Karla's Korner

Join Me for 30 Days of Thanksgiving!

I tried to get a post done yesterday for Thanksgiving Thursday
but I was busy making teenage mutant ninja turtle costumes
for my granddaughter and her friend! Thankful for the time with them!

You know... I love Thanksgiving Thursday but we all know that
giving thanks is not reserved for one special day of the week.

And even though we have assigned it one special day of the year
and called it a holiday, the truth is everyday can be a holiday...
a time of celebrating and being thankful for who God is
and who He is to us, for us, in us, and through us!

So to kick off the holiday season, I have decided to blog
30 Days of Thanksgiving... one post of gratitude...
every day of November. Would you like to join me?

It can be A LITTLE like... "Today I am thankful for love!"
included in a comment on my daily post.. or on your own blog post.
or you can write A LOT... it's up to you.
If you can't do 30 consecutive posts... no worries... one day at a time!

I just thought it would be fun... and bring a smile to God's face...
for His girls to join hearts for 30 days to give Him praise!!

SO...if you'd like to participate here's two ways to do it:
If you're a blogger:
1) Post one thing you're thankful for every day of November.
2) Link back to my blog
3) Leave me a comment with the link to your blog
and I'll link back to you in a special Give Thanks post!!
**See Day 2... Holding Hands for all who are Giving Thanks together!
(You can pull the 30 Days banner above to use in your blog if you like!)

If you're not a blogger:
simply leave a comment with what you're thankful
for at the bottom of my post every day!
(You can even use my post as a prompt for your comment!)

Dear Lord... thank You for all You are and all You have done for me
and for my precious Sisters in Christ... the list is endless.
Father... forgive us for taking so much of our lives for granted.
I pray you will be honored and glorified
through our thanksgiving... and that it will continue long after
the holiday season is over! In Christ... Amen.

I look forward to being THANKFUL together!!
xoxoxo
Karla

58 Things...

As a birthday gift to myself (Oct.10th)...
inspired by my daughter's "36 Things Before I'm 37" list
I decided to write my own...

I hope to do before I turn 59!

I am a dreamer and a list-writer by nature so making the list was easy.
Doing everything on it... well... may take me more than a year.

1. sell our home aka Grace Acres

2. buy a truck camper and head out on a God Adventure roadtrip

3. buy a small house for a home base

4. walk the Girlfriends Half-marathon Wow... 13.1 miles... 10/18/09!!

5. read Max Lucado's new book Fearless and finish it!

6. read at least one fiction book Finished SisterChicks on the Loose... 10/19/09!

7. write and illustrate the next new book!

8. plan Michael's 60th Birthday Party!

9. create a "Bless This Home" Painting finished 10/13/09!

10. go on a garden tour

11. sew something wearable

12. take an online photography workshop

13. visit Lauri and Margo in Texas

14. visit Audrey in CA

15. go see a local play

16. ride the train to Leavenworth

17. get a passport

18. finish designing my wooden toy collection

19. make a memorable craft with Lex and Jess

20. host a girl's night out

21. photograph a sunset... and a sunrise

22. eat something new and unusual

23. pick a bouquet of wildflowers and give to a stranger

24. giveaway my time for a worthy cause

25. go hiking

26. make some soldered charms with my art

27. surprise someone with an unexpected birthday party

28. gift someone with a a foot massage and pedicure

29. have a family portrait taken

30. have postcards printed to send while on the road

31. sign up for an art workshop (hands on or online)

32. carve pumpkins with the girls

33. go see a movie with a girlfriend

34. bake a cobbler... apple? peach? berry? or all three?

35. send anonymous gifts to 6 people

36. place one or two of my books in 6 nursing homes

37. take the girls to the Grotto for Christmas

38. Sleep in a tent with the girls

39. make a baby gift for Melissa's and Amy's babies

40. use my art for a charity fundraiser or two or three

41. meet and eat with at least 6 blog friends on our roadtrip

42. decorate the new camper Karla style

43. photojournal our roadtrip on my blog and flikr

44. submit new art collection for licensing

45. create more mixed media sculptures (like Esther)

46. offer monthly giveaways on my blog

47. participate in a swap of some kind

48. participate in a progressive dinner

49. learn how to do transfers

50. try one new recipe every month

51. go kayaking with Gwen

52. make 6 B.A.G.S to give to the homeless

53. try screen printing

54. rent a convertible and drive to the coast

55. do sparkpeople for one month

56. create more "savor this moment" snippets

57. create a "savor this moment" video or two

58. give myself grace to not have to finish this list

Here are some other LISTS that might inspire you... and if you have a list leave a comment to let me know and I'll list you here too.

Michelle... 37 Things

Meg... 35 Things

October... A Celebration of Birthdays!

