No words...

...needed. 

Simple Earrings...

...simple project.

A friend from work recently asked if I would make her bridesmaids earrings for her, and course I said yes! She wanted something simple but classy, and didn't want to pay a lot of money for them. 

Sometimes when I make a piece of jewelry for people I like to meet them at Michael's and get there opinion on the beads of stuff I'm picking out. There opinion matters to me, and it helps me to get to know what they really like and don't like. 

These particular earrings are for a fall wedding, and are suppose to match brown bridesmaid dresses.  The pictures I took aren't very good, but you get the idea. 

Here's the one main tool I use when making earrings. 

Here are all the pieces that go into making each pair.

Half-way complete.

I made eight pairs of these. :)

I'll have to try and get a picture of them on someone at the wedding. 

Baby...

...season.

That's for sure! I love it! So many of my close friends are having babies! 

Many of them have already had babies, but as of recent they have been poppin-out

some more (or some for the first time)! I don't mind.

It gives me all the more reason to shop all things baby; which I love. 

I have fallen head over-heels for all things babies.
I know what your thinking...you're thinking I need to just 

take the jump and have one of my own. Well, good call, but no. ;) Not right now. 

For now I get to enjoy, love, hold, snuggle, and adore all the little ones my friends have had/are having.

I love all my baby-mamma friends. You all inspire me. 

Anyways, I thought I would share this fun gift bag I decorated for my good friend Sara's baby shower.  

**Also, I recently took some maternity pictures for Sara & Tim. 

It was my first maternity shoot, and I'm glad it was with good friends. 

I will be posting some pictures of them shortly. 

They're expecting sweet little Alaina Noel Hilton in September. YAY! 

I can only imagine their excitement. 

Here's the gift bag. I had fun with this. 

Also, I thought I would show you a few of the cool gifts I got her. 

A friend of mine is super creative and makes all sorts of fun baby things. 

Here's Steph's website if you are looking for a unique baby gift. 

Mon Tresor

Two handmade pacifier clips with embroidery. 

Super cute baby blanket called The Breindel with embroidery.

Who knew burp cloths could be so cute as well?

I get excited and giddy about baby stuff, so I thought I would share some

of the baby adventures happening around me. :)

DO YOU have any fun baby Creations? 

Really?!? **if you read nothing in this post, please at least read the letter at the bottom**

Paul sure does sound like a people pleaser to me.

Have you read 1 Corinthians 10 lately?  Yeah, I hadn't either till recent.

Has anyone ever told you, "You shouldn't be a people pleaser," or "You're such a people pleaser!"
Yeah, I've heard that a lot, maybe not always directed towards me, but it's the word on the street.

After reading 1 Cor. 10 (& other parts of the bible) I'm starting to differ on the "people pleaser" mentality.

**Mind you, I am not/nor do I claim to be a bible scholar. It may seem that I am taking these line out of context, but the principle behind it is where my thoughts went. So take what you will with a grain of salt.

Read these lines & tell me what they say to you.

• 1 Corinthians 10:24 - Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 
• 1 Corinthians 10:31-33a - So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God---even as I try to please everybody in every way. 
• 1 Corinthians 10:33b - For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so they may be saved.  11:1 - Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. 

People pleaser?

OK Paul, your saying I should not seek my own good...ever? AND do whatever I can to please people?

I think if Paul were here and I was able to ask him these questions, he would blatantly say, Yes. He then might nod his head towards me, look up with all seriousness in his eyes and ask this question back at me: "Who [pause] exactly did you say you follow again?"     


Christ. I said I follow Christ. [thinking: is this a trick question?]

{again with all seriousness in his eyes}: "What example did I say I follow?"


Christ. You said you follow Christ. 

So [pause] Paul, your saying people pleasing is a good thing?

{with all sincereness and love}: "I'm saying [pause], what did Jesus do?"

Gosh we are stupid smart people. We I clearly have trouble grasping the cross of Christ. Least I do.
[[God knew my intelligence wasn't so wise, hence the cross. I need him]]

HE DIED.  THAT is Paul's example. How am I suppose to follow that!? 

Is that really who Paul is following? Someone who blesses his enemies by dying for them? Yes. 
Yikes! I don't even know if my friends would do that for me let alone my ENEMIES!  Thank goodness someone stepped up to the plate and carried it all for us. Seriously.
Romans10:4 - Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

That's pretty selfless and might tip the scales of people pleasing if you ask me. Yet, I plow through life as if people owe me; as if they should love me. But Christ's example is that I should love you. 

I'm working on it. I promise. Give me grace please.  :)

And so it continues....

Love.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rom. 12:14

Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. Rom. 12:17

If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. Rom. 12:19b

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Rom. 12:21

....But the greatest of these is love. Cor. 13b

After reading these passages, I'm inspired to become the people pleaser Christ was. 

How can we love greater? 

Lord help us get this. 

This might inspire you. 

Just as I finished writing this post Kevin (ironically) asked if he could read me an email that he received today. It's from a student he helped (while working at Liberty) who had little faith that she could succeed in school after recovering from a brain injury. Some of my take from this email is that what we do does matter and that we have the opportunity to influence people; either for good or evil, better or for worse. 

In this case it was for better: 

Kevin -
Guess what?!!!  I just completed my graduation request form!!!  Praise Jesus Forever!  He is soooo incredible!  I can't tell you how many times I felt like giving up - but He would never let me.  I just finished re-taking the one class from that not so nice prof and get this - I have an A (the prof makes a big diff).  So I have all B's and ~5 A's - not bad for a brain injury survivor!  Thank you, thank you a million for helping me with so many things, Kevin.  Your rewards are huge in Heaven, but may God bless you immensely on earth as well.

I will continue taking classes as it has helped my memory so much.  I no longer leave the oven or stove on for 12 hours at a time or leave the vehicle running.  I do still lock myself out of the house a lot - but what can you do (but hide a key - lol). 

Take care, my friend and I thank you for everything!

In Him,
Sharon


*PS -Sharon is graduating with her MBA from Liberty.

[e]Nough said.

Slumps & dumps...

...ever get in a slumpy dumpy mood?


Well that has been me lately. :( Ubber-dubber discouraged. I feel like I have this awful sense of unhappiness and disappointment inside of me. I feel like my heart is lacking a lot of joy. 
Key word here; Joy.


I desire joy. A joy that comes from God and says, "I am a child of God, and nothing else can stand in the  way of that."


As I am writing this other keywords comes to mind; peace, and confidence. Which I feel the lack of.


I desire peace. A true peace that surpasses all understanding.


I desire confidence. Not a selfish confidence, but one that drives out fear.
**the list would be a mile long if I told you all the things I fear. I want the confidence to know that I know that I know...I am simply ok {in God}.


Lately I've been trying so hard to press into God more then I do and seriously it has been ridiculously hard!  I swear the world fights {and nearly always wins} at keeping me (& possibly you) from God.

...from his love, from his joy, from his peace, from his confidence. 

Why does the enemy win?

More so, why do I let him?

I had a good talk with a friend recently, it was refreshing to say the least, come to find out we both have been struggling with some of the same feelings/disappointments in oursleves.  We both desire God more, but realize we have allowed other, I guess you can say "earthly" things get in the way.


I feel foolish admitting this, but one of those things is internet use. Yes I said it. There are days I would rather browse the internet instead of reading my Bible or praying, actually there have been a lot of days like that lately. There have been plenty of useless hours spent on unnecessary websites. Oogaling & googling at material earthly rust away never to see in heaven "things". I don't want that.


Don't get me wrong, I don't think the internet is a bad thing. I think it's awesome! That's why I am on it so much. But their needs to be a limit, at least for me. I know their needs to be a limit when I start to choose these things over my personal relationship with God.


I talk to God all day (least I try), but where is his Word? He gave it for a reason. It feels so foreign right now, and to me that is wrong, and simply a lack of discipline on my part. Laziness at best. 


With Kevin working nearly 60-70 hrs a week, it makes it much easier to fill my time with non-sense.  Kevin and I both made a promise to read at least 1 chapter a day of God's word. Pathetic, 1 chapter, seriously?!, is that all I can give right now? I guess. We started about a week ago and have been reading 1 Cor. and it's good! I don't want to read God's word out of duty, that is NOT why I choose to do it. I want to read it so that I know my heavenly father. I want to read it so that his word is hidden in my heart {right where it should be}. I want to read it so that when I do step forward in heaven he might say, I know you, and you know me.


A big fear of mine is that I will get to heaven one day and hear the words, "I knew you not, or you knew me not." whatever the saying might be - either way, I can't stand the thought of God not knowing me, or me not knowing God deeply and personally. It breaks my heart and nearly brings me to tears when I think about it too long. It's a scary thought, but a real one!


Maybe I am too hard on myself. Either way I desire to be content whether I am joyless or joyful; just knowing Christ in all His glory is more than enough.


*****I wrote this post yesterday (8th) but didn't post it because I was scared. I get afraid my words will be judged and I will be rejected by people who might read how I am really feeling somedays.  Thinking about it, that is rubbish! If I never "fail" or show that I am weak then I'm not truly living, I'm not allowing myself the freedom to be human; to be the person Christ died for. He did it for a reason and days like yesterday remind me that I am completely lost without Calvary. 


I am nothing. He is everything. 


I may be down in the dumps somedays, but that does not mean my God is not my God. 


He is and will always be.      

[[[[Take THAT satan!!]]]] I'd punch you in the face & give you a round-house kick to your head if I could, but I can't, so for now I will refrain from giving you a capital "s" in your name - you don't deserve the respect! 

I love Isaiah 43. It's always a beautiful reminder to me.

 I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

 When you pass through the waters, 

       I will be with you; 

       and when you pass through the rivers, 

       they will not sweep over you. 

       When you walk through the fire, 

       you will not be burned; 

       the flames will not set you ablaze.

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
       and because I love you,
       I will give men in exchange for you,
       and people in exchange for your life.
  Do not be afraid, for I am with you... 

So yeah that is my heart. That is my humaness. & I don't know why I am crazy enough to share it. 

I need...

...to show you Paris.  

Even if only in segments.

DC airpot, May 18, 2010; leaving for Paris, France. 

We have arrived.

Here we are! We left DC around 7:30pm, and arrived in Paris at 8am. We didn't sleep much on the plane except for about an hour. As soon as we arrived to our Hotel and stepped off the bus I got sick; literally.  It was a mixture of no sleep, flying, traveling in heavy France traffic and the salmon I ate on the plane. Needless to say it was embarrassing. I was afraid I had caught something bad, but not long after, I started to feel better. After this ordeal we put our luggage in the luggage room (we weren't able to head to our room yet), and immediately started on our walking tour of Paris. Mind you we had about an hr of sleep. ;)  It was a great first day though! You'll see below where I started to crash. We found a Starbucks and Kev let me take a nap on the couch; believe me it was needed. We both were exhausted.

Heading towards the Metro; about to take a walking tour of Paris.

Metro.

Can you find the Eiffel Tower?

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Hanging out in the gardens of Notre Dame

Notre Dame up close.

Inside Notre Dame.

Thousands, no probably millions of prayers have been prayed here.

There's beauty in the confession.
No joke, someone was in confession with a priest behind glass walls where everyone could see.
Talk about humbling.

Below is a different church we visited (I can't remember the name of it).
It was smaller than Notre Dame, but still just as beautiful.

We found this Starbucks that had two levels. We sat on the top floor and rested. :)

Our hotel room. 

This is only day one of Paris. I will eventually share more.