Homegrown Hospitality

Artful Blogging

I wanted to share that I have a little 'bout me in the new issue of Artful Blogging by Stampington on newstands for the summer months. If you are here after reading the article, Welcome. If you are here because you come to read on a regular basis, welcome back and thank you.  I mean, really...thank you...thank you all for comments, emails, messages..okay even for the criticism..I take it all into consideration and use it to keep on bloggin...and creating.

Again, if you are here for the first time, again, glad you are here and I hope that you keep coming back.  I do want to explain that sometime my blog is like a pinball machine because it goes from one thing to another to another....

sometimes I am stitching the next moment I am doing something more mixed media Other times I am dabbling into paint or mixing fabric and paint well, and sewing or washing, chopping and cooking well, and doodling.... Simply put, I love to make things and not just one thing...all things.  I have been arm wrestling with myself for a long time on ONLY doing one thing, when really, if I want, I can do all things. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean I can do everything..BUT I am working with the ebb and flow on creating whatever I am inspired to create from paper, fabric, paint, ink and so on and so on. 

In the Artful Blogging article, there is a little shot of this doodle: 

I love it not only because of what it says, but also because I did it one early beautiful humid morning as I sat on a lounge chair in Maui with my mom and dad, waiting for the rest of my family to wake up and join us at the pool for the day. (hey if you want the good seats, ya gotta get up early!)  

THAT is why I blog, why I create and why I share.

It is my Purpose....To remind & inspire you (and myself)  that it is not just about making or creating something, but more about what it is, who you might have done it with and the meaning behind it.
Thanks again for being here!

Lightbulbs & Ringing Bells

I just started reading the latest book by Joyce Meyer called Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits and I have highlighted more in the first two chapters than any other book...ever.

Light bulbs were flashing, too many bells were ringing and a whole lotta "duh's" were going on in my head as I read. 

Press on.

Never Ever Give Up

and for the love of pete, keep going...at whatever it is you are doing.  Stay postive and for gosh sakes, stay hopeful. 

You HAVE to do that. 

Keep the faith and have hope.  Those are two habits you want! (well and listining to Bon Jovi, if you are asking me.)

Here is one for ourselves, for our kids..for our communities, our states, for our nation..for our world.
super, double duh.

Three Things

I did a little praying and asking this morning and the requests were answered.... I have never heard or seen this before and it speaks loud and reads clear to me.  It also goes right along with my life verse Now, here's the "throw myself under the bus" moment...I believe God, I belive HIS word, I believe that what HE says and does and is truth and I believe I have found my purpose, which HE gave to me.  I believe my skills and talents are a gift for me to share with you, which I really strive to do...

BUT WHY WHY WHY do I not believe in myself, excuse me for this...DAMN IT!

DOUBT rears its REALLY UGLY HEAD and I try to kick it down with karate skills that I only learned from watching the Karate Kid. WHY do I continually start to build a wall with the skills that I have learned on DIY (you know, like the one I talked about before) and why am I the only one that gets in my own way.

I am not asking you all of these questions for answers. I know the answers and I am working like mad to face them, work through them and move PAST THEM...

I am sharing what I am going through right now because I know that I am not the only one that goes through this. WE all do, it is just a matter of admitting it and when we admit it, it starts to help and heal and ultimately, reveals HOPE.

There are three things that I hang my hope on...

YES - Saying YES to GOD and being ready for whatever HE has planned, even if I "think" I am not ready.

BELIEVE - In what HE says and what he does....because NO MATTER WHAT, in the end, it WILL be okay.  IT will, it is a promise.

BRAVE - refer to #1

I can do this.

You can do this.

WE all can do this...

whatever "this" is.

Whom Much Is Given.

We are all loved.

I am, you are, she is.

We all are.

NO MATTER WHAT. And while we may know that, they don't.  They are the girls, women and children, that are being trafficked.

I am trying to educate myself on the whole issue of human trafficking by reading articles, reading books and talking with friends that have been in the trenches but am having a hard time getting my mind wrapped around the entire thing.  I am at the point where maybe I do not need to understand it all, I just need to show up and be there, that I need to TRUST God in the things I don't understand and remember this verse:

"Much is required from those to whom much is given, for their responsibility is greater" Luke 12:48

You and I, we are "those whom much is given" and it is our responsibility to help.  Locally and globally and we can not think, "well, who am I ? " or " I am only one person" or " I can't make a difference" because we are the "whom much is given" and we can.

Maybe we can't get ourselves onto a talk-show to talk about it, stand in front of congress and fight for it or raise millions of dollars to go towards it, but we can do something.

"Each one should use whatever gift he's received to serve others."  Peter 4:10

This is the last week of the She's Worth It Fundraising Campaign and I invite you to go take a look at all of the amazing things the money raised will go towards, including the Dahlia House.

We are all better together and together we will teach her that she is loved and she is worth it, and so are YOU!

Read Between the Lines

This is a long one...get comfortable.

In January of 2008, I made a decision, well, sorta like a declaration and said something out-loud..and well, after what I thought I was going do do 2008, I wrote this in October of 2008.

Fast forward several years, to late 2012, as my church, Saddleback started to talk about the twelve new churches in 12 countries. 

Oh boy, I opened my heart, my mind and my mouth and made another declaration, circled a box on a little white card and made a decision to start planning to "do something"...DUH, I should know...it isn't about my plans. I know that and just as I thought I was ready to commit to a "mission" and just as I thought I would start "planning" what I thought was going to do this year, "my plans" were diverted and things are shifting to HIS plans.

