Karla's Korner

How Time Flies...

...and I've missed you!!  I kept thinking about you and how I wanted to
share all the fun stuff that was keeping me so busy...
but in all the busyness, there was no time to share! 
I guess that's just how life is sometimes!

I've been working on the house... cleaning out a few more cupboards...
keeping it show-ready and steadily getting ready for the day it sells.

I've also been working on some licensing opportunities that came knocking
on my door... and even though I can't share with who or what for...
these are a some of the designs and patterns I've been working on...


 

I love creating patterns... so I'm hoping that there's a company out
there who will want to take my art and turn it into products you
might want or need in the days to come!  Did you know though, that even
if a design is chosen by a company today, it will usually be a year or more
before you would see it in the stores?  Talk about planning ahead! Whew!

The other big thing that took priority in my life was preparing to be
the speaker for the Granite Falls Community Bible Church Women's Tea
just last weekend. We had such a glorious time... God showed up...
and we were all blessed beyond measure!



This is me with their leadership team... from left to right...
Michel, Debbie, Genevieve, me, Joy, Sue, Cindy (hiding), and Becky.

I shared with them about "Blooming Where We're Planted" which is a message
we all need to be reminded of on occasion... including myself.  Every woman
received this magnet to remind her of how God spoke to her there...


Granite Falls is north of Seattle so Michael and I took the camper up and hung
out for the entire weekend... we were shown so much wonderful hospitality
we're not sure who was more blessed by our being there!

So though it doesn't seem like much... this was my life for the last couple of
weeks... but I'm back!!  Yeah!!

Baltimore Sunrise... #21 of 58 Things!

When I wrote #21... photograph a sunrise...
on my "58 Things" I want to do before I turn 59 list...
I imagined myself walking or camping in a beautiful outdoor setting...
not standing inside a crowded Baltimore airport!  But I'm not complaining...
I love how the window created this ethereal effect!







It was a beautiful blessing to end a wonderful weekend!
I had the privilege to be the guest speaker for an incredible group of women.
It was evident that God was there...
and I know lives were touched and hearts were changed in His Presence...
and some of the women went home different then when they arrived!


Thank You Lord for Your Word and Your love that transforms lives!
And thank You for all the wonderful women who showed me such love
and kindness while I was there... bless them Lord!! 
And bless all my blog readers who prayed for me and this event...
their love and prayers helped pave the way for You to move in my heart
and the hearts of the women there. Let them know they're loved..
by You and me too. Amen!

Creative Days... New Website

 I can't even begin to tell you how many creative days I've spent
at my computer lately... redesigning my website!  Sweet!
I'm so excited for you to see it... especially the speaking page!! 
I do hope you'll go visit there and then
leave me a comment to let me know what you think!
(In fact, if there's anything you'd like to see there, that's not... let me know!)


It's not quite finished...
I still have to add the downloadables to the Kreative Korner
but they will be so much easier to access than before.
There are a couple of other things yet to be done as well but for now...
 I love it... and I hope you love it too!

And would you consider doing me a huge favor?
I truly do LOVE encouraging women in the Lord through my speaking so...
if after watching the videos... you think I might be a good fit for your church's
next women's event, would you consider calling or emailing the women's ministry
director or pastor at your church and giving her the link to my new website?
Wouldn't it be awesome if I could come meet you in person and give you a hug!!
God knows the plans He has for me
and it just might be coming to a church near you!

"I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full."
2 John 12

Heavenly Father... thank You so much for the gift of creativity You've given to us Your children. I'm especially thankful today Lord for the ability and creativity to design my own website and pray You will use it to bless countless women and bring You endless glory!  I pray for all the women who are reading this and ask You to increase their creativity and bless the work of their hands in the same way Lord... together may we bring great blessing to others and great glory to Your Name Jesus. Amen.

Don't forget... I REALLY would love to know what you think about the website.

Creative Day #8... and a Mother's Day Goody GiveAway!

I'm almost out the door to go speak for the Mother's Day Brunch at Westside Community Church in Beaverton but I have a few minutes and wanted to share with you the Gift Basket that I will be giving away at the end of my message. I always give away several books but this will be the Grand Prize!

It turned out so lovely... I want to giveaway the same gift to one of you!!!  All you have to do is leave a comment on any post between now and May 20th at 4 pm and you will be entered to win this scrumptious selection of goodies! If you'd like to share about this GiveAway on your blog... leave a comment to let me know and you'll be entered twice... so spread the word and double your chances to win!

What you will win includes everything in the basket... except the basket.


There's a Down a Garden Path book...
A brand new collection of "Spring" greeting cards in a cute folder box...
Four Gift Tags...
and a Bookmark...


A brand new HeartLifter Magnet...
and a "To Mom, with Love" book...


A Faith Block... which is another new item I have...


And just for fun... a bag of Strawberry Whoppers...
in a bag tied off with ribbon and a beautiful vintage button!
 

Oh yes... and I can't forget these sweet flowers that decorate the basket...
aren't they cute? 
I will be showing you how I made these one day next week.
Also I learned I great trick for adding filler to my basket... I'll share that too.

Gotta run... Savor some moments of joy today...
and give God the glory!
Don't forget to enter the contest... and God bless you!
Love you...
Karla

On My Way Home...

Here I sit at the Galesburg, IL Airport headed home with a grateful heart... and for many reasons! I arrived here one week ago and spoke for HeartSeekers Retreat here in Galesburg. I know, without a doubt, that God poured out His Spirit in answer to the prayers of His girls and touched and changed the lives of many, if not most of the women, in that place! Thank You Jesus! A special blessing was seeing my  best friend from high school, Janice Rokita (now known as Jenny Kelley)... a little extra gift.

Teresa Muller was our worship leader for the weekend and she was awesome. What a surprise and joy to meet the writer of "You Are the Rock of My Salvation!" I have always loved that song so was honored to meet Teresa and enjoyed the sincerity of her heart for the Lord.

After the retreat I rented a car and headed to Quincy where I grew up to see my sister Margie who had been in the hospital.  I am thankful to report that she is home and doing well. I did take a few hours to go junking on Tuesday with Matt and Melissa... my wonderful, patient nephew and his wife... and I'll show you my treasures later!

A Colorado Christmas Tea

Last weekend I spoke at a wonderful Christmas Tea at Waterstone Community Church in Littleton, CO. The women were delightful and the hard work and creativity that they poured into this event was phenomenal.  With the good food, fellowship, and a message of hope and encouragement... I have no doubt that those women were blessed for being there! Thank you Jean for the invitation!

When I walked into the hall where the tea was being held, the first thing that caught my eye was the gingerbread style house... built right up there on the stage... it looked very familiar...

...hmmm... I wonder why???  This is the painting from my Heart & Home of Christmas book that inspired them! How fun is that!!! Can you see all the details... the gifts, trees, even the bluebirds on the roof and chimney!

Is that amazing... or what!!!

And check out these table settings.  I love the creativity and personality that shines in each one... some were so simple, some elegant, some whimsical... some china, some paper, some stoneware... and this is only a sampling.  I sure gleaned some ideas for myself... I hope you do too!

Notice the "placemats"... I'm curious.
Notice the centerpiece... there's a close up at the end...

I don't do blue... but this is beautiful!
Whimsical and FUN!! I love the bucket of whimsy and the peppermint swirl under it.
Who would have thought black.. but it's elegant... and married to crystal and silver made me think of "silver bells"...

 And I love this centerpiece!!  Three ornaments turned upside down... same color but notice the contrast in texture of each ornament... filled partly with water for weight and a few sprigs of greenery tucked in and tada... beautiful!

I love to inspire and be inspired... to bless and be blessed!  These women were such a blessing to me... and I can only believe... in the Lord... that I was to them as well!!

May the beauty of the season fill your heart and overflow out onto all those you see and meet along your way!

Lord bless you and keep you focused on Him as you celebrate His coming this Christmas season!!

All Work and No Play... or Play and Just Call it Work!!

 
I'll be leaving here Friday morning for Colorado to speak at a Christmas Tea,
so this may be my last post for a few days.
I was wanting something else Christmas to put in the Gift Bags I'll be giving
away there so what a great excuse to play... and I get to call it work!

I was striving for a vintage look... do you think it worked?
 I thought the glittery pipe cleaner around the outside edge did it!
I had fun taking one of the images from The Heart & Home of Christmas
and first, reformatting it in Photoshop, and then, using my new water soluble
 crayons and pencils to add a fun bit of dimension to it!

