One Thousand Gifts

If you have just 4 minutes, take the time to watch this beautiful video.

Relish the moments this day will bring and the sweet memories of moments gone before.




I ordered my copy of the book yesterday from Dayspring.  I can't wait to read it.  There has been such great words and comments about it on the internet. 
Blessings,
Nancy

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp


A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

Published by Zondervan

Come join the community taking the dare to LIVE FULLY

http://www.onethousandgifts.com/

http://www.aholyexperience.com/

Keeping a Blessings Journal

A very nice thing to keep is a Blessings Journal. I bought a small monthly calendar at Big Lots a couple of years ago and altered the cover of it. It came with a plastic sleve. Each year I'm able to remove the calendar and replace it with one for the new year. I do my best to write down at least one thing daily that I am thankful for and that has in some way brightened my day. We have so many things to be thankful for both big and small. It is so easy to overlook the many small blessings that come our way and it is easy to forget to be grateful for them. (With raising two teenagers, almost three teenagers now, sometimes, many times the tension and stress level can be quite high at our house and I forget how blessed I really am.) The blessings journal is just one way to remind us to give thanks as we are all truly blessed.
BTW...This calendar shows one week on the two open pages. Each day has lines for notes so it is easy to write in.
You, my readers and friends, are a huge blessing to me. Thank you.
Nancy

This post links to
Someday Crafts
Blue Cricket Design
Women Who Do It All
Trendy Treehouse
Creations by Kara
Just a Girl
Fireflies and Jellybeans
Roots and Wings Co.
A Vision To Remember
Mom's The Word

The Bible in Five Words

Good morning Friends,
I've had a phrase floating around in my head for the last few days that summarizes the Bible in just 5 words. We Are Called To Love.
Just think about it. We are asked to love the Lord our God and to love one another. Love is one of our keys to the kingdom of God.

Of course I know we need other things. We need faith and we need to invite Christ into our hearts as our Lord and Savior. We need to forgive. We need to repent. With Christ in our hearts, we are called to Love....always. The Bible speaks a lot about love and the power of love.

4 Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not
proud, 5 doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not
provoked, takes no account of evil; 6 doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but
rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. (1Corinthians 13:4-8)

What a wonderful world this would be if we all believed that our calling was to love one another.
The one thing I do know is that sometimes loving others is not easy yet it is something we must do. It's a door opening key. Not only is it a key into heaven, but it is a key that will open many doors for us here on earth. Think about it.

With this in mind, you have to read this lovely post HERE about simple ways you can show love and random acts of kindness. I wish I could be like this fellow blogger.

I hope all of you have a wonderful day and know that I love you.
Blessings,
Nancy

Easter Blessings

He didn't have to do it, but I'm so thankful that He did.
He did it for me and He did it for each and everyone of you. He loves you... always.

May you all have a very blessed day today.
Love,
Nancy

Make One Change

Make One Change


Do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge; to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness; to your godliness add brotherly affection; and to your brotherly affection add love. (2 Peter 1: 5-7)

Dear Friends,

There are times in life when everything seems overwhelming. I know these days certainly occur in my life.  There is so much going on you don’t know what to do first. You know in your heart this is not the way you want your life to be. You need to make one change.  Make that one change today. Through the scripture we see one of the very first things we are to do is to add goodness to our faith, add goodness to our lives. Start there. What is one thing you can do to add goodness in your life? Perhaps it is feeding your family healthy meals. Perhaps it is maintaining a budget so you are not stressed over family finances. Perhaps it is just maintaining the cleanliness and order of the kitchen. Perhaps it is just ensuring your family has clean laundry. Perhaps it is spending one evening a week with your children playing family games. Perhaps it is planning and taking the time as a family to go to church each Sunday.  Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps. What is it for you?

Do these things seem overwhelming and too great even to accomplish? If so then break it down. If the laundry seems too overwhelming then tell yourself you will do one or two loads each day until it is caught up rather than tackling the entire mountain of it. If the thought of planning three meals a day seems too overwhelming then let’s just look at breakfast. There are many healthy and easy foods that your family can have for breakfast rather than sugar laden cereal with artificial preservatives and colors.

Choose just one thing in your life and begin it today. Begin it now and resolve to stick with it. (sticking with it is a real key here)  Then in one or two weeks from today, you decide, add one more change for the better. All these changes which are for the better will aid in your self-control. Improved self-control will motivate and help you increase endurance. As you do all these things, do them to glorify God. This will increase your godliness, brotherly affection and ultimately love. 

For myself, I have a schedule written of household chores to be done.  It is a page I print off of the computer each day and it takes me room by room to check each area for potential clutter and piles.  I'll share this list with you over the next few weeks.  It is easy to get off track of that list and when I do, not only do the household tasks fall apart, but other areas of my life start to slip through the cracks.  This past week, I've been back 100% on my schedule.  It is amazing how much more smoothly my house runs as well as the attitudes of everyone in the family when I just keep my schedule.  I resolve to work hard to stick with my schedule each and every day.

It all begins with just one change.  Just ONE change and do it for the goodness of all in your family.  May that change be an action that will ultimately glorify God.

Do you have a change you are wanting to make?  Please feel free to share it with us here.

Love,
Nancy

The 90/10 rule

Dear Friends,
I was writing a paper just this morning titled "Keep Ahead of the Game." It is my personal motto and it is basically the same as the Boy Scout motto of Be Prepared. The synopsis of the article is basically, the more we plan ahead and prepare ahead then the smoother things will go and the better everyone's attitudes will be. There are things in life that we cannot control that just happen. These things can affect our life negatively but.....if we have been prepared, and if we have the right attitude a negative situation can be halted in its tracks and not allowed to fester and snowball. Then wouldn't you know that I ran across this beautiful video on Jen's blog. I thought it reflected so eloquently on what has been on my mind today. The video is just over four minutes. I hope you enjoy it.
Blessings,
Nancy

Happy New Year

Photo Courtesy of Varda Chocolatier

Happy New Year!

Happy 2010 Everyone!

Dear Friends,

We are into a new year today. I've been reading about some wonderful blog posts about starting fresh and starting over and bettering oneself through resolutions, goals and commitments. Some of the posts have been really beautiful and inspiring. It is so easy for me to say, "I want to do that resolution too!" As much as I want to make myself an all around better person, I'm sticking with the two resolutions I told you about. I am going to menu plan faithfully throughout 2010 and hopefully it will become a habit to carry me on throughout life. I've been thinking about menu planning seriously for a couple of months now and I'm so hopeful to be consistently successful at it. I've written about menu planning HERE, HERE, and HERE. I'm also going to listen to the Daily Audio Bible that I mentioned HERE a few days ago.

Hopefully by keeping my list short and sweet I will be successful with these two things. One other thing to mention about resolutions that I read about is to focus on something you are really passionate about and that will help you be more successful in keeping your resolutions.

I've also read something several years ago that stuck with me. It was an article about starting over with making good decisions in life, for instance healthy eating. It said that there are 31, 556,926 seconds in a year. You can start over or start fresh during any one of those seconds. If you eat junk food and have sworn off junk food, you can start over right this very second. You don't need to wait until tomorrow, or wait until Monday or wait until January 1st. You can start over right now, this second. That is just a statement that really struck a chord with me and I've always tried to remember it.

So I'm sending all of you wishes for good health, peace and joy for 2010.

With love and blessings,

Nancy

Handbook for Life

This is something that has been going around the internet. I'm sorry I don't know who the original author was. I think it is so well written and it's how I try to live my life.

Enjoy!

Nancy



Health:
Drink plenty of water.
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured.
Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer.
Play more games.
Read more books than you did in last year.
Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
Sleep for 7 hours.
Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.



Personality:
Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
Don't over do. Keep your limits.
Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
Dream more while you are awake.
Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
Smile and laugh more.
You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.



Society:
Call your family often.
Each day give something good to others.
Forgive everyone for everything.
Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
Try to make at least three people smile each day.
What other people think of you is none of your business.
Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.



Life:
Do the right thing!
Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
GOD heals everything.
However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
The best is yet to come.
When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Happy Thanksgiving

Cornucopia with rewoven border. The spokes in this basket become the beautiful rim.

Dear Friends,
As with every year on this day it is a chance to really reflect on what we have to be thankful for. I try to always remember to give God thanks each and every day for my blessings. It is easy to be generically thankful. Lord I'm thankful for all my blessings.
I've been thinking of the specific things I'm thankful for. Yes, some are material things, but I'm still thankful for those material things because some make my life easier, some are fun, and some are just pleasing to look at.
Below is my list. What are you thankful for?
With love and blessings on this special day.
Nancy
My list of blessings I'm so thankful for.

1. That Jesus died on the cross to erase our sins and give us everlasting life.
2. My dear sweet husband Mike.
3. My three beautiful children.
4. My extended family.
5. My friends.
6. My internet and blogging friends. (That's YOU!)
7. That Mike has a good job.
8. Our home.
9. My backyardand garden. (I love spending time outdoors)
10. My health.
11. Our vehicles.
12. Our church and church family.
13. My computer and the internet (I learn so much here)
14. Our library.
15. That I know how to cook.
16. That all my shopping and errands are only 10 minutes from home.
17. My neighbors.
18. Food to eat.
19. Farmers.
20. That we have medicine for many of our ailments.
21. Comfortable and warm clothing.
22. Our onery yet very loving beagle Cindy.
23. Online schooling for my children so they can be home with me.
24. Pretty flowers
25. Butterflies
26. Airplanes and Amtrak
27. Duct tape
28. My list keeps going on but I figure after saying duct tape that you will think I'm just being silly. I really am thankful for all the small things in life, even duct tape. I'm thankful for the person who invented it. One time I was able to hold my car together and drive it home just because of it!

