Remembering Our Fallen Heroes

Hello family and friends,

However way you choose to spend this weekend, please take a moment to honor the courageous and selfless men and women who have, for centuries, given their lives to secure the liberties and freedoms of not only our own citizens, but for the freedoms of people and countries all over the world.

And as you enjoy the long three day weekend, please remember to pray also for the brave souls who fight battles in distant lands, in an effort to keep danger and evil from reaching our shores. Let us reassure them, with our support, our love, and our prayers, that their efforts are not in vain.

If you have a few minutes, please listen to this incredible, heartfelt MEMORIAL DAY AUDIO ESSAY from conservative talk radio and Fox News television host, Glenn Beck. It brought me to tears. I hope it moves you too.

And lastly, I'd like to share an editorial titled "Wake Up", which first appeared in The Phoenix Gazette on May 28, 1990. It is a touching tribute to the sons and daughters of America, who gave everything they had to defend all that our great nation stands for...

Wake up, Private, they will be here soon.

Colonel, wake up, it’s Memorial Day.

Somebody poke the Lieutenant over there and make sure he’s awake, too. They’re celebrating Memorial Day, and they will be here soon.

They will be here with small American flags pushed through the grass and earth on top of us.

They bring the fragrance of newly blossomed flowers, the stems still moist from the fresh cuts.

They will be here soon with trumpets to remember us and what we did in Arlington and Richmond, Leesburg, Gettysburg and Normandy.

They will come to read our names, touch our headstones.

They will think about you, over there, at Bunker Hill, and you, beyond, and the rest of the men from Fort McHenry.

There will be a salute with rifles, and it will be for you who came here from Guadalcanal and Pork Chop Hill, and you, beyond, from the jungles of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Grenada.

Wake up, Sergeant, they are coming with a speech for you and your soul mates from Beirut and Desert Storm.

They will be here for you, the men and women from Somalia and Panama and the recent fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Stay awake, now, sailor. They will be here soon with a song for you and your mates from the Iowa and the Arizona, the Pueblo, the USS Liberty, the Stark, and the Cole.

And you who served in time of peace but faced the fire and fever while patrolling freedom’s wall, they are coming because you gave the last full measure of devotion.

They are coming with quiet voices.

The assembled will again resolve that none of us, not one of us here, died in vain.

They will pledge that our rows will not lengthen without just cause or without the prayerful counsel of a united nation.

They will deliver to us the sweet, enduring promise that the United States of America shall not perish from the Earth.

They will be here soon, our sons and daughters, our wives and husbands, our mothers and fathers, our brothers and sisters, and those who never knew us.

They have not forgotten.

Thank you to our US military men and women; defenders of freedom and true American heroes, whose sacrifices and acts of courage we will not soon forget.

Read more...

Leading Him to Christ

Let me hear Your loving kindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; teach me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. ~Psalm 143:8


It seems like just yesterday that he was baptized; a darling four-month-old with quite a set of lungs when jolted from a nap. Two Sundays ago, he experienced his first Holy Communion; a quiet and well-behaved eight-year-old boy who shyly sang with his peers, "Jesus! Jesus! Jesus in the morning, Jesus at the noon-time. Jesus! Jesus! Jesus when the sun goes down."

Yes, of course I cried. I cried at how quickly he had grown from an adventurous toddler to a sweet little boy. I cried with gratitude for the tender heart and affectionate soul that I always knew we shared. I cried at the sound of his quiet little voice whispering, "Amen", before he took the Body of Christ. I cried as I watched his little hand form the Sign of the Cross over his forehead and chest. And I cried when he turned around to find me, smiling proudly as he caught my eye, as if to let me know not to worry anymore because Jesus was with him.

In a troubled and quickly changing world, it's often difficult not to be cynical. It's hard to know who to trust or where to put your faith. Uncertainty can easily take over hope for the future, especially in a country divided. But as I watched my son smiling that day, I realized that there is no reason for uncertainty; there is no reason to search for someone to trust, a leader who can unite us all for the common good. He is already here, and He is all we really need.

