Faith Discovery Challenge #17 Featured Artist!

Congratulations to Michele (Creatively Obsessed) for being selected as our featured artist for last week's Faith Discovery Challenge! Please leave her some love in her gallery here.

~Journaling~

But we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3



Upon A Shelf
I am a lump of clay, in a jar upon a shelf.
A sculptor reaches in and gently and pulls me from my vessel.
He holds me in his warm hands. I am safe.
“Oh my lovely child, I know the beauty that is within you.
But if I shape you without first preparing you,
Thee will not be able to bear the heat of my kiln.”


“To become the masterpiece you are meant to be thee must be wedged.”
Through many trials and tribulations,
I scream in pain as my being is torn to pieces.
I have done nothing wrong,
Why does he strike at me so?
I cry out “ Stop or you will destroy me!”


The kneading begins,
Oh what pleasure.
I smile as I look into my sculptors eyes,
“I am ready“.
“No!” he cries.


I tremble at the brutish force, now worse than before.
I am perplexed, exposed, dry and hardening.
I begin to crack and flake.
I yell out , “This must be the end”.
My sculptor, he says nothing but continues to wedge.


“Why? Oh Why?” I cry
As the cold hard blade stabs at my soul.
I let forth a deafening howl,
“I am hard now, I can stand no more!”


In that moment, tender fingers begin to massage me,
Gently caressing my jagged edges.
Soft hands smoothing my fractured surface.
I feel strength rising within me.


The sculptor is putting my broken pieces back together.
The building process begins.
A soft voice speaks, “My creation, you are almost ready.”


I am being carried now, carried to the kiln.
I feel the fire of my father’s love,
A love so strong
I finally know where I belong.
I am transformed.
I rejoice as my beauty is revealed.


I am a jar made of clay
Shinning in the light.
Sitting upon my father’s shelf,
It was worth the fight.

Thank you Michele for participating and for sharing your creativity with us! And thank you for your inspiration! You can snag this blinkie if don't have one already!

SSD challenge ~ From Our Blog To Yours 9/25

Okay... Here is how did on the typing test... It's funny because it has not changed since high school :)

65 words

Speedtest

To earn your sweet reward points, just take this test and post it on your blog. When you're done, go back to the Sweet Shoppe Blog and post a link to your blog in the comments along with your SSD username! Have fun!

Happy Birthday Mom...

Dear Mom,
You would have turned 60 years old on your birthday, September 17th. I wonder all the time what my life would be like to have you around, but this time, I can't help but feel like I really need you right now. I get torn sometimes just thinking how unfair it is that you had to go so early and how I feel sad that my children didn't have the pleasure of meeting you and having a grandmother who I know would've loved them to pieces. I admit, I envy those who have their mothers to support them as they raise their kids or when they have their mothers to help them around the house when they get sick or need a break. There were many times I had gone through things that I know only a mother would understand and wish you were here for me to confide in. I just feel like you were never meant to go so soon, but who am I to argue about it. If this was God's plan, I can't do anything, but surrender it to Him. I can't argue against His will and whatever reason my life turned out the way it did, I have to remember what the Bible says, "And we know in ALL things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. I hold on to that verse not only for myself, but also for you because I remember strongly how much you loved the Lord. I'm sure as you were clearly aware that your life was coming to an end, the only thing you could do was pray that God would take care of your children and that our lives would turn out just fine without you. In my heart, I believe that God heard your prayers and He's done an awesome job answering it. I know our lives aren't completely perfect, but my sisters and I turned out better than expected knowing that our lives could have been totally destroyed without having you there throughout our younger days when we needed you the most. So, now that I've followed in your footsteps to serve God with all my heart, I have a greater appreciation for you and for my own children. While I'm still breathing, I promise to love my boys the way you have loved me when I was a child--kind, compassionate, patient, selfless, and sensitive to their needs. My prayers for them is the same prayer you shared with me the very last time I saw you. These were your words, "I pray that you will always love the Lord because if you do, He will take care of you. I pray that you will study hard and finish school and that you will marry the right person. Remember not to do unto others what you don't want done to you. Love each other." I was only 11 years old when I heard you say this and for most of my life, I didn't even seem to care about those words until the day that I found myself and knew that God needed me to change my lifestyle. It wasn't until I desperately needed God, that made me reflect upon the meaning of your prayer and how much I needed it to become a reality. Soon after I made the choice to pursue a life in Christ Jesus, my life has been blessed beyond measure. So, thank you Mom. Thank you for everything and even though you've been gone for 22 years, you are always in my thoughts each and every day. I know I'll see you again and when I do, I can't wait to be mother and daughter once again...
Happy Birthday, Mommy... XoXoXo

Love,
Dahlia

It's beginning.....