You see, my birthday is next Saturday, the10th, my hubby's is the 14th,
and poor sweet Michelle, our only child... well... hers is the 16th.
I like that they are all in the same week because I'll never forget them...
but it's hard celebrating three different people in 7 days and...
making each one feel as special as they deserve.
Instead they can tend to blur together.

But not so this year... we started early and we started with mine!
Michelle... bless her heart... treated me to an awesomely wonderful day
of artsy inspiration and celebration Saturday which began with a couple
of local vintage sales including Randall Woods and  Uncovered Ruby ...


I loved seeing this chandelier hanging gracefullly in a greenhouse!

This sign was so appropriate as the day was a mix of sunshine and rain
but dancing we did... at least at heart!

Obviously we saw lots of treasures waiting for new homes!

We then headed to Portland to the Local 14 Art Show & Sale which featured
84 women artists with an amazing variety of mediums and styles.
It was fantastic with a few of my favorites being...


Mary Ennis-Davis...

  Lisa Kattenbraker...

and Carrie Tasman.

After this visual feast of inspiration, Michelle knew just the spot
to feed our hungry bodies...

Por que No? It was seriously yummy!

From there we were off to the Art and Soul Vendor's Show where eye candy
was abundant with offerings from many of the workshop teachers
including one of our favorite local artists...

Lisa Kaus... Michelle and I took a workshop from Lisa for my last birthday!

We finished off our day of celebration with a dish of YoCream Frozen Yogurt
topped with chocolate chip sprinkles.


And what a treat it was that on the way to Art and Soul God treated us
with a bit of visual beauty of His own... this brilliant rainbow...
a sign that He was right there celebrating with us!

I AM BLESSED... and THANKFUL for it!

Bless you all...
xoxoxo
Karla

A Sweet Saturday...

So what made my day so special? 

1. Time with those I love... of course! 

2. Watching the Ladybug's sensational first soccer game of the season!

3. Getting to see Jess (my youngest granddaughter) head butt the ball...
 for the first time... and grin from ear to ear for doing it! (PRICELESS!!)

4. Going flea market junking with my daughter Michelle...
  and talking for hours afterward! (Again... PRICELESS!!) 

  

And to top off the day...
  5. A quiet dinner alone with my hubby...
 not unusual but no less sweet... and no less PRICELESS!

........................................................................................

Here's some pics from the Vintage Gathering and the Barn House Sale.
The staging itself was incredible... especially at the Barn House Sale
 even though they were almost sold out by the time we got there!

The Vintage Gathering...
 Michelle really wanted that red canister... but left it there

Love the hen and chicks... but left it there

I always wanted to make a "tool sculpture" similar to this one...
but it won't be long before I won't have a building to put one on anyway!

Okay... these apples are from the Barn House... is that just too cool or what!

Notice the sink they used for the jewelry display... how fun!

Next time we'll have to go earlier when there's even more to see...
we missed out on so much... but most likely saved some $$$...whew

So does this make you want to take your sink outside and fill it with gourds?

 
 Without a doubt... it was a very sweet day... a taste of heaven...
 hanging out with the ones you love!

Lord God, help us to savor the moments You give us with those we love.
Help us not take those special times for granted but to embrace them
and enjoy them as glorious gifts from Your hand to our hearts. Amen.

Love is in the Air...

Today I am reflecting back on last Sunday...

and how thankful I am to be mom to Michelle
and grandma to Lex and Jess... I am blessed!


And I am so thankful to have Cindy as, not only my sister-in-law, but also a friend...
and thankful that she and my niece, Monica, decided to join us
for a wonderful day of craftiness at Michelle's to celebrate Mom's Day!

I am also thankful for the creativity God has given Lex and Jess...
and that they are just so much fun to hang out with!
Check out the shoes Lex is painting!  They were light blue!
And Jess painted that picture as her Mother's Day gift to her mom! Sweet!

Sorry I can't show you the dolls that Michelle and I made...
mine is still not finished
 and hers is a gift for someone so it needs to be a suprise for now!



Most of all, I am thankful that God has poured out His love into our hearts
and given us a love for one another that is so much more than I could have
ever hoped for.  Thank You Lord.

He's Alive!

May your heart and mind be renewed with a sense of hope and peace
this Easter, knowing that our Savior lives!
And because He lives we truly can face tomorrow with hope,
trusting the One who holds our futures in His nail scarred hands.

He gave His life so that we could have a new and abundant life...
a life filled with the joy and blessing of knowing, loving and trusting Jesus
with every moment of every day. May it be so in your life and mine.

Rejoicing with you... in His love and for His glory!
Karla

Easter Blessings Coloring Page

I know Easter is still a month away, but I wanted you to have this now as you begin to prepare for the coming celebration... enjoy! Just click on the image for a full size printable version.

She is one of the color bunny series I'm working on for a digital download collection... stayed tuned to see her in color!

