Karla's Korner

Blessing Cards... A New Printable Digital Way to Share the Love!

In my last post I shared about a friend who was looking for the out-of-print
Blessing Box cards and I sadly had to turn her away empty-handed. Well...
no more. I spent a few days revamping some pages from some of your
favorite out-of-print books and created four delightful sets of
PRINTABLE BLESSING CARDS that are now available in my shop!


Each one includes four unique designs on a single page
as well as additional pages with six of each design.
With each colleciton, you are be able to print a variety 
or only the design you need with ease and convenience!


I could see the two "Garden" themed collections being
perfect as favors for a spring retreat or tea party.
All four collections include uplifting and encouraging
Bible verses or words of blessing, making them
great to tuck in lunch boxes, in with a card or letter,
or even leaving with your tip after a meal!


The "Friendship" collection is another favorite for women's groups
including Bible Studies and other church events... or to encourage the
women in your life who are going through struggles and just need to
know someone cares.


The great thing about being digital printables, including the
"Heart & Home" Collection, is that once you download them, you can print
as many times as you need and use them over and over again!

And there are so many ways you could use them... including  gift tags,
greeting cards, even printing them on full page sticker paper for your own
fun stickers... as well as for other scrapbooking and crafting fun!
You could even use them to help you or your kids memorize scripture!

You are why I do this sort of thing... hoping to help you share God's Word
in fun and inexpensive ways...
so I would truly love to hear your feedback...
including how you think you would use them yourself.

Love and blessings to you for a great weekend!

Farmer's Market and Flowers...

It's been a dreary spring so far, but the sun was peeking through last Sunday,
so I grabbed my jacket and headed off to visit our local Farmer's Market.
I went with only one thing in mind... flowers!

Despite the weather outside, flowers are a great way to bring a bit of
sunshine and beauty inside... and more importantly... they have a way of
brightening up one's heart and mental well-being!


I can't even express the joy and delight that flowers bring me...
the colors, the design, the details! The shapes, the patterns, the veins!


That's why I love close-ups.... and these are spectacular...
not the photography so much... but the Creator's glory!

This is a a peony tulip... isn't it stunning?
I'm excited to watch it unfold... all that beauty just waiting to be revealed!

And this iris... unbelievably gorgeous!

Now if I can just keep my Abby cat from pulling off the petals...
she thinks I bought these flowers just for her!

Thank you Lord for filling the earth with flowers and our hearts with joy!

And thank you my friends for being part of my life!
Blessings to you for a beautiful day in the Lord!

Walk With Me Wednesday...

I am so thankful for sunshine and warm weather... it makes for happy walking!

I loved how so many orange flowers caught my eye... it's looking a lot like fall!

This lily is so dramatic, isn't it?  Gotta love God's creativity and eye for design!


And this little guy is just so bright and cheerful.  He reminded me
of the reality that you may see yourself as smaller or less showy or dramatic
than other flowers but you can still bring a huge smile to someone's heart
by just being the flower God created you to be and blossoming for His glory!


I wanted to share that verse from yesterday but it's going to have to wait.
I gotta run or I'm going to be late for my own party!! 
I'll tell you more about that later...

xoxoxo
Karla

Walk With Me Wednesday...

I took my camera out on my walk this morning... and I thought
you might enjoy seeing a bit of the beauty that brought me joy...

I love it when I give myself time to delight in the beauty of a rose...

and this variegated variety brought the greatest joy to my heart!

The fragrance of this Stargazer Lily was almost intoxicating...


and it's so stately and majestic! Love the dotted pattern on it's petals!

I'm not sure if this is a Rose of Sharon but it's color against the brilliant
blue sky was dazzlling!

And this sweet little rose, bursting with color, grows forgotten and almost
unseen in front of an abandoned rundown house... it's beauty in stark
contrast to the harsh realities of the world around it. 

And I thought... O Lord... that's how I want to be!  Despite my circumstances
and the struggles I face, despite the loneliness and rejection I feel at times,
even in the midst of the darkness of this world... I want to blossom for You! 
I long to be that flower in the garden of life that brings a smile to someone
else's heart... and maybe even makes them wonder what it is that makes me
able to thrive in the darkness.  And then I can tell them all about You... the
Sonshine of my life and the Master Gardener of my heart!

And I pray this for you too!
xoxoxo
Karla

The Fragrance Filled the Air...

I just came back from the most fragrant walk I think I've ever taken! I love
that my new neighborhood LOVES their flowers!!
And, of course, it made me think of how the Bible says...
we are to God the fragrance of Christ!


Then as soon as I got back... I added three new prints to Etsy... this one...
Delight Yourself in the Lord... in two sizes... square and 5x7...



and this one... In the Shadow of His Wings... in a 5x7.

Hmmm... I guess that's my way of sharing the sweet aroma of Christ
with you today!  Can you smell it?

For we are to God the aroma of Christ
among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
2 Corinthians 2:15

Heavenly Father... we so long to be women who are sweet smelling
for You!  We want the knowledge of You Lord to be so sweet in us... that it
just naturally seeps through the pores of our being and out into the world! 
We want how we live and how we love to produce a holy fragrance
wheverever we go... a fragrance that will cause others to want to know
where it comes from... so we can tell them about You! 
Let Your will be done in us and through us Lord... for Your glory!

Florabelle...

 
Sometimes it's fun to just doodle for no reason.
This is Florabelle... she's a doodle.
Her flora-do just makes me smile... smiling is good.

She definitely is a belle... maybe not the belle of the ball,
but I'm sure she would be the belle of any garden party!

She made me think of the Bible verse...
"May your soul be like a well-watered garden."
Jeremiah 31:12

I think Florabelle's soul is in full bloom!

Oh Lord... we so want to be like Florabelle...
may the garden's of hearts blossom for you!

Tickled Pink...

I cannot even begin to tell you how HAPPY I was to discover that the
little tree by our front steps is a PINK flowering DOGWOOD!!

Did you know that Genesis 2:9 says, "the LORD God
made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--
trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food"?

Aren't we oh sooo THANKFUL that He cares... not only about feeding
our bodies with good food... but also about feeding our souls
with the beauty of His handiwork?   AMEN and AMEN!

Behold the Color Purple

I have so been taken with the color purple lately!

My yard is dancing with a plethora of purple flowers...

I've been creating new designs with the purple painted Morning Glory Art...



and everywhere I look purple just seems to catch my eye... just last night
I drove by a house with purple window trim and a purple door... it was
quite stunning... just sorry I didn't have my camera!!

Purple always makes me think of royalty and royalty always makes me think
of Jesus... King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  He is the King of Glory!

I recently read that purple is associated with both nobility and spirituality...
not surprising.  But what fascinated me was thinking about how purple is a
balance of a warm red which is highly stimulating and often used to signify
power... and a cool blue which is calming and signifies peace and tranquility.
What spoke to my heart was how much that's true of the nature of God...
almighty, all powerful yet able to fill us a peace beyond understanding.

Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
       who alone does marvelous deeds.

Praise be to his glorious name forever;
       may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
       Amen and Amen.

Psalm 72:18,19

I wonder if you open your eyes to see purple, where you'll spot it?
Is it the color of your flowers, your clothes, a sign or building?
Do you ever write with purple ink or dip your brush in purple paint?
Next time your eyes behold the color purple... may it remind you
of the King of glory and all the marvelous deeds He's done for you!

hugs...
Karla

Spring is Almost Here!

I was in town yesterday and noticed all the daffodils and crocus in bloom
so I just took a walk around Grace Acres to see if spring had sprung here!!
Nope... not yet... not really... but it's trying!


Two lone daffodils are blooming... none other even comes close!
It is amazing what a difference couple of miles north and the tree enclosed
location of our property can make... we're kind of in a pocket.


But this was my favorite... this is where I stopped to ponder.
Can you see it?  The sweet pink tip of miss camelia peeking out... ready to
burst open and greet sunnier days!!  I wondered how many of us are like this
little miss... we know God's doing something new... we can feel it... but
we're not quite there yet. We're still in winter but we know spring is right
around the corner. Miss Camelia won't give up... even though she may even
get nipped on a yet to come frosty night... but she knows her turn is almost
here and I can see her smiling in anticipation of sunny days.  Can you?


Simple beauty.


Here a patch... there a patch... of soon to be bountiful beauty!


Do you feel like you're stuck in winter waiting for brighter days?
Remember... winter is the season when God
renews, refreshes and strengthens us to be able to bloom come spring.
So rest in Him... draw your strength from Him...  so you'll be ready...
because spring is right around the corner and you're about to BLOOM!!

Lord bless you and keep you...
In His love and for His glory...
xoxoxo
Karla

Young in Age... Big at Heart!

We've made the decision to sell Grace Acres... our beloved home... again!

But this time we're serious... whatever it takes.
We know it's God timing, so please please pray for the sale of it...
and for the family that God has already chosen to love living here...
that they would be in the right place at the right time
to find the answer to their prayers for the perfect place to call home.

So... most of my energy has been spent cleaning up and cleaning out...
that's why I've been so quiet!
And... what a blessing it was to have the girls come over and share some
of their heart... sweat... and youthful energy with me a couple of days ago.
(Michael was still in Canada so it was great to have the company... and help!)

This was Lex's muscle man look... gotta love it!


And Jess manned the hose and cleaned the outdoor furniture for me!
They love their grandma... and their grandma loves them!

Well... gotta say...
I am SO excited about taking you along with us on this new God Adventure.
We're not sure where we're going for sure but we've been DREAMING a lot!
I will say that our dream includes a CAMPER, a truck and a map of the USA!
I just know we feel a bit like Abraham when the Lord told him to just leave
the country he was living in and head out... IN FAITH.
That would be us... so stay tuned!

We live by faith and not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7

Heavenly Father... I am so thankful to know that even though I don't know
what our future holds... I know You hold our future in the palm of Your hand.
I am so excited that You... the God of all creation... have invited us...
all of us... to be a part of Your Adventure in the land.
May we all learn to trust You more and learn to live by faith
and not by sight.... in Your love and for Your glory. Amen.

Love you guys... and thank you for your prayers!
xoxoxo

A Well-watered Garden

All this talk about gardens and gardening... I wondered...
did I ever tell you I lived... and gardened... in Alaska for four years
and three of those without running water?
We couldn't afford to drill a well so, in order to water the garden,
I would have to haul water from the community center in 55 gallon barrels
and hand water each and every plant individually.
Every day each one of those plants received my loving, undivided attention!
I knew when something was "bugging" them and could care for their needs.

What a glorious picture the Lord painted for me from that experience.
He reminded me that He, the Master Gardener, knows each of our names.
He knows what's "bugging" us... where we are wilting and weak.
He knows when our heart-soil is dry and parched and why.
And He's always there for us with watering can in hand to pour out His love
on us... and care for our every need.

I'm just like you... sometimes I get so spiritually dry I think I'm going to die.
And even worse, is that sometimes when that happens...
 I run from the Master Gardener rather than to Him! 
You probably never do that though, do you?
But when I stop long enough to just sit in His presence and let give me His
loving, undivided attention... my roots grow deeper down into
His life-giving love and I can hear Him say once again...

The Master Gardener is calling you by name today!
Have you let Him water the precious petals of your heart today?

Love you...

Bloomin' Blessings...

I don't have a lot of flowers blooming right now but what I have I share with you...

a lofty butterfly bush...


a shrub rose...


a stately hydrangea just starting to open...


some sweet alyssum and bright begonias around the base of the birdbath...


a few leftover daylilies...


and my favorite is a wildflower... Queen Anne's Lace!


What I LOVE about this flower is... see that tiny dark center...
at first I thought it was a bug but instead...


it's a tiny single deep red/purple blossom!
I always feel like such a child upon making such discoveries...
giddy with delight!
Our God is so creative... I love that about Him!

May we always have a sense of childlike wonder...
not only in marveling at God's handiwork but also in God Himself
as He reveals Himself... His nature and His will to us
through His Word, His Spirit, and through one another.
Amen.

Grace Acres in the Sunshine!

As I walked around through the gardens today, I was wishing you were all here... we could have so much fun together... I just know it!!  So the next best thing was to bring the gardens to you...

I love love love how the lavender and daisies watch guard over the garden!
We are being more water conservative with the lawns this year...
and surprisingly I don't mind it at all.


The lavender always reminds me of how the Bible tells us that to God,
we are the fragrance of Christ. Just think...our prayers wafting up to the heavens
are far more fragrant to the Lord than a whole garden full of lavender!


Beautiful and sweet!



These daisies are gorgeous but I wish I had known when I planted them
that they actually stink!!  As pretty as they are I can't pick them for bouquets!
Heartbroke.


But the bees like them... and they LOVE LOVE LOVE the lavender!


We got the candy corn planted late but it will sweet to eat come September.


Love swiss chard... pretty and tasty too!


This will be our first year for grapes... isn't this little cluster of baby grapes cute?


And we just planted three blueberry plants this year... so very few berries.
Michael and I ate these as soon as I snapped the photo... yum.. yum!

Okay... enough for today... I'll try to show you the flowers tomorrow!
Love you guys... wish you were here...
 even though there weren't enough blueberries to share we would have fun!

Lord... thank You for the beauty and bounty of a well-watered and well-tended
garden but we thank You even more for being the Master Gardener of our
hearts and that Your desire for us is to be beautiful and bountiful in the Spirit...
fragrant and flavoring this world with Your love and grace and goodnes.
Amen

 

He Turns Our Sorrows Into Joy

Do you need a little encouragement today? This is for you.

Two days ago a serious thunderstorm roared through Grace Acres with a vengeance. As we stood at the kitchen door, we could hear branches crackling as powerful winds bent and broke a few along its path. I never gave thought to my beautiful peony bush protected only by a sweet picket fence in the garden.

This was its most beautiful year ever with humongous buds full of promise and potential. Michael had staked it up for me one day when I wasn't home because the buds were so heavy, their weight pulling them toward the earth below. I thought the staking would insure the longest and most spectacular display of pink flowers this bush had ever seen.

I was busy when the buds began to open and barely noticed them from my car as I drove in and out of the driveway several times... that is, until the morning after the storm. The careful staking had not braced them against the fury of the winds and rain. They had not bowed down on their own but most were bent or broken, most touching the muddy soil with their exquisite beauty. My heart broke as I gazed with sorrow from afar.

Last night, with a slight mist of rain filling the air, I donned my rubber boots and headed for the garden on a rescue mission... to seek and save what had been lost... if at all possible. As I lifted their heads, weighted down with water and mud, I was filled with hope that not all was lost. I gathered up more than twenty stems laden with blossoms and buds and brought them into the house. After spraying the mud from their petals, my sorrow was turned to joy to discover that none were lost but instead I was able to fill two large vases with beautiful bouquets... one to love and enjoy... the other to give away.

God used this experience, as He often does, to remind me of the beauty and blessings He promises to us. Oftentimes the fury of the winds and rain of this world leave us broken and bent over with great heaviness and sorrow. Our eyes become downcast, our heads... our minds become muddied with thoughts of despair, depression, or discontentment and we lose hope as we are not able to lift ourselves up and out of the pit we're in. But there is hope... there is always hope as we call out to our Savior God. When we put our hope back in Him, as the Lover of our souls and the Master Gardener of our hearts and lives, He reaches down from heaven and gently, lovingly lifts up our heads, washes us with His Holy Spirit and Truth, and He carefully places us in a vase with other broken people... church bouquets... for our own blessing and to be given away... giving ourselves to the world who needs to see what great things God has done for us... in His love and for His glory!

