EAT THE FROG FIRST!

Mark Twain once said 

"“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning 

and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” 

His idea was that if the first thing you do each morning 

is to eat a live frog, 

you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing t

hat that is probably (hopefully) the worse things 

that is going to happen to you all day long. 

I'm working to do this- eating my frog FIRST 

(obviously not a REAL frog- but rather the task I most do NOT want to do) 

rather than dwelling on it and stressing over it all stinkin' day long. 

So friends.....EAT THE FROG FIRST!

You can print out your own little reminder as a

 PDF or JPG in the folder HERE.

GOOD News 3/1/16

I love happy stories.
You know, those happy, inspiring, tear producing stories that
remind you there IS good in the world!
I LOVE those so very much!  

I love them so much that I seek them out
daily to remind me of the good in people!

I share lots of those types of stories on Facebook 

but here are a few of my favorites from the past week!

These 5th grades skipped recess for sign language club so they

could learn to talk with their deaf classmate. LOVE!

These little ones telling the Easter story?

PRECIOUS!

These sweet kids read to shelter dogs. Win win!

This autistic young man who is known as the dancing barista?

AWESOME!

This 90 year old was diagnosed with cancer. 

Instead of treatment...she hit the road. 

Loved her quote...

“Keep praying every day and God will take care of you –

even when it feels like you can’t care for yourself.”

March Scripture Writing Plan 2016

I love the end of each month because I get flooded 

with emails and messages asking when I'll be posting 

the Scripture Writing Plan for the new month. 

I seriously LOVE hearing stories of how families,

and Sunday School groups, and churches, and friends 

are working through the plans together. 

GOD is so cool how He uses 

our simple works for HIS good and glory! 

So for those following along, 

here's the plan for the month of March. 

You can find a copy to print out for yourself in the folder HERE.

For those that have asked, there is also a blank form 

to write your verses on that can be found HERE. 

Thanks to a sweet reader you can also find the Spanish version HERE.

And thanks to another sweet reader you can also find a shortened version HERE. 

Another reader asked for a version that was more manly (for her husband) 

so you can also find that version HERE. 

Oh How He Loves Us

One of my favorite songs of all times is How He Loves Us by David Crowder.

Such a beautiful reminder that He loves us more than we can ever imagine!

I don't know about you but there are days when I certainly need that reminder!

He is jealous for me,

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,

Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden,

I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,

And I realize just how beautiful You are,

And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us, oh,

Oh, how He loves us,

How He loves us all

He is jealous for me,

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,

Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden,

I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,

And I realise just how beautiful You are,

And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us, oh,

Oh, how He loves us,

How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,

If his grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.

And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,

I don't have time to maintain these regrets,

When I think about the way...

That He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us...

Oh, how He loves us...

Oh, how He loves us.

You can print a copy of this reminder HERE.

GOOD News 2/23/16

I don't watch all of the national news each day at 5:30pm 

but I do try to catch the last 5 minutes of it. 

Why? Because that's when they seem to have the GOOD NEWS! 

Not the scary, awful, horrifiying coverage of all 

of the awful things that have happened that day. 

The last few minutes is when they have the happy, inspiring, tear producing 

stories that remind you there is good in the world! I LOVE those so very much!  

I love them so much that I seek them out daily to remind me of the good in people!

I share lots of those types of stories on Facebook 

but decided I am going to start posting them here too! 

Here are a few of my favorites from the past week!

As a teacher this one had me BAWLING!
This is the kind of impact every teacher prays they will make
on their students



When this sweet cheerleader decided to ask her autistic friend to prom?
PRECIOUS!


This precious husband spent two years planting TONS of flowers for his blind wife to smell.
How sweet is that?



This basketball player with Down's Syndrome made the game-ending 3 point shot
and both teams cheered him on!



Kids were asked: "Who would you most like to have dinner with?"
You are going to love their answers!



Chick-Fil-A Manager offers food to and prayers with homeless traveler. 
LOVE this!

These sweet boys plan a surprise dinner for unsuspecting neighbors!


The good is there- you just have to look for it friends!

How about we all stop COMPLAINING & WHINING?

When I'm around those who complain, I tend to also 

become a complainer and I can't stand it! 

I seriously become so stinkin' cranky when I complain that I can barely stand myself. 

I've been surrounded by some complainers lately and so I decided to 

do a little reading about the subject. 

Loved this from the article in Relevant Magazine titled...Complaining is a Spiritual Problem.

Boy did it sure step on my toes! Eeek!

"Yes, there are many difficult days in this life we live, but everything we have—even the lemon of a car or the job that keeps us up late—all of these things are gifts from a generous God. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17) So when the traffic slows or the weather freezes or the dishes pile up, I have a choice. I can see myself at the center of the world and grouse about everything that doesn’t make my life easier. Or I can acknowledge the truth that I am not on any throne, but that the King who is has given me everything I have—even my heart beating in my chest—as a gift. And so here is what I can offer instead of complaint: thankfulness. Gratefulness. Praise."

I also loved learning from What does the Bible say about complaining? 

that The Greek word translated “complainer” means literally 

“one who is discontented with his lot in life.” It is akin to the word grumbler.

So how about today we all agree to NOT 

whine or complain and smile instead? Who's with me?

FREE Valentine Printables

If you need a quick printable for your sweetie for Valentine's Day, 

below are some links to some of the Valentine's Day 

ones I've posted over the past few years!

You can print them at home on cardstock or even regular copy paper to 

decorate with or frame and give as a gift!  

You could even print four to a page and use them as little Valentine's!

There are a bunch from last year that can all be found in the folder HERE. 

And these are from the year before and can be found HERE

and these can be found HERE

and this one HERE. 

This one is an oldie but one of my favorites!  

You just buy a frame,

 {Walmart or the Dollar Store or even spray paint a frame you already have}

print out the card below in whatever size your frame is,
{there are four different styles in the download- the polka dot one shown above is number 3}

place it in the frame. 

Add a thin dry erase with a cute ribbon and it's ready to go! 

You just write on the glass the reason you love someone
along with their name, and simply erase when you want to change it!
How fun is that?

You could make a big one and hang it on the wall 

or small ones and place them on the dining room table

or even make one for each member of your family 

and hang them on their bedroom doors. 

JOY is a Choice

Listened to an amazing sermon by Jeremy Lewis 

(our fabulous youth minister at Central Baptist Church) 

this morning over

  JOY. 

Loved being reminded that JOY is a choice AND also a command. 

James 1:2-3 says: 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 

because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 

You can listen to the sermon here:http://www.centralbcs.org/media/watch-sermons/joy/ 

(I highly recommend it!)

and be sure to CHOOSE JOY today!

You can print out a copy of the image above HERE. 

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February Scripture Writing Plan 2016

When I started creating the scripture writing plans for each month
I had NO idea how much others would like them.
The response since the December one went semi-viral has been amazing!

So so so many sweet emails & FB messages sharing how much they are enjoying
the plans and how God is using it in their lives.
I LOVE hearing how God is using my tiny works for His good
and He has been so sweet to show me!

For those who did the January Scripture Writing Plan and enjoyed it,

here's the plan for the month of February!

All of the verses this month have to do with LOVE.
God has so much to say about LOVE that it was hard to just choose 29 days worth!

You can find a copy to print out for yourself in the folder HERE.

For those that have asked, there is also a blank form 

to write your verses on that can be found HERE. 

Thanks to a sweet reader you can also find the Spanish version HERE.

Another sweet reader is using the plans with her students and asked for a shortened version, with only one or two verses, for her younger students. That version can also be found at the link above! 

Praying for Your Husband & Praying for Your Wife CARDS

I truly believe that praying for your spouse 

is something all of us who are married SHOULD do all the time but.....

doing so in the midst of the insanity of life is HARD

and sometimes it's difficult to know specifically WHAT to pray. 

I think many people WANT to pray but 

just don't have the words. 

Because of my own desire to pray for my husband 

I created a set of scripture prayer cards to give me

both a visual reminder (I carry them in my purse)

and the specific words to pray as well as scriptures 

to pray over him each day. 

I love them so much I made some for some sweet friends 

and then added them to my ETSY store where they've been a big hit. 

One friend has her set for her husband in the shower (since her set is laminated) 

and prays for her husband every day while she showers. 

Such a smart use of time isn't it?

Another keeps her in her car so that she can pray anytime she stuck in line or traffic! 

Until now I only had a set for wives but FINALLY put together a set for husbands too

 and just posted the wife version (red, navy, green, or black) in my ETSY store. 

Just like the husband cards, each set is an instant download & 

contains 16 cards- one cover & 15 others that each contain a prayer and

 a scripture to pray for your spouse. 

They would make a fabulous Valentine's Day gift for your sweetie

or a gift for a sweet couple friend! 

As instant downloads you can purchase a set, print them out 

and keep them for yourself or give them as a gift! 

The great thing about a digital download

is that you can print as many copies as you'd like!

So you buy once, and can print multiple copies!

All the digital download sets have general names on them

 (wife or husband) but if you'd like one with a specific name,

 just message me through ETSY and I'll be happy to personalize 

a download for you and create a custom order. 

The cards are formatted for a full size sheet of paper 

but directions are included for printing 4 per page (which is how I print all of mine).  

All of the cards can be found HERE in my ETSY store.

COUPON CODE:

Until 2-14-16 ❤

use code HAPPY to get 15% off your order.

A Perfect Mess

On this last day of Christmas vacation as I clean out the pantry 

(seriously-who needs 4 boxes of pancake mix) 

and fridge (bye bye Christmas candy!) 

and Tupperware cabinet (it's not really Tupperware so why do I still call it that?) 

I can't help but think of this quote. 

I love the reminder that God doesn't want me to pretend 

to have it all together with Him when I don't 

(which is good because I so DO NOT). 

He is right there with me in the midst of my messy life!

And for that I am so very thankful! 

The quote is one of my favorites and is from a book titled A Perfect Mess 

by the fabulous Lisa Harper. 

You can find the book HERE. 

If you'd like to print out a copy of the quote you can find both a JPG in the folder HERE. 

This Year I Want to...

Happy 2016!

I'm not one to write resolutions but for the past 5 or 6 years I have written 

a list of things I'd like to do more of and focus on. 

The process of making the list makes me really think about those things 

I need and want to do more or less of. 

My favorites this year include:

• don't say maybe if I want to say no (so guilty of this!)
• choose a narrow path
• own my mistakes (gosh that is hard sometimes, huh?)
• be brave enough to start a conversation that matters (dude I struggle with this so)
• celebrate tiny victories
• look for and SEE those God places in my path
• choose people over phones

 I usually make a version to print out and this year I made two!

Having a printed version helps me to remember those things all year long. 

If you'd like a copy you can print out both versions HERE.  

What are some things you'd like to do this year?