The Christ Conjunction: Perspective

In his book, The Rest of the Gospel (When the partial Gospel has worn you out), Dan Stone refers to it as "the Holy But." I have been reading Stone's book for nearly 8 months. In a family where 2 or 3 books a week is the norm, it is highly unusual to linger so long on one book. Yet it isn't a book that I want to devour instantly and then forget - I want to asssimilate the truths before moving on. The book continues to remind me that this temporal, physical world that we live in is only part of the picture.
Stone speaks of how important it is to place our conjunction in the correct place, rather than allowing the circumstances of our lives to dictate our perspective. "The Holy But always changes your perspective on a situation from external to internal. Many of us want to escape our circumstances because we don't know how to operate the but. " pg. 187 Christ always comes after the but, not before. For example I could say "I know Christ is all sufficient but it has been a pretty tough year." OR I can say "It has been a pretty tough year, but I know that Christ is all sufficient." Our perspective, our dwelling place, tends to be AFTER the but, so Christ must always come after the conjunction. It changes our focus from the situation to Christ. "Just because we know the truth and live from the truth doesn't mean that the external circumstance is going to change. But we are changed. The Holy But moves you from the circumstance to the solution, and that solution is a person." (Jesus Christ) pg. 186
The truth is, I have been going through some pretty intense spiritual battles that have left me feeling tired and worn out. Someone commented to me the other day "You look sad." I was taken aback...that is NOT typically a statement made about me - I'm a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of gal. That's when I realized that my internal struggles were taking a toll externally, and I was reminded to examine my conjunction. Was I thinking "I know You will reveal truth to me because You are truth but right now I am struggling?" It was time to flip it around. "I'm going through some spiritual gymnastics, but I know that You will reveal truth to me because You are truth." What a difference.

Marie with a :-)

Notebook, Gate card

As far back as I can remember, I have had a love for notebooks, pens and pencils. I think it began when I discovered that the words which I stumble or stammer over when speaking out loud flow ever so gracefully on a clean sheet of paper. I have to be cautious of this love, though, because sometimes it isn't as innocent as it appears. In fact, sometimes it is an illicit love affair. Take Sunday at church for instance. "Got a pen?" Scott whispered. I reached into my purse and pulled out a beautiful burgandy colored pen. ACE HARDWARE it read in bold white letters. "Hey, that's MY pen!" my handsome husband exclaimed. "What's it doing in your purse?" I shrugged. It's a mutual attraction, and somehow these beautiful writing instruments find their way into my hands, pockets and purse like a safety pin is drawn to a magnet.
I sigh the sigh of a contented lover, and think about smooth, white pen in my purse. "Um, that pen is mine!" the bank cashier had stammered, obviously uneasy with the notion that her pen had chosen my purse for it's home.
Don't worry," I wanted to reassure her. "Mine is a fickle affection. At the first sign of a splotch, I will be over the edge and will gladly send him back to you."

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Here's a notebook I made last night to go along with my growing collection of pens. (Just kidding!!! Your pens are safe around me...)

And I've included another "Gate" card. The Gate card is made with the new CTMH Amore paper pack, tulip brads and the new designer brads.

Have a wonderful day!

Marie with a :)

the Tell-Tale Chair

The Tell-Tale chair is what I secretly call it. My husband bought it for me several years ago. It's a wonderfully relaxing massage chair that takes up a small corner of our bedroom. But it is really more than a chair; it's a speedometer that tells me at what pace my life is going. Currently it reads: slow down before you see those flashing red lights behind you! When daily activities are at a normal pace, my chair is empty and just waiting for me to take a few moments to enjoy it's soothing effects. All too often, however, it is yelling at me to slow down and get my priorities straight. Right now, in fact, it is covered with discarded clothes, hangers, clean laundry that didn't manage to get put away, a book or two and who knows what else. It's a visable reminder to me, that I need to let go of a few unnecessary activites, put the laundry away and enjoy some relaxation time!

I have another "project" in the works so not much else to post. I did make another card with scraps from the Life Delights paper pack. May it remind you that it doesn't matter at what speed your life is going... the wonderful peace of the Lord is available to you .

In the words of the psalmist, "The Lord bless you and keep you,"
Marie with a :-)

Get well...Soon!!

I wanted to throw a temper tantrum. A full -fledged, legs flailing, arms waving, lungs bellowing tantrum. "It won't make you feel any better, " my sage husband stated matter-of-factly. "Besides, you might lose the contents of your stomach." I think I might have growled at him. I hate being sick, and certainly didn't want to spend any more wasted time in bed. I hate knowing that while I am laying in bed, staring at the crack on the ceiling and fighting nausea, the items on my to do list are mating and producing twins, triplets and octuplets.

"If you would just stay in bed and rest, you'd probably get better a whole lot faster." Scott bravely kissed me before heading out the door. Don't tell him I said so, but I suspect he's right. However, I just can't help myself. As soon as I am able to semi- function, I tend to have a vacuum cleaner in one hand and my laptop in the other. Which often lands me back in bed, ready to throw a temper tantrum...

So - not much time to make anything over the past couple of days.I've been too busy laying in bed and whining. I'm posting a tri-fold Get Well card from my stash.

Wishing you good health,

Marie with a :-)

Many Maries...

It wasn't until the not-quite-hot-enough water in the shower startled me awake that the panic set in. How in the world was I going to get everything done today? Semi-professional procrastinator that I am, I had waited until the last minute for several things. Now it was time to pay the Piper and I was feeling out of sorts. As I ramsacked my closet, looking for clothes that still fit, I allowed my thoughts to drift to the idea of a cloned Marie. Even though I am fully aware that my family and friends would assure me that one Marie was more than enough, my mind came up with endless possibilites.

1.The Mindless Marie. This would be the one that accomplished all those menial tasks, with a loopy smile on her face. Dinner would be served on time, bathtub rings would disappear forever, laundry would always be done - folded AND put away, and there would be no worries about unexpected guests popping in... because the house would always be immaculate.

2. The Mothering Marie. This one would make sure that her children had eaten breakfast, brushed their teeth and completed their school work. She would be available at the drop of a hat when they said "Mom, can we go shopping?" She would always have the right answers to their random questions and would give sage advice to their life issues. She would never raise her voice and she would spontaneously take them on fun trips to the zoo, art museums, picnics or sledding. And of course she would be able to jump on the trampoline with them without worrying about whether her bladder would hold out...

3. The Mentoring Marie. This one would be diligent in her Bible studies and prayer life. She would have plenty of time for lunches with friends and once again, sage words would always come from her lips. She would be the one that her friends and children's friends looked to for wise counsel. She would never forget a friend's birthday and would always be there to encourage them when they were feeling down or to exhort them when they were heading in a potentially dangerous direction.

4. The Musing Marie. This one would play, play, play in the craft room! She would create unique and wonderful cards, scrapbooks and projects. She would be able to write amazing articles and books. And her craft room would never look like a tornado had struck.

5. The Memorizing Marie. She would know all of the important phone numbers: the school, the doctor, the dentist, and most importantly - each of her children's cell phone numbers. She would remember the date, time, weight and length of each of her children at birth. She would instantly recall where she put the birth certificates and tax paperwork, and would know exactly where the card with directions to the birthday party that they were supposed to be at an hour ago was placed. She would know which foods her children like today (as opposed to the ones they liked yesterday) and which ones they absolutely hate. (Those are more than likely last week's favorites...)

6. The Mushy Marie. This one would romance her husband daily. She would greet him at the door each day with a smile and a wink and would always prepare his favorite foods. She would fit into and wear the pretty lingerie he likes and not once would she say "let's dim the lights so my cellulite doesn't show."