Thanks for letting me share this with you... it truly ministered to my heart and I hope it has for you as well.

God says...
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

Jeremiah 31:13

Thank You Father for being the Lifter of our heads... for turning our mourning into gladness... and our sorrow into joy... the joy of knowing, loving and trusting You. And thank You for using my broken peonies to paint such a beautiful picture for us to see. Amen.

It's a Miracle!

I just had to share my lilacs with you!  It seems like a miracle to beholding this beautiful lilac arrangement because this is the first year our lilacs have bloomed even though we've had one of the bushes for six years.

Every year, even though we would spray it... sometimes too late... with a fungicide, it would bud real pretty and then before it could bloom the flowers would just turn brown and droop over and die. Every year I would come so close to tears. At first people told us they just got frosted. Others said it was too much rain... duh... we live in the Northwest!  So we've been spraying for the past four years and this is the first year any of them have bloomed and now they are ALL BLOOMING!! 

Thank You Jesus!

And thank you for letting me share my joy with you!

Catching Up!

First of all... I am laughing because I created this post last week and got side-tracked and never pushed "publish"! So it's a little dated but I wanted to share it anyway! Things have been busy!! So much to tell you but I know you only have a few minutes so in a nutshell...

1) We've decided to quit procrastinating and put our beautiful Grace Acres up for sale!  We will list it on Craig's List on Saturday. 

We do know the economy is not in our favor... but God is so we'll just see what happens.

We love this place but Grace Acres is crying out for a family with children to tend the garden and pick the fruit and play ball in the giant yard... and we are crying out for a simpler way of life with more time for people and less time tending the land. Please keep us in your prayers for this.

2) I am now selling some of my Digital Art Collections over at AimeeAsher.com. There are some other amazing artists there and the've been a pleasure to work with in getting my Kits uploaded to their store! I'm looking forward to seeing how their designers will use my art to create other products. I'll let you know when they do!

3) And I just started my very first online art class with Paulette Insall. I'm already learning new techniques and loving it!  I'm excited to see how what I learn will translate into my own style! I'll give you sneak peaks later.

4) There's more going on for sure but that's all the time to share for today! 

Love you guys...
Karla

A Fruitful Moment...

As I was picking raspberries this morning, I was admiring this cluster and began to think about the fruit that God produces in our lives.... the fruit of godly character and good deeds... and I just want to share this quick thought with you...

As I looked at this cluster and saw that there are berries at every stage of development from very not ripe to ready for the picking... I couldn't help but visualize the same thing is true of the fruit in our lives. We are constantly growing and maturing and not all that God wants to do in us and through us ripens at the same time... but if we are faithful to water, weed & feed, and wait on Him, the fruit of God's will and works in our lives will ripen in His time for His purposes.

And I thought... when I reach up there to pick a berry, the ripe ones just easily fall off the vine whereas if I tug on one and it resists, then it's telling me it's not ready to be picked... it's not as sweet as God designed it to be.  We can so easily grow impatient, beating ourselves up if we're weak in a certain area or maybe we're wanting to do a particular ministry or use a particular talent or ability and it's not just happening. Sometimes we want to produce the fruit before it's time... sometimes even trying to force it.  but if we do... it may never be as sweet or effectual as if we waited on the Lord to mature us on the vine and then use us at the perfect moment to bring a taste of His goodness to the world around us.

Oh Lord... we want to be fruitful!! If only we could see the fruit on the vine of our lives...not just the juicy ripe red ones but the tiny ones... the green ones... the ones that are just turning pink... maybe we wouldn't be so impatient with ourselves... or others... or You God. Give us eyes to see and hearts to wait on You Lord Jesus... and bear much juicy fruit for Your glory! Amen.

Dripping Wet!

Okay... first off... no laughing at my poor short corn! I told you we had a very wet spring and I finally decided better late than never. Besides, I'm counting on a late fall so I should be showing you my corn on the cob mid September or so!!  Anyway... there's a story behind me sharing this photo and it's not about the corn at all.

If you've ever read my "Down a Garden Path" book, you might remember that because we had no water on our property, I had to haul water in by the barrel and hand water each and every plant in the garden.  I built little reservoirs around each plant individually and was very careful, as I watered, not to waste a drop. I am so thankful today to have running water and so often have to remind myself not to take it for granted! Well today, as I weeding and watching the irrigation system drip... drip... dripping, I was again reminded of my Alaskan experience and was thinking about how with the irrigation system we don't water the paths, the places where fruit-bearing plants don't grow... not even the leaves of the plants. The water is focused fully and wholly on the roots.

I was reminded that God is not concerned if we are a late bloomer, if we've had struggles in our lives that have stunted our growth or caused us to appear to be at a disadvantage... He's not concerned if we're the biggest plant in the row or the shortest... He's not looking to see if we're perfect... but His focus is on us putting down roots deep into the soil of His love and truth... not wasting one drip of His precious Holy Spirit. If our roots are well-watered... saturated in His grace, than our branches will be fruitful. The more we know in our hearts how much God loves us and how much He sacrificed for us, the more His love will flow in us and through us... we truly will be like trees planted by rivers of water... bearing fruit in all seasons. (Ps.1)

Are you dripping wet today?  Oops... I think I need to go get under the faucet!

