Tuesday, January 01, 2008





ROPE APLHA
(made upon your many & persistant requests LOL!)

download

You may also want to check out a sweet QP download at CANDIE's blog which she put together using some of my December elements! Thanks for making this Candie!


A New Year.


A fresh start.


2007 is no more, 2008 lays open before us like an unwritten page waiting to be filled. If you're an artist, like me, its a crisp, brand new piece of acid free, no less than 140 lb piece of paper waiting to recieve whatever medium I choose to 'paint' with. But before I ever touch a brush to the new surface I'll be drawing on the gift of what I learned in 2007 – wisdom from successes... and mistakes. One can't have one without the other, really. It takes some mistakes to make a true success. We are human, and so we will continue to make mistakes. Kind of a big thought, that no matter what I aim to do this year, I WILL make mistakes. Being human means there is no hope in being perfect – thats reserved for God alone and the best I can hope for is to become more like Him.




And it also occured to me that I am somehow glad of the snow we have to welcome in the new year. (other than being cold half the time) The landscape outside is covered in a fresh blanket of white – all plants lie sleeping under it. Forced mostly inside its a time to reflect and reorganize. A time to rethink everything. A time to really seek the Lord, and to pray for Him to reveal what journey I should travel this year. I pray He will give me discernment in all I say and do. When to speak, when to be silent. (thats a hard one for me sometimes – just ask my husband!)

2007 was a year of finding and losing things. We made new friends, and lost some friends too. Thats always painful, though it has to be sometimes. We had a shakeup in our Church which caused us to lose some friends and was a awful and wearying process, but this New Year finds us starting anew. We will pray for wisdom to not repeat mistakes made. We moved into a new home which is a paradise to us – which meant losing our old landlords – who were dear friends, but thats a good thing. We've remained friends and one has begun to come to the school, so we still get time together. We truly built some deeper friendships with people we already knew – the sort of friendships which are second only to family.

For 2008 my desire is to be more discerning. To spend more time in the WORD and to live forward – to focus not on my dreams and desires, but to lay them before the Lord and to allow Him to reveal only what is for the good of His kingdom. What I do know, is that I can't do it on my own – I need His (perfect) strength.


Proverbs 16:3

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.



Let go of the old,

Reach out for the new,

For the past is cold,

And the future is due;

Each year holds memories,

Some happy – some sad,

We must treasure the good,

Let go of the bad;

Make the most of each day,

At work and at play,

For the old year is history,

The future – a mystery.

~ Phyliss Ellison



What do you hope and wish for and plan for 2008? I'd love to know!

I thought you might enjoy this link for a cute online polar bear game - just click HERE.









11 comments:

  1. Hi Barb

    Just popped in to wish you guys a very happy new year. Called you earlier, sorry we missed you!

    Hopefully we can see you in the new year!

    Love Bill and Maggie

    ReplyDelete
  2. in reading your blog ..I agree trying to let the Lord lead ...trying to all that you can be ...I pray the very best for you and Miles ..love you both ....

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good Morning Barb:)
    Welcome back!!:)I missed reading your blog and the links you share with us.That poor polar bear didn't make it with me.LOL
    Thank you so much for sharing your rope alpha.!! Wonderful work!:)
    You know..wisdom is a wonderful gift to have.To know you can't make it without the Lord..to know his will is being done..even when we can't see it...that all things work together for good to those who love him and are the called according to "His" purpose.To completely turn our lives over to him and to watch him change it.He promises if we ask we WILL receive..seek we WILL find.To knock and it WILL be opened unto us.But...we have to ask...seek ..and knock..for the right things.I think you are doing just that and you WILL receive..because you are drawing to him and wanting "His" will done in your life.The only thing we are to do is yield ourselves and to draw to him..he does the changing in us.:)
    One more thing I will leave with you...KNOW that he is...and that he is a rewarder to those who "diligently"(everything in you) seek him.:)

    Happy New Year!
    Love,
    Valinda

    ReplyDelete
  4. 1st...thank you for the lovely and MANly alpha!! lol
    2nd...I owe you a thank you...my hubby does a New Believers Class at our church, and ask me to put together flyers that were bright and eye catching to give to visitors and newly saved at our church. I made a nice layout, but struggled with the bright....then remembered your first work with mr. miles....the yellow sunset? Gosh I downloaded it over a year ago, and went thru all my papers and found it....IT WAS PERFECT!
    so....thank you again for sharing your work, and know there is fruit here seeing the artistic gift you were given from God!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. GREAT to see you back and HAPPY NEW YEAR to you!!! Thank you for the AWESOME rope alpha!! i am sure i will find good use, with living out here in the desert! lol i wish you only the BEST through the new year! Have a WONDERFUL day!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Happy New Year Mrs. Miles! Glad to see you are safe and sound at home (missed your posts, missed your visits). Did you have a good trip down? We've had a busy time of it but have a brief interlude to catch our breath before another sister comes up (though this one won't be staying by us). This sister of D, loves playing games and can be up into the wee hours ... so I'm glad she's not staying by us!!!! I'd never last.

    Neither of us make any resolutions ... I guess we pretty much take each day as it comes. Being more sensitive to His nudgings ... now that's important!

    Hope you're having a good start to the year with all those creative juices whet and ready to go!!

    TTFN ... Ciceroooo

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy New Year !
    Thanks so much for the freebie !
    And I loved your visit and comment on my blog !
    Hugs !

    ReplyDelete
  8. what a lovely surprize that you posted a comment on my little blog...lol
    I will indeed post a copy probably on the blog once I take off the phone number and get it over to my laptop..(my link to internet)..I do all my scrapping on my main puter. so I will give you a heads up after the conference when I post it...
    Anne

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Barb!
    Just wanted to pop in and say hello! Happy New Year to you and the Mister!
    Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good Morning Barb:)
    Miss you!!!!!:)
    Hugs,
    Valinda

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are a blessing to me!

Total Pageviews

Popular Posts