Worth Repeating

Sometimes, when you hit upon a good design, it just makes sense to make multiple variations of the same card.

That's what happened when I realized that the sentiments from Papertrey Ink's New Every Morning stamp set fit so perfectly inside this lattice background die from WPlus9 Design. I simply changed the color schemes and stamped the flowers in different inks. Yep, I fussy cut those flowers, too. No biggie!

Thanks for visiting the cafe today!

The Fruit of the Spirit (and a great fruity deal!)

What does it mean to walk in faith? For starters, it means that Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches, meant to produce fruit. But not just one kind of fruit.

If we believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and keeps us in the faith, then we need to be daily producing the fruit of the Spirit. This list in Galatians 5:22-23 is not a grocery list to take to the market. We can't pick and choose our favorite fruits.

"I'm just not a patient person."

Nope. That won't cut it. If you are in the Spirit, then you better be praying for that patience, in order to show it to those around you.

"If you knew my circumstances, then you'd know why I'm not joyful."

If you are in Christ, then he is your joy. And you better be reflecting that to everyone you meet.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

There it is. It's not about me, but about Jesus Christ and bearing faithful witness to the gospel.

Our world needs us to show them the Fruit of the Spirit every day. We need more fruit and less bitterness, more fruit and less strife, more fruit and less division and politics. We need more of Jesus and less of us.

It's Monday. Let's promise each other to be extra fruity this week.

I made this Bible page using stamp sets from Papertrey Ink's Fruit Fusion series. I have always loved these stamps, and I'm so glad I got a chance to use them in my Bible!

And here's the deal! Right now, the Fruit Fusion series stamps are only $1 each in the Last Call clearance section at the Papertrey Ink website. You will also find many of the matching dies on sale, too! What a steal! If you look, you will also see stamp sets from my other favorite series: Heart-2-Heart and Flower Fusion for only $1. Great deals, cafe friends! But they may not last long. I'd get them before the month is over if I were you.

Blessings on your Monday, cafe friends!

Watercolor Butterflies

Sometimes, you just need to let someone know that they are in your thoughts and prayers.

This is a card for those times.

I decided to stamp the butterflies on Strathmore Watercolor paper. Then, I sprayed the butterflies with a mister spray of water, and I let the colors blend and run together. I really love this effect! I let it air dry for a few minutes, then I gave it a shot with the heat embossing gun. When I was sure it was done drying, I stamped the sentiment on the front.

{Today's Brew: Beautiful Butterflies (PTI), Strathmore watercolor paper, PTI card stock and inks}

Something I want to get better at in the future is not just telling someone I will pray for them, but asking them "Can I pray with you right now?" There is something so powerful in that moment. And really, when the Holy Spirit puts it on our heart, it's best to act on it quickly.

And honestly, I'm often terrible about getting my cards out in a timely manner! But I will mail them even if they are late, hoping that the person who gets the card is getting it precisely when they needed it.

Blessings on your Sunday, cafe friends!

A Week Without Coffee

I did something crazy last week.

I decided to go on a coffee fast.

A week without coffee.

Not just switching from caffeine to decaff. NO caff. Period. Just water. I felt like I'd been drinking too much lately, and it was disturbing my energy and sleep patterns.

The week went something like this:

Day 1: splitting headache
Day 2: lingering headache and fatigue
Day 3: exhaustion
Day 4: deep sadness
Day 5: Waving the white flag of surrender and having a cup of decaff
Day 6: Another decaff
Day 7: Wondering why I thought it was a good idea to give up coffee
Day 8: Giving up crazy coffee fast ideas and having a mid day cup of joe.

It was a noble experiment, and it did help me to cut back quite a bit. Now, I start my day with a cup of warm water steeped with a quarter of a lemon. And then, mid day, I have the real deal.

Here's something I learned: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. But I can do them much better with coffee. 😊😊😊

It is winter, the days are long and grey, and I do not need anything to make me sad.

Here's a card that just makes me happy!

{Today's Brew: Flourish stamp set (Concord and 9th), Little Lift Me Ups stamp set (PTI), PTI ink and card stock, PTI paper, enamel dots}

Hope your days are filled with happy!

Flowers for February

February. It seems to last forever! How is it possible that the shortest month of the year always feels soooo long?

I think I need some flowers.

And until I can get to the store to buy real flowers, then I will have to settle for paper flowers.

I made this card using the Petals and Pallets stamp set from Concord and 9th.

{Today's Brew: Petals and Pallets stamp set (Concord and 9th), PTI inks and card stock, button twine (PTI), SU embossing folder}

Blessings on your Monday, cafe friends!

Together: Acts 2

Our congregation has been spending some time in the book of Acts recently, looking at the early church and applying it to our church today.

Acts 2:42-47 has always been a powerful example of what it means to be the church. It is a simple formula, really. The Word, fellowship, bread and wine, prayer.

In other words, they did life together.

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need." Acts 2: 42-45

The Christian life is not meant to be solitary. We are not meant to live as Lone Rangers. We come together. Worship together. Pray together. Sing together. Eat together. We hear the word together. We confess together. We receive forgiveness of sins together. We praise God together. We take care of each other.

And that, in a nutshell, is church.

Today, our pastor told the story of speaking with a visiting nurse this week, who said that she hasn't been to church in a long time because church can seem so judgmental.

Yes, church can be that way. The Word convicts us, because we are sinners. But we can look to the cross to remember that Christ died for our sins, and for our neighbor's sins, too.

As the popular saying goes, the church isn't a hotel for saints, it is a hospital for sinners. We go to church for the healing that comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

"And day by day, attending temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." Acts 2:46-47

I love these words because they remind us of one important fact. It isn't the pastor that grows the church with his dynamic sermons. It isn't the youth program with their sports leagues and their pizza parties. It isn't the women's group with that popular speaker and author.

None of those things grow the church.

The Lord grows the church. Period.

What can we do? We can receive God's blessings with glad and generous hearts. We can praise God at every opportunity. We can go to worship and open our homes to others. We can bear witness to the amazing things that God has done for us.

Together. What a beautiful place that is!

{Today's Brew: Concord and 9th Perfectly Penned stamp set,  PTI die cut, MFT stencil, PTI inks}

Citrus Orange For a Dose of Vitamin C

I crave citrus in the winter. I guess I need that extra dose of vitamin C to get me through the dark and dreary days. I usually eat two or three clementines a day. So juicy and good for you!

Sometimes, I like to inject a little Vitamin C into my card making, too. There's nothing like a bright splash of orange to bring on the cheer!

{Today's Brew: Triple Step Hooray stamp set (Concord and 9th), PTI inks and card stock, baker's twine, MFT stitched banner die}

And here's another card, featuring orange flowers. I added a little bling in place of berries.

{Today's Brew: Blooms Fill In stamps (Concord and 9th), PTI inks and card stock, rhinestone twinkles from amuse studio}

Thanks for visiting the cafe!

A Funny Valentine Inspired by HGTV Fixer Upper

Sometimes, you just need a funny sentiment that you will not be able to find from a stamp company. That's when alphabet stamps come to the rescue!

I had this idea for a card that gave a nod to HGTV's Fixer Upper. If you are a fan of the show, then you know how Chip and Jo love to use shiplap in their houses.

I created the "shiplap" background using the Barnwood Background stamp from Concord and 9th. I embossed it with white embossing powder on a soft stone background.

The sentiment was made using Concord and 9th's Perfectly Penned alphabet stamps.

A little pop of pink gives this card a hint of Valentine's Day.

I made this card for my sister, Tina. She loves Fixer Upper, and has even made a trek to the Silos in Waco!

Happy Valentine's Day, cafe friends!

A Reason to Celebrate!

Happy Winter Monday, cafe friends!

Brrr...more snow blew in last night. It looks like winter is here to stay.

So why am I  celebrating? Because it's my sister, Sue's birthday this week! Valentine's Day, to be exact.

And today, we will celebrate with a girls lunch out...just Mom and my sisters. Good times!

Will there be cake? Chances are good!

{Today's Brew: Concord and 9th stamp set, MFT sentiment inside, MFT banner die, Concord and 9th scallop die, PTI inks and card stock, Lawn Fawn sequin, enamel dot}

Thanks for visiting the cafe today!

Nature Journal: A New Crafty Resolution

As I mentioned last month in another post, I am meditating on the word "gratitude" this year. One way that I am hoping to add gratitude to my days is with a nature journal. I want to be thankful for the day, living in the moment and not wishing the day away for some unknown future. For example, not pining for warm sunny 75 degree days in the middle of a polar vortex.

This is my attempt to live in the "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it" attitude.

So I picked up this really expensive field journal.

Just kidding! I got this little pocket sized watercolor journal from Walmart for under $5.

I take a lot of nature photos on my i-phone...walking the dog, visiting a park, zipping through the countryside. Whatever strikes my fancy. I'm using these photos as inspiration for quick little nature studies.

My husband calls me a dabbler. He's right, of course. But I like to think that in my dabbling, I'm stretching myself creatively. And who knows? Maybe that creativity will cross over into my faith, or my writing, or my cooking, or my gardening.

Maybe it has more to do with just being observant.

Take for example, these beautiful photos from last week's ice storm!

I could have been whining that the ice kept us all indoors. Instead, I was outside marveling at its beauty.

I would say that's progress.

Blessings on your weekend, cafe friends!

A Chalky Thank You

Do you like chalkboards? I still love mine! I decorate two chalkboards with seasonal images, words from a hymn, bible passages...just a nice way to make a positive, life affirming statement in the home.

This card was inspired by a similar project from the Concord and 9th blog. When I saw it, I knew I had to purchase the stamp set and dies "Petals and Pallets". Such a fun set! I used PTI Smokey Shadow card stock, embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder, and then used a white ink pad to give it the messy chalk board look.

{Today's Brew: Petals and Pallets stamps and dies (Concord and 9th), PTI inks and card stock}

Blessings on your Friday, cafe friends!

Bible Journal: Grace and Truth

In 2018, I chose a verse from John 1 to meditate on throughout the year.

"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

Truth. That was my word for 2018. And I sought after truth in all the things I saw, all the things I read, all the things I said and did.

The law: it shows my sin and everywhere that I fall short. It shows my desperate need for a savior.

The Gospel of Grace: the unearned and undeserved gift of redemption that I receive from Christ crucified for my sins.

And where or where is truth found? I think that's the question that our society struggles with every day.

Maybe you've heard this one before: "Your truth is not necessarily the same as another person's truth. Everyone's truth is different based on their own experiences."

Yep, that's the motto of the fastest growing religion in our culture today: the religion of moral relativism that firmly believes in a different trinity, the unholy trinity of me, myself and I. I decide what is true. I decide what is good. I am, therefore, my own god.

But where is real, absolute truth found? It is found right here, in God's Word. Truth is found only in the pages of holy scripture. Do I like all the truth? No! It oftentimes makes me look bad, really really bad. It exposes my sinful, selfish nature. It shows me that it's not all about me, about how I feel, about my experience and "takeaway". Those things are highly unreliable and cannot be trusted.

So what truth can I trust? I can trust in the love of God. I can trust in His word that points me to the cross. I can trust in the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I can trust that the Holy Spirit sanctifies me and keeps me in the faith.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen!