Sunday, September 25, 2011

Beyond My Golden Ticket

images from my "dreaming" board on Pinterest

I have been consumed with a seemingly reasonable desire, one that most enjoy.  Due to the absence of achieving this desire or seeing a time in the near future in which it can be realized, I have thrown everything else off in my life.  Our home has not been the place of joy that it could be if only I would snap out of this state of unhappy haze.  I can not seem to shake it.  My heart has not even been in the right place to truly desire for God's help in overcoming my tunnel vision and hard heart because after all it is a reasonable desire!

As is often the case, His help was given, despite that I was unworthy and almost not ready to receive it.  But it came and luckily I recognized it and embraced it.  I found myself at the right place and the right time, grateful that He was speaking to me through the voice of one of His servants, His apostles, a special witness of Jesus Christ on the Earth today.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, the second counselor in the First Presidency, which is the highest governing body of the Church, gave a powerful address to the women of our church last night.  He suggested 5 things that we should "forget not" to do.  The entire sermon was incredible, one I will refer to again and again for inspiration in my life.  The 3rd suggestion was the one that I needed to hear right then: 
"Forget Not to Be Happy Now"


He proceeded to give an analogy of the Golden Ticket, drawn from the children's story "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".  A story I became very familiar with as a child.  I found myself easily relating to his words and knowing they must have been just for me.


"In this classic children's story...people all over the world desperately yearn to find a golden ticket.  Some feel like their entire happiness and future depends on whether or not a golden ticket falls into their hands.  In their anxiousness people begin to forget the simple joy they used to find in a candy bar.  The candy bar itself becomes an utter disappointment if it does not contain a golden ticket.  So many people today are waiting for their own golden ticket.  The ticket they feel contains the key to the happiness they've always dreamed about."


"There is nothing wrong with righteous yearnings....The problem comes when we put our happiness on hold as we wait for some future event, our golden ticket to appear...


"This is not to say that we should abandon hope or temper our goals.  Never stop striving for the best that is within you.  Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart but don't close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day's ordinary moments that make up a rich and well-lived life.  The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket, they are those that while in pursue of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the every day moments.  They are the ones that thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives.  These are they who are truly happy."




{this segment is found at minute 7:35 through 13:25}

This is what I have been missing; my threads of gratitude and wonder are tangled and forgotten off in a box somewhere.  I must make a conscious effort to find them, gently unravel them, and keep them at the forefront of my thoughts.  I have been passing up and even corrupting the potentially beautiful and sweet moments of each ordinary day by focusing all my mental energy on my lack of this 'reasonable desire'.  I pray and I plead that He will "help thou my unbelief" in raising me above these thoughts.  That I will find joy despite the seemingly unattainable.  That I will be humbled.  That I will find gratitude and wonder in "each day's ordinary moments" and become one of those "who are truly happy".

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Marquee Love

It has been a much needed distraction from cleaning and unpacking to meet with the
  Craft Explosion 
Instructors and do a run-through of each of the projects.  Let me just say that we have some fabulous crafting choices for you.  We have learned a lot by doing these beforehand, all for your benefit!  {and it doesn't hurt that now I have completed projects ready to adorn my blank canvas of a home}.

Here is my new love, the Marquee Letter.



My boys are enthralled with it as well.  Not wanting to turn off the 'J' at bedtime.  It really does give a nice glow.  It will remain here in their freshly painted new room until I decide where its permanent home will be.  It looks pretty comfortable there atop their dresser I do have to say.  Really it is just a matter of if the 'J' will be comfortable toppled over on the ground.  Just a matter of time really.  Today during 'nap time', the globe suffered a mishap.  Perhaps in protecting its new dresser-top-mate.  Only Tate knows the whole story.

Danielle and I worked from this brilliant tutorial shown on Design Sponge here.

This project will definitely consume the entire Wednesday session.  Oh so worth it!
Come on over here to sign up to create your own Marquee Letter and share in the love.



upper room paint - crystal aqua
lower room paint - Monterey Bay teal
globe - thrifting find
dresser - Jerome's



Sunday, September 18, 2011

Button, Button, Come Grab a Button


I had pinned this to my 'Blog How-to" board on Pinterest some time ago, not knowing when I would need to add a button and button code box to my blog:


It comes from one of my new favorite blogs :



That I found from my long time friend's blog:


Planes, Trains and Taxi Cabs

The Blog Guidebook has all sorts of fabulous tutorials and tips on having and dressing up your blog, with posts written in an easy to follow manner.  Check them out.

From their post 

How To Add Button Code & Code Box To Your Blog

I was able to create his fun button and code box for our





So come grab a button for your blog to help me spread the word about this explosive event:)

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Craft Explosion Ignites

It has been awhile since we last saw each other, so sorry to disappear.

I've been working hard on feeling at home in our new house.
Its going to take some time, so bear with me.

In the meantime I am filling my not-so-free time with something diverting and engaging,
Confetti photo by Inspired by This
A little event I have devised in which you can craft til your heart's content for two whole evenings!!!
October 11th and 12th
7 Classes to choose from, taught by some amazing ladies.
Promise you're going to feel compelled to do at least one of them.

Check them all out on my sewing blog:



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