Grateful ...oh so .... Great .....ful.....My LORD!

Setbacks - August 30th

You should learn from the past, but you should never allow ourself to become stuck there. Once you have made peace with the past, you are then free to live more fully in the present ... and that's precisely what you should do.
~Love Barbara~

Challenge Monday 2010 - All My Worship

My Sweet, Sweet Song- All My Worship
Praising God is an act of humility and devotion. When we praise and worship God, we turn our focus from ourselves and place it on God. This act brings us into closer fellowship with the Lord and allows us to express our faith. We lift our hands and shout words of thanksgiving and adoration. We play music, sing and dance.
**************************************

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. -Psalms 34:1

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. -
Eph. 5:19-20 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. -
Hebrews 13:15What do you praise God for? What songs express pure praise to you? God is worthy of our praise and worship at all times. Sometimes we are so caught up in our circumstances that we find it hard to praise God. At those times the right song can remind us that God is in control and he is an awesome God!And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28
I hope you will join us this month in creating a layout inspired by your favorite songs. Below are a few songs I thought fit this topic, but feel free to share any song that you feel drawn too.Indescribable- Chris TomlinOur Love is Loud- David CrowderShout to the Lord - several versionsOpen Skies- David Crowder

Praise You in the Storm- Casting CrownsWhile trying to decide what to scrap for this challenge, the song Who Am I? by Casting Crowns came on the radio.
I had planned to use the song Praise You in the Storm by them as the basis of my layout but was really struggling to get it to come together. I guess sometimes I feel that while I have had my share of storms, that overall I have very little to complain about. I have known and meet people, who have gone through much larger storms than I have and to be honest, sometimes I wonder why one person who has amazing faith can be put through so much while someone else can continue to have things work out well. This song has help me to realize, it has nothing to do with who we are or what we do. It's all because of who He is and what He did. We fall short and yet God is here with us. Sometimes he calms the storms and sometimes he goes through them with us, but no matter who you are, He is always there and that alone is enough to give him constant praise.

~Love Barbara~

My Lifetime Story Challenge 23 - Blessings of Children / Childbirth

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.~Psalms 127:3-5 ESV

Create a layout about each of your children.
~Love Barbara~

My Lifetime Story Challenge 27 - Our Home

"... as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15 In the beginning of our Lifetime Story albums we scrapbooked our childhood homes.

Now it is time to scrapbook our other homes. Journal detailed descriptions of places your family has lived, describe your home, the surroundings, smells, the neighbors, the area.
~Love Barbara~

My Lifetime Story - Challenge 25 - Religion In Our Home

My Lifetime Story - Challenge 25 - Religion In Our Home

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. ~Proverbs 22:6

We may not be able to force our family to come to a personal decision to trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, but we can be sure that our decisions and actions affect the choices of our household. There are several places in Acts that show us how we live can affect our "household" aka family.

Acts 11:14-17

Acts 16: 13-15

Acts 16:25-34

Acts 18:8

~Love Barbara~

My Lifetime Story Challenge 26 - Wife, Mother, Nurturer - Parenthood

My Lifetime Story Challenge 26 - Wife, Mother, Nurturer - Parenthood

Scrapbook what you like about being a mom or wife, or both?

My Lifetime story layout .. Marriage 2010

~Love Barbara~

My Lifetime Story Challenge 16 - Teen Favorites & Memories

Now it is time to look back to our Teen Years and journal about our favorites and memories from those years. For me there will be several pages of favorites and memories of my teen years.

Next week we will be creating layouts on High School (school, memories, friends, dates, graduation, etc).
~Love Barbara~

My Lifetime Story Challenge 30 - My Adult Friends

Wednesday, July 28, 2010
"A friend loves at all times." ~Proverbs 17:17
Friendships play a huge part in our faith. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people helps us stay on the right path. We all have a friendship that goes deeper than an occasional phone call. These friends inspire us to grow in our faith and they lift us up when we need lifting. These friends know what we are thinking sometimes without us ever saying a word.These friends hold us to our word. They listen to us vent and remind us when we need to let things go. They also tell you when the dress really doesn't look so flattering or when you have brocolli stuck between your teeth!

In the beginning of our My Lifetime Story albums we did a challenge on childhood friends. This week we are scrapbooking our adult friends. If you are still friends with some of your childhood friends it would be neat to include some pictures of that person as an adult also. My album will have several pages of adult friends. Remember, this is your album and these challenges are only suggestions to get your creative juices flowing and guide you in the process of creating your Lifetime Story album..

