.

Introducing Angel Wilde

2008-02-19T16:05:00.001-07:00

My name is Angel Wilde. I'm a military wife, a mom and firm believer in Jesus Christ! I'm honored that Kelly has asked me to be a part of the Journey with her and fellow sisters-in-Christ. I was born in Omaha, Nebraska and grew up in Sioux City, Iowa. I attended a Christian school for most of my childhood. To this day I remember dozens of scriptures I was taught and had to memorize. I remember accepting Jesus into my heart at age 8 on a school bus. Even though I had a lot of head knowledge, the one thing I never caught onto in those early years was the fact that Jesus wanted to be a part of my everyday life. I dropped out of school in my early years of high school. I got pregnant and married at the age of 17. I was in and out of church throughout my early married life feeling God's urging and wooing, but not wanting to give up my "fun" partying lifestyle and certainly I didn't want to give up sleeping in on Sunday mornings! How I wish I would have raised my children in Sunday school and church. My oldest boy, Jake, started going on his own to a base chapel one block away from our home in Virginia. He loved it. So, when we moved to Kansas in 2001, I wanted to find him a church to keep attending. We visited many churches, but finally felt at home at one in particular. It wasn't far from home so we could get involved. I started going to a women's Bible study and encountered Beth Moore who changed my life. Her love for Jesus was and is contagious. I was baptized in February of 2002. All 3 of my children followed and were baptized that year as well. My boys eventually surrendered their lives to full time ministry and are now attending Bible college in Kansas. I'm almost finished with my tenth Beth Moore Bible study. I'm far from perfect and constantly picking the pieces up and trying again. But God has been SO incredibly faithful. I've been blessed through so many friendships and Christian bonds. Looking back, I can see God's fingerprints throughout my life. I feel strongly that he has been with me since that day on that old school bus. The Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." I might not have "gotten it" back then, but God's word was instilled in my heart as a child. I once told my husband when I started going back to church that "I wanted God back in my life." He said "God's always been there." How true, but I wasn't letting Him in. I am now! And I am praising Him that He loved me so much to pursue a relationship with me and not give up on me.

Thanks again~
Angel Wilde

Angie's Answers To The Survey

2008-02-18T10:01:00.002-07:00

Angie's Answers to the Survey
Survey Says...

10 Years Ago? I was recently engaged to my (now) husband, and pregnant with our first child (but didn't know it yet!). I was a senior in highschool with plans to Marry this wonderful christian man that God had given me, and go to college. (I did marry him, and go to college, just not exactly how I had envisioned-God had His plans!)

Things On My To-Do List
Clean out my closet for our yard sale, finish a project I started a couple days ago, do some card sketches... That's all for today at least.

What would I do if I were suddenly made a billionaire?First I would pay off ALL our bills, then pay off my Mom and Stepdad's house (finally a way to thank them for their generosity), then add to my kids' saving accounts and their future college educations. I know I should have said, FIRST-TITHE, but honestly, that's not what I thought of first. So, thinking again, First-tithe ;p and I would probably hide the fact that I won from many people, I know a few people out there would try to take advantage. Sad but true. After all that, I honestly don't know. I would give a lot of it away to charities. But make sure my kids and grandkids were taken care of.

Three of My Bad Habits
1. I say "like" too much!
2. I chew on my lips, make myself bleed sometimes!
3. I don't tell my kids I love them enough

Five Jobs I've Had
1. shoe salesman!
2. concessionaire at a drive-in theater
3. substitute janitor
4. tutor
5. In-home daycare provider

Five thing people don't know about me?
1. I have somewhat of a spending problem, I just LOVE to spend and have to use ALOT of self control not to spend
2. I want to raise my kids to be STRONG christians.
3. I am somewhat claustrophobic, if I'm in an elevator with too many people, my head starts to get "swimmy" like I'm gonna pass out.
4. I have always wanted to be an actress, onstage, not tv or movies.
5. I have 2 wisdom teeth that I need to get pulled, have had them since highschool, but the other 2 have been pulled.

