The PaperPeasant

"Thank You......God's Special Servant"

What began as a typical week with a typical challenge became not so typical when I sat down to write this weeks blog post.

I made this weeks card for the Perfect Sentiments challenge but didn't know that the two simple words used as my sentiment would create such a stirring reminder in my heart today. Please let me take a few moments to share with you the story of a mans life and the legacy he leaves behind.....

"Pastor Vondel Allen" is known by many who grew up in my old home town in Maine as a pastor who had an extra special heart. I remember Pastor Allen as I traveled through life as he played a key role in several of my life experiences.

The first time I walked down the aisle at church to accept Jesus into my heart, Pastor Allen was there at the front of the church, holding out his arms for me to welcome me into God's family. (Please know his patience when I came the 2nd & 3rd time as well!)

When I was 17 and pregnant and afraid to tell my parents, Pastor Allen was there with me to deliver the news and support me.

9 1/2 years later when I buried my son Anthony, again, Pastor Allen stood by my side, offering words of support and encouragement at a time when I felt all hope was lost.

I learned today that Pastor Allen was in the hospital and expected to soon journey home to be with our Lord. I took in the words when I heard them and let them settle on my heart. Could it be that this man of God would be gone from this earth soon? All the lives he and his family touched would be forever changed because his life would be ending. It was difficult to allow this thought to settle in my mind and my heart. God's perfect plan included Pastor Allen.

Then, for a moment, I sat back, reflecting on the times he was present in my life and wondered to myself "how many others were touched by him?" The tears came and my hands rested on my Bible, seeking to find something within its pages to bring peace to my aching heart. I remember back to my sons grave when Pastor Allen spoke gently to me about God's plan for each of our lives. He encouraged me in my grief by reminding me that one day all who believe would be called home to spend eternity with God and we would all celebrate the One who created us to walk through our lives here on earth.

10:20pm::: I've just learned that Pastor Allen has been lifted into his heavenly Fathers arms. I rejoice in the beauty of this mans heart, and of years of selfless dedication as a servant with a genuine love for his true Father. I am better to have known him and so are others who can call him husband, father, Pastor and friend.

I was listening to some music and this song came across my mind.....I like to think of it as God's way of reminding me of the importance of saying "thank you" to those who touch our lives. For Pastor Allen, his wife Paula and children......"Thank you......Mine is a life that was changed....."

 

Just think:
Of stepping on shore and finding it heaven
Of touching a hand and finding it God's
Of breathing new air and finding it celestial
Of waking up in glory and finding it HOME!(author unknown)

Theresa

Card details:::This weeks challenge card was to create a card with a sentiment of thanks on the front. The "twist" was to use some form of distressing on your card...paper tearing, wrinkling, inking, distressed edges etc. Our Sponsor for this weeks challenge at Perfect Sentiments is Stictchy Bear Digital Stamps with a $10.00 voucer to their store.

 **This card was entered into the ICopics Weekly Challenge #74 to color some flowers using Copic markers & also the "Use Your Stuff Challenge #26 where anything goes.

For more inspiration check out my fellow design team members

creations:

Jenn

Samantha

Abby

 Jan

Maggie

Sassy

Karen

Tabitha

March Guest Designer:

Cheryl

"His Voice Will Go On....."

Time really passes by quickly doesn't it? Today, as I remember the life of my son Anthony I realize a little more than usual just how quickly we journey through our lives. Things are moving so fast it

seems, as we rush through each day taking care of "things" that have made their way to the top of our list. Things such as work, cleaning, paying bills, spending time with family...this list could go on quite a bit because we fill our days with all kinds of things don't we?

 

I had the blessed opportunity the other day to sit and listen to a beautiful lady share the story of the life and death of her own son. She voiced things that resonated with me which I've pondered over the past few days.

After the loss of a loved one, there seems to be this "acceptable" period of time that a person can grieve and talk about their loss and then one day, they wake up and realize that no one wants to listen anymore. Their voice is shut down as they are cut short, ignored and unfortunately, often turned away from because it's not comfortable for the other person to hear and they just don't have the time to listen.

If you've lost someone whom you love, you can probably relate to this at some level. I know that when this lady was sharing the story of her son, even though the details of her loss were significantly different from mine, I was drawn to her words, her expressions and certainly to her tears. Several years have gone by since her son died and she still needs to share his story. I get this but often feel that others don't.

Anthony passed away in 1995 at the young age of 9 1/2. Yes, he was taken too young and his death,

placed a deep grief upon my heart which I still feel today, although the sting of my grief is certainly not as intense as it use to be, but it never goes away.

 I still share Anthony's story with others, I want people to know who he was and the impact he had on my life. I want to describe his beautiful heart and the effects of disease on his body. I want to let everyone know that although he never spoke, he had a voice which came from within him. I want people to stop and listen to me....to allow me the opportunity to share his story and on ocassion, to shed a tear because I miss him so much, even after all these years have gone by. His life was a piece of my life and now it's missing and that makes me very sad, especially on days like today when I sit for a spell and think about him.

 

I created this shadowbox for my sister Debe (surprise!) I have wanted to make something for her home that was in memory of Anthony because he was a special part of her life as well. I've been working on this for over a month, each piece had to contribute to the whole perfectly. In a way, I see this shadowbox as a means for carrying on Anthony's voice. I know Debe will understand this as I do.

 

If someone shares with you about a loss they have experienced, can I encourage you to stop, be still and listen to them? Sometimes, all a person needs is to talk with someone who genuinely cares for them to feel their voice matters. You play an important role in their lives. Be that someone special who listens and loves.

Theresa

The Dad who Could......

"I think I can, I think I can".... Wally Piper's The Little Engine That Could is one of the greatest tales of motivation and the power of positive thinking ever told.

 

In this well-loved classic by Wally Piper, a little train carrying oodles of toys to all of the good boys and girls is confronted with a towering, seemingly impassable mountain. As nicely as they ask, the toys cannot convince the Shiny New Engine or the Big Strong Engine--far too impressed with themselves--to say anything but "I can not. I can not." It is left up to the Little Blue Engine to overcome insurmountable odds and pull the train to the other side

 Fast forward to adulthood.......all grown up, feeding our intellect, maturing our social skills, forming families and chasing our dreams. I am consciously aware that although I may achieve these life successes, I struggle with growing into the person that God intended for me to be......does this resonate with you?

The little engine that could mentality takes a beating as we journey through life by way of lost relationships, hurt feelings, disappointments and fear. We become increasing fearful of taking the risk, realizing our passions and stepping fully into the life of an "on fire Christian". We convince ourselves that we aren't good enough, smart enough, capable enough of going after our passions in life because there always that chance that something will beat us down again and let's face it....that becomes a tough thing to face after a while doesn't it?

I went to Maine recently to spend time with my father and mother with dad being in the hospital

and very sick. I cried as I sat in the room with him, watching his weakened body muster up enough energy to sit on the side of the bed or take a few steps. I wanted to gently push him down into the bed and whisper in his ear, "stop pushing yourself...it's too painful to watch." I would have traded places with him in an instant but this was his struggle to bear and there was nothing I could do to make things better.

 During my visit, a couple stopped by to see dad and brought him a card which had a magnet in it. This simple gesture brought tears to his eyes and as I read the magnet I began to understand why he was so touched. It simply said "Never never never give up." My dad understood this statement and from what I could see, he was living this statement with each painful move and each brief step.

I also began to understand that my father wasn't necessarily reading this and saying to himself "I think I can, I think I can". Rather, I knew that he believed that because of his relationship with his heavenly Father, he was able to look forward and "Never give up"....just as he had been doing all along. I have learned many life lessons from my dad and this one would be of great value to me when I returned home and continue to move forward in my own life.

  Do I experience the faith that my father and mother do? Do I cling to Jesus even during those times of struggle? Can I firmly say that because of the promises given to me by my heavenly Father that I need not ever give up?

How about you? Are you able to never give up? Do you find restoration in the arms of your heavenly Father?

I think I can.......I know I can.....Never give up......how blessed are we to know that God has never given up on us, even during those times when we give up on ourselves!

Hope you enjoy! Until next time.

Theresa

Meeting God On Your Knees....

Ever notice how different phases of your life bring different levels of happiness, as well as different levels of struggles? Some days/weeks/months/years we sail through life, everything going as we anticipated it would and we feel totally blessed from all the goodness around us.

 

Then there are those "other times"....I'm sure you know what I'm talking about....

 Within a matter of days/weeks/months/years, life throws some major struggles your way and they seem to be hitting you at rapid speed one right after the other. Maybe you have a period of time where things are tough financially, followed by a relationship struggle, followed by the passing of a loved one or friend, followed by struggles with your children, the list could go on and on couldn't it? Right when you think that you can take on no more, it hits you right out of left field and knocks you down once again. Only this time, you're finding that your ability to get back up again just isn't there.

All those struggles within a matter of days/weeks/months/years has taken its toll and your faith is beginning to look more liquid than solid. Then someone says to you "God never gives you more than you can handle" and you realize that you are the worlds weakest Christian because you just can't handle anything anymore.

Been there? Are you there now?? I've certainly been there and can admit that I'm in the midst of that "other" place right now. It's tough having to juggle all of the responsibilities on our plates while maintaining a strong faith isn't it? I sometimes wonder if God's really watching the amount of

what's being dolled out to each person.....I think he put my name on someone elses list...or maybe a few peoples......it's all pretty heavy....

 

I visited a craft show this weekend and happened upon this stamp from Our Daily Bread. I've heard this quote before but can't say I've recalled it lately. I held the package in my hand and stared at its words...the author of this quote may be unknown, but he/she was certainly full of heavenly inspiration to have captured this one.

The act of prayer is often habitual for me....prayer at a meal, a short pray for another person in need because they mentioned needing it, a prayer to God for rescue (even though we remain in the drivers seat!) It's been a while since I've been knocked to my knees and remained there to cry out to the only rescuer I know....My only source of true strength, comfort, wisdom and guidance come from time spent with God on my knees.

I'm reminded once again of the need for prayer in my life and of total reliance on God in all of my situations. This is often tough for me to remember because I'm the one who often tells myself I can go it alone.....I'm not much help to myself right now and I'm glad God is available for prayer, even in our most difficult time.

Been knocked on your knees lately?? You know what to do.....God's waiting for you.....

Theresa

 

"Getting Back to Simple...."

It's not often that I create something without stamps, a card without an inked image or sentiment just doesn't feel right to me. When I was going through my supplies the other day I ran across some left over watercolor paper and prima flowers and thought possibly an inkless creation was at hand!

 
Layers of water color paper, prima glowers and pearl drops come together to present a very elegant looking card! This paper is heavier than normal cardstock but has such a soft feel to it, to the touch it has a textured feel yet has a feminine appearance. I knew I had to throw on a Nestability and the Shapeabilities Pendant was just the perfect addition!

When I'm in my "create" mode, I will often think through things as I'm working, I guess this is why people say that crafting can be therapeutic! As I placed everything where it seemed to fit, my mind wandered off and begin thinking about the simplistic elements of my life. What I realized is that I don't do a very good job in making room for simplicity because I let all the busyness of life consume me. How often have I had the opportunity to just stop and enjoy the simple things.....fresh air, the smell of flowers, spending quiet time with my family....they all get lost amongst the other things in my life that I make far too important.

My husband and I are going on vacation to Italy, it's a time to see some of his family, a time to enjoy another country and eat some good food, these are all good reasons to go on a trip for sure! But deeper than this, I believe God has blessed us with the opportunity to remove ourselves from the busyness around us, get away from the technology that runs our lives and just get back to  simple. When was the last time we took a walk and said nothing, just enjoyed the world around us, and each other? I think we are going to experience God's refreshment and will return to our home feeling re-energized and a bit more simpleminded!

Do you recognize the simple things in your life? When's the last time you stopped the busyness and just relaxed and let God embrace you without any interruption? For myself, I'm ready for simple again.....

Hope you enjoy! Until next time.

 
 

"The Keeper of Promises"

Have you ever had someone make a promise to you, only to be let down by it? Have you yourself ever been accused of not delivering on a promise? Either way it happens, someone gets hurt and relationships can be affected. We're human, and as humans we are quick to make promises that we may not be able to keep, even it there is a desire to keep it we often find ourselves failing for a variety of reasons.

I jumped into a challenge this evening over at SCS and knew that I had to use the newest stamp in my collection that just arrived in the mail from Sweet N Sassy Stamps! It's an acrylic stamp that lays down nicely, which surprised me because of all the words...but I love it!

The stamp reads:

                                           Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd;  THAT’S RELATIONSHIP!

I shall not want.  THAT’S SUPPLY!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: THAT’S REST!

He leadeth me beside the still waters.  THAT’S REFRESHMENT!

He restoreth my soul,  THAT’S HEALING!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness  THAT’S GUIDANCE!

For his name's sake.  THAT’S PURPOSE!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,   THAT’S TESTING!

I will fear no evil,  THAT’S PROTECTION!

For thou art with me;  THAT’S FAITHFULNESS!

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  THAT’S DISCIPLINE!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies,  THAT’S  HOPE!

Thou anointest  my head with oil, THAT’S CONSECRATION!

My cup runneth over.  THAT’S ABUNDANCE!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,  THAT’S BLESSING!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord,  THAT’S SECURITY!

Forever.  THAT’S ETERNITY!

 How's that for a promise for each of us who believes in it? I love this one and will be doing a lot more with it in the future! As for this card, it's being delivered to a sweet lady at work tomorrow who I know will enjoy blessing someone else with this beautiful verse!

Hope you enjoy! Until next time!

 

Sweet Existence of Day......

 Sweet existence of day, shine your light upon me
Engulf my soul, speak life to me
Capture my heart, press desire in me
Deliver your song, to be sung through me

I was perusing pictures on facebook one day recently when I happened upon a photo captured by the creative Mr. Bivens that resonated with me. As I gazed over this photo, the words above were pressed into my fingers and brought to life.

Each photo that Mr. Bivens takes that includes his lovely wife Jenny-Sue (his name for her!) are befitting the title he has crowned her with... "My Muse." Whenever I near Jen, I feel a sense of calm  wash over me, as she has that effect on people. I want to sit nearby and listen to her talk because I know that there will be wisdom in her words. What really touches my heart is how Mr. Bivens can take her photo and just by looking at it, I know that within myself a fire for creativity stirs. This photo needs no words with each, by looking at it, one can arrive at their own words or own feelings.

Through this image, I see a desire to be brought alive each day, to feel the world around me, no matter the weather. I desire for a my words to be reflective of my soul and my heart. I seek desire in my heart, a desire to be forever faithful to the one who created me. I desire to speak into the world that is often too hurt to hear.

My desires are my prayers to my father in heaven. He hears me and provides every day, every breathe, every word and every touch.

All that I am, all that I will become, all that I have walked through He is my center, my "Sweet Existence of Day"......

Of course, I couldn't have a creative moment without capturing it in a card! This one is simply done, using Nestabilities Dies, layered in alternating colors and mounted upon orange ribbons and a shimmering black background.

Some card creations I believe are meant to be simple as the message being spoken through it is the focal point and requires very little support.....

Until next time,

 

"A Family United!"

    It's taken a bit of time to compose this posting. It's one of those stories you read about and wonder if it really happened, because in order to believe it, there has to be a level of faith involved to recognize the miracle in the details and the event itself. 

    Our daughter Jessica recently celebrated her 17th birthday. Unbeknownst to her, we were working diligently behind the scenes to deliver to her the very best birthday surprise we could think of.....but it would be a difficult one to accomplish.

    For those who know our families story, you know that Jessica is our newest family addition and has   been a part of our family for the past 3 1/2 years. We were blessed with adopting Jessica and have seen her grow into a beautiful young lady over the past few years and without deep boasting, we'll just say we're mighty proud of her!

     Jessica grew up with her brother Thomas who remains very close to her. Last year, she was introduced to two younger biological brothers, Alexis and Vincent. We learned recently that Jessica had three more brothers (yes 3!) and knew that we had to find a way to bring these children together. Her birthday seemed like the perfect place for an introduction!

    Everything was set up, all the plans were made and Jessica didn't suspect anything! We hit a snag the night before the birthday celebration, we couldn't locate the three younger brothers, evidently they had moved. We were determined to enjoy as much of this special day as we could so my wonderful hubby left on Sunday morning to pick up the three older boys and bring them to church to surprise Jessica.

Fast forward a few hours………………………

    I was at church, getting my work done and remaining in touch with my husband. Brother #1 was picked up, then #2 & #3, I continued to pray along with others, wondering if there were any way that God could step in to this situation and allow these 7 children to meet each other. My heart felt this was right to do but my faith was weary; I knew that we had to place this situation in God's hands and leave it there.

    Mark called to tell me that they were going to attempt to locate the 3 younger boys! Maybe they wouldn't find them but can you believe that he was ready and willing to do this special thing for his daughter, even if it didn’t produce favorable results.

 Fast forward a few hours......

Mark drove into the church parking lot, doors opened and out stepped 6 handsome young boys! They entered the church, full of energy, all looking forward to being together as a family, and celebrating one of their birthdays for the very first time!

We brought Jessica out of church, telling her we had a surprise  for her. Thomas, the oldest brother emerged from a room they were all "hiding out" in. After Thomas, came Alexis and Vincent, the two middle brothers. I can't even describe the look of surprise and joy on Jessica's face as she hugged each of them. The surprise could have stopped right here and Jessica would have been completely happy. I leaned over and whispered to Jessica "It seems that you have 3 other brothers you might like to meet" and no sooner than the words left my mouth, out walked her three younger brothers, Damien, Patrick and Dujan. Jessica stumbled backwards, trying to  take in all that was going on, seeing for the first time in her 17 years, all 6 of her brothers standing in front of her!

Jessica walked into the middle of all six boys and realized she didn't know the names of the 3 youngest ones, this broke our hearts as children should never have be placed in a situation where they don’t know their siblings! Hugs were shared all around and time was spent getting to meet each other. We stood off to the side of this joyous event, watching is bright smiles and touched hearts, quietly thanking God for hearing our prayers for a miracle. It was a miracle and He was the deliverer.

A friend of ours at church gathered everyone together and prayed over the children, you can imagine how difficult it was to remain composed during this. God's people understand the power of prayer and our friend Mike just seemed to know it was a time that prayer for these children and a prayer of thanks was also needed. Did these children ever seek out God in prayer before this time? My heart became heavier, as I realized that this was the first time in the lives of these children that they were prayed over as a family. What a beautiful moment for all of us!

We went home and spent the day with friends and family, also included was our new "extended" family! {{Mr. & Mrs. Bivens  joined in on the celebration - you know that Mr. Stephen NEVER goes anywhere without a camera which is why we have all of these wonderful pictures to share with you!!}}Jessica experienced a birthday which I know she'll never forget....she became a year older and God showed up to bring healing and restoration for her and her brothers!