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." ~Proverbs 18:24


~Love Barbara~

My Lifetime Story Challenge 31 - People Who Have Touched My Life

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 ( Copied and pasted from Faith Sisters)
All of us have had amazing people enter our lives. Some of these people may inspire us to do things we never dreamed we could do. Some people we just admire for their ability to always do the right thing. Some people mirror such a faith in Jesus that it inspires you to live your life this way as well. God puts certain people into our lives. It is amazing to me how those people show up in life at just the right time and bless me.

This week scrapbook some of the stories of people who have inspired you, blessed you or just touched your life in an unforgetable way. Pay tribute to some of the special people in your life who have done something so small that nobody else even knows about it, but meant something special to you. Pay tribute to the people that the Lord used along the way to touch you spiritually. You may have many stories to share and many people to pay tribute to.

Some people who have touched my life are my pastor, my parents, my grandma, some of the ladies in my prayer group, and several special friends. You might choose to make a layout for each person or you could do one main layout of people who have touched your life.
~Love Barbara~

My Lifetime Story Challenge 33 - My Favorites As An Adult

My Lifetime Story Challenge 33 - My Favorites As An Adult (Copied and Pasted from Faith Sisters)
Layout to Follow...

In March we made a layout about our Childhood Favorites. Now it is time to create a layout about our favorites now as adults!
Favorite Color?
Favorite ways to spend time?
Favorite toys?
Favorite memory?
Favorite Scripture?
Favorite Song?
Favorite Car?
Favorite thing to do on the weekend?
Favorite extra curricular activities?
Favorite place?
Favorite games?
Favorite relatives?
Favorite TV show/movie?
Vacations?
The list could go on and on. Think of as many of your favorites as you can and get them into your My Lifetime Story Album.
~Love Barbara~

My Lifetime Story Challenge 34 - My Testimony

Your personal testimony will be one of the most powerful pages in your faithbook. These will be powerful pages for you but most importantly the people who flip through your faithbook. I can honestly say that everyone who looks through my faithbook takes the time to read the two pages of journaling about my personal testimony. Some people have a vivid memory of exactly when they accepted the Lord into their life and others grew up going to church and don't really remember the exact moment because they kinda always had that relationship with the Lord. Either way....share your story!

 Things to consider sharing:

*What was your life like before you made a faith commitment?
*How old were you?
*Was it a slow, gradual process or did you have a defining moment (or a little of both)?
*What got you interested in your particular faith?
*What convinced you?
*Were there people who influenced you in this decision? How so and in what ways?
*Was there a defining moment of commitment? (a special prayer, ceremony, decision in your heart, or ?)
*How did you feel right before you made the commitment?
*How did you feel after?

Your personal testimony page will mainly be a journaling page. Most of us probably don't have pictures from this event but you may want to consider including photos of you at the age when your conversion took place, photos of influential people, or photos of the location where you had a "defining moment."
I recommend handwriting your personal testimony journaling. This is a very special topic and deserves the personal touch of your very own handwriting whether or not you think your handwriting is terrible! If you have way too much journaling to fit into two pages then do computer journaling...but at least use a handwriting font to make it look more personal.

http://faith-sisters.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-testimony.html

~Love Barbara~

I have been Bleesed with so many things - Great Friends being one of them..

I wanna First and foremost say thanks To the All Mighty that is the Author and finisher of my LIFE! Thanks You for Blessing me with some great friends ...... Truly thr Thick and thin you guys have been there for me.. whether Near or far .. I love you Guys .. And i thanks GOD for all of you everyday .....
This layout is for all of you and i hold you guys dear to me heart....So if you every wondering If I love you the Answer is .. Yes I love you .. Always and forever....Thanks...

New Cards - August 2010

Thursday is world Cancer Day -

I'd appreciate it if you will forward this request

Dear GOD, I pray for a cure for cancer. Amen

All you are asked to do is keep this circulating, even if it's only to one more person.

In memory of anyone you know who has been struck down by cancer or is still living with it.

A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle..

Love Barbara~

{Scripture Challenge 2} Challenge Word #17, Prayer

Challenge Word #17: Prayer

New product found online - Glimmer Mist

Glimmer Mist - from its humble beginnings of being mixed in creator Wendy Senger's kitchen, to national and international success - it's been quite a ride!Glimmer Mist started as a scrapbooker's desire to have a product that would easily add glimmer and color to a large area. Quickly addicting herself and her friends, Wendy decided to approach a local scrapbooking store to see what the response would be. She began sending information to stores around the country and the orders started coming in. Wendy soon realized Glimmer Mist was a product that would help small business owners keep their customers coming back for more.



