Amazing Day

Yes! that is how I describe today!! We had our women's conference today and the Lord just totally blessed every part of it! It was different than any conference we have done in the past. God was just wanting to stir us up and cause us to totally depend upon Him for each and every part of the conference.
Our theme was "The Fragrance of Christ" from 2 Cor. 2:14-16. Amazing portion of scripture to study! We had the college team here and there were 11 girls that have been here the past 9 days helping us prepare everything and also painting and cleaning in the church! These girls were just awesome!!!! Truely a blessing!!!
One of the girls had worked in a flower shop for two years and made the most beautiful flower arrangements with stuff we went out and gathered from the parks and what was laying on the ground. God provides such beautiful nature!! We had flowers all over the church and candles throughout!! What a beautiful fragrance filled the church.
But, that wasn't all!!! About 5:30pm last night I get a phone call that one of the speakers cannot make it because she has pnemonnia (don't know if it's how you spell it). What did that mean???? PANIC!!!! It meant I had to teach and I only had a few hours to prepare. When Jesus said be ready in season and out....I learned to apply that scripture for sure. Isn't it just like our Jesus to show Himself faithful!! I relied upon Him as He tells us not to worry about what we will speak-He will put the words into our mouth. Such a testimony of His faithfulness. It always makes me nervous when I have to teach because it is such a huge responsibility not to misuse His Word!
We also had a time where the pastor's wives washed the feet of the women!! Ok-I couldn't stop talking about it to my husband!!! AMAZING!!! The women in the church have never experienced this before and God just used it to bless them and bless us as we did the washing! I don't say this because I want you to read it and say-oh wow-how neat that they did this-no, I say it to tell you that if you have ever been moved to wash someone's feet, then do it!! Don't not do it because it sounds gross, or because you are afraid-you will be so blessed to do this for someone. And, if you are afraid to have someone wash your feet, don't be. Don't miss out on what God has for you because of fear!! It's humbling for sure-to be so vulnerable before someone in this way-but it is an amazing act of love! The f ragrance is still lingering throughout the church and I can still smell the scent we used on my hands. Wow-it's just too great to put into words.
Don't ever be afraid or anxious about anything God wants you to do. Just do it!! Obey and He will bless you beyond what you can imagine.

Obviously I haven't been doing any scrapping lately. We have been so busy getting stuff at the church finished. It looks great with fresh paint and clearing out some piles of who knows what! Hopefully next week I will be able to scrap a bit. I really do miss it. I want to get some calendars soon to make Christmas gifts. I made them last year and they were a huge hit! I will have to do some looking around at the digi-shops to see what's out there. I think they are pretty popular from what I am 'hearing' on the boards :)

Well, I am tuckered out for the day! I pray that your life will be filled with the joy of the Lord and you will diffuse His fragrance in each place and person He brings your way today!!

Moving slow

That's how I feel lately. My body just doesn't seem to want to cooperate much these days. I guess it is bound to come with age LOL!
I have had pain in my right arm for over a year off and on. Not a constant pain but it I move my clothes in the closet area or dig through a pile of clothes at the 2nd hand stores here it just hurts and I can't use it for long. Now, it's gotten to the point of feeling all bruised inside-nothing is showing on the outside as being bruised but it just feels that way. Who knows, could be the way I sleep-I don't know. I only know that it hurts!!! OUCH!

So, we have 17 college students here for 10 days! Thankfully our church has a kitchen so they are able to do all the cooking over there. It would be too hard to fit that many people here-plus cook in our small kitchen!! I sure do miss American kitchens-well, atleast the ones we used to have! See, something to be thankful for when we realize we don't have it anymore.

Oh-I tried the home-made rub ons with transparencies. They work pretty good-transfer nicely too. The thing is that you have to make sure they dry and then use them right after that. I left mine overnight and they didn't work.

