its been awhile...

so I'm pretty sure I haven't even looked at my blog since summer... it seems a little overwhelming to come back now but I have some fun creations to share since I've last posted so in the next few days expect to see some fun projects!

on my heart...

Take a few minutes and just soak this in -- you are BEAUTIFUL!!

A friend posted this the other day and i have come back to it and watched it about twice each day for the last 3 days.   It has totally encouraged me - He called me beautiful!!  

Do you think I’m

BEAUTIFUL?

Does anybody think I’m

BEAUTIFUL?

I do.

I do proclaims the voice that spoke the skies

And He says let me dry your eyes

I have heard your cries,

I only wish you had heard mine.

Galaxies and shooting stars

I set spinning so you would know the beating of my heart

I painted rainbows and roses so that you would know that you are a work of art.

I gave you strong winds and rushing rivers,

So would know you are my strong Sons of Thunder

I gave you the sunrise and moonlight

To let you know how precious you are in My sight.

I sent my Son to live and die and rise for you

So that you would know

I love you

And I think you are

BEAUTIFUL

I have been struggling with a few things this past month or so and the subject of beauty and struggling with self worth and just feeling completely undone by the question -- am I beautiful?

all I could think of was that beauty was tied to love - and love was for the pretty and beautiful and since i had neither what was I worth? 

So i challenged Jesus - the word says you are ravished by the sight of one glance from my eyes - so i looked up to him and asked what am I worth to you - and truth came back into my life.

I saw the Jesus on the cross and he said you are beautiful!

-He loves me - He who knows me more than anyone else said I was worth it - says I am His and I am precious!!! Take in this truth!!

It is so easy to get lost in the world's way of thinking.  To get disconnected to the point where you look at life through the prospective of the world but jesus just says YOU SHALL LOVE ME - forget what the world says YOU SHALL LOVE ME!

His Son’s scars was the call
And this is His children’s response
With hands in the air
With voices together that drown out the enemies lies

I am
BEAUTIFUL
I am
BEAUTIFUL
I am
Washed in the blood of the lamb
Washed away the soot and sin so you and I can
Clearly see that

I am A new creation
A new sensation
I am a floodgate of heaven,
Made to reveal heart of God to the heart of Man
Showing brothers and sisters what they are so they can
Join in our war cry shouting

I AM YOURS LORD

--mike young

So if you are struggling with this - let the truth soak in! let it change you - shout out "i am beautiful" and let jesus make it so real to you.  Ask him to tell you all the things he loves about you - how he made you perfect.

on my heart...

Ah today has just been one of those days where I got nothing done but did so much!!  Most of my day has been spent cleaning, finishing up some projects and listening to music.

One song in particular I totally just put on repeat check it out  here -download it!!

Make us ready

Let there be oil in my lamp, let the fire not go out,

When I hear the bridegroom comes

Let there be oil in my lamp

Make us ready

So take my lamp and set it on a hill

Set it on a lampstand 

And I won't be hidden

I'll be dripping with the oils of love

The song is so simple yet spoke to me so much and sent me into a time of just seeking God.  It also confirmed to me the importance of oil - how I would love to stand in front of the bridegroom  dripping with the oils of love!  And the quickening in my heart of the need to be ready, to have my lamp burning when the bridegroom comes.

Also it challenged me - I know my lamp is nestled closely among many other lamps, pleasantly hidden.  The idea of asking Jesus to take my lamp (my ministries, gifts, and just fire for him) and set it on a hill - and it caused me to ask what does this look like in my life?  Where is my hill?  How do I get to this place to be ready?

It got me to thinking about dreams and desires - how he knows the desires of our hearts and sometimes its so scary to actually think that he wants to give us the things we want, but really they are what he wants for us!  When we are saying yes to him through our path - we are getting the oil!

What is your ultimate dream in life? God places desires in our heart for a reason! He wants us to be at the center of his will, pursuing the passions that he has placed in our heart

Jessica's Bridal Shower!! (i forgot to post this on June 1st like I had planned)

My amazingly beautiful and fun friends Jessica and Derek are getting married soo soon!!

I was so excited to be asked to be a bridesmaid and just share this super exciting day with them!! But before the wedding comes the bridal shower!! and man o man was I sick of tissue paper after this!!

The pom-poms were actually really quite fun and quick to make and I suggest them to anyone who is looking for a quick and inexpensive way to make some decorations!! Check out this tutorial from Martha Stewart -- just click here - mine to not look  quite as beautiful as hers... but still I think they were so pretty.

Check out the some pictures!

 I think there was over 20 tissue pom-poms made!!

 There was also a little station set up to leave some words of wisdom to Jess for married life!  

 I just really liked this little corner!

 Jessica's mom made a surprise trip to Powell River for the shower!! Made the night!!

 Praying into Jessica and Derek's life and for many blessings to follow them!

 The amazing chocolate fountain!!

and the night ended with a huge bowed bra!!

Baby-in-the-hood Jacket!!

This would have to be the most advanced sewing project I have ever tackled and it turned out amazing!!  Check out my baby in the hood jacket I made for baby kaiden.  I used a pattern from my favorite book right now Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner.  For the most part the pattern was pretty easy to follow - it did show me I need to practice my top-stiching a little more and the next time I make one I think I'll try to make it a inch or two longer.


Buying fabric here in Powell River seems like quite a challenge most days as we only have one fabric store! The one we do have is ran out of the basement of the owners house and everytime I go I always feel slightly uncomfortable... But I was able to pick up this amazing polka-dot blue and green novelty fabric and have been holding on to this bright orange for quite some time, and when I saw the two together I loved it!!


I wish the pictures turned out better - but I was in a bit of a rush...

this could be my most favorite thing I have ever sewn!

here are the amazing quick change pants I made for the beautiful miss alison out of the Handmade Beginnings book by my hero Anna Maria Horner!!

They were so easy to make and the most fun was picking out the fabrics to use since the different ways to put them together could be soo cute!

They are a size 3-6 months because i loved them so much I wanted her to get to wear them for a longer time.

They are reversible!! Which really makes them that much more amazing!! 

These were for sure be a staple for all baby showers and children's birthdays!!

This week really has been CRAZY!! I just got home from an amazing weekend with an amazing crew of youth away at historymaker -- so many lives touched by Jesus, so many dreams planted - really just such an exciting time!!! The theme was stand so I thought I would leave you with a song by Leeland that really touched my heart this weekend.   The bridegroom is coming!!

A birthday dress for a special little girl!!

Here is the little jumper I made for my birthday twin - abi!!  

I wanted to make something super cute so I was looking through the one-yard wonder book and came arcross the all-ages classic jumper.  It was really fun to make and quite easy as well.  Actually it was all easy up until I needed to make the button holes... they pretty much ruined me and my sewing machine... thus I sewed them in by hand...  but it still turned out adorable!!

Hope you like it!!!

I have come back to my love of sewing!

I've recently bought two new sewing books and have had such an amazing time getting back into my love for sewing.  I am certainly a little rusty and with a new machine it has not been a very smooth transition - as almost every project has had to have a little bit of hand sewing due to the fact that I had broken the machine and been unable to finish using it...


The first book I picked up was One Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Projects.  Its really fun to go into a fabric store and just get a yard of all the fabrics I love and know I will have something amazing and fun to make out of it when I have a gift to give or am just feeling the need to create something!!

The second book I picked up is Handmade Beginnings - by Anna Maria Horner.  The book is filled of amazingly cute projects for babies - and since babies just seem to keep popping out everywhere these days I know i'll get to do a ton of these fun projects!

I've already finished a few projects so hopefully I find my camera cord and am able to share some of the finished projects.  They are some of the cutest things I've ever made!!

thrive and shine!

So apparently having a blog takes alot more effort to keep updated than I thought... Its really easy to take tons of pictures I would love to share but then they get lost between my phone and the computer... I'll have to work on this!!

Today was a pretty amazing saturday! Did some garage sailing (actually this part of the day was a little disappointing... there really were not any good sales out there for me, I did get a few little treats and did sit on one of them...)

Then me and mel were off for the women's Thrive and Shine run put on by one of our favorite families from youth.  It was our first time going to the run/walk and it was a blast.

The run/walk is a super fun fundraiser put on to raise money for the Grace House, Powell River's safe house for women and children.  This year the t-shirts for the run/walk came from India so we are also supporting a group of women who are trying to find freedom from prostitution and sex-trade.

It was a super encouraging walk - here are some pictures of the day!

We fell in love with these huge blow up flowers!!!

Its hard to see - but the trails were SOOO muddy!! 

The entire time I felt like I as going to slip and fall for sure!!

The trails were all marked with bras and underwear to show the right way - It was amazing!

We ran into some of our AMAZING youth on the way!!

