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bible journaling
i’ve written about my faith journey a little bit over the years.
in 2013 i was trying to define mine and learning how to pray.
in 2014 and 2015, i lost it. i was hurt and stuggling to find anything to hold onto. i’m not sure i wrote anything about faith, because it just wasn’t there. i read my daily word everyday, but i just couldn’t find connection.
this year, i finally figured out how to be still, let go, and look for signs.
it hasn’t been easy, but i’m learning.
i’ve enjoyed bible studies and podcasts, but i have found something that i absolutely love that connects me to faith.
bible journaling.
yes, coloring in my bible.
not just coloring, but using creativity to really understand, connect with, and enjoy faith.
not only am i stretching my creative boundaries, but i a growing in faith.
i had no idea what to do at first, so i picked a verse and drew something…
i’ve posted the above photos on instagram and been asked a few times what bible i am using. it’s a crossway ESV single column journaling bible.
if you are interested in learning more about bible journaling, search #biblejournaling on instagram or do a search on pinterest.
and, here is a quick start guide to getting started from one of my favorite resources, illustrated faith.
i’m excited to share more about bible journaling here, so let me know what you think!
{home is essential} back to school
yesterday was school supply drop off at the kids school. not only did we drop off their school supplies, but we dropped off some thieves samples for the teachers to boost their immune systems before all the kids come back to school next week!
honestly, i wish i could gift every teacher everything listed below!
i do plan to mix up a bottle of thieves cleaner for each of my kids teachers to use in their classrooms along with some of the hand soap in the recipe below!
*i was able to get my castille soap and foaming soap dispenser through amazon prime.
young living is offering an amazing promotion for the month of september…
every new member enrolling with a premium starter kit will receive theives laundry soap!
To get started on your oily adventure:
- go to the member sign up page
- select wholesale member (not retail customer)
- enter my member number in the sponsor and enrolled ID if it is not already there: 2365060
- create your account, enter your personal information
- select the premium starter kit (to receive your free thieves laundry soap)
welcome to the world of essential oils…it’s awesome.
foundation
we had a big remodel done on our house this summer…
- 1+ year in the making
- whole house
- new paint, trim, doors, and kitchen
- 5 weeks away from home
you would think i would be THRILLED to get home and put it all back together. have our family back together under one roof. in OUR home.
i didn’t want to go home. i was terrified. i cried. lots of tears.
i honestly thought about staying in colorado where, for the first time in a long time, i felt safe, loved, and supported.
you see, the problems weren’t in the old trim, paint, cabinets, doors, or countertop.
the problems were (are) in the foundation.
a house that feels brand new with a happy, bright yellow door might look good from the outside, but it will crumble to rubble eventually without a solid foundation.
the foundation has been cracked and patched up over the years. in fact, i’m not sure it was ever built well in the first place.
not literally.
figuratively.
metaphorically.
FAITHFULLY.
the name of this blog is “home is what you make it”…happy colors, cheerful words, and eclectic decor sure can make your home one of a kind. it can even make you happy, but it doesn’t build a foundation.
only FAITH can do that.
FAITH.
LOVE.
HOPE.
brick by brick.
day by day.
“the wisest of women builds her house” proverbs 14:1
{home is essential} back to school
we are challenged at the end of summer with getting into a regular bedtime routine with school just around the corner.
while the days are still long and we want to squeeze every last drop out of each one, we also need to start going to bed earlier.
how about some sweet dream pillow spray?
this past weekend, lorelai and i made some sweet dreams cream.
i purchase organic shea butter and almond oil online. i buy my coconut oil from trader joes.
we rub this on the bottoms of the kids feet or on their backs as they settle down for rest.