--
Angie Lilavois
Hey look!!! I've got a blog at www.angiesaspiringart.blogspot.com

Introducing Melanie Muenchinger

2008-02-17T12:20:00.003-07:00

I'm a SAHM with two young boys, and crafting is a terrific way to enjoy some "me time". I really enjoyed being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator the past five years, but during the last year, especially, I felt something was missing. That there was something else I was supposed to be doing with my art. A class at my church on "Art & Faith" gave me some perspective on this, and I began praying earnestly about what place art had in my life, something I had never even thought to pray about before. What soon followed, I feel, is something of a "Cinderella story"! God certainly opened a door with Gina K Designs, and I'm so blessed to be working for her, designing my own stamps, as well as creating cards with all her other releases for the design gallery! I look forward to our brainstorming sessions each month, as we trade ideas, and when a set suddenly falls into place in its every detail, it is such a satisfying, rewarding experience. I don't think anything could have prepared me better for what I'm doing now than stamping the last five years with literally HUNDREDS of sets has: not only have I learned what works in a design, what things are necessary to create a good "complete" set, but most importantly, what will just be FUN for stampers to create with!

This interview was from Featured Crafter Friday
I also asked Melanie a few questions I thought would be fun to hear answers to.

How did you get started with crafts?
As far as stamping and cardmaking, I went to an SU! workshop 5 years ago. It was like something out of movie: I could practically see the heavens opening up and shining down on the table with a hallelujah chorus in the background! I fell instantly in love with the art form.

Before stamping, I had really only drawn. My mom likes to brag I could draw a perfect "Piglet" from Winnie the Pooh when I was two. I'd also always enjoyed cutting and pasting and working with paper for school projects, making dioramas and posters etc. The first contest I ever won for my artwork was the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in third grade (a pastel drawing of a cowboy mouse).

How much time per day do you spend on your crafts? Is it enough? :)
Before I started blogging and stamp designing, it would vary. I could get really inspired and make a ton of things over a few days, and then my desk would be so messy as a result(as well as getting behind on everything else!), I'd have to shut the door for a couple weeks! Now that I'm designing my own stamps, I do spend a few hours every day between creating and posting with my current set and working on my next set. Fortunately, brainstorming can take place while driving, running errands, and drawing my images while I'm sitting with my kids in the sandbox! So I'm lucky it doesn't all have to be at the desk. I have a feeling when BOTH my boys are in school, it will be 8-2:30 M-F!

"Is it enough?" is difficult to answer: I'd enjoy it being MORE, I suspect my family and messy house would say it should be LESS, for what I'm trying to accomplish with getting my stamps out there, JUST RIGHT! ;)

What is your favorite craft item to use or project to make?
I don't ever want to be without my dimensionals, glue dots, glitter or ribbon! I have to say the best investment I think I've made is my Cuttlebug. Being able to emboss with all those gorgeous, INEXPENSIVE folders, AND having the ability to die cut (I just completed my Nestabilities collection) is truly AMAZING! If you like crafting with paper, you simply must go for it! (or similar product, there are many brands but this is what I got and it works for me :)

I love making the 3D items and things that move/are interactive, but as a lazy crafter I don't make them as often as I should! People might be surprised to know that no matter how well I feel a concept I've created "works", I almost never make another one! (There's only been one "baby cradle", insert just about any other project I've made HERE!) This year I sent out 85 completely unique Christmas cards!) I just have too many other ideas I want to try out, gotta move on to the next one!

Where do you get your inspiration (for your stamp creating or card making)?
Everywhere! Nature, my kids, just life in general. I usually approach my cards like a puzzle or with a question: "What would happen if...?" "How can I...?" It's just a challenge to see if I can make something work. As a stamper, I've always constantly looking to make seemingly unrelated things fit together, maybe because I'm a bit of a square peg myself! There have always been and will always be people who are MUCH more talented at making cards that are more visually appealing than I can. But I do try to offer something unique! On my site, you should expect the unexpected!

As far as stamp designing, animals were the best place for me to start. I began drawing them when I was little, wearing clothes, doing "people" things. I loved capturing their expressions and the things that seem so "human" about them. It had always been a dream of mine to illustrate children's books, and my favorite illustrators/influences growing up were Mercer Mayer, Maurice Sendak, Dr. Seuss, Sandra Boynton, and classic Disney. My dream changed slightly when I got the opportunity to illustrate in rubber! Keep turning out for Gina K releases and you'll soon have every animal (fully accessorized!) under the sun to play with! I can draw other subjects in other styles, however, so I'm hoping to be able to share that artwork with everyone in the future. I don't go anywhere now without a pen and paper, an idea worth saving to explore later can come at any time!

Do you have any advice for fellow crafters out there? Words of wisdom, perhaps? :)
I didn't start stamping until I was 30. My first cards were NOT GOOD! There are so many amazing samples online, and looking at other people's work and imitating the things I especially liked about my favorite crafters' cards in the beginning helped me to be more successful with my layouts and colors, until I felt comfortable creating on my own. You've got to start somewhere, and if you imitate the very best elements of what appeals to you, your own "style" will emerge. My cards improved dramatically, so I recommend others try that, too! The internet is such a valuable resource (but if you're reading this, I probably don't need to tell you that!)

I hate to tell anyone to spend more money, but having more "stuff" to play with can definitely take your cards to that next level. (See my answer above for the cheap solutions, along with the pricey!) I think crafters can be very frustrated when comparing their work to some designers': it's often not just the level of experience that separates them, but the amount of "bling" they've been able to acquire and add to their cards! (Having said that though, a truly stunning card can, of course, be done with almost no supplies, if it's done correctly! Simple elegance, and knowing when to stop "piling it on", takes a great amount of talent to achieve, I would use Kurtis Amundsen as an example of this: minimal and "just right". So viewing and trying out the Limited Supply Challenges on Splitcoast are excellent ways to
see what can be done with very little.) Addititionally, the more media you try out, the better you will be able to find what you most enjoy working with and what gives you the best results. And this won't be the same for everybody! It's not just the product, it's how you are capable of working with it. An example of this for me has been an Aquapainter and watercolor crayons. I'm not the best at shading, but I've had pretty good luck with these because they are so easy to blend. I haven't tried Copics yet, but I'm tempted!

Finally, I hadn't really drawn anything for my own enjoyment in over 20 years. As a teenager, I had many problems with self esteem, and art was a gift I put away in a box for a long, long time. Looking back, for many years I was "creatively dead", so to speak, and because this is such a big part of who I fundamentally am, I was very unhappy. Thank goodness I discovered stamping and remembered how much I need to create, like I need air, or water! So whether you stamp, draw, paint, sculpt, write, whatever, and your hearts sings when you do it, you must do it! Whether you can earn a living doing it or only create for yourself, whether you are naturally talented or not, you should find time for it, develop it, and allow yourself to experience that joy of expressing what is inside you. If you've never done any crafts before and have until now just "lurked" these sites, I think it's time to see what you can do!

Melanie has two wonderful stamp sets which are sold by Gina K Designs. Just So Hippy and Just So Hoppy, which just released this week.

Kelly's Answers To The Survey...

2008-02-16T13:16:00.001-07:00

Survey Says...

10 Years Ago? Josh would have been almost 3 and Ben would have been 1. I Think that was a bad time for my family as I was suffering severely from post-partum depression so unfortunately I can't answer that question very well because I have no memory of it.

Things On My To-Do List
Finish my drawing of The New Jerusalem.
Make more cards for the fundraiser for Kid's Camp.
Read my collection of books that I have not read.
Paint my large canvas sitting in our bedroom.
Organize My Craft room...
Find a part-time job...

What would I do if I were suddenly made a billionaire?
Probably say "No thanks"! I don't really have any desire to be a billionaire, though if I were made one I would think God had a purpose for me to be one and therefore I would seek God for His guidance to know what to do with it! I know that I would give all of it away (accept for enough to pay our bills, buy our house and plan for retirement... and for my boys education/lives etc.).

Three of My Bad Habits
1. I always have my hands on my face for some reason, I play with my chin...
2. Whenever I purchase a new book I put it beside my bed on the huge pile of other books that I haven't read yet.
3. I sleep with three pillows (I should only sleep with two because it is bad for my back)

Five Jobs I've Had
1. Secretary of my Church
2. Cashier at London Drugs
3. Receptionist at a car dealership
4. Receptionist at a Mechanical Contracting Company (Where I met My hubby)
5. Hostess at International House of Pancakes

Five thing people don't know about me?
1. I go "Spend crazy" when my hubby is out of town (For some reason it comforts me)
2. I am claustrophoebic, I don't like crowded rooms.
3. I don't like to try things I don't know for certain that I will be good at.
4. I do not eat Pork.
5. I usually sit on our couch to eat breakfast.

Now if you have read this consider yourself tagged!!! So please answer the survey and send it to me to post. ksun_1999@yahoo.com

Michelle Answered This Survey And Said I Could Post It For Others To Answer Also

2008-02-16T13:14:00.004-07:00

Survey

I read this on Sherelle's blog; My Crazy Life and decided to participate.

10 years ago? I was struggling to be a single Mother and Getting to know My Handyman

Things on my to-do list today? Clean house. (I got off work a little early today) Organize my craft table. Post a blog. (here it is) Read blogs. Think about what I want to cook for dinner. Enjoy the evening with Handyman.

What would I do if I were suddenly made a billionaire? Die of Shock! Arise from the dead and hire a financial planner. Retire. Go to St Martin for a month. Figure out how much to share with family. Go into hiding.