We don't know what the future holds but we do know that God used this special day and all those involved for a greater purpose. Our home, arms and hearts are open wider because of these precious children and we give God the glory for what is to happen in the upcoming days!

Special events always inspire me to create and this time was no exception! I created this card as I thought about how only God has the ability to bring people, no matter their race, color or circumstances  
and blend them in perfect harmony! Just as all components of this card need to be brought together to result in a completed creation, so do families such as this one need to be brought together in order for God’s healing to be recognized.

Blessings,

All Parts Contribute To The Whole

I've "ventured" into a new realm {as a crafter, I'm open to any venture that means I can create something!). I sat down to do a little creating and kept moving and changing things, realizing I had entirely too many embellishments for one card creation.

  I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and see where my creative spirit would take me. I started with a base paper sized at 10" x 10". When you're "in the zone" things just begin to happen and before you know it, a new creation is born!! I've not yet done this color combination but am sure pleased with how well they work together in this art piece. The teal and purple compliment each other and throw in a little pink tone and everything suddenly seems to make sense!!

Isn't this how life is for so many of us? We have little pieces of us that work well on their own but we when join them together, wonderful things can be accomplished! We each have special talents and giftings, all of which God has created within us to work together to accomplish his master plan within our lives. If we choose not to use certain gifts, for whatever reason, we are not only depriving oursleves of what could come of our gifts, but we deprive others as well and this is not as God intended.

You are designed with many parts, all working as a whole for the greater good. Don't sell yourself or others short by holding out or walking away form God's original plan! As a whole, you can do great and wonderful things!

Hope you enjoy. Until next time.

 

Christmas and Missions Come Together!!

It's November, which means Christmas is just around the corner! And with Christmas, for those of us who are crafters, it means lots of Christmas creations to make for those we love and care about!

I was blessed with the opportunity to teach other ladies how to amke these two cards at our Missions fundraising / Scrapbook day at church this past Saturday. This event is held twice a year and is used to raise money for children to go on missions trips. Although I don't know the final amount that was raised, I have to believe that it was a success because of the ladies who showed up and participated.

My station provided the opportunity to make these two cards. At the last fundraiser we did spirelli and paper stitching cards and they were well received so I decided to create another design that the ladies would enjoy (and spend their money on!) as well as a stamped card.

 

This tree (designed by me - I know....how hard can it be to design a tree to stitch right?) Well, it was a bit tricky because it had to have just the right number of holes that would allow you to begin and end in the same hole while also creating this design. after much time and many samples, it came together and the result is a stunning Christmas tree stitched on paper....just in time for the holidays! The base card is 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" and the tree layer is 4"x4". I increased each layer by 1/8" and offset the bottom two layers, just to give it some depth. I pulled from SU's paper using handsome hunter and a burgundy, the black is a thinner paper (I used thinner paper on the black too decrease the depth of the card). The metallic thread really makes this tree pop out and shine I believe!!

 

Does Santa look familiar to you? This was the same stamp I used on my Christmas cards   last year!! I love the whimsy of this stamp and decided to bring him back again this year! I bought out a supply of pearl red paper with matching envelopes from a local scrapbook store (going out of business) for this one. The dimensions for this card 8" x 4 " (I love a good looking elongated card!). The white backing that Santa rests upon has been ebossed with a Cuddlebug folder. The ladies learned how to use stickles to dress up santa and the snowflakes, making this card feel like the beginnings of a winter wonderland!

Saturday was a great day for raising money and doing what many of us like best.....crafting!!! Looking forward to the next event in the spring....with this comes a few more new creations!

**Due to the response on this one in my inbox, I'll be adding a tutorial this evening for those who would be itnerested in recreating this. If you would like for me to send you an email with the tutorial, please just leave me a comment! **

Hope you enjoy! Until next time.

Theresa

NOTE::: Photographs taken by Stephen Bivens of Stephen Biven's Photos! Check out a previous article about Stephen and his wife Jennifer here!