THOUGHTS THAT COULD...

It's amazing how many faces inspiration can have.  

Some serene, some stunning, some scary, some perplexing, some breathtaking, some peaceful, some that leave you speechless (in the “I don’t know what that is” kind of way)...name it, someone, somewhere in the world is being inspired by just that...

I have a BIG God and when I observe the world around me I have moments of breathtaking awe at how meticulously thought out and how perfectly detailed every object (animate and inanimate) around me was brought to fruition by the sound vibrations of One persons spoken words.  He is a flipping creative genius!  And this all came to be starting with thoughts.  Certain thoughts entered His mind that urged Him to speak them into existence and then propelled Him into action to then do what He was created to do.  He thought everything through, first.  That's what makes Him so great.  For that, He deserves uber loaded rounds of kudos snaps for sure!

For some of us choosing what is allowed into our minds is a harder process depending on what stage of our journey we are in.  Filtering my thoughts is always a challenging process, but it's a must in order to get aligned and stay aligned with where I need to be headed.  


Purging.
  
Renewing.
   
Refocusing.
   
Redefining.


(I'll allow you the priviledge of putting meaning to each of the above in relation to where you are at on your journey)


Taking every thought captive and testing to see if it's truth.  It's not a doom and gloom process, it's revitalizing and freeing!   Allowing the right thoughts into my mind and saying NO to the wrong thoughts that try to take over; regularly filtering in order to keep me focused, to shape me, and help me be doing what I am inspired to do each day, little by little, to remain on the path that I'm supposed to be on, continuing to grow and learn in the mix. 

We are all created for greatness and inspired to pursue it differently.  I truly believe that.  Question is...are you willing to entertain the creative thoughts that enter your mind that will propel you into becoming great?  Even more so...are you willing to actually do what those thoughts inspire and challenge you to do in order to grow you into that greatness?   


Or...if you prefer...you have your right to lounge back and watch life pass you by...like this squirrel :O)

 

THE OTHER SIDE OF SLEEPY TOWN

i.am.falling.asleep.

In the most literal sense of the word

     

If you look up the definition of sleep online...you will see a picture of me with my head on my desk, mouth gaping, and drool dripping...

So what is a gal (or guy) to do?  

I like to refresh my mind and my heart with images, words, and activities I highly enjoy and that breathe life into me (and essentially overflows into others around me) and catapults me closer to my dreams for Nickelbug and I's future.   

If I am at work...The Google and I are pretty tight.  I use The Google quite often.  If I need to be refreshed I look up randominities from looking up words such as homeostasis pertaining to organisms, to browsing other artists work to be inspired by their freshness, to researching ways to improve my health so my stay here on earth is a little longer, to simple, fun DIY activities to share with Nickelbug, to gardening so we can learn how to grow our own food, to environmental health so we can learn to take care of our home planet better, to funny pictures just to have a random, good belly laugh out loud (really, even while at work to break the dead silence in the office and rattle everyone else awake).  Name it, The Google tells me about it at my command and most of which I share with whoever else is around at the moment to listen (or just listen to me snicker and laugh).  

If I am in my abode and needing to be refreshed I choose to enjoy a fresh glass of wine and draw, or paint, or work on Nickelbug Designs (feel free to click Like to stay up to date with fresh news and upcoming events on Nickelbug Designs Facebook page).  I also like to write in my journal and just make-up some stuff to get the creative juices flowing.  Nickelbug has taken to drawing and painting too so we can enjoy it together painting each others faces or work on puzzles of Fairytale Friendships (she really enjoys that).  Refreshing my Worth to solidify who I am as a woman of God by meditating on scriptures that stand out to me is greatly renewing inside/out while practicing yoga; it really flushes out a lot of negatives for me too (check out Bikram Yoga Dallas, it will rock your mind and make you smile, promise)!  

The last thing I want to happen is to fall asleep and remain stagnant.  Remaining stagnant is not okay in my life book...I enjoy being and doing and growing and pouring that energy into others.  Keeping my heart and mind fresh to grow the desires that have been planted  in me help me to keep positive feedback a regular visitor and keep me balanced  :O)

 

Have you been visiting Sleepy Town longer than you planned to?  Or, did you even plan the visit and it just sort of happened?  If you're wanting a different place to travel to then utilize The Google...start by searching something that turns you on and ignites movement in you.  That simple.  I believe your searching will snowball and you will be greatly inspired to move toward your calling in life and live happily ever after :O)

A FEW OF MY FAVORITES

Life is multi-faceted and absolutely amazing...there is so much of it that I enjoy...here are just a few...well maybe more than that heehee

I enjoy making art and admiring good artwork from fanomenal artists such as Katie Daisy and Sylvia Ji.  Riding on horses, raising health awareness (go vegan), action packed movies, reminiscing with friends & family, green lights, emailing myself reminders so I don't forget things (or waste paper by writing "lists" that might be lost), flowers, creating ripples in my small sphere of influence, good thriller reads, coconuts, yoga, journaling, good tunes, squirrels, and looong walks along the ocean.  Really,  I do love to frolic on the beach.  I have the privilege of introducing Nickelbug to the beach in about a week for the first time.  If she's anything like me she will fall madly in love with the sand between her toes, the smell of salty air in her nose and sticking her big toe in the water. 