You can't really tell it but the red lightbulbs each have a touch of glitter
and there's a little dusting of mica snow here and there as well. How fun!

Sure hope the ladies who win these at the Tea will love 'em as much as I do!

FOCUS ON JESUS THIS CHRISTMAS!
Every time you see the twinkling of Christmas lights,
the flicker of a candle, or the stars in the sky...
be reminded that Jesus truly is the Light of the World
and the Light of your Life!

Heading North...

I need to be out the door in about fifteen minutes to head north to Woodinville, WA which is just north of Seattle. It will be about a three to four hour drive depending on traffic and then I have the pleasure of sharing a Thanksgiving message with some ladies at Woodinville Community Church tonight for a Girlfriends Unlimited Night Out. I know they will be encouraged in the Lord so I'm eager to make the drive.

But... I was determined to say "HI" before I left and tell you all I miss you and have so much I want to share and so little time right now to do it. I promise I'll take time on Wednesday to do a little catching up.

But for now I wanted you to know, if you are local, that my daughter Michelle is having her annual Christmas Studio Sale this weekend and she has some great stuff and a great time planned. If you're not local you still might want to enter her Goody Giveaway!  Her stuff is so fun and with Christmas right around the corner you might want to check it out.  

Blessings to all of you... xoxoxo
Karla

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!

Delightful Time for All at Maryland Retreat!

My weekend in Maryland was delightful!  I delighted in the beauty of the countryside, the beauty of the women who invited me and those who came. But most of all, we delighted to together in the goodness of the Lord! I know He did great things in the hearts and lives of at least a few women there who will never be the same again because God met them there!

Above is the leadership team (left to right): Mary who invited me, Wendy who opened her home to me, me in the middle, Barbie and Tammy who planned some great fellowship times for the women. There was such a love and unity among these women that overflowed to all who came!

What a beautiful group of women... from 18 to 84! Estelle... I think that's how old you said you were!!  I shared throughout the weekend about how each woman there is "One of a Kind by God's Design" and we began Friday night, and every session after, surrendering our wills and wanting our own way for God's will.

The weekend ended with each woman writing on a balloon what God had revealed to her to surrender to Him...

and then altogether they released the balloons to the Lord and watched as their prayers and concerns rose up to the heavens. It was very powerful.

Lord God,
Thank You that your heart's desire is that we cast all our cares upon you... our pain, our circumstances, our trials and tribulations, our rebellion, our anger, our needs, our will, and our weariness... you want it all... because you want all of us. May the casting of our cares always be framed with thanksgiving for who You are and who we are in You.  And today I thank You again for Your promise that it is you that works in us to both will and do your good pleasure. May our lives bring you pleasure today.

Off to Maryland!

I have so much I want to share with you but so little time... I am sitting at the Portland airport headed for Baltimore. I'll be speaking at a Retreat there for the wonderful women of Burtonsville Baptist Church! I do love encouraging women in the Lord and looking forward to what He's going to do there! 

This is Town Hall Hotel B&B in New Orleans, MD where I'll be... I'm taking my good camera hoping to capture some great scenic views between sessions! I'll be back Monday to post a NEW CONTEST... so be watching it for it! 

Me... Run a Marathon?

I haven't blogged for a while because I've been running a marathon... not literally... but it sure feels like it.  Weekend before last I had the privilege to be the speaker for the most delightful group of women from Crossroads Community Church in Nampa, ID. The Retreat was at the beautiful Quaker Hill Conference Center in McCall. Our theme was "Bloom Where You're Planted" and we can... wherever God plants us... even in the snow! I had the opportunity to spend time with many of the women one on one and I left confident that God had touched lives and changed lives for His glory!  If any of you Crossroads women read this... I'd love to hear a comment from you!

I got home that Sunday night and Monday morning began preparing the "sermon" titled "Free to Run... Free to Win" for this past Sunday at my own church, Summit View. It is a timely message all about our Christian journey being likened to running an actual marathon. It is such a great visual metaphor with many similarities and lots of great lessons to be gleaned. I could never run a 26.2 marathon nor would I want to... but I can run the race of faith... and so can you. This message is about looking at the lies that keep us from running... or running well... and then confronting those lies with the Truth that sets us free... free to run faster, and farther to the glory of God. I am confident you will be encouraged if you have the time to listen.

