Counting Our Blessings - Linkup

It's been a wonderful week of warmer weather. I'm welcoming Spring with open arms! I have actually spent some time on my deck, soaking up the sun, feeling the warm breeze on my face and praying to God as I enjoy His creation.

I've been working on a Lent study using this book


and creating an art journal with Scripture, stickers and die cuts. I love this little journal and how personal it feels. It focuses on Jesus and the promises of God.

I added a tip in to this page and here it is with it on top of the page

I created this little book using the journal and printable stickers from the Etsy shop, Praise and Pray. She's having a 30% sale right now as it's her 3rd anniversary on Etsy, so if you're interested in her things,, this is a good time to get some of her beautiful printables. The link to her shop is HERE.

I bound the journal myself using my binding machine but you could use a disc binding system (like for the Happy Planner) or even take it to an office supply store and let them bind it. The book and doing the journal with it, has been just wonderful.

I've also been stitching a lot and have an update on my Desert Santa. Here's the kit for him

and here's what I have stitched at this point

I usually don't do my beading until the end, but I just had to add my beads to the little donkey and see what he was going to look like finished. I'm absolutely loving this kit!

I also purchase something special and fun from 123 stitch. I have had my name in for an email notification to get the beautiful Mouline Special Etoile threads. I finally got my email and ordered them right away.

These threads are amazing with a touch of glittery type thread running through it. I have seen so many people adding them to their projects for a pop. I'm definitely going to try it on my Queen Elizabeth project I'm working on.

It's hard to see the shimmery threads running through, but they are there and gorgeous!

Share your own blessings on the linky below! Share something that blessed you this week, something you made, a recipe, or anything that blessed you and would bless others.



Blessings - Julie

Counting Our Blessings - LinkUp!

It's that wonderful time of the week when we count our blessings!

49.  My youngest son was recognized at his college last week and they had a banquet and ceremony that we attended. Each year, they choose a student from the Career and Technical Education classes for outstanding achievement and they chose him! His name goes on a plaque at the college and he also received a plaque of his own. It was such a special thing and I'm so thankful I could go and see him receive his award. The professor spoke so highly of him and said that this was the first time he, himself chose the student. Usually he lets the students vote, but my son was so outstanding to him that he wanted to make sure that he was awarded this year. Wow. Just brought tears to my eyes. He said so many wonderful things and I am so proud of my son. :) 

Here's a picture of my son (on the right) with his professor

 

 

50. I've been working on my cross stitch again and here's an update on the big piece

 

Little by little, I will get this done!

51.  I also worked on the fox ornament and here's an update on that

Isn't this just coming out so cute? This ornament is for my oldest son but the more I work on it, the more I know I must make one for myself.

52.  I went to the Christian book store today to get a Mother's Day card for my Mother and also wanted to see if they had any of the Illustrated Faith products. I found one thing and then asked if that was all they were carrying. She told me that they had gotten a few things in but weren't sure where to put it in the store! lol So I got to pick off the cart and here's all the beautiful things I got

I can't wait to try those pens in my Bible. I've been wanting to try them for a long time. I was thrilled with all these things. There were other things I liked, too, but the cost was too prohibitive! I picked out the things I loved and knew I would use. I will not only use this in my journaling Bible but in my Faith journal.

53. For Mother's Day, I was going to ask my hubby for a subscription to iDisciple. This is a Christian teaching site that you can access from your computer or through apps on your tablet or phone. You can find out more about it HERE.  Anyway, when we went to the Christian book store, they had a big sign up that you could subscribe for a year for $39.99. This is a $20.00 savings!! WooHoo! So, I got my card and am so excited to have this! My hubby was probably glad because he knew what to get me plus he saved money! lol

I can't wait to get started on this!

Thank you for being a part of my linkup! You can share your own blessings on the linkup below.



An InLinkz Link-up

Blessings - Julie

Counting Our Blessings - Link-Up

It's been a rather tough week for me. I've been sick with diverticulitis (again) and have had some other issues from a new pill the doctor gave me. At least that's what they think is wrong. There is a lot of pain when you have diverticulitis so the doctor gave me a pill that was supposed to help with that pain. I did okay on it for the first day and then had a horrible new pain in the upper left side of my abdomen. I went back to the doctor who said that we would wait one day and then if it was still there, we would do an ultrasound. We're doing an ultrasound. It's always something, isn't it?

Through it all, though, I have to count my blessings or, quite frankly, I would go crazy. I see such a difference in my attitude if I dwell on the bad things that are happening rather than the good. So, with that in mind, lets start counting those blessings!

7.  I've been working on my cross stitch for my son. I've made some good progress, I think. I haven't worked on it as much as I would like but I have had a couple good sessions of getting those stitches in. Here's a pic of how it looks now.

I'm really enjoying doing this piece. I'm having to be diligent with all the thread changes but so far I'm doing good at keeping track.

8.  I worked on my Bible journaling this week, too. Here are two new pages I did in my Bible. The first one is from Isaiah 43:18-19 and I chose to show the river through the desert. This is the Scripture that I'm memorizing right now.

The second page I did is from Psalms 91:4 and I chose to show my favorite bird, the quail, hiding her chick under her wing.

I enjoy doing this so much and love using my art to meditate on God's Word.

I hope your week was full of blessings! Please share your blog post on the link-up. It can be your blessings, something you made or anything you'd like o share. It can be a current post or an older one. Linking is a good way of sharing your blog with others!

An InLinkz Link-up

Blessings - Julie

Counting Our Blessings - Link Up

I'm sorry I've missed the last two weeks of the link up. I have been dealing with some health issues and was not feeling well. I always miss counting my blessings and I always miss coming by your blogs and reading what you share. I am so thankful that you take the time to link up with me and I hope that God blesses you abundantly this week!

29.  I can't tell you how much doing the Bible journaling has blessed me! When I first saw it, I knew that it really spoke to my heart. It has been so exciting and has added a new dimension to my time with God and reading my Bible. Here's a couple of new pages I did.

 This page is my representation of Revelations 21 where God tells us that He will make all things new. The flowers blooming are my idea of new growth and beauty. I did these with the Tim Holtz distressed markers.

This page is for Revelations 19 where the angel calls down the birds to eat the flesh off the dead. I know my angel is a little sweet looking for such a task, but I really like her and decided to stick with her kind look. You can see the birds behinds her in the sky. I did this with colored pencils.

30.  I hope your Easter was wonderful. We had a nice day and I sat and did this page in my Bible for that day. It shows the empty tomb and the cloth that was covering Jesus. I had such a wonderful time doing this! This was done with colored pencil and a white marker for the cloth. The lettering is done with a colored pen.

He is alive! This is the greatest blessing of all!

31. 

My husband and I had started this study, but I wasn't feeling good so we put it on the back burner. Then the Women's Bible Cafe announced they would be doing an online study of this. We thought it was the perfect opportunity to get started again. I really love my group I'm in and it has encouraged us to get going on it again. It's such a wonderful study and I am learning so much! There is nothing better than getting into God's Word!

32.  I love fresh flowers in the house and so when my hubby and I went to Walmart three weeks ago, my hubby bought me these.

Aren't they beautiful? They have lasted so long and they were only $4.00! I think they will last another week, easily. If I get flowers again, I'm going to choose this  kind as they last and their fragrance is so wonderful, too. Such a blessing to have fresh flowers!!

Please share your own blessings on the link up. I would so appreciate it if you would grab my button and put it on your blog! Have a very blessed week!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Blessings - Julie