the (1st) Monthly Ladies Craft Night!

I was crafting with a friend in December and we decided it would be fun to gather friends every month and work on a craft together! Well I finally got myself organized and we had our first Craft Night (I'm trying to think of a more creative name- suggestions welcome!) a couple weeks ago.
Not everyone that was invited could make it, but the 5 of us had a lot of fun! I'll have to remember to take more pictures next time, but I perhaps was a bit too busy talking, painting, snacking, and drinking wine to pick up my camera. :)

I set up a make-shift table for the paint, brushes, and other supplies. The old piece of wood in the background is over 100 years old! My Dad gave it to me when I was home last and I'm thinking of the perfect project for it. Any ideas??

I ended up making something for my sister Dawn because I couldn't decide on what I wanted to do for myself. Luckily, I was home the weekend before (to meet my newest nephew!) so I had my Dad cut down a piece of plywood to 17" x 17". I also took a larger plywood piece and I'm going to make something for the wall above my bed.

I decided to make something for the lake place my sister and her husband have down in Okoboji. I found an anchor outline to cut out and then trace on the plywood. I then mixed a grey paint and painted it in! I also painted the edges of the board with the grey paint.

Later, I used my Cricut to cut out the letters to spell out Okoboji across the bottom. You can see them faintly outlined in the picture above. I used navy paint for the letters. And now it is complete!

I'm excited to see it in their lake house bathroom!

lessons from Beth Moore: 11 Feb 2013

I think of where I was at when we started this Bible Study. It feels like so long ago because where I'm at now is not where I expected to be. So much has happened. Lessons learned. Tears pouring out. Fists hitting my bed. Joyful praises. More tears.

And yet it feels like we just started. If you have never done a Beth Moore study, I encourage you to do one! They do involve a big time commitment, but it is so worth it! This one: A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place, was my first and I know it won't be my last. When we were deciding which Beth Moore study to do, none of us had a real strong opinion, but we have all agreed that we are so thankful we chose this one.

My eyes have been opened to scripture that I had previously deemed "boring" and "is this really necessary?". Oh yes, it is necessary and no, it is not boring! Everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) that God does is with purpose. And with much thought, detail, and preparation. He knows us so fully and completely because He created us.
Just the way He wanted.

This last week of lessons was really powerful to me. We are God's temple. Our very bodies. They are God's handiwork. Designed with a distinct purpose. Am I treating and respecting myself with that in mind? Am I living my life to carry out that purpose?

Some thoughts written by Beth that have weighed heavy on my mind.

"Have you found yourself on the brink of the place for which God has long been preparing you? A location? A place of service? A circumstance? A position? Something for which you sense He has been preparing you for a long time?
Now that you see God fulfilling His promise to use you and have gone through excruciating preparation toward that end, are you filled with fear? An overwhelming feeling of unreadiness? A sudden emotion that this may not be what you wanted?
God will deal with these feelings and bring them to a place of dismissal if you confess them to Him and invite Him to give you the courage to accept His personalized plan for you." (page 207)

"God desires to do wonders among us; but to give Him the freedom to intervene in our lives so magnificently, we must be sanctified!" (page 208)

"He is God. He could have chosen to dwell anywhere in the universe. But He chose to live in you and me. You are now the way He dwells among the people of the world." (page 214)

This study has been just what I needed over the past six months. Only God knew the struggles I would face and the joy that would come. He knew.

He knew I needed to let Him pursue me.
To know and experience the depth of His love. So far greater and deeper than any human's attempt at love.
To know I am His beloved.
To know He wants my mess. 
To know His plan is perfect.
To know He takes care of my every need.
To know He will heal my hurts.
To know He is God. And He is choosing to reveal glimpses of His glory through me.
To know He is continually refining me.