Just a few things

First let me start by saying that my digital book is a no go. I need more time to learn how to do it. That being said, I have started a 12X12 traditional one. It won't be ready in time for Mother's Day but not too far behind.

I am torn right now. It is not my place to judge and to be honest...God is so good that I am at peace with situation that has nothing to do with me. LOL I am laughing so much right now because I sound ridiculous as I type it out. I was putting myself into something that really was none of my business, yet I got caught up in the frenzy of it all. Which makes me wonder, how easy would I fall for propaganda against a person, race, economic level...or any other way a group can single out another group? I think pretty easily if I did not have God to ground me. Ok, I got swept up in an ordeal at a forum. A sad situation but nothing I could add could change anything yet I kept adding, kept reading the responses...there was a thrill that I felt about it.

But I stepped back for a moment and I had a stirring and I couldn't explain it but I had to address it. And here is what came out...compassion and love and prayers for those involved. Oh how we love to be loved. How we love to be accepted just as we are. How wonderful it is to be vulnerable and feel safe. But with that love comes a desire to be more. Great line from Jack Nicholson in the movie "As Good As it Gets"..."You make me want to be a better man." Ohh that was good. Let me repeat it..."You make me want to be a better man."

God loves us in our brokenness but he loves us so much that he doesn't want us to stay broken. And as followers of Christ, we have a desire to become a better man. I mean think about it. Matthew was a tax collector and Jesus loved him before Matthew even started to follow Jesus but he didn't stay a tax collector and tell those he collected taxes from.."Jesus loves me just the way I am and he loves you too." No, he left his job and served. That is what we are to do. We are to die to self and serve. We should want to become a better man or woman. He wants us to receive all the blessings but that comes from obedience, redemption, humility and most of all Love. My husband said it best...if we would do everything with love, we wouldn't break any commandments. In love sometimes we have to sacrifice some of our joys to make amends to those we have hurt. Sometimes we have to be torn down so that we cannot boast that it is not from our strength but His that we are able to receive victory. When we sin we sin against God but sometimes in our sin we hurt others. God forgives us for our sins but we must still do all that we can to stop the pain of those we hurt. Sometimes that means letting go of our pride, sometimes it means going above and beyond what society has asked us to do and do what Jesus would do.

But in that same brokenness, we as Christians need to support one another. Now I am not saying to clean up someone else's mess but to keep focus on God and when we say things to tear someone down, to pass judgement, we are not doing something in love. We are in fact, saying we are better than them and even if we do sin our sin is not as great. That is not so. Sin is sin. We are called to shed light into the darkness, not sit there and join it.

Still working on Digital for MIL

I have been so busy doing the scrapbook for my MIL. I feel guilty anytime I pick up the laptop for fun or to google something...another addictive past time I have. I google everything...like...hey, I remember that guy from another movie...let's pull up his movie resume. HMmm why do we say ...they kicked the bucket when they died...I know that has to be some where on Google. Anyway...I hope to finish by this weekend and hopefully create a project a day or atleast have one in the works each day.

I have all these idea books and magazines and I love buying supplies....now I just need to start doing something with all of them.

See ya in the funny pages...hmmm gotta google that one also. O_o

Beautiful day

This past Sunday was a beautiful day in Seabrook. It was one of those days that I fall in love with my little town all over again. We live about 3 minutes from a park that is oceanside and has this really long pier to go fishing. Lots of sailboats out today. We even have a trail that we can walk to the park from our house. It winds through the woods and passes right in front of my neighborhood.
My Canadian husband has decided March and April are his favorite months down south. Low humidity and a comfortable breeze.

Digi Scrapping

I am in the process of creating a Scrapbook for my Mother-in-law. I am trying digital so that I can have it printed and shipped to Canada in time for Mother's Day. I am so in love with Rhonna Farrer's digital paper, elements, and templates for decorative borders. I don't seek out Rhonna's work but it seems anytime I see anything worth buying, I look at the name of the creator and there is Rhonna. I also like Erica Hernandez. She has these great torn templates that I can't wait to use.
So here are a few things I love about DIGI...takes up less space, once I buy something or download something, I can use it for ever. If something isn't the right color, I can colorize it to any color that I want. My pages seem to come together alot quicker.

Things I love about traditional scrapbooking...I love working with my hands and seeing the fruits of my labor. I love embossing, stamping and painting things to make them my own. I love the additional sense of touch you get from traditional layouts. I love shopping for new embellishments, paper and trying new techniques.

My next goal is to do some hybrid scrapbooking and combine both loves. SBE has a good class on hybrid scrapbooking. I should take out my notes from that class and get to it.

I've been tagged!!

A- Attached or single: Attached
B- Best Friend: My husband Craig, but my friend Julissa is a close second.
C- Cake or Pie: Pie...strawberry pie from Flying Saucer
D- Day of Choice: Friday!
E- Essential Item (s): Bible, Cell phone, debit card
F-Favorite type of music: Contemporary Christian
G- Gummy Bears or Worms: Neither
H- Hometown: Houston, TX
I- Indulgence(s): Chicken Mole'
J- January or July: July
K- Kids: 1 Girl, however 1 stepson and 2 step daughters
L - Last movie: Michael Clayton....on my Ipod...great movie
M- Marriage Date: 11/19/2005
N- Number of Siblings: 2 sisters, 1 bro
O- Oranges or Apples: Apples
P- Phobias or Fears: reoccurence of Cancer
Q- Quote(s): My Beloved is mine and I am His SOS
R- Reason To Smile: My blessed life
S- Season: Spring
T- Tag Four: Aimee
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I always wanted to be an actor
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: I eat meat.
W- Worst Habit: Putting too much on my plate
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: NO different...no biggie
Y- Your Favorite Food: Luciannes noodles
Z- Zodiac: Sagitarius...but I don't believe in them

He has called His Beloved home

It has been a hard two weeks. My neighbor passed away. Her name was Erica. Erica. I wish you could have met her. She moved into the house next door about 5 or 6 months ago. There was a mix up on when their lights were to be turned on and they were left with no lights for the first 5 days. This was in August...hot month in Seabrook. We loaned them candles, an extension cord and a small fridge. She took it all in stride.

Young. Did I mention she was young? She always had a smile on her face. She came by one day to give us a thank you gift. I had to ask...what's up with the blond wig. I knew...but I wanted her to tell me. She explained to me that she was Stage IV breast cancer. It was a relapse. She originally was diagnosed in her early twenties....three weeks after her wedding. They removed the cancer but two years later it came back with a vengeance. Her husband, Paul, had been following a new medication and she was accepted into a study here at MD Anderson. That prompted them to move here. Paul, Erica, their 2 dobermans and 2 cats packed up and moved here, next to me.

We talked for a long time. I too was a cancer survivor. And to me...that is how I knew to call us...those who have been diagnosed and are now in treatment or over treatment. You see, until you are diagnosed, you are dying because you are not defending yourself. But once you begin treatment, you are surviving. But Erica was more than surviving. She was living. She found a job and worked during her chemos. I understood why. To sit and think about nothing but yourself can drive you crazy, so you focus on other things, other people.

They built a pool. It is beautiful. I am sure she couldn't wait to use it. But winter came and it was too cold to swim. She laughed alot. And in her eyes you saw joy and a will to live. She had everything to live for. A wonderful husband, family and friends. They had no children yet. Always fighting this beast called cancer. It probably seemed like a whisper murmuring through the house at all times. When will it be over? How long do I have to take medicine? What side effects can I expect this time? How long do I have to be hooked to this machine? When will my hair grow back? These questions were whispers throughout the house. But so was her laughter. Life was at the forefront of her thoughts. What to do after cancer was on her mind.

At age 31 with a mind and a spirit that wanted to live, her body betrayed her and she left us. I didn't know her for long but it affected me soo much. It still affects me. I cry as I write this post. She had every reason in this world to live. I could justify in my mind why she was going to live. God wouldn't take someone so young, so full of life and so willing to live. Someone that was such a fighter. Pray Rozette. Pray and she will be healed. I mean, I was. I prayed and had it out with God and He healed me. But why not her? Why not the 13 members of my family that were diagnosed before I was diagnosed? Why were His answers to us so different?

ERICA embodied all my hopes, dreams and fears. She expected to make it through this ugly disease. She knew that she knew that this was just a small chapter in her life. She had so much to live for. But it came back and this time it would not let go. It hung on and choked her and her family. Crazy as it may sound, I lean on this hunch...no longer a fact...that I will not get cancer again and if I do, I will be healed. I have an 11 year old daughter that needs me and a husband that I love. It can't come back and if it does, I am going to fight and it won't win. Or so I thought. It isn't enough to just have good reasons to live or a will to live or a prayer. God is God.

GOD is God. We grow with all things. Some are glorious things (a new baby, a true love found, a dream come to fruition). But some are not (death of a child, death of loved one, a dream fallen apart, a marriage broken). But one thing remains the same...God is God. And in the midst of my brokenness over Erica's death, I found peace. I don't know why. I am still working on that part. I know that her struggle is over and I know that during these times I pray Paul and her family lean on God for His healing of their hearts. And I know from experience, that during those times that you just seem so tired and so weak and so alone that during those times when we are too tired to go on, He holds us. And when we are in His arms, nothing feels better. No place feels safer than in His arms. In the midst of all this brokenness comes healing and that is a Glorious thing.

So Paul and everyone else, to God be the glory. To God is where you will find the most glorious peace and love and understanding. Erica, beloved, you are home. One day I will see you again and I will see your smile again. They say that a person lives on as long as they live in the hearts of others. If that is true, then as long as I live Erica will also because I will never forget you.

3X3 mini album

We had someone leaving at the library and I thought I would make her a gift. We had a Christmas party in November and I took pictures with my new camera. I have no idea where I got the instructions on how to make this but it was saved on my computer. The great part about it ....I only used 1 12x12 solid cardstock to make the album and then 1/3 of another piece of cardstock. It was very easy to make and I love the way it came out.