Three of my bad habits? 1. Anal – I want everything in order and in its place and done right. 2. I’m too nice and have a hard time saying no, so I help everyone with everything. Most of the time I don’t mind, but sometimes I just need to say No. 3. Too much time on the computer.

Five jobs I've had? 1. Kentucky Fried Chicken 2. Electrical Wholesale- A/R 3. Family-General Contractor business. 4. My current job – Warehouse AP– Corporate office of Winco Foods.

Five things people don't know about me? 1. I’m not very outgoing. My co-workers would probably strongly disagree but that’s because I know them well and am comfortable around them. 2. I am a computer geek. I know a lot more about them than I’ll admit. 3. I remember almost everything that interests me or that I know is important to remember. 4. I don’t retain information about Hollywood Stars, Movies etc… unless the story touches my heart. The gossip magazines don’t interest me. I’ve never been star struck. 5. I am soft hearted. I cry watching commercials, movies, songs on the radio and even when I laugh.

NOW...if you read this, and you have a blog...I TAG YOU!

Eternally Yours

2008-02-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

I went to Michael's the other day seeking Easter Stamps... not the cute bunny stamps... but true Easter Stamps. I found this cross that I really fell in love with and two $1.50 stamps; one said, 'Eternally Yours' and the other 'He Has Risen'. I started stamping the crosses on my journal page and I decided to stamp them in a circular patter because I was thinking it would represent Jesus never-ending circle of His love for us. Eternally yours was meant to be a Valentines stamp but then I felt it was more fitting for representing Jesus ultimate sacrifice for our sins... making us Eternally His, and He Eternally ours. This created such a beautiful picture in my mind. There was no other saying that would make such a statement as this. He truly is Eternally ours ~ and isn't that the most beautiful thing in the world? We are so blessed by His sacrifice! Amen.

Kelly

Post by Cheryl Moody

2008-02-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a horrible stormy day. Our province pretty much shut down. The schools, the Dr.s offices, Banks, most businesses, etc. It was a day you were glad you didn't have to go anywhere. I mean looking out my front window I couldn't see the neighbors across the street, it was miserable. I was in the kitchen and listenong to a song on the radio that talked about things happening in a man's life and in the world and he kept singing. "I guess God was too busy" I felt the song implied that God was too busy to care. And then the phone call came, the one you don't like to hear. "Cheryl, it's mom, first of all, she's okay but Amanda has been in an accident." Amanda is my niece. I get a beep, it's my sister and she is panicked and my heart is racing. Amanda was on the 101 Highway when she lost control of her vehicle and flipped the car. Could I please go get her because my sister can't get to her. So, I get my new car out that hubby gave me for Christmas and headed off out into the storm. I mean I am thankful for a car that seems to drive like a tank! I found her off into the ditch, the car sitting on the passenger side. Amanda had been hanging by her seatbelt. She had managed to call her mom before dropping her cell phone out of reach. Help had arrived by this time and a passerby had stopped to help her out of the car. I thank God because if she had tried to reach her cell phone or get out of the car it would have rolled down further and probably landed submerged in the snow on the hood. She would not have been able to get out and at that angle no one would have seen her. But I know for a fact that God was on the 101 Highway yesterday and I have no doubt that God is exactally where He is wanted, needed and invited at all times. I know that He is also where He isn't wanted or invited, He just remains at a distance. Waiting, and waiting just to be invited. I am grateful that everyday, every moment I know where God is!

Many Members Involved with CHA I Think

2008-02-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

I think that a lot of the members here are at CHA and/or are involved in it in some way so that might be why we have not heard from everyone. There have been some exciting sneak peeks of different products coming and they all look wonderful.
If you get a chance to see things that you like let me know and I can post different things up here. I have just been introduced to "Dew Drops" and love them. I have placed an order and they should be arriving soon. I ordered them and the Copic Spica Glitter Pens from Ellen Hutson, LLC.
Bless you as you enjoy the benefits of the New Releases from CHA.

