Homegrown Hospitality

Creative Soul July 2023 Recap

I am sitting here on the Tuesday after, continuing to decompress from the last Creative Soul Retreat at The Whatever Craft House for 2023. Another incredible group gathered that only God could have orchestrated.  That is one of my most favorite things about these retreats. 17 women coming together from all over the United States, some not knowing anyone, gathering together at 5:30 pm on a Thursday evening and by Friday morning, new friendships have formed along with older friendships being renewed, tons of laughter, conversations at all times, deep sharing, tears and overflowing joy and happy.

This group had some new faces and as always, Jesus showed up and connected us all, probably faster than we realized.

Traveling by plane to Wichita Kansas has become a little tricky since Covid and typically, there are only two, sometimes one flight in and only a few out which makes it hard for those that fly in and have to wait for the clock to strike 4:45 when I roll up in a big white van to pick them up.  I have recognized that all of those who fly in as strangers are fast friends by the time I pick them up. It happens every time. 

It is tricky for me to explain what these retreats are all about.  Sure, I can outline the basics of who, what, where and when but it is impossible to describe the experience. I typically say "It is so good" but that is vague to someone that has no idea what the actual retreat experience is like.

I really want to say "just trust me" (because I 100% trust that God is in ALL of the details) but again, that is vague and when you are spending a lot of money to go somewhere you have never been, with a bunch of ladies you don't know, staying in the same house and sleeping in rooms with "strangers" that all can seem crazy, especially to those you are trying to explain it all to.

Thank you Meg & Lisa for all of the prep work and on the spot work you do for me and for all of those who are at retreat. Thank you does not feel like enough for all of the time you spend away from your families and life and I am grateful and thankful for you the both of you. 

Thank you Stacy Spangler & Debbie Bitner (IG beachlife_art) for coming to share your gifts and talents with us. We all learned new things and were reminded to experiment and practice. I am working on my little people Debbie..I think we all are (in our new journals that you introduced us to and we ordered on the spot and were delivered before we got home)(Thanks, Amazon!)

So that is a wrap for 2023 at The Whatever Craft House. 

I have 2024 Summer and Fall Creative Soul Retreat dates scheduled and will announcing those soon. Thank you to all of you who make the decision to come back year after year...I am grateful and thankful for you.  

Creative Soul Retreat Recap June 2023

We retreated together last Thursday through Sunday at The Whatever Craft House in Newton, Kansas.

There was a 11th hour registration, a flight delay that lasted 23 hours, a caravan of Texans & a Minnesotan that drove crazy amounts of hours to get to Kansas, 10 returners & 4 brand new friends, green juice shots (for 99%) clay balls rolled into hearts, a huge table full of scraps, massage comas, a revolving door of play lists (#jackjohnsonradio please)late night laughs, early morning coffee talk in the lounge, a Master's/Happy Birthday surprise celebration #proudofyou, lots of zipper pouches, fireflies', rain, thunder, humidity, sonic runs, box fans, friends reuniting and friendships born, hard stories shared, testimonial encouragement..and Jesus.

Jesus was woven in and throughout our time from the very beginning to the very end.

The very same conversation is brought up at every retreat about how to explain to people where we are going ("Kansas?!?") what we do when we are together ("you don't know these people?!?")

I hate to say "If you know, you know" and at the same time "You don't know what you don't know" but here is what I know from witnessing and experiencing over and over again for almost 9 years:

17 women from all over the USA (& Canada) who love to create enter in as strangers leave as friends and Jesus shows up every time. The rest, is cake. Rainbow cake.

I am forever grateful to my amazing friends Meg & Lisa, whom I love. They are both an intricate part of every single retreat from way before they start until much after they are over.

Meg, I love you and thank you (& Craig) for continually putting your blood, sweat and tears into creating and up-keeping a foundation where we can all settle into, feel safe, loved and at home. 

Lisa, I love you and thank you for your heart of discernment with every single creative soul who comes through the door. For your words, prayers, encouragement, cuffs & jewelry and this time, for all of the thought work, planing, shopping, chopping and preparing 8 home cooked meals for all 17 of us. 