Father God, thank You that You are our irrigation system and Your water never ceases. Draw us near to Yourself... to spend time with You... meditating on Your promises... saturating ourselves in Your Word... and Your promise is that You will draw near to us. Work in the soil of our hearts that our roots will grow deep and our lives will be fruitful for You. We pray in Jesus precious Name... amen.

A Sweet Smelling Fragrance!

 

I am so thankful God is allowing us another year here at Grace Acres! (I'll tell you more about that later!) A couple of years ago I planted a border around my veggie garden of buttery yellow daisies and this lovely english lavender and this year they are so beautiful and full it just makes my heart sing to still be here enjoying them!!  Oh for the grace of God!  I was able to harvest this container full and you can't even tell it by looking at the plants... so I may just have to go back tomorrow and snip a little more. I know you're supposed to hang lavender to dry but for now it is just too pretty overflowing this containter... which just happens to be a silverware and napkin holder put to good use!

The bold fragrance of lavender always reminds me of how we are a sweet smelling fragrance to the Lord as we allow Him to work in us and through us. As pleasing as the smell of lavender is to me, I can only imagine how pleasing our lives must be to God as we pour out the love of Christ to those around us. I don't know about you but I can so easily get caught up in my own world, that I can forget all about the needs of others.

"For we are to God the fragrance of Christ..."
2 Corinthians 2:15

O Lord, fill me up with the fragrance of your grace and goodness today... so much so... that it is diffused through my life and brings a sweet smell of You to others. Amen and amen.

Hmmmm... I was just thinking... I haven't painted lavender before... and it does have a great message to tie to it... I think I may just pick up a brush and capture it's beauty and design as well as it's fragrance!

Summer Has Arrived and Babies are Coming

We went from a chilly wet spring to a blistery hot summer almost overnight... from highs in the 60's to over 100 yesterday depending on where you were! So now the challenge is not to complain about having too much sunshine and heat!!

A PEEK into MY BACKYARD

I spent the cooler morning hours yesterday working outside and thought you might enjoy a peek at some of the God's beauty that's growing out my back door.

This is a newly created bed of necessity... that concrete circle under the bird bath is the lid to to our septic which we had to work around when we poured the new patio last fall. I finally got around to planting it and must say the birds like it already!

I love our little rock wall... great for contrast in texture and moss... and I love moss... in the right places! The daisies are wild but I have to leave a few in the beds every year just for fun.

Love this rose... the deer won't eat and it's gorgeous!

These daylilies are just so stately.

A THOUGHT TO PONDER

Does this photo not just shout... "Be still and know that I am God"? It does to me... I can hear God calling out... "stop your work and come sit with Me... be quiet and rest... delight not only in the beauty of my creation but delight in my love for you. Know that I am God... your God... sovereign over all creation... and sovereign over your life. You can trust Me... rest in Me... let stillness find its place in your heart and thoughts. I am the One who holds all your tomorrows in the palm of my hand... I am "

SNEAK PREVIEW

 Just wanted to let you know I've also been working on my next clip art kit... "Baby Blessings" using some of the art from my book "HeavenSent Baby". Here's a sneak peak...

I'm already thinking of all the possibilities, not only for scrapbooking, but for baby showers and gift-giving... you should be seeing the "Baby Blessings" Collection a little later this week!

Dear Lord,
You are an awesome God... full of mercy and grace.  Remind us to take time today to simply be still and think about just how great You are. Remind us too, that no matter what our circumstances are or what we hear in the news, You are God and You are sovereign and we are Yours. Help us to rest in You. Amen.

Snapshots of God's Glory

Everywhere we look we can see the beauty of the glory of the Lord... and today I took walk around Grace Acres just to delight in the beauty of the Lord in my own backyard and wanted to share these snapshots with you.

I enjoy the beauty of flowers so much I could spend hours just delighting in their colors and patterns and shapes. And I love how the veins weave themselves through the petals and the leaves leading the eye in and around and through the delicate details of God's creation. Above is the pink camelia, the white trillium, and a hyacinth. Below is grape hyacinths, daffodils and the flowering currant... which the hummingbirds love.

I wonder what flowers you have growing in your backyard or nearby? Have you taken the time to stop and delight in their beauty? Have you counted the petals? Followed the veins? Looked for repeat patterns? It only takes a minute or two and I promise you won't regret it. You might even want to do it with your kids. The Bible tells us that everything was created by God and for God... but aren't we glad He chose to share His pleasure with us? I know I am!

Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children.
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us;
yes, establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:17

Oh beautiful and creative God... when we look at the beauty of Your handiwork, how can we imagine You as anything but Beautiful? And as beautiful as your creation is here, we know that the beauty of this earth is only a shadow of the beauty we will behold when we see You face to face. And Lord, as you reveal Your glory to us through the work of Your hands, may Your beauty be upon us so that the work of our hands and heart may be a reflection of You and Your love in this world. Amen.

Snowy Days

The snow has melted away already but I still wanted to share with you a savored moment of blissful beauty! This is the view from my studio window... a view I won't have much longer so I am savoring these kind of moments with mixed emotions. The quiet calm of this landscape is what I seek for my heart daily as we continue to prepare for our move... for the day when this view will be only a memory that I will forever cherish. The truth is that even though we look forward to whatever God has for us in the days ahead... there is still a piece of our hearts that will always reside here at Grace Acres.

