Are You a Dog Lover? (Day THIRTEEN-30 Day Challenge)

Last night I was talking with some women from my church at our weekly 'Girls Night Out' meeting. The topic...To love or not to love. You would think that the topic would get old. You would think that eventually we would run out of things to learn about love. Nope...we always need to grow in our ability to love withOUT condition. 

Think back to when you were a child...or think of young children you know. For children, love comes very naturally and easily. I love to watch kids on a playground.  

They meet, they play, they enter into friendship. Having the right clothes or brand of shoes doesn't matter in the least. Their parents social status makes no difference. They see, they speak, they love. It is not only faith I learn from my children. It is joy in all circumstance. It is peace after prayer. It is love without condition. At what point did we decide that love was our option instead of God's clear command?

In our discussion last night we started by talking about how love does not judge. Conquering a judgmental heart/spirit is difficult when you don't recognize it. But what if you do see it? What if you've realized your tendency to judge others only on what appears to be truth...and you do nothing to change? "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal." 1 Corinthians 13:1 

I realize I quoted that verse already during this 30 day challenge. Get over it. Lol! ;-) I'm about to quote the rest of the 'love chapter'...so go ahead and prepare yourself. I am going to quote it in the NCV so that the wording is just a little bit different than what you probably have memorized. I want you to read it like it is fresh and new. Skimming over words of life and truth is easily done, but I'm praying that you don't skim or skip. I'm praying that you read them slowly and carefully...allowing fresh revelation to sink in. God has something to teach you today...or He would not have brought you here. :-)

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always remains strong. Love never ends." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

How many of the things that are listed in those verses as the 'NOT to do's'...describe you even 1% of the time? How many of the attributes of love that we ARE to do, describe you 100% of the time? Love is hard sometimes. I don't pretend to be excellent at it. I'm still learning how to love...daily! It is always a test...because love is vital to showing Christ's heart to people. How do we learn? We can fake it...but how do we really learn to love?

Being intentional is a great place to start. Love doesn't always come naturally...which means absolutely NOTHING. NOT A THING! We can't trust our natural...because we are born sinful and broken. We must become like Christ. We must strive for His character. We can not be content with our sin...we must be disgusted by it. Fleeing from it as soon as we realize it is there.

How else can we learn to love? As one of the ladies said last night...we could take our cues from a dog. Yes...I meant to say what you read. A dog. Dogs are instinctively filled with love. They long to see us. They love to be around their family. They love new company. They don't care how long you are gone...they are ready, wagging, and awaiting your return. They make it clear when they want your attention...and are soooo beyond excited when you respond to their request. They are up for anything. You lead...they follow. They don't care who you are or what you've done...they can learn to love anyone if given an opportunity.

How do you compare? It's a bit sad isn't it? Sometimes I don't love to be around people that make me uncomfortable for one reason or another. Some days I don't want company showing up. I'm not always awaiting the return of people I deem difficult to love. When someone wants attention I don't always want to comply. In fact, I judge them sometimes as needy or *gasp* high maintenance. I'm not always excited to give of myself to someone in need. I don't always show love to people in the ways I've come to know they desire. And I don't show love to everyone I'm given the opportunity to.

Ouch! I just realized that my dog is smarter than I. That stings...but i clearly needed a reminder. I do not have love all figured out...so I must strive to be more like my diaper eating, trash sniffing, chicken chasing mutt. Lol! 

I am sooo going to try it this weekend. I'm going out of town with some ladies from my church and I'm going to try to love them like a dog. Joy in just being together...yep. Passion to learn and grow with them...you betcha. Take them for walks...very probable. Always ready and up for the challenge to love in ways that they crave...that's what I'm praying!

Need lessons? I have a friend who has some puppies they need to get rid of! ;-) 

Show love intentionally today. Let me know how people respond!

