Walk Worthy

I've been working through a study of First and Second Thessalonians for several weeks. This study by Beth Moore, called Children of the Day, was one that I'd attempted last fall but only made it halfway through. I thought I'd give this study a try again, and I am reminding myself that time spent with the Lord and in His word is never wasted.

Last week, Beth's video presentation mentioned this verse, and it stuck with me for days afterward.

The NIV translates this passage a little differently. It says " live lives worthy of God." But in this instance, I think I preferred the ESV passage that says "walk in a manner worthy of God."

Walk worthy.

Those two words jumped off the page and into my heart. I know that the only way I can be worthy of God's grace is through the redemption He offered in Christ. And still, we are called to walk worthy because, as the verse continues, He "Calls you into his own kingdom and glory."

Sanctified. Set apart.

And yet, as Beth so aptly put it, some of us have a tendency to "grace ourselves right out of obedience."

So how can I walk worthy? For me, I have to listen when the Holy Spirit whispers.

Right now, the prime time channels are airing previews for the new fall season shows, and honestly, just viewing the trailers makes me feel filthy. Maybe, just maybe, that's the Spirit whispering "Turn off the television and go read a good book instead."

Spending too much time on the internet...time to go scrub a bathroom for my family.

When I become frustrated inside the house, Spirit beckons me outdoors.

When I am out in public, it takes nothing to be kind and cheerful.

When thoughts turn dark and negative, I can remember the joy that Beth calls "happiness without the moodiness".

When prompted, I can make that phone call or send that card or jot down that email.

And maybe God is literally calling me to walk with Him...to lace up my tennis shoes and walk and talk with Him in prayer.

I roughly sketched this page with pencil, went back with my fine point Sharpie, and then filled in with watercolors. Honestly, when I use my Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors, I feel like an artist. A few good paint brushes, 24 pans of color, and anything is possible.

I'm struggling with this "walk", as I am in such a different place in life than I was just one year ago when I last did this study. But I have to look forward and keep walking, every day. The ground that I am walking on has changed, but the God I walk with hasn't.

CL Fair: The Art of Presentation

Country Living Fair has some really wonderful and unique vendors, and some of them just have a gift for visual merchandising. I thought I'd share some of the booths that had me grabbing my iphone for a quick photo!

This t-shirt says it all.

A goat named Olive in a tutu? Totally camera worthy!

Modern June always has the sweetest booth. Those colors and campers make me happy!

Carol at Caromal Colors gave some great presentations on using her lovely line of paints. Every day, she gave a new "episode" of "All My Painted Children", and each day was hysterical!

I think I found the paint I will use to transform my kitchen cabinets!

I wish I had remembered to snap a photo of this year's Country Living Fair t-shirt. It had an old pickup truck on the front, and on the back it said "I got junk in my trunk at the CL Fair!"

Yeah. I got a little junk in my trunk from the fair, too. But's it's not hoarding if your stuff is really cool! :)

Blessings!

PTI M.I.M. 225: Shaped Die Cut Boxes

Today's Make it Monday challenge on the PTI blog was to make a shaped die cut box. Even though I'm typically not a fan of paper-crafted gift boxes (Look at what I made you! A matchbox holder that cost me $65 and holds four Hershey nuggets! No no, don't thank me. I know it's what you've always wanted! LOL!), I decided to make one anyway. Here it is:

{Today's Brew: Latte mug die (PTI), Friendship Jar Fall Fillers and dies (PTI), Background Basics: Tin Types (PTI), PTI card stock, markers, polka ribbon}

I decided to use my Friendship Jar Fall Fillers stamps because I had ordered the new dies to match last month and didn't have a chance to use them yet.

My box is not very big...just big enough to hold a Starbucks gift card, or maybe a few packs of the new Starbucks Pumpkin Spice coffee singles!

Thanks for visiting the cafe today! Blessings on your week, cafe friends!

PTI September Blog Hop: Chalkboard Love

When Nichole posted the inspiration photo last week for this month's Papertrey Ink blog hop, I felt like someone had called my number! Eek! That's me! BINGO! This photo was attributed to Country Living. And guess where I was heading? The Country Living Fair in Columbus, Ohio! Perfect timing!

We saw a LOT of chalkboard art this weekend. We loved the idea of taking an old silverplated tray and turning it into a chalky masterpiece. My sister, Tina, bought a lovely chalked tray for a great price. Now I'm on the hunt for an old cheap tray (Goodwill, anyone?) so that I can try this myself. (This is usually the part where I'm kicking myself for not just buying one at the fair and calling it a day!)

In the meantime, I'll just have to settle for some chalkboard paper crafting instead!

{Today's Brew: Twig Wreath stamp set and dies (PTI), Mat Stack die (PTI), cardstock and inks (PTI), embossing folder}

I had so much fun putting this fall wreath together. I'm so glad I purchased this stamp set...it was definitely an impulse buy, but it had my style and I knew it belonged in my collection.

And it is, indeed, okay to be happy with a simple life!

Thanks for visiting the cafe today!

Put A Mum In It!

One thing among many that I love about the Country Living Fair...you will see flowers, especially mums, displayed in some really unique ways. Have a rusty ole bucket, but want to make it cute? Put a mum in it! Got a wagon? Put a mum in it! A bike with a basket? Put a mum in it!

I decided to shabby chic my garden this week.

Rusty tricycle? Check!

Would you look at all that beautiful mulch! My husband and the boys worked hard while I was gone, spreading a truckload of mulch in all the flower beds. This corner used to be the spot where thistle weeds had grown to nearly five feet tall. Now, I have lovely roses...and a few mums, too!

Rust red chairs and old buckets? Check!

This spot just makes me happy now, where it used to make me sad just a few weeks ago. Progress, cafe friends! Progress!

And the mailbox that was sad is...well, still a little sad. It needs a coat of paint when the house gets done. But in the meantime, I have a sweet bucket filled with mums to greet me when I check the mail.

I have been holding on to some of these things for a few years, and I'm happy to have them out in the garden again. My Pennsylvania colonial seemed a bit more formal, but this house feels like the kind of place where I can add a little country charm.

If the weather ever cools down ( it's been hovering around 80 every day, which seems pretty warm for the end of September), I will add some pumpkins and corn stalks to the garden, too.

It's the first day of autumn, friends! You know what to do...grab a seasonal latte, go to the garden center, and put a mum in it!

Notes From The Country Living Fair

Greetings, Cafe Friends!

I just returned from a fabulous weekend with my sister at the Country Living Fair! The Ohio Village in Columbus, Ohio is such a perfect setting for this event. Three days of fun, food, demonstrations, and of course, shopping.

Hello, Tina! Is it time for a salted caramel latte yet?

If you ever get the chance to attend one of these events around the country, my sister and I would suggest you purchase the early bird tickets if at all possible. This will allow you entrance to the fair a full ninety minutes before the doors open to the public. It's a great chance to get your bearings and a lay of the land. When the gates open, the streets of this historic village are swarming with people!

The folks at Country Living magazine do such an outstanding job of organizing this event. The arrangements of fall foliage and pumpkins are always amazing. The displays of CL banners and magazine covers are scattered throughout the grounds, allowing you to feel as if you are stepping onto the pages of their magazine.

But it doesn't stop there.

The vendor booths are stunning. The Main Stage, Kitchen Stage, and Hall are hosting demonstrations every hour. And as you stroll through the village, you may stumble upon a folk band playing a happy tune, or a fiddler and caller organizing an impromptu square dance.

It's a Lollapalooza for crafty, artsy, junk loving country types...like me!

You'd be hard pressed to find a grouchy person here. The vendors, the presenters, the fellow shoppers...everyone is so happy to be there on a glorious early autumn day.

I have so many fun photos to share with you this week, along with a few of my "treasures" that I found there and the craft projects that were inspired by my CL Fair weekend.

Stay tuned!

Adding Fall To The Family Room

Has anyone ever told you "your colors"? Have you held pastel shades up to your face and said "blech!" Or do you gravitate to jewel tones at the clothing store? I realize that I'm dating myself a bit here, as this topic doesn't come up as often as it once did a decade (or two) ago. ha ha! Well, I am definitely an Autumn. I love the earthy colors that signify this season. Pumpkin oranges, rich olives, warm yellows.  I have a lot of them in my wardrobe and in my home furnishings as well.

The family room, with it's sagey olive green walls, makes a great backdrop for all things autumn. And at certain times of the day, I can almost appreciate the mustard colored walls in the kitchen. Almost. But then I think of mustard and relish, and I know that the mustard will have to go.

Do you love to burn candles? Call it aromatherapy, call it light therapy. Whatever you call it, it makes me happy. And I love the fragrances of autumn candles...apples, pumpkins, cinnamon. Mmm. So good!

Bittersweet mixed with lots of natural elements.

Why are my flat surfaces always covered in books?

My leafy chair looks right at home here, nestled under the birch trees. I added my cross-stitched pillow here.

Lots of pillows and blankets for cooler nights.

My prayer for this home and for all who enter here.

Blessings, cafe friends!