Scripture Challenge: FEAR NOT

You know what?  This is hands down my favorite verse.  Ever.  Last fall I made this verse into a blog header for our family blog and wrote a whole bunch about my feelings on it HERE.  And now, 10 months later, I'm STILL amazed by the deep meaning revealed in this verse.  When I read it, I  feel this overwhelming sense of  unworthiness and amazement that HE called ME by name (you know, because HE knows it!).  I catch my breath every single time.  I love the ownership it reveals.  His ownership of me.  Tonight, our kids were having a swim meet and my husband asked me to hold MY ipod for him.  I said, "hey, this is MINE anyways!" and he stroked my cheek and quietly said to me, "YOU are mine!".  Such love.  And to think that the Creator of the Universe feels even more love towards me.  It is amazing.  Still.

And fear. I feel like I am constantly asking God to take it away from me.  And He does.  But it seems minutes later I am ignoring His protection and allowing fear to grip me again.  It's a constant battle for me.  Fear of losing someone I love.  This verse DOES comfort me, especially when I think of it in these terms:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed THEM!

I have summoned THEM by name!

THEY are MINE!"

His.  Not mine.  There is something so comforting about that, even though that might seem odd. 

The photo... from the Oregon Coast.  And our amazing vacation there last summer!  Loved every minute of it, and pictures of it make me so happy:)

Scripture Challenge: GROW

GROW: to spring up and develop to maturity.  I love this passage because I think it is REALLY encouraging... definately worth checking out!  I find that I need to remind myself daily to "live a life worthy of the Lord", so I'm glad to have this reminder. 

The photo.... NOT taken by me!  I knew the day would come when I would rely on someone else.  And I've been relying on her for years now!  My BFF grows amazing flowers.  I am certain that I have a BLACK thumb, so I am so very impressed with her capacity to GROW things, and also, quite impressed with her mad photography skills.  She has a really cool flower blog now, which you can check out HERE... I used to live in her backyard.  I wouldn't mind living in her backyard again, because there are many, many flowers.  She sent me my first flowers once when I was REALLY sick in high school (and also hid a bag of Munchos potato chips under my pillow because my mother wouldn't let me eat anything!) and she's still sending me flowers NOW, although they are digital files of her amazing handiwork!  THANK YOU, Sioux!!! 

Your Invited

Retirement party invitations for the Principal of the kids school.... she retired this year after being with the school for 36 years (as teacher, asst. principal, then principal).  She's been a GREAT boss for Ryan and Principal for the kids, and friend to all of us!  She will really really be missed.  I was pretty honored when the office staff told me they really wanted me to make these for her party.  I made 100. 

I printed the inside part on the computer, but stamped the flower thing in green.  The outside is kraft cardstock (SU!) and K&Company paper.  Scallop oval and Oval punches (SU!) for the "an invitation" part... that was also printed on the computer so the fonts would match.

On Mrs. B's last day, they had a Clap Out for her, complete with red carpet!  Ok, not a fan of the Clap Out, but just thinking about THAT one could bring a tear to my eye. 

Project Tiles

These are dry erase message boards I made for the Principal of the kids school to give out to the teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week.  She retired this year and wanted to give them something personalized.

They are tiles from Home Depot (white glazed tiles) and I stamped on them with Staz-On ink, then baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30minutes.  I turned the oven off and left them in there to cool off over night.  If you stamp on them and it doesn't look right or isn't clear (the tiles ARE slippery!!!) you can wipe it off immediately with a paper towel soaked with Staz-On cleaner.  Then you can try again.  You CAN get it off the same way after time passes (but BEFORE you bake it!) but you are going to have to really work at it.  Once it's baked, it's STUCK:)

I made 55 of these!  and packaged them up for her with a dry erase marker and a stand.  They were actually pretty fun to make.  Many years ago my sister-in-law KRISTI made dry erase tiles for us and I always thought they would make GREAT teacher presents!  We are actually going to make a "kid friendly" version of these at camp... you can draw on them with Sharpie markers and then bake them (as above) and the marker stays on.  They are going to just decorate them and have their camp friends sign them, not so much a dry erase board.  If you try this method, the yellow and green do turn an odd shade, but all the other colors stay true! 