Noodle, oh gosh..I hadn't realized until this past weekend how much Covid took from us and separated us from the ones we love and were meant to create with. From the moment you got there (once I woke up from my 2pm nap, duh) IT WAS ON! The band was back together. A flood of memories, side eyes, jokes, laughter, the love for old paper yet the disgust for old stories  #rosebud, and remembering that Alice Cooper's grandma works at Walmart-Mart in Newton Kansas and takes her egg checking skills serious.  Rita, I love your girl Jenn. Jennifer. Noodle, whatever!

So one more retreat to go for this year at the Whatever Craft House. It feels like it is in 15 minutes, so I have to go starting making new name tags and getting things ready.

Thank you all for risking flights, road trips, leaving family & jobs behind to spend some good wholesome creative time together with me. I pray you returned home with a full heart.

Happy 17th Birthday Blog

I started this blog on January 18, 2006.  Happy belated 17th birthday dear blog.

17 years ?!?

I shouldn't take credit for 17 actual years of blogging because in the past handful of years, the posts have been few and far between. So here I am again, picking up where I left off in 2022, 2021 and 2020.  

Really, every time I'd come here to share something, I'd type a few lines, delete them and log out.  I believed too many of my own thoughts of "who cares"and "nobody reads blogs" and it turns out, not everything I think is true. Truth is, right now as I type, I am at that "just delete it" and do something else point but I am going to practice what I preach to everyone else and "write it out." I am committing to work on this post until it is finished and then push the "post" button. NOTE: I originally wrote this post in January 26, 2023 and today is June 14th, 2023.

Once upon a time, I shared pretty much everything that was going on in my creative and family life.  With the overwhelming presence of Instagram and Facebook in our lives, blog posts got left behind for a quick photo, a sentence, and a hashtag.

While we "share" on social media, there is no story attached to read, and if there was, our attention span has shortened significantly. Give it less than a minute reading and onto the next.

Today, I want to introduce you to an idea:

Take time to scroll through the photos on your phone instead of scrolling social media.  You may be surprised at all of the memories that come flooding back that may have been forgotten.  Can I suggest starting with 2020?  

We all refer 2020 as "that year" but not all in 2020 was hard, dumb, stressful and confusing.

REMIND yourself that there was good in the midst of hard.

Take a moment to go through 2020 photos on your phone and be reminded of the ways you adapted to the moment we were all in.  

I'll do it here to give you an example and to also remind myself of some good memories:  

At the end of January 2020, we lost our dog Coco after 15 1/2 years. That is when I realized that I had missed out on 15+ years of loving our dog because I knew someday, he would die and I didn't want to be attached. Turns out, I was sadly wrong and from this very sad lesson and hard time, came good..

We lasted 6 days because the silence was too loud and on February 1, 2020 we rescued this little sweet thing (that we thought, based on the size of his mom, would be a small dog) We named him Wilson and nope, he is what we now refer to as "medium sized dog with long legs." 

God knew exactly what our hearts and home needed as we had no idea what was coming the following months, which turned out to be a few years.  

Wilson became my instant and constant companion as John continued to work through most of 2020. Or maybe, I became Wilson's companion.  Either way, we were always together and I was officially that lady I claimed I would never be..

a "Dog Mom!"

Creativity kept my hands busy and my mind at peace as what some described as the world "spinning out of control."  Maybe part of it was and for those parts, all I could do was remember Who/Was and always will be in control.  

Running, roasting vegetables, journaling in my Bible, teaching Wilson how to walk on a leash, creating fabric kits, organizing embroidery floss, playing with watercolors, and using plain ol' paper and pens to write things down helped me stay aligned...and in March of 2020, Walmart still had thread. No toilet paper, but still thread (but not for long.)

On March 23, 2020, Ben got to spend his 21st birthday with John and I at home as we all social distanced from everyone outside of our homes for "14 days."  This was my "Ben approved" post on instagram. John & I got to celebrate our 50th birthdays at home too, as we continued to be "social distancing."                                

In May of 2020, as the "stay at home" orders lifted slightly (in some states) we took the boat out as often as we could. 

July 2020, Ben & I became "positive" and spent 14 days in. Mild cases for both of us and once I had some energy back, I stitched a little patch to commemorate it. When all else fails, create.

In July 2020, our family experienced what the fireman described to us as a miracle. Continually thanking God for his protection over Jack & Hailey that night. Thank you God.

This photo was taken by me as we sat outside on the curb of the ambulance bay at Mission Hospital. It was during the first months of Covid and we were not allowed to go in and be with them. I sat as close as I could to the double doors of the Emergency exit so that I could look in each time the doors opened.

 If you look closely at the photo, way out in the distance, there are three illuminated crosses that are at the top of a hill at the Saddleback Rancho Capistrano campus. I do believe God gave us a miracle that night and this image to remind us.

July 2020 also birthed a new project for me. Originally, this project started as a “Safer at Home” quarantine project to keep my hands busy and my mind at peace. I laid out a ½ yard of fabric and honestly just grabbed a pile of scraps and started cutting squares, rectangles and triangles. It looked to be a big project, but honestly, the “safer at home” looked equally as long so what the heck.

What it turned into was a fun kit for many in the form of "stitching-at-home kits" as teaching & traveling for me halted. 

and throughout the months, my constant companion was always by my side as his legs just got longer.

In September 2020, Jack and Hailey welcomed a little shiny black Labrador puppy into their lives and named him "Bowie."  Bowie is still dark black and shiny but not little. He is a big boy that loves the beach and ocean waves... and little cowboy Jack turned 25 ?!?

In November of 2020, Wilson got a Christmas sweater and was thrilled about it

My hair grew out the whole year (and I saved a TON of money) due to the fact that no salons were open and while I was fussy about it then, I look now and think it was sorta cute. WHY do we not appreciate what we have IN THE MOMENT!?!

Thanksgiving was spent 1/2 and 1/2. We were at home with my mom and dad and my sister was at home with their family and inlaws.  What did we ever do without FaceTime?

December 2020 

On December 24, 2020 at 3:27 pm, God gave us this rainbow as we prepared for Christmas Eve on the driveway at Grandma and Grandpa's

Do yourself a huge favor and take some time to look back at the past year or two and be reminded of things you did do, you just forgot to remember. Looking back at the year in pictures reminded me of the good.  

I Get To

I have idea's.

I make declarations.

I have every intention of doing something.

I "should"

I "need to"

I "want to" 

I have drawn many lines in the sand and said THIS TIME it will be different.

Sound familiar? Those thoughts and many others related to them can often overwhelm us and it leads us to do nothing. I know I am not alone in all of the above BUT I have learned to change all of the "should's," "needs" and "want's" into 

"I GET TO" 

and it has changes everything AS LONG AS I SHIFT MY THOUGHTS. 

Good news: We all have a choice.

I have been very open and honest about how moving my body is absolutely necessary for my mental health but somedays I DO NOT WANT TO DO IT.  Again, I have a choice.  Sure, I do not have to move a dang muscle BUT before do nothing, I have to ask myself "Is it going to be beneficial if I do this" and the answer is ALWAYS YES therefore, sometimes, with a bad attitude, I put on my clothes and shoes.  I have to ignore and override my "should" "need to" "want to" thoughts and get myself going.

Truly, I have never regretted moving my body (except for that one time I tripped over Wilson and broke my hand and fingers) but I have regretted NOT MOVING MY BODY. It make a difference.  Moving your body changes your mind and remember, "Nothing changes if nothing changes"

Here's the good stuff:

I get to have early morning coffee and read my Bible everyday (enter thought's of should, need to, want to)

I get to move my body (because I want to be fit to serve God and others whenever, wherever and whatever He has for me to do)

I get to drink as much water as I want to (because it is good for my health & wellness)

I get to blog and share on social media (replacement for the thought: "who care's what I say?")

I get to travel the world and share the skill's and talent's God gifted me to USE (replacement for being homesick before I leave)

I get to eat well because I choose to and because we have so many options available to us (it's a choice)

So I ask you: What do you get to do today?

What one thought can you shift from "should" "need to" "want to" to "get to?"

I'd love to hear your answers! You can comment below.

Now, I get to put on my clothes, shoes and move myself!

Back In The Good Ol' Days

I started blogging in January 2006. Jack was 11 and Ben was 7....I was 37.

Jack is now 27 and Ben is 23, I am still 37 and our nest is empty (not a fan)

In 2006 and for years after, blogs were where we all stayed in touch, shared what we were creating, where we were teaching, what new products were about to come out, who was on what design team and lots of random things about our home lives and families...and magazines. I know I could not wait for every new issue of Creating Keepsakes and Simple Scrapbooks to come out.

Back in the good ol' days.

Then entered an avalanche of technology and social media.  We accidentally forgot how to slow down and read something more than 2 sentences long and we now scroll and scroll and scroll.  It was fun at first because it was easy and simple...Back in the good ol' days.  Now we are bombarded with videos, stories, advertisements and REELS (I hate to break your heart but I do not think you are going to get reels from me. My technical capacity is maxed out.)  We are going so fast scrolling past do fast, if you don't see it, you miss it and then it's gone and that is just Instagram.

There is still Facebook and while I know these places are good for many things, I personally get overwhelmed with all the places and I am finding myself posting one place and forgetting to post to the other or posting twice in one place and not in the other.

I AM NOT QUITTING SOCIAL MEDIA...I am just going to start blogging again.  It is the one place "I own" and will not disappear if something goes wrong on social media platforms. You think I would have learned that 4 years ago when in a blip, my Instagram was gone and never recovered. 

I keep referring to the good ol' days but THESE ARE THE GOOD OL' DAYS RIGHT NOW.

I am glad to be back to this place.  It's been too long.

I will be updating and hope to make this a landing place for all the things. Thank you to those who are still following along since the beginning and hello to those of you who are new.

Back to Some Basics

I announced earlier this week that I am de-activating the Documented Faith Facebook Group. The decision did not come lightly or quickly. I have been arm wrestling with the decision and then would abandon the thoughts. After some comments and conversations online and via email, I knew it was time. Once I made the decision and posted the announcement, I felt peace about it.   The next morning, in the daily devotional we are reading in 2021 as a group, "Live in Grace, Walk in Love" by Bob Goff, I read "...sometimes it just means it's time for a change" but the beginning part of the paragraph where I read this starts with "Sure, we might have to shut the doors on an organization we poured into for years...it does not mean we've failed. I have just about the entire page highlighted and feel as though God was speaking to me and confirming my decision.   It went on to say "Even when our plans fail, we usually realize a lot of people were loved in the process, which was our goal in starting. We ended up crossing paths with people we might never have met if we hadn't put ourselves out there."   Exactly. YES! Thank you, Lord.   Every day I practice creating a life that reflects my dreams and living a life that defines my purpose spiritually, relationally, physically, mentally, and creatively. My hope has always been that through what, where, and how I share, (not just in a FB group) I will be able to teach, inspire, encourage and remind you of things you might have already known, just maybe forgot to remember.  Thank you for being part of this Documented Faith Group for so long and for being on a creative journey with me and with each other. I will continue to share via my personal facebook page, Instagram feed, blog and this newsletter.   The Documented Faith Facebook Group will be deactivated on 1/31/2021. If you would like to receive Newsletter Updates from me, please click here: https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/d.jsp... If you would like to continue following me on social media streams, you can follow here: Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stephanieackerman1/ Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.ackerman1     If you'd like to join us on Monday and/or Tuesday Nights from 5:00pm - 6:00 pm PST, it's free and all you need to do is register: "Becoming Fit to Serve" Monday/Tuesday Book & Bible Study

Eat Well My reality is when I'm not eating well, I do not feel well and when I'm not feeling well, I can't move my body well and ultimately can not do what God created me to do well. I'm short-tempered, emotional, tired, critical and cranky. (That's sounds fun.) That is not the way God created us to live. He wants us to be well and whole so that we can do what He created us to do. It brings Glory to Him and fills us with joy. THAT sounds much better.   "To move well, I need to eat well. To sleep well, I need to eat well. To think well, I need to eat well. To eat well, I need to prep well."

