since. 

So today I choose to be grateful for life.  I choose to be grateful for the way life can be unpredictable and ever-changing. The fact that only my Lord knows what will happen next helps me to dig in and just savor the moment I am in.

This choosing to be grateful right this instance is like putting on glasses.  Finally -- I can see what is right in front of me.  Who knew that just stopping and savoring all that is around me could change so much inside of me?

If there is one thing I have learned -- this gratefulness stuff is powerful!

samples!!!

oh my goodness, it has been so snowy and cold here in iowa ... so cold and snowy that i've taken my time in photographing my latest lovelies.  these i received from westland giftware -- and they are adorable.  there are salt/pepper shakers, bird figurines and mugs.  the bird figurines stand 4" tall ... and would be perfect for that bookshelf that needs a pop of color and inspiration!!  the mugs are 15oz mugs ... so big and absolutely stunning.  and the salt/pepper shakers -- so cute!

a passion for patterns

I don't talk a lot about them.

I don't highlight them enough.

It's crazy because I absolutely swoon over them.

PATTERNS!!!

When I first got into this "biz" of art licensing, creating patterns was a final step.  I created my main designs and then pulled patterns out of design elements.  It wasn't long before I fell in love with creating patterns.  So much so that I have changed my process -- I start with patterns and create main designs from there.  This is in part because of my love of patterns (have I mentioned how much I love patterns?!)  This change in process is also because of my change in life.  No - not THAT change. ;-)  It is the change in life most parents make with active children ... when your schedule takes a back seat to their schedule.  Taxi driver comes to mind because I am driving so many different places during the spring, summer and fall months.  And while sitting on the sidelines, I draw, draw and draw some more.

Below is a the Bountiful Blessings collection.  This collection debuted at Surtex in May 2013.  I still am absolutely in LOVE with it!!!

what does the fox say??

this is what a lovey fox would say on Valentine's Day!!

rediscovering my lifeline

This morning I was listening to Charles Stanley's message on "When You Feel Frustrated," speaking about God giving a restlessness of the heart when He is trying to move you towards something.  "Little by little He moves you -- stirring up your heart full of agitation and restlessness until you come to Him."

Man, Charles Stanley -- you hit the nail on the head!!!

This past summer, I was so restless. I felt anxiety like I have never felt before.  I couldn't sleep past 5am -- and that is NOT like me.  I love my sleep.  But I had to get up!  It was like I couldn't think or even breathe until I heard from Him.  My dog and I would take long walks, listening to sermons.  After the walk, I would plant myself on the back porch and just read God's word.  I would draw, read, pray, and listen.  It was the ONLY way I could feel any peace in my heart.  And I have honestly only felt that way one other time in my life -- when I lost my fiance at the age of 24 in a car accident.

I knew there were big changes going on in my heart.

And this change has been the greatest gift of all time -- I rediscovered my lifeline, my Bible.  It is no longer something I just study.  It IS my lifeline.  It is my direct line to God's leading in my life.  He speaks directly to me through His word -- giving me advice on how to live my life TODAY -- on what decisions to make.  He speaks directly to my heart -- giving me a peace that I can find nowhere else.  If you see me out and about, you know that His word is close by.  I have to have it near me.

When anxiety creeps up (my restlessness) I run to His word to fill my heart with the peace that only He can give.

I've been a believer since the age of 15 -- and I look back and see so many seasons of my life.  I love His leading.  I love looking back and seeing that God can bring good out of everything I encounter, everything I endure.  And I love this new sense of HUNGER for His word.  Yes, it came out of a season of great difficulty.  But I wouldn't trade that season of difficulty for anything -- for in it I heard directly from God as I traveled down that pathway.  Blessed.

faith is ...

Now faith is the confidence in what we hope for
and the assurance of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1