Just thought I'd share with you the latest thing I've done around my house... I'm hoping the first of many!  Trying to 'improve' on the decorating in my home with as little expense as possible... we'll see what I come up with! Will keep you posted on my progress...and if you have ideas... I'd welcome them!

For this, I just took my Frame that Name idea and used the initials of our family members.  Here's how it turned out. Nothing fancy, but unique all the same! :)

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 the 'hubbub' we were all trying to avoid is passed, and whether we actually managed to avoid it or not, well that is always questionable.  It seems we leave the Christmas season with mixed feelings of renewal and emptiness.  The emptiness is that feeling I talked about in my previous post  and the feelings of renewal, for myself at least, come from the refreshing reminder of our Savior's birth and the promise and hope of a new year ahead.

The New Year's Resolutions thing... hmmm... is it a little cheesy? Or is it really a good time to stop and see what needs to be improved in your life.  In all reality, any day or time is good for that, but what better way to start off the new year than with good intentions!?  So maybe it is a little cheesy, but there IS merit to the idea as well.  I may have to come up with a list of them myself! :)

I am thankful for the family time we had this Christmas.  Last Christmas was the first for Fro and I as a married couple, and as neither of us had family close by, it was a little depressing.  This year my family has moved closer, and they were able to make it to our home for the holiday (or pre-holiday anways!).  So I can now say that I have hosted a family Christmas in my home, complete with the ham dinner and all! :)  Thus far, there have been no illnesses directly related to the meal.  Will keep you posted.

So I am now wishing you a Happy New Year... may you resolve to keep the resolutions that you just decided to make! :)
 
                                                    ~MJ
 

  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!

So after the success we had at the first bazaar... we were quite disappointed after the day was over since this last one. :(  We headed to set up on Friday night and were quite excited as (even though we got the last table) we had an awesome location, there were tons of vendors, and it was in a main traffic area of town.  We expected our business to exceed the last.  So we set up another adorable booth with even more products (that we had slaved late into the night the previous week to do) and hoped for the best! :)

Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side this weekend!  The days before didn't bode well as the weather-man predicted freezing rain and winter weather advisories were set throughout the area.  This, along with the possibility of not enough advertising, kept everyone at home for the day!  We had very few shoppers and all the vendors were disappointed!  Most of the buying/trading was going on between sellers.  I think it would have been a great sale if the weather would have been better, but it doesn't always go as we hope! Thanks Shanna for helping out and keeping me company throughout the day!

To all of you who showed up at the Artisan Fair this weekend, thanks for your support! It was great to see you there!
For those of you who missed it, I took a few photos of our side of things to share. 

Busy setting up the booth!
Check out www.sweetpeaboutiques.com and see the darling stuff
they have!  These girls are the ones who did the show with me.

Here's what we came up with! What do you think?

We had a lot of fun and felt like is was worth it!
So...
You're now invited to round #2 this weekend!! :)

We are in another show this Saturday from 9am-4pm
It is at this address:

Life Point Church
305 Northeast 192nd Avenue
Vancouver, WA 98684-7524

So if you missed out last weekend...cruise on over and see us this time!
It's a lot of fun and there's so many neat things to see!

At our booth you can sign up for another chance at the drawing.
Buy blankets, Paci sets, cloth nursing pads, order a Name that Frame set, nursing covers, Sort-n-Stash Pocket sets, and more!

Just thought I'd share a few pictures with you as I progress...

Mass Perfect Pacis!
Ok... well for me anyways! I'VE never made so many...
 and I bet YOU'VE never seen this many!

The Sort-n-Stash Pocket collection is growing too! 
I'm having fun packaging, ribbon-ing, zip-ping, and creating!

Ecclesiastes 3:1
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven

I think it's about time to rest...
well...
maybe after Saturday!  :)

PS.  I'd recommend reading the rest of that passage! Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and on through the rest of the chapter.  It is so reassuring that there really is a time meant for everything, both good and bad. 

You're invited!

What:
Artisan Fair -Craft Show Event

When:
Saturday, December 5th  - 9am-4pm

Where:
 Firm Foundation Christian School
19919 NE 107th Ave - Battle Ground, WA 98604

Why:
To check out all the great stuff at the
 Whispers of Joy/Sweet Pea Boutiques craft booth!

How:
Whatever way you can get there!

I'm doing this event with a friend of mine from www.sweetpeaboutiques.com.  We will have my products, the Frame that Name orders, the Perfect Paci sets, and the Sort-n-Stash Pocket sets, along with her blankets and nursing covers.  And you never know what other surprises will be there including other products, drawings, and more! Join us this Saturday!