Begin Again

Hello Friends!

If feels good to be writing again! And I am creating lilugas again! Must be the warm, sunny days of summer that are inspiring me. Ismael and I are taking lots of walks and soaking up the vitamin D.

So much has happened since I last wrote. Hard to believe it's almost been a year since our NJ/NYC trip!

Last fall our landlord put the house up for sale. We were renting floors one and two in a three unit house. It sold after Christmas and we found out early February that the new landlord would be moving in to the top floor on April 1st. We thought, no problem, we'll just look for a new house to rent. Oh my, the current rents were a few hundred dollars more than what we were paying (our previous landlord of 9+ years never raised our rent).

The friendly ants don't want us to move!

A realtor friend suggested we look into buying a home, because the monthly payments could actually be cheaper than renting. So in early March, we began house hunting. Us and every other disgruntled renter in town. We liked a house, made an offer, and lost it to another bidder. We wanted to put a bid on another, but someone beat us to it. Then, nothing seemed quite right. We hoped we'd be moved by April, then the hope moved to May, then to June.

As we were house hunting, I can't say I had peace with moving forward with buying a home. I just couldn't convince myself it was the right thing to do. Caleb has only one year of high school left, so we were only looking in the school district boundaries. I didn't want to move him his last year of school if I didn't have to. However, most homes in our price range were in neighboring towns. I was conflicted on where to go and when.

On April 1st, we moved our entire upstairs to the first floor. Crazy. Well, it really wasn't so bad. Lots of boxes everywhere. Mary was sleeping in the front porch. Then, end of May, Max moved out. So Mary moved into his room and most of the boxes moved to the front porch. We adjusted.

Back in June, Ismael lost his job. Poof, it was gone. Are we thankful we didn't buy a house? Absolutely. Throughout all of this, we were praying and submitting the situation to God. That peace I never felt? I believe it was from God.

I wanted to move, and badly. I wanted my own home to decorate and do as I please. I was even scouring Pinterest for decorating ideas. I was pushing that nagging feeling aside. I am thankful God did something drastic to stop us.

 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:31-34

Of course, that's not all that happened the past year, but it was what consumed me most. No wonder I forgot all about my lilugas!

Hey, don't forget about me!

Once we were settled downstairs and doing our best to make it our "new" home, I got the itch to stitch. The need to create. Little problem though, all my sewing boxes were in the front porch. And each one was only marked "sewing" (I truly thought they'd only be in boxes temporarily). So I did what I had to do and pulled all the boxes out and found what I needed.

I have always sewn my lilugas on my sewing machine, with only the faces being embroidered. However, now, every time I sew, I have to pull out my machine and all accessories and move them from the  porch to the dining room table. When I am done sewing, I move it all back. No big deal, really (I'm leaving for the chiropractor in about 15 minutes). Instead of all that back and forth, I decided to hand stitch the entire liluga.

Good decision. It has become my stress-buster. I love to embroider and no more fights with my sewing machine.

What a good looking bunch!

I have these four liluga's made so far. I also made one for my key chain. He wasn't part of the photo shoot, though. I actually like these hand stitched guys best. Of course, I think I always feel that way when I create new lilugas.

I already know who the pink guy is going to be given to, and I will pray for who the others can be given to. And I will make more, cause it is the perfect thing to do on a hot summer night, right?

Still have the official liluga "L" on our behinds!

Giving My Love Away

 

Sometimes we give a lot of ourselves away to please others. Especially as a mother, and even as a wife. Last week my husband, daughter, youngest son and I took a road trip to New Jersey. Driving to New Jersey wasn't originally in my plans, in fact, I really didn't want to go.  Early in July, I started researching taking a road trip to the Smoky Mountains. In my mind, we'd drive down, spend a couple nights at a quaint hotel with a pool, hike through the mountains, enjoy a few meals out, and basically relax a little. My kind of fun.

Shortly after I started my research, my husband, Ismael, and I got an invitation to a wedding in New Jersey. Ismael attends the Spanish ministry at our church and the wedding was for the pastor's daughter. I don't know that we would have made the trip for the wedding alone, however, when my daughter Mary, who is 20 and has always wanted to go to New York City, saw the invite, she got excited and said that we should go to NYC also. My husband wanted to go the wedding and Mary wanted to go to New York. They ganged up on me and the Smoky Mountains got voted down, much to my dismay.

