Recycling Creatively!

What fun I've had recently in creating a new line of earrings...made with recycled gift cards. Thousands of gift cards are thrown away every day in our country and I found a way we could be more creative with them than just throwing them into landfills.

What fun it has been! My daughter, niece, sisters, nephews, and other friends and family members are now "on the hunt" for used gift cards. And these wonderful people in my life have given me some beautiful cards to work with!

My boss mentioned to me one day that she had spoken at a ladies' conference where they gave away earrings made of gift cards from a particular company that went with their theme as gifts. I thought it was a great idea and hence, began making gift card earrings myself.

Ladies seem to love wearing jewelry that is not only beautiful and fun, but also helping to conserve our natural resources!

To view the earrings and get more details simply visit my website at http://www.janegraftondesigns.etsy.com/.

I'm Back!

If you look at the date of my last post it was Thursday, February 5, more than 7 months ago. It has, obviously, been a very busy year.

• I traveled more than normal going to Florida twice, California twice, Ohio, southern Indiana, North Carolina, and Minnesota.
• In June my younger sister moved from Oklahoma to Kankakee, Illinois, just 45 minutes from where I live. I love having her so close!
• My mother-in-law has suffered with poor health for a number of years; in July she had a heart attack and on July 26 went Home to Heaven. Her memorial service was actually a celebration of a life well-lived, and a very sweet time for family and friends.
• On August 1, my niece Ruthy, got married to a wonderful young man. They both graduated from college at the end of May and he is doing his graduate intership on the staff of our church.
• My sister-in-law Kris and I have been working on a book about menopause, and are nearly finished.

In the future I may write some posts about some of these events, but I wanted to explain my long absence from my blog!

Being so busy in so many different ways took nearly all of my attention off of making jewelry. And I missed that because creating and designing is relaxing and refreshing for me. During this busy time I did little on my Etsy website. Amazingly, in the past two weeks I have gotten three orders, and somehow, those orders caused my creative juices to flow again. It's been a lot of fun designing some new bracelets. I hope you'll take a look and enjoy these new designs.

As we settle into fall, I hope you'll take the time to observe the beautiful changes that will be taking place...the bright autumn leaves; the beutiful mums; the crisp, cool nights; and the harvest moon. God is so good to have provided so much for us to enjoy. In all of the busyness of my life this year, one of the things that helped me so much was nature. There is a healing balm in taking a few minutes every day to look at a sunrise or sunset and realize that God put it there for us to enjoy. The same is true with beautiful flowers, or deer playing in the woods, or squirrels scampering from tree to tree.

I Timothy 6:17b says that God, "giveth us richly all things to enjoy." I truly hope in the days and weeks to come that you will "richly enjoy" all things God has provided for you in this wonderful fall season!

A Wonderful Valentine's Gift

I was looking for a special gift for a dear friend who I felt could use some extra encouragement. I found a wonderful gift...a beautiful handcrafted wire cross with a silver heart (pictured left). It is a refrigerator magnet. I liked the cross so much I decided to order a similar one for myself.

I was thrilled when the crosses arrived in the mail today. I was so pleased when I opened the package to find that the magnets are even more beautiful than the picture.

You may find the cross (aong with a a variety of other crosses) at the following link:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20486218

The cross is a symbol of our Christian faith. It is the symbol of our salvation. It represents the fact that Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, came to this earth and died on the cross for our sins. He not only died, He rose from the dead and had victory over sin and death.

Please check out TC's wonderful shop!

Make It a Truly Happy New Year

I am writing this blog the last day of 2008. Midnight tonight marks the beginning of a fresh new year. It is unscathed from hurt, disappointment, rejection, and failure. It reminds me of fresh-fallen snow with no footprints (human or animal!). Fresh fallen snow is beautiful and sparkly.

I know a number of people who feel that the year 2008 was one of the worst years of their life. There are a number of reasons involved, but the fact is these people look back over this past year with disappointment, regret, hurt, grief, and relief that it is over.

So how can we prevent that for 2009? Does life just happen leaving us no choice but to either have a good year or a bad year? Does "fate" just take over and make our years good or bad?

Absolutely not! Now, we cannot control the hurts and disappointments that come into our lives. I am thinking of a dear sweet friend of mine. She and her husband were less than two months from celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary when he succumbed to cancer and went to Heaven. This lady had given her life to building a strong marriage and a strong husband. He was a very successful man who depended on the love and help of his wife in a great way. I recall the Sunday after the funeral. She was in my Sunday school class. I was amazed. She had just buried her husband but she got up, got dressed, and went to church. The grief-stricken look on her faced pierced my heart but I watched her week after week as she faithfully came to Sunday school and then agreed to become our class pianist (which we desperately needed; I had been filling in!!!) I've watched this lady put one foot in front of the other and keep walking when I knew she was grieving deeply. I saw her begin volunteering to help at our grade school. I saw her watch her grandson play baseball on my husband's little league team. I saw her be show her grandson and his wife a wonderful time as they visited her for a few days upon his return from Iraq. The week before Christmas she informed me she would be gone for 3 Sundays so would not be available to play the piano. She said, "I know it would not be good for me to stay here during the holidays." So she went to spend time with her daughters.

This lady had a very difficult year as she saw her husband waste away from the cancer. She saw him take his last breath. She has grieved deeply. And yet, in many ways she has had a wonderful year because of her attitude. I am sure she would not choose to re-live the hurt and grief of this past year. But she made choices that have made a difference and that have actually helped her move faster through the grieving process.

She will grieve over the loss of her husband for the rest of her life; but meanwhile she is living a fullfilling and productive life and making a difference in the lives of others. We all have a choice when the hard times come. We can sit and lick our wounds and stop living life. Or we can take time to grieve (no matter what the hurt) while we keep busy and help others. We can focus on our grief and hurt or we can take time each day to grieve and then extend a helping hand to others in need.

Why don't you make some plans for 2009? You don't know what lies ahead, and it may be that some very hurtful and disappointing things may happen. But why don't we plan that when the hurts come and the disappointments and grief seem overwhelming that we will refuse to succumb to their hold.

How do we do that? First and foremost, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." We cannot walk on in victory alone. We can only do it through the strength we receive in Christ. Let's make 2009 a wonderful year; not because no disappointments or hurts come, but because we have Christ on our side to give us strength to make it through the hard times and we have the Holy Spirit to comfort us through the grief that comes.

God bless you in 2009! Have a wonderful and happy New Year!

Christmas Gifts...Dread or Delight?

Christmas is coming and with it comes the privilege of giving gifts. As a customer I must decide what I want to purchase for gifts.

I know that there are those who dread Christmas. I'm sorry about that because Christmas is not a time I "have" to purchase gifts. There is no one in my life I "have" to buy a gift for; rather, there are many people I "choose" to buy gifts for because they are people to whom I want to express my love.

Years ago my good friend (now my sister-in-law) and I purchased gifts for two new friends in our lives. When we all opened our gifts we laughed because we had gotten those two ladies the same gifts we received from them...except our gift sets had more items. We had purchase the more expensive set of the same line than they had purchased for us. These ladies were so embarrassed and hurriedly said they would buy us more. It was embarrassing for Kris and me because we did not buy them gifts to get a certain gift. It was awkward to have them keep telling us they would buy us more. That is not what Christmas is all about. That incident taught me a good lesson. The amount of money I spend is not what is important. What is important is that I give what I can afford and give something that shows my love to the receiver.

Sometimes I am able to give more expensive gifts. Some years I have a very limited budget. Last year was one of those years. I have a lot of co-workers and neighbors I like to do something for, but since my budget was limited I made gift baskets for them. I made apple butter and salsa. I don't recall having such response to gifts. Both recipes were tried and proven and were delicious and I got such wonderful thank you's for those gifts.

If you have a long list of people to whom you give gifts just because you feel you "have" to, why don't you re-evaluate. There are probably people whom you could cross off your list. The fact is, there probably are people to whom you give gifts that may give you gifts for the same reason. Quite possibly they could be relieved when you don't give them a gift this year, paving the way for them to take you off of their list next year.

Possibly there are people to whom you should give a gift, but you don't want to. An example might be a hard-to-get-along-with boss. Maybe just a little perspective on your part would help. Even if your boss is not the kindest of people, that person is giving you the opportunity to take home a paycheck. Be grateful for what that person does do for you.

I do think it is important to remember service people, especially people like the garbage man. Those people work hard with little thanks or remuneration. This does not have to be a big gift, but it is a kindness to remember those people.

Sometimes the most meaningful gift you can give is a gift of words. Write a note stating some specific ways the person has helped you or encouraged you. Thank them for their investment of time, love, kindness, etc.

We don't have to dread Christmas. In fact, we should look forward to and delight in this wonderful day of celebrating our Saviour's birth. Start planning now which people should be on your gift list, how much money you can spend on the gifts, and then plan meaningful gifts that will truly say, "I love you; you are important to me." My niece and nephew gave several people in their lives a "Photo of the Month Club" coupon for Christmas last year. They gave a small attractive photo album with space for 12 photos. Each month they have sent a photo showing something that they did with their two boys that month. The recipients have so enjoyed that gift and it was something they could afford.

By starting to plan now and by planning wisely, your gift giving can be relaxing, meaningful, and something you begin to look forward to!

Moms and Daughters

My sister-in-law, Kris Grafton, and I worked on a project this past summer that has come to fruition. What started out to be a book on hormones for adolescence through menopause ended up being a book for mothers to help them know how to talk with their teenage daughters.

When we mentioned "the talk" or asked ladies what their mothers told them we were amazed at the lack of talk between mothers and their adolescent daughters. From generation to generation, mothers are failing to talk with their daughters. If we mothers don't talk with our daughters, where are they going to get their information? Their young, inexperienced, misinformed PEERS! That is not God's plan. He wants you to talk with your daughter.

We're excited to present this 200+ page book filled with practical knowledge about hormones, the physical changes that take place during adolescence, etc. But the book is so much more than that. Those "facts" can be found in many books. Talking to Our Daughters is different for several reasons. First, the foundation of all that is taught in the book is based on Scripture. One of the great problems with our society (actually the great problem) is that God is left out. He is our starting point! He is our foundation! Secondly, the book gives very pracitcal guidelines of when and how to talk with your daughter. Thirdly, the book addresses the emotional and spiritual issues that young people face.

One of my favorite chapters is the final chapter, a Bible study on the Naaman's maid who helped find healing from leprosy for her master. She was a teenage girl who possessed the same traits our young people have today. The Bible is such a practical book!

The book is available at http://www.graftonpublications.etsy.com/. I would encourage every mother of daughters who live at home to purchase this book and use it as a very practical guide to help you guide your daughter(s) into womanhood God's way. This is a book your daughter(s) want you to read!

Oh, by the way, we have not forgotten the original book we started. Next year we will publish a book on hormones from young adulthood through menopause!

Teen Entrepeneurs

If you have read my blog for very long, you know that I have a great love for teenagers. They are a group of people filled with passion, energy, ideas, and potential. They are our future and that behooves us to invest in them, support them, guide them, and encourage them.

Today I did a treasury on Etsy and featured all teen sellers. (http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=16813) I've had some conversations with a few of these teens and they have a great spirit. (Pictured is one of the featured items.)

If you don't have some young people in your life I encourage you to look for them, find them, and invest in them. My mentor of 25 years who passed away of ovarian cancer in 2001 said, "Invest in young people; they're where it's at." She was looking at life from the perspective of knowing she would soon be in Heaven. She knew where to invest her time and energy. One of those young people she invested in was my teenage (at the time) daughter. Her investment is paying great dividends...and yours will too!

Women's Health Issues

For several years I suffered a myriad of health issues. I had no idea what was wrong and continued to get more and more frustrated as physicians, even at major medical centers, told me there was nothign wrong with me. It was in my head. I was in pain, experienced horrible fatigue, and sometimes didn't think I could make it up the steps to our bedroom when I got home at the end of a day. I had no idea that my issues were hormone issues.

I began praying and begging God for answers. He heard me and led me to a Christian physician who gave me incredible help. It was then I realized I need to take more responsibility for my health and began to do research. I read dozens of books, listened to tapes and CDs and attended seminars. It has been a slow journey, and I am still not completely back 100%. However, I never dreamed I could lose weight, have energy, and live a normal lifestyle with a full schedule again.

I have written a book entitled, Feeling Great and Looking Good for the Cause of Christ. in which I share the principles that have helped me to regain my health. I have written seven books. By far, I have had more response from this book than any other. At conferences where I speak ladies come to me in tears and tell me they have their life back because they have followed the principles in my book.

If you are suffering with health issues I am sorry for you. I want you to feel good again, have energy, have a clear mind, and be able to function and do the work God has for you on this earth. You can purchase this book at our new Etsy shop, www.graftonpublications.etsy.com. God bless you, dear reader. I trust this book will be a help and a blessing to you.

Enjoying Fall

If you live where there are changing seasons you are, as I am, most fortunate. My husband just said today that we are nearing the peak with the changing trees in our area. It was such a gorgeous cool, crisp, sunny day here in Northwest Indiana.

There are so many great things about fall...the changing leaves, the falling leaves (it's so fun to "shuffle" through the leaves), bountiful harvests of so many kinds of squash, apples, and more. Yards are decorated with colorful mums, pumpkins, cornstalks, bales of straw, and scarecrows. There are bonfires with hot chocolate, hot dogs, and s'mores! There's that first frost and seeing your breath in the morning.

Enjoy these wonderful fall days. Drive where there are lots of trees and enjoy the color. (We live near the Indiana Dunes and always take a drive there in the fall to enjoy the thousands of trees.) Soon it will be winter. I love winter; it has a beauty of it's own. But take the time to enjoy today...the beautiful fall with all of it's color! God made it for us to enjoy so let's do it!

Really? Christmas Already?

I love Christmas. It's a wonderful time of year. Now, I realize it is still nearly 3 months away and I'm already talking the holidays! Let me assure you that I will not be forgetting Thanksgiving. It has become my favorite holiday in the past few years because I have so much to be thankful for. Please know that I will be posting blogs on the subject of Thanksgiving.

The reason I am mentioning Christmas is that I know people are already doing their Christmas shopping. I've hesitated to start pushing Christmas, but people are looking for gifts and I want to have available to them what they need and what they are looking for. That is why I have a shop on Etsy...to sell jewelry.

I am encouraging those who have shops online to go ahead and list the items you want to sell for Christmas. I listed two items tonight on Etsy and have had a good response already in just a few hours. One of the items I listed was the pair of blue venetian glass/sterling silver snowflake earrings pictured above. If you list items you are wanting to sell for Christmas let me know so I can take a look too! And, Merry Christmas! ...oh, that hurt, didn't it?!? It's still fall! I promise you I am enjoying every day of this beautiful weather...the turning of the trees, the crisp fall nights and more. I just want to encourage you to plan ahead and be on top of your inventory and your fall sales. God blesses us when we organize, plan, and work that plan. I want to help you have a great selling season this fall!

Singing the Chocolate Blues

Most women love chocolate and most also love brown and blue together! I think you'll enjoy the treasury I put together on Etsy filled with chocolate brown (including some delicious cookies!) and blues. Click and check it out! http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=10496

Colors are powerful. They convey messages, evoke emotions, stimulate feelings, and more. Enjoy color...especially all of the colors of nature around you. I love red and black and white...which are the colors God put together on the woodpecker. I like light blue and forest green together which are the colors God used when He placed green trees against the blue sky. Nature is a great source for color combinations. What beauty all around us!

