Gettin' Crafty: Heart-Shaped Zippered Pouches

This is the first post that will let you in on a little secret:  I like to make things.  If a needle is involved, I probably either know how to do it, or would like to learn.  I come from a long line of crafty women, and I am proud of that.  Some traditions just shouldn't be left behind! :-)

So, my first crafty post is in honor of one of my favorite holidays - Valentine's Day.  I know, the greeting card companies are in cahoots with chocolatiers and rose growers, but the hopeless romantic in me still gets a little dreamy-eyed in February.

I saw this pattern on The Purl Bee and, even though my house is drenched in testosterone, I had to "get my girl on" and make these.  The link above takes you straight to the pattern if you're interested - it's FREE!

It's pretty easy.  Cut out two heart shapes, draw your sewing lines, pin them together right sides facing...

sew in your zipper (this is my first zipper ever, by the way - I'm excited!)...

sew up the other side, including the handle, turn it inside out and VIOLA!

Heart-Shaped Zippered Pouches!!

Obviously, these would be great for candy conversation hearts or a few pieces of chocolate, but I also think they would be great to store jewelry in while traveling, or as a mini-makeup bag in your purse.

I want to challenge you today to go create something.  I don't care if you're thirtysomething and you make a macaroni necklace - just go be creative!  Take some photos, draw a picture, write a poem, knit a hat, crochet some granny squares, whip up a mini-quilt, (find something interesting?), make your own crayons, build something out of popsicle sticks - ANYTHING!  Then come back here and share what you made in the Mr. Linky below or leave a comment, OK?  I can't wait to see all your creativity!!

Now GO GET CRAFTY!

Testing, testing...

I'm trying out some new "stuff," so please bear with me while I try a test post.

You will now be returned to your regular programming :-)

Thanks!!

22CC3VCQSBED

I've got the Fever!

Photo from Dreamstime.com

I just passed the remnants of someone's snowman, and there are still piles of snow in parking lots and shady areas.

But I just picked up my kids from Saturday School in flip-flops.

And no jacket.

And wet hair.

Because it's 56 degrees outside, and it's given me SPRING FEVER!!!

It's made me want to open my windows, and plan a spring garden.

Even though opening the windows would cool my house down so much that my heat pump would work harder later to catch up.  And I don't have enough sun here at the Enchanted Forest to grow anything but moss.

But I can still look forward to Spring with hope, because as we're told in Ecclesiastes, 

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."

The seasons are changing - are you ready??

Heartfelt Prayer

Photo from Dreamstime

It's no secret: we're all getting older, and my kids are no exception.  They're growing in their independence, and that includes nightly prayers.  They usually say them on their own before falling asleep, but tonight was different.

Tonight, I was invited to their inner circle.  Individual prayers gave way to a group prayer as we all gathered on the bed and held hands.

First went the Little One, then me, then Middle Man.  They thanked God for mommy praying with them, and for daddy visiting friends.  They were thankful for a good dinner, and I think they even prayed for the dog!

Most importantly, they prayed heartfelt prayers, and that's such a great feeling.

So often, I feel stale in my own prayers, thinking they all sound the same.   Day after day.  In a rut.

"Bless my husband.  Protect our children.  Forgive all my dumb mistakes.  Blah, blah, blah..."

Prayer isn't supposed to feel like an obligation--it should be an honest conversation with our Lord.  We've complicated it by thinking we have to sound "preachy," or that we need to use big words and Sunday morning cliches.

Our flesh wants to be seen.  Our soul just wants to speak.

I so enjoyed listening to my little men's original, all-about-my-day prayers. It reminded me what authentic prayer sounds like.

No wonder Jesus wanted to be around the children--they know how to be real.

Want to get out of your prayer rut?  Listen to a child pray - then get back to basics!

Can you put it down?

I love books.  Well, let me rephrase that: I love words.  Books, magazines, blogs, even Coldwater Creek catalogs (have you read their product descriptions?  Love 'em!).  I would be totally content (if money was no object) to work in a library or bookstore.  I adore reading!

That being said, sometimes I find myself in a quandry.  It greatly distresses me when I pick up a book, invest some time into reading it, and then find that the book really doesn't grab me.

I attempt to put pen to paper occasionally myself, so I hesitate to judge.  I mean, some publisher somewhere found these words worthy enough to print.  I tell myself that if I just keep reading, I'll get to the good part (which sadly sometimes never comes).

If I do stick with a book, and in the end I still don't care for it, I feel like I wasted my time - like I was cheated.

That's my own personal dilemma, but I'm curious - if you don't like a book, do just give up, or do you finish it anyway?

I am a figment of your imagination.

I'm not really here.