I then began the process of researching hotels and mapping out our trip and found that I wasn't having any fun doing so. It's hard to be excited when planning a vacation that isn't on your dream radar and I got a little frustrated. Ismael and Mary didn't lend a hand in the planning, at all. I got to the point where I said "I'm tired, you guys do the planning!" Of course, if I didn't do the planning, we would never have gone. So I went ahead and took care of everything, except what to do in Manhattan once we were there (that I did delegate to Mary).  

The road trip turned out fine. The first day we stopped and stayed the night in a hotel in Clarion, Pennsylvania. All four of us had fun swimming in the indoor pool and taking relaxing showers. We dined at the local Applebees and settled into our hotel beds for a good night's sleep. We hit a little turbulence the next morning when we tried to wake Mary and Caleb up early so we could get some breakfast and get back on the road. The waitress at the hotel incorrectly told us that our meal was only 1/2 off, not free (I booked the "free breakfast" package), and I got a little grumpy. It did get straightened out and we silently ate our "free" breakfast. After a couple hours on the road, and after Mary and Caleb slept some more, all was good. That evening Ismael and I attended the wedding and the kids stayed behind with the television and their electronic devices. No worries.

The next morning, we slept in. I wasn't going to wake them an earlier than necessary. There was a NJ Transit bus right by our hotel which took us to Times Square in about 15 minutes. Once we walked out the doors of the bus terminal in Manhattan,  we were overwhelmed. It was crazy crowded. Now, as I mentioned earlier, I left the NYC planning to Mary. She hadn't done any planning at home, so I told her to figure it out the evening before while Ismael and I were at the wedding. She did her college homework instead. So, here we were, standing in the middle of Times Square, and not a plan for the day. So we walked and GPS'd places we wanted to see. We made it up to Central Park and back, and after about 4-1/2 hours, Ismael and Caleb were ready to call it a day. I think Mary and I could've gone on, but I didn't want to separate from them. We headed back to the bus terminal, waited 45 minutes for a bus and were safely deposited back at our hotel. Mary did get a good shot of the city from the bus window (pardon Caleb's nose):

That evening, Ismael and I went to a Tapas restaurant in New Jersey that is owned by a guy that Ismael had gone through veterinary school with in Mexico City. The kids had stayed the evening in the hotel again because they did not want to come with. For an hour and a half, we relaxed, ate some excellent food and chatted with Ismael's friend. We did get lost on the way back to the hotel when the GPS on my phone freaked out.  The next morning we awoke, somewhat early, and headed back home. Thankfully, the return trip was smooth and pleasant, well, as pleasant as a 15 hour drive across five states can be.

I felt bad after that, as if we traveled all that way to see so little. We spent a lot of time in the car. We did ordinary things like go to a wedding and eat out at a restaurant. We cruised around Manhattan and commented how we liked Chicago better. We drove through the Lincoln Tunnel, or should I say, we drove on a bus through the Lincoln Tunnel. I don't know if I could have driven it myself. And then we came home.

It comes down to this, we try so hard to please the ones we love, and sometimes we feel like we come up short. I only hope my children remember the good.  We were adventurous, we had fun, we saw the Big Apple, we walked through Central Park, we sat down at a TGI Fridays restaurant in Manhattan, looked at the highly inflated prices and walked out, we took a lot of pictures, had a few laughs and made some memories. 

 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."  

1 John 3:16

What I Do Best

When I started this blog, I admit, I was hoping for fame and fortune. Truth, I would of taken just the fortune.

But what has happened along the way is, I realized fame and fortune take a lot of time to achieve!  Over the years, I've also learned many things about myself. To name a few, I do not like spending a lot of time on the computer, I need my eight hours of sleep each night, I love being in the kitchen and providing my family with healthy meals, and most important, I want to be fully there for my children.

But mostly, what I've found out about myself along the way is, I like the small and personal. I don't like social media. Keeping up with a blog overwhelms me. I'd rather write a card to just one person than to write for the masses. I like giving away lilugas.  Just don't ask me to make 100 of them and try to sell them on Etsy. Not gonna happen.

When I make a liluga, I enjoy the process of picking out the wool and the matching fabric. I take my time stitching the eyes, mouth and "L" on their behind. I like to give them names that have a special meaning to them (I always think of them as little guys, even though many of them are made with floral fabrics). I like listening for God to tell me who I should give one to, and I love hearing how they brightened someone's day.

