Marvelous Memory Monday

Fun Friday

My new obsession is Pinterest. I could spend hours there! After pinning and pinning, I decided it was pointless to pin without actually doing anything. So, I made this...

Here are the instructions. It is just a standard frame and you use dry erase markers to write messages or quotes. I love it!

We recently celebrated Mr. D's 6th Birthday. Every year, since the kids were old enough to respond {we started at age 2} I interview the kids on their Birthday and write down their answers {word for word}. Some of the responses are quite funny and our extended family always looks forward to reading the latest edition. I save them with their special papers so we can look back and remember. I reformatted the layout this year and decided to share. Here is a new printable for you!

Birthday Interview


Christmas is just around the corner! I am offering a coupon in my Etsy shop to all of my blog readers. If you are looking for a special gift please take a look. All of my jewelry is Scripture based and I am adding new items all the time. The coupon code is TOAST and you will receive 10% off of all items purchased in November.


One last thing, I was a guest blogger at Faith in Between this week. Please hop over and visit.

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday Wisdom

Hi friends! I've missed you! Just back from Disney.... it was wonderful and I am exhausted. Glad to be home, but trying to get back into the swing of things. 

Here is some Wednesday Wisdom for you....

Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word.  Proverbs 16:1 (MSG)

For all of you early shoppers, I added a coupon to my etsy shop. All November orders are 10% off with the coupon code TOAST. 

Are 'ya new here?

Photo by Stuart Miles

"Are you new here?" As the words left my mouth I could feel the heat rise from my neck to my face. In my excitement to be helpful, I let the words escape without thinking. "Um, yes" was the hesitant response.

God has been working on me to open my eyes and really see. I know He wants me to look at the things around me instead of keeping my eyes on the sidewalk while life goes whirring past. I have been making an effort to do that, but I seem to be tripping over this new task ... just call me Grace.

We attend a VERY large church. It can be intimidating to walk in the door. I can remember the first time we attended, I felt like we had entered a maze. Nothing looked familiar, no faces stood out, I didn't have any "land" marks to tell me I was going in the right direction. The greeters and ushers were very helpful and were more than gracious to get us where we needed to go. Since then, I have tried to direct others if I sense they are new or lost.

So, as Dan and I sat in our seats one morning waiting for worship to begin, I couldn't help but overhear  the conversation that was going on directly behind us {a.k.a- eavesdropping}. The little boy was asking his parents, "where are all the kids?" I'm sure his parents were just happy to be in their seats after successfully conquering the parking lot and finding the auditorium, they had not noticed the absence of anyone under the age of 13. The family began wondering, out loud, where all the kids were. This is the point in the story where I decided to be "helpful" and stick my nose in.

I eagerly turned around, happy to help and said, "Are 'ya new here?" My tone was less than helpful and the phrase is something I say to my kids when they forget one of our set-in-stone rules. Not the best impression for a new family. I tried to recover, telling them about the great children's programs and how safe it is. They were kind and said thank you.

I turned to face forward in my seat and replayed the conversation in my head. Ugh! Nice choice of words. Nice lead in. I should have offered to walk them out to the child check-in area.

Excuse me, I think my mismatched socks are showing.

Thank you Lord that You are a God of second and third and fourth chances. This isn't easy! Please help me to be kind and welcoming. Please open my eyes to see what is happening around me. Teach me how to reach out to others with grace and mercy. Remind me to slow down and depend on your wisdom, not my own. Amen.

Wednesday Wisdom

Proverbs 2

Moral Benefits of Wisdom

 ¹ My son, if you accept my words
   and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
   and applying your heart to understanding—
³ indeed, if you call out for insight
   and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
   and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the LORD
   and find the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom;
   from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He holds success in store for the upright,
   he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
⁸ for he guards the course of the just
   and protects the way of his faithful ones.