Questioning God

I realize I haven't posted on my blog this past week. Without going into detail all I can say is that in this past week our lives here have turned completely upside down. Through it all I keep questioning God, how can He let this happen to our family? How can He let my little girls get hurt so badly? I just don't understand. Here it is Christmas time - a time when we are supposed to be celebrating the birth of Christ. Instead of excitement though I am angry and so full of question. How can God hurt my family and let this happen? I don't understand.

Beautiful Sunday 7/12/08

My Favorite Things Saturday 6/12/08

My absolute most favorite thing in the whole world is being the mommy of these two little girls.

Thoughtful Friday

The True Meaning of Christmas

I have come accross this awesome new blog called Faith Sisters. It has some wonderful challenges. I came upon this one calle the True Meaning of Christmas challenge and though the story was amazing and just had to create something to give to my girls. Here is the album I came up with.

Late one Christmas Eve, I sank back, tired but content, into my easy chair. The kids were in bed, the gifts were wrapped, the milk and cookies waited by the fireplace for Santa. As I sat back admiring the tree with its decorations, I couldn't help feeling that something important was missing. It wasn't long before the tiny twinkling tree lights lulled me to sleep.I don't know how long I slept, but all of a sudden I knew that I wasn't alone. I opened my eyes, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw Santa Claus himself standing next to my Christmas tree. He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot just as the poem described him, but he was not the "jolly old elf" of Christmas legend. The man who stood before me looked sad and disappointed, and there were tears in his eyes."Santa, what's wrong?" I asked, "Why are you crying?""It's the children," Santa replied sadly"But Santa, the children love you," I said."Oh, I know they love me, and they love the gifts I bring them," Santa said, "but the children of today seem to have somehow missed out on the true spirit of Christmas. It's not their fault. It's just that the adults, many of them not having been taught themselves, have forgotten to teach the children.""Teach them what?" I asked.Santa's kind old face became soft, more gentle. His eyes began to shine with something more than tears. He spoke softly. "Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas. Teach them that the part of Christmas we can see, hear, and touch is much more than meets the eye. Teach them the symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas which we now observe. Teach them what it is they truly represent."

Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a tiny Christmas tree and set it on my mantle. "Teach them about the Christmas tree. Green is the second color of Christmas. The stately evergreen, with its unchanging color, represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its needles point heavenward as a reminder that mankind's thoughts should turn heavenward as well."

Santa reached into his bag again and pulled out a shiny star and placed it at the top of the small tree. "The star was the heavenly sign of promise. God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise on the night that Jesus Christ was born. Teach the children that God always fulfills His promises, and that wise men still seek Him."

"Red," said Santa, "is the first color of Christmas." "He pulled forth a red ornament for the tiny tree. Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the color of the life-giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the symbol of God's greatest gift. Teach the children that Christ gave his life and shed his blood for them that they might have eternal life. When they see the color red, it should remind them of that most wonderful gift."

Santa found a silver bell in his pack and placed it on the tree. "Just as lost sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today for all to be guided to the fold. Teach the children to follow the true Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep."

Santa placed a candle on the mantle and lit it. The soft glow from its one tiny flame brightened the room. "The glow of the candle represents how people can show their thanks for the gift of God's son that Christmas Eve long ago. Teach the children to follow in Christ's foot steps...to go about doing good. Teach them to let their light so shine before people that all may see it and glorify God. This is what is symbolized when the twinkle lights shine on the tree like hundreds of bright, shining candles, each of them representing one of God's precious children, their light shining for all to see."

Again Santa reached into his bag and this time he brought forth a tiny red and white striped cane. As he hung it on the tree he spoke softly. "The candy cane is a stick of hard white candy. White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock the foundation of the church, and the firmness of God's promises. The candy cane is in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth. It also represents the Good Shepherd's crook, which He uses to reach down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. The original candy cane had three small red stripes, which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed, and a large red stripe that represents the shed blood of Jesus, so that we can have the promise of eternal life.

Santa brought out a beautiful wreath made of fresh, fragrant greenery tied with a bright red bow. "The bow reminds us of the bond of perfection, which is love. The wreath embodies all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. It contains the colors of red and green and the heaven-turned needles of the evergreen. The bow tells the story of good will towards all and its color reminds us of Christ's sacrifice. Even its very shape is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ's love. It is a circle, without beginning and without end. These are the things you must teach the children."

I asked, "But where does that leave you, Santa?"The tears gone now from his eyes, a smile broke over Santa's face. "Why blessyou, my dear," he laughed, "I'm only a symbol myself. I represent the spirit of family fun and the joy of giving and receiving. If the children are taught these other things, there is no danger that I'll ever be forgotten.""I think I'm beginning to understand.""That's why I came," said Santa. "You're an adult. If you don't teach the children these things, then who will?"---Author Unknown

Fabulous Blog Award

Sarah C. chose my blog as one to receive the Fabulous Award.

Here are the rules for this Award.

#1 - You have to pass it on to 5 other fabulous blogs in a post.

#2 - You have to list 5 of your fabulous addictions in the post.

#3 - On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.

Here are my 5 fabulous addictions:

#1 - hot black coffee from Tim Hortons

#2 - blogs - either writing on mine or reading other people's

#3 - spending time with my girls

#4 - Facebook

#5 - Digital Scrapbooking (Taking and editing photos, collecting supplies and putting it all together)

Here are the 5 Fabulous Blogs I'd like to pass this award on to:

#1 - Lily - LilyArt Designs

#2 - BonnieRose - A Life Unrehearsed

#3 - Lee - Lemons2Lemonaid

#4 - Jill - Life ... As I See It

#5 - Melina - Living Creating and Appreciating

Thoughtful Friday

2 Peas Thursday Blog Challenge

please feel free to join us if you blog.

Challenge for today~
What is something your thankful for....

The thing I am the most thankful for today is that the girls and I have a roof over our heads. Times are tough and money is tight, but at least I know everyday that the kids are warm and safe. I know that they have somewhere they can play and grow and learn. Someplace they can call their own.

Some more layouts

COLOR COMBOS GALORE:

the challenge over on the Color Combos Galore blog is to use the colors: moccasin - cool copper - dewy green - bistre
Here's what I came up with:
CREATIVE THERAPY:
Catalyst #37 : Today you get an extra hour, what will you spend that time on?
Here's my take:

Wordless Wednesday

I felt creative today...

and so I made a bunch of digital scrapbook pages

Creative Therapy Catalysts:
Catalyst #8:What is your guilty pleasure and why does it make you feel guilty?

Catalyst #9: What is something you’re pessimistic about?

Catalyst #10: Tell us someone you miss.



One Little Word
Word #40: Energy


and these were just for fun

Music

Have you ever watched the movie Runaway bride? I've been thinking about that movie all morning. You know the part where Graham asks Maggie about how she likes her eggs and the way she always liked the same kind of eggs as the man she was with at the time. She really didn't ever take the time to figure out how she liked eggs just for herself. I feel like that this morning. The house is way too quiet and I needed to put on some music. Nothing in my playlist was appeasing me. Then I got thinking about my playlist. I got thinking about the songs I've added and why I've added them to my playlist. I realized I am just like Maggie, I have different songs in my playlists from different times in my life when I've had different boyfriends. There is the Plain White T's from when I dated Cory, ACDC from when I dated Rob, James Blunt from Steve, Kid Rock from when I was with Gord. All these songs from my past that I really do love. But not really what I'd listen to just for me. When I really get down to it and think about the music I love just for me it really is a lot different from what I've been listening to the past few years. It's time to get back to discovering what I like - just for me. No more being what I think someone else wants.

Beautiful Sunday - My Little Girl Turns 7 Today

Thoughtful Friday

99 Things

This has been floating around on Facebook and other blogs and I thought it was cute so here goes what you do is highlight the ones you have done
(I've done 36 of those on the list)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child ( I was adopted does that count?)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (I've been in a tv commercial does that count?)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Creative Therapy Catalyst Thirty-Six

Catalyst 36 over on the Creative Therapy Blog is Tell us about a time you lied.

2 Peas Wednesday Blogger Challenge

Challenge for today~
Is writing a form of self therapy?
Can be on your blog or a journal

For me writing is definitely a form or self therapy, sometimes even a form of healing. I am able to express myself the truest when I write. What I write comes from the heart, often putting down what's in my heart onto paper helps me to sort things out or see situations in a new way. I blog and I journal for me two wonderful ways to share pieces of what's in me. Whether I share something on my blog or in my journal often depends on the topic and how private it is to me. Writing is so freeing - it allows me to really be myself. Sometimes I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't able to write down what's going on for me. Sometimes it's a deep driven need inside me to get it all out. Writing is the best way I know how.

Wordless Wednesday

Give Me 5 Monday

Give Me Five staples on your grocery list besides milk, bread and eggs.

Here's my 5:

#1 - coffee - doesn't matter the kind as long as I have enough for every morning

#2 - cheese - my favorite evening snack

#3 - sweet pickles to go with the cheese

#4 - clementine oranges

#5 - tortilla chips & spinach dip

Effer Dare #5

Here's my take on Effer dare #5:

Color Combos Galore #96

This weeks color challenge over at the Color Combos Galore blog was to use the colors: concord grape - cottontail - split pea - hurricane gray

Here's the layout I cam up with:

Teaching my girls photoshop

The last few days thew girls and I have sat down to play in photoshop. The kids wanted to make their own birthday party invitations this year and they were so excited when I told them we could do them on the computer. I honestly thought that photoshop would be way too advanced for them, but oh my did they ever pick it up quickly.

Here's the invitation Emily made with help from Mommy:

And this is the invitation Amber made almost all by herself.

Emily liked making her invitation so much she wanted to make a page to put into an album of her favorite star from tv. She did this one almost completely alone.

Boy, these two sure do surprise me sometimes with what they can do. It was so very much fun sharing this love of mine with them. It's so neat seeing them create.

Creative Therapy Catalyst Thirty Five

Catalyst Thirty Five over on the Creative Therapy Blog is What’s your philosophy of life? (Tell us a quote that conveys it, show us photos from it, express in your own words.)
Here's what I came up with.

Wordless Wednesday

Give Me 5 Monday

Give Me Five techniques you use to aid in writing for your blog or for your journal...whatever helps cure that writer's block.

1. I use pictures to look at which prompt my journaling
2. I blog about what our day-to-day lives are like
3. I blog about my art sharing journaling on my scrapbook pages
4. I find fun prompts like this one
5. I write what comes from my heart

My Favorite Things Saturday 8/11/08

One of my favorite things was this past Thanksgiving Weekend when the girls asked if they could make their own scrapbook pages. It was fantastic - loved sharing this passion of mine with them

Thoughtful Friday

2 Peas Thursday Blogger Challenge

today's challenge is Why do you write/blog?

funny, I just wrote about this very topic in my journal last night. Here's what I wrote:

"feeling the movement of my pen is such a freeing feeling. love the flow, the movement, the feeling of every aspect of putting my thoughts and feelings down onto paper. Sometimes it feels like I can think clearer when I am putting down my thoughts and feelings. somehow feels like I can speak through my words what's in my heart. let's me be me."

One Little Word #39 - Listen

The blog One Little Word is fantastic. Was looking through all the past words and they are great page starters. Word #39 is Listen. Here's the page I came up with:

journaling reads: the absolute coolest thing in this entire world is when I take the time and stop to listen to the giggles of my little girls. When they giggle you can hear the love they have for each other.

Color Combos Challenge #94 & #95

I am really enjoying participating in the Color Combos Galore Challenges. They are really making me think outside the box using colors that I would not normally choose. I am loving it!

Challenge #94 was to use goldenrod - titanium white - coal - electric lime

Here's what I came up with:

Challenge #95 was to use the colors sienna - chartreuse - straw - grayand here's my layout: