Happy Easter!

As much as I enjoy sharing crafty DIY projects and tablescapes, adorable bunnies and decadent chocolate, those all pale in comparison to the love I have for Jesus, who is the reason we celebrate this day. I am so thankful for my salvation in Him-the most beautiful gift one can receive. I am in awe of the love He has for each and every one of us, so much so that He died on the cross for us and endured much unthinkable torture along the way.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will have life even if he dies." 

~John 11:25

Today we celebrate His resurrection, He is who He said He was. :)

May you always know just how much you are loved and that no matter how alone you feel in this world at time (I've been there many times in my lifetime), there is one who will always be there for you anytime you call upon Him and unlike the loved ones we have in our life here on earth, He will never disappoint!

This is such a beautiful time of year for so many reasons. Wishing you all a blessed Easter as you spend it with those you cherish most.

Thanks for Reading!

XO



*image credit

Criticizing Opposing Political Views isn't Classy

Here we are, it's election day. For many the outcome represents either monumental fear or reassurance regarding the future of this country (depending on how you voted). Yet for others not so emotionally invested in a particular political party, it simply represents change and a different path ahead or moving forward with much of what's already in motion. 

I think the real difference comes down to true faith in our good Lord above. When your faith is in your creator who loves you (instead of hanging your hopes on a political party or Presidential candidate to be your country's savior), things look and feel different. There is peace, trust and a gentle spirit that does not burden you with the the need to hammer your points home and put your political map on friends, family, neighbors and even strangers if they don't agree with you (hence today's reminder above on political etiquette and how a classy woman behaves during election time). In fact, it can alienate the very people we care about most, turning our viewpoints into a war zone and causing division among many long after harsh words are spoken.

I wrote these words below this morning, first on my own personal Facebook page and then moments later on The Classy Woman Facebook community page (feel free to click the link and join us if you like). My hope is that we all keep things in perspective and focus more on unity than division.

No matter what happens today, here is one final thought. His very own words were written for our eyes to see and be confident in what lies ahead. "For I know the plans I have for you, (declares the Lord) plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11.

As always, thanks for reading!

XO





*All images with text content are my own.

You Can't Please Everyone

Today's post is a shorter one and a gentle reminder to us all. Posting on Facebook then taking my message here and expanding upon it further has started to become a regular ritual. After seeing that today's post had 25 likes after just one hour I learned that many of you, my readers, agreed and felt strongly about these words so I wanted to share them here too!

I love this image and text above by Dita Von Teese. Think of the many times you've fallen in love with a particular book, movie, food or item of clothing and a friend really could care less for it. It wouldn't matter how much you tried to convince her of how awesome it is-she's just not having asparagus, skinny jeans or watching Glee. ;)

As women, it's as almost as if there is something inborn in us to become people pleasers. We want others to be happy, well fed, taken care of, nurtured, feel at home in our house and we long for friendships and to be liked. Sometimes we just want others to like what we like. These are all very good things but sometimes they just don't work out as we hope. I've always been able to make friends fairly easily as a child and adult even though I tend to be on the shy side at first. Sometimes you just get a feeling as though someone doesn't care for you or what you're all about. It could be a lack of common interests, different beliefs or even jealousy-whatever the reasoning, for many years I would try to over-analyze why they might not like me. While I wouldn't try hard to please the person in question, I would really want to know what it was. The thoughts were exhausting because I knew I wasn't about to change who I was to make someone like me. I finally decided that I just didn't care because there are enough amazing people on this planet that I will have things in common with and will have a great time with and will like me exactly as I am. The trick is in 'Staying True to Yourself'.

We must accept the fact that no matter how hard we try in life, we will never please EVERYONE 100% of the time nor will we be liked by every person. The sooner we realize this, the easier it will be to focus on just being our best self without feeling insecure or requiring the need to be accepted or perfect in another's eyes. 

For me, one thing I've learned is that people will have their opinions and reasons about why they do or don't like or accept you, and sometimes that won't ever change. Really, their opinion isn't all that important anyway. In my heart I know my creator and I know what He thinks of me. He created me in His own image and made me with all of my quirks and intricacies as well as likeable bits just as I am and loves me unconditionally. If you struggle with how other's perceive you, you'll benefit from this post I wrote called, 'Letting Go of How Others Perceive You'.

Remember, when you feel others are against you or you feel you just can't seem to live up to other's expectations, there is only ONE who will accept you just as you are-no pretenses and no judgments- just love, peace, grace and mercy offered because you are one of His children.

I hope you're all having a fabulous week so far! I'd love to know, what areas do you struggle with as it pertains to being liked or pleasing others?

XO




*Photo credit

Love isn't Complicated

It was never intended for us that love be complicated, or filled with expectations and grandiose plans on one particular day. We were meant to love each other unconditionally every day as He first loved us. Here are some simple thoughts for your day.....

 "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law." ~Romans 13:8

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God."

~1 John 4:7

Today hubby and I are relaxing, having a low-key kind of day and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Wishing you all a wonderful Valentine's Day surrounded by those who love you. :)

Here's what I was up to the past few years on Feb.14th. Check it out by year: 2011, 2010, 2009. Last year's post was my favorite, a story told in pictures.

XO

*images: (1) (2)

An Inconvenient Blessing

I know what you're probably thinking, this post has an odd title. But the truth is it's perfectly fitting. Sometimes in life we can be so focused on where we're going, what we're doing and what we need to accomplish in a day that we can completely miss out on the very blessings that are being presented to us. This very thing happened to my hubby and I this past weekend.

Paul has a friend that he has kept in touch with but hasn't seen for the past 20 years. I've never met him or his wife, but I've seen photos of them, received Christmas cards and heard a bit about them from time to time. My hubby stays connected via facebook and phonecalls with them since they call California home. I'm going to come back to them, but let me first explain how yesterday unfolded.

Yesterday we had planned to meet up with a couple and some other friends of my husband's that he hasn't seen in 3 yrs. The one couple in particular who arranged it were visiting from England. I was excited to meet everyone and enjoy a day in the sunshine. Once we were set up in the park though it was very sticky and the heat had pretty much eliminated my interest in food and had given me a headache. I started to fatigue pretty quickly after a very long and emotionally draining week but pushed through since I wanted Paul to make the most of his visit with his friends. We stayed for several hours and then hubby was ready to pack it in and head home. The drive to and from the park was an hour each way and we had had a lot of late nights during the past week so we were ready to unpack our stuff, unwind with a good book and just relax for the rest of the late afternoon an evening. This past week was filled with a lot of usual stuff but I had also received some not-so-great news that occupied my thoughts and had me in tears a couple days this week. At this point my body was just emotionally spent.

We relaxed in our comfy clothes for about an hour, I folded some laundry and planned to go to bed early. All of sudden there was a knock at the door. I looked out the kitchen window and saw a car was parked at the end of our driveway that I didn't recognize, nor did I fully recognize the man who was at our door. I ignored it since I wasn't sure who it was and told Paul (who was so engrossed in his book that he wasn't wanting to answer it either). Paul said he felt like he was being nudged to answer the door so he walked over to see who it was. It  was his friend 'R' from California! It did look like him a little bit based on his photos, but I wondered how that would be possible since they didn't live close by. I just had dismissed that thought and assumed it was a salesperson.

Paul went outside first and chatted with them and met his wife and young daughter for the first time. It turns out that they has just moved to the Orlando area 2 weeks ago and wanted to surprise Paul!
I wasn't really in the mood to socialize to be completely honest. You see, I have a little pet peeve. I am not a fan of visitors that drop by uninvited and unannounced. Terrible, I know. I really want to feel differently and I love other fun surprises in life but somehow drop-ins are never a fun experience for me and Paul is actually not a fan either.  There is a reason why it was an entire skit on Seinfeld. Paul's parents are notorious for doing this (usually when we've just come home from a long trip and partially unpacked suitcases are still out)  and they think it's funny and don't understand why we don't love it, he's actually had to talk to them about it.

I was glad that he wasn't trying to invite everyone inside. I changed my clothes and went outside to meet everyone. We discussed going out for dinner together. I still wasn't really feeling hungry at that point but I did go along so that we could all chat and the guys could catch up in person after so many years. I guess you could say it's was Paul's weekend to catch up with long distance friends.

You know what? I'm SO glad we did! They are such a sweet couple, their daughter is adorable and R's wife 'J' and I really hit it off. I can't wait to spend more time with her. It isn't everyday that I meet a new woman who is easy to talk to, fun, has similar interests to me and has a heart of gold. She could really turn into a great friend. I know how frustrating it can be moving to a new city (or in my case, Country) and not having any friends or many people to show you around and where to go, etc. So, we've already talked about getting together very soon which she was excited about. The funny thing is I have been praying for some sweet, new female friends that also love God for the past few months. Slowly, they are being revealed to me including 'J' as well as some of you via the blogging world.

It turns out that Paul and 'R' were meant to meet at this time too. They actually wound up discussing an interesting and lucrative business opportunity that they would work on together here in Orlando and all of the little details seem to be lining up  in terms of their interests, skills, abilities, contacts, resources-something that neither one of them had expected or ever discussed before until last night.

The visit started as an 'inconvenient' time when both Paul and I really wanted to follow our own plan for the evening, but someone had a bigger plan for us, a blessing, that if we were only open enough to receive it, we would and did.

It's made me rethink how I manage my daily activities. I want to be productive and effective but I also want to make sure I'm more open to life's daily blessings, big or small. I never want to miss out because my schedule is too rigid.

Today we spent the day celebrating with some friends at their housewarming party in the sunshine. We haven't had such an action-packed weekend like this in a long time. Right now, I'm open to a whole lot of sleep and sweet dreams. lol

How about you? Have you ever felt a tugging at your heart to do something specific- answer the door, pick up the phone, pay a visit that has led to a greater blessing? Anyone else with me on the drop-in visits? I'd love to hear all about it or you can just tell me what you did this weekend. :)

For anyone who hasn't entered our $50 Stationery Giveaway from Pear Tree Greetings yet, click on the link, there's still time. Thank you to those who have already participated.

I'm off to la la land.....

Nighty Night!



image: unknown source

More than Enough

I am humbly reminded again with this scripture below that I have more than enough, we have more than we need and no matter how much we worry or plan or save, we will always be provided for. He loves us and provides for us in more ways than we could ever hope for or imagine.

"Therefore! I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?

And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you - you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well." ~Matt. 5:1-2 6:19-21, 24-33

I really enjoy these quotes too, they should be a daily reminder for us that worry will only add stress and subtract years from our life.

"Worrying is like paying on a debt that may never come due."  ~Will Rogers

"To worry about tomorrow is to be unhappy today." ~Author unknown

Wash your worries away and remember that tomorrow always brings another new and glorious day.

Have a blessed Friday!

Prayer For My Blog Readers

Although I often pray for my blog readers, both those that have asked for it via email or those that have left a comment leading me to pray for them privately, today I felt led to pray for ALL of you, my blog readers. I want you to know that even when you feel forgotten about, are having a frustrating or defeating day or feel as though you are not loved, you are. You are thought about, your are prayed for and the best is prayed for you.

After recently reading about several deaths in the blogosphere and also having come across similar posts this morning, just after I posted THIS POST two days ago, I am convinced people are not only seeking God but want to change, they want MORE out of life, they desire to be fulfilled and filled with joy. They do not want more stuff, they want more joy, more quality time with their family and friends and more life.

Dear Lord, I pray for ALL of my blog readers around the world, that You would fill their hearts with joy-those that know You, those that may not and those that may not even want to know You. I pray that You will fill them with an overwheming feeling of purpose and that they may stretch themselves to become all that YOU have desired for them and all that they desire for themselves. That they may feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment in all that they do.

Lord I pray that You would touch each and every one of them in a special, unique and powerful way that lets them know that YOU are with them and that You love them. I pray that You will give strength and courage to those that are suffering, ill or by the side of someone who is very ill or has just passed. I know Lord that you are our greatest comforter and I pray that You will comfort Your people in their greatest times of need.

I pray God that You will bless and protect each and every one of them and their famililes' today and in their future days to come. That You will keep them safe and give them the knowledge to desire health over unhealthiness so they can live a long and abundant life.

I pray this all in Jesus name. Amen.

Despite how some may have felt after recent events in Haiti, or even a few years ago after the Tsunami's hit, or other similar tragic events,  I do know that God's timing is perfect timing even when we cannot understand or fathom why or how something has occurred. This I know is true:

 "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~ (Jeremiah 29:11)

I truly hope that nobody is offended by this post. I felt led by God to not only pray for you but also let you know via my blog post that I was doing so and what I was praying for. This is not something that I've ever done or felt led to do up until today, and all I could do was obey.

Have a blessed and fulfilled day knowing that He knows ALL things and even knew what you were going to do and say today before your day even began. That is the amazing and powerful God that I am blessed to serve.

xoxo

Merry Christmas!

To all of my readers around the world who are celebrating Christmas today (as I am), have a merry and blessed day celebrating His birth filled with love; joy, peace and hope!

EVERY good and perfect gift truly is from above!

Warmly,