Okay - I've been doing some MAJOR cleaning in the scrapbook area and
I [still] have bunch of stuff that needs to GO
despite taking a HUGE box for my local crop's swap table
-and I'm really tired of seeing the OMG abbreviation everywhere

[I try hard to make my mind read 'oh my goodness!]

So am hoping that we might also come to think of it as

'Once a Month [old stuff] Giveaway!

I plan to randomly draw a name from the comments on this post and send that person a little bag of goodies that hopefully they can use

[new to them and all, you know...]
It's been a full and happy month for us - with lots of posts - just browse through the blog and leave a comment about your favorite post from JANUARY.

Comments will close on Thursday night February 11that midnight [central.]
I hope to post the winner mid-month -

And the Winner for December is:

Susie said...

Congratulations on the graduation ! That is so exciting to see another adventure to begin.

Your posts do make me think in a different light....I appreciate that. Thanks for making a difference in my day.

Have a great time at your celebration !

January 4, 2010 9:19 AM

Susie - send your mailing address to me

Judy@faithbasedpages.com

and I'll get a little box of goodies out to you soon!

Digital Scrapbooking?

I've played around with the idea of digital scrapbooking for several years now - mostly enjoy playing with it when I'm traveling and want to have a little creative fun - but I wanted to turn my 'Ten on Tuesday' posts into scrapbook pages and really thought digital would be the easiest way to make some clean and simple pages for this. It took me a while to set up the template - but I love it. I'll probably use differnet colors for each month. And I plan to have them printed on-line and will pick up a cute 11x8.5 album at Hobby Lobby to put them all in. By the end of December I'll have 52 pages of our life from 2010. How fun is that? I used Photoshop to set up the basic template and added background paper and other paper for decor - Light blue Solid [designer unknown] and Echos of Asia blue floral [Jessica Sprague.]
Now that I know how to set up a template [finally!!] I'm thinking of setting one up to quickly pull together some pages for the conventions and crops I've been to through the years. But these may be 'hybrid' - meaning I'll print the base and add in the photos and embellishments. But that's not on the front burner right now...

Little Happy Things

This month I’m involved in several crafty adventures that have me looking at what inspires me – and so many of these are the same things that I’m thankful for in my life. [I’m finishing up Elizabeth Dillow’s BPS class, ‘Inspiration Defined,’ the FBP Challenge is about the little things we’re thankful for, and the FBP Classes lesson this week is focusing on gratitude in the everyday things. And of course, my word for the year is JOY and joy really does come from living a life of gratitude, doesn’t it? – So I have to share that while I’ve never been a big trinket kind of person – I don’t enjoy dusting around a lot of STUFF – I am a BIG believer in surrounding myself with little things that give me a little happy feeling.My motto is, "Every room needs a little whimsy"

I realize the photos are a little grainy - but you get the 'picture' - ha-

Do you notice a theme here? I love green – especially this apple-avocado color. It’s my fave and it just makes me happy. I enjoy drinking my coffee or hot tea from a mug that reminds me daily that God cares for me and all I have to do is ‘trust’ and my day will be better…the apple [from Cracker Barrel, am I regular visitor there, or what?!?] is BIG [maybe 8 inches] and just brightens my day when I walk through our dining area and see it; and the pots sitting in my kitchen window help me see the good things this world has to offer – soon I should have little seedlings of thyme, basil, and rosemary to season our meals with [and I hope to eventually plant outside in the summer garden.] If you look closely there are already some popping up.

Look around and discover what brings you a little happiness or joy as you go through the day. It doesn’t have to be limited to stuff – it could be people, things you hear, scents, things you see [think about things you’ve read this week or seen in advertisements – I’m loving the new Subway ad, btw, where the grown men speak in little boy voices], or magazines, or places you go. It’s there if we just look to see it. Seek out joy!

