Verse Gifts

I keep thinking that at some point life will slow down enough so that I 

can start regularly blogging but somehow, that never seems to happen.  

I feel like I spend much of my time running around like a 

chicken with my head cut off- 

just treading water and doing the next thing! 

Busy is good though and I'm thankful for so many great things to do 

and so many amazing people in my life! 

I've made lots of verse printables lately as requests for friends or to give 

as gifts that I thought I would share in case you need a quick, easy gift idea!

I love giving the gift of God's words. 

It's such a great, personal gift- and if you print it out at Walgreens 

and find a cute, inexpensive frame- it's a budget friendly gift too! 

{FYI: Target, Hobby Lobby, and IKEA are my favorite places to find frames!}

        

          

          

     

To print your own:

• click here
• download each one and save it {JPG}
• right click on it and choose print from the menu
• choose your size and how many you'd like on each page
• click print

You can find another set of scripture printables HERE

and a third set HERE. 

Click on Printables in the top right corner to see TONS more printables-

school, faith, and Sonic related! 

My Heart Still Breaks

Although I originally wrote this post on June 18, 2011 every single word rings true today on the 11th anniversary.  My heart still breaks. 



There are times I've probably said all of the old cliched sayings many times before.

Things like:

-Time heals all wounds.

-It's so wonderful that she's no longer in pain and now she's in a better place.

-I know just how you feel.

-It'll get easier as time goes by.

-Don't be sad, you'll see her again one day.

Although I've said them all before, know without a doubt that they are said in love and kindness, and know in my heart that many are true, there are times on days like today- the 11th anniversary of my sweet mother's death- they are simply empty words that do nothing to soothe my aching and breaking heart.

It's been eleven years since I stood by my precious mother's bedside, held her hand, and told her that it was okay for her to leave us.

I so vividly remember standing there, with my heart absolutely, positively breaking and lying to her over and over and over again saying...........

"It's okay Mommy- we are going to be fine. You've loved us enough for a lifetime and I know you're tired of fighting and it's okay. We will miss you but I know how tired you are it's okay to stop fighting now. I promise that Madison will grow up knowing you and knowing how much you loved her. She will not forget her amazing Nana- I promise. So it's okay- you go and be with Jesus and we will see you soon."

I stood there lying to her while every fiber of my being wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.........

"Please, please, please don't go Mommy, please don't leave me. Don't leave us. We need you. I need you and I love you and I don't know how to live my life without you. I can't do this. I need you. Please, please, please don't go."

It's only through the strength God gave me that day that I was able to stand there and say what she needed to hear. It was ONLY because of Him I said the words that I believe she needed to hear.

She was my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, my safe place when things were bad, my protector, my comforter, my precious Mommy.

I miss her as much today as I did 11 years ago- and sometimes even more so.

There are times when I have to stop myself from thinking about her-and literally make myself think of something or someone else because I am fearful that if I do think about her that the grief will overwhelm me. I'm afraid that I will start crying, and never be able to stop.

There are times when I allow myself to cry and remember and I feel the pain of her absence so strongly that I feel that it will overtake me. I think of all the stories I never got to hear her tell, the conversations we never got to have, the holidays we never got to share, all the lessons she never got to teach me, all the laughs and tears we never got to share and I feel so cheated. And my heart breaks a little.

There are times when I start remembering all the amazing things about her and all that was lost when she died. The world was a better place with her in it. And it stinks that the world no longer has her. And it makes me angry. And my heart breaks a little.

There are times when I think that I was robbed of such an amazing mother. I was not prepared or ready at the age of 32 to lose my mother. I wasn't done growing up, I wasn't done needing her, I wasn't done loving her and being loved by her. And my heart breaks a little.

There are times when I watch Maddie dance and I cry because my Mommy never got to see her dance and I know how much she would have absolutely loved it. She never got to truly know the girl that is my amazing and precious daughter. And my heart breaks a little.

There are times when I realize that Maddie has now been alive longer without knowing my mom than she has been alive knowing my mom. She has more memories without her than with her. And although she has memories of my mother and we try hard to tell her stories and all the wonderful things about my mother, she does not truly know the wonderful woman that was her Nana. And I hate, hate, hate that. And my heart breaks a little.

And then when there are times- like today- when I think that my grief will overwhelm me, that the tears will never stop, that thankfully and mercifully my Savior reminds me of His promises in Lamentations 3:22-33 where He says:

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust—there may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.

And those promises? They comfort me. And I heal a little.

Be the Good

There are so many sad, horrific, depressing stories in the news each day

 that it's hard not to be discouraged and depressed.  

We live in a sinful, fallen world and 

it's up to each of us to be that light to the dark world.  

