Sometimes Sinner - Sometimes Saint

My Walk Monday - just share what is going on in your walk for the week or just the day so we can run this race together!

If it appears I didn't "run" anywhere last week with the Lord from the lack of post (I think with me appearances are rarely deceiving) then it most likely appears correct.

I made it to ladies Bible study last Thursday, but that is where I noticed I am trying to live a week off of one or two days mana! My group leader encouraged us not to live without being in His word EVERYDAY... if that was all I needed to be there to hear, I heard it, and the Lord encouraged me and convicted me with it. Thank you Dee.

I got into the word on my own on Friday. And was very blessed in the word from the Youth Pastor on Sunday. Yesterday and Today I was in the word on my own as well.

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I have been praying what is really hitting me or getting my attention in my walk that I want to share this week. And even though I have been blessed in His word I really feel convicted to look-up another song.

This song is from a c.d. my hubby recently bought. I already had a couple favorite songs off of it, but every time I heard track ten I knew God wanted me to listen! Listening wasn't good enough though, as I am not always good with figuring the words of songs out, so today I was finally obedient to look it up.

Here it is...

Lord I know You are showing me my heart. You are showing me that my actions prove I don't wanna be better. That I don't want You to put me together. That I like to sit around and believe there's no one as messed up as me.

I see You show me that I lie. I see that I don't try. Lord I don't deny when I am wrong, but I when I continue on the path I do, I hate seeing that being miserable is my own fault and that I hurt You. I'm sorry that I don't try. I'm sorry I make You cry. I'm sorry I do the things I do and I don't care for You.

Lord I really want to be better. I want You to put me together. Please change my hurtful, hateful mind, it's sick and I want You to heal it. Like the leper I beg You to cleanse me.

Lord when I feel I can't hide the demons I face, I pray You give me boldness to get in their face. I know that I'm a sinner, but the lies I hear regarding this like to keep me there. I pray that You be willing to free my eyes from the binders I place. I pray that you heal my mind from it's messed up embrace! Lord please revive me, renew me, let me walk in LIFE and sanity!

I love You Lord, please forgive me.

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!" Psalm 27 : 13 - 14

Happy Mother's Day

My church played this video this morning at service and (being pregnant) it made me cry. I have had a hard week at home with the kids. I did things that make me feel like a bad mommy and my enemy would like to tell me that I am. But I also learned today that God's grace is sufficient! He was already telling me that all week while we were going through this tough time, but really today He convicted me with it (thanks Justin for bring it bro!).
I was really blessed to hear that God saw all my tears and am blessed to know that He cares about every little reason I cry.
I pray you are blessed as well by this video, but even more so by the Lord and His grace to you and your family this Mother's Day, and EVERYDAY. Know you are loved my dears.
May you always walk and talk with Jesus!!!

Scrapping and Venting

For Scrappin' Sunday we share our "ta-da's" and our "to-do's" to keep us motivated each week. Join me...

TA-DA - Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I actually made my Mom and Mother-in-law cards this year (I'm a pretty stinky daughter). I just hope I put them in the mail on time.

I used this card from the S.E.I. Thank you card kit (that I am selling) as a base to follow for my Moma's cards...

And for my moma's cards I used random scratch paper from a recent layout...

And get this... while I was at the post office I had to deal with a fun lady (the post office worker!) that asked me if ALL three of my kids were mine! Three??? REALLY?! This really annoyed me if you can't tell. What's wrong with having three kids woman?!

Oye, I am so emotional lately. It's really hard and very much not funny. I feel bad for my husband because I just expect him to get over when I treat him poorly because (look at me) I kinda have a reason, lol. Sorry Joshie.

And I feel bad for my kids too. It's really hard not to be upset about pee'd beds, spaghetti sauce stains and wet couch cushions when you do 6 loads of laundry in one morning :*(. Not to mention the floors, table and counters that seem to always have dried food and crumbs everywhere :*(. Then there's the dishes and the dirty bathrooms and the trash with the smelly diapers... waah waaah waaah!