Ten on Tuesday

1. Busy – busy work week with overtime + new time log system = ONE BIG HEADACHE.
2. I’m finally getting used to my ‘new’ bi-focal glasses – from Zenni – I’d recommend them to anyone!
3. Four months after a bad hair cut – it’s finally “like I like it” – that is the one and only time in my life when I’ve actually said, “Put down the scissors, we’re done,” and, “No. Seriously. We’re done.” I paid for it, but I sure wasn’t happy about having kindergarten bangs. [Photo above was taken several months ago, kind of mid-grow-out – it’s sooo much better now!]
4. Food is my enemy – maybe, not really… I need to do so much better there- and not just in the possible overeating – acid reflux has been a frequent visitor these past few days…
5. I hear birds singing in the early morning hours – spring is coming! Despite the forecasted 30* temp tonight…
6. I DO NOT enjoy driving in thunderstorms and tornadoes, and so, I didn’t. It’s nice to be in a place [work-wise] where I can freely make these decisions. It’s an awesome photo, isn’t it? [January 21st Huntsville tornado – photo from local news site]
7. LOVING the slide scanner my in-laws gave me for Christmas! It actually takes a little ‘snapshot’ of each slide as you put it through – very quick and oh, so easy! I went through over 800 of my slides during the weekend. And noticed that some will be spotty regardless of how much air you hit them with- ah, well, can I just pretend they already have a ‘grunge mask’ on them? I mean, some people pay for these digital elements! LOL
8. Of course, my slides are all in plastic sleeves so they can be held up to a light to choose – and choose I did via the LOM system – why scan those that I know I’ll never use? Note: I plan to scan Every. Single. One. of Joe’s slides so we can all have a copy...
9. I soooo enjoy our praise time at church – we attend the ‘blended’ venue* which has a little mix of hymns and praise – Mark does an excellent job in helping us worship before the sermon. [*Our church now has three venues: traditional – blended – and unplugged with 6 worship services – pretty neat.]
10. And finally – I saw a live chicken in someone’s yard this week – just walking around... it’s been a long, long time since I’ve been that deep in 'country' [Photo off the internet – no, I did not stop to document it- although I know many of you believe I would.]

JOY – My ‘One Little Word’ for 2010

I know, I know, I’m late with announcing it to the world – but there it is: JOY.
In the ‘scrapbooking world’ there’s a designer [Ali Edwards] who started this trend a few years ago – choosing a word to focus on throughout the year – kind of a mantra to live by and guide us through the coming days. Some believers do a similar thing by choosing a verse of scripture to meditate on throughout the year, so, thus, my verse:

^“But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with JOY about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress”. Psalm 59:16 (New Living Translation)

Last year was the first year I participated – and my word was CHOICE – a good word that helped remind me that in all things God has given us a free-will to make a choice of how we react, what we do - or don’t do, etc. But even with that there were many times I found myself with such anxiety over the ‘what ifs’ in life that I failed to see the JOY in life, So that’s my word – JOY – it’s a choice too, you see. And this year I’m making a conscious effort to see [and experience] JOY as I go through life – and I’m not just talking finding JOY in big things here, I’m talking about finding JOY the little, everyday, things. I’m talking about choosing to not go through life’s day in and out regularness without really seeing and finding the JOY that is all around us, if we only look. For example – Having JOY in loading and unloading that dishwasher for instance – so blessed am I that I even have a dish washer and a wonderful family that helps me keep those dirty dishes coming…

Here’s a little craftiness I did a few weeks ago to hang over my desk to remind me to look for JOY in life. You can see that it’s an ornament I picked up at Cracker Barrel after Christmas and ‘altered’ a bit to bring me JOY throughout the year. [craft paint + flowers and netting from my kit from The Girls’ Loft] I’m also trying to focus on JOY, as I start the year reading ‘Choosing Gratitude: Your journey to JOY’ [Nancy Leigh DeMoss] and participate in the Faith Based Pages Classes Yahoo Group [link on the left] as we study this book and interpret it on our scrapbook pages together. Come on over and join us! There’s JOY in sharing together!

FBP Monthly Challenge - January

I’m not sure how much participation is happening with this and have to admit that even I’ve been a little bogged down throughout the holidays. But I feel the pull to push ahead with this – maybe just for me to focus on my faith based pages, and maybe to get some of you thinking about adding a little of your faith to your pages as well. Someone suggested a shorter time frame as goal for completion so that’s what I’m hoping to do this year –

But first – our challenge for December was: What Christmas Means to Me

[Scrap lift from Scrapbooks Etc. Nov / Dec 2009, p.20] Highlight your beliefs surrounding the Christmas season - Must include: two-toned title, hand cut and decorated tree, lined paper, sewing on the page, and journaling about your Christmas beliefs; Scripture: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Here’s my layout:

If any of you participated, I would love to see what you did.

Our January Challenge is: Theme: Everyday Blessings

[Scrap lift from Scrapbooks Etc. Nov / Dec 2009, p.10]

Highlight the things [people – places - things] that make your ‘everyday’ just a little brighter. Or maybe, the things that just help you make it through the day, because aren’t these little things a blessing too?

Must include: Chipboard letters, three of your favorite colors, three ribbon tabs, and a row of flowers

Scripture: “And let the Peace of God rule in your hearts…and be ye thankful.” Colossians 3:15

Begin today and complete your own interpretation of this challenge! Post a comment and link to show us your page[s] before February 1^st and you could be chosen to receive a little giftie from me. I’ll post my layout on that date and a new challenge will be posted the third week in February. I look forward to seeing what you do!

Ten on Tuesday

1.Oh, Warm Weather, where might you be? I mean, I know it’s January, but I live in the South…
2. And I’m loving my fur-lined crocs we bought in Colorado-


3. Scrap time with gals I call friends is always a fun time!
4. 13 - Layouts finished makes the day complete!

5. My hair is flat – flat – flat – ever since we returned from Colorado – what happened to the ‘volume’ [frizz] that southern humidity always gives me?
6. Raccoons – there’s no secret we feed a herd of raccoons every night – but during the cold snap they were especially brave and would hardly leave the carport when we went outside…[Photo of this little guy was taken back in the summer-]
7. Okay – Sudafed – as much as I hate to rely on you– you are my friend, and have helped me make it through many a runny – sniffly day lately with my dignity intact [and some who have seen me sneeze know exactly what I’m talking about.]
8. Been trying to ‘watch’ what I eat – but am still enjoying a $1 sweet tea [okay, usually half ‘n half, because it’s too sweet for even me] most every day –
9. American Idol + DVR, need I say more? Love it.
10. And, FINALLY – yes, the Christmas Cards have been mailed. Merry New Year everyone!

THIS is why I scrapbook

So, I've been a little scrap happy this weekend

[despite all the STUFF
-- Christmas, still - travel - return from college -everyday living clutter --
that still needs putting away around the house.]
And it's been FUN.
It's been a while since I've REALLY scrapped
[Although, I DID complete my daily December album.]
Friday night as I was preparing for the crop on Saturday I actually pulled out "the albums*" and sorted layouts from 2009
[and yes, some lingering 2008] into their place.
[I tend to have my layouts stacked in a pile or hanging in my scrap space, hanging in the play room, and yes, even on easels in other parts of the house.]
Then I was ready to really prepare for the crop time I had set aside with friends - I pulled out some page kits [some monthly kits, some class kits from past events, and some theme kits from Hobby Lobby, etc.] and started to to pull photos to take with me, when I decided to live dangerously and just
take my entire collection of printed photos -
AND SCRAP THEM.[Some Auburn snow photos taken from facebook &
fish photos self taken by the fisherman with his phone.
Photo of layouts is not great - but you get the idea-]
Nothing fancy here - the goal was to get as many pages completed as possible -
[my actual goal was 18 completed layouts, but I ran out of steam after 6 hours...]
Here's my strategy [a la Stacy Julian's finish-line scrapbooking techniques-]
1. Gather the photos together closely on the layout[- placing them in a pleasing, to my eye anyway, format - to me that means having things facing inward instead of outward and having colors evenly distributed via a visual triangle.]
2. Fill in under and over with coordinating patterned [or solid, it that's your choice] paper to complete the 'look' you're going for [so much easier when using a page kit since the coordination has already been done for you!] - and
3. Add embellishments - she advocates limiting your choices to 50 or so - I gave myself permission to use anything and everything in that page kit [no saving it for another, more worthy page or time] and I also had my embellishment case with me to use as well.
There is FREEDOM in giving yourself permission to USE YOUR STUFF.
And I completed the 13 layouts you see above.
Keeping my space tidy and cleaning up was much simpler because I put all the leftover kit pieces back in the kit - to , possibly use again ** or to pass on in the OMGiveaway.
Again, nothing fancy - but my reasons for scrapbooking were accomplished: highlighting the photos I love while telling our story
- and having a little artsy fun along the way.
This is why I scrapbook [see Shimelle's project here.]
So THEN, Sunday afternoon turned into a rainy cold, stay inside and cook a 'desperation dinner' kind of day - and I completed 7 more layouts![The photos of that precious baby boy, our nephew's son, were taken by our niece,
- his aunt- photographer-extraordinaire, Kat Gorney.
Photo of Mk in her crib - taken by her parents.]
[**You'll notice that some of the layouts use the same papers - no worries - they're going in different albums. Remember I have the following *albums on-going: [1] chronological for me and [2 & 3] each of the boys as well as [4] All About Us - random layouts about our family, [5] People We Love - extended family, and
[6] Just Because.
So you see, I have lots of choices.
And since today's a holiday, I'm starting up again, although I may have to set a timer so I can have time to at least straighten up the house a bit...
Next week is a busy - busy work week.

Corrie Ten Boom Quotes

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength."

Everyone likes a little pat on the back ---

and I've gotta admit, I'm no exception to that rule - You all know how excited I was to be 'published' for the first time - evah! It's just a fun feeling to see your own stuff in the pages of a magazine. And in addition to that, I got a little happy feeling when I received THIS email from the editor of the Hobby Lobby magazine:

"Thought I would let you know - your website (blog) was seen by someone in the Hobby Lobby "internet" division and was forwarded to the President of Hobby Lobby! He then, forwarded it to the Merchandise Mgr, who forwarded it down to me! They were all very impressed! Wow and Thanks! It made my day!! ... It made [us] happy and made the magazine look good! "

Goodness! You just never know who might be reading the words you write - and we should all be mindful of that, always. Thanks to everyone! THIS email made my day!

Haiti

Two places to go and see how you might help -

Rebecca Sower's recent trip to Haiti and the Haiti by Hand Etsy shop -

I've Been Published!

I’m sure that I’ll be sharing more [and more] snow photos in the weeks to come as I begin to shop them up a bit, but for now I have to share that --

[Guess What?!?] I’ve been published! Yes!
I’ve only rarely submitted scrapbook projects for publication mainly because
1] It’s just too hard for me to keep up with the name / brand of each little piece of the whole [ you have to give a list of brand names for each thing used on the page...], and
2] While the idea seems fun, it’s never been something I’ve desired enough to make a ‘job’ out of it [and believe me I’ve seen people work four + hours a day creating layouts using photos that they ‘grabbed’ from others and creating a story to go with it just for the purpose of publication – and I know that’s not for me. I want to tell MY story authentically]


But I’ve always toyed with the idea of submitting to the Hobby Lobby Magazine, “Stamping – Stationary – and SCRAPBOOKING” because they are a faith based company and might embrace some of my faith based layouts a little more easily than other publications. So last fall I bit the bullet and submitted several projects and was so pleased [and surprised!] when I got the call that they wanted me to send in the actual project of a few of my creations. Wow! But even then, they assured that it may not all be used in the magazine. So I was thrilled when I received an advanced copy of the 2010 1st Quarter Issue [available at Hobby Lobby stores throughout the nation] and there was in fact three of my creations published [as follows]:Page 20 – The beaded placemat wall hanging that I did to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. – Just a fun little [? – it’s actually about 15 inches wide] thing that hangs in our foyer during the winter months. And,
Page 34 – A fun little layout I did to celebrate MK’s 1st birthday [most everything on this page is from one of my kits from The Girls’ Loft] I may go back and add some hand-written journaling on those lines there… And lastly,Page 60 – This has always been a favorite photo and story of mine. I took the layout I’d originally done back in ’02 and re-vamped it with current papers and the JBS card. And did you know that Matt had a little 4-leaf clover finding expedition during this past fall as well? The last one I found was in ’07 – so the ‘gift’ is still there. LOL

I’ve recently sent a whole bunch of new layouts to them and am waiting to see if my ‘luck’ holds out and I have more chosen for the next publication – if so, I just may be encouraged enough to submit to other places as well…time will tell.

Ten on Tuesday

1. Snowmobiling – so beautiful [and FUN!] – Being up close and personal with the mountains is an unforgettable experience. It reminded me of just how big our God is – Amos 4:13, “He creates the mountains; creates the wind. He reveals His thoughts to us, mere mortals, and turns the dawn into darkness. He walks across the mountain ledges – He is God.” What an awesome God we serve!
2. And how blessed am I that He helps me overcome my anxieties so that I can enjoy His great creation!
3. Snow – snow and more snow – our week has been full of it! We had the opportunity to drive during a snow storm in Colorado on not only Friday evening, but also Saturday evening as we headed south and through the tunnel. And THEN – when we got home we had snow here too [and everyone knows how snow can shut down the South.]
4. While we thought Winter Park was fun – Keystone has won our hearts – could be because we stayed within walking distance of the lifts, could be because we could get there on a four lane road with no switchbacks, could be the gorgeous weather we had the entire time we were there – we loved it and would return again [and again!]
5. The heated garage was a plus too.
6. Altitude sickness or caffeine withdrawal? Waking up and talking to my boys only to hear Matt say, “Pay no attention to her, she’s talking out of her head…” And, I probably was – some things came out of my mouth that even I would stop and think, “Did THAT make any sense at all?”
7. Having time with our boys – and giving them undivided time together during this transition in their lives was a priceless gift for us. I love seeing and hearing them share so much together and as Matt gave Drew an extra long hug before heading back to AU without him I wasn’t sure I could hold it all in… Love them so much and am so very happy they love each other.
8. Snow Days home from work – to not only recuperate from our trip but also time to veg-out as I recovered from a terrific head cold.[out our front window at home...]
9. Snow on the ground – IN OUR YARD- for THREE DAYS – it’s been a very long time since we can remember this happening. Along with that - Frozen Pipes on Sunday making it nearly impossible to get ready for the day.
10. And finally – back to the ‘ole grind – but really – I’m ready for some sense of a routine where I can look to my calendar and see what’s happening in my life.

The Top Ten Lessons I Learned From Charlie Brown #1

For 50 years the daily comic strip "Peanuts" entertained millions of readers. Every day, the adventures of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and the whole gang provided many laugh-out-loud moments while at the same time offering a daily inspiration and lessons on life. With the death of "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz, I reflect on how much I enjoyed sharing the adventures of the "Peanuts" gang and I remember the many lessons they taught me...
1. It's okay to be afraid... just don't let your fears control you. Charlie Brown often sat in bed and spoke of his fears, but no matter how scared he was, he always did the things he wanted to do.
Submitted by Jim Allen, a personal & business success coach, who can be reached at Jim@CoachJim.com, or visited on the web at http://www.CoachJim.com.Jim Allen wants you to know: Charles Schulz taught me much through his daily work. Now, I hope to return the favor in some small way.

Colorado Photos in no particular order

We visited Keystone, Winter Park, Silverthorne [snowmobiling] Boulder, Denver, and Golden - a great trip! [Keystone was our favorite!]

Glad to be home

and had a great time, and now we're wondering how much snow we'll have here in Alabama - Until then, some photos from Colorado to enjoy:

Ten [things in my life right now] on Tuesday

Well, here we go – shall I commit to posting ten random happenings of my life each week? I’ll admit the monthly choice quotes and bi-weekly Encyclopedia of My Ordinary Life posts in 2009 were ALL PRE-POSTED so I never had to think about them throughout the year. In this chaotic-crazy-blessed life that I live can I commit to setting aside time each week for Ten on Tuesday?