The months preceding Dayton's First Communion were filled with games, lessons, and activities that helped explain the Holy Eucharist to 7 and 8 year olds. Ironically, though I tried my best to guide him along, it was he who led me back to Christ. The innocence of a quiet little boy, whose knowledge of the world did not extend past the narrow roads of our small town; who had no worries about anything else...because Jesus was with him.

So I think I'll follow my son's lead and try not to let the world overwhelm me. Because the Hope that I believe in has never changed, and I need not look further than my own heart to find Him.

Read more...

A Dream Come True

I know most of you have probably already seen this, but for those of you who haven't, it's quite an inspiring clip. Remember that old saying, "never judge a book by its cover"? How true it really is.

This is 47 year old Susan Boyle from England. She is unemployed, lives alone with her cat, has never been married, and has never even been kissed. She's had a dream since she was 12...the chance to sing on stage in front of a live audience. So she auditioned for Britain's Got Talent (American Idol here), and was certainly not like the typical characters that audition for a show like this. But she dreamed a dream, and the result was this...

Read more...

My Take on Sketch #80

Here is a sketch from the Got Sketch blog and my layout inspired by the sketch. So fun! For more takes on this sketch, as well as other creative sketches, click here.

Read more...

Got Sketch Turns Two

Hello everyone! Have you been to Valerie Salmon's Got Sketch website? It's fantastic! There are so many inspiring and creative sketches to be found there, for scrapbook layouts and cards. April marks the two year anniversary of the Got Sketch blog, and they are having quite a celebration. Designer guests will continue contributing their interpretations of a specific sketch, prizes are being given away, and you can upload your sketch-based layout or card to the Got Sketch gallery. Head on over there and check it out. And prepare to be inspired :)

Read more...

Holy Week, Monday: Our Ransom is Paid

Jesus said, "For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." ~Mark 10:45

I have to admit, I never fully understood what Mark wrote in his Gospel until recently. Like so many, I have always been quick to judge my own actions and determine my own fate, believing that a difficult or painful event was a consequence of my sins. But I was wrong, because even when we do sin, the Bible says, "The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love". (~Psalm 145:8) It was my own insecurity that stood in the way of truly appreciating the free gift of Christ's death and resurrection. For most of us, it is hard to believe that we would just be given the gift of our salvation without any conditions. But that is exactly what happened: Jesus paid our ransom IN FULL, and that is a truth many of us find difficult to live by.

In The Journey, author Billy Graham explains, "Eternal life is a gift. Many misunderstand this and still think they must earn their salvation by their own good works. But we can never be good enough to earn our way into heaven, because God's standard is perfection. Our only hope is Christ." He continues, "Few things cripple a Christian quicker than a lack of assurance about his or her salvation... Who is responsible for His [Jesus] death? We all are. Because He voluntarily went to the cross for one reason: to become the final and complete sacrifice for our sins. If we had never sinned, He never would have needed to die".

We often speak of unconditional love in our family life, in our marriage, and in our friendships. Truth is, by human nature, we are programmed to expect reciprocity: a mutually fulfilling relationship, needing to feel validated, meeting in the middle, I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine. It's a very wonderful concept to strive for, but one that can only come to fruition through a commitment to Christ. Because His love is truly unconditional. He died for us expecting nothing in return. And if we can place our trust solely and completely in the grace of God, perhaps then we can learn to love others without needing to be loved back.

There are people who touch our lives with a simple act of kindness or a word of encouragement, and yet expect nothing in return. I have some dear friends who have made a difference in my life, and oddly enough, I've never even met them:

Lenni P., Lovely Cee, Ginny C., Dawn in NY, Jen McG, Sharon in Australia, Denise B., Amy M. from Colorado, Jennifer S., and Angela L.

I love you guys. Thank you for being you.

Read more...

Back in Business

Hi friends! After a long break, my shop is now reopened. I'll be posting more items throughout the next week. By the way, I'm creating a new album featuring some of my older products not included in my current shop listings. If you see something there that you'd like to order, just email me and I'll do everything I can to accomodate you. I'll be giving away some products next week sometime so check back soon. Thanks so much for all of your encouragement and support. It means more to me than you know.

NOW AVAILABLE

Read more...