Point being, remember to be thankful even for all the small things in our lives.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving,
Love,
Nancy

Continued Prayers Please for a wonderful weaver and her husband

Dear Friends,
A couple of weeks ago I was asking for prayers for my dear friend Barb and her husband Rick. You can read about it HERE. I continue to ask for prayers for them. After 27 days of hospitalization, Rick is now at home but continues to be in pain and is still in need of medical care at home which Barb and home health care providers give. They both continue to have many worries over this and are in need of comfort and encouragement as well as healing.
As I said in my previous post, I met Barb when she took one of my basket classes that I was teaching. I taught her, her very first basket and the beginning techniques of how to weave. Above is a collection of some photos she has sent me and given me permission to post. Just look at her beautiful work now! She wanted me to say that these are not her own designs, but patterns of others that she weaves beautifully. Barb you are an artist!
Please continue to keep Barb and Rick in your prayers and uplifting thoughts.
Love and Blessings,
Nancy

Prayer Request for a fellow Basket Weaver

Dear Friends,

One of my dearest friends, Barb, and her husband Rick are in need of many prayers right now. I first met Barb when she took one of my basket classes years ago and she is one of the nicest people you would ever meet. Her husband was first diagnosed with colon cancer about 10 years ago and cancer has now returned in another part of his body. He has had two major surgeries in the past 10 days and is in ICU. Barb and Rick do not have children but their sweet cats are their family. One of their cats has also during this time been diagnosed with an inoperable mass.

Please lift them up in prayer and if you have a church prayer list, would you be so kind to add them to it. Rick has been in so much pain over the last days and Barb is in need of comfort. We know God is great and can do miracles, we just need to ask.

Thank you all.

Love and Blessings,

Nancy

Farmers' Wives Basketry and Gives Me Hope Website

Thank you Julie for sending me the link to the Farmers' Wives whom I mentioned August 9. I really appreciate it!!!

Friends, you can link to the Farmers' Wives HERE and see all their beautiful baskets and patterns that they have to offer. I love their style.

I also wanted to share a link to a new website I ran across. It is called Gives Me Hope. This website is full, FULL of beautiful news that is sent in by readers.

In today's world, I can hardly watch the news or read the paper any longer. The doom and gloom that reporters seem to thrive on just gets to be too much. There are horrible websites out there where people write in all the gloom they are experiencing in their daily lives. How awful to dwell on the negative aspects of our lives. I mean, none of us live a perfect life and never will until we go to live with our creator. To sit and dwell on what is wrong is our lives just brings everyone down. Even in the worst of circumstances God still loves us and there are areas in our lives that shine. We just need to learn to look for those shining areas. I know for some of you that may be easier said than done and it may take lots and lots of practice. Gives Me Hope is a website that was developed to counteract some of the negative websites that are out there focusing on how awful everyone's life is. Pop over there any time you need a pick-me-up. There is so much good going on in this world it is wonderful to see some of it and it may help us to be more observant to it in our own lives.

Love,

Nancy

The Profits from Basket Weaving

I was listening to Zig Ziglar's podcast, Inspiring Words of Encouragement. (you can download this podcast series for free from iTunes) Anyway, he was speaking today about how what we do will benefit, and is profit for ourselves and others. It got me to thinking about how I profit as a person through my basket weaving.

There are people weaving baskets for $$$. Some of them are selling through galleries and others through small shops. There are teachers, such as myself, who make money through teaching basket weaving. Some people sell their patterns they design, and there are other who are selling weaving supplies. Some people are doing quite well and others are making just a bit of spending money. Either way, what a wonderful thing to make at least a little money doing something you truly enjoy.

Do you know though that there are other profits, or benefits, made from basket weaving? I think there are some really terrific profits such as the profit of increase in your self-esteem. How great it is to feel good about yourself in learning a new skill or technique.

The profit of self-satisfaction is another. One of my favorite things about basket weaving is the short time frame required to complete a basket. I run my classes 3 1/2 hours each. I used to have them 3 hours, but there was always one or two students who needed a bit more time and I didn't want anyone to feel rushed. In that three hour time block you will have a started and completed a project ready for use. Most crafts take much longer and some can even take months to complete. What a great satisfaction you receive when completing a basket in just an evening's time.

There is the profit of leaving a legacy. If baskets are properly cared for they will last several hundred years. How wonderful to have your baskets passed down from generation to generation and to have your great-great-great-great grandchild think of you weaving this basket. They will wonder what you used this basket for. It will be treasured. This leads to the importance of documentation, the signing and dating of our baskets

The profit of gratitude that you receive from others by giving baskets as a gift. I don't know anyone who wouldn't appreciate a handwoven basket. Not only are they beautiful, but they are functional as well. Everyone can use baskets to help with organization and who doesn't need a bit more organization in their life. I know with baskets I've given others, I've been thanked many times over for them. To receive a word of thanks is so uplifting.

These are just some of the ways I thought of that I have and will profit from my basket weaving. How do you feel you profit from basket weaving or other art/craft skill that you have?

Blessings,

Nancy