Big news!

Hey! How are you? Thank you for stopping by. Feel free to stay awhile and read, but I have moved! You can find me now at www.lynnettecretu.com I will be posting over there from now on. So, hop over and check out the new place! Make sure you subscribe there, so you don't miss anything important.

See you there!

Are you a chicken or an eagle?

About a year ago, I was sitting in Bible Study listening to my friend Heather talk about eagles and chickens. "God created you to be an eagle not a chicken," she exclaimed. Chickens live cooped up, never flying, eating their own waste. They tend to be irritable and get into squabbles with one another (eating your own waste would do that to you). Eagles, however, are strong, wise, discerning and they have incredible vision.

How many times have I been content in my little part of the world, doing the safe thing?

How often have I wanted to stretch my wings and fly, but through my fear, I talked myself out of it?

but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31

God intended us to live this way, through Him and his Son.

This verse and God's intention for our lives led me to create my latest painting.

God has a huge heavenly purpose for you! God does not want you to be content with the chicken life... confined to a coop and being irritable.

Open your wings today and soar on His strength and power.

God and I both believe in you!

You are treasured!

I read this post last week, and as a mom of a boy, I cheered. Thank God there are families in this world teaching good moral character. They are taking a stand and saying this is what we believe, this is what we are looking for and we will not put up with anything less.

... and... as a mom of a girl, I wanted to cry. What are we teaching our girls? Are we telling them how wonderful they are because of who they are in Christ? Do they know there are boys who are looking for good, nice, modest girls? Do they understand that not all attention is good attention?

I have seen some questionable pictures and frightening comments. I wish I could talk with each of these girls...

"Do you know how special you are? God created you just the way you are. He knit you together just the way He wanted. You are His masterpiece. He has a wonderful plan for you and your life. I know that life is hard sometimes. Not everyone is going to like you all the time and that is ok. Sometimes it is more important to stand apart from the crowd than it is to blend in. There are people who will love you for who you are, and you won't need to compromise your morals for them."

I can't speak with each of them, so I created art instead.

You are precious.
You are beautiful.
You are adored.
You are a masterpiece.
You are royalty.
You are victorious.
You are free.
You are treasured.
You are His.

They will be available with different girls and customized with names.

I would love to hear your thoughts!

*** they are up on my etsy shop now *** order yours today ***

Keep your faith!

Hello friends! I just finished creating my last art piece. I took pictures along the way to show you the process. Enjoy!

My workspace before

The sketch -my inspiration

Encouragement from friends!

Looks like Superman ice cream!

Getting messy, means progress

So not feeling the sky, so I covered it up!

My workspace after

The final piece. This is available in my Esty shop.

i believe

i believe...
i can do all things through Christ who is my strength
courage means standing even when your knees are shaking
i am more than a conquerer

i believe...
wisdom is given every time we ask

i believe...
you reap what you sow
laughter is cheap medicine
happiness is an inside job

i believe...
Joy is a daily choice, a gift

i believe...
i am a child of God, so is everyone i meet
i am worthy of honor and respect {from myself & others}
love others as you love yourself includes loving yourself

i believe...
Jesus, family & friends {in that order}
being a mom is the most important job i will ever have
faith is the greatest gift we can give our children

i believe...
love covers a multitude of sins
nothing can separate me from His love

i believe...
it's about Him not me
He has a plan & it is good
Thy will not my will

i believe...
change is good

i believe..
every rainbow needs rain
streams can flow in the desert
great things take time

i believe...
all of creation praises the Creator
the mountains and hills burst into song
the trees of the field clap their hands
even the rocks will cry out His name

i believe...
art is your soul on display
colors are meant to be bright
patterns are made to be mixed

i believe...
everyone is creative



This was a real learning experience for me. I would love to hear from you, what do you believe?

What's next?

I was thinking about my blog title this morning. Mismatched, socks, burnt toast and Jesus. I know it was a gift from God. A title He gave me a few years ago, when I first started blogging.

There are three parts to my silly title.

First, the mismatched socks. One day, my daughter completely ran out of socks. I was doing laundry on a regular basis, so how could she be out? I decided to start sock-hunting while she was at school. I was shocked and appalled to find 27 socks stashed around her room- tucked into every corner, left under the bed, in the closet- socks everywhere! I remember calling my friend Gidget in order to get some moral support with my latest child-rearing issue and her response was, "Why does she have so many socks?"  I can laugh now, but at the time I was irritated by the whole thing!

Second, the burnt toast. We have this awful toaster that does not work! The bread either comes out lukewarm or burnt beyond recognition. At the time I named the blog, it was a brand-new toaster and a gift, so we just dealt with it's inadequacy and the game it provided each morning... what kind of toast are we having today?

Finally, Jesus. Through it all, He has been there. My calm in the storm. My sanity. My hope. My wisdom. My voice of reason. He has carried me on the days I couldn't find my way. I am grateful. Because of Him, I am able to look at these situations and laugh.

I love that our God has a sense of humor. This morning He and I laughed about the blog title and the fact that I can no longer eat toast.

In December of 2012, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and Gluten Intolerance. Experts may argue which came first, sort of like the chicken and the egg, it doesn't really matter to me, I have both and my life has changed because of it. No more toast for me!

So, I asked Him, "What is next? Should I change the name of the blog, since it no longer fits?"

To be honest, I'm not sure. Perhaps it is His reminder to me that His ways are higher than our ways and thoughts. Instead of trying to figure Him out, I just need to enjoy spending time with Him and experiencing the blessing of today. I know He has a plan for me and it is good, and my human brain is not able to see all of my life at once. I only need to trust Him moment by moment, knowing He is with me and watching and helping.



What is God teaching you today? I would love to hear from you.

Wow! Time flies!

Hi everyone! I can't believe it has been almost a year since posting. I have lived, laughed, loved and cried. But, I am here trying to figure out where to go next. I am praying, listening and working on steps of obedience. Here is what I am working on now: