Hello, Again

Well, here I am, again. I'm going to give this another try. I truly love being here, but my, oh my, how my time just flies away.

I'm here because I feel like writing again. I feel like sharing. It is my hope that my life experiences will help you to see God, maybe get to know Him more. Maybe something I share will pique your curiosity and you'll want to get to know more about my God. He is a faithful, good God. I can't imagine my life without His saving grace.

Today Pastor Brian shared a little about the direction of our new church - Enclave Community Church. (No, Mother, it is not a cult...) and listening to him I felt as if a burden was being lifted, a heaviness that has been clinging. I felt by the end of the service that I had been given wings. I believe I am looking at an amazing thing on the verge of happening in my life: a second chance. (Or maybe it is my 100th.)

Intrigued?

You can listen to the message from the link, if you want.

Or, you can wait, and watch to see over the next 2 years what God does.

OOH! And you can pray for me.

Actually, doing it all wouldn't hurt!

God is on the verge of something amazing. I know it with a certainty that I can't explain!

"People can get may good things by the words they say; the work of their hands also gives them many benefits." Proverbs 12:14

I underlined this in my Bible last month primarily for the second half of the verse, but the promise is in the entire passage. I love how He can take my confusion and unknowing and bring perfect understanding when I'm patient and obedient. (I have recently started reading the book of Proverbs by the day - Proverb 1 on the first of the month; Proverb 17 on the 17th etc.)

I can't wait to see how this unfolds! He is so good!

In His love,
tonya renee

No Mysteries Here... maybe?

No great mysteries of the universe revealed today; my body really just tanked and I spent most of the day in bed sleeping. Maybe it's my mind's way of shielding me from the drama that's been going on around here lately.

Nothing of our making, you see, but it seems to be attached to so many. It walks in with a smile and a kind word, which hide such brokenness. Actually, today is a day that God took time to show me something important: Even with my limitations I'm a good parent. Today God showed me how fiercely I love my children. He showed me that I am their number one advocate 24/7 - and I don't want it any other way! Today I learned the joy and the sorrow of unconditional love. And as much as I hate days like today - sick enough to keep me in bed most of the day - I couldn't change it... I have come to know myself and my children at a deeper level. God's given me insight and discernment about my life that I wouldn't have if I were 100% well, never having traveled this road. BUT, I'm so ready to move past this...

Today God showed me how healing and comforting it is to be the recipient of unconditional love. And He also helped me to see the wings we give others when we love them without condition.

Please pray for protection for my family and for our friend, Kali.

In His loving care,
tonya renee

Spiritual Scrapbooking Challenge 1

Spiritual Scrapbooking
Be Strong and Courageous
Class: Thursday November 9th
7:30 pm

If you would like to join us for the discussion of this study, please call or email me for information.

Please read the first chapter of Joshua.

As you read consider and answer these questions:

Author V. Raymond Edman writes, “The giants may represent spiritual and psychological foes that face us when we would follow God;”

1. What are your specific “giants”? (As described above.)
   
2. Are there areas of your life that you are being defeated, where you’re not “standing your ground”? What is God’s promise from Joshua 1:5 for us when we’re faced with “giants”?
   
3. Where does the path to spiritual victory begin for you?
   
4. Under what circumstances do you find your resolve fading and the exhortation to “Be strong and courageous” difficult or seemingly impossible to grasp?

When I led Early Childhood ministries there were many occasions when people would come with suggestions or, sometimes, outright demands as to what should be done or how things should be accomplished. Leadership is never an easy path to walk, but through prayer and the gifts of discernment and wise councilors I knew I could make decisions that would cause the ministry to bring God glory above all else. Another aspect of that process, that was indispensable, was knowing what God had called me to do. As decisions or opportunities arose, in prayer I could hold them up to the light of what God had asked me to accomplish and if it didn’t hold to His plan then it was easy to move on.

I strongly believe that you need to know what God has called you to do at any season in your life to be able to make decisions that will bring you success through His eyes. I know that at this stage in my walk my calling is to be a godly wife to Dustin; an example of holiness and dedication to Christ for my children, teaching them about who He is through our everyday experiences; and to be the guardian and protector of my activities for the benefit of my health and physical healing and well-being. If I try to make decisions now based on my calling from my season as a church leader I wreak havoc on my life. Yet if I didn’t know what I was called to right now I would fall into confusion and possibly condemnation or depression as I tried to live my life based on what everyone BUT Christ was calling me to do. It would be easy to get sucked into everyone else’s agenda and do permanent damage to my relationships and health totally aside from the fact that I would have no litmus test to determine if God was being glorified in my life.

Maybe it’s just the way I’m wired, but I need that affirmation that I’m doing what I should be doing. (And receiving it only from the world is so unsatisfying.) All of this leads me back to being defeated by my “giants.” When I’m faced with those things that prevent me from following God’s way I need only to look at what He’s calling me to. Do my activities show respect and honor to my husband? Does my husband trust me or am I being contetious and exasperating to him? Are my children taken care of, basic needs met? Do they feel secure and loved and affirmed? Are they learning about and calling attention to the presence of God in our lives? Am I filling my calendar with too many things? Am I taking my medications and keeping my doctors appointments? Am I resting before I fall into exhaustion?

God is calling me to very specific things right now and when I hold onto His ways I find my courage and strength bolstered daily. For me it is daring to stay on this path. This season of rest and quietness with a lack of extensive activity is so hard for me. I am so tempted to want things outside of this plan. My brain screams, “Just go back to work!” Like that will solve more problems than simple obedience would. This is the hardest time of my life and I seem daily to need the exhortation to be strong and courageous to stay on this path. Edman writes further, “While caution considers and deliberation delays, daring obeys the explicit command of the Lord. The fearful and faint-hearted do not know the quickening of pulse and the confidence in a Presence that comes with the obedience of venturing to put one’s feet into overflowing impossibility; and to find a way where there seems to be none.”

The impossibilities I see in my way are, well, seemingly impossible to overcome. I guess that’s where I find the blessing of obedience: when I do what God is calling me to no matter how impossible a favorable outcome seems. In trusting Him I am rewarded with confidence and He will make a way just as He promised Joshua, “No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.” (Joshua 1:5)

1. What explicit command has God given you that you are being cautious about or deliberating to death? What would, could or might happen if you just jumped in with both feet to what God has asked you to do?
   
2. Be daring today: ask God to give you one small thing that you can try out; something that is daring for Him, something that means putting your feet into “overflowing impossibility,” asking Him to show you a way where there is none.

Scrap Challenge:

On the day you ask God for your small challenge keep your camera close at hand and shoot photos as you feel led. Create a page centered on the challenge God gave you for that day, using the photo(s) you took.

Bible references from the New Living Translation; unless otherwise noted
Quotes from The Disciplines of Life by V. Raymond Edman

More coming soon!!!

We've been soooo busy; I'll have more goodies soon!

tonya renee

Whew, It is WAAAAAY too hot!!!

Just a quick note...

I haven't been on in the last week because the heat has not been good to me!

Well, actually, I think it's a combination of a few different things, but last week I was really wiped out; it kind of took me by surprise because I have been feeling better with a small amount of consistency. So, to have a week like last week was a pretty big hit (and surprise!)

The good news, though, is that today I am feeling better and on Friday I have an appointment with my specialist in San Francisco. I actually see the other doctor in his practice, but I have it on very good authority from my friend, Anne - who's seen Drs. Becker and Buxton for 10 years - that Dr. Buxton is just as wonderful as Dr. Becker. I'm praying for a good report, a raise in the Synthroid dosage and with that, the continued ability to taper off of the 2 meds my PCP prescribed to cover symptoms. Ahh, so much information, sorry!

I have some GREAT things to share this week about what God is showing me in the Bible and about some very specific situations in my life. Today's message at church was incredible; it was almost as if Pastor Dave was paraphrasing my prayers to God yesterday. It gives me the chills when that happens! But what a sweet confirmation that God is in every detail of my life.

So, until later this week...

OH! Did anyone try the scrap challenge? Please post when you do; I'll try to get something new to challenge you this week. I'm thinking maybe cards...

In His love and care,
tonya renee

Additional Photos for Scrap Challenge #1

Scrap Challenge #1: Scraplifting

As I've thought through this there are several different categories I'd like to encourage you with in the area of paper arts. The first is

Scrap Challenges

These are opportunities for you to stretch your current scrapping style by trying new methods or techniques. Think of it as a different way of looking at your pages.

Your first challenge is to give Scraplifting a try. If you're not sure what this is, allow me to explain. As you're looking through your favorite scrapping magazines or browsing the galleries of your favorite websites you are bound to have your attention captured by certain pieces of artwork. Within this art medium not only is copying encouraged, but it is a great compliment when your pages so inspire someone else that they want to CASE ("copy and steal everything") your artwork or certain details of it. This is also such an excellent way to train your eye to the artistic principles of arrangement, color theory, triangulation, and so many other wonderful tools for creating stunning artwork.

So, above, on the bottom, is the original layout that I liked. As I appreciated the overall layout I decided that I would lift almost the whole thing as is, but with my style. The photo above the original is my version. I liked the printed ribbon (I stamped mine with Stazon,) the large photo size, the decorated slide frame and the small journaling box at the bottom. I added a quote, though, instead of journaling, but I hinged my photo and wrote the journaling underneath. I didn't pay attention to my margins under the photo (oops!) so some of my journaling spilled out; I just doodled the white edges to "hide" my mistake. I don't like a lot of white space on my layouts, so I "filled" up my pages a little tighter than the original. I'm also not real big on paper-piecing, so I used stamps and words to decorate my tags (things I REALLY like!)

So, give it a try this week! You can copy the photo above step for step or you can try one of the following inspirational variations:

• Copy only the monochromatic color scheme
• Choose one thing you like from the layout (i.e. the printed ribbon) and translate it onto your next page.
• Sketch the basic layout of the items on this page and then copy the layout using your own theme and colors.
• Use the theme of this layout and make your own page interpreting it.

The key is to TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT!

As I prefer to scrap 2 page layouts and use lots of photos, on the next post you can view the second page as well as some close up shots of the details from my pages.

Also remember to PLEASE POST your final project as the true key to improving your work is to share and learn from each other!

HAPPY SCRAPPING!

tonya renee

"Bless [her] skills, O Lord, and be pleased with the work of [her] hands." Deuteronomy 33:11a

Monday's Question of the Week

Hi! I thought it would be fun to pose a "Question of the Week," so here goes...

Where were you raised?

Share a favorite memory of growing up there...

I'll post mine later today...