Project Flower

So, about three years ago I saw this idea in a scrappin’ magazine. I loved it and decided I just had to do it. Only problem…three years ago…I had no desire to spend much time on DIY projects. Mainly because I was not at all confident in my ability to actually make my project look as pictured. God is speaking life into me and my abilities…and I am starting to LOVE being a bit crafty. So…just three very long, exhausting short years later I am ready for my DIY debut. Haha! It was fun…and my husband has already picked out the picture that he wants me to do for our own house. (This one went to a beloved couple that got married this past Saturday.)

I must first give credit where credit is due. I got my inspiration idea from the wonderful ‘creating Keepsakes’ magazine. (If you are a scrap booker...it is FULL of awesome ideas and tips!! Well worth the money...especially if you are not super 'creative' like me.)

If you are sitting there, as a faithful subscriber to the magazine, thinking you can’t remember this craft project. I must tell you…I borrowed this magazine as I said, three years ago. But…it is the AUGUST issue from 2008! I have done almost every page in this magazine in my scrap books. Seriously…it is a bit sad. Lol! You can look through the magazine and then look through my scrap books…and see that I pretty much just changed the faces and names. I AM CRAFTY! I keep telling myself. I am just not very creative. *shrugs shoulders* I have accepted that truth. ;)

The page below is the page in which I am referring to in the creating Keepsakes magazine. (Page 49 for any of you hoarders out there who keep every issue…just incase you get back to it someday. Lol!) The master crafter is Becky Higgins. Thank you Becky for your idea, which I kindly copied and am super excited about!



Here are all the supplies needed. Let me go clockwise starting with of course the frame.
1) I chose a Better Homes & Gardens frame from Walmart. It is dark brown in color…although black would’ve worked well too. I probably would’ve chosen a larger mat…but I improvised. :)

2) In the middle there is my completed project goal…and of course my printed picture. I used the black and white print. (The sepia is for another project and another day.) Oh…and I had them printed on a textured white cardstock, not photo paper. That is what Becky did…and I did not want to stray from her ‘look’. You will understand later on in the demo.

3) You need some sort of a paper/photo cutter. (Preferably with 1” markers for easy measuring for what is to come.)

4) A sanding block or small sheet of sandpaper.

5) My all-time FAVORITE pen to use for writing of any kind. It is the Pilot Extra Fine Rolling Ball Point pen in black. That’s how I roll…and that’s what I use! I really believe this pen makes me write neater. I own a lot of them…and I keep stuff them wherever I think I might have the opportunity to write.
 6) That is a large iced coffee that I made for myself. WARNING…cold, ice-filled drinks on a hot day, create much moisture on the table. It is NOT recommended for one to be crafting with PAPER while consuming such a beverage. You might…just might place your paper in the hardly visable water ring that is left behind from the drink that you moved out of reach of your almost two year old. You will be sad…but not parched. It is a choice you must make. You can guess the one I made. =/

7) An 8x10 sheet of black cardstock to adhere the photo pieces to. (Color will depend on your picture and your decor.)


  Here, I am cutting the excess white cardstock from the sides of my picture to make it a true 4x6.


Next, cut the photo into 1 inch strips. (I just realized that I didn’t add my scissors and glue runner in my list above.)


 I then cut those strips into 1 inch squares. The last cut of each strip, I had to make with my scissors because of how small it was.


 I advise you to number your blocks on the back as you go. Otherwise…I hope you like puzzles! It is surprisingly more difficult than it looks. After all, they are all square. Lol!


  After all your squares are cut, you can (I did because Becky did), sand each side of each square. It made them look a bit aged. And it also made the photo ‘pop’ better on my improvised piece of black cardstock.

Starting in the middle, glue/tape the pieces with just a slight space in between each. Measuring is not my style…so I eye-balled it. Feel free to not follow my lead on that one.
 THE FINISHED PROJECT! I was super happy with how it turned out!! Hope the bride and groom like as much as I do!!


Since the original photo is mine…I even signed my name. You never know, someday…that name might be worth something. Bahaha!


My next project will hang in my living room when it is completed. It is going to be much larger and cuter. Here are the subjects…
...my loves. =)