Beginning with one friend to help her, Tattered Angels has now expanded to over 10 friends getting together to take orders, make Glimmer Mist and help our customers. Each day is a new adventure and we enjoy the excitement of the business and each other's company every day. Wanting to expand the opportunities to use Glimmer Mist on a wide variety of products, Tattered Angels has added some new tools and items to its line to increase customer creative inspiration. Look for even more products to come out soon.

I'm Expecting something Big from GOD!

Psalm 118:24

This is the day the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

~Love Barbara~

{Scripture Challenge 2} Challenge Word #17, Prayer

(Good Morning - This weeks Scripture Challenge - Copied and Pasted from patter Cross blog)

While we were on vacation, God really gave me time to sit and listen to things He wants me to share with each of you. I grabbed my pencil and a notebook and wrote furiously because my mind doesn’t remember things for very long. LOL! Anyway, one thing God gave me was the word “prayer.” I actually posted a study on prayer back in March 2008. You can see that study here. Well, I kept thinking “God, I have already done that study.” However, He had more for me to say so today we are going to look at prayer again, and I also hope you will reference the 2008 study as you read and study on your own. Let’s look at:

Challenge Word #17: Prayer
Have you ever stopped praying because you feel like God has never heard or answered your prayers in the past? Have you given up? Do you feel like He doesn’t hear you? Or maybe you see answer to prayer, have experienced His amazing power, and you want others to have the relationship you have? Or are you somewhere in the middle and you feel like you are on a ‘prayer rollercoaster’? And what is prayer exactly, and how should we go about praying?


First, God knows all things and is intimately familiar with the details of our lives. (See Psalm 139:13-18). Prayer is communication with God and a way believers experience a relationship with Him. Any relationship you have or want to maintain with someone involves communication (both talking and listening). If you have ever lost communication with someone that has moved to a new town, etc., you see that relationship dwindle when the communication is not maintained. Being in prayer and maintaining a relationship with the Lord changes us forever, helps us to know His will for us, and gives us that desire to live for Him each day.


We need to pray because it pleases God, and He loves to answer prayer! Psalm 50:15 says “And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” And Psalm 147:11 says “the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” He does hear our prayers, and He delights in our fear and reverence of Him. It is a privilege to pray, and it helps us to trust His decisions and desire for our lives.


There is no magic formula to prayer. Sometime during the day you may have a lengthy prayer in your quiet time modeling what is in this study, and other times during the day you will need to shoot up those quick prayer requests. The Holy Spirit will lead you, and the more you pray and develop that relationship, the easier it becomes, and your desire to pray to Him for others and for all things (big and small) will increase. Philippians 4:6 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” And 1 Timothy 2:1-3 says “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.”


In our prayer time, we need to worship Him and praise Him for who He is. The Book of Psalms is a wonderful place to learn words that describe God (see Psalms 86 and Psalms 145). Pray His attributes back to Him. We need to thank Him for what He has done. And then comes the hard one—we must confess our sins and realize that it is hard to be in His Holy presence with unconfessed sin in our lives. After that, then we can share our specific requests (for ourselves and others) with Him. After you pray, listen for His direction and expect an answer. Psalm 27:14 says “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” But notice the word “wait.” We must wait for His perfect timing and His perfect answer (which doesn’t always line up with our desire). Ask Him to give you a desire to pray powerfully in His name. Jesus is our perfect example of prayer. I encourage you to read John 17 which includes Christ’s prayer for Himself, His Disciples, and for future believers. It is an amazing and encouraging chapter! Praying also gives us that desire to share Him with others. Prayer is a powerful resource. Turn to Him in prayer first in all things!


For my page this week, I had trouble finding a scripture because there were SO many great ones I could have used. I had to control myself even in this lesson because I wanted to reference so many passages! Anyway, I decided to use James 5:13-16 “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”


~Love Barbara~

What is my Dream telling me?

My dream woke me up this AM as I was standing talking to my father... the man that I've known to be my brothers fathers.. But nevertheless, we were at a family gathering ....(No one in the family stood out). and I woke up talking to him (My father). Can't remember the conversation. I remember dreaming about Family and My Father :
(He was saying since I have not seen you in so long and I heard you were in town. Cause you know in those small town news travels. And you just turneed 29 I decide to come on over.) The Family gathering was somewhere in the South.

This was really a crazy dream, but very peaceful.
Here is what the Dream Interpretation said....

Father

To see your father in your dream, symbolizes authority and protection. It suggests that you need to be more self-reliant. Consider also your waking relationship with your father and how aspects of his character may be incorporated within yourself.
 