{Download your own copy here.}

This is one of my favorite quotes and I often think.......

what would the world be like if we all did this? 

Can you imagine? 

There would be more stories of things like this young man

and this young man.

What good can you do today? 

And here's a version with a white background for a sweet user who asked for it! 

Dear God,

My sweet friend Jori asked me a while back to make a 

printable to go on her dinner table.  

I loved the idea and made a bright, cheery, multi-colored one. 

She often posts on FB the cute things her adorable boys pray for.

It's such a great, easy way to teach children how to
daily thank God and to pray for others. 

She recently mentioned that she wished it was different colors, 

because it doesn't always match her holiday decor. 

So tonight I put together a set of these- one for each holiday or season. 

Simply print them out, 

{you can find the images and the PDF HERE}

put them in a dollar store frame, 

and use dry erase marker to write your dinner prayer each evening.  

What a great gift this would be!

If You Can't be Kind......

How neat would it be if we all followed this advice? 

Print your own copy HERE! 

Chalk Verses~ Set #1

This is a set of chalkboard verses that I made for the retreat a few weeks ago. 

I picked verses that would hopefully comfort the sweet mamas attending. 

They print out great on white cardstock, 

and really do look like they are little chalkboards. 

 

To print your own set:

• click here
• download each one and save it
• right click on it and choose print from the menu
• choose your size and how many you'd like on each page
• click print

I printed mine in 3 x 5 (4 per page) and placed them on these little stands. 

They are great for sitting on your desk, sink in the bathroom, 

or anywhere else in your house

 you might need a reminder of God's love and faithfulness. 

These are also great to print out and give to a sweet friend as a little treat! 

I Will Rise

I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin is one of my favorite praise and worship songs.

I think it's a perfect song for this time of year as 

we celebrate that our Savior is risen from the dead! 

I decided it would be a great song to make a printable to put in a set of frames.

The words are such a comfort to me.

I love thinking of that day when He will call my name and I will rise! 

I can't wait!!

You can print out your own copy free HERE. 

Lord, I can not...

Here is another printable I made for the sweet ladies at the retreat last weekend- 

of the verse Zechariah 4:6. 

I love this verse because it is a great reminder

 that although we can not, He can!

I printed them out and put them in tiny little frames

 (of which I may have a small obsessions with)

from Michael's.  

Click HERE to print out your own copy in either PDF or JPG format!

You are LOVED

I had the extreme honor and joy of serving at a retreat last weekend.  

The weekend was beautiful, heartbreaking, precious, exhausting, God filled, 

full of some of the most amazing women I have ever met, 

and a fabulous testament of God's grace, love, and faithfulness.

Each of the precious mamas has lost a child- some having lost more than one. 

They are living out every mother's worst nightmare

 and my heart just ached for them.  

Listening to and hearing the stories of their precious children 

who are in heaven playing was incredible and amazing.  

I, along with a few of my fabulously talented friends, 

was in charge of decorations, gift baskets, 

and little treats and goodies for the ladies.  

Our goal was to pamper them- to take care of everything that we could for them- 

so that they could focus on grieving and healing.

I made a few little printables that I printed and had for the sweet ladies

 that I thought some of you might like as well.  

This first one is one that I made to lay on their beds along with their 

gift baskets to greet them when they arrived. 

  I wanted them to be reminded how much God loves them- 

more than they can ever imagine!

Maybe you- or someone you know- needs this reminder too?

Click HERE to print out your own copy! 

Check back later this week for some more freebies!  

RAOK Boomerang

A sweet reader wrote me recently {Hi Esther!} 

and said that she had an idea for a printable. 

She's a teacher and there had been some discord among the grade levels 

at her campus so she decided to start a RAOK Boomerang! 

{Her idea was to do it like the BOO many do at Halloween}

Here's how it works: Someone leaves something in your box and 

you pay it forward by leaving a treat in someone else's box. 

 In order to keep track of who has been RAOKed and to not repeat recipients, 

you tape a little note on your box that says, "I've been RAOKed".

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea and made 

her a little sign for them to print out and use! 

The possibilities with this one are ENDLESS! 

You could do this for co-workers, for neighbors, for friends, for family!

Download your own copy HERE and start your own RAOK Boomerang!

{And if you do it I would LOVE to hear about it!}

Sweet Treat Notes

A sweet friend was going to give away some cupcakes for 

random acts of kindness so I made her some fun tags to go with them. 

Can you think of someone to bless with a sweet treat? 

I mean seriously.....who doesn't love cupcakes?

{Click on each one to take you to the printable version!}

More Happy Notes

One more set of Happy Notes!

Print your own copy HERE!