Well, I’m going to give it a go!
[I may need you to hold me accountable.] Randomly:

1. Celebrating New Year’s with friends is always fun – we’ve been hanging with most of this group on this day most every year since 1999 when we were all wondering if our lives would fall apart from the anticipated computer software crash…the photo below was taken with my very first digital [640x320] camera and I was loving this digital stuff - 12-31-1999 [Did we meet at Shoney's at the last minute to celebrate with hot fudge cake?]:
2. Kids – comfortable in our house – throughout the week [as many as thirty a night at times] – and even scouring every inch of things when looking for someone’s lost keys [found three days later inside our loveseat – after removing the six unmatched black socks that it had somehow eaten…] Glad I did some deep cleaning before Christmas – but I’m sure they saw the dust bunny family that scurries across our wood floors anyway…
3. Working. Every. Day. While most of the world was not – very sloooow and looong days.
4. Not enough time to ‘just be’ with my sweet hubby – as we transitioned from holiday mode [getting it all down and packed away] to vacation mode [packing things up to head out again!]
5. Family Time – always a great treat! This year we gathered with all of our immediate family [parents, siblings, nieces and nephews], as well as many of my 32 cousins on my mother’s side of the family. It’s so good to see that no matter our differences and choices in life we love each other anyway. There’s such age differences here – some of my cousins are my mother’s age and have kids my age… And so we may not all be best friends with each other – but we always – always want the best for each other. And we sure missed those who couldn’t join us!
6. Christmas cards mailed – finally. Oops, or are they?
7. I had a grouchy moment [or two-?] that I wish I could take back. Let’s be honest, this PMS that is accompanying my pre-menopausal stage of life is just NO FUN. I’ve never had PMS before. I know – TMI! [too much information]

8. I’m blessed to have a wonderful husband who has taken on the planning and execution of family travel these past few years. I used to be the hyper-organized one and lately we seem to have switched roles a bit. And, it’s nice. He prints me a spreadsheet [with double dots – ha!] so that I can still have a feeling of being in control even though we both know I’m not…
9. Cleaning the refrigerator of left-overs. Yay for me and yay for the cats and various wild-life [possums, fox, raccoons] that live in our yard. It went to a spot next to the compost pile…
10. And finally – more snow than the boys in my life have ever seen before!

Creativity That Lasts

by Robin Sloboda
Psalm 90:17 - Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands. (NKJV)
Looking through a collection of cross-stitching books today, I found a prayer that inspired me. I began thinking about how God uses our creativity to touch others and bring glory to himself, even when we are no longer living in this world. Artist Betty W. McCool writes: "Father, grant that I, through your gift, may reach beyond my earthly years and touch with love all who look upon my work forever."
What a mind-blowing, creative thought! Imagine.
The work we do with our hands can, does, and will outlive us. Da Vinci's work did. Michelangelo's work did. Even works of art done by Egyptians dating back three thousand years ago did. What we create with our hands will outlive us here on earth.
Later that day at a friend's home, we were sharing life stories while having tea. She showed me a few beautiful needlepoint pictures that her mother-in-law had created. I was in awe with the story that followed.
After her mother-in-law's death, the family found fifteen handcrafted pieces of needlepoint tucked between mattresses in her home. The cost of framing was not in the family budget, so with care, she had carefully covered each one in tissue. Then she had loving put them away under the mattresses until they could be mounted and framed. Her thought was that each of her children and grandchildren would eventually receive a gift of her handcrafted love.
What an amazing story! Part of her will live on through the work of her hands. The opportunity to frame the work never came during her lifetime, but each one of her children received a piece of her love nevertheless. My friend decided to frame one piece of tapestry a year in memory of her mother-in-law. What great heirlooms to cherish and pass down through generations!
Over the years, I have made a few cross-stitched pieces myself and written many poems, stories, and other items that will still be hanging around, even when I am not. My prayer is that through the creative work of my hands, God will bless my family for years to come. May it all bring glory to Him.
What creative gifts has God given us to touch the lives of others, even when we are no longer hanging around in this world? How have others blessed us through the work God has given them?
Prayer: Gracious Father, thank You for the many ways You have gifted each of us to touch others' lives -- for creativity in building works of love to pass on to others. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Robin Sloboda <r.sloboda@shaw.ca>Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

How do you measure your worth?