Fasting & Prayer

2008-02-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

Painting by Teresa Dittrich & Forerunner Arts

Of coarse I would read the Word that I read today... My Church is currently participating in 40 days of prayer and fasting. I am not doing a full fast, but instead allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to me when I should be fasting certain times, or fasting certain things. Today my heart was specifically asking for direction during my devotions. Tonight our Church gathers from 7PM - 11PM for great Worship and praise and prayer. My husband has been asking me if I want to go all week... and I would put it off, and put it off. "I have been fairly depressed lately" (excuse), "I didn't feel like being around other people" (excuse), "but I'm teaching Sunday School and need to be prepared" (excuse). We are good at excuses aren't we? Lastnight in bed I lay awake thinking... why on earth would I not want to go on Friday night to Worship my Father???? Then this morning I read this;

Matthew 9:14-15 Then John's disciples came and asked Him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
The word "mourn" jumped out at me! I never thought of fasting as a time of mourning ~ I had always associated mourning with death. Then again we mourn loss. So... loss would be mourning and therefore when we are fasting we have no food, so we mourn the loss of food??? No, I don't think that's it. Bare with me while I think this through. Did Jesus mean mourning the loss of not being with Him possibly? The sacrifice of fasting could be an act of worship in mourning that loss. I think I'm getting it now. During this time of fasting and prayer when we fast we are focused on God to feed us and nourish us during this time. We are focused on true worship, where nothing (not even food) stands in the way of our time with God. The other day while I was fasting breakfast and lunch I know that I had a clarity that I had not had in a long time, I heard God speaking in my thoughts, directing me... answering questions... leading me to bring Him glory. I don't know about you or where you are at right now... but I so need this. I need to hear God guiding me, I need to worship Him and Him alone, I need to block out the world for a time so that I can truly concentrate on Him and bring glory to His name.
I pray that you seek this time of clarity with the Lord, maybe not by fasting but by truly seeking Him. "Seek and ye shall find!"
God bless you today and always.
Kelly Watts

Testimony From Kelly Watts

2008-02-06T15:15:00.001-07:00

It's Testimony Time...
All my life I have been depressed, I was sexually abused by my grandfather when I was little, as were my two older sisters. I was a shy girl and wasn't too involved with my family. They were all apart of a Country Band and played at bars my entire childhood and they left me at home alone since I was about nine years old. When I was 11 my family started going to a Foursquare Gospel Church and we all gave our lives to Jesus on the same day. We moved from a small town to the big city when I was 13. I continued to go to Church with my middle sister until she got shunned from the Church for getting pregnant at 16. When she had her baby she instantly became a grown-up and I felt like I had lost my best friend. Depression set in and I gained weight. When I went to Church to seek comfort the youth made fun of me for my weight gain. I stopped going to Church.
That same year I was almost raped by a 23 year old boy at a beach but my sister saved me. I didn't understand at the time what was happening, which led me on the road to more confusion when it came to the opposite sex. During the next few years my sisters both became very permiscuous and unfortunately they shared their journey's with me. I became very disgusted and was bent on not being the same way.
When I was almost 18 years old I began seeing a boy who on New Years Eve thought it would be funny to get me drunk and take advantage of me. This is how I lost my virginity. I stayed with him for 4 years not understanding that how I was treated was emotionally, verbally and sexually abusive. During those years I became bullimic and felt I was not good enough for anything, I wasn't pretty enough, thin enough or smart enough. Because he cheated on me so much and abused me so often I felt worthless. At the end of those 4 years my parents convinced me to go on a trip to visit my oldest sister in the small town I grew up in. This is when it finally clicked that this boy was no good for me. I broke up with him on the phone. He stalked me for three months and then convinced me to go and see him at his house, he said his parents were home ~ they weren't. He raped me. I didn't realize that he had, I thought it was my fault because I had gone to his home willingly ~ I never pressed charges.
For the next year I was on a self-destructive path. I drank every weekend and some times would black out. I would have no memory of people when they said that they were the ones that picked me up from the dance floor of the night club just a week before. I was intimate with 4 guys during that year and each time I fell hard. I thought that I might find one that would actually love me... then I gave up.
It was when I finally gave up that I met Randy. I started working as a receptionist downtown and for the first time I felt like an adult. I wasn't looking for a relationship ~ God had other plans. Randy was the first man in my life. The first to open a door for me, to give me his jacket when I was cold, to hold me while I walked in the snow with high heels... and he looked at me with pure adoration. He was in love with me at first sight. I wasn't. I didn't know how to love... but somehow it felt right being with Randy. He asked me to marry him just three months after our first date and I said yes. Our wedding day was the calmest day I have ever had ~ everything felt right. We started going to Church shortly after we got married and two years later Randy gave his life to Christ and I came back to the Lord. Five months after we married two things happened; my father passed away by a massive cardiac arrest and I learned that I was pregnant. I was in shock when I learned that he passed away (he had just been over for dinner the night before). It took me many years to grieve this loss and I blamed myself for his death that my faith was not strong enough to bring him back. After our first son was born I grieved deeply that my dad would not know my children. Then one night I had a dream/ or a vision of my dad receiving all my memories of my son's life and then God gave me complete peace and I no longer grieved that they would not know one another.
A year and a half later... I got pregnant again. This time things did not go like clockwork and I was bed ridden 8 months of the pregnancy while trying to care for our firstborn. This is when a darkness settled over me and I became lost in depression. When I gave birth and held my second son for the first time it was as though I were holding someone else's baby. They called it post-partum depression, I called it 'darkness'. My friend introduced me to a lady who 25 years earlier had gone through the same thing I was going through and she became my mentor, my gift from God. Through the help of my doctor, my mentor and my husband I was hospitalized for 3 1/2 months for wanting to take my life. During this time a tornado was in my mind holding captive all my memories and traumatic events that occured throughout my life ~ it was not a gentle tornado but one that ravaged my brain with knives and daggers. I became someone else as the doctor's filled me with more drugs to calm the anxiety and depression. When I was released from the hospital they placed me in group therapy that was to last for 9 weeks during the day. I would attend from 9 until 3pm everyday regardless of how I felt. This was not a good idea. I became worse. My husband had to care for a newborn and a toddler, we hired a nanny to come and help, he also had to work and to add to that I would disappear for hours at a time and he wouldn't know where I was. My mentor helped me through that first year by meeting with me everyday, praying with me and introducing me to inner healing. We lost our condo because we could no longer afford it. A year into my depression Randy was offerred a relocation position within his company to the other side of the Country, he thought it would do me good. We stayed there for a year... I have no memory of this. Randy says that I stayed in my bedroom when he and the boys were home and at night I went to a movie (every night). Apparently that was the only place I felt safe. He wasn't sure what I did during the day. We moved back to our home and still I was deep in depression. Four and 1/2 years after my second son was born and numerous counselling, medication and psychiatrist visits later I was finally coming back to myself. I had NO memory of the previous four and 1/2 years. God had taken it all away. I was able to spend time with my husband and children a little at a time, and with time it became much much more. Now... it has been almost 11 years since Ben was born... I am still on medication but have never felt closer to God or my family than I do now.
I know that during the darkness I would read my Word over and over again ~ I do not know what stuck in my brain but I know that God got me through. I started writing poetry during this time as well and it flowed out of me as though I were reciting it from a book. It was healing and brought me closer to God and I believe closer to finding myself again.
Here is a poem I wrote during the darkness... and after once the skies began to clear.