Thank you for the chocolate cake recipe :) I had to make from scratch though because we don't get mixes here. I found an awesome recipe from Ghiradelli and just used the chocolate from here instead of there's. The cake recipe is here and the frosting recipe is here. I dont' use as much powder sugar as the recipe calls for-a bit less. Also, when you make the frosting, it might seem as though it is not thick enough-frost the cake and then put in fridge about 15 min or so and it comes out perfect!! It tastes awesome with some vanilla ice-cream!! YUM

Haven't been scrapping much-arm pain :) Been sort of looking around at ideas-still loving these templates. I haven't been able to buy any lately but hopefully soon. I really like to use them and they make life so much easier for me. I just want to scrap and get pages done-I have no desire to put in magazines or even upload to galleries anymore. Just doing it for me and my family :) Of course, I can put some on the blog now and then too :)

Ok-I have to prepare something for lunch-don't know what yet LOL!! Nothing like last minute!

Shine on :)

Yeah, it's Friday!

ok-really I don't know why I get excited that it is Friday! My days are just as busy on weekends if not busier because of church and we have a bible college group each weekend come down to help with youth. So, that means cooking and cooking and a bit more cooking :) Ha ha-but I love it-I love being "mom" to these kids on weekends and cooking home cooked meals for them and creating a home environment for them. It's all the more special for me now that Marla is in CA and I depend on my friends to be there as "Mom" in my place since we are so far apart!

I chatted with her the other day and she's much better-I just want to give her a big hug!! Whoever said parenting stops when the kids move out really didn't know what they were talking about. It just changes to a different stage. I don't know that you are ever not a parent!!

For anyone looking for an awesome book to read I strongly recommend "Loving God With All Your Mind". It is by Elizabeth George. It is one of the best books around. I think I probably wrote about it a couple weeks ago, but I am getting old and can't remember much :) Ah-this book keeps me thinking all day long about the right things. Based on Phil 4:8. Thinking about what is true and real and not letting our minds wonder from us-just cuts to the chase about our fears, things we worry about with our kids, the future, everything. About what people think of us, trying to figure people out, etc. It is just awesome!! I think I may do a bible study with some of the girls in the church this summer with it.

I need a good chocolate cake recipe-anyone have one? We are celebrating our friend's birthday on Sunday and he would like chocolate cake. I had a really good one before but can't find it. There's a great one with Hershey's chocolate that comes in a can-it's fabulous!! I don't even like chocolate that much and love this one. Very rich though! But, we don't get Hershey's syrup like that here so I can't make it...need something else.

I managed to scrap a bit last night. THis is from last summer when we went back to the states. Marla was able to go to the high school banquet while we were there. It was so much fun for her. She went with a good friend of our family and they had a good time there. I love how the Lord always blesses His children!! This was so important for her to be able to go to since we lived here all her high school years. We homeschooled through the school and the homeschoolers can graduate and do the other things with the high school which makes it really nice for the kids.

I used a template from Lovely Miss Kait. I changed it a bit but it really helps me to have these templates!! I think it's the smartest thing on the market LOL-for me anyway. I don't have an artistic mind, but I love to make the lo's so it is such a help to have these to atleast start out with an idea.
Enjoy your day and may the Lord bless you and shine His face upon you :)


I used Kim Christenson's Be Trusting kit
and frames from Trish Jones

Heartbreak

Today has been a tough day! This morning I rec'd an email from my daughter with the subject line 'crying'. Nothing like your heart breaking in two being so far away and not able to give her a great big hug! Ugh, sometimes it's rough!!!
It' s kind of cute though because I could see 3 emails in a row from her in the span of about 1/2 hour. The first was how badly she wants to come back to Hungary to be with her dad and me. Then, her phone broke so she was saying I can't call her. By the third one, she was ok again!! So many adjustments she has to make in a short time. It's been 5 years of homeschooling because she wasn't allowed in the Hungarian schools, no real friends her own age, and close quarters living with us here. Now, she has to adjust to college, teachers, and of course living in a dorm full of girls!! LOL !!!! Boy oh boy are those days fun!!!!
It's a time to truely trust the Lord even amidst the tears. I had a really good cry a bit ago and sent her a few e-cards. It hard being so far away from my beautiful little girl!

It's interesting though because today I was preparing my bible study and the questions were about the cost of obeying God. Not just the cost to us, but to others around us-including our families. Families can suffer in a way because they are apart but God has promised that He will take care of all of our needs. He is ever faithful and all-knowing. I just don't know how I would get through things without the truth of His Word. It brings such comfort and hope!!

On another note, almost a year ago we went through a difficult time with a person in the church. Eventually they left the fellowship and said a lot of mean things about the church and my husband. Well, now he has asked to return! WOW!!!! I have learned so much in the last week about my heart and forgiveness!! I am actually excited to see what the Lord will do. DH is actually meeting with him as I write this. My heart is overjoyed that the Lord can truely restore and not only in this person's heart, but really through the trial has taught me about forgiving-really forgiving-not just pretending. I have to keep in prayer so that if and when the time comes that he and his family will return I will truely be gracious in my heart!

No lo's today. I have made a couple but they are with my friends photos and I don't want to put them on the internet! I did upgrade to PSPX and I am thrilled about it! I also bought Michelle Pearson's actions for PSP. They are awesome! I only could get one so far, but I am hoping to get more next month. You should check them out! She also has them for Photoshop. But, I am thrilled that these are available for PSP. It seems so much is out there for Photoshop and not PSP.

Ok-gotta run-----dishes are calling :)
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!!!

Happy Monday

Can it be that the day is almost over already (well, atleast on my side of the hemisphere it is). It's been quite a busy week here-lots of this and that to do.

I decided to use my Joann's free shipping coupon this weekend. No, not free shipping all the way to Hungary-though that would be AWESOME!! I had a gift card from the states and I wanted a few things for the album I am making for my in-laws. I am using all the Basic Grey Sublime papers and some of the different accents that go along with it. I was able to get a lot of the supplies while we were in the states and using my coupons!! I think I was collecting everyone's coupons all summer!! Anyway, I needed some more stickers and eyelets and all that fun stuff. I used up my certificate and my friend will mail it with some other stuff for me. Nice to have sweet friends.

Also, I checked into making my own rub-ons. I saw some advertised and thought about how I could do this myself. It's quite easy!! You should try it. Go here for some instructions. I figured with all the doodles and alphas and sayings I have bought and collected over time I could make my own fancy smancy rub-ons. I will give it a try this week and let you know how it works out. I can't imagine it wouldn't. Also, you know how they sell the popsicle sticks with the sayings on them-well, I think we can just rub it on the pop stick-voila!!!! One of the sites with instructions also said just take a paper towel and clean your transparency afterwards and you can reuse it!! Not too bad at all huh!!

I read a great thing this morning!! It's in the book by Greg Laurie-Breakfast With Jesus. He is talking about how the trial against Jesus was totally illegal for that time and listed the various reasons why. But, at the end it just grabbed me when he wrote this "In the end, the only conviction they could obtain came when Jesus agreed with their statement that He really was "the Son of God'. Now, when you hear a confession like that, only two options remain. Either you bow before Jesus as Lord and Savior or you sentence Him to death as a blasphemer. The Sanhedrin chose the latter option. What have you decided?" WOW that was great!! Just putting it down to that question-what have you decided??? All the arguements about this that and the other thing-all the controversy about who Jesus is-it started all those years ago and yet the question still remains the same doesn't it-as Jesus asked Peter-"who do you say that I am?" Isn't that true-Each of us must decide that and one day we will actually all have the same answer. The bible says that one day EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord-(Phil2:10) I always say-not a question of 'if' but 'when'.
May the joy of the Lord be your strength today :)