I'm at Ridgecrest Conference Center, attending Writers ADVANCE Bootcamp.  So while I'm having Reveille, and getting my marching orders, go check out some of my new friends, hosts of this weekend's activities:

Christian Devotions
Devokids
Cindy Sproles

Sorry - this may be bootcamp, but no combat boots.  Just furry ones with a wedge heel, please! :-)

When Plans Go Awry

Image from Dreamstime

I'd planned on a quiet Saturday of reading, writing, knitting, napping...

What I got instead was three trips across the county, two basketball games, snow shoveling and a few hours of disaster recovery with my husband.

We'd planned on opening our salon with two new services and redesigned decor on Monday.

What we got instead was 800 gallons of floodwater that delayed everything by at least a week, and took a chunk of change out of our wallets that was reserved for marketing.

Real-life Miracles

Let me begin this post by thanking you all for your prayers last week -  I have no doubt they contributed to what I consider a miracle.

It just didn't seem right to share at the time.  But now?  I don't know how I can't share it.  I'll start with the post I wrote last week, but never published:

"Monday night around 1am we received a phone call from the local Police Dept. that water was pouring from the door of our small business.  My husband and I hurried out there to see what was happening.

The snow hadn't arrived yet, and I remember saying "Thank God for that!" as we made our way north.

The cops had waited and they entered the salon with us, almost immediately identifying the source of the water.  A pipe beneath a sink had simply blown apart.

A pipe that probably only cost a few cents.

A pipe that only cost a few cents was responsible for the flood that now had our entire business underwater.

All our equipment.  Brand new flooring.  Brand new furniture.  Baseboard trim.  Computers.  Old paperwork.

Everything, completely immersed in about 3 inches of water.

We knew there was no way we could handle all that ourselves, so we had to call in the disaster cleanup experts (who, by the way, was a really awesome team of guys.)  They drove through the snow, which had finally begun to fall, and a few hours later they were pumping around 800 gallons of water out of our business.

They helped us carry out the brand new floor we had to rip out.  They moved the furniture that Jeff had just finished and arranged on Friday.  They vacuumed, and pumped, and hauled, and vacuumed some more.

While sloshing through the water, I found a Bible on the coffee table placed there just two days ago.  I remembered a blog post I had read only a few hours before.  Edie has just recently lost her home to a terrible fire, and she had blogged about a necklace she had with part of Isaiah 43 on it, where God calls us by a new name - calls us his.  Her post went on to say that a friend decided to read that verse in the bible and was amazed at what she found.  Coincidentally, I decided to look it up as I stood there in the flood waters, and was amazed myself:

"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life." -Isaiah 43:1-4

Edie got the fire, and I got the water.  Standing there sloshing in my shoes, God reached down through that Bible verse and said, "I'm with you in these waters."  Yes, Lord, you are.  Help us to cling to that promise.

Finally around nine this morning we all left.  Praise the Lord, Jeff's truck actually got us home, through all 10 or 12 inches of snow we now have.  We got a few hours of sleep, but frankly we feel hungover.  Stunned.  We just look at each other, and say little.  Until we know the full extent of the damage, there's just not much to say.

So now, we wait.  Four massive dehumidifiers and an army of fans are running in the salon.  We'll give it a few days and go see what we're left with.

Whatever happens, I know that God has a bigger plan.  There was a reason for this flood, and I simply pray that we are attentive enough to notice what it is.

I would be humbled if you could join me in prayer for whatever we'll now face.  We are hopeful that the mold will stay away, that our equipment miraculously survived.  That we didn't just lose everything.  And that if we did, we'll trust God enough to take us forward through whatever might be next..."

Here were are, a week later.

By the end of today, our business will be almost completely restored to where it was just before the flood.  Sure, we're missing a few dollars out of our pockets that would been nice to still have, but I would be remiss in focusing on that, instead of the gift we were given.

All that expensive salon equipment, that sat directly on the floor, in inches of water, seems to have ALL survived.  The computer tower (that a week ago poured water out like a pitcher) is working just fine. I don't know about you, but the last time I checked, electrical circuits were not supposed to get wet.  If they did, they were toast.  I'm not talking about one or two items here.  It's more like 15 or 16, that all survived.

The mildew, thus far, has stayed away, and the carpets are dry.  The salon smells like it always has - like a salon.  Not like a recently flooded mess. The furniture was all saved.  Except for the flooring and baseboards, which we had to toss, everything was spared.

I find that nothing short of miraculous.

And I just have to share that.  God is still in the miracle business.

Maybe you're in need of a miracle yourself right now.  You're financially strapped.  You're fighting cancer.  You marriage is falling apart.  Your job is bringing you loads of stress.  You have a prodigal child.  The troubles of this world are practically endless.

I can't promise that you'll get a miracle like I did.  But I also can't say that you won't.  Ask God for one.  Cry out to Him with your pain, your worries, your regrets.  Then watch.  He may not send you a miracle, but He may send something just as amazing: peace. Patience. Perseverance, character, hope.  He can use all manner of trials to grow us, to refine us, to purify us.  You do your part by asking God to handle your mess, and then let Him.