I could go on and on. The truth is, there is only one me (I heard that collective sigh of relief!) and although I would love to do all things well, I fail miserably. I do, however, love every aspect of my life and hope that one day I will have it all together. (But you know the saying...then I will forget where I put it :-) )

Well, I'm off to tackle the to do list. I will post cards later today...if I manage to get them done.
Blessings to you,
Marie with a :-)

Just Be You

I have a quote by Thomas a Kempis hanging on the door to my craft wardrobe. It reads: He has great tranquility of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of others. It is a quote that I am just beginning to live by. I wish I would have arrived here sooner. I confessed in an earlier post, that fear has often strong armed me and I specifically mentioned the fear of failure. But I think if I were to delve a little deeper into my heart, I would recognize that the fear of what others think has often been a controlling factor in my life as well. I'm at a season in my life, however, when I realize I can never please everyone and the only opinion I have to answer to is that of my Redeemer. It is such a liberating realization! For a long time, I have been somewhat concerned about how others might view Joshua, our second oldest son, and consequently judge Scott and me as parents. Josh has always bucked the system and has never been one to follow tradition. He has a lip ring, ear gauges and two tattoos (one a scripture, the other a bike route sign :-) ) But I consider it one of life's greatest blessings that he calls me best friend. While I am no fan of ear gauges, I love and respect the person that this young man is. He loves the Lord, has provided shelter for the homeless, is a leader in his home of eight (often more) Christian young men where weekly community outreach meals are provided. Joshua came over for a visit this afternoon. Typically when he comes, he has several other friends with him. He came alone today, and we sat and had some deep discussions. And I realized anew how much I admire him.

The cards I am posting today are once again pretty quick and easy cards. The theme is "Just be you" and they portray butterflies because I believe that we don't simply arrive one day at "me" - it's a journey or a metamorphosis. My journey has been shaped by my faith, my family and my friends. Who I am today is not who I was yesterday, and hopefully not who I will be tomorrow. Life is dynamic; it is ever changing, and I desire to keep up. .. as long as Jesus Christ is the catalyst. So here's my prayer for you...that you will learn to just be you, because you are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Marie with a :-)

PS In case you didn't figure it out...the last photo is Josh :-)

Valentine's cards for Michelle and Alyssa

"He'll live." Matthew and I ventured out in the COLD (the it's-so-cold-I-don't-care-that-my-gloves-don't-match kind of cold) and made the short trek to the doctor's office. I was sure that he had strep. Nope, just a virus. "He'll live," the doctor assured me before we bundled back up and made a run for the van. The rest of the day I spent inside, trying to warm up. Right now I'm listening to the happy sounds of four kids playing Guitar Hero while Scott wrestles with tax forms. I seriously hope he wins!

Today's post includes two new Valentine's Day cards...one for Alyssa and one for Michelle. The "You put a sparkle in my heart" card was made a few months ago. I thought I'd also show Elizabeth's finished calendar page - the cause of yesterday's table mess. Not bad for a ten year old! Later, when Scott goes back to Ace to exchange an, um, toilet tank, I'll probably work on cards #368 and #369...I'll be at 400 soon so watch out :-)

Marie with a :-)

CTMH supplies I used for the cards: Key to My Heart paper pack, Noteworthy stamp set (D1329), Dream Wishes stamp set (D1331) , Priceless Love stamp set (D1348) and February Word Puzzle stamp set (D1269) Ink colors were tulip, juniper and black.

Altered Crystal Light container; Word of the Year

Fearless. I was challenged by another blogger to pick a one word theme for the year. A lot of words came to mind: content (I've pretty much got that one down), giving (of my time, money and abilities), social (I've become a little reticent about large gatherings), and so many more. But after much musing, I decided I wanted to be fearless this year. Scripture says God's perfect love casts out fear, yet I am so often strong armed and bound up by fear. Fear of failure, mostly. For example, for a very long time I've said I was going to have a card sale and try to get off the ground a (very small) business selling handmade cards and other paper crafts. I told myself (and my very encouraging husband) I would do it when I had 400 cards made and in stock. Funny thing is, once I got to 367, I started giving them away as fast as I could make them. I realized I was afraid of failing. So I'm going to take a leap of faith, and begin a year of fearless living! How about you...what one word theme could you give to your year that might change the way you live? I'd be delighted to hear...leave me a comment.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJ

Okay, enough rambling. Here's a simple (took about 10 minutes) altered Crystal Light container that I am going to fill with chocolate and some craft embellishments for my youngest daughter for Valentine's Day. Beth is my cohort in crime in the craft room. She likes to be here as much as I do and she's one of the few people I know who can make as big of a mess as I can when working on a project. Right now, she's finishing up a calendar and this is what her table looks like.

Hope you have a wonderful (fearless) week!

Marie with a :-)