We don't always know the reason for our trials, but God revealed to Paul the reason for his "thorn in the flesh." It was to keep him from being "exalted" (See 2Co 12:7). Success can be intoxicating, and intoxicated people aren't known for being too bright or trustworthy!

New on ebay June 9th. Search Boutique SDS

It's when we feel most separated from God, that He's teaching us the most. Dave Dravecky said, "Looking back...I have learned that the wilderness is part of the landscape of faith, and every bit as essential as the mountaintop. On the mountaintop we are overwhelmed by God's presence. In the wilderness we are overwhelmed by His absence. Both places should bring us to our knees; the one, in utter awe; the other, in utter dependence."

So many times we slander others with our words...

One lady writes: "I went through a period of trying to overcome gossip but I'd still tell it to my husband. Although I knew he wouldn't repeat it, I realized that by exposing him to it I was poisoning his spirit. That's when I decided to change what was coming out of my mouth."

God can bring good out of every situation. He can take every experience you've been through, both positive and negative, and make it work for good, either your good or the good of others. When you seek to fulfil God's purposes in spite of your flaws, He makes "...all things work together for good..." (Rom 8:28).

I spent a good part of Mother's Day creating a gallery of designs...

Before World War II Josefina Guerrero was the toast of Manila, young, vivacious and married to a wealthy medical student. Then in 1941 she discovered she had leprosy. Immediately she began treatment, but when Japan invaded the Philippines all the leprosariums were abandoned. Despite her disease Joey joined the underground, smuggling food, clothes, medicine and messages to POW's. She mapped out fortifications along the waterfront and the location of anti-aircraft batteries. When guerrillas discovered a newly-sown minefield where the 37th Division was scheduled to land in Manila, they asked her to get the message through. With little thought for her own life she trudged through miles of enemy encampments with the map taped to her back and delivered it safely. Because of her courage many dangerous missions were completed and the U.S. War Department awarded her the Medal of Freedom with silver palm for saving untold American lives. Amazingly, Joey was never caught. In fact, Japanese soldiers were horrified by the ragged little woman who shuffled through the streets of Manila. And even when she was stopped they didn't detain her long, once they recognised the swathed bandages and lesions of advancing leprosy.

A successful character quality- diligence!!

In God's economy you determine whether you become "ruler" or "slave" by how hard you're willing to work. Lazy employees complain about the unfair boss, the biased system, the 'company men' who look out for the boss and the boss who looks out for them. They want the privileges others get but they're not willing to work for them. "The sluggard craves and gets nothing" (Pr 13:4 NIV) because "his hands refuse to work" (Pr 21:25 NIV). "But the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied" (Pr 13:4 NIV).

This "Carousel Dolls" dress...

will debut on eBay May 12th. If you just can't wait until then, email me at styledesigns1@hotmail.com. The dress is $149, plus $5 shipping.

Beautiful Matching Bows....

These fabulous bows (with a maribou touch!) are available through Peyton's Place Boutique

New today on eBay...search Boutique SDS

God put you on this earth for a specific purpose. Have you found yours yet? Are you pouring your life into it and making every moment count? Paul did, and he ended up writing: "The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Tim 4:6-8 NKJV).

Make time for friends and loved ones. "Let no one seek his own, but each...the other's well-being" (1 Cor 10:24 NKJV). George Eliot wrote: "Oh, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away."

New today on ebay.....

My model's mom has proven again why I love her work so much! Great job, Hol!
You can visit her at:

www.parkavephotography.com

I'm giving thanks!

My dear husband made garden fresh, double cheese omlets for breakfast! Yummm....

New on eBay and etsy....

When Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency by the death of Franklin Roosevelt, Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the House, took him aside and said, "You're going to have lots of people around you. And they will tell you what a great man you are, Harry. But you and I both know you ain't." As it turned out, Truman became a truly great president.

Until you quit agreeing with those who've mistreated you, or bowing to the events that crippled you emotionally, you'll remain locked in a prison of your own making. When your critic's opinion becomes your opinion, you've built a prison inside your soul with only one prisoner - you. Are you prepared to accept that some of the people you've spent your life trying to impress, may never be impressed? And can you accept that from God's perspective - it doesn't matter? To succeed in life you must be able to work alongside people without allowing yourself to be controlled by their moods or governed by their opinions. This is what Paul was talking about when he said, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?...If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

As a follower of Christ you are commanded to build others up by highlighting what's good instead of magnifying what's bad, by seeing them as unique individuals instead of stereotypes, by respecting instead of ridiculing, by forgiving instead of shaming, by modeling unconditional love instead of love with strings attached, by applauding each step of growth instead of saying, "You'll never change," by seeing their God-given potential instead of seeing them as problems to be handled. Come on, get your theology off the drawing board and put it into practice! Today, be a "builder-upper."

Are you truthful...

The most famous story about lying in American history is the one about George Washington chopping down a cherry tree. When his father asked him who did it, George supposedly said, "I cannot tell a lie; I did it with my little hatchet." That was in a biography written by Parson Weems in the nineteenth century - he made the whole story up. Incredibly, the most famous story about not lying in America, was a lie.

And truthfulness is still in short supply. Politicians spin promises, telemarketers scam the elderly, job seekers pad their résumés, repair shops inflate their bills, students steal essays from the internet to pass tests and spouses lie to each other about money and infidelity.

Good will come out of it...

Before World War II Josefina Guerrero was the toast of Manila, young, vivacious and married to a wealthy medical student. Then in 1941 she discovered she had leprosy. Immediately she began treatment, but when Japan invaded the Philippines all the leprosariums were abandoned. Despite her disease Joey joined the underground, smuggling food, clothes, medicine and messages to POW's. She mapped out fortifications along the waterfront and the location of anti-aircraft batteries. When guerillas discovered a newly-sown minefield where the 37th Division was scheduled to land in Manila, they asked her to get the message through. With little thought for her own life she trudged through miles of enemy encampments with the map taped to her back and delivered it safely. Because of her courage many dangerous missions were completed and the U.S. War Department awarded her the Medal of Freedom with silver palm for saving untold American lives. Amazingly, Joey was never caught. In fact, Japanese soldiers had a horror of the ragged little woman who shuffled through the streets of Manila. And even when she was stopped they didn't detain her long, once they recognized the swathed bandages and lesions of advancing leprosy.

King David declared, "He hears My voice and...has inclined His ear to me...I shall call upon Him as long as I live" (Ps 116:1-2 NAS). Instead of complaining, pray! Give God a prayer to answer and He'll answer it.

Gratitude

In order to have a grateful heart you must learn to be grateful for flawed people and imperfect gifts. Be grateful when your child attempts to make the bed, even though they make it imperfectly. Be grateful when your spouse expresses affection, even if they do it awkwardly. Be grateful that your body still moves around, even if it's more wrinkled and lumpy.

Don't wait to feel thankful. The thinking and the doing - leads to the feeling. "Give thanks in all circumstances" calls for a decision and an act of your will, not an emotional response. It's why Americans call their annual holiday Thanksgiving - not thanks feeling.

Watch for our new "Fairy Sweet" launch, March 10th!

Watch for my new line of pillowcase style dresses..

Stress is brought on by our need to know everything ahead of time - to be in control. Even after we pray and supposedly turn the situation over to God, we develop a "backup plan" in case He doesn't handle things the way we think He should. Do you do that? You don't put your money into a bank then stay awake all night worrying about it, do you? Have at least that much confidence in God.

New today on eBay!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=280312101801

Michael Drosnin wrote a book about a man who wanted more wealth, so he built one of the biggest financial empires of his day. He wanted more pleasure, so he paid for the most glamorous women money could buy. He wanted more adventure, so he set air speed records, built and piloted the world's most unique aircraft. He wanted more power, so he acquired political clout that was the envy of senators. He wanted more glamour, so he owned film studios and courted stars. Drosnin tells how this man's life ended: "He was a figure of gothic power, ready for the grave. Emaciated, only 120 pounds stretched over his six-foot-four-inch frame...thin scraggly beard that reached its way onto his sunken chest, hideously long fingernails in grotesque yellow corkscrews...Many of his teeth were black, rotting stumps. A tumor was beginning to emerge from the side of his head...innumerable needle marks...Howard Hughes was an addict. A billionaire junkie."

If you lack contentment, remind yourself things could be worse. Snoopy was lying in his dog house one Thanksgiving Day, mumbling about being stuck with dog food while all those humans got to be inside with the turkey and gravy and pumpkin pie. "Of course, it could have been worse," he finally reflected, "I could have been born a turkey." Reminding yourself "It could be worse" can be a powerful developer of contentment.

Learning to be happy with less. A hard-charging executive decided to spend a few days in a monastery. "I hope your stay is a blessed one," said the monk who showed him to his cell. "If you need anything let us know. We'll teach you how to live without it." Happiness isn't getting what you want, it's enjoying what God's given you. Paul said he had learned to be content, "Whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Be more patient. A man who rode the ferry to work prided himself on his punctuality. But one day he overslept. Fearing he'd be in trouble with his boss, he raced to the dock only to see the boat six feet out from the terminal. Taking a leap, he landed on the deck. Smiling, the captain said, "Great jump! But if you'd waited another minute we'd have docked and you could've walked on." Don't be in such a hurry; give it a little time. "Patience...can...overcome any problem" (Pr 25:15 CEV).

New eBay listing:

Harvard professor George Vaillant identifies resiliency as a significant characteristic of people who navigate the different seasons of life from birth to old age. In his book Aging Well he writes, 'Resilient people are like a twig with a fresh, green, living core. When twisted out of shape the twig bends but it doesn't break; instead it springs back and continues growing.' That's an excellent description of perseverance. We must not become dry, brittle and inflexible. We must draw on God's grace and endeavour to bounce back no matter how we feel.

Perseverance means: 1) Succeeding because you're determined to, not because you're entitled to. Achievers don't sit back and wait for success because they think the world 'owes them.' No, if you're wise you'll ask God for direction, stand firm on the word He has given you, go forward and refuse to quit. You must adopt the attitude of the man who said, 'We are determined to win. We'll fight them until hell freezes over, and if we have to, we'll fight them on ice.' Recalling the trials he'd faced, Paul said: '"I started, and I'm going to finish. I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door...And that's not the half of it"' (2 Corinthians 11:23-28 TM). One word describes Paul; relentless.