Sorry for the vent, let's get to my running TO-DO list...

1. Make mother's day cards.
2. Get CTMH order out.
3. Got to post office to send old scrapbook gifts! - This week.
4. Make niece's belated birthday card.
5. Plan more layouts.
6. Send out niece's belated birthday card - This week.
7. Print Studio J layouts before they expire - This week!
8. Alter Altoids tin for May workshop - This week!
9. Get kits ready for May workshop.
10. See what's missing for workshop and get supplies.
11. Alter Recipe box for June workshop.
12. Make sign-up sheet.
13. Make a wedding card.
14. Journal on old "finished" layouts.
15. Plan more layouts.

The things I DID get done... (more TA-DA's I guess)...

- My "planning" of more layouts came in the form of actually getting one made! It was a Studio layout of coarse! So fast and easy! I shared the layout earlier this week, I think it's a favorite :)

- I didn't journal on my older "finished" layouts, but I did go through all my albums to see which ones were missing journaling and I made a list. I even made a list of which layouts I would like to do a little touch up on, I think all of those just needed an adjustment in the Title area...

Thanks for looking... and listening :*)

Missed one...

... I think I made this layout back in February or something.

But I never took a picture of it to share with you :) so here it is...

The pics here are from my youngest sitting for the first time and learning to scoot! :*)

The paper here is "Blue Ribbon" from CTMH - I bought it knowing it would be a perfect fit with that red, white and blue outfit she was wearing!...

It really is a very cute pack with all the flowers and butterflies, perfect for the fourth of July - take a look...

More Studio J...

This is what I've been doing tonight :) while I sit around with a stiff neck :(

I think this is my favorite Studio layout yet. Of coarse it might be because I already knew and totally loved this "You Rock" line of paper!...

Or I think it might be my title that goes with the star paper :)...

I also really like how easy it was to journal directly on the "empty" space in my son's picture...

It could just be all the yummy pictures of my son that are effecting me also though!!! :)

Remember, if you want to try Studio J, it's free.

And there is a special introductory sale right now... if you get 5-9 layouts printed you receive free Memory/Page Protectors and if you get 10-20 layouts printed, you receive free Memory/Page Protectors + free shipping/handling!!!

Need I say Anything?!

Tackle it Tuesday

I tackled THREE weeks in a row!!!

That's so exciting to me - it means I'm getting stuff done! :)

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I got some more crossed off my to-do list (below).

I organized and pared down all the children's clothes I had in bins... actually 7 bins, 1 box and 1 garbage bag!

It's looked like this in my front room for probably a month. I kept telling myself that if I kept it all right in front of my nose I would be more prone to getting it done in a timely manner. Well I finally got it done...

This was part of the organizing process. I went from 9 containers of clothes to 3! All sorted by sizes...

I knew ahead of time that these three bins would fit under the crib, even though it doesn't look like it here...

... they do! :) and it's so nice to get them out of the way...

... I didn't take pics of it, but I was able to give 2 big trash bags of baby girl clothes to my friend and another 3 bags to the goodwill.

And with all that taken care of - and the hanging of my guitar - and a little rearranging - this is the AFTER shot! Much, much better...

I even got all my completed scrapbook albums out and organized them to go into the bottom-right cabinet the entertainment center pictured above.

I figured it was an empty storage spot and finished albums are meant to be looked through for entertainment purposes... so why not relocate them to the entertainment center? :)

I have 10 in all, but only 8 fit...

1. My old church camp album.
2. Our wedding album (the first one I ever made).
3. My husband's gift album of us before the kiddos.
4. Our oldest daughter's birth to 1 year / baby album.
5. Our son's baby album.
6. Our younger daughter's baby album (not complete yet - I have 7 layouts left).
7. Another album of the kid's layouts, but each each kid only gets 2 layouts a year.
8. And then it's our family album :)...

All very exciting organizing for me!!!

It's nice to to give everything a place to be. Even from last week's tackle with the bunkbeds, I had extra boards from the disassembled top bunk that had to go somewhere in my 2 bedroom apartment! So I slid them under the couch! :)...

Strange? Maybe, but it works. I also wanted to share another little trick that brings me sanity :). An unused scarf tried to the doorknob and the new bunkbed to keep the kids from opening and closing the door a million times when they are playing...

LOVE it!

Now onto my running TO-DO list - I got 2.5 things crossed off...

1. Organize and pare down hand-me-down clothes in bins.
2. Hang acoustic guitar on wall in front room.
3. Pack hospital bag.
4. Make labor index cards to help hubby coach.
5. Get kids to doctors appointments and sign-up for WIC.
6. Get a work-space built for homeschooling in the Fall.
7. Get birth certificates and immunization records.
8. Find online courses and sign-up to do my own general ed.
9. Donate car.

Sunday Scrappin'

For Scrappin' Sunday we share our "ta-da's" and our "to-do's" to keep us motivated each week. Join me...

TA-DA - Yesterday was National Scrapbook day, so I had my sister-in-law over and we scrapbooked together... it was fun.

I posted some of the day's progress HERE, but never showed some of the details I am sharing now...

And I never shared my other finished layouts with you - sorry for the bad lighting. (I am not the greatest with my camera yet.)

The paper here is CTMH's Magic Moments... which I totally love, I made a Studio layout with it as well HERE.

Of coarse (unlike my Studio layouts) my journaling box is waiting for me again!...

I was proud to use some of my older supplies this weekend, the rub-ons and mailbox letters (Making Memories) I have had for a long time now...

I also used older CTMH flowers with some newer corduroy brads (which I love!)...

This layout's paper pattern is another favorite - Topstitch.

Again, sorry for the bad lighting, I miss the days of scanning my layouts for you :(...

More of my old mail box letters, old ribbon and old rub-ons...

With more favorites from CTMH of coarse - their photo hangers!...

I even got to use something very special to me in this layout. This flower I saved with a bunch of others that we used as decoration from my first daughter's baby shower 6 years ago!!! Of coarse I inked the edges of them with my almost always used ink color - Chocolate Brown...

(Thank you Auntie for saving them from the trash for me!!!)

Don't forget you can celebrate National Scrapbook Day all month with CTMH's special Miracle kit - check it out!

Now onto my running TO-DO list...

1. Got to post office to send old scrapbook gifts! - This week.
2. Make niece's belated birthday card.
3. Make a wedding card.
4. Finish undone purple layout.
5. Journal on old "finished" layouts.
6. Print Studio J layouts before they expire.
7. Plan more layouts.

Update on the Fun!

I fixed an recent layout's title - silly mommy had he wrong year birthday!

This is what it was...

And this is what it is now...

I also finished a layout that was planned two weeks ago...

This was a fun one with the crystals...

... The Big CTMH flower ...

... the filigree charms (a well priced favorite of mine) ...

... the small flowers (on sale till supplies last) ...

My kids took their naps while I was getting that purple layout done...

My two year old decided she wanted to sleep on the floor today...

My son woke up and drew his first person! And my 5 year old looks like she wants to learn her alphabet in a different language :)...

Now I'm going to start another layout from my youngest daughter's baby album......

It's National Scrapbook Day!

Are you excited?!

What are you doing today to celebrate? :)

I'm going to have my sister over to scrapbook with me ALL day!!!

I'm excited to show her (and you :) Close to My Heart's new Summer Idea book - it comes out today!

There are some GREAT new paper packs in here that I can't wait to show you all as well! Including my favorite featured on the cover there :).

They also have another favorite of mine that is running as a special kit just for National Scrapbook Month! It's called Miracle and it comes with a lot of great yummies - take a look! And order online a.s.a.p. if you want it because all these type of special kits are while supplies last only.

Oh! And if you are a digital scrapper or would like to try a new challenge today, try out online scrapbooking free with Studio J.

It's all Close to My Heart products and they even have a special set of "papers" on there that you can only make layouts with online!...

Very exciting stuff! I will be blogging throughout bits of my day to keep you involved in my fun. Please let me know how you're doing as well :).