Plus-Sized Bracelets

One of the fun and interesting things about having a jewelry shop on Etsy is getting to see all the beautiful designs the talented artisans offer! It's also fun to share some of these with others.

I was able to get a treasury on Etsy this morning and because I have had special orders for plus-sized bracelets I filled my treasury with beautiful and varied plus-sized bracelets on Etsy. Let me invite you to browse that gorgeous treasury.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=8730

I know it is difficult for ladies with larger wrists to find beautiful bracelets so I offer all of my bracelets to be custom-sized at no extra charge. Enjoy looking at the treasury and also at my shop!

How Do You Feel About A Schedule?

My daughter is currently taking a class on time management. She is taking a full class load at college and works 30 hours a week. In addition to being involved at church she likes to socialize, and so the class is being a tremendous help to her. I met with a dear friend today who is doing some volunteer work for our Christian ladies' publication ministry and she showed me her weekly schedule. This is a lady who built a multi-million dollar business and now uses those talents to help others. Her schedule is incredible and shows why she is able to accomplish so much. I grew up on a dairy farm, which meant that we had to milk the cows twice a day every single day. You could never just decide not to milk those cows; they had to be milked. If you wanted the best production it was important for the cows to be milked at the same time every morning and every night. Being forced to do so much by schedule on the farm was very good for me.

There are times I feel overwhelmed and feel I just can't get everything done. This is an extremely busy time of year for me because our church will host an international ladies conference in just five weeks. But every time I get overwhelmed I know what the answer is...schedule all the things I have to do rather than worry about them.

When frustrated it is important to look at all the demands on our time and evaluate if there are some things we should let go, but often times the real culprit is that we are not scheduled. We don't live by a plan, and therefore, do not accomplish all that we should be able to do.

Fall is a great time to re-establish your priorities and schedule our time. We resist putting constraints on our time and the things we do as it can seem constrictive. There is a part of me that just wants to do things as I feel like it, but the problem with that is it makes it impossible for me to accomplish all that I am supposed to do each day!

Start small and start now. Make a list of all the things you feel you need to accomplish in the next 24 hours. Be realistic; if you are feeling overwhelmed tomorrow is not the day to clean out the attic! List the duties in order of priority and then work on them one at a time. Stay focused. When you are tempted to do something not on your list resist the temptation and stay on track.

Have some goals and make a plan to reach those goals. I have a jewelry shop on Etsy. There are two extremes that can happen. One is that I don't schedule "Etsy" time and do nothing or very little to build that business. The other extreme is that I list new items and then spend unlimited time in the forums...causing me to neglect other responsibilities. I talked with my husband and we made a plan for how much time I will spend on the jewelry business each day. That helps me to keep the balance. I had time to list the above pictured bracelet today because I scheduled time to take pictures, edit the pictures, and post the listing.

Schedule and planning are your friends. Embrace them...and have a wonderful and productive fall!

Are You Seeing the Signs of Fall?

I absolutely love fall! It is probably due to all of the great things that happened every fall when I was growing up. We would rake the leaves and play in them. We had bonfires where we roasted hotdogs and marshmallows and drank hot chocolate. We got bushels of wonderful apples including golden grimes, yellow delicious, and more. We got to eat acorn squash from our garden; Mom baked it and then served it with melted butter and brown sugar! Grandma came from Kansas and baked apple pies. We went on rides to look at the turning leaves in the Minnesota Valley near New Ulm. Oh, it was wonderful! If you live in a southern or western state where you do not see the trees turn I am sorry. It's such a treat!

Look for signs of fall. Tomorrow we will go with two of my nieces and their two sons to the local apple orchard. We'll take a hay ride, pick apples, drink apple cider and eat cinnamon doughnuts and then come back to our house for a weiner roast with s'mores over a fire my husband will build. It will help provide wonderful memories for these primary and junior-age boys!

Why don't you plan some "fall activities" for some people in your life? Make memories that will last a lifetime. It doesn't have to cost a lot; it's the fun and time together that makes the difference.

Look for fall and enjoy it; start getting out your fall wardrobe; make a purchase or two that will rejuvenate your wardrobe, such as the carnelian sterling silver pendant shown above. (You're welcome to check out my shop at http://www.janegraftondesigns.etsy.com/.) I just want to encourage you to enjoy fall from start to finish! HAPPY FALL~!

In the Beginning God...

From the time I was a young girl I knew that God created the Heavens and the earth. Fortunately, even when evolution was discussed at school my parents had grounded me in the Word of God well enough to know that it was simply impossible for all of the beauty and wonder around us to simply "evolve." Psalm 146:5, 6 says, "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever." At the end of every day in Genesis when He finished creating for that day the Bible says, "...And God saw that it was good..." Truly, everything God made is good and it is beautiful. As artisans, God is our example and He is our greatest source for creativity. It is God who puts the creative thoughts in our minds. Every time I design a new piece of jewelry I pray to the Master Designer and ask for His help. I made a treasury today featuring some of God's creativity...enjoy! http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=5262

In All Labor There is Profit!

While for many Labor Day is simply another holiday, it is much more than that for me. I grew up on a dairy farm and so holidays were not "labor free." The cows had to be milked twice a day 365 days a year (and 366 on Leap Year) without fail. The chickens also had to be fed, watered, and the eggs gathered. On Christmas and Thanksgiving, usually the only work we did on the farm was the milking, feeding the livestock, and caring for the chickens, but on most other holidays such as Memorial Day, Labor Day, and usually even the Fourth of July, a lot of work was done on the farm.

Dad was a steady, hard-working type of man who was not much into vacations. Our usual "vacation" each summer was to leave about 9 a.m. to go fishing (which included a picnic and other fun things) and return about 6 or 7 p.m. to milk the cows. In his later years Dad took a couple of vacations with us three girls, but I'm not sure he was that thrilled in traveling the country. He owned a small airplane and I think he would have preferred flying to driving! He went because Mom and us three girls wanted him to come with us.

On Labor Day of 1978 my dad went to Heaven at age 70. Both of my parents passed away on holidays. My mother, who was a more social person and passed away on January 1, 1977. We all thought it was so appropriate Dad's Homegoing was on Labor Day! I owe my dad a great debt for teaching me to work. I did not think such when I was a teenager, but it was so good for me to work on the farm. After my older siblings left home I was responsible to milk the cows twice a day for my remaining years in high school. The lessons I learned are innumerable and I am grateful. Having to perform daily duties such as milking helped me learn to be a hard-working responsible person.

Parents do their children such a favor when they teach them to work and I am grateful my parents did so! Proverbs 14:23a..."In all labour there is profit..." No one lives on our farm any more and the buildings are in disrepair, but I still have the character and integrity that was instilled in me from the work I was required to do. This Labor Day, rejoice that you are able to work and that someone taught you to work (it does not come naturally!) And if you have children, be good to them...teach them to work!

The barn [l] and the chicken house [r] pictured above were taken by our former neighbor and friend, Wanda Anthony.

Etsy Treasure-"Reminders of Our Faith"

Tonight, for the first time, I was able to snatch a treasury on Etsy. What fun it was! A few days ago I had posted a thread on Etsy with the same title. So many wonderful people posted wonderful items from their shop. I simply went through and picked some of my favorites. The only problem was that I found more favorites than I was able to list! Why not visit the treasury? http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=4514 and enjoy!

Teen Entrepreneurs

I love teenagers. They are energetic, spirited, loyal, compassionate, creative, and zealous. I've met a lot of great people since starting my Etsy shop to sell my jewelry and one of the greatest groups of people I have met are teenagers. I had no idea teens would have shops on Etsy, and yet I have met some wonderful young ladies. Pictured are items from three different shops. The earrings are from 2 sisters, Michaela and Susie, who are middle school students in Pennsylvania. Their shop is at http://www.jsjewelry.etsy.com/. The card is made by Emily, who is a home-schooled senior in high school from Indiana. Her shop is http://www.cardsbyemily.etsy.com/. The other picture is from the shop of JustLikeRebekah who is also a home schooled teenager. He shop is at http://www.justlikerebekah.etsy.com/. Michaela and Susie are very new to Etsy so their shop is still small, but they are adding items regularly. I want to commend these young ladies and other teens who have taken the initiative to start a business. One of the greatest characteristics that helps people through the hardest and most difficult times of life is a strong work ethic. These teens are developing their work ethic and are to be admired. Enjoy their shops!

The Investment is Worth The Time & Effort

God blessed my husband and me with one daughter, Carissa, who will turn 22 in about 4 weeks. I remember holding her the day she was born...and looking at her long, curly dark eyelashes, her beautiful blue eyes, and her soft skin. My husband and I had dreams for her; not dreams to pursue a certain career, but dreams for her to become a woman of integrity and character. As young people get into adolescence and sometimes seem to forget all you ever tried to teach them (like how to make a bed and clean their room and more) it is easy to wonder how they will "turn out." I have several thoughts:

1. Just keep on praising. Young people don't need to hear your fears or concerns expressed. They are trying so desperately to prove they are okay. They need our affirmation.

2. While your children are young invest all you are able to into them. Yes, it's work; and yes, sometimes it's trying, but it is well worth the effort.

3. Prayer is one of your greatest resources. What a mighty God we have who wants our children to become productive adults. Go to Him and ask Him to fix what you cannot fix in them. (Sometimes what we think needs fixing is actually the corresponding weakness of one of their greatest strengths; getting rid of the weakness might also get rid of the strength!)

You may be wondering what brought this blog to my mind. Carissa and I are employed by the same ministry. We are in the process of producing a music CD to be released in October. The recording company came to our campus and set up their equipment to record. Carissa was put in charge of coordinating all of the singers and musicians, checking them in, giving instructions, having snacks, drinks, etc. in the room and more. The recording was scheduled for two and a half days from early morning until late at night. She had a lot to do; she left early in the morning and arrived home late at night. But she was excited. Everything went so well and I received so many comments about how she treated the people, took care of all the details and helped the entire process run smoothly.

It's very rewarding to see her becoming a responsible, gracious young lady of integrity and character. We worked hard to invest in her and make our home a happy place. However, we are human and we did not always succeed. We made many mistakes as parents; and, in fact, there are many reasons humanly speaking that she should not be a functioning adult! But I believe one of the most important things we did was take her to the Lord in prayer. God can get to the heart where we cannot. God can work where we cannot.

If you have children at home, invest in their lives daily; but also daily take them to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to help them become all he wants them to be. He wants to partner with you in rearing your children!

Loving Color

I love color, don't you? Can you imagine living in a black and white world? It seems it would get quite boring very quickly. I love the bright red cardinal sitting at the top of the tree highlighted by the shining sun; I love the bossy blue jay who pushes his way in to get what he wants; I love the bright orange tiger lily that blooms in my front yard and seems to last forever as one flower follows another on the plant for days; I love the turquoise lakes of Glacier National Park and the dark brown moose of Maine. Red is my favorite color, but I really like all colors. For some reason I used to think certain colors were "ugly." Isn't that silly? The truth is, every color is beautiful when it is used properly. We can definitely look to God's creation to get color ideas...some of my favorite combinations are the woodpecker (red, white, and black), the iris (green and purple), and the female cardinal (taupe, black, and red). I like to use David Christiansen cane glass in making bracelets because it is so colorful. Each piece of glass has a beautiful combination of colors and because it is quality glass the colors are clear and bright. I believe God loves color (quite obviously he splashed it everywhere in His creation) and I believe He wants us to enjoy color...looking at it, wearing it, decorating with it, scrapbooking with it, and more. Enjoy all the color around you and rejoice that you have eyes to enjoy all the color!