Prepare our hearts now Lord to celebrate Your resurrection
in Spirit and in Truth... amen.

Easter Preview...

I have been working on some Easter bunnies who carry more than a basket of eggs... they carry the proclamation that Jesus overcame hell and death and He is alive! And because He lives we can, not only face tomorrow, but we can face it with hope! Hallelujah!

This sweet bunny is one of a series I'm working on and plan to introduce as a digital download collection sometime next week... just in time to print and send cards or dress up your Easter celebration. I hope she makes you smile with the joy of the Lord!

Heavenly Father... prepare our hearts to truly contemplate Your sacrifice and celebrate Your victory over sin and death! Be glorified in us and through us Lord. Amen.

A Belated Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for!  My list is truly never ending.
And even though I wasn't able to post closer to Thanksgiving, I still thought of you
and thank God for you and the blessing you bring me
through your visits and comments!

I am also thankful that, even though it took much dedication of time,
I was able to send off the first 20 mocked up pages for the new book
just yesterday, most affectionately titled (at least for now) GIVE THANKS!

I am thankful for my family and the joy they bring to me!

I am thankful that I have a God whose mercies are new every morning...
who forgives my sin, loves me, and continues to be my friend
through the good times and the bad.

I am thankful for the new art style that He has opened up to me
and am excited to see how He will use it for His glory in the coming days.

I am thankful for His Word that brings me hope and encouragement...
teaches me, leads me, guides me, feeds me...
nourishes my soul and lifts me up into heavenly places...

I could go on and on... I told you the list is endless... but I gotta go for now.
Love you all!!  Be blessed...
Karla

Pure As Snow 2 Just Added to the Blogstore!

More snow people to add to your holiday cheer! 
I included three full art images in this newest CLIP ART KIT that you can simply print,
cut and paste to create quick, easy and perfect Christmas cards
to share your joy and your faith this Christmas season!
To learn more of what is included in this PURE AS SNOW 2 Clip Art Collection
just visit Karla's Korner Shoppe!


  These art was originally created for my book, The Heart & Home of Christmas.
It's not only a "pretty" book but it will also help you keep your focus
and encourage your faith during the holiday season ahead.

Take a Day Break and Prepare Your Heart for the Holidays!

If you live in the Vancouver/Portland area,
I want to invite you to take a break... come, bring a friend and join me this
Saturday, October 25th
from 1 pm to 3 pm for a time of encouragement and blessing!
I'll be speaking about cultivating a thankful heart and how giving thanks
prepares and guards our hearts during the upcoming holiday season.
A Season of Thanksgiving

is a message that will help you stay focused on the real meaning of the season
which is right around the corner!

The admission is FREE...
LIGHT REFRESHMENTS will be served...
so come and share the afternoon with a friend from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at:

Parkside Church
1420 NE 3rd Avenue   •   Camas, WA

Mention this invitation and you'll receive an extra 10% off
any book and/or product you buy!

Creativity Galore at Lisa Kaus Workshop!

My sweet daughter Michelle gifted me a Lisa Kaus Workshop for my birthday this year... that's Lisa in the center... a truly talented artist! You could feel the creativity in the air the moment you walked into her fun filled studio... it was amazingly inspiring... a delight to the eye everywhere you looked! She not only shared her talents with us but her home and a wonderful lunch on the patio. I was so blessed to be able to spend the day with Michelle in this creative atmosphere and to add another layer of learning to my repertoire of new skills!

There were nine of us altogether and each one's house was so unique... that's what makes art so much fun! Here are 3 of the other gals who were there including Lani (below on the left) who Michelle had met recently at the newly formed Art Journaling Group she's started going to.

I thought for the fun of it you might like to see the details of my house and I know Michelle is going to post the details from her house soon so you'll want to go see hers too! 

I decided my house would be a memorial of the day so every time I look at I'll remember not only that it was a birthday gift but more importantly it will make me think of the giver of the gift and the great day we had together!



My House!

My Birthday is 10/10 so I played on those numbers with this flash card
and stamped my age... I've had 57 yearly new beginnings in my life and God's not done with me yet!

One of the children in this photo is my precious mom-in-law who went home to be with the Lord several years ago and the man watching over the flock is Mike's grandfather. We wouldn't have this photo if Michelle hadn't sent for a family album from one of Mike's aunts... thank you Michelle! And notice the circular stamps?  Michelle hand carved this stamp herself!  Fun!  And even the roses are special because Alexis and I found these and a box of other goodies at a yard sale just the day before!

Here again... my BD... BirthDay... is 10/10... marked by these BINGO markers! Isn't that fun? Michelle gifted me the "doorknob" from her stash of ephemera and the key was amongst the yard sale treasures Alexis, Jess and I snatched up Saturday.