I have come to a place of peace, and am o.k. with creating my lilugas and writing posts on my blog at a slow and relaxed pace. My goal is no longer fame and fortune, but to share my art and my words with a hurting world, one person at a time. I like that God has given me this talent that allows me to bless others in a small way. I think He knows that anything more than that would be too much for me!

While God calls many to write to the masses, and many do it very well, I know he does not call everyone. I personally do not have to do the "big thing". That takes the pressure off and I can flourish in the path He has set out for me. And as long as I do His work, I trust that He will always provide all that I need.

I am going to continue reaching out, one person at a time. To simply encourage them, love them and let them know they are cared for - personally.

To protect someone from something bad is a good thing. I do everything I can to protect my children from things that can harm them. I also do my best to protect myself from things that I think can harm me. However, is there a chance that we can protect ourselves from the good things God has to offer us?

In protecting myself from hurt, judgment, ridicule and many other imagined things, I believe I am also protecting myself from love, close friendships, happiness and more.  If I have a fear of writing this post, publishing it, and making myself vulnerable to others, then I will never do it. Not writing it keeps me protected, but it also keeps me lonely, un-encouraged and possible unloved.

However, writing this post, whether it be good or bad, is an exercise in letting go of this protective heart of mine. As I let down my shield, I allow God's people, who are good, to enter into my life. And this, I believe, is where true blessings can happen, not just to me, but to all of us.

A happy and blessed 4th of July to everyone!

Five Minute Friday @ http://katemotaung.com/

Taking Flight

Meet trixie, stella and Gwyn. Last August, these three brave birds flew all the way to California. I can tell you, they were a little afraid. They had never flown before, in fact, they never left my sewing room before. But I made them go. I knew they couldn't move on to greater things without taking flight.

They safely landed in Laguna Hills at the offices of Stampington and Company. There they auditioned to be featured in an upcoming issue of Stuffed Magazine.  Although I wasn't able to be there with them, I knew they would do a great job, and I am proud to say they were chosen to be published in the Spring 2016 issue (Available Feb. 1st). Way to go girls!

"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Giving Love Away

The little guy above found a new home today and the little gal below was given away a few months ago.  In my sewing room I have a shelf full of lilugas awaiting their assignments to go and give some love away. Where they will go, nobody knows. Not even me.

As they wait for their assignments to go to their new homes, the lilugas are getting are getting a little antsy. They're tired of sitting on a shelf and want to be giving some love away. They stare at me with pleading eyes everyday. Oh my.

I know I have lots of love to give to others, yet I tend to put that love on a shelf as go about my busy days. Shelving my love means that I am missing opportunities to love and encourage others. Of course, I do eventually get around to giving the lilugas away. It's just not as often as I would like to. Thankfully the little guys constantly remind me.

Leaving the Nest

Kate and Bob on the roof, awaiting takeoff to new adventures.

Last Sunday, my oldest child, Max, flew out of the nest. He flew all the way to Oregon.

This mother's heart of mine wasn't quite prepared for how emotional it would be to have him leave home. Especially so far away (why couldn't he just move to Chicago?).  It has been hard this week but I am sure it will get easier as time goes on. Despite my crying and missing him, I am excited for Max and his new adventures (and even a little bit jealous).

As for me, all my new adventures are taking place in my sewing room. I have designed a new liluga. Simple, little and sweet. Quick and easy to make so I can give more away. Aren't they cute?

I also made some more birds, like Kate and Bob. Not sure where they'll land, but they are ready to go. Reminds me of life. I'm always on the go, but not always so sure of where I'll land. 

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.

    I will advise you and watch over you.

Psalm 32:8 NLT

A Word of the Year Do-Over

It is now January 4th and I still have not chosen my word for 2015. Is there a time limit on choosing? Who sets the rules? No and me.

The week before Christmas, I prayed for the Lord to reveal a word to me. The next morning, I received a Christmas gift from a friend. It was a plate that had the word "SHINE" written on it. I had just used that word in a sentence the day before, so I thought, "There's my answer! Shine it is."

To "shine" means "to glow forth or glow with light; shed or cast light, and to be bright with reflected light; to glisten; to sparkle" (from dictionary.com). A year to shine for Jesus. Sounds fun and sparkly. But I'm not sure.

Shortly after Christmas I was writing in my prayer journal and writing what I felt God was speaking to me. As I was listening I saw a giraffe and some sheep. I felt God told me I was like a sheep, and I shouldn't try and be like a giraffe. Sheep follow their shepherd. They don't try and figure it out all on their own; they are incapable of doing so. They are simple.  

I thought "simple" would be a great word. A reminder to only look towards my shepherd and not to listen to any other voices. I looked up the meaning of the word; "easy to understand; not elaborate or artificial; plain; not ornate or luxurious; unadorned; unaffected; unassuming; modest; and not complicated"(dictionary.com). All good things. But I'm not sure.

Last fall I had made a small flock of birds to sell for a fundraiser to help support a friend who was in need. They all sold, but nobody picked this guy and he was left on my shelf, all alone, for a couple of months. There was just something about him that didn't look right.

before

Then, the other day, a friend asked if I had any of my birds left for sale. I only had this same guy, but I didn't think he looked good enough to sell.  I took a long look at him and decided he needed a do-over. So I gave him a beak-job. Much better, don't you think?

after

Sometimes we have to go back and correct things before we can move forward. I feel like my word from last year, "overcome", still needs to be tweaked and worked with.  I still have much to overcome, and by the grace of God, I will. I believe "overcome" will be my word again in 2015. 

However, since I am making the rules, I am asking "shine" and "simple" to join me as I "overcome" this year. I bet we'll make a great team.


"And those who are wise—the people of God—shall shine as brightly as the sun’s brilliance, and those who turn many to righteousness will glitter like stars forever".  Daniel 12:3 (The Living Bible)


Linking up @

http://arabahjoy.com/loft

The Year of the Turtle?

The other night I was writing in my journal about the "word of the year" phenomenon.  I pondered the whole point of picking a word. Is it a silly exercise or one of value? I don't know. Last January I picked the word "overcome". Great word with great meaning. I have to admit I didn't focus too much on my word nor did I overcome any big things in life.

However, not long after I picked my word, I was hit with "birds".  All of a sudden, I noticed birds everywhere; in arts and in crafts, decorations, writing and more. I had never payed attention to birds before this. 

Then, Jesus's word from Matthew jumped out at me " “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" (Matt. 6:25-27.  I wanted to trust the Lord for all things, just like a bird. I wanted to spread my wings and fly, just like a bird.

"Bird" became my "word", so to speak. In 2014, I developed a small line of bird plushies and started collecting bird things. Birds make great art. I found a new love in birds.

I still love the birds and want to continue making them and surrounding myself with bird stuff, however, a new year always means something new, right?

As I wrote in my journal,  I prayed that the Holy Spirit would provide a new word for me that I could meditate on and ponder over the next year.  A thought immediately came to my mind - "turtle". Could it be the year of the turtle? They are slow moving, hard shelled and always make it to the finish line (I read that somewhere).

In this fast paced world, the turtle reminds us to slow down, to not let the worries of the world penetrate you (have a hard shell) and have faith that we will make it to the finish line. I like that.

I searched some Bible software for the word "turtle". If turtles were mentioned in scripture that would've been awesome. But they're not. Turtledoves are. What is a turtledove? It's a bird, of all things.  Ok, birds are cuter and are a lot more fun to sew, so maybe I'll stick with them. 

As for my word for 2015? I'm still waiting for the perfect word. I think I have it, but it will have to wait til January!

A Christmas Photo

I did it. I got a picture together of the whole family. 

Every year I dream of planning a day where we can all get dressed up and take a professional looking family photo to send out in our Christmas cards. Often, we will take a picture on Thanksgiving to use for our cards, which usually turns out just fine. But, this year, my three kids were with their dad on Thanksgiving, so we did not have a photo opportunity. The thought of rounding all five of them up for a picture was a little unrealistic. With work schedules and a daughter away at college, I didn't see it happening.

So, I got the idea to do a collage with individual pictures of them through out the year (I was originally thinking of a Brady Bunch square, but then nixed the idea). I think I spent more time finding a photo of each of them, cropping them, and then putting them in a collage than I would have if I would have planned a family photo shoot. Oh well.

Hardly professional, but it shows the real us (I wouldn't want to give anyone the illusion of a perfect family!).

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6

 

Ready

Five Minute Friday - "READY" - Write for five minutes.....

