Armor of God: Total Game Changer

I read books all the time.  There are very few books that I do not finish but for some reason every time I start a Bible study I never end up finishing it.  I have at least six Bible studies that are sitting in my office that I've started but for whatever reason I've never finished them.  This is SO embarrassing for me to admit but isn't confession one of the steps to recovery?

When my church started a summer women's Bible study of the Armor of God I knew this was my chance to complete one.  Maybe my problem has been not having accountability to help me finish?



I was so proud of myself!  We started in June and as the weeks went on I kept up with my homework and never missed a weekly meeting until Dylan ended up in the hospital the first of August.  Our final meeting was the Thursday that Dylan came home from the hospital.  I was heartbroken but my baby definitely came first and at least this time I had a good excuse for not finishing the study.  

Despite my circumstances of adjusting to life with a Type 1 diabetic child I was determined to finish this study so I emailed our women's ministry leader a few weeks later, explained why I wasn't able to attend the last meeting, and asked if there were some way I could get a copy of notes or a video from that final meeting.  She couldn't send me the actual video that the group watched but she did send me a condensed version of the video which sadly sat untouched in my inbox for weeks.

After having a serious talk with my husband last week about procrastination and how I want more than anything to change my procrastinating habits I vowed to finish the Armor of God study by the end of October.  I am proud to say that on October 22nd I finished!!  I actually teared up and prayed a prayer of pure thanksgiving when I read that last sentence not only because I completed the study but because of everything that I have learned along the way.

Because of this study I have made new friends at church, I have completed my first Bible study, and most importantly I am starting to truly see myself the way that God sees me.  This study (especially this last week) has opened my eyes to so many lies that I've been believing about God and myself as a child of God.  I have felt trapped and like I've been in a battle my entire life but for the first time I feel truly free.  I am free!  I cannot tell you how amazing this feeling is.  It is a total game changer. 

I wanted something to commemorate this amazing feat as well as serve as a reminder of my newfound knowledge and freedom so my family took me to Mardel's so I could pick out something.  I really wanted a picture to hang on the wall to remind me of each piece of armor that I have learned about and need to daily put on but we couldn't find anything that fit our decor.  I am happy to report that I did not leave the store empty handed.  



I had been thinking about a bracelet or some type of jewelry that I could wear as a reminder and this ring is exactly what I wanted!  It has a condensed version of Ephesians 6:13-17 on it and is a beautiful reminder for me to stand firm!  It was hard for me to get a good picture of it but you can find it on Mardel's website.  It's not expensive by any means and I'm sure will one day tarnish but for now it will serve as a reminder and will forever be one of my most cherished possessions.  

I also wanted to share with you one of my favorite graphics from From The Heart Art showing off each piece of the armor of God.  I've had it on my Pinterest for awhile and just love it.



If you have not done this study yet I would HIGHLY recommend it.  I am hoping (Lord willing) to be able to afford the leader kit one day and lead my own study in my home.  In my opinion, this is a study that ALL women should go through.  It's time Christian women learned how to fight and this is the study to help prepare you. 
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Prayer Is A Privledge


You can find my review for this book HERE
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The Best Is Yet To Come

I love is stamping.  

It's been a passion that I haven't been able to pursue much these past few years and it makes me sad.  When I went through all my "drama" and my deep depression I think I lost my muse.  Since I'm slowly feeling better I am beginning to get my loves back.  One of those is reading which is why I'm SO excited to be a book reviewer but I am also falling in love again with stamping.

About a month ago I went to a Stampin' Up! party.  When I began stamping in 2007 I was a demonstrator and loved it but when I lost my passion I also let my being a demo die with it in 2010.  After going to the party the light was sparked again so in September I once again signed back up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!  There are some amazing ladies near me that are passionate about Stampin' Up! like me so I joined their amazing team. :)

We have a private Facebook group and each week we have a challenge.  Last week it was a color combo: 
Blushing Bride, Rose Red, and Mint Macaroon

I was not too psyched about the combo because (a) I don't have a lot of current SU colors and (b) it just wasn't jiving with me at first. 

Once I paired it with last week's sketch challenge I ended up with a pretty cute CAS card!


Like I said, my stamping supplies are extremely limited so to be able to do an all SU card was a challenge in itself but I like it!  

If you've never heard of Stampin' Up! or haven't seen what they're up to in awhile be sure to check out my website.  I will be posting more SU creations here on the blog as well as specials that the company is running.  This does not mean that I will use JUST Stampin' Up! on everything I create (Verve still has my heart) but maybe in the future I might have a Stampin' Up! only blog.  Right now I'm still so new I am trying to get back into the swing of things and learning everything that has changed the past few years in the world of stamping. 

I hope everyone has an amazing Saturday!  It is absolutely gorgeous here in Texas!  This afternoon I am going to a Christmas card class to get some demo ideas which I am so excited about and then tonight is date night with my man!  :)  Good times...


Stamps: Frosted Medallions
Paper: Love Blossoms DSP, Mint Macaroon, Whisper White
Ink: Rose Red
Accessories: Metallic Sequins, Paper Piercing Tool, Whisper White Ribbon
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Searching the Scriptures


You can find my review for this book HERE
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Still Holding Onto Summer

Every fall it never fails.  I end up getting super sick and disappear for a few weeks.  This year is no exception.  I was in the hospital this past week for a kidney stone and apparently another one is on the way.  I know I'm on 35 but my body is acting like its much older.  It's hard to deal with but I know the Lord is using this time to grow my faith so even though I pray for healing I am ok that so far the answer has been, "Not yet."

The whole time I've been sick I have been itching to stamp so once I felt up to it I decided to make a simple little note card that proves I am still holding onto summer (at least in the stamping sense).


I've had the Berries & Cherries set from Taylored Expressions for years but have only inked it up a few times which is insane because cherries are my everything.  Fun Fact: My husband even nicknamed me CherryPie because of my obsession with them.  True story.

I'm really trying to use a lot of my older patterned paper and found this retired one by Stampin' Up! and I cannot for the life of me remember the name but I've always loved this color combo.  The card is a 3x3 and I was really going for a picnic look to it.  The whole thing makes me think of summer which is usually my favorite season but this year I am so glad fall is here.  This summer was rough and I am thankful its over.  I am on to bigger and better things. ;)

This card is super simple but I simply love it and I LOVE that I got a little stamping therapy in!  It's been WAY too long.

I'll be back later this week with another book review and hopefully more eye candy. :)
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