November Reign of Prayers

The power of prayer has never been tried to its full capacity.  If we want to see mighty wonders of the divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure, and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.”  Hudson Taylor~

I have been feeling the prompting to take on something bigger than me.  I couldn’t shake it.  But it scared me.  Fear.  Fear of failure.  I hate that one.  It’s a big one.  It's the one that stops millions in their tracks and keeps potential buried in “what if’s” and insecurity.  It was so close to the start of the month of November.   

A month of prayer… focused, faithful, and united prayer.  Could I do it?  Really do it?  Follow through and commit to it.  Would others join me?  What could happen in the spiritual realm if they did?  Who would be healed?  Who would be forgiven?  Who would be saved?  Who would be released?  Who would be restored?   Who would find direction?  Who would encounter the Father?    

Who?

This past weekend, at the Allume conference, God spoke to me clearly in several areas of my life.  I am forever thankful and pray I am forever changed.

One of the items we received in a very generous gift bag was a calendar.  I have recently set up a work blogging space and I am about to accessorize the main wall with inspiration and such like creativity igniting festivities.  I pulled out this calendar and was prompted to read the quote on the November page.  As usual, I love these promptings as they always leave an imprint of His love and glory.  

 Here is the gift…

We are called to initiate involvement in each other’s lives… We covenant together to work and pray for unity, to walk together in love, to exercise care and watchfulness over each other, to faithfully admonish and entreat to one another as occasion may require, to assemble together, to pray for each other, to rejoice and bear with each other, and to pray for God’s help in all this.  Mark Dever~

That was my confirmation.  My, “go ahead child, dive in,” from the Father. 

I am initiating involvement… community… fellowship.

November Reign of Prayers will start tomorrow.  For the thirty days of November, you are invited to join together and pray… faithful and focused prayers that will break forth light in the darkness.  Prayers that will transform you and those around you.

The month will be divided into 6 groups of 5 days.  We will pray for forgiveness, healing, restoration, direction, freedom, and salvation.  You can pray for yourself, your spouse, your children, your extended family, your friends, your church, your neighbors, your nation, and all your heart’s passions, desires, and concerns.

You are invited to walk this month with me.  I need you.  We need you.  We need each other.

I am excited beyond my spirit’s deepest corners to see what God has in store.  I know it is going to be good.  

Will you join me…

Walking in faith… this One Beautiful Life… one day at a time.

Much Love, Dawn

A SAFE Paper Pumpkin Craft

I am volunteering at Abby's school for Fall fun tomorrow.  I will be leading children in a craft!  This year, we will be making the above paper pumpkins.  Are they not simply, really, adorable?  And, they are SO easy.  I am blown away with how cute they are and how simple they are to make which is a WIN WIN in the classroom.  You can get the full tutorial here on how to make them.  And you will want to bookmark that blog for sure.  Just sayin.

This is what I did for the project last year.  And let me just tell you about that little craft.  It blew up in my face!  Yep.  I went to the dollar store and looked diligently for a book that would be appropriate to use pages from... thought I found one.  I bought black frames.  Very affordable for a class of 8.  I then gathered leaves from around my home and took in my little box of paint and a hair dryer (for fast drying purposes which came in VERY handy).

I was drying the last child's picture when a parent of one of the children, who happens to work there, came in with her precious gift her son had anxiously already given to her.  The teacher walks it over to me with a look on her face of half horror and half hysterics and asks me to "skim" over the page.  My heart immediately started pounding like a race horse.  I took it in hand and started skimming and right by the edge of the leaf were the words &*%#@*#  &*#@!**.  I sucked my tongue down my throat and thought I would be forever banned from classroom crafting.  Scarlet letters for "Crafting Witch" flashed before my eyes!  Abby's teacher, being the sweet friend and woman of God that she is, had already grabbed her camera to catch my expression of pure horror.  I must find it and add it here so you can get the full affect.

After laughing, apologizing with every inch of my being, and recovering my breath, we calmly started asking the children to bring us their beloved artwork so we could just "check them" and be sure they looked right.  We found 6 of the 8 with @#$&^*! on them!  We had to come up with some reason to redo them which some of the kids were thrilled about since that meant they got to return to paint but some were simply confused at why we were not keeping their first master piece.  M-E-R-C-Y.  After the horror has died down, it has become one of the greatest crafting stories of the school's history.  For that, I am proud... I think.

So needless to say, in all loving kindness, I was asked not to use any book pages this year!  LOL  For details on the above "dangerous" craft, go here, and attempt at your own risk!  And please feel free to share your crafting horror with us!  Really.  It will make me feel better.

 And lastly, because we LOVE to celebrate Fall, the beauty of transformation and harvest, here is another very cute craft you can do for your home, with your kids or with friends.  HERE is where you can find the wonderful details of this very cute creation.  You really should also bookmark her site, she is amazingly talented.  She includes templates and supplies and all the yumminess needed.

Embrace the beauty of Fall today.  God is showing off the wonder of transformation everywhere.  Rest of winter is on the way.  Be blessed dear friends.

Much love, Dawn

Gift of Allume

What a weekend.  A weekend my husband gave to me as a gift.  A gift of love.  A gift for my heart.  A gift for my soul.  A gift for my blog.

I am humbled to be amidst so many women who long for their lives to have impact, by women who long for their words to have impact. By women who already break darkness with the light of their lives and words.  By women who share the same insecurities, the same needs, the same challenges, the same longings, the same wounds, the same unknowns, and the same stories.  By women who share different insecurities, different needs, different challenges, different longings, different wounds, different unknowns, different stories, and yet the same Creator and Redeemer and Love.

It is beautiful in so many ways.  Inspiring.  Challenging.  Uplifting.  Encouraging.  Thought provoking.  Transforming.

I thought I was coming to be... actually, not sure really what I thought might happen after being here.  I knew I would enjoy it.  I knew I would learn some things.  I knew I would meet some really amazing people.  But I didn't know it would leave an imprint that would give shape to whispers that have tried to penetrate the quiet, the comfort, the complacent, the disorganized and confused.

I know I am called to be a voice. I know I love the Lord.  I know I love how active He is in our lives.  I know I love the way He constantly reveals Himself, demanding begging allowing offering us to be changed having been brushed with His glory.  I know there is balance between grace and obedience.  I know there are blessings in obedience.  I know there is a lot that needs to be heard, reminded, harkened to that is not being spoken.  I know there is a war full out on God's people as the enemy seeks with relentlessness to steal, kill, and destroy us as the end draws nearer.  I know there is massive amounts of division when the Word begs us to remain united.  I know there is power in the Holy Spirit and the Word of God... the same power that raised Christ from the dead and I know the Word says it is available to us.  I know I long for every believer to believe in that power and use it to fight this war in which we are called to stand.  I know the Word says that "for lack of knowledge my people perish," and I see that all around me in churches, in marriages, in families, in schools, in communities, and in nations.  I know that I can not taste and see that the Lord and His Word is good and true and not share it... all of it.  I know that truth without love is a clanging cymbol.  I know that time is passing every day and will not last forever.

What I don't know is what this means for my blog... my little outlet where I boldly and humbly share how audacious God is and how He is transforming me... one piece and day at a time.

I know I am an encourager.  I know I am a creator.  And I know I am a writer.  I know I am passionate about the Lord.

I know I want to encourage, inspire, and inform.

What I don't know is what that means for my blog.

But it means something.  I do know that.

So as I ponder and pray, I invite you, ask you, to pray with me and for me.  I only want to walk in the paths that God has prepared for me beforehand.  And I want to serve and glorify Him with my life and my words.


One thing this conference has really shown me, that I totally lost sight of, was that a blog creates community.  I shut that down when I turned off my comments.  Even though people still email and facebook me with precious notes, that community has been removed from here.. the very place where it is intended to be.  I apologize for that.

I didn't want to be driven by comments.  I didn't want to even worry or think about comments.  It was hard to accept the fact that no one shared one thought on orphans or the Holy Spirit but yet had much to say about a craft.  I didn't like how that made me feel and so I felt getting rid of the comments would get rid of the issues.  AND IT DID.  It has been so freeing to not have comments open.  It took away so many negative aspects of blogging and I like that.  But it closed the door, no, removed the door, that should always be left open for words, thoughts, friendships, discussion... for community.

So I open comments back up tonight as the first change to this little space.  And I will have to pray  and let the Lord guide me through the issues that arise from that.  And I pray He builds a community where friends can gather and walk in an open door, if they choose to turn the knob, and enter in and find Him there.

Much love to you,
Dawn

 

Just One of My Prayers- Thanks Ann

A Prayer for Bloggers

I am no longer my own blogger, but Yours.

Refine me with each post how You will, rank me how You will.

Put me to service, put me to suffering.

Let me be a follower — instead of seeking followers
Let me post for You —  or be put aside for You,
Lifted high, only for You, or brought low, all for You.
Do with me and each post whatever You will, because You alone know best.

Let me not strive but submit
Let me not compete but care
Let me not desire hits but holiness
Let my blog be full of You, and let it be empty of me.

Let me crave all things of You, let me care nothing of this world.

Let my words be focus only on the greatest of audiences: You.
And You are enough.
May I write not for subscribers… but only for Your smile.

May my daily affirmation be in the surety of my atonement not the size of my audience.

May my identity be in the innumerable graces of Christ, never, God forbid, the numbers of my comments.

May the only words that matter in my life not be the ones I write on a screen — but the ones I live with my skin.

I freely and heartily yield every sentence, every title, every post, every comment… or no comments… all to Your pleasure and perfect will.
My only fame is that I bear your name
My only glory is the gift of Your Grace
My only readership, Your eyes that seek to and fro to find
Make this so.

Lord…
YHVH, you alone are my God, not Google
Jesus, you alone are my Savior, not sitemeters
And Holy Spirit, you alone are my Comforter, not comments

So be it, today, yesterday, and every post to come.
O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.

This is my prayer I have made on earth, over this keyboard…
let it be ratified in heaven.
In Jesus’ Name…. Amen.

Shared from Ann Voskamp, A Holy Experience

A Little Treat

I get to go here for the weekend:  ALLUME

And I get to go with a very dear, adorable, fun, and fabulous friend!

My husband found out about it and booked it for me as a surprise and secretly invited my friend to join me.  I know.  He got major bonus points.  It is a conference for women who blog as part of their ministry.  And the most wonderful blogger is going to be there, Ann Voskamp!  I am so STOKED I get to see her and hear her speak.  She ooozes grace and gratitude and love.  You can check out her amazing blog HERE and be blessed!

I love, love, love to be around women who love the Lord, who walk in His presence, and are not ashamed to shout it from the rooftops!  There is something so sweet and intimate about sharing that love.  Something that connects you without even knowing names.  And when voices are raised in worship...well... divine is an understatement.  It is my favorite thing ever... to hear voices raised in praise to the Lord.

I can not wait for my gift.  And to my precious, so very thoughtful husband:  THANK YOU for such a sweet blessing.  I know it will be a gift to my spirit, to my soul, and to my heart.  You are so giving and generous.  THANK YOU a hundred and one times!  xoxoxoxoxo 

I am a guest blogger over HERE today.  I got to share the story of Taylor's unexpected arrival as our daughter!  What a wonderful moment to remember and be able to share.  God is so generous!

Be blessed sweet friends!  Soak up the vibrant ever changing colors of Fall and see your Father in all of it!  He is there, painting and showing off for you!

Much love, Dawn

Creative Inspiration

Sometimes I just need to see some "brain candy" blogs.  Just like sometimes I need a good "brain candy" book.  Most of what I read has to do with either parenting, praying, discipline, or life.  Now those things are GREAT and I love that I have time to do such things (when I do) but sometimes you just need something fluffy, fun, and almost effortless!

So I realized I had not browsed some of my favorite "brain candy" blogs in a while.  I like them because they are beautiful to look at and I always get great ideas... many simple ones that I can accomplish with what I have at home!  Like this painted "porch".  We have a little rectangle patio outside our front door and I think it will look AMAZING painted like this!!

So here are just a few of my favorite "brain candy blogs."

Hope you are blessed and inspired!
Much love,
Dawn

Heather Bullard

Jennifer Rizzo

The Handmade Home

The Lettered Cottage

Miss Mustard Seed

Back into the beads...

I played today.  I made 26 pairs of earrings.  I have not done that since I had my jewelry business.  And I have to say, I have had NO desire to go there before today.  Our church is having a Fall Festival this weekend and we are having a craft fair with handmade items.  So I originally planned on making some fabric pins... like these...

 but realized it would take me way longer to make 20 pins than it would 20 earrings.  So...I dug into my long stashed stash of old inventory and scrounged up enough to make some pretty cool ear bobs!

