Homegrown Hospitality

Defining Purpose

It is what some call "the season of giving" and just like many, I am blessed beyond measure.  With that comfort, my heart is constantly feeling empathy & compassion for those who are hurting, lost and dealing with difficulties. I get these tsunami strong feelings of "WHAT CAN I DO???" and my mind is constantly wanting, wondering, thinking and ready to do something to help.

As you know, this past year, I have been "moved" to react and respond to others through sharing my faith, supporting The Jessie Rees Foundation & HER cause that has become part of my heart and communicating, sharing and teaching others through my art.  I knew there was more...I just was not sure what it was and on Wednesday of this week, I heard the phrase/question "Care or Cure?"

It was the question Jessie's Mommy & Daddy asked her as they created the very first jars of joy.. 

Part of the purpose of The Jessie Rees Foundation is to provide CARE.  Jessie's wish was to care for the children that were battleing cancer and the question/concept & thought "Care or Cure" made me realize another part of my purpose, made me realize why I am so drawn to her foundation and why I feel so proud to be part of the NEGU team. While I can not cure the hurts, illness, and difficulties of others, I can support others with care...

Through Prayer

Through Reminders

Through Example

Through Connection

Through Art

Through Love

Through Support

and so can you!

We all need to practice the "Season of Giving" each day...not just in November & December and I am learning more and more about myself, about the purpose of my life and how to help others..all through the very short life of a sweet girl named Jessie.
So what can you do to help?

Donate to the Jessie Rees Foundation to provide JOY to little love bugs..

Promote the cause on Facebook by LIKING the page

Tune in THIS SUNDAY to CNN to watch..

 

What Can I Do?

A storm, a diagnosis, a grieving heart...whatever it might be, unfortunately, we live in a broken world full of disasters, death, distress, disappointment and discontent and bad things happen to good people all around us.  (Thanks alot, Adam!)

There are so many circumstances surrounding us and when we are on the outside looking in, the "What can I do besides in addition to praying?" feelings are overwhelming.  It is the question I have been asking myself and others alot lately. There has got to be more I can do, whether I am 3 feet or 3,000 miles away.

Personally, I am tired of hearing people complain about gas prices. We are lucky to have gas..

and politics...

We are lucky, blessed, whatever you want to call it, to have a choice.

So, again.."What Can I Do in addition to praying?" start by working together with others towards a common goal because

"..Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed" Ecc 4:9

We can lend a helping hand and a prayerful heart to those who need assistance. 

It is our job.

".. we must work, doing something useful with our own hands, that we may have something to share with those in need." Eph. 4:28 NIV

With great optimism, resilience and faith, ultimately we can help in turning the bad into good by getting up and doing something....

• Offer Your Physical Presence - Be there. Be Close.
• Offer Security - Open your doors to offer safety and protection.
• Offer Practical Assistance - Offer to prepare meals, run errands & make appointments.
• Give Emotional Support - Pray for them and with them..out-loud.
• Love One Another - "We belong to each other and each of us needs all the others"Romans 12:5
• Demonstrate hope & remind others that giving up is not an option.
  

Do Something

Did you watch Stand up For Cancer last night?

Me, too.

Did you cry?

I almost did..and along with the heartache that I felt, I felt strength.

I felt that NEGU feeling.

Like I could do something as long as I Never Ever Give Up...

So can you.

But what? 

Follow The Jessie Rees Foundation on FB https://www.facebook.com/JessieReesFoundation and simply JOY MOB a child that is fighting Cancer.

PRAY.

Visit the Jessie Rees NEGU website site to read about 10 great ways to help.

PRAY

Volunteer to stuff JOY JARS this month..there are 22,000 (seriously!) that need to be stuffed and delivered for Christmas!

PRAY

Show your support with Team Negu Wear

PRAY.

Do Something - July 2012

Dang July went fast....pretty sure that I was reminding you that once 4th of July passes..it is all down hill till Christmas...

see, I was not making that up.

It happens every year.

Anyways, if I were a scrap booker, maybe an active participant of Project-Life 2012 (I do have all of the stuff..) or had Insta-Gram (which Jack referred to last night as the "world's greatest invention") then this would you might have seen:

starting at the top and moving left to right:

• Working out at Athlete's Choice several days a week..more than I ever have in my life (both working out and sweating..thanks Maria!) http://www.athleteschoicersm.com/
• Still displaying the biggest American Flag (probably designed for a building) that you can on a little house
• Enjoying the renewed relationship with being creative everyday, thanks Tim! http://timholtz.com/
• Documenting big things in the smallest ways
• Children being water ambushed by big mean neighbors...(just kidding, they are small..and bald..the neighbors..not the kids. Was that nice of me to say?)
• Finding heart rocks
• Rollerblading (kids, NOT me!) running, walking and riding around the lake
• Baking for a cause http://www.cookiesforkidscancer.org/
• Chicken fights & bbqing chicken..alot
• Blazing trails with Regina & Amy...and Ben, too!http://www.ocparks.com/whitingranch/
• Sailing the Maui sea and tanning feet at the same time http://www.teralani.net/
• Spreading the word http://www.jessie.org/
• Joining forces with the wives http://www.racerxonline.com/2012/07/27/racer-x-films-surfercross-day-1
• Selling cookies for the cause....http://www.cookiesforkidscancer.org/
• Watching Plumerias bloom in the backyard, wishing we were back on vacation
• Watering and wondering if the pam tree is going to get attacked by the giant zucchini plant
• Loving him and wishing he would stop playing car salesman..no, I mean car buyer.
• Finding more heart rocks
• Trying to convince boys not to throw signs in EVERY picture
• Riding bikes
• Sailing the high seas of Lake Mission Viejo
• Reading & studying http://www.onlyyoucanbeyou.com/
• Buying socks for the cause http://www.jessie.org/joyjars/
• Becoming more civilized campers...bye bye tent
• Sticking to a schedule

Today...or maybe tomorrow, bake some and share some...Click HERE for the recipe.

here is the recipe for these.

Things To Do

Let it go...

all of it.

Not parts of it, 

ALL of it.

The worries, the wonders, the wounds, the what-if's..

all of it, 

pack it all in a big ol' hefty bag and throw it away...and not in the recycle bin!

It is time to stop searching everywhere else for who I am and start beleieving God for who HE made me to be.

It is time to be on the other side of struggle and time to fly.

Items used :

Grunge Board Elements	Distress Crackle Paint - Clear Rock Candy	Distress Ink - Barn Door	Tim Holtz Distress Markers	Glue-N-Seal
Idea-Ology Swivel Clips

InLinkz.com

"Creating a life that reflects my dreams..Living a life that defines my Purpose"

The title of this post is part of my mission statement.

It is what I do. Create, Dream, Live (well, and laundry..) and is based around my purpose. Part of that purpose is that I share my creative passion and vision with others and in the process, I may be able to inspire others.

Today, I hope to inspire you to use what you have to create something else.  

Yesterday as I was cleaning up the flag block project, I lost focus (whoops) and happened to come across a project I had started creating a year ago (not kidding) and never finished (trying to work on that) 

This is a small file folder journal that was going to be a class once upon a time. The background of the file folders were painted using a baby wipe and paint and then a little neighborhood was created using many different patterned papers and Mod Podged on.  Poor little page sat like that for a whole year and never complained.

Yesterday, I grabbed my black Distress pen (that is really in distress because I have used it so much) and a blue Faber Castell chapstick looking paint thing (geez, I bet they would LOVE me for that amazing promo) and with in 10 minutes, my little neighborhood looked like it had been hit by Ty Pennington and the Extreme Home Make Over crew...

I am going to finish up this piece by adding these words:

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵ Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

So now, go create something from things you already have and enjoy the process!

Thank You , Part two

You should make one for your home sweet home to ring in the summer months, as a reminder of our freedom, in honor of those who have given their lives and for those who serve our country.

Here is what I did:

Start with a block of wood measuring 5" x 5 1/2" .  Wipe/dry brush cream paint lightly/roughly over the entire surface of the block of wood with a baby wipe, paper towel or dry brush.

Using dictionary paper or old book paper, scribble Distress marker ink, Distress stain or paint onto paper and water down with baby wipe or wet brush.  Do a sheet in red and another sheet in blue.  Let dry or dry with a heat gun.

Tear red paper into strips and the blue into a square and arrange on the block of wood 

Adhere with Mod Podge and then distress the papers using your finger tip. When Mod Podge is 99% dry, use a distress pen in brown and add lines of ink above and below red stripes. Using your finger again, smudge a little Mod Podge over pen lines and blend to get a rustic worn wood look.

Using a die or punch, cut a few stars from dictionary paper and adhere to the blue area using Mod Podge.  Repeat Distress pen steps with brown pen around stars.

Use a heat gun to dry project and then add one final coat of Mod Podge to seal.  Let dry and display proudly.

Now if you live somewhere othef than the USA, consider creating your countries flag adjusting the colors accordingly, of course, I mean, I know you know to do that....

oh, and should you have a few embellishments/chipboard words or heck, even words torns from paper, you could adhere them to this as well...

Happy Memorial Day

 

Get To Work

It is our job..

Now, go get to work!

Do Something

I came home with from Pennsylvania with this and never showed you...Shame on me.

Ahh yes, wool felt, a big brand new giant stack and typically, I would have ripped into this stack and started stitching away, but I have been looking at it now for 7 days.  Amongst the greens, reds and golds, the colors I normally migrate to, the colors I call my "Life Colors"...

I see Blue...and I feel blue.

My heart is still so full of emotion from the weekend,so much that it makes me a little weepy, no, really weepy.  I am going to show you a picture that will tug on your heartstrings, maybe harder than ever. This is Erik Rees.  Pastor at my church, daddy to Jessie. A photo that was taken a few month ago:

After witnessing our small community rally around Jessie through the 10 months of her fight, the love and tears shown during the days and weeks after her death, the immense desire to keep her hope of Spreading Joy to children fighting cancer and events like this past Saturday, I feel more empowered than ever before to help...as do my boys...In fact, when Ben got out of the car this morning, he mentioned he was wearing NEGU Blue (not knowing that I was typing this)

Our family is fighting, working, walking, praying and helping to Spread Joy in memory of Jessie, for the cause, for the families

for the reason, for this dad that smiles brightly in the midst of his pain. 

I look at that stack of felt and see blue...I see NEGU colors and I now know what my first project is going to be

because this family...needs a basket of happy & joy...in honor of their girl and the amazing work they are doing in honor of her.

We all have a God Given purpose and it is our responsibility to

so again, I challenge you to Do Something.  Whether it is for the Jessie Rees Foundation or something else, please get up and do something...because as Jessie's daddy reminded me, "We Are Better Together"

and hey... show your Team NEGU pride wearing shirts like these to spread the word...

and to remind others to NEVER EVER GIVE UP!

Do Something & Pass It On

Today, I am giving you a new doodle to color and hopefully inspiring you to give something to someone else, kinda like a "Do Something" and "Pass It On" challenge.

 Dream...big dreams

Create..something

Love..one another

Believe..in yourself

Practice..good deeds

Give yourself 20 minutes to color and think about the things above WITHOUT thinking you should be:

1. unloading the dishwasher
2. folding the clothes
3. sweeping the floors
4. cleaning the bathroom
5. ________________

Taking 20 minutes (more or less) of quiet, being still, or in this case, coloring.  It will relax you a little and add a little JOY to your soul...and reboot you, and if you are a mom, a girl, a lady, etc.....I know you could use a little reboot...

then..."Do Something" like 

1. Pass on the doodle to someone else to color and inspire someone else 
2. Bake some cookies and deliver them to your local firefighters and/or police
3. Take your shopping cart all the way back up to the front of the store instead of leaving in- between cars
4. Go to Jessie's Facebook page to "Like" it (PLEASE!)
5. Take your neighbors dog for a walk
6. Offer to make or take dinner to someone

and you will find that 

"There is more happiness in giving than in receiving" Acts 20:35

Directions on how to print this doodle out because Typepad will NOT cooperate with me therefore making this an example of being "Simply Complicated" (dang it!!!):

1. Right click on doodle above
2. "Save Picture As" (save it to your computer)
3. Either insert it into a "Word Document" and print it or simply "Print" it as a picture.