You’re Only Young Once.

They all flocked around me like birds to seed. Telling me their likes, dislikes, dreams and plans, I listened intently. Afraid to lose them, I kept my opinions to myself. This group of high school seniors was certainly doing and planning things I would never have dreamed of when I was their age. “You’re only young once right?” I smiled at the girl as she made the familiar announcement many before her have made. Inside my heart, love for these young adults flamed. Feeling the love of Christ inside me, urging me to share more with these students, his children, I took a deep breath. I hesitated. Fear crept in. Love won. Sharing with them my walk, my life with Christ, choices I had made and things I wish I could change, I hoped I was showing them she was right. You are only young once and youth is something you will never get back. Hoping I impressed on them not to waste their youth on bad decisions, the bell rang and we all went our separate ways. Some of them hung back and talked with me further, asking me questions. Amazed, I assumed they would have all judged me an old bore whom new nothing.

I may never see them again. Graduation has come and gone. Embarking on new adventures, they are starting their adult lives. Thinking about each one of them, I pray the Lord will touch their lives and they will be open to Him. The moment I hesitated comes to mind. For a moment there, I had considered just shutting my mouth and going on my way. The devil would have loved that. But the love my Savior has for each of His children and the love I have for Him, the one who has redeemed every one of my bad decisions, won out and I could not hold my tongue. Now I can only pray the seeds I planted will grow.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Romans 1:16

It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. Isaiah 55:11

Button, button. Whose got the Button?!?

These are some of my favorite rings because they always make people ask questions. You can also coordinate them with your outfits.

Brown and Blue button swirl. This is a big ring and always gets conversations started. I LOVE this ring! $10

This is a great ring for a teenager or a little girl. Just darling. I have this in a larger flower too. $10

Dark green button swirl. A classic. $10

All rings are custom made to fit you and no two rings are exactly the same.

Me, Wonder Woman?

Embarrassingly, I admit, I love super hero movies. The characters fly, shift shapes, become invisible (oh, to be invisible sometimes), and have unimaginable strength and anything the mind can conceive. Watching them use their special gifts, I secretly covet their power.  As I watch super hero movies, I want to be anything but what I am.  If only I could be someone strong, confident, ready to take on the world with my super human strength, but all I can do is sit here and think about how small and weak I really am.

Small and weak is what I am compared to an almighty God, but in His eyes I am His creation, His love personified. How could I not be special? The Lord has endowed in me a super power. He has given me His strength to persevere through any problem. I am a wonder woman. When everything in me says to cry, scream, or vent I feel his strength flow through my veins. Even when I break down, in the pain and grief, when I try to run from Him, I know He is perusing me, bringing me back to safety and peace-I endure.

I CAN do all things through Him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13) Letting go of the past, I give Him my desires, and look forward to a bright future only He knows about. I persevere because of His awesome love, strength, and guidance. With Him I can take on this world and conquer all. How about that for super hero strength?

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

The Silver Look! (Sure to catch the eye of any bird!)

Birds have feathers, fish have scales, and we have jewelry. The Lord has given us ways of enhancing our beauty. Here are a few things that will enhance the beauty of your hands. Isn't God good!

This is my favorite ring and a favorite among my friends. I love the look and it goes with absolutely everything. Only $10.

I like to make this ring bigger and wear it on my pointer finger. It is a conversation starter. $10

The Silver Scribble ring is simple and elegant. $10

I call this ring Never Ending Love because the two sterling silver wires are wrapped around each other. $10.

All rings are custom made to fit you and no two rings are exactly the same.

Feeling the Pain

Turning the soil in my garden had rubbed a nasty blister on my hand. Ignoring the pain I continued to work, getting the wound dirty. Sinking my hands into the dirt, I could feel stinging pain but I ignored my sub conscious telling me to get some gloves. Later, as I cleaned up with warm water, the blister, which has been rubbed raw, lay open and throbbed with pain. Knowing my day was filled with chores I got out my first aid kit, which needed some serious restocking, and started putting a salve on the wound. As soon as the promised maximum strength pain reliever was applied the throbbing ceased. I stood there looking at my hand in wonder. My mind was instantly transported to my childhood when peroxide was poured on my wounds accompanied by burning and stinging and I realized how easy it is today to cover our wounds and not feel the pain.

My mind went even deeper, past the wound, past the surface pain and all the way to my heart. If only I could get the pain reliever down there. If only I could cover this pain. If only… This seems to be my constant mantra. Not wanting to think about all the pain in my heart I focus on my hand. Instantly a picture flashes in my minds eye. Jesus covered in blood, thorns on his head, crying, and eyes full of love. He endured such pain. Pain I cannot even fathom. Not only did he experience the physical pain from the cuts, stabs, and gashes but he experienced the emotional pain of having His Father turn away from Him and having ALL sin put on His shoulders. My sin. At this moment, looking at my hand, I know that I can dwell on the pain in my heart. I can look at those broken places and throbbing open wounds that reside there. I know that He is trying to mend them. He did not make my heart to look like this. Oh, just more pain I bring Him. Some wounds have been mended and scars remain but some I continue to reopen because of guilt, shame, or selfish pride. The pain is a reminder of what he has done for me. Maybe I can feel this pain. Drench myself in it if it means I am taking part in His sacrifice. Maybe I can find a way to look at the pain in a new way, because of His pain-His ultimate gift of love.

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection
and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming
like Him in His death," Philippians 3:10

Hello

God has mercifully given me outlets-ways to bring about catharsis. He recognized a need for me to create early on. As a child I was always making and doing. My mother had her work cut out for her keeping up with her active, independent, strong willed, little girl. This blogs focus will be on those things that I create, how God has helped me in my life and all the ways he brings peace and purification to my life.