shutterfly joy

oh joy! not only is has our Savior come, but shutterfly has beautiful cards to adorn the good news! i'm just overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. there are gobs and gobs. if you know me well you can imagine me doing the indecisive dance as i looked at every. last. design. and then went through again to narrow down my favorites. they are all so beautiful! and i love the splashes of color they threw into this year's designs. go see for yourself!

recently i used shutterfly for sam's (shhh) photo book of our engagement.. yes I know i'm way behind on documenting photos of our six years together. i was just amazed at the ease with which i was able to choose colorful backgrounds, upload photos and use shutterfly's quick-slap-the-photos-on-the-pages-for-you option. and they did a beautiful outline that i simply rearranged a bit to my taste. time-saver for sure without compromising creativity.

when a sweet friend of mine posted about shutterfly's FREE giveaway of 50 holiday cards, i was thrilled. all i have to do is review their designs on my blog!? surely i can manage that during this 10 day stay in frigid north iowa:)
next, i plan to use shutterfly to make a personalized calendar. does anyone else need a fun way to escape the guilt that comes with forgetting birthdays and anniversaries? i might make one of these and call it sam's:) wink wink.

okay, on with some favorites. it was SO hard to choose but i loved the word "joy" to describe Christmas. The perfect christ child came to earth to become sin for me so i don't have to endure the wrath of the father? oh, joy! how can i not worship him out of the joy that flows from my heart?

little splash of color and joy:) modern.

a folded card so you can add an update letter inside! oh, joy!

lots of color on this one. i just love the vibrancy!

so, that's all my thoughts for now. the one we chose isn't here on purpose. wouldn't want to ruin the surprise! but christmas is around the corner so the wait won't be long.

now, go get your own free 50 here :)

nothing can keep us from your love...

Since I've been posting songs that speak right to my heart, here is another one:) Based on Romans 8:35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?..NO, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present not things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I meditate on the truths of this song as I cry out to God for healing in every area of my life.

No mountain, no valley
No gain or loss we know
Could keep us from Your love

No sickness, no secret
No chain is strong enough
To keep us from Your love
To keep us from Your love

Chorus
How high, how wide
No matter where I am
Healing is in Your hands
How deep, how strong
Now by Your grace I stand
Healing is in Your hands

Our present, our future
Our past is in Your hands
We're covered by Your blood
We're covered by Your blood

In all things, we know that
We are more than conquerors
You keep us by Your love

yours

Every darkened crevice
Every hidden place
Every secret that’s inside of me
Though I run from You
I don’t get very far
In my weakness You speak tenderly

You heal this heart of stone
I am not my own

I am Yours....

How can I resist a perfect love like this?
It’s like sunshine and the smell of spring
When I’m covered in Your forgiveness
God, it’s overwhelming

You have called me out of shadows....
Out of darkness into light....
Hemmed in by the hands of mercy....
I’m completely satisfied

Bethany Dillon-I Am Yours

time to let go...

Today, today, you wanna run away now
You brake, to keep it together, love
Love is all you need, you're a queen but you've never known it

Life has come and left you blinded
Stole your smile, left you crying
It's not your fault, shame is all you've got now

[Chorus:]
Your heart is tangled up in silence
It's time to let go
And feel the light (find the light)
I know it's easier to hide
But you gotta let go
And feel the light, let go and feel the light

Be brave, brave, the waters all around you
I'll stay I'll keep you from sinking down
(Love) Love is on your side, it's stronger than you'll ever know

So many years of quiet
Building up like a fire inside
Feeling like you gotta let it out now
Just let it out

[Chorus:]
Your heart is tangled up in silence
It's time to let go
And feel the light (find the light)
I know it's easier to hide
But you gotta let go
And feel the light, let go and feel the light

How did you get here
Your locked inside of all this fear
Inside you're crying out
Your mind's at war
Get out, get out and live for more
There's so much more
Live for more

[Chorus:]
Your heart is tangled up in silence
It's time to let go
And feel the light (find the light)
I know it's easier to hide
But you gotta let go
And feel the light, let go and feel the light

Brave, brave waters all around you
I'll stay, I'll keep you from sinking down

Feel the Light-Britt Nicole

birthday treat:)

sweet friend.

sweet gift.

sweet birthday!

puppy-sitting:)

This is how I know my hubby will make a great dad one day....Playing with kleenex and loving cuddles;) So sweet! Thanks Schnee's for lending us your Juniper pup for the weekend as you focus on your new baby girl, congrats!

healing begins

http://tenthavenuenorth.com/journal/entry/healing-begins

I want to share this link to the journal of Tenth Avenue North, one of my new faves in music. I love this reminder that God wants our healing, and it happens as we submit ourselves to Him and others through painful vulnerability...

I pray he will use your confession and mine to heal our broken hearts and bring the wholeness only He can offer!

James 5:13-16 "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed."

free: how easily we forget

Photo Credit: Fully Alive Photography

I've been reading in Exodus (yes, I'm behind on my one-year reading plan!) about the Israelites and their time of slavery in Egypt, as well the miraculous way God freed them from this miserable existence.

