Is it?  Maybe... I'm not sure yet.
 I've been searching for my lost motivation and inspiration. 
Ideas seem to be waking up from hibernation and starting to stretch and wiggle.  I've got something in mind for a new line here at Whispers of Joy! 
We'll see if it keeps growing and blooming and appears here sometime in the future.  I'll keep you posted on the progress!

(Why does inspiration seem to come during the busiest times...
or when I'm trying to avoid things!? My dirty house is calling me!!)

Be filled with the Spirit;
speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and
making melody in your heart to
the Lord; giving thanks always
for all things unto God and the
Father in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:18-20

  I've once again been bombarded with needs.  Ok... wants.  I was bloggering (ok, what's the word for blog 'surfing' anyways) on different craft blogs last night, and I wanted to drop everything and run to the nearest fabric store!! There are SOO many fun projects out there that I WANT WANT WANT to do!!  I went to bed a little unsettled, with ideas running through my mind, wishing I had the budget to just go get whatever I needed to create all these fun things! 

  I actually mentioned feeling this way not long ago, in a previous post about decorating my home.  That feel of discontentment creeps up and you without warning, and soon, you just want, want, want.  Or, in my mind, need, need, need!  Well laying in bed, I reached for my daily devotional and noticed the verse for the day, Hebrews 13:5!!  How fitting!  And I didn't even realize until this morning, that is the same verse I posted last time about this subject. :)  Then, browsing the internet a bit ago, I ran into it again.  (OK... I'm listening!!)

Hebrews 13:5 KJV
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

  So let us all (myself mostly) remember to be content with where we are in life.  Be content with what we have.  Be content with who we are.  Always striving, always growing and learning, but always content.

Wanted to add a little summer to your day, with the colorful flower photos.  They were actually taken on our honeymoon, the summer of '08. 

Also, keep checking back here! I plan on working on getting some new designs up for the Perfect Pacis!! It's my main project for today, so I'm hoping to get a good start on it.  Yes, I am the type to have 18 projects going at once (give or take), and eventually have to force myself to just finish one thing before I can start another.  This would be why my "new January products" never happened. Oops!   I'd better get busy! :) 
   God bless your day, and grant you the contentment you need!
                   -MJ

  So here is a fast and easy way to make a basic, every day item add a little more color to a room.  I have been looking for ways to add various shades of green to my kitchen/dining area.  The walls are painted a minty shad of green and it's a little hard to match, or coordinate anything with.  (Once again...we are in a rental)  I decided to just pull out various shades of green and combine them, for a cleaner look.  Here I sound like I am this great decorator that knows just how to do things! Ha!! I also wanted a more attractive way to display the Christmas photos that we received last month.  So to add a little more color to our dining area...

  Here is the plain cork board style bulletin board that I started with.  It's held many treasured photos for me in years past, and always has looked ugly! :)

  I cut my fabric about 3/4 extra inches on each side of the cork board.  Using a spreading knife from the kitchen, I pushed the fabric under the silver metal edge.

  I was fairly happy with the result, though I am now thinking that a solid color fabric may have made it look a little less busy.  Oh well... it's better than what is was! I always think bulletin boards are a little tacky, but they're so easy to improve! I'd like to do something with the edge eventually too... any ideas?  Oh and by the way, the wall in the last picture really does not look like the shade it really is!  Did you send a card this year?  Do you see yourself?? ;) 
   I have also re-formulated my re-decorating plan in my head.  I am still looking for frugal ways to improve my home, but it is not a priority.  I hope to still make some things myself, find deals at discount stores, and hit up some garage sales and such, but I don't want to get so focused that I end up letting it consume me.  It really isn't that important of a thing!  I think about all the thoughts I've had of what to do to make my home more beautiful (which is part of our duty as a wife), and then I think of all those across the world who don't have a home to do anything with in the first place!  How selfish I am!  Think of this verse, when things of this life consume you, or you find yourself wanting more.

   "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be
content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I
will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
Hebrews 13:5, KJV

-MJ

  I just wanted to share a few thoughts of some others today.  These are some quotes from the book 'Lies Women Believe' that I have talked about before.  Today I was reading about marriage, and more specifically, submission.  Here are a few excerpts from the chapter on marriage.  These really struck me, so I thought maybe some of you would be in a similar place and would benefit from them as well.  

  "Satan knows that if we could see the Truth about biblical submission- one of the most liberating principles in God's Word- we would joyfully embrace it." NLD (Nancy Leigh DeMoss)

  "I cannot give logical arguments for submission.  It defies logic that Jesus would release all the glories of heaven so He could give us the glory of heaven.  Submission is not about logic; it is about love.
    Jesus loved us so much that He voluntarily submitted to death on a cross.  His command is that wives are to submit to their husbands.  It is a gift that we voluntarily give to the man we have vowed to love in obedience to the Savior we love...
    God said that man needs a helper.  The true woman celebrates this calling and becomes affirming rather than adversarial, compassionate rather than controlling, a partner rather than a protagonist. She becomes substantively rather than superficially submissive.
  The true woman is not afraid to place herself in a position of submission.  She does not have to grasp; she does not have to control.  Her fear dissolves in the light of God's covenant promise to be her God and to live within her.  Submission is simply a demonstration of her confidence in the sovereign power of the Lord God.  Submission is a reflection of her redemption." 
             - Susan Hunt

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.   Proverbs 21:1

   "Most men hate "scenes". They despise confusion and disorder.  They will go to almost any length to have peace in their homes.  They will let a woman have her way rather than argue and quarrel.  But the price a man has to pay is the price of his manhood.  Before you complain that your husband won't take the leadership of your home, search your heart carefully.  Do you really rely on his judgment?  Are you willing to commit yourself to his decisions?  If not, don't complain that he will not lead. For the sake of peace, he may not fight for his authority." 
         -Elizabeth Rice Handford

"You must be willing to let him fail- believing that ultimately, your security is not in your husband but in a sovereign God who is not going to fail you."  NLD

"What can free us from the drive to control the men in our lives?  We must learn to wait upon the Lord; in His time, and in His way, He will act on behalf of those who wait for Him."  NLD

  Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord.    Psalm 27:14

  May God bless you
         -MJ
PS.  I entered a few giveaways last weekend and WON! :)  Check it out: http://touchedcreatively.blogspot.com/

There is so much happening right now... I guess I'll just throw it all into one random post and you can dig through it to your heart's content.

First of all, don't forget that today is the last day you can sign up for the Perfect Paci Set!!  It's been neat to see all of you who have signed up. Winner will be announced tomorrow!
 
                     Next, I'm super excited to share some photos with you:

  Clara saw my post about the mobile I created for my son and decided to do one for her coming baby.  I LOVE how it turned out!!   She used wooden stars, which I'm sure makes it look much more professional :)  And she also used glow in the dark paint! Awesome idea!!  And I like how she used the different fibers and ribbons to hang, as well as the tulle material around it!  Thanks so much for sharing this, Clara!
 (PS... I also just learned that she had her baby, a little boy, this morning! Got done just in time! Congratulations Clara!)
  I was also thinking about how she painted her mobile yellow, and that people probably thought black was a strange color for me to paint mine!  It will all come together when I finally post the details of Sky's room, once I finish it! Come back to check on my progress on that!
        __________________________________________________________
  Whisper of Joy:
      The patterns God plans for our days are always changing... rearranging... and each design is unique...graced with His own special beauty.
       ___________________________________________________________
  I'm also excited (is it an exciting day or what?!) that my cleaning is nearly done!! Maybe a few new products will be coming when that is finally completed!  And best of all, I got my office/craft room organized. Or at least to the 'good enough for me' point! Here's a few pics

  I had a fun lunch/shopping date with a friend yesterday and we went to Home Goods. It was my first time. Sweet.  That's about it.  :)  Had to share one of my finds. The picture above is my new fabric organizer, for the time being.  It's actually one of those closet things to put clothes or shoes in, but for now it works nicely for my fabric!  I've been contemplating either splurging to buy a nice cube shelf set (someday) or seeing if my hubby will make me one. He would have...but we don't have the right tools. SO I was... yup... excited to find this! :) I think I need a new word!
  Thanks for stopping by to share all my excitement!  God bless
                                         -MJ

 So I was organizing my office/sewing room last night.  Yay!! I got the bug... and kept going until after 10:00!  But it's done for now, other than the basic cleaning.  While doing that I discovered something buried in the middle of my fabric pile...

 Whispers of Joy!! It's a daily encouragement book for women... with some really neat quotes, poems, and verses in it for 365 day!  I should have taken a picture of it BEFORE I opened it! It was wrapped so cute!  Any guesses who it was from??
  My dear, sweet mother! :) THANKS MOM!! She's always doing neat things like this.  After a visit from my family around Easter time last year, I found Cadbury Carmel Eggs in my cupboards for weeks... Mom knows how much I love them!
So I plan to randomly posts some 'Whispers of Joy' when I see a neat one... so look for those on here! 

Here's my first one:
  This one is actually hand-written in the book... yes, from my dear mother!
"Just a thought...
   Whispers are good and fine... but sometimes we NEED to shout!!
Psalms 5:11
   But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice; let them ever shout for joy!"

Thanks for that Mom!
                 -----------------------------------------------------------------

Also, I need some feedback.  I've been playing with fonts and such on my computer, but for some reason they don't seem to be showing up on other computers.  I've changed most of my site pages to have cool fonts, including a few blog entries and the side bar 'about me' section.  Do you see it??  I'm wondering if I was just wasting my time! I love fonts! :)

Anyhow...back to my cleaning brigade! Working on our bedroom now...feels great! Only a few more rooms and I'm done!  Score!

