The Road to Lifestyle

Well, this one is easy for me!  I think coffee (and coffee breath) are unbearable!   I created a new set of ACEOs in honor of the Great Coffee/Tea Debate !   Which side are YOU on?! Check out my Etsy Shop for more Coffee/Tea Bears... or are they Tea/Coffee Bears?! OH MY!! "Coffee is unbearable... I prefer tea!"

This sketch is for my nephew Auggie!  It is his first Halloween!

"Every single thing you do matters. You have been created as one of a kind. You have been created in order to make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world."  - Andy Andrews

"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." - Psalms 23:6

"The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?  The Lord is with me; he is my helper.  I will look in triumph on my enemies." - Psalm 118: 6-7

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” ― C.S. Lewis , Mere Christianity

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." - 1 Chronicles 16:34

Greetings all!   I have been creating again!  I am also taking a course hosted by one of my favorite artists! Her name is Danita! Check out her work on Etsy:    http://www.etsy.com/shop/DanitaArt Also, Danita is going to be a teacher in a year-long online class called Life Book 2013.  You can check out more info by clicking on the link below! http://tinyurl.com/lifebookdanita Make it a great weekend everyone!

"I do not associate with people who blame the world for their problems. You’re your problem, Annie. You’re also your solution.”     - Megan from the movie Bridesmaids

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." - Ephesians 4:19-20

"...neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:39

Hey Laura,         Thanks for chatting the other day. As some amazing revelations have come my way I clearly 'see' the reason each of us were created, to indeed passionately serve others!  It has been an amazing personal journey as I can testify to, how, where ever we are, who ever our circle of contacts are, if we strive to put those people first before our selves, and we constantly do what ever our task  is with fervor and zeal as if serving the Lord, before long we indeed 'discover' that God equips, enables and anoints our every action. We truly do become His Image! So many people are searching for meaning in their lives, but yet they fail to connect with that meaning and purpose. It is really so simple, when we give, and I mean completely, in every situation and with all our resources, we soon discover that those resources grow in unimaginable ways. It starts with love, if we love our fellow man, God soon floods our lives with His limitless abundance.

"Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 2:2

"A man finds joy in giving an apt reply -- and how good is a timely word!" - Proverbs 15:23

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." - Mark 11:24

Here are some of my favorite parent posts from the past several weeks: Noah: daddy, check out the blood and scab on my knee!! Hey daddy, where does the scab go when it gets better? Me: it just falls off somewhere. Noah: but where? Me: I don't know man, no one knows Noah: well...I'm just going to keep my eye on it forever.... -- Difference between girls and boys: Jaclyn (age 8) what is your favorite word? LOVE. Joshua (at age 8) what is your favorite word? BOMB. --   On the way home from school: Me: Austin, who did you play with at school today? Austin: My four girls. Me: Four girls?? Do you play with any boys in your class? Austin: No, only girls. Me: Why do you only play with girls? Austin: Because they're beautiful.  -- Annie went out in the kitchen and said to her daddy, "daddy I'm starving.....my tummy is full of hungry!!!!" -- My daughter is hilarious, she says to me "dad,

A fellow Academy grad from the class of 2002 died recently.  I know his face, but I did not know him. I think about having seen him in the past and to now know the date of his death.  He came and he went.  His life was so finite.  He was 32... I am 33. I watched a movie last night called Big Fish .  In it, Edward Bloom looks into the all-seeing eye of the town witch and sees the day of his death.  Knowing how he is to die affects the choices he makes in life and the perspective he has.  "This isn't how I go," he would say time and time again and he would charge forth into another daring adventure.  I feel like I have a lot to give this world... through my art, my writing, and by leading people.  I've said to my husband many a time, if God takes me I will tell him I'm not done yet and ask his permission to continue on this earth a little bit longer.  My perspective may change as I get older.  But as of now, it's time to get busy living... 

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." - Psalm 51:12

I have been feeling a little lost lately... a friend is going to send me a Bible verse to read everyday. Yesterday's was: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."  - Philippians 4:13 Today's is: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  - Jeremiah 29:11 Make it a great day everyone!

"At first people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can be done, then they see it can be done--then it is done and all the world wonders why it was not done centuries ago."  - Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden