a plug for my shop

a plug for my shop

I try to keep my blog posts as much about spiritual encouragement as possible! But I wanted to share that I have a couple of shops out there too!

I have an ETSY shop where I sell hand-made jewelry sets, designed by me from reclaimed beads. The shipping is free to anyone in the continental U.S.–if you are outside of the U.S., please feel free to message me about working something out!

I have several sets currently available and am working on more, but definitely need to move inventory!

Be sure to check out my FACEBOOK page or weardesigning31 album to see sets not yet listed!

Here’s a sample of what you’ll find in my shop:

I am currently earning money for some specific activities for our family; but a minimum of 20% of all sales goes towards MISSIONS, foreign and domestic.

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

lesson from an upholstery needle

lesson from an upholstery needle

This is taken from my instagram… posted last summer. I found it again when browsing my old pictures, and I know not everyone who reads my blog is on IG.

Sometimes sewing tools offer some pretty interesting insights for me. What I learned this day from a rather large upholstery needle, that looked as though it could withstand any amount of tugging and pulling, especially through a small mending project on my couch, was that appearances are often deceiving.

[this shows it next to a normal sized sewing needle]

Looking at this needle before I began my project, I would not have guessed the stress of previous mending projects had caused it to become so fragile. And yet, it was. I pulled, hoping to break the thread because I was too lazy to reach for the scissors; and the needle broke instead.

When we, in our often self-centered lives (remember, I’m talking about myself), neglect to notice the stresses we cause on others- through: being habitually late, unprepared, unlovingly critical… then there’s the spiritual stress of not praying for friends, forgetting to check on those we know are hurting, and many other situations that are unseen, but definitely felt- we then fail to realize that the reason someone becomes broken is often not because they were weak, but because we were too lazy to get the scissors and cut the string. We just pulled… along with everyone else in their life, and they paid the price.

Do you have a friend that is just always there? Always in his/her place at work, at church, in your school activities…? Thank them. Hug them. Send them a card. And also, don’t be late when you’re going to help… be prepared, and don’t offer criticism without a loving word or gesture. And then: pray for them; text and tell them so! You may need to pull on them, but try not to be the reason they feel broken one day.

#sewingtools #randomthoughts #designing31

 

This is taken from my instagram… posted last summer. I found it again when browsing my old pictures, and I know not everyone who reads my blog is on IG.
Sometimes sewing tools offer some pretty interesting insights for me. What I learned this day from a rather large upholstery needle, that looked as though it could withstand any amount of tugging and pulling, especially through a small mending project on my couch, was that appearances are often deceiving.
[this shows it next to a normal sized sewing needle]
Looking at this needle before I began my project, I would not have guessed the stress of previous mending projects had caused it to become so fragile. And yet, it was. I pulled, hoping to break the thread because I was too lazy to reach for the scissors; and the needle broke instead. 
When we, in our often self-centered lives (remember, I’m talking about myself), neglect to notice the stresses we cause on others- through: being habitually late, unprepared, unlovingly critical… then there’s the spiritual stress of not praying for friends, forgetting to check on those we know are hurting, and many other situations that are unseen, but definitely felt- we then fail to realize that the reason someone becomes broken is often not because they were weak, but because we were too lazy to get the scissors and cut the string. We just pulled… along with everyone else in their life, and they paid the price.
Do you have a friend that is just always there? Always in his/her place at work, at church, in your school activities…? Thank them. Hug them. Send them a card. And also, don’t be late when you’re going to help… be prepared, and don’t offer criticism without a loving word or gesture. And then: pray for them; text and tell them so! You may need to pull on them, but try not to be the reason they feel broken one day. #sewingtools #randomthoughts #designing31

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

confident

confident

3~I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4~Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5~For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6~Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
7~Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
Philippians 1:6

When I think of the word confident I usually think of being self-assured or certain about something… in a self-centered way. But here, our confidence is NOT in self! Our confidence is [and should only be] found in the work that Jesus has done and will do!.

We can be completely assured that Jesus’ work on the cross was enough for our salvation.

We can be certain that He has begun and will continue a good work in and through each of our lives.

We can walk through the day, not in self-centered optimism that the world proclaims, but in the humble, hopeful certainty that God is with us and Jesus is doing a work through us… to make us more in His image.

3~I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4~Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5~For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6~Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
7~Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
Philippians 1:6

When I think of the word confident I usually think of being self-assured or certain about something… in a self-centered way. But here, our confidence is NOT in self! Our confidence is [and should only be] found in the work that Jesus has done and will do!.

We can be completely assured that Jesus’ work on the cross was enough for our salvation.

We can be certain that He has begun and will continue a good work in and through each of our lives.

We can walk through the day, not in self-centered optimism that the world proclaims, but in the humble, hopeful certainty that God is with us and Jesus is doing a work through us… to make us more in His image.

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

one year writing plan: for KIDS

one year writing plan: for KIDS

I love browsing the internet for all the Bible Study resources out there. I’ve spent a few dollars here and there, and am ever so thankful for free printables, but one thing I have not found many of is Bible verse writing plans for children… specifically plans having just 1 verse per day. You see, I have a couple of children that struggle with writing-the actual physical act of writing; yet I really want them to have a plan and create a habit of writing Scripture! (as well as reading it!)

The book of Psalms is a particular favorite of many believers I know. 

And what a book it is! …so full of descriptions of God’s person and attributes! With so many truths packed into this one book and a whole year having so many days, I thought this would be a good pairing! I combined this desire and this love together into a 12 month writing plan for kids!

I have wanted my younger children to have a very simple writing plan as well as reinforce the powerful truths about God and His power, mercy and grace found in the book of Psalms for quite some time; so as I read through and saw so many verses I had marked over the years, I decided to create a writing for us plan that I hope can be useful to you too!

The actual plan is labeled only by numerals, and not a year, so you can use it many times over the years of young ones growing up. Simply save the file on your computer and print as often as you need.

Head over to Etsy to find it at a very reasonable price….

along with a few other printables I have for sale.

I love browsing the internet for all the Bible Study resources out there. I’ve spent a few dollars here and there, and am ever so thankful for free printables, but one thing I have not found many of is Bible verse writing plans for children… specifically plans having just 1 verse per day. You see, I have a couple of children that struggle with writing-the actual physical act of writing; yet I really want them to have a plan and create a habit of writing Scripture! (as well as reading it!)

The book of Psalms is a particular favorite of many believers I know. 

And what a book it is! …so full of descriptions of God’s person and attributes! With so many truths packed into this one book and a whole year having so many days, I thought this would be a good pairing! I combined this desire and this love together into a 12 month writing plan for kids!

I have wanted my younger children to have a very simple writing plan as well as reinforce the powerful truths about God and His power, mercy and grace found in the book of Psalms for quite some time; so as I read through and saw so many verses I had marked over the years, I decided to create a writing for us plan that I hope can be useful to you too!

The actual plan is labeled only by numerals, and not a year, so you can use it many times over the years of young ones growing up. Simply save the file on your computer and print as often as you need.

Head over to Etsy to find it at a very reasonable price….

along with a few other printables I have for sale.

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

How’s your {spiritual} gut health?

[Did you know that many of our physical illnesses and even some diseases have been linked to gut healthliterally the good and bad bacteria that line our digestive tract and help us extract nutrients from our food? Often, symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, joint aches, etc can be reversed through eliminating something from or adding something to your diet. Many people deal with food allergies manifested in the form of achy joints or skin issues instead of nausea or respiratory problems.]

Last week, a friend on facebook was asking a group of ladies about some health issues her child seemed to have and if any of us had dealt with similar issues and how we handled it. While there were a myriad of answers and all was civil, something struck me when I gave my answer, in part it was this:

I am finding almost every physical “problem” I have comes back to what I eat. It’s really annoying. Lol.

potluck

And right as I typed that… before I even finished posting the comment, I felt a tug from the Spirit of God in me saying, Yes, this is true in your Spiritual health also.

It was really like a sucker-punch to the gut- my spiritual gut. lol.

And a few verses came to my mind:

John 4: 13 -Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14- But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 48-I am that bread of life.

1 Peter 2:1-Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2- As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 –If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

1 Corinthians 3:1 – And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2- I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Jesus is bread-not just bread, but the bread of LIFE. He is water for thirsty souls–not just water, but water that becomes a wellspring of everlasting life: LIVING WATER.

Find_a_Spring

Bible study of doctrines and life principles are milk and then meat for a Christian-the FOOD of our Christian life.

When I consume excess sugar (or other foods to which I may be allergic, we are all unique) or processed foods that hold little nutritional value, my body gets tired, sluggish; and I do not feel well. My gut, where digestion takes place, becomes off-balance; and sometimes I get a headache. Other times my actual gut hurts or my joints get achy or I may have an unexplained patch of dry, itchy skin.

But when I consume life giving foods such as fruits and vegetables, good meats and healthy fats, other plants such as beans, grains and nuts, my gut is happy and my body feels nourished and energized to do the work of the day…..

So it is spiritually.

Bible

When I am not consuming personal Bible study but rather maybe just reading self-help items or relying on previous study, when Sunday comes around and the preacher only spouts “feel-goodisms” (even using Scripture, but there is no challenge to repent and GROW) without confronting sin and challenging me towards growth and a Christ-like life, my spiritual life gets tired. I become bored and sluggish in my attempt to live the Christian life… my spiritual gut becomes unbalanced. My spirit is not properly digesting Scripture for all its nutrients to cause me to grow in Christ.

But when I daily receive something from His Word, when the preacher expounds Scripture with challenges for me to repent of sin and grow and become more Christlike, I tend to feel energized and nourished to the point of growth and spiritual work.

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And there are season of my life in which I look back and realize there was such a sluggishness to my walk with the Lord, and other times I look back and rejoice at realizing I grew through a period and am not the same person I was!

These are just a few applications of which the Lord convicted me… there are others, for another time. 🙂

Have you ever thought about spiritual digestion like that before?
I’d love to hear how the Lord taught you! Leave a comment 🙂

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