I love this little plant. I don't remember what it's called but I bought it for it's a winter beauty and it is that for sure with its red fringed leaves and delicate bright berries. The snow added a touch of whimsy that was truly a delight to the eye and a smile to my face for having chosen well.

As I walked around outside clicking snow covered snapshots of time to hide in my heart... I could not help but think of that moment in time recorded in the snapshot of eternity when Christ died on the cross so that our sins could be washed whiter than snow. As my singing filled the crisp cold air of the morning I not only delighted in living somewhere where no one could hear me sing aloud outside... but more importantly I was reminded of what matters the most in life and so I sang... and we can sing together...

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh Lord... let me not get so caught up in the things of this world... that I lose sight of Yours. May Your Kingdom come on earth... and in my heart... as it is in heaven. Amen.

Without a doubt, God has woven a longing for beauty into the very fiber of our beings... and I wanted to thank Vanessa in Haiti for her comment on yesterday's post. She shared that in John & Stasi Edredge's book "Captivating"... in the chapter "Beauty to Unveil", they write... "Beauty is powerful.  Beauty may be the most powerful thing on earth.  Beauty speaks.  Beauty invites.  Beauty nourishes.  Beauty comforts.  Beauty inspires.  Beauty is transcendent.  Beauty draws us to God....The soul's inclination to love beauty is the trap God most frequently uses in order to win it....Women want to impact their world for good...one of the key ways we influence our world is in making it a more beautiful place to live."

The question then is... how can I make my world a more beautiful place today?   I'm not sure what the book suggests but I believe the choices are many. But true beauty... the beauty that we as godlly women want to influence our world with... always begins with a love for God and a love for others. We can make our world more beautiful through the words we speak, the hugs we give, and the smiles we generously share. We can make the world a more beautiful place by cultivating a merry heart... learning to laugh out loud... and inviting others to laugh with us!  We can bring beauty into this world through our kind deeds... generous giving... caring deeply... and helping the needy (just like Vanessa).

I do THANK GOD for the beauty of this begonia that hangs on my front porch and all the flowers He's given us to enjoy. I thank God for the beauty of my home and my belongings. I thank God for these outward expressions of what is pleasing to the eye. But even more... I thank Him for the beauty He has created in my heart and the hearts of all who love Him.

However it's good to remember... that when God seeks beauty in this world... He's not looking to see who has the finest china or designer clothes... He won't be checking to see if our houses are decorated or if there are weeds growing in the garden.  He won't be looking at the earthly objects of beauty... even though He's given us all things to enjoy.  But He'll be looking for a much more glorious beauty... He''ll be looking at our hearts!

Father God,
Thank you for surrounding us with beauty... and for creating us in Your image with the ability and longing to create beauty in the world we live in. Thank you for the ways you've given us to express beauty in our homes and in this world through art and crafts and cooking and gardening and sewing and so many other avenues. May we see these talents and abilities as opportunities to express your extravagant love and beauty Lord.  May we be women who create beauty not to impress... but to bless. And would you stir our hearts to influence our worlds through beautiful living and creative loving... on purpose and with a purpose... being Your heart and hands and voice wherever we are!

I am having a great time this spring capturing the beauty of many of the flowers here at Grace Acres. This is a CAMELIA that grows out by our chicken coop that will soon become my garden shed... the chickens flew the coop last summer! I took the photo off center... knowing I wanted to add words to it and gladness truly did my fill my heart as I considered the beauty of God's handiwork in the color and pattern and design of this incredible flower.

As much as I love being creative, nothing compares to the beauty and creativity of our God! Just as our handiwork... whether it's painting, crafting, sewing or any other creative endeavor... is an expression of who we are... so it is with God. When you are caught up in the beauty of God's handiwork... whether you're taking in a panoramic view of a sunset or in awe of the delicate veins of a single flower petal... you are being blessed by an expression of God's own nature... evidence of His love and His glory.

I love the verse in Genesis ch. 2 where it says "the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground - trees that were PLEASING TO THE EYE and good for food." I had read this many times before I "pleasing to the eye" jumped off the page and my eyes were opened to see a new facet of God's character within this short sentence. The Lord designed us to not only need food for our bodies but to need nourishment for our souls through the windows of our eyes! And He loves us so much that He surrounded us with beauty from the very beginning. Understanding this just made me love Him even more!

God does care about what we see. We were created with the capacity to delight in beauty... isn't that incredible? Sometimes, however, we can become so caught up in our troubles that our eyes become downcast and all we see is the ugliness of this world and the weight of our worries. We forget to look up and see the incredible beauty God has created just for us. We allow our worries to rob us of the joy of delighting in God's glorious handiwork.

Today... no matter where you are... God's creation is not far from you... even as close as your own backyard... or maybe even the potted plant in your windowsill... or a short walk to the park. Take a few moments to stop and enjoy this incredible gift God has given you and GIVE THANKS... not only for the beauty of God's creation but also for the capacity to delight in beauty and even moreso... for the amazing God who created it all!

Heavenly Father,
I thank You today for the beauty that abounds in your creation... and for the amazing way you designed me to enjoy it and even be nourished by it. Help me to not take this gift for granted but to look up... to delight in what Your hands have made and give you praise and the glory due Your name!  

