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

Wonderful Woman of Influence

I almost didn't go. I had come home from church, changed clothes and snuggled up for a cozy restful afternoon. Then the reminder popped up from my computer calendar: Woman of Influence Meeting 1:00! Groan. Moan. Whine. Whimper. I didn't want to uncozy myself and travel all the way back into town.

Have you ever really not wanted to do something or go somewhere but you finally gave in to the nudgings (or sometimes downright shoving) of the Holy Spirit and then so glad you did? Well, that was me yesterday. So glad.

I don't think I heard anything I hadn't heard before about women influencing women. I know I'm a woman of influence. I know you are too. It's not a question of "if" but "what kind" and "how much." Sometimes we can simply forget just how much of a difference we can make in another woman's life when we're intentional about it... and how many opportunities to show God's love slip through the cracks because we're not. I can forget. I can get lazy. Side-tracked. Self focused. Fearful. I needed that reminder.

I want to be a better lover... lover of God and lover of souls. I want to love other women more than I'm afraid of them. I want to love them... love you... like God loves you... allowing His love to move in me and through me. Only His love can empower us to be Mighty Women of Influence. Sometimes we just need a reminder to say...

Here I am Lord, send me.
Isaiah 6:8

Heavenly Father... thank You for loving me and filling my heart with so much love that there's plenty to give away.  Show me who it is in my life who is lonely or hurting or needy for You.  Fill me, send me, use me...  so that the women in my life would see You through me. For Your glory... amen.

The Winners are...

Thank you all for your great suggestions! It was so fun to see your choices!
It was still hard to narrow it down to just 3 so I went by the number of votes
per image and still ended up choosing 4 instead of 3!

So here are the winning art prints that will be added to my Etsy shop soon:

 
Autumn Give Thanks 7.5x7.5

Autumn Tea 8x10

Cupcakes 8x10

Core Values 6x8

And the WINNER of the FREE ART PRINT is...

Deborah of debsberrys


Deborah... please choose one art print from the above four winners...
email me with your choice and your mailing address and
your winner print will be on its way to you in just a few days!

Thank you all SOOOOO much for participating and for your sweet comments. 
Please know that I read, appreciate, and SAVOR each one.
You make my heart smile!

xoxoxo
Karla

I DID IT... 13.1 Miles!!

I can hardly believe I did it... but I did! I walked the Girlfriends Half-Marathon
last Saturday and lived to talk about it!! 4 hours 4 minutes!

These were some of the girls from my church that partipated.
I'm the oldie but goodie in the center and I walked with my granddaughter
Alexis to my right (3rd from left in photo) and my sis-in-law/love Cindy
who is 2nd from the left in the photo. The other girls were all runners!

I know I would not and could not have finished without the love
and encouragement of Alexis, Cindy and my darling daughter
who, sad to say, could not run that day because she was sick.

What did I learn?
1. This old body is capable of doing more than I thought it could!
(I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Psalm 139:14)

2. We need each other... to be cheerleaders for one another!
(Encourage one another daily Hebrews 3:13)

3. It would have been much less painful if I had trained for it!
(The fruit of the Spirit is self-discipline Galatians 5:22)

4. It feels good to run for a cause bigger than yourself!
(Look not only to your own interests , but also to the interests of others Phil 2;4)
Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

Thank You Lord for giving me the strength and endurance to walk this race! There are more parallels between running/walking a race and our walk with You than I have time to talk about today but the greatest thing You showed me from the Half-Marathon was how much we need Girlfriends... how much we need each other to cheer us on in our faith in You and our faith in who You created us to be. It made me think of all the women in the world who have quit running the race with You because they lacked cheerleaders. Lord Jesus, teach us to be better encouragers... to think not only about ourselves but about those who need a good word today! Fill us with Your overflowing love. Amen.

PS... Extra bonus... I got to check it off my 58 Things List... sweet!

So Many Choices... For a Fun Giveaway!

I need your help!!
I want to add several more art prints to my Etsy Shop
over the next few weeks
but I have so many to choose from!

I just added this one yesterday titled "The Journey".

I love this print because life is an adventure...
and when you're on the journey with God all roads point to a future of hope,
peace and joy in Him no matter what our circumstances are today!

So will you help me choose which art prints to add to Etsy next?
If you own any of my books and see an image that you would like to see
hanging on your wall or maybe one you'd like to give as a gift...
now is the time to tell me and WIN a print for yourself.

Just take a moment to leave a comment either here on this blogpost
or on Facebook and let me know your choice...
you can comment as many times as you like but only
ONE CHOICE PER COMMENT PLEASE.

Next Friday, I'll choose 3 prints from the comments to add to the store
AND ONE HAPPY WINNER to receive a FREE PRINT!!

I'll be looking forward to seeing your choices!
Lord bless you!

xoxoxo
Karla

God Bless This Home...

A house is a physical building, walls that shelter, protect and sometimes
even divide. But a HOME is the invisible structure within...
warm & radiant love that embraces each member of the family
and reaches out to draw in friends, family and even strangers.
(from Love In Every Room)

My newest painting "Bless This Home" celebrates that love with a blessing!

Notice the blank banner above the door?
It's waiting for me to personalize it for you...
hand-lettered with your family name!

Or just think what a great housewarming or wedding gift this would be!

That was my inspiration... because I'm always looking for that
special one-of-a-kind gift to give as a blessing... and now I have one!

You can check it out in my new Etsy store if you like!!

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make His face shine upon us.
Psalm 67:1

Heavenly Father, we do ask Your grace and blessing on our homes today...
that You would fill every room of our hearts and homes with Your love
and peace and joy so much so that those who enter in would sense
the sweetness of Your presence here... for Your glory Jesus. Amen

What I'm Reading...

Just had to tell you that I'm off to a good start on my "58 Things" List...
I've already begun on #6 with this little gem...

Have you read any of Robin's books?
I know this amazing woman personally and LOVE her
and so far... I LOVE this book!!
I know... it's been around for a LONG time... but this way I don't have
to wait for the next one in the series to come out... it's waiting for me!!
And just in case you haven't read it,
I've put a link on my sidebar so you can enjoy it with me.


Oh yes... I was gifted Max's book by my publisher so it will be next.

We all have fears so I'm sure I'll be encouraged by Max's insights
and scriptural exhortations.


And I've been savoring moments of inspiration in Blogging for Bliss.

This book is delightfully inspiring and just plain pretty!

So... have you read the SisterChicks series?
Do you think you'll read Fearless?
Have you been inspired by Blogging for Bliss?

I am so thankful that God has given us the ability to read
and learn and grow! And I love that He has given us each other
to learn from and be inspired by!

Above all may we always be learning more about and
growing in our love for Christ and for each other!
Be blessed my freinds...
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 moved out August 23

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

3. buy a small house for a home base bought a fixer... not so small

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! painted botanicals for 100 Favorite Bible Verses but didn't write it

8. plan Michael's 60th Birthday Party! was a great party! 10/14/10

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 but I didn't finish it!

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 March 29... now I can ANYWHERE!!

18. finish designing my wooden toy collection didn't like them after all

19. make a memorable craft with Lex and Jess her snowman painting

20. host a girl's night out Craft Night with my small group making snowman ornaments!

21. photograph a sunset... and a sunrise Baltimore Mar 7th

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 Options 360

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)
DJ Pettit's Photoshop Online Workshop Jan 2010

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 Christmas Eve!

38. Sleep in a tent with the girls

39. make a baby gift for Melissa's (personalized print) 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 snowmman collection in Feb

45. create more mixed media sculptures (like Esther) Michelle's Snowman

46. offer monthly giveaways on my blog

47. participate in a swap of some kind Christmas Ornament Swap 2009

48. participate in a progressive dinner

49. learn how to do transfers

50. try one new recipe every month
        Dec - enchiladas

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 I LOVE grace!

 

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

And the Cubby & Closets Winner is...

Thank you to all my sweet & wonderful friends who left  such kind
and encouraging comments for this contest! I wish you could have ALL won!

But... since that's not possible, let's do what the Bible says...
and rejoice with those who rejoice... and that would be...

Mary (m.frommel)

for winning the first Cubbies and Closets Giveaway!!

Congratulations Mary!!! Yippee!!
Just email me with your mailing info and your gifts will be on the way!

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

Changing Seasons Coloring Page

I've been working on my next newsletter and thinking about
how change is inevitable in our lives and all around us...
but God never changes and for this we are ever so thankful!!
So... to celebrate the changing of the seasons and autumn's
triumphant arrival, I drew this cute "To everything there is a season"
Coloring Page as a gift to you.

You can download it here for your own kids or grandkids...
use it for your Sunday School class or tell a friend about it!
You could post a link to this post on your blog to help share the Word.
My church makes copies of my coloring pages for their waiting room.
Who or where might God want you to share this color page?

I might even color it myself and share with you in the next day or two!

Above all... remember...
"To everything there is a season"
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Lord God, help us remember that our lives are as seasonal as the leaves
on the trees and, whatever season we're in right now, it's only
temporary. So if we're in a good season, remind us to celebrate it...
if we're in a hard season, remind us that it too will pass.
But whatever season... help us to live it well to Your glory.
Amen.

xoxoxo
Karla