A Thanksgiving Thought...

Today is a hard day for many people. 

I'm reminded to pray diligently for those who are suffering loss whether it's through death, distance, severed relationships, or all of the above. 

I pray each one of us feel God's mercy and compassion. That we realize his unfailing love and respond to his gentle persuasion to place our heartache in his hands where comfort resides. 

Grace and peace to you all!

*image:  https://pixabay.com/users/tsukiko-kiyomidzu-1850874/

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you all...

With a grateful heart...

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 118:1

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You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
    you are my God; I will extol you.
 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 118:28-29

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Easy to make Autumn or Thanksgiving Wreath

I am always late getting a seasonally appropriate wreath made for the front door. This year is no exception. With less than a week to go before Thanksgiving, it may seem useless to even make one. However, I couldn't pass up an 80% off sale of all autumn florals at Hobby Lobby! I unpinned the cloth flowers off my basic wreath that is made from a foam circle and burlap to get it ready for a new look.

While I was at HL, I couldn't pass up this awesome purple hot glue gun! 

I needed a new one anyway :)

I snipped apart some of the floral spray pieces to make it easier to handle and attach to the wreath.

I'm quite fond of mums and sunflowers. 

And I loved the acorns and apple in this particular spray.

Even though these beautiful flowers are silk, they still bring a smile to my face. 

Sunflowers and Mums breath warmth and hospitality!

I tried to follow pretty closely the way they were pre-arranged on the spray when I glued them down. I think I need a few more leaves around the bottom but overall I am quite satisfied. 

Floral arranging of any kind is not my forte'. My daughter, on the other hand, is very good at making wreaths. Maybe I will showcase some of her work in December. 

Do you make your own wreaths or buy them ready-made?

Have a blessed day in the Lord!

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An Attitude of Gratitude Challenge ~ Day 2 & 3

Day 2

Here's the prompt for Day 2. 

I didn't use all of them, just these: 

 Starting Point:  

In the stressful world we live in, where time seems to fly by at an extraordinary rate,       

 how can you make more of the moment?

How can you become more mindful of the things that are important in your life?

Which 3 things are you thankful for today?

Bible verse:

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

Technique Challenge: 

Use circles or squares on your page 

Instead of actually journaling on my page (which I don't like doing) I made a tag to hang off the side. The front tells what I need to do in order to make more of the moment. The back gives three things I am thankful for: a loving husband, my children and grandchildren, and most of all Jesus!

Day 3

Here's the prompt: Creativity

Starting Point: 
What does creativity mean to you?
This is an interesting article.
How do you express your creativity?
What  in particular are you thankful for in the creative areas of your life?

Quote:

Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.     Edward de Bono

Bible verse:

He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.    Exodus 35:35

Technique Challenge:

Draw freehand 

using any of the media you own - a pencil, a coloured pencil, a crayon, a paintbrush and paint.

As you can tell, freehand is NOT my forte' :) But it was fun once I got started. I saw something similar on a card one time, the tree trunk thing, so I decided to write the Bible verse as the trunk. I gently wadded up some aluminum foil to dab on the red paint. It works pretty good! On the back of the page I glued a small piece of cardstock on three sides to put my journal tag in. Eventually it will be covered with paper for another day.

You can still join in. It's always a good idea to find things to be grateful for on a daily basis :)

Are you doing anything special this year, as far as keeping a journal goes, or do you have another way of focusing on your blessings during this season? 

Have a great day in the Lord!

Art Journal Challenge ~ Day 1

I signed up to participate in the 30 day An Attitude of Gratitude Challenge. There are daily prompts that you can print out to use. Of course, I am behind already as I have just finished Day 1. I hope to be caught up soon so I don't feel so rushed but life is super duper busy all of a sudden. My oldest son has decided to try and get into college in January! I thought we had until next fall so I have been frantically filling out paperwork, providing transportation and lots of moral support. This past week has been crazy, and this upcoming one will be even more so as he prepares for exams. My down time will be making my journal pages.

The prompts can be used in a variety of ways. I love that! I just pick & choose...

DAY 1 (It was supposed to be on Nov 1st)

Starting Point: 

What everyday moments in your life give you joy?

What 3 things are you grateful for today?

What changes might you need to make to see the positives in your life rather than the negatives?

Quote: 

“I now see that cultivating a Wholehearted life is not like trying to reach a destination. It’s like walking toward a star in the sky. We never really arrive, but we certainly know that we’re heading in the right direction”. Brene Brown

Bible verse:

Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving  and his courts with praise;  give thanks to him and praise his name.

Technique Challenge: 

An easy challenge today, just to ease you in.  

Use a colour you don’t like, or one you don’t use very often.

I chose papers from a paper pack that I bought but, for the life of me, I can't remember why. I don't like these colors at all! GAG!!! This whole page was a challenge for me; most of my supplies are packed away because of construction in our home. Plus, I didn't realize how difficult it would be to "create" something out of stuff I don't like. Stretching me.....

For the most part I think the page speaks for itself. I am Thankful 4 God's Word and I hand wrote the Scripture verse. Flowers bring me joy ~ always!!! The leaves are in deference to the autumn season, which is my favorite.

Personally, I think it is an ugly page but it is what it is!

It's not too late to join in the fun! Hop on over to An Attitude of Gratitude to see what others are doing.

Be kind with your comments. This is my first challenge and I am NOT an artist. I don't even like journaling because my handwriting is so bad :)