This is what the first poem in the first picture above says.

KELLY IS A DIFFICULT WOMAN

Kelly is a difficult woman,
her creative desires burn within her soul.
She loves with full intensity of her heart
but does not love herself.
When she fears, she fears all.
When she's sad, she cries for all.
Emotions swelter so deep buried
in brick rooms without doors.
Her restless, transient mind sleeps,
exhausted from the storing of her painful memories.
An agonizing loss often beckons her from
her restless sleep,
forcing her to feel.
God envelops her life and
holds her frail body in His arms
as she momentarily finds comfort.
Day after day she battles the evil darkness
with the armor of God
and places her trust in Him.
Her child within her is lost,
unable to escape the closed box
in which she hides.
The only solace she has ever found
is through the One who really knows her soul.
Kelly as a mother, and Kelly as a wife
have been driven far out by her depressed state.
Kelly as herself cannot exist
right now and possibly forever,
for she is trapped in a web of masked emotions.
Lost inside herself, Kelly is a difficult woman.

By Kelly Watts 1998

And the Next Poem

A LOOK INTO MY FUTURE

In a dream I can see...
I hold my breath and look intensely into my future...
I see no pain, no pain at all.
The tears do not fall,
they cannot fall in the future.
There is no suffering, no suffering at all.
I see light, light coming from everywhere,
the light of the future that shines through the dark,
the darkness of what I used to know.
But am I dead, my body and my spirit
just lying there thinking, though silent and still?
I cannot die though my body might be broken,
no brokeness holds place in the light.
He comes to me, standing right before me.
I fall to my knees in awe... He comes to me.
Closing my eyes, my eyelids thick and heavy,
scales falling down, fall down around me now.
Murky waters pungent in smell break free from my shell
bursting through the seams of my skin.
Lifting my face His eyes empty all the darkness,
without a word filling me with new life.
Waters straight from the streams of Heaven
replace the murky waters now forever gone.
His hand touches my new skin translucent
and free from the boundaries it once contained.
He guides me gently to a glowing furnace but I am not afraid.
His peace envelopes, engulfs, protects and secures
my spirit now on fire... a fire that does not burn...
but melts away the old...
I fire within my heart churning, yearning and new.
He waits smiling with a Father's smile,
proud He stands waiting
for me to be refined in the furnace.
Illuminating light looks upon His face
and is reflected in His eyes,
I realize the light is coming from me...
and my heart is in awe.
My emotions melt within my spirit
overflowing with a beauty I have never known.
I see now I am whole... alive in His presence.
I am ready to be presented to my Father.
"Awake now," He says...
"Awaken and know your future".

