~Lovely, Lovely New Blog~

Happy New Year! New Year, new blog!! Don't worry, I don't plan to delete this blog, but all my future updates will be at my NEW blog Lovely, Lovely Things: http://lovelylovelythings.wordpress.com/. Hope to see you over there, and if you visit me there, be sure to say hello :)!!!

~Merry Christmas!!~

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family, I love you and I hope you are enjoying this wonderful day!

I have been thinking long and hard about what to share with you today. I know I have not been very good at keeping this blog updated now that I am working so hard on the Scrapbook Ideas blog. But I have been thinking all week about how to share something meaningful today that will in some way capture my joy and gratitude toward God for His gift to us this Christmas. But as creative as I am, I am just not very eloquent with words and I have a hard time really expressing how I feel sometimes! That's why I was thrilled yesterday when my friend Heaven dropped by unexpectedly with a big yummy basket of fruit and goodies, and..... a new poem!!! If you haven't already read the first poem I shared with you written by Heaven, you can see it here. After I read Heaven's Christmas poem, I just had to call her and ask permission to share it with you - it's perfect :). And THEN Heaven shared some more touching things she had written, and I just have to share them all with you.

Even though Heaven is a brand new believer, and this is her first Christmas as a Christian, God has already taught her so much - and it really shows! She is a real blessing in many people's lives :)!! I hope you take the time to read these so you can be blessed too!

Nails Of Agony

The conception was a miracle
one that God alone could make
to father flesh with beating heart
for our sins ~ to forsake.

The light faded up above them
as the time was drawing near
a child was to be born that night
a child to hold - so dear.

There was no place of comfort
no one ~ had the room
to help Mary be at ease ~ to have
the babe come from her womb.

Darkness fell across the land
all but ~ one star shining bright
gave vision to some wise men
who journeyed towards that light.

Wisdom indeed ~ to travel towards
the light that shone above
where lay the new born Jesus Christ
who is ~ eternal love.

His son, His life, His hearts desire
He knew what lay ahead
His flesh, His Son’s own beating heart
would stop and He’d…….be dead.

For you
for me
for everyone
to save us from all wrong
He took the nails of agony
for our pain ~ to be gone.

He gave His Son ~ Immanuel
then He opened his arms wide
He welcomed home His selfless Son
and held him close ~ with pride.

His broken flesh was mended
The sins He took were ~ washed away
thank God ~ for His miracle Son
born upon ~ this day.

By
Heaven Mahle

Isn’t a beautiful picture of God’s gift to us? And Heaven also shared a story with me this morning about what happened last night when she read the poem above at her church last night. It is so touching, and here it is in her words:

Everything I write ~ I write with my hearts ink.
It was 11pm Christmas Eve 2007, my first PROPER Christmas. I had written a poem …
…Nails Of Agony, I loved it, of course, I was always a little tiny bit privately proud of my poems!

I’ve written many yet shared few, the few I shared had impact, I like that, it means to me then, it was so worth writing, an inked journey from my heart to another’s heart makes it all worthwhile.

The last service I attended I cried through the entire hour, I had no tissues with me and neither did any of my friends! I wiped my eyes and sodden cheeks with my scarf! So this time I came prepared! I brought with me a little towel. So…

…We’re in church, I’m sat and I’m ready for my first proper Christmas. The seats start to fill and so do my feelings. All these people are here for one thing, to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The babe born in a manger ~ for US. The reason he was born ~ for US. The suffering he bore ~ for US. I’m overwhelmed inside and I have my little towel close by! I see more people enter the church, the more come inside the more I think…
…There’s already been three services here today and yet – they still come. I think of other churches, other towns, other cities and other countries ALL with churches being filled with people, people who come to thank the Lord God for the birth of His son – the baby Jesus.

My hearts ink ‘Nails Of Agony’ (written after my last tearful service) is on the seat beside me. I want to share it, I want the world to hear it! Something holds me back, something always does, I think it’s my fear of failure, I want to blow my own trumpet for the world to hear but I don’t rise from my seat! My husband has different ideas! He took the poem up to our pastor, Alan, he spoke for a minute, I watched, I hoped but I didn’t know. Didn’t know if my hearts ink would be of any use to him or the service. I hoped, shyly I hoped. I understood how important this service was going to be and who am I to squeeze into that most precious time – I’m no-one.

Alan came over and asked me to read my poem on the altar. I said yes, of course, I’d love to!! Then I thought….oh what have I done?!

WOW!! Me? Worthy? My words to share with all these people? Really? At this most precious time ~ I could barely believe it!!

The time comes, I walk to the altar, I read my poem, I look to the floor and I go back to my seat! I’d watched all those people come inside and yet now I couldn’t face one! I think that was my proudest moment ~ ever!! I know it was my most humbling moment ever. I barely heard the round of applause, I knew it was there but to my ears it was almost like a cloud because they couldn’t be applauding me.

I’m back in my seat and the lady next to me leans over towards me, I see a tear sat on her cheek and I feel awesome! My hearts ink had journeyed to another’s heart. I was happy to see that tear! However, then the lady spoke! She thanked me for the poem I’d written a week before called ‘Come And Dance With Me’
She said it had really helped her and her family. I was confused and I didn’t understand! I thought I’d only given that poem to Alan. It had been inspired by words from Jimmy, one of our pastors, during a service. He spoke of a woman called Donna who was across the road singing a song about dancing on a grave and she was singing this song barely days after laying her mother to rest. I was so touched and hence the poem ‘Come And Dance With Me’

So, all at the same time I was getting over the fact that others felt my words were worthy enough to be shared that night, trying to listen to the service which had carried on and wondering why this lady had spoken of a different poem! I just said “thank you” to her and turned back to the front!

The service was done. Another pastor came to me and held out his hand. I smiled and listened as he filled in the blank! The lady I was sat next to was his wife, his wife was called Donna and it was her that Jimmy spoke of, it was her that was singing, it was her that had just laid her mother to rest and it was because of her I wrote ‘Come And Dance With Me’ ….now it all made sense! The pastor told me his wife had wanted to meet me after she’d received the poem from Alan. Well…I jumped up and I hugged Donna so tightly, not just once but twice! I was so happy to know that through my words, given to me by God, I’d been able to help, it was real, I’d made someone feel a little better. If you’ve ever had that feeling like I did….it’s like my heart was filled with popping candy!

I have to ask…. who do you think sat us next to each other in church that night? I think we can all work that out!!

I thank you Lord for the things you do and for the way you work with us. I received the best Christmas gift – ever!

Thank you – thank you – thank you!

Happy Birthday!

Wow!!!! There are no such things as coincidences :)! In case you are wondering about the other poem she mentioned, I have that one too :):

Come And Dance With Me!


Dance on my grave ~ for I ask you
Be happy, rejoice and sing

Dance on my grave ~ for I beg you
Smile all the smiles you can bring

Dance on my grave ~ for I tell you
Now, I’m as happy as I could be

Dance on my grave ~ for I want you
To come and dance – with me

Dance on my grave ~ for I need you
To celebrate with your step

Dance on my grave ~ for I love you
Don’t you ever, ever forget…

…to dance on my grave ~ and be happy
That God gave me the chance

To live my life now up in Heaven, so…
…come to my grave – and dance.


By Heaven Mahle

I’m so glad that Heaven is willing to share these with me and my blog readers, it is so awesome to see what God is doing in her life and how it is so quickly spreading to influence the lives of others. That’s how God’s love works, isn’t it? At the Christmas Eve service I went to last night, we were all lighting candles while we sang some Christmas carols. As we passed the flames from one person to the next down the pews, the pastor said something that is so true – when you use your light to pass light onto the next person, it doesn’t hurt your light at all – it just helps it to spread! Let’s remember that as we spread the light of Christ’s love to the world!

A few pics from this morning…

~The Gordon Elves~

Click here to check out our elf dance!!!

~Happy Thanksgiving~

I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30.



Just wanted to drop in and wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving! Here is a digital scrapbook page I made for today's post at The Meadow. The photo is from last Thanksgiving, which I spent with my family. I am so thankful for them! *Click here for page credits*

~Win a Shutterfly Photo Book!~

Just wanted to let you know that there is a celebration going on at my Scrapbook Ideas site, and Shutterfly has contributed FOUR 12x12 Photo Books as prizes!! I LOVE these books!!! You just HAVE to check it out, it's so easy to enter :)!!!

Click here to see all the details on the celebration at Scrapbook Ideas!

~Dancing Lion~

Photos by Alex, edited by Jess.

~Lots to Say!~

A few news items to share, but the best part of this post is at the end, so hang in there :)!

I was invited to join another digital scrapbook creative team - how could I resist working with super cute designs like these: Jeannie Papai Designs?

I will also be periodically writing for ANOTHER new blog, called The Meadow (for my scrapbooking friends) - and they have featured one of my pages in the very first post :)!

OK, I know I'm way behind on posting photos here, so here are some slideshows of my scrapbook pages, which is where all my photos end up anyway :)!

Now for the GOOD stuff :)! Get out your tissue box, because I want to share this touching poem with you that makes me cry (tears of JOY) every time I read it. It is written by Heaven, a new friend/neighbor of mine. We met by a series of coincidences (OK - I know there is no such thing) and have only known each other for a short time - but we get along so well, and she is a real blessing to me :). Heaven recently accepted Jesus into her life, and she wrote this beautiful poem that perfectly expresses what so many have experienced.

My Heart’s Been Lifted ~ My Soul’s In Delight

I once was lost ~ but now am found
I once did wander ~ all around
I craved a love ~ to fill my heart
while HE just waited ~ for me to start..

..to start a journey ~ I didn’t know..
..in which direction ~ I should go
He was waiting all the time
to love this little heart of mine

my past was there ~ I’d always look back
like a heavy, tattered, rock filled sack
I carried it with me ~ laden and sore
until ~ my Lord Savior ~ said “NO MORE”

cold inside ~ my tears had dried
it had been years ~ since my eyes cried
and cry they did ~ most every day
from a memory that came ~ my way

something would happened ~ nasty words said
I’d wander, believing ~ I’d rather be dead
but.. He was watching ~ I just didn’t know
wisdom has shown me ~ He’d never let go

He came to my door ~ I heard a knock
my heart was open ~ He’d taken the lock
He held out His hand and ~ I did it too
my time was now ~ and only He knew

my wandering was over ~ now I ~ did belong
I felt so light ~ the sack ~ it was gone
my heart’s been lifted ~ my soul’s in delight
my spirit is true and as high as a kite

I’ve been given the love ~ I craved for my heart
I’m not even sorry ~ it took so long to start
everything’s happened for a reason ~ I’m sure
preparation ~ for the day He came to my door

when he took my heart ~ to a place full of love
and he promised a home ~ in the heaven above
I cried.

I cried tears of joy and ~ I still am today
my burdens of past have all ~ gone away
I wake up each morning ~ I get ~ daily bread
and my Holy Bible’s pages ~ get read.

I’m just so grateful ~ you don’t understand
I found light on a journey ~ that I hadn’t planned
my feelings for Jesus are just ~ so strong
I pray and I ask that ~ this never be gone

it’s like being in love ~ with life ~ in abound
I’m honored ~ in my heart ~ a place you have found
to remove all the bitter ~ days gone by
and replace it with love ~ that makes me cry!

tears of happiness ~ content through and through
I need now do one thing ~ in honor of you
I ask – please baptize me ~ in a public domain
In my Father ~ The Holy Spirits name.

Beautiful, isn't it?

Good NEWS!!

No, I didn't sign up for Geico - LOL!!!

All kidding aside, I just wanted to share the most important news I can share with you - the story that has changed my life!!

All of the sudden this morning, I was praying about something, and it occurred to me that I have been sharing news about all the lovely things in my life, but I am afraid that I might not have shared the most important thing: my relationship with Jesus Christ! If I have failed to do that, then the whole past year of blogging is a complete waste, and I am so ashamed about that.

But let me get right to the point; I am not as experienced at explaining it as this "pro" :), so please check this link for the rest of today's message:

Steps To Peace With God

I am praying for you that if this, "The Greatest Story Ever Told", has not yet touched your life, that it will today!

God Bless!

~One Year Bruiser Bear~

Here is Gabe's one year photo. I just can't believe a whole year has gone by. He has changed so much! His main focus right now is on walking. He had been a little timid about it, but today he was walking back and forth across the nursery with a lot more confidence. It won't be long before he is running around like a regular little boy. Where did my baby go?

One year ago on this date I did a post reviewing the previous year in photos. So in the same spirit, below you will find a year in review of Gabe's Bruiser Bear photos.

Things are still very busy around here, sorry I haven't been posting much, but I hope to get a chance to share more photos with you soon of the BIG trip, Gabe's first Birthday, etc. etc. Have a lovely 3 day weekend!!!

~Happy Birthday Gabriel!~

Gabriel is ONE!!! I can't believe how fast this year has flown by! I wish I could take more time to reflect on all the loveliness right now, but we are still in the middle of our BIG 3 week long road trip/vacation right now. Of course I will share lots of photos when we get back in a week or two :)!