All in all... it was a GRAND BIRTHDAY GIFT I will treasure in my heart forever!
THANK YOU MICHELLE!!

Every good and perfect gift is from above.
James 1:17

Lord God, I cannot thank You enough for the gift of creativity but even moreso for the gift of my daughter. And just like I will always cherish the gift of this workshop but the giver of it even more... I pray that I will always cherish You, the Giver of All Gifts more than the incredible gifts you shower down on my life. May it be so for all of us. Amen.

Pure As Snow...

 

No snow on the ground yet but instead of being out in the garden harvesting corn and beans, I've been busy in my studio listening to Christmas music and creating my newest Clip Art Collection... Pure As Snow!  I just posted it for sale over at Karla's Korner Shoppe! I think you'll love it!

I love snowmen and snow people!  And I love that in the Bible snow symbolizes purity and holiness which is what inspired the poem: Pure as snow from heaven above, born a babe God's gift of love". Snow also brings a peace and calm to the earth and to our hearts... so combine that with a snowman strung with lights and you have "All is calm... all is bright!"  These images are perfect for Christmas Crafts and Greeting Cards as well as for your Personal Scrapbook Pages.  And for more ideas on how to celebrate Christmas with a focus on Christ please check out my book, The Heart & Home of Christmas.

Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow.
Isaiah 1:18

Heavenly Father... Thank You for sending Jesus to wash away our sins and make us white as snow in Your eyes! Lord, as the holiday season approaches and the world and the worries of life attempt to dull our sensitivity to You and to Your holiness and purity, I pray You would stir our hearts and open our eyes to see You above all of it... above the cares of everyday life and above the commercialism of the season.  Guard our hearts, use the symbolism of the season to help us see You and show us creative ways to be like a snowman wrapped up in lights... showing the world that as we trust in You... all is calm and all is bright!  Love You Lord! Blessed be Your Name. Amen.

Ready To Party!!

It has been so much fun designing this collection of printable crafts and party favors, not only because I just love creating, but because the 4th of July is my youngest granddaughter's birthday!  So I created this collection with her birthday party in mind and I KNOW she's going to love it! And I hope you do too! 

If you're planning a 4th of July party, picnic or bbq at your house and want to add a touch of fun in an economical way, you can find the "Set Free" Party Collection and Quick Pages over at Karla's Korner Shoppe!

A FREEBIE FOR YOU...

The stars that are crowning the cupcakes are double sided and glued onto toothpicks... isn't that fun! Those little stars and the ones on the skewers in the quart can are my 4th of July FREEBIE gift to you... hope you can use them in some way for your own celebration!

A CRAFTY IDEA...

And I thought I would share with you that I used one of the Quik Page Layouts to create the "plaque" on the easel in the center of the photo above. The text box is blank so you can insert any phrase or message you like, so I put in "Happy Birthday Jessica!", added her photo and decoupaged the printed 8"x8" Quik Page to a deep edge artists' canvas I picked up at our local Craft Warehouse. After it was dry, I sanded down the edges and lightly added some distressing ink to the edges and sides of the canvas. I haven't put a finish on it yet but will most likely either use either modpodge or a matte acrylic spray. I like the modpodge because you can give it a brush stroke texture so we'll see. I think she'll like it.

A THOUGHT TO PONDER...

I have continued to ponder our freedom in Christ and what that means to me personally. I cannot express the depth of gratitude I have to God for the things He has already set me free from... addictions, anger, attitudes... unbelief, unforgiveness, ungratefulness... and set me free to... live, love and laugh... hope, healing, and heaven! We have been set free from the bondage of sin and death and set free to live a life of loving God and others through Christ.

"...to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners..."
Isaiah 61:2

Heavenly Father,
Praise You Lord for sending Jesus to not only proclaim freedom but to truly release us from the darkness of our sins and ourselves. I thank You for all the ways, big and small, in which you have set me free and rejoice to know You're not done with me yet and that You will not give up on me until I am with You in heaven. May I never take my freedom for granted... either here on earth or in the Spirit... and I pray You remind me when I do. Amen.

Thinking Ahead to the 4th of July!

This is a miracle you know... for me to think ahead this early for the 4th of July...

...but I really was trying to think ahead and wanted to share this color book page with you so you'd have it in plenty of time for the holiday.  Download and print it as many times as you need to for your own kids, grandkids, the kids who are coming to your house for BBQ on the 4th, or for your classroom or Sunday School.  If you know of anyone who might benefit from this, please pass it on or link to this post on your blog.

The real inspiration for the color book page came from one of the Clip Art Collections that I'm introducing on Monday in my new BlogStore... it was created with the 4th of July in mind. I love the visuals of the stars and stripes and am so thankful to live in our great nation. Even with all its impurities and imperfections... I can think of no other place I'd rather live... unless of course, God sent me!! LOL!

Thirty Seven Years!

Michael and I celebrated 37 years of marriage today
and as much as we love each other, we still give God all the glory!    

This month I want to focus on the glory of the Lord and I can't think of a better beginning than to celebrate and share the story of how God saved our marriage. I hope you are encouraged.

Michael and I were just kids when we married. I was 19, Michael 20. His mother, with compassion and a whole lot of wisdom, was concerned we were marrying for all the wrong reasons and she was right. Two years into our marriage, we were on seriously shaking sand and I wanted out. Without Christ, there is no hope and I was hopeless. But I can still remember crying out to a God I didn't know and asking Him, begging Him, to save our marriage because the last thing I wanted was for Michelle to grow up without a dad like I did. After months of crying myself to sleep, I finally gave up on this God who either wasn't real, wasn't listening or didn't care and I began to make plans to divorce.

While I was busy making my plans, Michael was driving a semi truck cross country with his dad. He called one night from Denver and, even though my words kept my secret, my voice betrayed me. One hour later, he called again to tell me he was flying in to Portland. When I met him there, he quickly said, "before you say anything, I have something I have to tell you." And with that, he began to tell me that the whole time he had been gone, he couldn't quit thinking about me and how I had been right and he had been wrong and he wanted to change and make our marriage to work.

Now I would like to say there was instant healing and our marriage was restored overnight, but I can't. It took months of learning to trust him all over again... and months of him putting up with a wife who was numb and sometimes even cruel. But what I can tell you is that it was worth it. And what is even more glorious is that God, the God I didn't know at the time, had heard every prayer and had seen every tear and stepped in at the darkest hour and saved our marriage.

It was still another 8 years before I met Jesus face to face and gave my life to Him but when I did, I knew without a doubt that He was the One who had saved our marriage early on and He would save it over and over again as I waited another 18 years for Michael to give His life to Christ and He has continued to save our marriage until today! God truly does get all the glory!!

Marriage is not easy and we have certainly had our ups and downs during the last 37 years but I am so glad we're still together and even more glad that we still love and enjoy each others company. In fact, tonight we went out to dinner to celebrate and I seriously choked on a bite of food. I've never been able to not breathe before and it was one of the scariest moments I've ever had in my life... gasping for air and not being able to breathe. But as I looked across the table at my precious husband, I knew he would know what to do and he did. As I sat there shaking afterward, I was even more thankful to be alive and to have the husband I have.  And again, God gets all the glory!!

No matter where you're at in life or what you're going through... keep praying, keep hoping, keep believing, and keep giving God the glory for the great things He has done, is doing and will continue to do as you put your hope in Him. And if you know a woman who might be encouraged by this God story, please take a moment to email her a link to this page.

Father God, may we never lose hope in You... especially in the darkest hours. And may we always be quick to give You the glory due Your Name for the great things You have done in us, for us, and through us. And may we never take our lives for granted Lord, for we never know what moment of our lives might be the last. Bless Your Holy Name... Amen.

A Great Way to Start the New Year!

Celebrating my sister Margie's 60th birthday with a surprise visit was a fantastic way to start the New Year! I flew in the night before and stayed with Matt and Melissa... her son and daughter-in-love... who made the trip possible. The party was planned for New Year's Eve at her house so we arrived early to help with the finishing preparations only I stayed behind in the car for a few extra minutes while Matt and Melissa went in to prepare my way. After about five minutes, I walked around the block in 18 degree freezing cold windy weather so I could ring the doorbell to surprise her. Well, her surprise... that would be me... almost froze because right before I got to the door she went in to change her clothes!!  As I waited for the signal to ring the bell, I was thanking God for my husband who convinced me to take my long wool coat instead of just a jacket!!  Even though she was surprised and blessed to see me, she did confess she had an inkling I might come since she had come out here to surprise me for my 50th!

Another highlight of my visit and Margie's birthday, was spending an afternoon visiting with our oldest sister Ruth (in the back with Margie) and our two cousins from Hannibal... Linda (center) who is the same age as Ruth, and Maribeth (right) who is my age. We told stories and shared memories, laughter and tears as we reminsced about our childhoods and the times we spent at each others houses two weeks every summer. It was a roller coaster of emotion but an afternoon I will cherish forever!

The greatest blessing was knowing Margie's son, Matt, and his wife, Melissa, love my sister so much that they made all the arrangements and gave up their own mileage to fly me back there.  They are the best! Thank you to both of you! Melissa and I laughed hysterically as we played the video game Frogger... and I just want her to know she will not be the Frogger Queen forever... her sweet aunt be back!

And now I am back home... ready to walk into the New Year with faith and confidence and joyful expectation to see what God... who is able to do so much more than we can ask or imagine... has in store for us in the days ahead!

In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.  Psalm 5:3

O Lord, I praise You and thank You for hearing the cries of my heart... for being a God who is not far off but so close I can lay my requests at your feet and trust You with them... stir up a sense of joyful expectation in my heart every morning to look to and for You and for the evidences of Your love all around me. And may my life bring you greater blessing and glory this year than ever before. Amen.

Lots of Catching Up to Do!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Like many of you... I got caught up in the blessing and busyness of the season and that's my only excuse for being out of touch for soooo long... but a good excuse I'm sure you'd agree!  The last few weeks have been full of family and friend gatherings, decorating and now undecorating, finishing up end of the year speaking and business stuff and dreaming, planning and preparing for the new year to come!

Here are some photos from the past few weeks... welcome to my world!

For those of you who have heard my tinsel story... this is my sweet hubby helping me decorate by placing the star on top of our beautiful tree!

This is the first time in many years that I did not place the fun and family ornaments on the tree. I had a desire for simple so only used red and white with a touch of silver. I love the candlestick lights and the berries add a touch of fun and elegance.

I couldn't stand not having any family ornaments out though... so I decorated a small tree and had it on the island in the kitchen... it was the perfect place for it as everyone who hovered around the food throughout the season also enjoyed looking at some very old and very handmade family ornaments!

After just a little bit... I began to miss my snowpeople so I took inspiration from my daughter Michelle and attached all my wonderful snowpeople to a wreath and I LOVE it!!  It is so festive and fun!

 This year I hosted an ornament party to celebrate the women God has blessed my life with. As expected this time of year, not all of them could come... but for those who came...we had a blast. We played a game "Name That Christmas Carol" and I surprised them by having them stand up every few songs according to the stars on their name tags and sing the carol whose name we just guessed. They were awesome!!

We are so grateful that we live so close to Michelle and Gary and the girls and even more blessed that they invite us over early every Christmas morning to be a part of their family Christmas. It is so much fun to watch the girls open their gifts and love on one another! Lex bought this doll for Jess and it was the only doll she got... she was thrilled with it!

Then it was back to our house for the family gathering. This is Mike's sister Cindy with the girls and one of the beautiful quilts she made... one for each of the girls! She is amazing! She and her husband Kerry and their daughter Monica were here along with his other sister Debbie, below, with her friend Lyle. They drove down from Hood River about 80 miles... we were so glad to have them!

I leave early tomorrow morning to fly back to Illinois to celebrate my sister Margie's 60th birthday. I'll try to fit in a few minutes to blog and keep in touch while I'm there... we can only wait and see!

Thank you to all of you who continued to check back while I was away... you bless my heart. I believe God has great things in store for us all in the coming year ahead. I look forward to sharing some of where He's taking me as we journey into 2008 together!

Heavenly Father,
The photos show the celebration of the blessings you've given me here on earth but they don't show the celebration of my heart for the greatest blessing of all... and that would be Jesus! Thank You for the opportunities you give us during this season and all year long to proclaim your Name and the reality that You did come to earth and walked among us so we could know You... and that You died on the cross so we could have relationship with You... and You rose from the dead so we could be born again and live with You into eternity! Thank You God for the Gift of Jesus!

Announcing November's Contest Winner... and Catching Up on the Week!

I can hardly believe it's already December 14!  I have had a phenomenal season so far... very full but very blessed. The highlights of this week (and why I haven't been able to post again) included speaking for the Hinson Baptist MOPS in Portland on Tuesday and then for the Laurelwood Baptist MOPS in Vancouver just yesterday. Both groups were awesome... and we were mutually encouraged... encouraged to keep Jesus as the center of all their Christmas activities. And we all need that reminder, don't we?

Sandwiched between these two events was Wednesday and I had so much fun spending the day with my twelve year old granddaughter Alexis!  She is going to an all night Christmas Costume Party at church and we worked together to make a gingerbread man costume for her to wear. We had such a great time together and, even though I didn't have a clue what I was doing, the costume actually turned out quite cute.

Today I'm off to help my daughter with a project she's working on but I told her I have to be done with her by 3:00 because my younger granddaughter, who is seven, called me last night and asked me if I could pick her up from school and take her Christmas shopping. Now how can I pass that up? So I'm meeting her at the flag pole at 3:15 and we're going to go have a fun time together!

So now... the moment we've all been waiting for... including myself... the winners of last months contest is... by a random draw... Jen Jahromi from North of Baltimore!  Congratulations!!  Yippee!!  Yeah!  I love contests and love picking winners!!  Jen, you are the winner!  I decided to have two winners for this contest since it's too late to do a new contest for December so the second winner of last months contest is... Kasie and I'm not sure where she lives but what is fascinating is that both of these gals are artists! Take a minute to go check them out... they both love God and love glorifying Him with their art!  Please email me with your addresses and I will send you each a Thanksgiving/Christmas Package on Monday filled with goodies from my heart and home to yours!