Because He can.

I thought I'd have a post ready today. I was wrong.

Isn't it funny how you have your day all planned out, and then it gets so turned around that you don't do anything you wanted to?

That was me today.  Writing a blog post was supposed to happen, but didn't.

I'll try a real post tomorrow. :-)

Praising God When You Don't Think You Can

I thank you for your prayers, and ask that you keep it up.  We are in a holding pattern right now, still unsure what the future holds.

That uncertainty can be a killer.  It's so easy to get caught up in the "what-if's" and, before you know it, you find yourself in this darkness that consumes you.  I have a tendency to wallow in despair and self-pity from time to time.  As a matter of fact, I just recently climbed out of that pit.

I am not going back in, not now.  Hopefully not ever.

The bible tells us that we will have hard times, but in different translations we are told to take heart, have courage, and be of good cheer.  In John 14:27, Jesus says not to let our hearts be troubled or to be afraid.  Paul instructs us to "rejoice always."

And for me and Edie, we are finding solace in Isaiah 43:1-4, where God promises to be with us in the trials we face. (Just in case you're wondering, we did not have a fire.)

Don't think it will be easy.  Many of my praises have been choked out with sobs and bathed in tears.  But I'm trying to sing praises anyway.

If you find yourself in a difficult time right now, may I ask that you join me in praise?  I have embedded a few songs below that help me to draw closer to God and find some praise when I can't seem to conjure it up on my own (some may just be a motionless photo accompanied by music, while others are actually videos).  I hope they will work for you as well.

And please, please - if you are discouraged about anything right now, would you let me know, so that I can pray for you?  Perhaps we can just pray for one another.

Now, go get your praise on!

Avalon: I Survive

Casting Crowns: Father, Spirit, Jesus

Chris Tomlin: Amazing Grace

Francesca Battistelli: Beautiful, Beautiful
(I can't embed it, so here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbCfyZHSQbE)

 Hillsong: Mighty to Save

Funny how one phone call can change everything.

All I can say at this point is we can really use your prayers right now...thank you!

Pardon me - we're having technical difficulties.

It seems that there is a problem with leaving comments on the ol' blog.  Please refer to my "How do I leave a comment?" page for what I think is the answer. 

I do have comment moderation on, because I got spammed like crazy on my last blog and it was just annoying.  So know that your comment will not appear until I have approved it.

If you still have problems, I would greatly appreciate it if you could let me know so I can look into it.  Find me at ehingersoll@charter.net.

Thank you!!

Have your words branded you?

While attending a family birthday party recently, I had the privilege of spending some time with an aunt that I hadn't seen in years. After just a few moments of talking with her, though, the years faded away.  See, my aunt has this phrase that she used all the time when I was little, and apparently she still does.  I felt like I was six again when she said, "Great goodness!"

If you think about it, many people are known for the words they use.  I thought of a few - can you identify these?

1. Fiddle dee dee!
2. Did I do that?
3. Oh, bother.
4. Wilma!
5. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.
6. That's all, folks!

(answers at the end of this post)

Well, if you're not a thirtysomething female, you might not know some of those but the point is, you can probably think of several people that you could distinguish just by a phrase they say. 

It's kind of amazing when you think about.  Just a handful of consonants and vowels out of our mouths can brand us in someones mind, maybe even forever.

That might be sweet, if it's a case like my aunt, but what if we aren't remembered favorably for our words?

I'll bet you can remember the ugliest thing someone ever said to you.  Maybe you have a coworker with a potty mouth.  Perhaps you just know someone who is complaining all the time and brings down everyone around them with their negativity.

Words are powerful, folks.  The Bible even points out the impact our words have:

Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. - Proverbs 16:24 (NLT)


If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. - 1 Peter 3:10 (NLT)

These two verses show us that choosing positive words not only benefits the recipient of them, but ourselves as well.  Thoughtful speech is beneficial for the body and soul, and helps us to have joy-filled days.  Who doesn't need that?

We all know how good it makes you feel emotionally when someone compliments you, or tells you that they love you, or shows gratitude.  It also has a healthy effect on your body - hearing those nice things can actually increase the release of endorphins, which makes you feel calmer and more at peace.

Here's my challenge to you:

Try it out.  Make it a point to speak kind words to at least one person daily. See if you don't feel happier yourself, and notice a more positive interaction with those around you.

Who would've thought that our words carry so much weight!  But they can absolutely be used for bad and good, so a word to the wise - be careful what you say - you just might be remembered for it!!

OK, the answers are:

1. Scarlett O'Hara (Gone with the Wind)
2. Steve Erkel (Family Matters)
3. Winnie the Pooh
4. Fred Flintstone
5. Patrick Swayze as Johnny Castle (Dirty Dancing)
6. Porky Pig

New Every Morning

Thanks for visitng the Daily Do-Over!  I'm so happy you stopped by.  I have something to share with you...