Zucchini Pancakes or Waffles   I made up this recipe so I do not have "nutritional facts" but you will be able to tell by the ingredients that it is all good stuff.   1 1/4 -1/2 cup of grated zuchinni* 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoon of melted coconut oil (for waffle recipe only) 4 Tablespoons Almond Flour 2 Tablespoon Coconut Flour Or Almond Meal 1/4 teaspoon baking POWDER pinch or two of salt 1 drip or two of vanilla   Mix all ingredients together. If too dry, add a little water to moisten. Cook in a waffle iron or skillet.   Top with Almond butter or as pictured, with avocado, spinach, tomato and season with salt and pepper. IT IS SOOOOOOO GOOD AND now I am hungry.   *tip: Grate an entire zucchini and place it in a few paper towels. Roll up paper towel to absorb moisture. Use 1/2 of zucchini for your meal and place the remaining zucchini in a dry paper towel and in a zip lock and refrigerate.

Create Daily

The #The100DayProject begins January 31st this year, which is....3 days from now.   This is an online creative movement that I have been following and semi-participating in for a few years now. The The idea is simple: choose a creative project, do it every day for 100 days, and share your process online.. You can read all about it here.   In the past I have made it 5 days, 13 days, maybe 15 days but then I "squirrel" and am off onto another project. 2020 was different and while I did not stitch 100 consecutive days in the beginning...it ended up that I stitched almost 365 4 x 4 squares in a series of panels AND I LOVE WHAT IT HAS BECOME and has become a "sorta-monthly" kit. I provide the squares and hearts and you get to add the stitches and then decide what you want to create. Honestly, sometimes I just lay them all out, look at them and smile.   I know, you are going to ask "Then what are you going to do with them"and honestly, I do not know yet but I sure have enjoyed the process, have said 100's of prayers with each little stitch and love seeing what you are all doing with your kits.   New kits were added to my ETSY shop yesterday and there are still a few left! These kits coordinate with the January Mixed and Stitched kits and include strawberries, roller skates and hearts Kits are restocked on ETSY now: https://www.etsy.com/shop/stephanieackermanco

The March 2021 Creative Soul Retreat is SOLD OUT but there are still a few spots available for the May & June 2021 dates! Click the links below for details and registration/deposit information. May 20-23, 2021 June 17-20, 2021

Weekly Verse

 

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.   1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV

 

Take Heart 3" Hoop Ornament Kits & Instructions

There are limited quantity of the 3" Ornament Hoop Kits available in my shop that includes everything you need to create TWO super cute Hoop Ornaments.

Each Kit includes the following:

• Two 3" Wooden Hoops
• Two 4" x 4" Fabric Squares in Black & White Pattern with Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece adhered to back
• Two 2" fabric Circles in Whites with Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece adhered to back
• One Large Heart with Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece adhered to back
• One Small Heart with Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece adhered to back
• One 7 x 9 "Good Words on Black" fabric panel with over 150 words to cut
• Three Coordinating Colors of Embroidery Floss for you to complete two 3" hoops

Supplies NOT included: needle, scissors, glue stick.

To get a limited quantity kit, head over to my shop now: ETSY

Here are easy project instructions for the "Take Heart" 3" Hoop Ornaments. 

Supplies I used for the "Take Heart" 3" hoop ornament:

• 4 x 4 square of patterned fabric
• 4 x 4 Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece 
• 2" circle of coordinating patterned fabric
• 2" circle of Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece
• 1 3" Wooden Embroidery Hoop
• 1 Heart cut from coordinating fabric with Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece
• Fabric Words: "Take" "Heart" cut from Good Words on Black Fabric
• Embroidery Floss in coordinating colors
• Needle, scissors, Glue Stick

NOTE: you do not have to use the Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece on the back. This gives the ornament a quilted look and feel once stitches are added.

1. Iron Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece onto back of 4 x 4 square, circle and heart. Place 4 x 4 square into hoop and center circle piece. Adhere circle with a dab of glue stick.
   
2. Using 2-3 strands of coordinating embroidery floss, stitch circle into place. I always try to keep my stitches short and close together.
   
3. Adhere the heart onto the circle using a dab of glue stick and stitch into place using 2-3 strands of coordinating embroidery floss.
4. Adhere the fabric words into place using a small dab of glue stick and stitch around words using 2 strands of coordinating embroidery floss.
5. Flip hoop over and use scissors to trim edges off of 4 x 4 square.
6. If you make this into an ornament, tie a piece of jute, leather or ribbon to top of Embroidery hoop mechanism to hang.

Merry Christmas 3 " Embroidery Hoop Photos:

My Wellness Revelation Journey & The Wellness Revelation Online Book Study 2020-2021

This is a long post so get some coffee...

What/Who is Revelation Wellness?

Revelation Wellness is a non-profit ministry dedicated to educating and inspiring people to live healthy and whole lives in Christ so we can love others well. A fitness ministry that uses fitness as a tool to spread the gospel. A wellness ministry that teaches, encourages, leads and reminds us to love God, get healthy, be whole and love others.

At the beginning of 2018, Lisa suggested the book "The Wellness Revelation" by Alisa Keeton and I read it.  I read it and highlighted more parts than in any other book I had ever read.  Then I joined an online study group and reread it again, using a different color of highlighter.  Again, so many highlights and even some moments of "revelation" (no pun intended) where I actually spilled my coffee all over a few pages.  

Three weeks into the online Bible study group, I felt a pull towards something more but told myself:

"relax"

"do the work"

"don't turn this into something more...yet" 

Five weeks into the study and after several pulls and tugs and more and more highlighting, I hesitantly told our group leader my thoughts outloud about doing more with and for Revelation Wellness without even knowing what it meant.  She gushed and said YES! Yes...yes..yes and that's when I pulled back.

As soon as I received a thumbs up on my positive thoughts, I instantly and sadly filled my own head with my own negative thoughts.

I started thinking:

"who do you think you are"

"you are not athletic"

"you are not a fitness person"

"you are already doing to much"

"you don't have time for this"

"you don't qualify for this"

and here is the dumb thing....

I DID NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT I WAS DISQUALIFYING MYSELF FROM but instantly discounted myself from doing whatever it was I was thinking of doing. I was confident I wasn't alone in my thoughts but as always, I threw myself under the bus.  

Yet, once the 9 week online book study was done I was ready.

Ready for what?

I didn't know but deep down KNEW that there was a desire to do more and to share this experience with everyone.  What I had learned, been reminded of and believed about myself was transformative and I wanted to share it with others.

For me it was a "Go tell it on the mountain" moment and I took the next steps toward looking into what it means to be a Revelation Wellness Instructor. I filled out some paperwork, scheduled a phone call and was all in...again, without really knowing what I was all in for.

During my call with Jamie, she probably thought I was a lunatic because I was so giddy and felt in such alignment with EVERYTHING that I probably startled her. It was the "Don't know where you are going but knowing you are going in the right direction" feeling.  

Fast forward through 9 weeks of online group study, lots of homework and Bible study, in the Fall of 2018, I flew to Arizona, got on a bus headed to Williams, AZ. not really knowing what I was headed into but fully expectant that it was going to be good because I knew, Jesus would be there. 

He was.

One year after completing the instructor training and retreat, I returned to experience it as what is referred to as a Reviver. To learn, receive, be led, move my body, encourage others and rest a little bit more than as in the original training.

Again, Jesus was there.

Here we are, two years later and after leading 8 Wellness Revelation Online Groups, I am announcing that registration for the next Wellness Revelation Online Study beginning WEDNESDAY, January 20th is now open.

This is an online 9 week book & Bible Study via Zoom that begins Wednesday, January 20,2021 from 5:00-6:30 PM PST  and goes through Wednesday, March 24, 2021.

I believe that the right path for living has been marked out by God. I have a choice on what steps to take and sometimes, forget to take God’s path and I go out on my own way.  Today, I invite you to face this decision together, going God’s way or following our own way.

I believe that the only way to find true peace and rest for my soul is to walk on God’s path and I would be honored to walk that path along side you.

So here we are, mostly likely “again” standing at the crossroads.  Most of us have been here before, but this time, together we are going to actually make a decision that it is finally time.

Time to make a decision.

We will never make a change in our life until we change what we do every day.

This is not a resolution and this is not a goal.

This is surrender.

It takes more than a desire or a dream to get healthy, it takes a decision.

Nothing will change until you choose to change.

The way you think determines the way you feel. 

The way you feel determines the way you act. 

So, if you want to change how you act, you must begin with changing the way you think.

No longer are we going to be looking back at mistakes and regrets nor are we going to look to tomorrow. 

Right now, it is about surrendering all in order to make the most of what we have. 

Instead of turning over a “new leaf” we are going to turn over a new life and the ONLY way to do that is to make the decision and live by it.

We are going to put to death our old way of life and surrender ourselves and give up control to God.

It is not going to be easy, it is not going to make sense to many around us and it is absolutely opposite of what the worlds screams for us to do. 

As long as we feel stretched and uncomfortable, ready to fight through the hard parts and remember that we cannot do this on our own strength, we are ready.

Here are THREE things we need to start with do in order to achieve success:

• Jesus
• Discipline
• Determination

Here is what we are not going to be able to do to achieve success:

• We are not going to be able to do it on our own. Our will power is not going to be enough.

I do not know what your “___fill in the blank___________” is, but I am willing to bet that you have something you are sick and tired of. 

We all do, in fact we may have a few things BUT we are not going to attempt to change everything.  We are going to work slow and steady on one thing at a time.

You can have 1001 “reasons” (a.k.a excuses) why you aren’t ready to make a big decision or change but really, there is only one thing standing in your way and that is you.

You and your mind/thoughts.

Here is something you might already know, just forgot to remember: You do not have to believe everything you think.

• You may think you are not capable, but you are. You just need to stop telling yourself you aren’t.
• You may think that you are not worthy but again, you are, and you need to stop telling yourself that as well.
• You may think that you don’t have enough will power and actually, you are correct.

That one thought is true because we were not created to do life on our own. The problem lies in the thought that we think we can and then when we do not succeed, we automatically tear ourselves down, look at it as failure and usually give up or quit. (The antidote to this is found in 2 Corinthians 12:9)

Guilty as charged.

Here is something else that you may know but forgot to remember and is worded perfectly by Alisa Keeton in The Wellness Revelation:

“Desperation and disgust are powerful motivators for change, but they do not lead to lasting results and increasing joy.”

GULP, again.

You might need to stand in front of a mirror, point your own finger at yourself or dare I suggest talk out loud to yourself…whatever you need to do, do it because once you release yourself from your own chains, once you knock down the wall that you have built around yourself and as soon as you get out of your own way, God has got great plans for you to start working on and the sense of freedom you will feel from being free from you is amazing.

You have NOTHING to lose and everything to gain by doing three things:

Show up 

Do The work

Be Real

That’s it.

Ready?

Let’s seek spiritual obedience so that we can have physical discipline. It is a win win!

 Details on The Wellness Revelation Online Book & Bible Study:

• 9 Week Online Study & discussion online via Zoom (we will all see each other in real time!)
• Wednesday evenings from 5:00-6:30 PST beginning  1/20/21 - 3/23/21
• Weekly Homework/Bible Study for following week discussion
• Weekly video from Alisa Keeton on that weeks chapter
• Assigned prayer partners
• Support, ideas, and tips from Revelation Wellness.

Cost for 9 week study all above: $98.00* per person

*book not included (But I just noticed it is on sale via Amazon here!)

Take a moment to watch this video here from Alisa Keeton, Author and Founder of Revelation Wellness: https://vimeo.com/revwell/review/222767074/47fade93a4

Are you ready?

Register here for The Wellness Revelation Online Book & Bible Study that begins Wed. January 20 at 5:00 PST.

Crossroads Panel Instructions & Kit

I created a new panel using twelve of the assorted 4" x 4" fabric pieces.  Like all of my other panels, using a straight stitch on a machine, I stitched four squares together down and three across. I press the seams open on the reverse side so that everything lies flat on the front.

Before we get started on the Crossroads Panel, I wanted to share with you my inspiration for this panel. I saw these two pictures on Instagram posted by Emma Di Stefano of Tree House Textiles in Australia and my heart skipped a beat. 

Now that you have an idea of what I was aiming for and you have your panel sewn and ready, get out your scissors, glue stick and your needle and threads. 

Each cross will have two strips. You will need to place your crosses on top of each square and play around with the patterns until you find what you like. Once you have a layout, use your phone to take a picture of it so you can remember it. 

NOTE: I placed the bottom strips vertical and all of the top strips horizontal. YOU get to decide how you want yours to look.

Using a glue stick, tack all pieces into place. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GLUE THE ENTIRE STRIP DOWN. Just add a dab on the top, center and bottom of the strip to keep it in place.

NOTE: I was so excited about stitching the crosses on that I completely forgot to cut out red square centers for the center of each block. (see photos above to view red center squares)

If you are going to add red center squares, cut 12 small red squares to fit the centers and glue stick those into place before stitching.

Now it is time to stitch.

For each cross, I used 2 strands of coordinating color embroidery floss and stitched up and down each side of each cross right up to the red center square.  Use 2 strands of coordinating red floss to complete each cross once all of the squares have been stitched.

If you did not get a kit in my ETSY shop when they were added, please check back soon as more kits will be added this week!

I will be adding more photos as my panel progresses..

Here are the panels I have been working on during quarantine:  

Countdown To Christmas 2020 Instructions & Kit Information

I know it is only July but as I always say, once 4th of July passes, Christmas will be here before you know it. Really, the way this year is going, we just want to fast forward onto a new year in hopes that things might be better. 

I just added a new Christmas themed "Just The Pieces" kit similar to the past "Little Stitched Houses" and "Little Stitched Hearts" kits and they are available now via my ETSY shop

This kit is a little different because I have included my "Good Words" fabric panel along with an 8" x 8" piece of fabric that has numbers on it so you get to decide whether you do a countdown project or focus on words..or both. It's fun to have options and like before, all the instructions are posted here so that you can create your own project with your scraps. 

Each "Countdown" Kit includes:

• TWELVE 4"x4" patterned squares in reds, greens, creams and blacks
• TWELVE 2" coordinating patterned hearts in same colors
• ONE 7" x 9" "Good Word" fabric panel
• ONE 8 x 8 Numbers fabric

Supplies needed (not included)
Scissors
Needle & embroidery floss
Embroidery hoop
Sewing machine

NOTE: This is a "just the pieces" kit. A sewing machine and/or hand sewing is required.

As always, I encourage you to "do you" and remind you that you never have to create something the way I do. I provide you with "Just The Pieces" and give you free creative license to create the way you create. 

Here are my basic instructions:

Before I sew anything, I play around with the placement of the pieces to see what I like best

TAKE A PICTURE OF IT WITH YOUR PHONE SO YOU REMEMBER IT.

Using a sewing machine, I sewed all the 4 x 4 pieces together.  Three across, four down.

I always iron my seams open on the reverse side.

Before I start my hand stitching, I cut "good words" and " place hearts in several different configurations and then, to remember it, took a picture with my phone. Then I set all the pieces aside and go to work. NOTE: for this Christmas panel, consider cutting numbers 1 -12 from the 8 x 8 number fabric to create a "countdown to Christmas"

 

Using a glue stick, I adhered the hearts to coordinating squares and stitched those on using 2-3 strands of embroidery floss in coordinating colors. 

Once all of the hearts were stitched on I grabbed my glue stick again and adhered one word/one number per heart. I use 2 strands of embroidery floss to stitch the words on.

Lastly, using several coordinating embroidery floss colors, I added little short stitches to each seam around each square.

A few ideas to change this up a little:

Use your own scraps to cut squares and triangles to create "little houses" and make it a countdown with the numbers:

Instead of machine sewing the 4 x 4 squares together, use them individually to create really cute ornaments with a small 3" embroidery hoop, a heart and a word. 

I am excited to see what you create. If you share on social media platforms, please use the hashtag #mixedandstitched so that I can see what you are creating.

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