Well... gotta run... full day ahead!  But as you and I are busy with Christmas and the business of everyday life... I simply pray...

Heavenly Father... may the words of our lips and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing... and glorifying... to You!  Fill our mouths with praises to You... and with words of blessing to all those who cross our paths... our families, friends and even the strangers we encounter on the roads and in the stores as we go about our Christmas business!  Praise you Jesus!

Emmanuel Baptist and Freedom... A Privilege and Honor

I'm back... and so thankful for all God did in the hearts and lives of the wonderful women of Emmanuel Baptist Church! Jesus tells us that when we hear and receive and believe the truth... the truth will set us free and I know, without a doubt, that there are women walking around in Idaho this morning in greater freedom in Christ than they were last week! Thank you to all the women there who showed me such hospitality and opened your hearts to me in very honest and vulnerable ways.  I'm sorry to say the photos I took did not turn out well so I have none to post here.

I wrote this yesterday and got sidetracked and never pushed the publish button... so a day late but the same heart...
This morning as I continue to contemplate all that I have to be thankful for, the recognition of this Veteran's Day reminds me of all the earthly freedoms we have and I thank my God...

    1. ...for veterans and every soldier... past and present... who have served and sacrificed to protect the freedom of this country... we thank you and God bless you!

    2. ...for the blessing of living in this country where freedom is a privilege... and so often take for granted... especially the freedom of religion... the freedom to worship Jesus and gather together in His Name.

    3. ...for the freedom of choice... to choose our president and other governing officials, to choose where I live and the kind of work I do, to choose how many children I want to have, to choose when and where I want to go, and so much more.

    4. ...for the freedom of speech... being able to share my faith in Christ openly at retreats, blog it on the internet, or have a conversation at Starbucks without fear.

    5. ...for the freedom from sin and death that Christ died to give us... a freedom far greater and more glorious than all our earthly freedoms put together.

 

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:38

Thank You Father for all the freedoms that are ours in Christ and on this earth. Stir our hearts to remember more often the freedoms we take so for granted and those who fight for our freedoms... both here on earth and those who fight the fight of faith. Amen.

November Contest... I AM THANKFUL FOR... !

I don't know about you... but as soon as I turn the corner and walk into November, thanksgiving fills my heart and thoughts. And not just the looking forward to the family gathering and fabulous food... even though I do... but I become more aware of all that I have to be thankful for. We have no less to be grateful throughout the rest of the year, but somehow an attitude of gratitude can easily get lost in the midst of the mundane challenges of everyday life, can't it? So... with the holidays ahead ... thanksgiving makes it way to the top of the list... where it takes its rightful place.

There are so many verses in the Bible that instruct, exhort and encourage us to give thanks and I have many favorites among them. I want to spend some time throughout the rest of this month, exploring some of those verses and I look forward to sharing my thoughts and discoveries with you along the way. One of the simplest and yet most powerful is "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus" found in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. I've been designing a new line of products and one of them is a plaque with that verse on it.

This wonderful plaque is also one of the items that will be in the GOODY GIVEAWAY BAG for the NOVEMBER CONTEST... how appropriate!  There will be a few other goodies in this months giveaway as well, but I decided to have some fun and tell you about them one at a time!

So here's HOW TO ENTER for this month...
    Comment on this post and tell me five things you're thankful for... (I know you have way more to be thankful for then you have time to write down... so five will be fine) and you can do it in three ways...
        1. Simply list the five things you're thankful for... this is the quickest for sure.
        2. List the five things and tell us why on one or all. It's good to give God the glory for the great things He has done.
        3. OR... you can list your five things on your blog... leave a comment to let me know when you do and I'll include a special link to your blog from mine under a separate post.

Gratitude can be contagious... by sharing your thanksgiving you might just inspire an attitude of gratitude in someone else who may just need a touch of encouragement today.

I will list five of my own a little later... but gotta run for now.  Love you all... and I AM THANKFUL FOR YOU!

Lord, thank you so much for loving us and giving us SO MUCH to be thankful for. Unite our hearts together this month in declaring your praises that all our thanksgiving might bring great glory and honor to You! Amen and amen!

I'm back!

As many of you know from my website and newsletter, I chose to take some much needed time away this summer and it was good. But it is also good to be back! During that time I closed down my webstore (which I will open again soon), did not send out any newsletters (which I will begin again next month), did not update my website (which I just did... yeah!), and did not blog until now. It does feel good to be back... I've missed spending time with you... but it was also good for me to be away and take some time to rest and refocus.

One of the most restful highlights of the summer included a road trip with my husband, Mike. We drove down the Oregon coast, across Napa Valley to Yosemite, and spent a few days with our dear friends

Audrey and Steve Roberts and their daughter Jacque.