Ready?

We get a do-over.  Every day.

I know that sounds simplistic, but it's so easy to forget.  Trust me!  The past few months, I found myself in this desert of discontent.  At first, just one area of my life had me a little frustrated, but soon other areas joined in and, before I knew it, there I was - fussing about everything.

A wise friend of mine says that if something or someone annoys you, then maybe it really is just that person who has an issue.  But when you think everyone else has a problem, then take a look in the mirror sweetie, because the problem is probably YOU.

To hear my pitiful self tell it, the world was simply horrible and unjust.  Everything and everyone was a headache or a problem that just wore me slap out.  Never mind that fact that I had a beautiful home to house my family, an abundance of food to feed them, clean clothes on our backs, fresh water to drink, good health for all, and even a little bit of money in the bank.  Somehow I still I thought I was justified in my misery. 

I'm sure I sounded a bit like the prophet Jeremiah, who was believed to be the author of this passage below.  See how many of his proclamations you can identify with.

"I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of the LORD’s wrath. He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long.

He has made my skin and my flesh grow old and has broken my bones.  He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead.

He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains. Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked.

Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding, he dragged me from the path and mangled me and left me without help. He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows.

He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver. I became the laughingstock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long. He has filled me with bitter herbs and given me gall to drink.

He has broken my teeth with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust. I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD.”

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me."  -Lamentations 3:1-20 (NIV)

Looking back, all I needed was sackcloth and ashes and I think I could have wandered the streets proclaiming my sorrow.

One day in the midst of my melodrama, I had a meltdown and yelled at my kids.  Almost immediately  I remembered Luke 6:45, which says:

"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."

I tried to figure out what had my heart so full of ugly, but I just couldn't quite peg it.  I still didn't recognize that the problem was me - that my perspective was completely out of focus.

God took some time, but He eventually opened my eyes so I could see clearly again.  Then I was like, "Oh - that's what was wrong the whole time!" 

I had forgotten something very important -  to see all the good things God had given me.  My choice instead had been to focus on the problems. 

Remember Jeremiah?  Let's pick up where he left off:

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD." Lamentations 3:21-26 (NIV)

So, we've gone from wailing in the streets to having hope.  How did that happen?

By remembering!  "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope."  Stop obsessing on the junk and praise God for the good!  Even if you have to think back a while to find any.  It's there. You've just forgotten it temporarily, like I did.  But when you remember it, you regain hope that God can do it again.

Really, the Hebrew word used here for hope (yakhal) could be replaced with the word "faith."  In this passage, it doesn't mean that we cross our fingers that God will forgive us, or cut us a break, or drop a winning lottery ticket in our hands.  It means that we "have a confident expectation for the future with a sense of anticipation and certainty while waiting for the outcome." (Tyndale NLT Study Bible definition.)

Confident expectation.
Sense of anticipation and certainty.
While waiting.

Sounds like faith to me!  I think we could picture it as a slogan: "What's God gonna do today?"  You can just see someone bouncing on their tiptoes, squeezing their hands together, like waiting to see what's inside a surprise gift.

Choosing despair will just put you in an addictive downward spiral that is incredibly difficult to get out of.  The pit can be so deep that you can't see the bottom.  But when you choose praise over despair, giving thanks instead of giving up, the process starts to reverse.  For some, the ascent into the light will take longer than others, but I promise: if you choose to praise God over everything else, He will help you out of that pit.

Choose hope.  Because who knows what God's gonna do today?

Brand Spankin' New

New. 


Today's buzzword.  New year, new decade, new beginning.

Something about the word "new" just makes people feel better.  Hopeful, even.  I think the dictionary should list that as a synonym for new, don't you?

That's how I want you to feel after visiting The Daily Do-Over - hopeful.

My prayer is that this will be a place to get reNEWed when you've had it up to there. 

Got working mommy guilt? 
Hi there.  Come on in.

Marriage troubles? 
Have a seat.

Kids driving you nuts? 
I'm with you, sister!

Sick of your job? 
Let's talk about it.

Fighting a physical condition? 
Let me pray for you.

In a spiritual battle?
You are SO NOT alone.

In a funk, for no apparent reason? 
You might be my new BFF.

Hopeful.

I pray that's how you'll feel when you realize you get a daily do-over.

What?  You didn't know about that?

Look, let me show you...

• Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Cor. 5:17
• Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Ezekiel 18:31
• See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Isaiah 65:17

and a segment of scripture for this new season of my own:

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  Lamentations 3:19-23

New every morning, girls.  Let that soak in for a minute.

I can't wait to talk to you all about this!!!  We'll dive in on the next post...


Welcome to your Daily Do-Over!