One thing I believe God really spoke to my heart personally through this message was that our race of faith is a marathon and not a sprint. I can tend to sprint sometimes and sprinting can lead to burn out or injury. I knew as I was preparing the message, that my body was weak and weary from running non-stop for about three weeks and could hear God saying this is what I want you to hear... and just to make sure I got, within 5 minutes after I gave the message second service, I lost my voice. It's just gone and now other cold/flu symptoms have come to dwell as well. It was like God saying if you won't slow down, I'll slow you down. I would so appreciate your prayers for speedy healing... and my husband's as well!  Okay Lord... I think I've learned my lesson... heal me quickly... I don't have time for this! LOL

My greatest hearts desire is to one day echo the apostle Paul where he says...
"I have fought the fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith"
and hear the Lord say...
"Well done my good and faithful servant" "Welcome home my child."

Dearest Jesus,
Thank You for paying the price for our entry fee into this race of faith with  your own blood on calvary. And when we grow weary and hear the familiar voices that whisper, "you can't do this... it's too hard... who do you think you are... is it really worth it?" remind us that you deemed it worth enough to die for. Train us up Lord, strengthen our faith muscles and develop our endurance to run freer, faster, and farther than we thought we ever could. Amen.

Refreshing Others

I wonder if you would agree that there is nothing so satisfying than knowing God used you to pour out a refreshing drink of His love to another person. I had the privilege last weekend to speak into the lives of some wonderful women in WI and , even though I know God poured out His Word and His love into their hearts and blessed them there, I was equally if not more blessed in being the vessel God used to pour from. Two women accepted Christ for the first time and many left that place different women from when they had arrived... thank You Jesus for Your love, grace and power to transform lives!

Here's a peek at a few of these women from Spring Creek Church in Pewaukie, WI as they enjoy being in the presence of the Lord... just look at those beautiful faces... they were/are great ladies...

What a privilege it is to be God's vessels of refreshing... and He gives each of us so many opportunities every day to pour out His love and encourage others... no matter what gifts and talents we have or don't think we have. Sometimes it's just a matter of looking around us and being willing to be used.

I love having the opportunity to partner with women like you all over the world by offering ministry gifts... my books and products... tools that you can use to bless and refresh other women in your world. I just want to say THANK YOU for letting me be a part of your ministry to other women!  And I am excited to announce that I have recently made the decision to introduce a new product that I used to offer several years ago to help you do just that... Ministry Magnets! 

I love these Ministry Magnets because they are an affordable way to share God's love and His Word with others. They tuck into an envelope along with a letter or card and become a small gift. And they make a great ministry tool to give each woman in your Bible Study or the women who attend your Ladies Tea or Retreat as a remembrance of the event and what God did for them there. Right now there are just a few designs available but I plan to add more to the offering every week. There are also quantity discounts available if you're interested in these Ministry Magnets for your group... large or small.

It is such a privilege to be God's vessels, isn't it? To be His girls who He can pour into and out of!  And there are so many ways we can pour out a refreshing drink of God's love into the lives of those around... the women God has sovereignly placed along the path of our lives.  Here's just a few to consider...

1. Write a note of thanks... not for what she's done but simply for who she is.
2. Give a listening ear... call her or get together and purpose not to talk about yourself... ouch!
3. Share a recipe... and better yet... prepare it for her as a gift.
4. Pray for her... and then let her know you've been praying for her... it's nice to know someone cares.

Or maybe she needs one of these gifts of refreshing and blessing...

The list of ways to bless one another is almost endless.  What are some of your favorite ways to pour out God's love to others?  Leave a comment and share your favorite ways... maybe you'll be the inspiration someone else needs!  May we never quit refreshing one another... and as we do, God's promise is that we too will be refreshed!

Be encouraged in heart and united in love.
Colossians 2:2

Dear Lord... thank You for being our greatest Encourager... our eternal cheerleader. Thank You for pouring out Your love into our hearts and bringing refreshing to our souls. Open our eyes to the needs of others and show us new and creative ways to share Your love and blessings with those around us. For Your glory! Amen.

Grasping for Grace!

I think time flies faster during the holiday season then any other time of the year... wouldn't you agree?  And for me... with speaking at Christmas events, having my studio sale last weekend and trying to stay on top of increased holiday shopping on my webstore... I think time flapped its winsome wings and flew away!

I'm not complaining though... I love this season and almost everything about it... especially the increased opportunities I have to share Christ and the joy of Christmas everywhere I go!  My Christmas message this year is about looking in all the wrong places for Christmas joy, when the joy we seek the most... during the holidays and all year long...  is found only in Christ Jesus.  And the joy He gives us lasts long after the tree comes down and the cookies are all eaten.  I pray for you to have this joy throughout the rest of the Christmas season... but it's yours only by keeping your eyes firmly fixed on the Reason for the Season... taking the time to worship and adore Him!

Also... I was SO BLESSED by all of you who listed your Thanksgiving lists and can only ask for grace as I know you are still waiting to know who won! I have been going almost non-stop for over two weeks now and have only a moment tonight to share and then I'm off in the morning to Pendleton, OR to speak for a Christmas Tea there... adorned with over 200 wonderful women!  So... my priority on Monday is to catch up on all the Thanksgiving postings and choose the winner... maybe even two!  You guys are awesome!

Okay... I have so many things I want to share with you and catch up on... please don't give up on me yet!  I'll be back!

Christmas blessings and hugs to you all!

Joy to the world the Lord has come!

Heavenly Father... thank you for filling the stores this time of year with Christmas carols that proclaim the Name of Jesus to the world and declare the tidings of comfort and joy you came to give us all through your Son.  Fill us with joy Lord that we might stand out as lights in the darkness this holiday season... shining brightly for you!  Bless you Lord.

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.

Gone for the Weekend to Beautiful Idaho!

Just a quick note to let you know I'll be in Clarkston Idaho this weekend at a retreat with some wonderful gals from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Lewiston.  I'll be speaking, once again, on Redeeming the Time, so if you read this  or think of me... say a prayer... for me... but more importantly for this group of women to hear from God and be blessed! 

Okay... hubbie is calling... we're on our way out the door to the airport... RIGHT NOW!!  Later...

El Centro Calvary Chapel Rocks!

It is Thanksgiving Thursday and I am sooooo thankful to the Lord for what He did in the hearts and lives of the women of El Centro Calvary Chapel this past weekend!  He poured out His Spirit and truly did some spiritual makeovers in our time together. More than one woman shared that she was leaving the retreat a different woman than when she had arrived and God gets all the glory! Some made new commitments to make Jesus the priority of their lives, some left some baggage behind, many made decisions to follow the Lord into the future in faith... and one accepted Christ as her Saviour Redeemer for the very first time! Praise God!! And as for me... I walked away with a heart overflowing knowing that God had met us in that place!!!

And I'm so excited to announce my very first photo album... featuring none other than the El Centro girls! You blessed my heart!

Thank you to all of you who prayed for the retreat... God heard every one of you!!

Oh Lord... You are awesome! And we thank You Father for doing exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine this past weekend. Thank You for being our Redeemer God and showing us how to redeem our time!

Packing the Suitcases...

Today I'll be busy with final preparations for this weekend's retreat... Redeeming the Time!  I get so excited at this point as I pack my clothes in my carry-on and books and giveaway items in the two check-in bags! The nice thing about going to Southern CA is the weather is warm so the clothes are fewer and lighter weight.

I have only one more hand out to create and print and cut but that will be easy. Much of the day will be spent going over my notes since this will be the first time I'm speaking on this theme and I want it to be able to flow easily from my heart. I'm looking forward to sharing some things with you when I return.

Yesterday I went into my OWN church and met with one of our pastors about the details of setting up for the Tuesday Evening Out event. It's all coming together... yeah!  This is the first time I've ever put an event together and had to think through everything from the beginning to the end so keep praying I don't forget anything!!  It's coming together so well though that I am confident it is God and I have a sense of expectation that He is going to do some great things as we meet together in that place! I am excited about those of you who are coming because you read about it here...  so make sure and introduce yourself!!

So... what am I Thankful for this Thursday?
     • I am so grateful for my God who has given me the opportunities to serve Him in so many ways...
    • for my husband who has been so supportive of me these last couple of weeks in trying to juggle two events at the same time...
    • for my daughter Michelle and her CARE group who so generously previewed my new messages and gave me both great encouragement and critique...
    • for all the women in my church who are coming alongside me to help make next Tuesday night a success and blessing for those who come...
    • and for all of you who I know love me and more importantly love God and want to know Him and grow in Him more and more every day... BLESS YOU!

Plans and Preparations

Just wanted to take a moment to let you know why I've been so quiet again... I've been finishing up the new retreat messages on Redeeming the Time... Past, Present and Future... and preparing all the visual illustration pieces and handouts to go with each message.  I'm almost there. I would love to share what I'm working on but just in case there's a reader from El Centro... I should probably hold onto the surprise.

I will tell you the one I'm finishing this morning is made of satin and required me to bring out the serger and that's never happened before!  But I'm excited... I just know God is going to show up and bless the socks off of these ladies this weekend and hopefully a few will leave the retreat different from when they arrived... one step closer to God and one step closer to becoming the woman God designed them to be!

As I shared before... I'm also starting a three week teaching series on the same topic at my church the Tuesday night after I return from CA. I have to make sure all the ducks are in a row for that one before I leave as well... so yep... I've been busy... busy!  But the women of my church have come alongside me in a phenomenal way and I am blessed because of them! We're going to have worship, giveaways, some personal reflection and small group time... so again.. if you're local and would like to come please just email me and I'll email you the directions to our church.

Well, I best go redeem my time today preparing for the future by getting to my serging... I will post photos of my handiwork when I return!!

Lord God,
Help each of us redeem our time wisely today... using it wisely in such a way as to bring great glory to You and great blessing to each person you sovereignly bring along our path. Amen.

Rejoicing in all things!

This is yet another image including this same verse... I guess it's just one of my favorite verses because no matter what our circumstances are... we all have so much to rejoice in... and sometimes we just need to be reminded!

I only have a minute... but I wanted to share with you a new reason for my rejoicing... I am going to be presenting a series of 3 teachings at Summit View, my own local church, the first three Tuesday evenings of October! This is a big deal to me for many reasons... all reasons to truly rejoice in the Lord...

1) It was originally going to be presented just to a focus group but now we're opening it up to all the women of our church. Also... there may be some seats available so if you're local and are interested in coming please email me... I'd love to have you there!

2) It's free admission... so we get to offer it purely as a blessing to those who can come!

3) We will be filming these sessions to create a video presentation for event planners to have in the days to come... this is definitely a God thing especially since I'm not so fond of cameras.

4) And last but not least... I am already blessed by my friends who have volunteered to pray for this event as well as offer helping hands!

Having said that... I also covet your prayers as I am still finishing up preparations for the El Centro Calvary Chapel Retreat in So. California (am so looking forward to seeing you all there!) the last weekend of September and all the arrangements for the first Tuesday event, Oct. 2, must be in order before I leave.  I am blessed to be a part of what God is doing and if you want to be a part with me... please pray as God brings me to mind and as He leads.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10

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

Tyler Texas

I left town heading for Texas with camera and laptop in hand thinking I would be able to post while I was out and about but the schedule was tight and it just didn't happen. I have discovered that blogging requires a good amount of time to download and edit photos as well as write comments that are worth reading... and I admit I'm struggling to be consistent but if you'll hang in there with me... I'll keep trying!!
Last Friday night a delightful group of women gathered for dinner at Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas for fun, fellowship and a word of encouragement from yours truly. The food was prepared by a few of the men in the church and was delicious.  Hats off to the men who value their women in this way with a willingness to serve them in this type of setting! "Well done... good and faithful servants!"

Special music filled the air as a choir of angelic voices led us in worship to the King of Kings and brought tears to my eyes as they sang "Jesus... Son of God... worthy is Your Name."

A special thanks to Margo who is on the left in the second photo down. She is the women's ministry director at Colonial Hills and has such a love for the women there. Her hope for the coming year is to build deeper relationships among the women there through C.A.R.E. groups... CARE being an acronym for Creating A Relational Environment... a safe place where women can come together and grow in their love for the Lord and each other.