to look a lot like CHRISTMAS! hehe...I don't know but, I'm getting that giddy feeling I have whenever I think of the holidays. Maybe because I've been waking up to colder mornings and the sun is starting to lay lower on the horizon throughout the day, making the skies look hazy. My husband who spends a lot of time in his greenhouse, shared with me that his plants are preparing to go dormant for the winter season and soon our flower garden will stop blooming. *Sigh* If only flowers could bloom all year long, right? Right now, I'm even listening to my favorite Christmas music collection while my little boy sits besides me, eating zucchini bread. Yum, another favorite dessert during the holidays that we would enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate or apple cider. Well, only a few short months and that special time of the year will be here to spend time celebrating with our friends and families and taking time to rejoice for the precious gift of God's Son, Jesus Christ.

Anyways, I've got some digi news to share about all that's going on in my little world and the cool sales that are happening right now with Little Dreamer Designs and Faith Sisters. And maybe this is partially why I'm feeling like it's Christmas....

First of all, Little Dreamer Designs is having there Semi-Annual Sale where everything is 40% off!!!! You don't want miss this sale... I know before I was blessed to become a part of their CT, I was always excited about stocking up on a lot of their amazing stuff. Hurry before the sale ends on Sept. 21st! And you want to know what else is exciting??!! C.D. Muckosky is our guest designer! She's got some awesome talent and will be selling some of her designs @ LDD! :)


Next at Faith Sisters, a celebration is going on to mark their ONE year anniversary! In one year, this amazing site has grown and changed to become such a thriving community of scrapbookers who share the same passion for Jesus Christ and who ultimately love to scrapbook whether it be traditional, digital, or hybrid. Faith Sisters has a special place in my heart because for me, this is where it all began. It was the open door that led me to a whole new adventure in discovering who I am and what God has called me to be. And I'm forever thankful for the ladies behind Faith Sisters who made it possible by trusting and following God's will to take that step of faith and create a place for those who love the Lord and want to honor Him with their creations. Happy Birthday Faith Sisters! Visit the blog to stay updated on all the great things that are going on!

If you purchase $10 or more in the shop, you'll get this BIRTHDAY BASH collab FREE!!

And last but, not least... I have a lil' announcement regarding moi'! heheh....

I've admired Misty Cato for a long time now... And it's a blessing to have this chance to work with her. She is another extremely talented designer coming from SSD and I look forward to playing with her designs. Her blog is always filled with so much inspiration, tutorials, and freebies every now and then. Whatever she comes out with is always amazing... I'm so thankful to be part of her team!

Each and every designer that I create for are all wonderful and I appreciate them so much. They all bring something different to the table which allows me to grow and challenge myself to be as creative as possible. I've been totally surprised at the pages I create, sometimes hard to believe that my imagination can manifest into something wonderful. I feel I've come so far, yet I know I still have a lot to learn and I just want to enjoy the ride....

Thanks for reading this far!! I know I can sometimes write such long novels! LOL! I'll be back to share layouts and other good stuff! Take care and may you have a blessed week!

{FDC #16} Compass of Peace Winner!

Wow... I was utterly moved by some of the stories that were shared through this challenge and how God ministered to each and everyone in different ways concerning His PEACE. It was a tough decision to pick one out of all the awesome pages, but this LO by one of our faithful members and new CT member, Connie Jean, was really something else. Not only do I love the colors and designs of this page, but her journaling was beautifully written. Thank you Connie Jean for your inspiration!

SHALOM by Connie Jean

Journaling reads: When I think about peace... what comes to my mind? The lack of it, that's what. As one that has struggled for years with depression and anxiety, peace is not something I would often feel. Over the course of my life, I have had many panic stricken moments... moments that leave me breathless and shaken with undeniable fear. Most of those times the source of my fear was my own mentality, something I had conjured up, not of something actually happening. I would then cry out to God for help, uncertain of why I was feeling this way. I could not understand the purpose of my anxiety or why God had not cured me of it. Yet He has never let me down; He has never failed me. When fear would come and I'd call out to God, a sense of peace would wash over me. I knew God was with me. I knew He would not leave me. Eventually the physical aspects of anxiety would lessen and I'd be relaxed once again. As I have grown closer to my Abba, I have learned that inner peace is attainable only through the Creator of Peace. He grants it to those of us who call on Him, who love Him, and who desire to be more like Him. As the Creator of Peace it would make sense that being made in His image we would crave His True Peace. He is my Jehovah-Jireh; my Provider, my Constant Hope. As I walk hand in hand with my Saviour, He continues to fill my soul with a peace that no one can take away from me.


The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. ~Numbers 6:24-26

Thank you to all that participated!! Please be sure to check back for a new Faith Discovery Challenge on Wednesday, September 24th! :)