Every day, when I wake up to a new morning, I don’t think I am ever truly “ready” for what lies ahead. I may have a to-do list in my mind, but the minute I put my feet on the floor, the day takes on its own agenda.

I think being “ready” goes deeper than just being prepared for the day or a task. To me, to be ready, means to be in a relationship with Christ, grounded in God’s Word, and to be always in prayer.

When I am at this place of readiness, I can handle each day as it comes, and have peace and joy. 

http://katemotaung.com/2014/09/11/five-minute-friday-ready-and-a-challenge/

Give Some Love Away!

"We know what real love is from Christ's example in dying for us. And so we also ought to lay down our lives for our Christian brothers (and sisters!).

"But, if someone who is supposed to be a Christian has money enough to live well and sees a brother in need, and won't help him - how can God's love be within him?

"Little children, let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions."  1 John 3:16-18

Hello friends!  Today a friend from my church shared with me some long term troubles she has been going through in her life. She has gone through much physically, emotionally and financially. Without going into all the details, she is with out a job, without a car, without a phone and in need of money to help pay the bills. She has some family support, but not enough to cover the bills.

I wish I could share with you all of her story, but I respect her privacy. Just know, her situation broke my heart and brought tears to my eyes. So many negative things have come into her life and they just seem to keep coming at her. She loves the Lord, but doesn't know how much more she can take.

After talking with my friend this morning, and praying with her, I thought, "how can I just walk away and do nothing?"  The above verses came to me and hit hard.  What can I do? 

Well, I started this blog as a place to encourage people to give love away. I started making liluga's (stuffed plushies) to give away to people in need of encouragement. I got lazy with it over the years, but it is still a passion on my heart.

My idea? To raise some money through my liluga's and donate 100% of the money to this dear friend.  

For starters, I have a basket full of birds who are ready to be kicked out of the nest. They need a new home!  

I am asking for a minimum donation of $15 per bird.  And I am willing to hatch new birds to help raise money for her.

Your donations will go to helping a sister in need, and you will be blessed by a new little friend to brighten your day. 

To donate, please send me an email at jamierose64@gmail.com
Let me know which bird you want, I can always make more!

V is for Victory

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God". 1 John 5:1-5 NLT

Meet the Victory Birds.....

Sigrid and Bernice

Sigrid and Bernice are Victory birds.  They know that they through their faith in Jesus Christ, they are Victorious. 

 

The "L" on their behinds stands for Love

Sigrid's name means "a beautiful victory" and Bernice's name means "brings victory". Great names to have, don't you think? I think they will soon become very popular girls names!

Sigrid says "Believe and put your faith in Jesus.
 Read your Bible and obey God's Commandments
 and you will have VICTORY over this world!

The Coffee Club Birds

 

Introducing.... Chai, Mocha, Cortado and Latte

The idea for the coffee club birds has been brewing for a while.  The group has been assembled and I am proud to introduce them to you.

Meet Mocha

Mocha is the leader of the pack and is the first one to land at the coffee shop every Friday morning for their club meeting. Mocha likes arriving a half hour early so he can sip his coffee in solitude before the others show up.  Mocha started the coffee club because he believes birds of a feather should flock together.

Meet Latte

Latte is the most faithful member of the coffee club and has never missed a meeting.  Latte and his wife are empty nesters and Latte really enjoys hanging out at the coffee shop where it's noisy because it reminds him of when his nest was full.

Meet Chai

Chai has a confession to make, he doesn't like coffee. However, he loves drinking tea.  Mocha was a little hesitant to let Chai into the club, but Chai assured him he could sip a chai tea latte from a mug and no one would know the difference.  Chai is a little flighty, especially if he thinks a chai tea latte can pass for a coffee latte. Thankfully, Mocha really likes Chai and let him join.

Meet Cortado

The final member of the group is Cortado.  He is the only Latino member of the group. His accent is a bit hard to understand, but since the love of coffee is universal, he fits right in.  Cortado enjoys salsa and dancing the tango. He tweets in Spanish.

Nothing

Today I am linking up with Five Minute Friday at lisajobaker.com. The goal is to use the prompt she gives and simply write for five minutes on that topic. No editing or revising. Today's prompt is "Nothing".  Here it goes.....

Nothing

The world may make you believe you are nothing. That what you do doesn’t matter. If you are not doing something big and noteworthy, you are nothing.

God says you need to believe that you are something. Something big to Him. Everything you do matters to Him. Your thoughts and your actions.  He cares about you.