We do need each other, don't we ladies? God designed us to be unique one-of-a-kind individuals but He never created us to walk alone... instead He designed us for relationship... friendship with Him and with each other. If you're not in a C.A.R.E. group or small group of some kind... maybe God is nudging you to either step out of your comfort zone and join one or maybe even start one!

Are you in a small group? To encourage other women who visit here... would you comment and let us know what kind of group you're in... whether it's one on one mentoring or a large small group... and what is one blessing you receive from it?

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for creating me in Your image... with a longing for relationship with you and with other women. I know that you not only want me to have friends in the body of Christ but you designed me to be a friend as well.  So Lord, if there is something in me... a wounded place or a distrust of others... or maybe I've convinced myself I'm just too busy to be in a group.. would you give me the courage and the confidence in You to be willing to seek out a group where I can be with other women who love You like I do.

Western Workshops

Knowing how full my life had been this past week, a friend posed this question to me... "if you could ask God to take away any one thing in your life, what would it be?" After not much thinking, I responded... "nothing. I love what I do. I would instead ask Him for more hours in which to do what's already on my plate." Okay, I know God's not going to add two or three hours to every day just for me... how would you like to start saying it's 13:30 p.m. or 14:15 a.m? And I do confess that God is weeding and thinning in the garden of my daily doings... pruning some overly busy places... but I also know that there will always be seasons of busyness in each of our lives when we all have to pick our priorities with God's guidance and do what is at hand with all our heart and strength.

That's what happened last week... that's why you didn't hear from me for a week. My priority was preparing for the two workshops I taught at Western Seminary in Portland at the HeartTalk Conference. This is the place for aspiring writers to come together and be encouraged to follow the dream... and the message... God has written upon their hearts. I gave one workshop on "Writing and Designing Gift Books that Make a Difference" and "Product Potential Beyond Your Book." The better title for the second workshop might have been "Ministry Potential Beyond Your Message" but I thought of that one too late for the brochure! It was a lot of work preparing for the classes but it's always good for us to share with others the wisdom, knowledge and experience in whatever ministry we're in... and that's what last weekend was all about... giving away what God has so generously given to me.

What wisdom, knowledge and experiences has God given you? Are you giving them away?

Lord, you've called us all to be ministers... and the ministry you've blessed us with is called LIFE. Would you help me see those opportunities you've appointed for me to share Your love, wisdom and knowledge with others today... whether it's at the kitchen table with my kids or in the church or at my job. Help me Lord Jesus to prioritize my time and use it wisely... giving away what You have so generously given to me... with all my heart as unto You.

Hinson Mops

Have you ever struggled with comparing yourself with other mom's or your children with thier siblings or other children? I know I have... it's a trap we can all fall into... a trap God wants to deliver us from as learn to love and accept ourselves and our children as the unique individuals He designed us to be. That was the subject I addressed as I spoke last Tuesday to the Hinson Baptist Church MOPS group... about 40 moms gathered together to encourage one another and be encouraged... they were a delightful group of women.

Wanted to share a few of the photos I took... the photos aren't that great but the women were...

I loved how when I asked them to smile... they all posed with their goodies in hand!

This is Rachel... she blessed me by sharing that she had driven all the way from Idaho to hear me speak again. She had been living in Portland and heard me speak at Hinson's Thanksgiving luncheon a couple of years ago. We spent some time encouraging one another... and I was glad to hear her say that her long trip had been worth it!

This precious mom gave up her small group time to run home and get her recipe binder so I could sign it for her. It was obvious that she was using it and loves to try new recipes!
This is me with Mary Alice, the Women's Ministry Director at Hinson Church... a precious woman of God and dear friend. I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of Kelly who is the Coordinator for their MOPS group.  She does such a great job. What a blessing you are Kelly... keep up the good work of encouraging and building up Moms in their high and holy calling!

Going Places!

So many things going on in life... so many things to keep track of!  I know you can relate... it's the world we live in. One of the things I have to keep track of is my calendar... in particular my speaking calendar. And since I just got off the phone with a wonderful woman in Florida checking on my availablity for a particular date in the fall... I was not only reminded of how far behind my online speaking calendar was but I actually stopped and took a few minutes to update it.  Check it out... maybe I'll be somewhere close to where you live and we could meet face to face!  How fun would that be!!