Scripture Challenge: PURPOSE

Purpose... an end to be obtained.  I loved this verse the most because I am a planner!  When my son says "What's the Plan for today?" I smile because I know exactly where he gets it from!  You don't have to have Asperger's Syndrome to need that "comfort"!!  But I know that there is GREATER comfort from the Master Planner.  I admit, it is hard for me to rest in that most days.  This verse and picture seem to make that a little easier for some reason.

The picture:  I took it on the back deck of Ryan's parents house in Michigan... the resting corn fields on an evening in December.  There were about 26 people INSIDE the house (about 10 of them small children all under the age of 10!) and I distinctly remember thinking it was CRAZY QUIET outside when I took the picture! 

Scripture Challenge: EXAMPLE

Example... one that serves as a pattern to be imitated. 

I almost chose a different verse to put on here, but went with THIS one because I just love this whole Chapter...  Big night for Jesus.  And he takes the time to wash his disciples feet.  Teaches them to be a servant.  And tells them to follow His example.  I think when people know they are going to die and their time has come, the stuff they are telling you is REALLY REALLY important.  The last opportunity to make you understand what their life's passion was or what they hope for you, etc... of course EVERYTHING Jesus said was REALLY REALL important, but I can't help thinking that he reiterated this stuff at the end for a reason.  Anyways, it's good stuff...

The picture.  It's no secret around here that our family are HUGE Tampa Bay Ray's fans.  It's a comical understatement.  We get it from my husband.  When he was a little boy he LOVED baseball.  Not playing, but listening to the Detroit Tiger's games on the radio.  And talking baseball with his grandma.  I tell you, you haven't lived until you've watched that very tiny little-grandma-lady screaming at baseball players to "get it together!"  Ryan grew up loving the stats the most, not so much a team.  Just the game.  So when we moved to Tampa in 1996, there was talk about an expansion team coming our way and he decided the opportunity was too great to pass up, and decided to jump on board, BIG TIME.  And I went along with him, you know, because we are married:)  Good chance I couldn't even identify a baseball at that time.  We spent many evenings attending games, took our brand-new son to his first MLB baseball game when he was just 8 weeks old (um, it would have been sooner, but that was nearly opening day as it was!), he took our babies by himself when I was working (quite the site to see a father toting a 3 year old, plus baby-girl-in-the-snuggli, and diaper bag to a baseball game by himself, i'm sure!), we've travelled all over the country on Official McGregor Baseball Road Trips to see these Boys play... well, you get the idea.  This is one of the things that defines us as a family.  I'm ok with that.  Because we ALL love it.  It's just one small way we spend time together as a family.  This picture is our little crew (well, of course I took the picture, so you can't see me!) heading across the parking lot to Tropicana Field.  My brother got Ryan his shirt for Christmas.  He's been a fan since 1998...  and those kids?  Well, they were BORN Rays fans!  (I may or may not tell Carly that she was named after Carl Crawford... or Carlos Pena.  Depends on who just got a good hit!  "And that's why we named you after him, Carly!!!"  She may or may not appreciate such information.)

Scripture Challenge: QUIET

I'm a little behind on this challenge... but I really enjoy "researching" the words and finding verses.  This was kind of a hard word for me because I have a REALLY hard time being QUIET!  My Mom is COMPLETELY agreeing, and sending up a quick prayer of THANKS to God for giving me a daughter who talks about as much as I do!! 

What I REALLY wanted to use for a picture was impossible as the church no longer exists.  In 1997 and the first half of 1998, I spent a lot of time praying to God for a very specific reason.  Baby.  We were fortunate that it didn't last longer.  A few infertility treatments and 9 months later, we were the proud parents of a darling baby boy!  But I never forgot praying.  And more specifically, WHERE I prayed.  Ryan was teaching at a Christian school at the time, and his office was right off the church's sanctuary.  What an appropriate name.  While I would wait for him to be done each day, I would "sneak" into the sanctuary and just sit there.  It was usually dark, or very dimly lit.  It was quiet.  In fact, the silence was deafening most days.  It is so rare that I find myself in such quiet!  But I know for me, that is what I need to really focus and NOT be distracted.  Quiet.

This picture was the NEXT thing that came to mind... our family member, Miggy.  Enjoying a quiet, afternoon nap.  He just looks so peaceful.  14 years of doing nothing will do that to you, I guess!

I love this verse, but I think it might be one of the hardest verses to actually DO!  I really love the verse that comes a few before:

Delight yourself also in the Lord

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4