Pain, suffering, hopelessness, confusion, bitterness, doubt
These were the very things they needed to be freed from, many of these being their sinful responses to the oppression they experienced for so many years. And we know that those sins of the heart were entrapping them because even after God freed them from the hand of Pharoah, the physical suffering and pain, they continued to resort to the same emotions whenever they encountered suffering of any kind. It is the attitude we so often have, one of forgetfulness and pride that says, "Well yeah God, you freed me from this (awful thing I was going through) but now I have a new struggle and how in the world are you going to come through this time!? Maybe I'd be better off back where I was (in that awful thing I was going through)"

How easily we forget.

"As Pharoah and his army approached, the people of Israel could see them in the distance, marching toward them. The people began to panic, and they cried out to the Lord for help. Then they turned against Moses and complained, 'Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt!? Why did you make us leave? Didn't we tell you to leave us alone while we were still in Egypt? Our Egyptian slavery was far better than dying out here in the wilderness!"

But Moses told the people, 'Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the Lord rescue you. The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. You won't have to lift a finger in your defense!"

How easily we forget.

At first the Lord's instructions for the Passover seemed a little redundant, a little excessive. "Why do you care so much about this, God?" I asked. The details of when, how to kill the sacrifice, which lamb to choose, etc.
But God showed me the theme, the heart behind his instructions. The redundancy stemmed from God's heart for his people....

So you will not forget.

He knows the tendencies of our wayward hearts. He desires so much for us to remember his goodness, his power, his faithfulness. He wants us to trust him the next time we end up in a trial or struggle. Otherwise we turn our trust back to ourselves and are rendered powerless, hopeless, trapped. Remember! Remember that I'm the One who freed you last time, and I will do it again!

Lord, help us remember. Let us keep our eyes fixed on you!

"Since I am so sick,
Since I am in need,
Since I have no healing within me....
Oh my God, be mindful of me, you are my help and my Redeemer.
Oh my God, be mindful of me, you are my help and my Redeemer.
Surely those who wait on you will never be ashamed.
All of those who call on you will know the faithfulness of your name.
They'll know the faithfulness of your name!"
-100 Portraits and Water Deep-
Enter the Worship Circle
(I highly recommend these CD's, especially if you are prone to forget like I am)

new spring fave

I rekindled my love for spinach and strawberries on Easter with this yummy salad. The dressing really ties it all together, so don't skip it! I can't wait until our summer farmer's markets open up so I can get the most fresh, ripe, red, juicy strawberries (or I might just have to sneak into Elaine's garden since she's planting some this year!)

Strawberry Spinach Salad!

fresh diced strawberries
spinach leaves (I like to mix in some spring mix leaves, too)
sliced almonds
finely sliced red onion
optional: feta or goat cheese

for the dressing:
1/2 cup of sugar (I use organic sugar as a natural sweetener with no preservatives)
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tblsp poppy seed

In a blender, pour the sugar, salt, vinegar, oil and blend until smooth. Stir in the poppy seeds. It is SO delicious!

Happy Spring!

no more

No more floor plans, no more dreading the weekend because it means no news, no more stressing over paying the bills, no more rollercoaster ride, no more wondering, no more negotiating, no more waiting:)

Sam is taking an associate position at Chiropractic Arts here in ABQ....his first day is tomorrow!

I will reflect soon on more of the details of how this came to be, but for now, I want to give you all some of the peace and closure we're feeling and say PRAISE GOD! He is good. We might not understand it all right now, but He is good and these months of surrendering the outcome to the Lord while working hard on our end have led is here.

New Mexico is officially our new home:) Now it's time to change our cell phones and get NM plates on our cars.

Thanks for your constant support friends:)

Cheerfully His,
libby

still no word

This has to be the longest process I've ever gone through. I can tell you we got some wonderful news recently and it's the only thing allowing us to even move forward...we're soooo close (I know I've said that before but we've never been this close) but still, no final word on this clinic that we've dreamed about and planned for since mid-November. I'm finding the beauty and humor in it everyday though. It is truly a blessing to see my husband grow in humility, in trust and confidence in the ultimate Healer, not himself, no, Jesus the Perfect One. That is what makes this bitter process sweet. Oh, and God has been teaching me some much needed lessons, too. I'm reminded of two verses lately. I hang on to these admonitions when my spirit feels faint.

"We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing the suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" Romans 5:3-5

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" 1 Thess 5:16

crafting for his glory

Do you ever get excited about revisiting something you used to do in high school? Like coloring, or cutting things out of magazines? I was inspired to do a craft with my friend, Katie, the sixteen year old I am mentoring. We got out the Mod Podge and went to town, decoupaging an already cute journal. So fun! She liked the owl so much that our journals ended up matching. It was a great way to connect, craft, and create something that can be used to grow in our walks with Christ.

alive and well...

Just a quick update to let you all know we have submitted the bank loan application and our business plan as of yesterday. I've avoided blogging about it lately because it is such an up and down process, and I didn't want you guys to feel as worn out as we do by the ever-changing news! I guess you could say the fate of our practice is in the hands of the banks, but we know who really runs the show, and we're daily putting this in His hands as we have for the past year. Soli Deo Gloria!

I'll update when I have some worthy news:)

choices

Remember this? Well, God is good...and for the first time since this whole process began, we've got CHOICES!

So, which door of opportunity will it be?


Door Number One: (prob not cause they've been dragging their feet since November!)


Door Number Two? (Hmmm, looks a lot like the door on Sam's graduation invite!)
OR

Door Number Three: (it has potential people)

we shall wait (hopefully not too much longer) and see!!!