Family

To see your own family in your dream, represents security, warmth and love. It could also symbolize bitterness, jealousy, or rivalry, depending on your relationship with your family. Alternatively, it could mean that you are overly dependent on your family, especially if the family members are in your recurring dreams .Consider also the significance of a particular family member or the relationship you have with them.

~Love Barbara~

My Lifetime Story Challenge 32 - Careers and Jobs

My Lifetime Story Challenge 32 - Careers and Jobs

Describe the different careers and jobs that you have had up to this point in your life.

If you have a job that you do not like, maybe you could talk about your dream job.
~Love Barbara~

Timely Tips - A Helping Hand!

We can never untangle all the woes on other’s lives.

We can’t produce miracles overnight.

But we can bring a cup of cool water to a thirsty soul,

or a scoop of laughter to a lonely heart!

Barbara Johnson

~Love Barbara~

Faith Cards and Scripture Challenge - Worship.

Faith Card for a Special Friend....Gotta have Faith...Hebrews 11:1-2

Faith in What We Don't See
1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.  

Scripture challenge  - Worship

Altered Journal - Diana Journal

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #38 - (Copied and Pasted from Faith Sisters)

{Faith Journaling} Challenge #38

Welcome to another Thursday and journaling prompt. This week let's look at prayer.
**Do you keep a prayer journal?
Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
And thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed Thursday
~Love Barbara~

2010 Challenges from www.faithsister.com .

My 52 weeks of Blessing - What am i blessed with this week.. Peace and happiness.. Thank you Father for the peace and Happiness that you continue to give to me.

My Lifetime Challenge - Week  - My Adult Friends

Scripture Challenge - 2010 week - Worship

Psalm 99:9 (New Living Translation)

Exalt the Lord our God,and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem,for the Lord our God is holy!

Psalm 100:2 (New Living Translation)

Worship the Lord with gladness.Come before him, singing with joy.

Got Problems? Make a Trade with God- It's long but worth the read!

By Joyce Meyer
Did you know that God wants to make a trade with you? He has a standing offer every minute of every day, and it's amazing how few of us actually take Him up on it. He wants you to give Him all your cares, problems and failures. In return, He'll give you His peace and joy. On top of that, He promises to protect and take care of you.

Let Go of Your Worry...
God really does want to take care of us, but in order to let Him, we've got to stop trying to take care of ourselves and worrying about every little thing we can't control. Many people would like for God to take care of them, but they insist on worrying or trying to figure out an answer on their own instead of waiting for His direction. They wallow around in puddles of their own worry, wondering why God doesn’t give them peace. God will give us peace, but we must first give Him our worries.

We give God our worries by trusting that He can and will take care of us. By trusting God, we're able to rest in Him, knowing that He has the situation well under control. Worry, on the other hand, is the opposite of trust. Worry steals our peace, wears us out physically, and can even make us sick. If we're worrying, we're not fully trusting God, and we'll never be able to experience His peace.

...and Pick Up God’s Peace!
What a great trade! We give God our worry, and He gives us His peace. We give Him all our cares and concerns, and He gives us His protection, stability and joy. That's the privilege of being cared for by Him.
Because He cares for us, He wants us to live in peace and not be all tied up in knots of worry. He has ways of guiding us toward peace if we're alert enough to sense His direction.

Read the Signs
Imagine that you're driving down a road. Along the way, there are signs that provide direction or give warning. If you pay attention to the signs and follow their instructions, you will safely reach your destination.

In the same way, on the road of life there are spiritual signs along the way. In order to stay under God's protection, you must obey these signs that tell you to trust Him and not worry. Don't be afraid; have courage. If you'll pay attention to these signs, you'll find it's easy to stay on course. You'll experience the protection, peace and joy that only God can provide.

However, if you fail to heed the signs, you may notice that the road seems a little bumpier than usual, and you aren't as confident in your ability as you once were. You may become anxious about the unknown things waiting around the corner, and even veer off the road.

Focus on Today
Anxiety is like putting on a heavy coat on a hot summer day. It weighs you down. It’s difficult to move and stifling to wear. According to Webster's Dictionary, anxiety is "a state of being uneasy, apprehensive or worried..." Sometimes this uneasiness is really vague—something we just can't put our finger on. All we know is that we're uneasy.

You and I don't need to be anxious about tomorrow when we have all we can handle today. Even if we manage to solve all our problems today, we'll just have more to deal with tomorrow...and more the next day.
Why waste time worrying when it's not going to solve anything? Why be anxious about yesterday, which is gone, or tomorrow, which hasn't arrived yet? Trade in your worries today for God's peace. ~Love Barbara~

Butterflies outside the building.....