To get started on your oily adventure:
- go to the member sign up page
- select wholesale member (not retail customer)
- enter my member number in the sponsor and enrolled ID if it is not already there: 2365060
- create your account, enter your personal information
- select your starter kit (the premium starter kit is the best option)
welcome to the world of essential oils…it’s awesome.
lemonade
lola had a lemonade stand on friday.
we pretty much have a “lemonade stand kit” that we use each time:
- vintage linens
- pump pot
- bright umbrella
- lemonade banner
she charged her usual.
she also made sure that there was ice {from sonic, no less} because it was 95 degrees.
she had a good run for the first 45 minutes, and then it got a bit slow.
and, HOT.
she made sure that i placed the umbrella in just the right spot to keep her shaded.
she waited patiently.
she was determined to stay open for the hours that she set.
she opened promptly at 4 and was stopping at 6, or when she sold out.
by then end she said, “mommy, we forgot to offer the straws!”
she worked hard and made some good money.
she even shared a few dollars with her brother for the handful of lemonades he helped serve!
home is…a young entrepreneur.
{home is essential} back to school
yes.
back.
to.
school.
we have less than four weeks until school starts, and i am going to get my oily arsenal ready.
are you ready?!
join me here to learn about how i get ready for back to school with essential oils!
hello there, august
reading…while we were in colorado for a month i read the miss peregrine’s home for peculiar children series. they were so good. i’ve always been a fan of young adult literature and this series did not disappoint. what has me even more excited is that the first book is coming out as a movie (directed by tim burton, my favorite) at the end of september.
playing…did lots of playing in july!
watching…the olympics. and, gilmore girls. always gilmore girls.
trying…to keep things in perspective.
cooking…meals. seriously, i didn’t cook from june 24th through august 1st! while we were in colorado my parents pretty much took care of every meal. EVERY. MEAL. it was amazing. it’s taking a lot to get used to cooking for our family again.
eating…the breakfast that my loved ones made for me. ryan bought me a scone before he left for work, and lorelai made me a smoothie and a fruit plate.
drinking…coffee. and water.
calling…i am not a phone person. i dread making phone calls, unless it’s to my mom and dad.
texting…my sister. she is 40 today!!
pinning…party ideas. now that our remodel is almost finished, i would love to be able to entertain.
tweeting…birds tweet. i don’t.
crafting…we made lots of love rocks this summer and spread them all over the US. we were in ten different states during our summer travels, so we love rocked all of them!
doing…what needs to be done to get this house put back together! whew. its lots of work, but it will be worth it!
going…nowhere. after being away from home for five weeks (colorado for 4 and new york for 1) we are staying put for the rest of the summer!
loving…yoga. i have always loved it, but i am getting to a place in my practice where i can really lose myself in just breath and feeling my body release tension. it’s a good thing.
hating…the mess in our home. it’s been a long time of feeling unsettled, and i am ready for everything to be put away in it’s place.
discovering…that i really don’t want to put everything back where it was in our home. i purged a lot before the remodel, but i am also purging a lot as i unpack boxes. i am hoping to have a vintage sale in the next month or so with some of the items that we will no longer be using…if you are local, stay tuned to find out when!
enjoying…reading. right now i am finishing up some books that i started earlier in the year.
hoping…to get my bags unpacked from our trip! seriously, we got back over a week ago, but I still haven’t finished unpacking my bag.
celebrating…well, i will save the celebrating for later this week when the POD gets picked up and our kitchen is finished!!
smelling…new paint. we had every wall and ceiling surface in our home painted. we also had new moudling, trim, and doors installed…they also have new paint. it’s like a whole new house!
thanking…my parents for their hospitality during the our month long stay in colorado. i felt so safe, loved and supported at their home. i was dealing with a pretty stressful situation during the stay, and knowing that my kids were taken care of and that i could take a break when i needed to {without feeling guilty} really meant a lot to me.
considering…as i mentioned before, i am thinking about having a sale here at the house…mainly vintage items that we will no longer be using here in our home…globes, school desks, school chairs, quilts, afghans, vintage fisher price, scales, thermos’, maps, chalkboards.
finishing…there’s lots left “unfinished” around here right now. just taking everything one step at a time. first, i will finish this blog post!
starting…to think about the start of the new school year. i really want to enjoy these last few weeks of summer, but the beginning of the school year, and the fall season, is really one of my favorite times of the year!
home is…finishing something.
rainbows
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between you and me and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.”
-Genesis 9:12-15
The covenant between God and the earth.
R A I N B O W S.
If you know me, you know I love rainbows.
I’ve always loved color, but only in the last few years have rainbows been an obsession.
The day I sat down and read through Genesis, I was overwhelmed with understanding when I read those verses.
Signs.
Over and over.
Everywhere in my house.
For years, the signs were there, but I just didn’t understand.
R A I N B O W S.
November 2014, we surprised the kids with a new puppy.
We told them that they could pick out a name for her.
They chose Rainbow.
No arguments.
R A I N B O W S.
The day after I read through Genesis, my 98 year old grandfather passed away.
That day I saw a rainbow in the clouds.
And, the next day.
And, the next.
Everywhere I looked, for days, there were rainbows in the clouds.
R A I N B O W S.
On March 23rd, our dog Rainbow had puppies.
When we moved out to Oregon, one of our dreams was to raise dogs.
It had been put on the back burner for lots of reasons, but when we got Rainbow we knew that we would be having at least one litter with her.
She gave birth to EIGHT puppies.
It was amazing.
The kids were on spring break, and my in-laws were visiting and got to take part in the excitement.
Eight puppies.
Red.
Orange.
Yellow.
Green.
Blue.
Indigo.
Violet.
And, Pink.
R A I N B O W S.
When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on earth.
-Genesis 9:16
let go…
When the beginning of 2016 came around, I had a plan for the year.
I reworked a website, made lists, sent e-mails, and thought I had it all under control.
February came around and I fell apart.
Comparison stole my joy.
I saw others who were doing what I wanted to do and wondered why I couldn’t just make it happen.
I beat myself up.
I cried.
I stayed in bed.
I felt sorry for myself.
Then I saw signs…literally. One of my favorite artists is a sign maker. I have her signs all over my house. She posted a new one that was simple “Look for Signs”. Shortly after that, she posted one that read, “Be still and know”.
That’s when I knew. I had to let go and let God.
I had heard these words before. Heck, I had said these words before, but I hadn’t really put them into practice. I hadn’t put the “let God” part into practice. This time, He wouldn’t let me skip the “let God” part. You see, this is His plan, not mine. I was trying to control His plan. When I let go and gave Him control it was freeing.
Yes, MY plans are not taking shape the way I planned, but I believe that He has bigger plans for me.
I call myself a perpetual student of life.
If I could just got to classes and learn new things for the rest of my life I would be happy.
I love to learn new things.
In March, I decided that I was going to learn something new.
I decided that I was going to read the Bible.
At first, I thought I would follow a one year reading plan. I started in Genesis. I read through it in a day taking notes, highlighting, and trying to figure out the ancestry. Wow, people lived for a LONG time when God first made the earth.
Within a couple of days, the whole catching up to March in the one year plan felt daunting.
However, an instagram friend mentioned she was following a study of the Proverbs 31 Woman by Gretchen Saffles of Life Lived Beautifully on periscope. I purchased the study and followed along. This was perfect for my introvert heart. I felt like part of a community, but I didn’t have to interact face to face. You see, I love being in a classroom. I sit right in the front row, take great notes, and soak it all in, but I’ve never been great at class participation, group projects, or even socializing after class.
I followed and participated in that study for the next four weeks. I learned to give myself quiet time learning that part of the bible each day.
I let go of the plans I had made for myself and let God lead me to Him.
I’ve spent more time reading in the last few weeks than I have in years. In fact, just yesterday I started Big Magic in the afternoon and finished it late last night.
I’ve also read The Best Yes and Love Does. In reading both of those I took notes and highlighted like I was studying for a test.
I’ve continued reading the bible with additional bible studies I have purchased through Life Lived Beautifully.
I’m not sure what God has in store for me, but I’m willing to listen.
“…it seems that what God does most of the time when He has something to say is this…He doesn’t pass us messages, instead He passes us each other.”
– Bob Goff, Love Does