By Kelly Watts 2005

Introduction From Michelle

2008-02-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

Hi, I’m Michelle and am married to My Handyman, Wilt. We Met on the Internet 11 years ago. We’ve been married almost 4 years. I have 3 children from my first marriage. Eric 26, Janelle 23 and Ashley 21. My first grand daughter; Cailin Marie, was born in May 2002 and lived 11 days. She was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. I believe she must have been a very special spirit to be able to go back and live with Christ so soon. My 2nd Grandson, Carter Ryan was born Sept 2007 and has been a lot of fun. I post pictures of him on my blog pretty regular. I was raised a Christian and was pretty active in church during my younger years. I’ve always been spiritual and a believer and read my scriptures and pray regularly. Music really touches my soul. I love listening to Air 1. My youngest daughter was baptized last summer and has really gotten me interested in church attendance. Even though I’m very outgoing and the social planner for my co-workers, it’s hard for me to meet new people. It takes me a while to warm up, then you can’t get me to quit talking. J My husband was raised Catholic and doesn’t like structured churches. He may attend with me someday! Please say your prayers. My friends tell me talent oozes from my pours. I am a Close to My Heart consultant and do it mostly as a hobby to help pay for my addictions. I love to stamp cards and do some scrapbooking. I am trying to teach myself digital scrapbooking using Photoshop Elements. I also tolepaint (decorative painting). I teach a few classes a year to friends. I play the piano and love to blog! There are so many talented people to learn from on line. I work full time at the corporate office of a Grocery Retailer. I hope to continue improving my life and grow in my walk with the Lord. I’m hoping to learn and grow taking advantage of your knowledge to help guide me and I hope to be able to offer some inspiration of my own. Thanks

Michelle Durheim
Close To My Heart Consultant
Visit my Blog - Creative Treasures

Testimony From Cheryl Moody

2008-02-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

HOW I DEALT WITH MY DEPRESSION

Wow kelly, you asked the question and kinda opened up probably many more blogging dicussions. How did I deal with my depression? Well, I wrote poetry, I started a personal scrapbooked journal starting from birth till now, and I went for counselling to a dear wonderful christian counsellor who opened the doors of my heart and allowed the past of sexual abuse and neglect to escape. I learned that within every person there is a child. This little child either sleeps contentedly because they experienced a healthy, nurturing and fullfilling life as a child; or the little child is in constant battle with the adult because of a life that was filled with abuse, neglect, hardships, etc. When the child's voice has finally been heard and they have received validation, that child will finally rest. I was depressed for a long time and didn't know why but when I finally talked about the "dirty secret", the stuff that had been inflicted upon me as a child that I was too ashamed to talk about; I couldn't believe the pain, the shame, the guilt and the heartache that had been released. I know for years I had struggled as a christian woman, a wife and a mother. But I truly feel that through all my times of what I perceived as failure, God was healing a broken destroyed little heart. He was loving and healing a child within this woman. I couldn't believe the poerty I had written during this time of healing, it had come from a place so deep inside my heart that I didn't even know had existed.
I know God has been taking me on a healing journey and many times it has been painful and I would rather not take it. But it has been very necessary and I thank God that He loves this child enough that He has taken this journey with me every step of the way. I want to share a piece of poetry I wrote during this time.

Everyone’s Child

There has been this little child

living deep within my heart.

She has always been an influence

right from the very start.

I did not know she existed

so ignored that life within.

Who was crying out for attention

fighting a battle she could not win.

When others saw this woman

they would stare in disbelief.

Why can’t she get a grip on life

and stop causing herself so much grief.

But for the child within this woman

she was carrying a heavy load.

From a life filled with neglect and pain

on a lonely endless road.

She’s 41 and pushing on

but still feels like that little soul.

Who so badly needed someone

to love and hold her through it all

How can she tell others

of a battle that rages within.

Between a neglected child

and a woman fighting to win

Then someone with a discerning heart

seen through the pain and strife.

Of a deeply saddened child

trying hard to be woman and wife.

He helped the woman look deep within

and see the child there.

He showed her how to help her

how to love her and how to care

For everything in her present life

is somehow connected to her past.

And she needs to learn to recognize

when the woman and child clash.

But others need to know the truth

that everyone carries within.

Their own little child sleeping soundly

or a frightened child fighting to win.

C.Moody

Welcome Cheryl M - Introduction

2008-02-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Cheryl Moody. Ilive in Nova Scotia which is also very cold but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else! I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was 12. It wasn't until I was in my early 30s when I found myself dealing with a very painful divorce and depression brought on by early menopause that I started taking my relationship with the Lord seriously. I had been controlling the wheel of my life and was heading very quickly for a cliff before I finally cried out to God again. I would like to say that from then on my life was a journey of commitment but this stubborn human heart was so full of self that God said I needed to learn more lessons. And more lessons there were. But from the lessons came a more dedicated and commited woman of Christ. Life is a journey, an unending journey of lessons, a journey of growth and a journey that takes us closer to home. Home with the Lord
Thank you to Kelly for taking on this project and I hope to get the chance to meet more of my sisters in the Lord through blogging.
hugs, Cheryl

Welcome Cathy N - Introduction

2008-02-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

The idea sounds great. I'm a busy mom of 4 kids, and I have a little web business that I started last summer, so my days are fairly full. But I think I might enjoy participating in the Women of Faith blog from time to time. So, a bit about me:

I've been a Christian 20+ years, so my faith is a key component of who I am. I grew up in a church and was "religious" and even attended a Christian highschool; but until I was an adult, I never really understood, or perhaps didn't want to understand about true salvation and relinquishing my life in exchange for the life of Christ. Bible study has greatly enriched my understanding of sanctification and what it means to be a true follower and disciple of Christ. I credit the studies I've done through Precept Ministries, (Kay Arthur), with the greatest amount of Biblical understanding, application, and spiritual growth. (along with great teaching at our church, and the Holy Spirit, of course :-)

So when I"m not busy with family and creating things for the website, I am active in our local church where I teach a ladies Sunday school class. Two of my kids are in college already, so there's not quite as much laundry as there used to be. . . .until they come home. :-)

Thank you for your interest. I look forward to reading the new blog.

Blessings!
Cathy N
http://tadpolesandteacups.blogspot.com/

Starting Off The Introductions: Hi I'm Kelly

2008-02-03T18:36:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone. My name is Kelly. This picture is of me and my son Benjamin ~ isn't he a cutie pie? Anyway, I will be your moderator of this blog. I live in Calgary, Alberta which is currently very cold! I gave my life to Jesus when I was 11 years old but didn't have a real relationship with Christ until after I was married back in 1993. A girlfriend at Church told me that I could talk to God just like I talked to her and she told me to ask for wisdom before I read the Bible and God would help me to understand. Right away God opened my eyes and my life changed forever. Since then my journey has been incredible. Not everything has been "hunky-dory" as they say ~ I have gone up and I have gone down but one thing remained the same, and that was Jesus.
I am married to the most-suited husband for me on this earth and God knew it way before I did! LOL He has been a true companion and God has worked through Him to comfort, protect, love, provide and minister to me. We have two sons, Joshua who is almost 13 and Ben who is almost 11. I thought I would be a girl mom, God had other plans and has since filled me in on how to be a 'boy mom'!
I have so much to share with all of you and I am excited and encouraged to get this blog up and going. I am so thankful that you all will be on the ride with me!
God bless you.

Welcome To Sharing The Journey: Faithbooking

2008-02-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been heavy burdened... I know that God has done so much for me ~ so much I know I can never repay Him. He made me a creative person and so over the years I have journaled, stamped, scrapbooked, painted, drawn pictures, written etc., but how much have I done to glorify God? Sure I have written poems for God, and created pieces of art for God... but how many times has my work touched others? I am sure it has touched a few hearts, but I want to do more. I want to share my journey, because it has been a wonderful journey! I want to learn what God has done in other women's lives and I want to see what He has created within all of us. This is where we can do that! This blog was created for the glory of God for anyone wanting to share what God has done in their lives.
Psalm 78:...4 says this; "we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done." I think this means that God wants us to share with one another what He has done in our lives.
So to begin this blog let me start by explaining what I am going to do. I am going to be the moderator of this blog. If you want to post anything on here send me an e-mail, include pictures of your families, your art, your crafts or anything that you want to share that glorifies God... and I will post it! It's as easy as that! I will keep all of your e-mail addresses and send you questions every now and then to encourage you to post something on this blog. You can choose whether you want to answer them or not. Sounds easy doesn't it? Okay... so here we go. E-mail me at ksun_1999@yahoo.com to get started.