So I've been reading the book 'Lies Women Believe' by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, and the last section I read really struck me.  It is talking about believing the lie that we should not have unfulfilled longings.  I am just going to quote a few parts from the section, maybe they will reveal things in your heart as they did in mine.

Lie:
"I Should Not Have to Live with Unfulfilled Longings"

"This is another lie that has worked its way into the warp and woof of the way we think and live.  Our society has bought into the philosophy that there is (or ought to be) a remedy (preferably quick and easy) for every unfulfilled longing.
    We are encouraged to identify our longings and do whatever is necessary to get those "needs" met.  Therefore... if you're hungry, eat.  If you want something you can't afford, charge it.  If you crave romance, dress or act in a way that will get men to notice you.  If you're lonely, share your heart with that married man at work." 

  Isn't that so true?  It seems society today pushes that we have the right to whatever we want, whenever we want it.  I pray we can have a change of heart and flee from this mentality!

   "At best, this way of thinking has left many women still unfulfilled, still groping, still searching for something to fill the inner emptiness."

   "What is the Truth that sets us free from the bondage of this deception?
    First, we have to recognize that we will always have unfulfilled longings this side of heaven. (Romans 8:23).  In fact, if we could have all our longings fulfilled down here, we would easily be satisfied with staying here, and our hearts would never long for a better place.
    It is important to understand that our inner longings are not necessarily sinful in and of themselves.  What is wrong is demanding that those longings be fulfilled here and now, or insisting on meeting those longings in illegitmate ways."

   "The second Truth is that the deepest longings of our hearts cannot be filled by any created person or thing."

    "The Truth is, every created thing is guaranteed to disappoint us.  Things can burn or break or be stolen or get lost.  People can move or change or fail or die."

    "I have talked with many single young women-some of them godly, committed believers-who have shared with me their struggle with loneliness.  I remind them that marriage is not necessarily a cure for loneliness-I have met plenty of married women who struggle with a deep sense of loneliness and isolation.  The fact is, there is not man on the face of the earth who can satisfy the deepest longings of a woman's heart-God has made us in such a way that we can never be truly satisfied with anything or anyone less than Himself. (Psalms 16:11; 34:8-10)
   Whether married or single, we must recognize that it is not wrong to have unfulfilled longings-they do not make us any less spiritual.  We must learn to accept those longings, surrender them to God, and look to Him to meet the deepest needs of our hearts."

More Verses to go along with this topic:
  Ephesians 3:11
  Hebrews 11:13-16
  Psalm 73:25
  Deuteronomy 8:3
  Philippians 3:20-4:1

  I hope you will benefit from these words, and will remember that only God can fulfill those deep longings of your hearts.  May God give you a peace and comfort as you journey toward that eternal home of fulfillment!

  So I’m not completely sure I’m supposed to be writing anything today as I attempted twice now and my computer keeps doing funny things on me and closing out! Grr.  Computers can be so irritating. Especially since you KNOW it’s ALL the computers’ fault! J 

   Oh and also, if any of you have subscribed to this blog with the RSS Feed, or have linked or added this blog as a favorite, you may need to re-do it.  I renamed the page ‘Whispers of MJ’ instead of ‘Blog by MJ’ and realized this may have caused some technical problems for some of you! Sorry about that!  Guess that’s what I get for trying to be more creative! J

So… on to my intended post…

Luke Chapter 2   10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

  Life is crazy hey!?  You know that feeling you get when the events you have planned, anticipated, and scheduled around come and go and you didn’t even realize it? With Christmas looming before us, I can’t help but feel that way.

  It seems every year we pack our days full of activity and rushing around. And every year, when the holiday season is over, we say… “Did that just happen?!”.   That sinking feeling of letting moments that should be treasured slip through your fingers unnoticed has been clear to me these days.  I can hear myself already talking about how I can’t believe it’s already 2010!!  Why is that? 

  We know full well the date each day, and somehow we let those days slip by without a thought.  This week, as you get caught up in Christmas activity, pause… no wait… STOP. Stop and consciously decide to give each moment, each conversation, each loved one, each memory the attention it deserves.  Don’t let the rush of Christmas sweep you away as it has in years past. 

  Don’t you think that we are losing our focus?  Do you think that when our Holy God sent His precious Son to us that first Christmas so long ago He intended us to celebrate in this way?  The meaning of Christmas is Jesus. It is love, celebration, awe, humbleness, thankfulness, and giving.  May you and yours remember that this Christmas season. Don’t let the hustle and bustle of the holidays steal away those precious moments. Don’t let this week go by without thanking our God for His Gift, without reading the Christmas Story, without connecting to those we love.  Remember what truly matters.

 Merry Christmas to each of you from the deepest part of my heart. 

  PS.  Come visit Whispers of Joy after the New Year… I am planning some fun things and new products!  Be the first to check it out! Sign up for the newsletter and be notified by email!