It started with a few emails, texts, conversations, prayers and truth cards that traveled to the Philippines with Melody...and from the day she left, it spiralled perfectly "in-control" and things have started to come together, not by my doing, but by HIS doing. I am not going into all of the details just yet because really, I don't have all the details yet.  I am still in the "give it all to God" and saying "yes" stage, praying for wisdom and direction but I will share this with you...Part one.

I am joining efforts with an amazing team of women and diving deep into the world wide epidemic of human trafficking in a way that is going to "gloriously ruin" me, just as Kay Warren wrote in her book, Dangerous Surrender.

Me?

I am just an ordinary girl and what in the world can I possibly do to help or change this human traffic crisis???  It is way out of my comfort zone, will be uncomfortable and likely disturbing and at the same time, I cannot stop thinking about it.

Me?..yes me.

You?..yes you.

We?..yes WE!

WE can do something by reminding rescued women how they matter, what they can do to create a living, that trusting, having faith and being brave is necessary and that they are loved.

Part one for me is helping to raise money for the She's Worth It Campaign that will go towards rescuing, teaching, empowering, educating and loving the girls that need to know that they matter, that they are capable, that they are worth it!

I am asking for 50, 75, 100...of my friends to donate $10.00 and also share the cause....because we are better together, and together, we can change the lives of many.

Thank you for your consideration. 

 

Online fundraising for Stephanie Ackerman fundraising for She's Worth it! at Razoo

4 of 4 & Another Peek

The fourth and final thing that will help me you US make the rest the best is choosing to live by faith and NOT by fear. 
Now, when I re-read this, I realized that I wrote " Not faith in so much "what" but rather in "who" and "why" and that sounds a little off.  What I believe is that if you have faith in the "who" and the "why" than naturally, the "what" will happen.

Let me throw myself under the bus to give you an example that I have shared before.

I don't like leaving home. 

I mean, I am good with going to work at the school, always up for a trip to Target, love getting to be at the Joy Factory once a week and feel really in the right place driving on to campus at Saddleback....

I think, or at least I am starting to realize that I don't like leaving home when I am going teach what my "gifts and talents"are. I don't like leaving what I "think" is my safe zone.  I don't like being away from where I feel safe.  I am a homebody, whatever that really is. 

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to teach, love to get out and meet the amazing creative souls from all over and love to be connected to those who love to create, but getting up and out causes a whole lotta anxiety and fear for me, which spills out onto my family and messes up my purpose.

and yep, I know who causes all of that anxiety and fear...

and it ain't God.

so I CANT LET FEAR WIN. (either can you)

I can't

I won't

and I will continue to keep on working at this with my super shield of FAITH. (insert lightning bolt and thunder sounds)  By choosing faith over fear, I will succeed in anything I do, regardless of the outcome.

By choosing faith over fear, I will keep growing & learning,

By choosing faith over fear, I will become stronger and more confident...

and who doesn't want that?

okay, a peek at the projects that have arrived safely at the Anaheim Convention center for this weeks CHA

3 of 4

The third thing to make the rest of our life the best of our life are our VALUES. The ingredients of ourselves.

Reminds me of an excerpt from "Soup" by Jon Gordon


I am going to ask myself this question and then if you want, you can ask yourself in the comfort and privacy of your own home....

If Jesus was coming over for dinner tonight, would I (or could I) serve HIM my soup?

The Second Thing...

First we have to REFUSE, now we must CHOOSE.

I try to choose JOY on a daily basis, shoot, on an hourly basis BUT (and there is always a big BUT involved!) it is robbed from me because I LET it be taken by those who I let take it. 

DANG IT!

Note to self: It goes along with yesterdays #1... It is time to REFUSE and time to CHOOSE

Now, just because I choose Joy, does not mean things are pretty, shiny, sparkly and lovely...oh no..

Here is an excerpt from the book "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown (pg. 73) that I have highlighted:  "Joy is as thorny and sharp as any of the dark emotions.  To love someone fiercely, to believe in something with your whole heart, to celebrate a fleeting moment in time, to fully engage in a life that doesn't come with guarantees-these are risks that involve vulnerability and often pain.  When we lose our tolerance from discomfort, we lose joy. "

It reminds me exactly of this 2 choice: "Choose short term pain for long term gain"

amen.

Christmas Tradtions

Last week, as I was finishing up my preparations for our family Christmas festivities and traditions and preparing, organizing and collecting my supplies to scrapbook in 2013, I had a constant sting of sadness for the families who have lost loved ones this past year, especially in the past few weeks and often thought about how difficult the holidays must be as families gather together to celebrate and enjoy their own traditions...and how important it really is to keep our memories documented. 

As I reflected on our memories of past Christmas's (via the computer, boo!) I was reminded of our Christmas Eve traditions ...

December 2005 December2006 December2007 December 2008 December 2009 December 2010
December 2011 (by the way, I do have another child but I suppose his tradition is to "watch")

and realized that I still had not bought a Gingerbread House kit for the kids and I to work on.

This year, I just was not sold on the idea.

I was not sure why, but I would go to buy a kit, pick up the box, and then set it down and that went on the entire week leading up to Christmas. Store after store after store, I'd repeat this process and go home empty handed...

and then, on Christmas Eve morning as we were getting ready to pack the car and hit the road, the light bulb went off...

or should I say, the light bulb clicked on.

I went out and gathered some cardboard, cut out 26 snowflakes, grabbed glitter, beads, glue, buttons, more glitter, and more beads, packed it in a box and decided that this year, and for years to come, our family tradition of creating something together would bless others... There is still time for you and your family to create for others and what a GREAT way to start a new tradition and kick of a new year together...Click here for information on where to send your snowflakes!

p.s...This year I thought I'd join in on the other traditions, more on that tomorrow...

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..