I am not a scrapbooker. And I have to admit that often times I feel like I'm really missing out. I've attended parties and by no fault of the hostess, the spark just wasn't there. I don't take pictures very often and then if I do get around to developing the film it is doubtful that I'm going to have the time, patience or money to take all my kiddos over to Hobby Lobby to try to find the right paper, stickers and embellishments for the page. Plus, my creative skills are not so great, so finding the right embellishments for the page just seemed overwhelming. However, I did attend a card party with Stampin Up a couple of years ago and found my soul mate in the crafting world. I wanted to buy everything. I have found it great therapy for me. I can use anything I find to throw on the cards, but just the thought of adding pictures seems too daunting.
I also have privately journaled for years and I would say that I have close to 15 journals completely filled with notes, stories, thoughts, struggles and many mistakes. Writing comes much easier for me. Maybe because at this point in life, my brain is too full and tired to be much more creative.
My love language is several mixed together, but words and gifts are my top two. God has proved Himself loving to me in those ways time and again. I love that God knows exactly how to touch my soul and to touch me when I am needing him the most. Recently I was standing in the kitchen crying after someone had hurt my feelings and made me question my value to them. The phone rang and I cowgirled up to quit crying and answer sounding as happy as I could possibly fake. On the other end was a woman I know. A Godly woman that mentors in our moms group. She wasn't my mentor, we barely knew each other. Yet she called to tell me how wonderful she thought I was. ME! When I think so highly of HER. She had some really kind words of encouragement for me. God had prompted her to call me. He loved me through someone tangible. This has happened on many occasions over the years.
My second love language is gifts. Now while it would be nice if those gifts were a new house, a vacation or new excursion, our needs right now are just the basics and He says that He will provide all our needs. Allen opened his own business with no capital just over 2 years ago. We were so naive. Almost every dime still goes back in the business. The winter is slower and so the first couple of busy months we are playing catch up and the last couple of busy months we are trying to save up enough to get us through the slow times. The month of December 05 we were extremely strapped. God intervened and took care of us. We didn't lose our house, we didn't have the electricity cut off, we were well fed. A couple of the gifts we received during that month were: (only a handful of people knew the degree of our situation) a large job with enough profit to pay our house payment 4 days before it sold at the courthouse for foreclosure, one of Allen's brothers showed up expectantly with their van full of groceries and completely filled our pantry with part of his bonus, the other brother stocked our freezer with a beef that he had been given, a check for $100 and a card saying it was for gas to go home for Christmas, over $300 in misc gift checks or money came in, I had a tooth that was hurting and we had no insurance - the mailman delivered a certified letter containing a visa gift card with no name just a card stating it was valued at $250 and hoped it would cover my dentist appointment. There were gifts left on our backdoor anonymously for the kids for Christmas gifts. These are just the ones off the top of my head.
It is my goal to put these happenings and memories into a scrapbook so that when I am facing troubles, I can pull it off the shelf and see proof positive that God has taken care of all my needs in the past and I can have hope in that He will the next time also. I wish I would have started earlier on in life to start a scrapbook of all the incidents in life that God has proved faithful and good. We started a thankful journal. It's actually a recipe card holder with 365 index cards in it with the date on each one for a year. Each night after devotions we say something we are thankful for and it goes on the card. I look forward to reading them and adding to them year after year. I had done this in a journal for myself and it was a such a blessing to myself to try to find 5 different things each day to be thankful for. And after all the big things are named, it was a true joy to start seeing even the little things in life in which we have to be thankful for...ibuprofen, that parking space right in front of the door, jello for snack time, a baby's burp, and brown sugar for my coffee.
I challenge you for the next week to find 5 things a day you are thankful for and post them if you feel up to it. I am guessing you'll have so much fun that you'll continue it as a habit.
I also have privately journaled for years and I would say that I have close to 15 journals completely filled with notes, stories, thoughts, struggles and many mistakes. Writing comes much easier for me. Maybe because at this point in life, my brain is too full and tired to be much more creative.
My love language is several mixed together, but words and gifts are my top two. God has proved Himself loving to me in those ways time and again. I love that God knows exactly how to touch my soul and to touch me when I am needing him the most. Recently I was standing in the kitchen crying after someone had hurt my feelings and made me question my value to them. The phone rang and I cowgirled up to quit crying and answer sounding as happy as I could possibly fake. On the other end was a woman I know. A Godly woman that mentors in our moms group. She wasn't my mentor, we barely knew each other. Yet she called to tell me how wonderful she thought I was. ME! When I think so highly of HER. She had some really kind words of encouragement for me. God had prompted her to call me. He loved me through someone tangible. This has happened on many occasions over the years.
My second love language is gifts. Now while it would be nice if those gifts were a new house, a vacation or new excursion, our needs right now are just the basics and He says that He will provide all our needs. Allen opened his own business with no capital just over 2 years ago. We were so naive. Almost every dime still goes back in the business. The winter is slower and so the first couple of busy months we are playing catch up and the last couple of busy months we are trying to save up enough to get us through the slow times. The month of December 05 we were extremely strapped. God intervened and took care of us. We didn't lose our house, we didn't have the electricity cut off, we were well fed. A couple of the gifts we received during that month were: (only a handful of people knew the degree of our situation) a large job with enough profit to pay our house payment 4 days before it sold at the courthouse for foreclosure, one of Allen's brothers showed up expectantly with their van full of groceries and completely filled our pantry with part of his bonus, the other brother stocked our freezer with a beef that he had been given, a check for $100 and a card saying it was for gas to go home for Christmas, over $300 in misc gift checks or money came in, I had a tooth that was hurting and we had no insurance - the mailman delivered a certified letter containing a visa gift card with no name just a card stating it was valued at $250 and hoped it would cover my dentist appointment. There were gifts left on our backdoor anonymously for the kids for Christmas gifts. These are just the ones off the top of my head.
It is my goal to put these happenings and memories into a scrapbook so that when I am facing troubles, I can pull it off the shelf and see proof positive that God has taken care of all my needs in the past and I can have hope in that He will the next time also. I wish I would have started earlier on in life to start a scrapbook of all the incidents in life that God has proved faithful and good. We started a thankful journal. It's actually a recipe card holder with 365 index cards in it with the date on each one for a year. Each night after devotions we say something we are thankful for and it goes on the card. I look forward to reading them and adding to them year after year. I had done this in a journal for myself and it was a such a blessing to myself to try to find 5 different things each day to be thankful for. And after all the big things are named, it was a true joy to start seeing even the little things in life in which we have to be thankful for...ibuprofen, that parking space right in front of the door, jello for snack time, a baby's burp, and brown sugar for my coffee.
I challenge you for the next week to find 5 things a day you are thankful for and post them if you feel up to it. I am guessing you'll have so much fun that you'll continue it as a habit.
Comments
Have a great day!
Thank you for stopping by my blog to wish me a Happy Birthday! It was very sweet of you and it made my day that much sweeter!
Have a wonderful day!
Thanks for sharing in your post- I have never seen firsthand what you wrote about (yet), so when I hear about stories/ situations like yours it really reminds me of how God truly does care for us, and provide in unbelievable ways for us! I'm so glad He did this for you and your family!!!
Isn't God amazing with his provisions? You know that verse in Habbukuk? I'll do something in your day you would not believe even if told? Taken a little out of context but you get my idea. God is amazing!!
Take care!