And of course I had flash backs of my two favorite pieces of jewelry I ever made...

I seriously want this piece back.  Ughhhhh.  And I even know who has it!  :0)  She paid $50 for it... wonder if she'll sell it back to me for $65!?  HA HA.

And these are totally slammin.  Man.  Why didn't I keep any of the GREAT stuff!!!!!!!!!!!????

Sigh.

Hmmmmm......

No.  Nope. No way. Can't go there again.  It dominates my time.  Maaayybbeee just a day a season to play in the beads and make what I can and stash it away again.  Yeah.  Maybe. :0)

I also wanted to make some of these super fun banners... but alas... there are only 24 hours in my days.  Didn't get to this either.  But I am totally needing some serious "creating time!"  I LOVE to make things and never get to do it anymore.

I made this for Abby's teacher's daughter for her dorm room.  Cute.  I made one that said "Learn" for her teacher for a gift for the classroom.

So now it is time for dinner.  Left overs!  Yeah.  Love nights like this.  Fresh baked bread with olive oil makes leftovers seem fresh again!  LOL

If any of my earrings sell... the money goes to missions!  THAT made today even cooler.  All from Him and All for Him!  :0)

Be blessed sweet friends!
Love, Dawn

GET ORGANIZED... Really... you CAN!

Do you LOVE to organize?

OK... let me rephrase that... do you long to get organized????

I know I do.  With three children and LIFE... it can be SO HARD to GET that way and to STAY that way.

So here is a little treat...

If this makes you happy at all...

or this...

then you HAVE to check out this new blog I found... HERE.

With a name like I HEART ORGAZNING... you are in good hands.  She is simple, creative, and budget friendly!  Go for it!!!  Be blessed.

And for a rehash on my closet organizing from the past... you can click HERE.

Much love... Dawn

The simplicity and complexity of the Word...

"Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.(what does that mean??)  But let a man examine himself, (what does that mean???) and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth drinketh unworthily (what does that mean????), eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, (woe...serious consequence) not discerning the Lord's body.  FOR THIS CAUSE MANY ARE WEAK AND SICKLY AMONG YOU AND MANY SLEEP (die).  1 Corinthians 11:27-30 ~

What does this scripture mean?

"And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have a anything against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.  BUT if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." (sin) Mark 11:25-26 ~

Do we hold on to unforgiveness?  Is there ANYONE in our lives, past, we need to forgive SO THAT the Father can forgive us?

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."  

Ephesians 6:12 ~

What does this mean?  What is a principality?  What is a power?  What is a ruler of the darkness of this world?  What is spiritual wickedness in high places?  What do I do with this very insightful scripture and how does it apply to my DAILY LIFE?

"Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  James 4:7 ~

What does it mean to submit to God?  What does it mean to resist the devil?

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity EVERY THOUGHT to the obedience of Christ;"  

2 Corinthians 10:5 ~

What is an imagination?  What does it mean to cast it down?  What is a high THING that exalteth itself against the knowledge (truth... word) of God?  What does it mean to BRING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT TO OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST?

"Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge..."  Isaiah 5:13 ~

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6 ~

God's people suffered and were in captivity and destroyed, literally and spiritually, due to lack of knowledge.  Can that be what is happening to God's people today?

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"  1 Timothy 4:1 ~

Why do the Holy Spirit warn us of this?  What does it mean to depart from the faith?  What is a seducing spirit?  What other kinds of spirits are there?  What is doctrine of a devils (plural)?


Last week, Don and I had the amazing gift of studying, dissecting, meditating on and chewing on the Word of God from 8:30 in the morning to 5:30 at night for five days.  It was amazing.  It was transforming and renewing.  It brought freedom and life!    The above scriptures are just a tiny glimpse of things we "chewed" on... dug into.  We can read the Word of God like we glimpse over a menu at a restaurant before ordering.  We miss SO MUCH.  And that is Satan's plan.  It is no accident.  It is his plan... to keep us bound... in sin... and the consequences of that sin.  What does it mean to really mediate on the Word of God and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds?  It means wisdom can be found and we walk in the blessings and abundance that Christ offers us. 

I can not wait to share some of what we learned with you.  I will pray how the Lord wants me to do that and when.  But today... laundry and unpacking and fall festifying of our home awaits.

Much, much love... Dawn