She Loves To Be Loved...

Something struck as I laughed at Abby running to beat me to get Scott's first hug this evening, when he came home from work...  She loves to be loved!!

Makes me think about my Heavenly Father... Do I love to be loved by Him?  Do I soak in it?  Do I relish it like Abby?  Do I run to spend time with Him?  Do I overflow with joy like she does?  Simply because I'm loved?

I want to be like Abby!!

Reduced Prices!!

If you've been waiting to make a purchase to support Lori's fundraiser, now would be the time (I'm donating 10% of  my jewelry sales to her adoption, 2 precious boys from China)...  I've made enough purchases that I'm starting to get better prices on my supplies, so I decided to go ahead and lower the prices on my website to reflect my better pricing...  EVERYTHING has been reduced!!

Here's a couple of examples...  But remember, EVERYTHING has been reduced!

Was $35... Now $27.95

Was $30...  Now $24.95

The better my new pricing...  the better your new pricing!  I'm passing my savings on to you!!  So if you've had your eye on something, it's a great time to buy!

And don't forget... I'm doing a drawing at the end of the month for a $50 coupon towards a purchase on my website!  Here are the details...

There are  3 ways to get your name entered…

1. If you post my button on your blog... (The code is on my right side bar, under the Designing For Hope button)...

2. If you donate your 20% to Lori, when you make a purchase (I was offering a 20% discount for posting my button on your blog!)

3. If you write a post about this fundraiser…

So you could get your name entered up to 3 times in the drawing… Just make sure you send me the link to your blog… If you have any questions, e-mail me at sharlam@d4hope.com.

Happy Shopping!

The Secret to Success & Happiness (According to Nick!)

So maybe Happy of the Seven Dwarfs was on to something...

Nick is an exceptionally smart child (we have the IQ test to prove it), but he struggles with attention and so it makes school a bit of a challenge.  But lately, Nick has been making drastic improvements in school!  I am getting positive e-mails from his teachers, his grades are coming up, his attitude is more positive.

On the way home from school today, I asked him, "Nick, what's different?  What has changed to bring about this improvement?"

I thought for sure he would say something like, "Mom, your encouragement has paid off..."  Or maybe, "Because you kept fighting for me and never gave up."  Maybe even break into "The Wind Beneath My Wings..." (I AM kidding...  sort of!)

But guess what he said...  Are you ready for this?  He didn't miss a beat...  He said, "I started whistling.  Whistling makes me happy!" 

Yep...  You read it here first...  The secret to success and happiness...  'Just whistle while you work!'  According to Nick, it doesn't even have to be a tune, just whistle.

He laughed at me the rest of the way home because as hard as I tried...  I can't whistle!!

I love that kid!!

A Sweet Valentine's Day!!

Today was a REALLY special day... It started with my wonderful husband surprising me with lunch and flowers...  He came home from work with one of my favorite treats...  Summer sausage and cheese, flowers and a really special card!

Then, this evening we (Scott and I, with Mackenzie and Abby and our good friend's daughter, K) went down and served dinner to the men at one of the rehab facilities in our city...  I've written about it before, but essentially they are a facility for men who are fighting addictions. 

This was the first time we took Abby and Mackenzie and I admit, I was a little unsure...  They both tend to be shy in new situations and I had no idea how they would respond in this one.  So yesterday, when I was explaining to them what we were going to do, I said, "Abby, remember how I told you that you are SO special that God sent us all the way across the world so you could know Him?  Well, He thinks these men are SO special that He wants us to go serve them dinner so He can show them how much He loves them!" 

That was all it took...  They were AMAZING tonight...  They smiled...  they served them dessert and interacted with them and as we finished serving dinner, I have never been so proud!  I looked over and all of the girls (another family was there with their teenage daughter) had gone over and sat down with one of the men that was sitting by himself.

They talked to him, they listened to his stories and it's clear that they were deeply affected by all he had been through...  They've already asked when we can go back!

I wrote once about Africa that it is so hard to leave because the spirit of God is almost tangible...  That's because I believe that God always shows up where people are desperate for Him... 

Well, I realized tonight that His Spirit is just as tangible in an American city in a dining room with 100+ broken men... It's evident in the people who are there to volunteer... It's evident in the employees...  Tonight, it was evident in an 8 year old girl, who God brought across the world, to show these men just how much He loves them!  Once again, I learned that God shows up in the places where people are most desperate for Him!

I can't think of any greater privilege or blessing than GETTING to show God's love on Valentine's day!  Like the girls, I CAN'T wait to go back!

If I REALLY Got It....

A question has been on my heart alot lately... I mean ALOT...  Like, no matter how much I try to escape it, it just won't go away!


I've been wondering, if I really got... I mean really, REALLY got, how BIG...how HUGE...  how HOLY... our God is...  would my life look any different?

Somehow I think it would! 