I’ve pondered this question for several days now… does your worth depend on the house you live in, or the car you drive, or the gifts that are given to you? Do you think others think you’re worth more if you eat in fancy restaurants, wear expensive clothes, or go to expensive shows? Do you feel you’re worth more if you look and dress like a model and have all the latest, trendy clothes?

Is self-worth the same as self-esteem?

I know my family is not perfect [whose is?] but my parents [and extended family] surely must have done something right – because while there may be times when I don’t have the self-confidence to do something, there’s never been a time when I felt I was of no worth. This past week has been filled with gatherings of friends, family, and friends with their families – such a joyful time that I often forgot to take photos [can you even believe THAT?!? – I’m hoping I can grab some from others who were there.] And we’ve loved Every. Moment. Of. It.

Still, my heart is sad because I’ve watched others and I have seen how they define the measurement of self-worth. And, it’s so very different from mine. - Not that I see success or enjoyment of the finer things in life as wrong or bad, I just have never measured my self-worth, or the worth of others, with those things. [Those who know me, know that I enjoy life.] Character and integrity cannot be measured by the car a person drives or the clothes they wear…

Never, in my entire 50 years [I’m embracing this, can’t you see?] have I thought that my self-worth depended on what others gifted to me, or what kind of car I drive [that’s pretty obvious to most, don’tcha think?] or whether or not I am model thin [no comments on my weight issues…] And so I wonder – since I have always felt loved, do I take for granted this feeling of being loved and accepted? The love from my family has never depended on what I do [whether it’s chores around the house, making good grades in school, or making wise life decisions]. Instead, my family has always shown an unconditional kind of love – and loved me because I’m here, a part of their lives – not because of things I might do for them. I was raised to believe we should live with integrity and that our character is what defines us. And as I’ve pondered these thoughts this past week I’ve come to realize that THIS really is a gift that I’ve taken for granted.

Let me step aside a moment and say – thank you family, both nuclear and extended – thank you, for letting this chubby freckled faced kid grow up in an atmosphere of love and acceptance of who I am. Thank you for showing me – through words and actions- what character and integrity really means. Thank you –

While I know that there are families who don’t know how to love [I’m a social worker in protective services, afterall] I’ve made the mistake of assuming [once again] that those with similar backgrounds might have identical backgrounds [and morals and values and love] – And yet, I know without a doubt that only the people who live in a house know what really goes in on in that home, so I’m perplexed that I’m so surprised by this. And still it saddens me to know that there are people in my life [no matter how extended they might be] who feel such little self-worth that the decisions they make are based on what others might think of them. And, oh, how I hope my boys know that They. Are. Loved. Unconditionally – regardless of decisions and choices they make – they are loved.

I’m thinking: buy the car, eat in the fancy restaurant, give good gifts, get healthy, wear nice clothes, whatever – because it’s WHAT YOU WANT OUT OF LIFE – not to impress others. And I wonder, how have I lived my entire life with no thoughts of impressing others? Especially when, apparently, there are so many, many other people around me who live their life [and make choices] based on that very reason. And yet, I feel loved.

In my ponderings of the week – I’ve come back to one question over and over again – where does this unconditional love come from? And so many of you know the answer already – it comes from God – and our Lord and Savior who came to earth to live as a man and to die [so willingly] on the cross to save us from our sins. I became a Christian at the young age of seven – made the decision to proclaim my belief that Jesus was the Son of God and that belief in Him was the one and only way to return to God after our life here on earth. And because of this, I believe, that even through the bad times of my life, I KNEW that my God loved me – with a love that we, as humans, can only begin to fathom. So I guess THAT LOVE is really what has made me the person I am today – His approval is all that matters to me. And that approval doesn’t depend on cars, or gifts, or clothes, or looks – we’re all beautiful to the One who made us.

What did my family do right? They led me to see that God loves me and wants me to follow Him and accept the love He has to give. They helped me to see that striving to be like Jesus helps me live a life of character. And so, my prayer for you, my friends and family, as we go into this New Year, is that you will seek out love [and approval] from the One who loves. I hope you will go to Him and feel the joy of sitting in His presence. The joy of complete [and unconditional] acceptance. He will never force us to Him. But He’s there waiting…

Happy New Year –