I arrived home late Sunday. When I arose Monday morning... I was greeted by those delightful daffodils I've been waiting for that began to bloom while I was gone! It reminded me of how God answers prayers at times... just when you're not looking!

But what was even more delightful was all the wildflowers... the beautiful blessings God planted for us to enjoy. The most delightful is the TRILLIUM... the three petaled white flower on the tall stem with the yellow center that hides itself in the woods at the edge of our lawn waiting for you to come find it in all its glory!

And another favorite are the drifts of grape hyacinths which are brightening up the outlying grassy areas behind the house. Grape hyacinths are usually a cultivated flower here but... thanks to some friendly birds... we are being blessed by their beauty!

Thank You Lord for the beauty of Your creation! Help me to slow down long enough to look for and take joy in the fresh and fun colors of spring, the patterns of the petals and the variety of design even in the leaves. Open my eyes to see the glory of Your handiwork in both the natural and the cultivated for You are the God of all that has life.

Springtime is here... just barely! Right down the road, less than a mile, the daffodils are bursting with color... but here... on Grace Acres we're still waiting for their official announcement that spring has arrived. The pink heather is the only thing blooming right now but since the plants are only one year old they're only showy up close. I'm not complaining though... because the air has warmed enough to lure me outside to begin tidying things up... preparing for what's yet to come... and I'm loving it!

I've never been a big potted plants person as I tend to forget to water them which can be a detrimental problem. But I love seeing flowers outside my studio window so up went the hanging planters of primroses and pansies... and directly under them are two planters of pansies, primroses, daisies and chives. Chives you wonder? Easy answer... left over from last year's pot planting! I love my little bunny who is keeping a watchful eye on things.

As I wait for the daffodils to bloom, it makes me think of how we are called, at times, to wait upon the Lord... praying about someone we love or a personal need we have... anticipating His answer... and then one day we notice... right down the road less than a mile away... other people's prayers are being answered and we start to wonder if our prayers ever will be... if God's even heard our prayers... if He cares. Sometimes we are lured by the enemy to quit praying... to quit seeking... to quit believing. God wants you to know that He is as faithful to us as daffodils are to spring and His answer is on the way. Keep believing... keep anticipating... never give up on God. I prayed for 18 years, after becoming a believer, for my husband to come to know Christ... and I'm so thankful God gave me the faith and endurance to wait... for today Michael is blooming for the Lord... and the testimony of God's faithfulness in the waiting fills the air with the fragrance of hope. Can you smell it? Breathe deeply and believe.

Dear Lord,
I rest today knowing that You have heard my prayers and that you care about every aspect of my life and those I love... you love even more. I am comforted in knowing that Your ways are so much higher than my ways and because You know the beginning and the end... Your timing is undeniably perfect. Guard my heart from unbelief and fill me with hope to sustain me as I wait on You.

PS... I want to give a huge "Thank You" to my friend Audrey for her inspiration in creating this photo collage... it was fun. She has some beautiful photo collages on her own blog as well as Easter digital downloads you may want to check out.

The Power of Beauty

Without a doubt, God has woven a longing for beauty into the very fiber of our beings... and I wanted to thank Vanessa in Haiti for her comment on yesterday's post. She shared that in John & Stasi Edredge's book "Captivating"... in the chapter "Beauty to Unveil", they write... "Beauty is powerful.  Beauty may be the most powerful thing on earth.  Beauty speaks.  Beauty invites.  Beauty nourishes.  Beauty comforts.  Beauty inspires.  Beauty is transcendent.  Beauty draws us to God....The soul's inclination to love beauty is the trap God most frequently uses in order to win it....Women want to impact their world for good...one of the key ways we influence our world is in making it a more beautiful place to live."

The question then is... how can I make my world a more beautiful place today?   I'm not sure what the book suggests but I believe the choices are many. But true beauty... the beauty that we as godlly women want to influence our world with... always begins with a love for God and a love for others. We can make our world more beautiful through the words we speak, the hugs we give, and the smiles we generously share. We can make the world a more beautiful place by cultivating a merry heart... learning to laugh out loud... and inviting others to laugh with us!  We can bring beauty into this world through our kind deeds... generous giving... caring deeply... and helping the needy (just like Vanessa).

I do THANK GOD for the beauty of this begonia that hangs on my front porch and all the flowers He's given us to enjoy. I thank God for the beauty of my home and my belongings. I thank God for these outward expressions of what is pleasing to the eye. But even more... I thank Him for the beauty He has created in my heart and the hearts of all who love Him.

However it's good to remember... that when God seeks beauty in this world... He's not looking to see who has the finest china or designer clothes... He won't be checking to see if our houses are decorated or if there are weeds growing in the garden.  He won't be looking at the earthly objects of beauty... even though He's given us all things to enjoy.  But He'll be looking for a much more glorious beauty... He''ll be looking at our hearts!

Father God,
Thank you for surrounding us with beauty... and for creating us in Your image with the ability and longing to create beauty in the world we live in. Thank you for the ways you've given us to express beauty in our homes and in this world through art and crafts and cooking and gardening and sewing and so many other avenues. May we see these talents and abilities as opportunities to express your extravagant love and beauty Lord.  May we be women who create beauty not to impress... but to bless. And would you stir our hearts to influence our worlds through beautiful living and creative loving... on purpose and with a purpose... being Your heart and hands and voice wherever we are!

The Beauty of the Lord

I am having a great time this spring capturing the beauty of many of the flowers here at Grace Acres. This is a CAMELIA that grows out by our chicken coop that will soon become my garden shed... the chickens flew the coop last summer! I took the photo off center... knowing I wanted to add words to it and gladness truly did my fill my heart as I considered the beauty of God's handiwork in the color and pattern and design of this incredible flower.

As much as I love being creative, nothing compares to the beauty and creativity of our God! Just as our handiwork... whether it's painting, crafting, sewing or any other creative endeavor... is an expression of who we are... so it is with God. When you are caught up in the beauty of God's handiwork... whether you're taking in a panoramic view of a sunset or in awe of the delicate veins of a single flower petal... you are being blessed by an expression of God's own nature... evidence of His love and His glory.

I love the verse in Genesis ch. 2 where it says "the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground - trees that were PLEASING TO THE EYE and good for food." I had read this many times before I "pleasing to the eye" jumped off the page and my eyes were opened to see a new facet of God's character within this short sentence. The Lord designed us to not only need food for our bodies but to need nourishment for our souls through the windows of our eyes! And He loves us so much that He surrounded us with beauty from the very beginning. Understanding this just made me love Him even more!

God does care about what we see. We were created with the capacity to delight in beauty... isn't that incredible? Sometimes, however, we can become so caught up in our troubles that our eyes become downcast and all we see is the ugliness of this world and the weight of our worries. We forget to look up and see the incredible beauty God has created just for us. We allow our worries to rob us of the joy of delighting in God's glorious handiwork.

Today... no matter where you are... God's creation is not far from you... even as close as your own backyard... or maybe even the potted plant in your windowsill... or a short walk to the park. Take a few moments to stop and enjoy this incredible gift God has given you and GIVE THANKS... not only for the beauty of God's creation but also for the capacity to delight in beauty and even moreso... for the amazing God who created it all!

Heavenly Father,
I thank You today for the beauty that abounds in your creation... and for the amazing way you designed me to enjoy it and even be nourished by it. Help me to not take this gift for granted but to look up... to delight in what Your hands have made and give you praise and the glory due Your name!  

While I Was Gone

I arrived home late Sunday. When I arose Monday morning... I was greeted by those delightful daffodils I've been waiting for that began to bloom while I was gone! It reminded me of how God answers prayers at times... just when you're not looking!

But what was even more delightful was all the wildflowers... the beautiful blessings God planted for us to enjoy. The most delightful is the TRILLIUM... the three petaled white flower on the tall stem with the yellow center that hides itself in the woods at the edge of our lawn waiting for you to come find it in all its glory!

And another favorite are the drifts of grape hyacinths which are brightening up the outlying grassy areas behind the house. Grape hyacinths are usually a cultivated flower here but... thanks to some friendly birds... we are being blessed by their beauty!

Thank You Lord for the beauty of Your creation! Help me to slow down long enough to look for and take joy in the fresh and fun colors of spring, the patterns of the petals and the variety of design even in the leaves. Open my eyes to see the glory of Your handiwork in both the natural and the cultivated for You are the God of all that has life.

Primroses and Pansies

Springtime is here... just barely! Right down the road, less than a mile, the daffodils are bursting with color... but here... on Grace Acres we're still waiting for their official announcement that spring has arrived. The pink heather is the only thing blooming right now but since the plants are only one year old they're only showy up close. I'm not complaining though... because the air has warmed enough to lure me outside to begin tidying things up... preparing for what's yet to come... and I'm loving it!

I've never been a big potted plants person as I tend to forget to water them which can be a detrimental problem. But I love seeing flowers outside my studio window so up went the hanging planters of primroses and pansies... and directly under them are two planters of pansies, primroses, daisies and chives. Chives you wonder? Easy answer... left over from last year's pot planting! I love my little bunny who is keeping a watchful eye on things.

As I wait for the daffodils to bloom, it makes me think of how we are called, at times, to wait upon the Lord... praying about someone we love or a personal need we have... anticipating His answer... and then one day we notice... right down the road less than a mile away... other people's prayers are being answered and we start to wonder if our prayers ever will be... if God's even heard our prayers... if He cares. Sometimes we are lured by the enemy to quit praying... to quit seeking... to quit believing. God wants you to know that He is as faithful to us as daffodils are to spring and His answer is on the way. Keep believing... keep anticipating... never give up on God. I prayed for 18 years, after becoming a believer, for my husband to come to know Christ... and I'm so thankful God gave me the faith and endurance to wait... for today Michael is blooming for the Lord... and the testimony of God's faithfulness in the waiting fills the air with the fragrance of hope. Can you smell it? Breathe deeply and believe.

Dear Lord,
I rest today knowing that You have heard my prayers and that you care about every aspect of my life and those I love... you love even more. I am comforted in knowing that Your ways are so much higher than my ways and because You know the beginning and the end... Your timing is undeniably perfect. Guard my heart from unbelief and fill me with hope to sustain me as I wait on You.

PS... I want to give a huge "Thank You" to my friend Audrey for her inspiration in creating this photo collage... it was fun. She has some beautiful photo collages on her own blog as well as Easter digital downloads you may want to check out.