She Can Sure Ask Some Questions!

Last week I had quite a few errands to run so I invited Abby to tag along (instead of hanging out with her older brother all afternoon)...  I've learned over the years that car time = talk time and WOW did Abby want to talk!  And what a wonderful conversation it was!!

The conversation started like this...

Abby - "Mommy, how do people know God?"
Me - "How do you mean?"
A - "Like the people who wrote the Bible, how did they know God?"

By this point I'm sending out a heavenly call for help...  How on earth do I answer these questions?!

Romans 1 first came to mind, so I talked to her about how God is visible in creation and that often God will use creation to cause people to start asking questions...  But then, many times, He will send someone to tell others about Him...

And then it hit me and I said, "Abby, did you know about God in China?"  "No, I never heard of Him."  "Abby, think about that...  God loves you SO much, He thought you are so special and He wanted you know Him so much that He picked us, on the opposite side of the world, to come and be your family so you could know Him too..."  I wish you could have seen the smile on her face as she thought about that!!

From there we talked about Adam and Eve, their first sin in the garden, and why Jesus had to die on the cross...  At one point she asked, "If Mary was Jesus' mommy, does that mean God was married to Mary?"  (Where on earth does she get these questions?!)  "Well, not exactly..."  And then I LOVED her response, "But I thought if Mary was His mommy and God was His daddy, then God would have to be married to Mary."  (At least she has the order of things correct!!)  I admit, I didn't find a simple way to explain that one, but we had a great conversation about faith...

We talked about how God gives us so much evidence of Him in so many things to help grow our faith so that when we come up against hard things to understand, we can trust Him and believe Him for the hard things... 

It was a wonderful afternoon and 4 1/2 hours later (I thought she would have been SO bored!)...  She said, "Mommy, I really enjoyed spending time with you...  I like talking to you!"  Talk about melting a heart...  Complete puddle!!

I'm still in awe at all that God has done in her sweet little heart in just 2 1/2 years...  Talk about a faith builder!!  Adoption is a WONDERFUL journey...  even the hard parts!!

New Inventory For Lori's Hope Raiser

$35 - Gorgeous agate beads & swarovski crystal

I just uploaded some new inventory on my website... Remember, for all of February, 10% of my sales will be donated to Lori at Joy Unspeakable who is bringing home 2 adorable boys from China in the very near future.

But there's more...

If you pick up my button (just to your right on my sidebar) and put it on your blog, send me a link to your blog and I'll send you a coupon.

Now, with this coupon, you will have 2 choices... You can use the coupon for yourself and receive a 20% discount on your next purchase... OR you can donate your 20% and I'll give that to Lori too...

AND... I’m going to do a drawing at the end of the month for a $50 coupon towards a purchase on my website and there’s 3 ways to get your name entered…

1. If you post my button on your blog...

2. If you donate your 20% to Lori, when you make a purchase

3. If you write a post about this fundraiser…

So you could get your name entered up to 3 times in the drawing… Just make sure you send me the link to your blog… If you have any questions, or want something you don’t see on the website, e-mail me at sharlam@d4hope.com. Most anything you see in antique bronze can be done in a silver tarnish resistant chain that I love!! And if you see something that you like that's sold, most likely I can make it again, so send me an e-mail! Looking forward to hearing from you!!

Here's more that's new...

$30 - 24" long but can be worn shorter

$30 - Freshwater Pearl

$30 - Freshwater Pearl

$20 - Freshwater Pearl

$15 - Freshwater Pearl

$15 - Freshwater Pearl

Nuture or Nature?

Warning...  if you have a weak stomach, this might gross you out a little (it did me!!)

Our dinner conversation last night...  (Nick is wrestling these days and ring worm is apparently a big problem among wrestlers..)

Me to my husband...  "Did Nick tell you how he got rid of his latest case of ringworm?" 

Scott...  "No..."

Nick...  "I took a knife, scraped it off and then put Clorox on it." 

(My unspoken thoughts...OUCH!!  Are you CRAZY?  Surely Scott is going to reprimand him and tell him not to do that again...  NOT!)

Scott...  "Why didn't you just shave it off with a razor."

Nick...  "I tried that first but it wouldn't get up under it."

Scott...  "Oh okay..."  (Translation... "Sure Nick, that makes total sense.")

I thought when the movie Rambo came out years ago that it was a bit far fetched...  Not so much anymore...  Nick has said that when he gets older he might just live in a tent in the woods and catch his own food (or eat tree bark!)  

He was thrilled when we came home from our anniversary weekend and (as a joke) brought him bacon and cheese flavored crickets!

So regarding the age old question, 'nurture or nature?'   This one definitely goes to nature...  I can assure you, I did NOTHING to nurture these Grizzly Adam's characteristics (and other than an occasional...  and I mean RARE... camping trip, neither did his dad)!

Kids...  they keep life interesting!!