At the Cross

 

Feeling very humbled today!

 

Cass and I started reading through the gospels this month.  We are going to read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...one chapter a night...until we get through the gospels.  It was a challenge for our students from the pastor to really get to know Christ.

 

I marvel at how God orchestrates events.  I LOVE to sit in awe as His story unfolds.  He truly is an amazing God!

 

Matthew 3:13-17

 

For example...John the Baptist being born to Elizabeth...who was waaaaaaay past child bearing years...to lead the way "one voice calling in the desert"...and to baptize our Savior, Jesus.  To stand in the water with our Lord and King...and to see the Heaven open and hear God say, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Can you even imagine how John must of felt...humbled probably isn't the word he used!

 

I challenge you to read through the gospels with us this year. 

 

God Bless!

 

xo-

Lara

Mail Art Monday

Ho! Ho! Ho! Happy Mail Day!

 

This fun little envelope would be a wonderful way to send a friend a holiday greeting!

 

I made several of these envelopes to use as my daughter's Advent Calendar.

 

There are red and green envelopes.  Each one has Santa stamped on book paper glued to the front.  I LOVE washi tape...so I made a few strips by painting masking tape red and green and then stenciling some white on top.  Each envelope is finished with a painted piece of fabric.

 

I hope you will make a few of your own...or hop on over to my Etsy shop where the extras from my advent calendar are waiting for you!

 

Happy Mail Day!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Expect miracles, laugh often, and always color outside the lines!

 

xo-

Lara

 

 

At the Cross

 

In the spirit of Thanksgiving...this Scripture is a little longer than I typically post...BUT I feel there is a very special message here!

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

 

 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”^[a]

 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.  Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

 

 

I've been making cards for my church for about 6-8 months now.  I LOVE the thought of someone opening one of my cards and smiling...knowing they are being thought of and prayed for.

 

 This is the inside of one of the cards.  I made mixed-media crosses to stitch on the front of the cards.  Sometimes I use the stitching to doodle a cross inside.

 

What have you done with your gifts from God lately?

 

As we head into December...I hope you will join me on a 30-day journey to do something to bless another person EACH day this month!  I'll be sharing my adventures of thankfulness and my gifts to God each day!  I don't typically share the things I do to bless others...it's kind of a secret thing I do with God...but I believe He is asking me to challenge you and share the idea of blessing others with my readers! It is a simple thing to do...it doesn't have to cost a lot of money...it just takes some thought and using your gifts to give back to God.  Once you start...it really is amazing how good you feel! 

So...happy December! 

Let's make the end of 2013 the BEST 30-days of the year!

 

xo-

Lara

 

 

Repurposed wood - picture frames

 

My good friend brought me some wood pieces that were going to the burn pile!

 

I decided to make some picture frames!

 

They have been a huge hit at Genevieve's!

 

 

 Each one has one of my funky flowers at the bottom!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Expect miracles, laugh often, and always color outside the lines!

 

xo-

Lara

Mixed media zipper pouches

 

Remember the painted fabric from last week?  Well, I taught myself to free-motion quilt and put in a zipper last week...and these little guys were the result!

 

 

The pouches were so much fun to make!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Expect miracles, laugh often, and always color outside the lines!

 

xo-

Lara

Happy Thanksgiving!

thank·ful

/ˈθæŋkfəl/ Show Spelled 

adjective

feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative.

---

Origin:
before 900; Middle English; 

grate·ful

/ˈgreɪtfəl/ Show Spelled 

adjective

1. warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful:

2. expressing or actuated by gratitude: a grateful letter. 

3. pleasing to the mind or senses; agreeable or welcome; refreshing: a grateful breeze.

 

 

Today is a day to be thankful!  We are so blessed!  Thank God for family, friends, and all of the rich blessings as you gather around your tables today!

 

I am most thankful for the blessing of family!

 

 

My beautiful daughter!

 

My favorite student!

 

My mother and father.

 

 

My brother and his family!

 

Seth, dad, and Scott

 

Amy and Scott

 

Scott's other son, Matthew didn't get to make the trip because of football.  However, I'm thankful for him too!  I'm also excited about seeing him play some football for the Wildcats next year!

 

Have a VERY blessed day!

 

Expect miracles, laugh often, and always color outside the lines!

 

xo-

Lara

Mail Art Monday!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Expect miracles, laugh often, and always color outside the lines!

 

xo-

Lara

 

 

 

 

At the Cross

In Memory of:

Joey Butler

11.17.13

 

Isaiah 40:31

but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

 

Joey was a great pastor and friend.  He went to be with the Lord today.  He and Jesus are laughing about how he always told people that baseball was God's favorite sport.  I guess we will have to meet him at Heaven's gate to get the details on Jesus' response!

 

Joey was an incredible picture of building relationships with people.  Countless lives turned to Christ because of his questions.  Often times the questions were tough...hard to swallow...truth...addressed areas that needed action...change in direction...grace...BUT always provoked a deeper yearning and seeking of Truth...Jesus...and God's Word.

 

I know he will be deeply missed by his wife, 3 children, and family of believers.

 

Until the day we meet at Heaven's gate...and see him in a ball cap...probably Mississippi red...playing for team Jesus...may we be challenged to build people who know Christ, make Him know, and enjoy the journey together.

 

Have a blessed day!

 

xo-

Lara

Saturday Sneak Peeks

I'm teaching myself to free-motion quilt!

 

I have had a free motion quilting foot for about 5 years. 

 

Last night I "sold" my fears and just got busy stitching! 

Come back next week to see what I do with this painted and stitched material!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Expect miracles, laugh often, and always color outside the lines!

 

xo-

Lara

 

Etsy is being re-stocked!

NEW items!

 

I've been busy working on some new items for my Etsy shop!

 

I am making a few journals for the shop...so I also started making some tags for the pockets...OR gift tags...OR a little card with a special note for a friend!

 

 

Burlap tags made from re-purposed coffee sacks!

 

 

They all also have a hand-painted ribbon attached.

 

 

Vintage knitting books and dictionary pages with embellishments...and my new little girl silhouettes.

 

My vintage RV series...

 

 

and many other new charms...new pieces are being added daily...

 

 

Watch for new painted cuffs...

 

AND...journals of all kinds!  This is one of my burlap coffee sack journals.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Expect miracles, laugh often, and always color outside the lines!

 

xo-

Lara

The Class I'm Teaching

 I am VERY humbled and blessed!

 

 

I am teaching a class through Genevieve's. 

 

I finished the journal Thursday night so that Pam could have it at the shop this weekend for her Holiday Open House.

 

Here are a few "sneak peeks" of the journal my students will be making!

 

Security envelopes, sheet music, and ledger paper...

 

vintage playing cards and maps...

 

lots, and lots, and lots of pockets...

 

A perfect center sheet for doodling, painting, journaling and more...

 

vintage patterns and Amy Butler material...

 

All this wrapped into a tiny little journal!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Expect miracles, laugh often, and always color outside the lines!

 

xo-

Lara



Mail Art Monday!

Happy Birthday to my friend, Debbie!

 

 

A little birthday mail art!

 

 

She was the last person to sign up for the class I am teaching!  That's right...my class sold out!

More details about that tomorrow!

 

Today...is about Debbie!

 

 

I sent her a bunch of fun "art" goodness to use in her sewn journal!

 

I hope she LOVES it!

 

The best part...she can also save her envelope and use it as a page in her journal!

 

 

Have a Happy Mail Day!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Expect miracles, laugh often, and always color outside the lines!

 

xo-

Lara

 

 

 

At the Cross

 

Matthew 16:13-19

 

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”  ¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  ¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  ¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

 

What have you bound on earth this week?

 

Have a blessed day!

 

xo-

Lara

At the Cross

 

Ruth 1: 16

 

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

 

I am thankful for Ruth.  She teaches us to be loyal, committed, and faithful friends!

 

Have a blessed day!

 

xo-

Lara

Happy Halloween

 

A little jack-o-lantern sketch for you!

 

I saw this poem a few years ago...I have always loved jack-o-lanterns!  The crooked smile, the bright eyes, each one has a little personality all its own.  I've collected them for years!  This poem...made me love them even more!

 

Enjoy!

 

CHRISTIANS ARE LIKE JACK-O-LANTERNS
God picks you from the patch, and brings you in.
He washes all of the dirt off which you may have gotten
from other pumpkins.  Then, He cuts the top off and
scoops out all of the yucky stuff.  He removes seeds
of doubt, hate, greed, unforgiveness, etc.  Then, He
carves a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you
to shine for all the world to see. 
Be a jack-o-lantern for Jesus!

 

AND...I'll end my post with a little "nerdy" goodness for you!

 

 

 

Cass dressed up to take her baby cousin trick-or-treating!

 

 

Have a Happy Halloween!

 

Expect miracles, laugh often, and always color outside the lines!

 

xo-

Lara