Of course I had to stop and sing some Country Road with Aliya!

Bronte was looking super cute!

Holy these girlswere amazing!! 

Dropping some sweet beats like it was their job!!

Then the race was finished by getting a lay! 

I was also pretty excited when we finished because I won a door prize - some sweet under armor capris!

Also made it down to the beach for a quick visit with some old friends! Matt and Levanna your family is sooo beautiful and it was so awesome for you guys to come down for a surprise visit!

I have also been working away at a Mother's Day gift - its actually really cool so hopefully I'll put up some pictures tomorrow!!

25 hours of silence

On sunday night at 7pm myself and over 91, 000 other participants took a vow of silence for 25 hours to help raise funds to stop Africa's longest running war.  We sacrificed one hour for every year of the LRAs leader Joseph Kony reign of terror over the villages he stalks and the child soldiers he has abducted.


The point of the day was to raise awareness through our silence - to cause a silent revolt - it wasn't easy.  I didn't really know what to expect for the 25 hours.  I knew it would be hard but I never knew how hard!  To not be able to tell someone what I was thinking or feeling or even asking for help became so much more difficult.  I had questions I wanted to ask.  I had things I wanted to say.  I had conversations I wanted to have.  I was silent.  It made me wonder what if this wasn't only for 25 hours - what if this was my life.  To be ignored.  To only be able to speak through my thoughts.  To not be heard.  It would be unbearable!  Things must change - these children deserve to have a voice - they are not worthless.


Through Invisible Children's: The Protection Plan - IC plans to put in effect a strategy in the LRA affected areas that will protect innocent civilians from brutal LRA violence, provide rehabilitation for children rescued from the LRA and facilitate progress towards apprehending the top LRA commanders.

Watch this to learn more about the Protection Plan

PARTICIPANTS

91, 355

FUNDRAISERS

32, 821

PROTECTION FUND

$1, 660, 761

To learn more about Invisible Children go to www.invisiblechildren.com

I went into the woods to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.  I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary.  I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartanlike as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime,  to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.  For most men, it appears to me, are in a strange uncertainty about it, whether it is of the devil or of God, and have somewhat hastily concluded that is is the chief end of man here to 'glorify God and enjoy him forever.'  -- Henry David Thoreau

whats on my heart...

Behold the bridegroom cometh! Behold the bridegroom cometh! this has just been going through my head all day long, I could just sing it over and over and over again!

because i put myself in a parable, at the midnight hour will my lamp be full, with precious oil and a heart alive, will I be ready waiting for that cry - behold the bridegroom cometh!!

Just finished listening to a message by julie meyer --

When Deborah started her journey, she had a tree and the grumbling, complaining children of Israel. When Deborah finished her journey, she had oil and she arose to save a Nation.. When Moses started his journey he had a stick and a stutter.When he ended it- he had oil & spoke to God face to face as a man speaks to a friend.

I don't think I had ever heard or at least rememberd a message preached on the need of oil. How important it is to just say "yes God - I'm yours God - teach me your voice" How all the little yes's in our life just gives us so much oil. Getting to know the one who loves you, trusts you and fills every part of you is where the oil comes from - and what good is a lamp without the oil.

He gave each of us a journey, each of us a lamp. The greatest thing we can do is just say yes to the things he puts infront of us and not to long for someones elses journey. Don't be fooled by someones lamp - its about what's on the inside. Its about the light we give off and not how pretty our lamp is - the difference of being wise and being foolish.

I want to be ready in the midnight hour - i want the oil. Behold the Bridegroom cometh!!!

Matthew 25:1-13

1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

-- how much oil do you have??

iPhone, oh iPhone...

oh my dear iphone, you broke my heart just like your screen cracked into a million pieces.. note to all - just because you drop your phone millions of times - it is not indestructable... it will only take one fall to crack its beautiful face forever... My one fall was last friday - it dropped out of my hand like any other day and I actually didn't even notice it craked until a few minutes after it happened... Right now it is off getting fixed at a mac store in nanaimo - so please don't call or text as I will not get back to you - which leads me into the funniest thing that happened this weekend! Me and jess were down on the island shopping for a bridesmaid dress for me, so out on our shopping adventures we stopped in to the mac store to see how much it would cost for the screen to get fixed... a ridiculous amount by the way... so we were looking at cases while the guy was doing the paperwork and jess askes "hey, can I try this case on like you try on a shirt" the guy looks at us "umm... no" so i pay and hand over my phone to get fixed and mailed back to me at some point during the week. As we are leaving I forgot to turn off my phone and remembered that "friday" was my ringtone and it would be really embarassing if someone phoned as the ringer was on high... so jess decides it would be really funny to phone it just minutes after leaving the store. After its been ringing a few times she turns to me as askes "ash? when I phone does my picture come up?" we both started gutting ourselves lauging. As it turns out we had no luck finding a dress and almost missed the ferry as I needed to have a 10 minute shop at superstore... what we did find out was that I tend to drive quite fast when needed and does not always stay in the lanes... however jesus did get us home safe!! puji tuhan!!

bigger, better and a blake-cake

Well tonight for youth we did a bigger and better night - some crazy things came back!!! Some of them were a didgeridoo to oven mitts - CRAZY!!!

The girls also decorated an amazing cake!! (in the shape of a "b" for blake)

Also a very sad thing happened... my iphone falls on the regular but tonight for some reason my phone decided to fall and the screen cracked everywhere... I would post a picture but it's still pretty close to my heart.

Its crazy how life before my phone was content - but now after having one I don't want my life to go back! As soon as I got home I was searching ways to get it fixed, because what would life be like if I wasn't able to check my phone every 5 minutes...

a day without shoes...

Millions of children grow up without shoes and at risk of infection and disease. One Day Without Shoes is the day we take off our shoes to raise awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child's life. Its amazing how much not wearing shoes changed my life for the day - I cared what people would think - I really double thought where I could go and at the end of the day my feet were soo dirty and sore, it even broke skin a few times. Made me so thankful that tomorrow I can wear a pair of shoes. here is a collage of my day without shoes!! I managed to go to work, thebeach, shoppers drugmart, walked a little on the sidewalk and to dairy queen, and even though PR is pretty small a few people even knew why I wasn't wearing shoes! it was pretty cool.

baby kiewit finally arrives!!!

welcome to the world baby alison!!

my amazing friends - shawna and ryan -

welcomed their second beautiful girl into the world

a little sister to the energetic rebekah mae

born into her mommy's arms

sunday night at 6:05pm

8lbs 7oz

"Children are a gift from the Lord - they are a reward from Him" Ps. 127:3

"Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;

you formed me in my mother's womb.

I thank you High God - you're breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration - what a creation!

You know me inside and out,

you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread our before you,

the days of my life all prepared

before i'd even lived one day" Ps 139:13-18

It is just so incredibly exciting when babies are born. It's amazing how God knows us and loves us before we are even born and creates us into these perfect little beings. Everything about how babies are born is just unreal! Such an amazing blessing from God.

Its become a little bit of a tradition for me to create welcome home signs for when the mommies and babies come home from the hospital and I'm getting pretty creative with them.

After trying to break into the shannon household once and found out that they are one of the few people in town who lock all the doors and windows! I got keys from ryan and broke into drop off my welcome home sign.

Some pictures of the process...

and then finally after breaking in the sign now hangs from the tv

Lazy sunday

Today I spent my afternoon relaxing on the couch - working on my top secret crochet project... and while I was enjoying my afternoon one of my favorite childhood movies came on - Adventures in Babysitting!!! I can't actually remember the amount of times I would put this movie on and lip-sync to the song "and then he kissed me"!!!

I got this call from Brenda. I went to pick her up.

Tire had a blow out and my mom's car got shot up.

And these guys started to chace us.

And we all got hijacked. huh

We were crusing down the highway,

In this big, ol' Cadilaic.

And it's so hard!

YEAH!

It's so hard...

Babysittin' these guys.

She got the.....Babyyyy sittin' bules.

Baby, baby. Babysittin' blues.

I've got the...Babyyyy sitting blues.

For many weeks after watching this movie with my sister everything she said was like she was singing the blues.

saturday morning garage sales --

Woke up this morning a little late and set off to find some deals with mom on this extremely windy saturday morning!

Bought two milk jugs and a beautiful deep pink vase - filled with my favorite flowers freesias!!! also picked up a book for a friend - Little Men.

The dedication reads :"To Freddy and Johnny, the little men - to whom she owes some of the best and happiest hours of her life, this book is gratefully dedicated by their loving aunt weedy"

--also while peeking through the pages found a pressed leaf!!

can't wait to do some of these pillow patterns!

also picked up this really sweet basket - not entirely sure where to put it yet but for 25 cents I couldn't walk past it!!