He cares for you when you are simply reading a book to your kids, He cares for you when you are stuck in traffic and He cares for you when you are volunteering at a soup kitchen.

Believe that He cares and that you are something BIG to Him.

Do not believe you are nothing. It’s so not true. You are awesome.  

http://lisajobaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/5minutefriday.jpg

Grateful

Today I am linking up with Five Minute Friday at lisajobaker.com. The goal is to use the prompt she gives and simply write for five minutes on that topic. No editing or revising. Today's prompt is "Grateful".  Here it goes.....


I am grateful that after a long, cold (and I mean REALLY cold) winter, God brings us spring. Even though the trees and grass and plants remained dormant all winter long, they were never dead, just waiting for their time to come back to life. It was hard to believe winter would ever end.

Just like the trees of winter, so much is lying dormant inside of me. There is so much I want to do. I want to write more, serve more, be more and get past this winter season of my life. But it is not my spring time yet. God will bring on the season when the time is right. I know it is coming soon. I can feel it. And for that I am grateful.


OK, my five minutes are up. I have a lot more to say, but it would take me hours to sort it out in my head and put it to paper. That's part of the reason I don't write often:)

http://lisajobaker.com/five-minute-friday/

Five Minute Friday: FRIEND

Sharon and I

Friends in my life have come and gone. I have had great friends in each season of life. But sadly, I do not do a good job of staying close to friends once the season changes. It's not a bad thing, it just happens. We move to a new town, the friends from my old town fade over the years. 

I'd like to say that with cell phones and the internet I am able to keep in touch with everyone, near or far. But it just doesn't happen for me.

I have a handful of what I consider close friends, the kind I can call at any time and the ones who know me well. One is from college (my friend of 20+ years) and several are "mom" friends I've met over the years of raising my kids. They are great friends and I am blessed by each of them. 

http://lisajobaker.com/five-minute-friday/

Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted

About 15 years ago, as a new believer, I heard the hymn "Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted" sung by the pastor of my church at the Good Friday service.  I instantly fell in love with the music and the lyrics.

I never forgot about this hymn, but did not hear it sung again until yesterday. I work at my church and the guy I work with was printing out a song they are singing on Good Friday. It made me think of the "Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted" hymn, so I looked it up on YouTube.

I discovered this video by Fernando Ortega that is simply beautiful.  Watch it and be blessed!

Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted By: Thomas Kelly

Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted,
See him dying on the tree
Tis' the Christ by man rejected,
yes my soul tis He, tis He
Tis the long Expected prophet
David's Son yet David's Lord
By His Son God has now spoken
Tis the true and faithful Word

 

Tell me he who hear him groan,
Was there ever grief like his
Friends through fear, his caused disowning
Foes insulting his distress
Many hands were raised to wound Him
None would enter posed to save
But the deepest stroke that pierced Him
Was the stroke that justice gave

 

He who think of sin but lightly
Nor suppose the evil grate
Here may view its nature rightly
Here its guilt may estimate
Mark the Sacrifice Appointed
See who bears the awful load
Tis the work the Lord's Annointed
Son of Man and Son of God

 

Here we have a firm foundation
Here the refuge of the lost
Christ the Rock of our Salvation
Is the name on which we boast
Lamb of God for sinners wounded
Sacrificed to cancel guilt
None shall ever be confounded
Who on him there hope have built

  


Notes:
Hymn # 116 from Lutheran Worship
Author: Geistliche Volkslieder
Tune: O Mein Jesu, Ich Muss Sterben
1^st Published in: 1850 

Five Minute Friday - Paint

The first project I tackled this morning was painting a coffee mug for a friend with her "word of the year" on it.  As I was letting it dry, I ventured over to Five Minute Friday to see what the topic was.

PAINT

Coincidental? I think not. 

I had a hard time with the mug. My hand was wobbly and I was afraid of making a mistake. 

I think that is the way I live my life, a little wobbly and afraid of making mistakes.

I have to believe that I can accomplish great things, and that it is o.k. to make mistakes. God never asks us to be perfect, he asks us to try. And when we do, we can accomplish more than we think.

My mug turned out pretty good (o.k., maybe not as cool as some of the ones I've seen on Pinterest, but cool none the less) and I know my friend will be blessed by it. Isn't that what it's all about?

/http://lisajobaker.com/five-minute-friday/