To HIM be Glory

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints,

to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—

that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do

immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,

according to his power that is at work within us,

to him be glory

in the church and in Christ Jesus

throughout all generations,

for ever and ever! Amen.

~ Ephesian 3:16 - 21

Photography by Marion Matta

Love.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 Love never fails.
 
~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
 
Jesus is love.
 
Jesus suffered immensely, and still suffers today when we break his heart. He shows kindness. He does not envy. He isn't arrogant or conceited. He isn't rude or selfish. He is not provoked. He thinks no evil and does not take joy in sin but in truth. He bears all things. He believes and hopes all things. He endured all things.
 
HE NEVER FAILS.
 
The only way we can truly love anyone, is through Jesus. People are broken and sinful, and are bound to disappoint. If we love them in our own strength it won't last very long. But if we can love them through Jesus, we can trust in Jesus and place our hope in Him. And when the person inevitably disappoints, we can forgive and love again through JESUS. Because He NEVER failed us, and never will. So long as we have Him, we have EVERYTHING.

 

Decor DIY - Night Table

So there was a 50% off sale at a local thrift store - bonus! Picked up this great little night table for $7.50.

Also grabbed some sandpaper, Rustoleum spray paint in satin black ($9) and a gorgoues handle for $6 from Rona.

 The hardware I purchase was slightly smaller than the original, so my handy hubby drilled me some new holes. If you have no access to tools or a handy hubby, I suggest making sure the hardware you purchase is the same size! haha.

Took this outside to paint. With the wind it was dry in about 20 minutes!

A little bit of distressing and a adding the handle.. and presto chango! A cute, modern little night table for less than $25 - and the satisfaction of DIY ;)

*Sigh* looooove the handle.

Decor DIY - Jewelry Box

Stopped at Value Village the other day. Didn't find too much but this jewelry box for $7.50.

The wood looks so old and the blue velour on the inside was just gross... that was the first thing to go.

Yes, that handy little manicure multi-tool is what I used to pry it off! After the inside was stripped I removed the tiny handles and sanded it down.

After some 'satin' black Rustoleum, a bit of distressing and adding the hardware back on, I think it turned out quite well! :)

I made this jewelry box for myself, but what a great gift idea for a friend or a little girl! You could customise it to their favourite colour, paint or glue something on top, the options are endless. I can just picture it in pink with a few swirly flowers for a little princess :)

Our Happy-Duty

“There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.”
- Robert Louis Stevenson

I'm sure you've heard the saying "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" It's soooo true. Our mood really affects those around us - and the closer they are, the more it affects them. Whether your a 'momma' or a spouse, a friend or coworker, you are influencing the happiness of those around you!

"Whoever is happy will make others happy, too." Mark Twain.

Would it be so difficult to restrain ourselves from a complaint here, a sad look there?  Life is hard, its harder for you than it is for some people, yes. But it's also a heck of a lot easier than most people's. Let's be thankful for exactly what we have, positive about where we're headed, and purposely and predictably happy so that we can lovingly lift the spirits of our family and friends.

“It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light.” G. K. Chesterton

I realise this is often easier said than done, but happiness is a muscle. The more we choose to flex this muscle the stronger it gets! Of course the opposite is true as well - the more we allow ourselves to be negative or pout, the more likely we are to do so in the future. "Repetition increases the probability of repetition".

Here are some funny pictures to help you flex that happy-muscle ;)

Decor DIY - Footstool

So here is the cute little footstool. I think it was adorable, but I wanted to update it a bit.

The tools (minus the spray paint):

My kitty always wants to help :)

The first thing I did was disassemble the parts, then sand down the wood.

Time for paint!

And of course some distressing...

Then on to the fabric top. I didn't remove the old fabric or anything, simply covered it! I got this fabric at the thrift store for $2 - and only used a quarter of it!

So after pulling the fabric taut around the edges I stapled it in place:

Here is the finished product:

Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightening about shrinking so other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some; it’s in all, everyone. And as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

~ Marianne Williamson

Photography by Ian Ruhter