After that we were off to the Grand Canyon, up to Big Sky Montana where our car started acting up and prompted us to postpone our trip to Yellowstone and head home a couple of days early... which ended up being absolutely perfect.

Another restful time was the week we spent camping at Alder Bay Resort on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We have wonderful friends we see there every year who have become like family.

This is our "Alder Bay Family" portrait for 2007. (minus Susan and I)
The highlight of my trip there is always the whale watching and, again this year, I was not disappointed!

I also enjoyed some fun times with family and friends...
including my annual carnival time at BG Harvest Days with my granddaughters.

And I delighted in being able to spend quite a bit of time reading and just relaxing with no agenda. Okay, that part is not totally true because most of what I read was purposely chosen to gain wisdom and insight in preparing three entirely new retreat messages on Redeeming the Time which I will be sharing in just three weeks to a wonderful group of women from Calvary Chapel El Centro in So. California.

And that is how I've ended my time away... refocusing on the Lord and on what He has in store for me and for all those who love Him and trust Him as we redeem our time in the days ahead! I look forward to sharing some of that wisdom with you here in the coming days. Until then... "whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" Colossians 3:17

Because He Lives

I wanted to give you all a special Easter gift just for visiting and encouraging me to keep blogging! And I wanted to create something Easter that would lift up our Lord and help us focus on the true meaning for our Easter celebration. I am so grateful for the life God has given me through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and delight in every opportunity... great and small... to share His love and lift up His Name in my own little world!

To help do that I designed these two eggs and formatted them in a png format which is new for me. If you enjoy digital scrapbooking, you already know that this format enables you to layer them in your pages. But if you don't digital scrapbook, you can still print them, cut them out and use them however you'd like. You can click here and a new window should open with the art.... go to file and "save as" to your desktop.

One thing I did... was to print three copies of the same egg on photo paper... fold them all in half... and then taped the halves together so they are three dimensional. I don't have time to draw it out right now... so I hope that makes sense. Before I taped the last two halves together I glued a ribbon down the center so I could hang it. I'll try to take a photo in the next couple of days to show you.

If you'd like to visit my website, I just added an Easter "basket" download as well as one that has a design that you could either use for egg stands or as napkin holders!  I pray they will be a blessing to some of you! Please tell your friends who might like to have an Easter project to do with their kids... one that will remind them of the true meaning of why we gather together and celebrate!

My friend Audrey has a fun "Chinese Take Out" Easter Basket Box she's offering on her blog... if you decide to download it from her... please tell her I sent you!

Dear Lord,
As we walk through this coming week... will you prepare our hearts to truly celebrate all You've done for us... not only on Good Friday and Easter Sunday... but all year long... day by day... moment by moment... giving You the glory You alone deserve.

Jesus is Alive

I wanted to share a sneak preview of the free digital download I'll be offering with April's Newsletter coming your way in just a few days. This is the front of a very cute Easter Bag... perfect for treats or collecting a few eggs along the way... and there is a coordinating ring... perfect to hold those colorful eggs or to use as a napkin ring. Also I've designed a special egg to remind you of the reason we celebrate this very special holiday!  Just wanted to give you something to look forward to!

If you haven't signed up yet you still have time... just enter your email in the space at the top of my website.

Blessings and hugs... Karla

A Valentine's Day to Remember

Well, today is the day to celebrate love!  Oops... I thought we were to celebrate love every day. Okay... I could write an entire essay on this subject but no time for that today... I am celebrating!  In fact, our home group will start showing up in less than an hour and because they are willing to give up their Valentine's Day evening to be with us, I wanted to do something special for them... a surprise something. We usually do have dinner together, but tonight I dressed things up just a little.  You can see I've used my little bags with a bit of candy in them as place cards for the women and each couple will be able to plant a pretty primrose to commemorate this evening of celebration... a celebration of the love of God for us and the love He has given us for each other. 

LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU!
John 13:34

In order not to spoil this mornings surprise... I had to wait until today to share with you a photo from Monday evening when Alexis and Jessica came over for several hours and created this wonderful giant Valentine for their parents!  We had so much fun together.  Alexis "snuck" it into the house that night and then she actually set her alarm for 4:30 this morning in order to set it up to surprise her folks when they woke up!  What a sweetheart... they both are... now isn't that what Valentine's Day is about... being sweet hearts! And there's just another reason to purpose in your heart to spend time with the special people in your life... a memory made... a legacy of love left.

Whether you're married or not... or have a boyfriend or not... I still hope it has been a good day for you... because if you belong to Christ, you are His sweetheart... precious to Him... His lovely Valentine bride.

Oh... Michael just came home and brought me a wonderful planter filled with primroses, daffodils and hyacinth... spring has sprung in my house tonight... and love is in the air!