I get uberly tickled when Nickelbug picks up a piece of her chicken nugget with her fork and holds it up to show me the heart shape she sees that formed from the angle I had cut it.  Completely unintentional, as I was in a hurry to feed a hungry 4 year old tummy.  

I enjoy being outdoors, letting the sun rays dance on my skin.  Watching and listening to the birdsongs.  I especially love to feed them and watch them flock, bobble their heads and peck.  They get so close they even eat out of my hand!  They encourage me to enjoy my personal fairy tale of being Snow White and one with nature...only minus the bugs...and the white part....more like Snow Tan.  

 

I enjoy surrounding myself with people who, just by them being themselves and the way they live on a daily basis, challenge and encourage me to pay love forward and serve those around me and help nurture the environment we live in. 

It's okay to smile at people more and you're allowed to not take yourself so seriously all the time.  :O)

Truly, love on others and you will in turn learn how to love and enjoy yourself, the right way. 

Here's a great tune to lighten your heart for the remainder of your day, enjoy!

MEET JADE...

Jade Elizabeth Atwine…

Jade Elizabeth means: A jewel consecrated to our bountiful God; God of plenty.  She is a beautiful little girl and Nicolette and I have the privilege of becoming part of her world.  She was born on June 29, 2010 so she is only 2 years younger than Nicolette.  We look forward to learning through life with her and meeting her soon!

Glenda Stutzman, Watotos Sponsorship Coordinator, shard that Jade was abandoned shortly after birth in a hospital in Mbarara in Western Uganda.  When authorities failed to trace Jade’s parents, they requested Watoto Child Care Ministries to take her into their care.  Loving staff and volunteers at the Baby Watoto Home took little Jade under their wings and tended her malnourished little body.  With proper attention, Jade soon got back to good health and she is enjoying playing with toys and other children.

In March 2012, Jade graduated to a Watoto Home in a Watoto Village, where a devoted housemother and Watoto brothers and sisters made her feel welcome.  Jade’s housemother showers her with love and care.  :O)

On Sundays, Mama takes Jade to the Watoto Church, where the whole family receives spiritual nourishment.  When she is old enough, Jade will attend the Watoto School. 

Deeeep inhale...hold it....hold it...then looong exhale....and an uber biiiiiiiig smile :O)  She is a breathe of fresh air!!

Going through life: growing personally, working full time, being a mom full time, and starting a business has its challenges.  It is so hard to be patient…I know what I desire in certain areas of my life, for Nicolette, and for our future, but I know that God has his creative ways of doing things.  He cultivates desires (sometimes seemingly random) in our hearts at different times for certain reasons.  Since I have no idea what the future holds for Nicolette and I, I am choosing to live in the moment and soak up all the good that God has put in our lives right now.  I’m uber excited to see what is in store for Nicolette, Jade & I :O)  To do what I can, with what I have, right where I am at to bless others in our little sphere of influence and also now to bless others around the globe that have yet to meet… A Step in the Right Direction…

^“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11

For information on sponsoring a child through Watoto, please contact:

Glenda Stutzman

Sponsorship Coordinator

Watoto USA

PO BOX 1320 

Lutz, Florida 33548

Phone: 813.948.4343

For information regarding Watoto and/or to visit, please contact:

David Wildes

Visit Watoto and Church Relations

Watoto USA

PO BOX 1320

Lutz, Florida 33548

Phone: 813.948.4346

 

Savory Moments

It's amazing how many faces inspiration can have.  Some serene, cooky, stunning, scary, perplexing, corky, some that leave you speechless...name it, it's out there.  Any and all of them are interesting in some form or fashion.  Swimming through all of them, there isn’t anything, or any one, that inspires me more than those that absolutely love to fall over an over again in love with life and all the menial aspects of it as well as the grandeur of events.  People that build-up, encourage and challenge their peers-whether friends, acquaintances, passersby’s, or just blog readers-inspiring them to live in the moment and soak up all of the savories in any situation.  By embracing the good, the bad, and all the fun in between I’m able to see the world around me with a fresh perspective that makes my heart lighter and happier!  

God created us to love and enjoy life and to pour that joy over one another just as He does with us.  Life is beautiful!  There’s so much freedom when taking hold of that truth and walking it out!

When I’m older and reflecting back on my life, I want to be proud of the thumb print I’m leaving in this world and in the lives of those around me.  Right now, one step at a time, I choose to be a sponge and soak in all the savory moments I can and to share them with others  :O)  

Soaking in amazing artwork (by: Katie Daisy). Words, questions, and encouragement!

 

Beautiful flowers 

 

My Mini-Me's feet

Nickelbug's goofy faces & laughter

 

 Blue Tongues

 Cranberry Fun

Hide & Seek 

 

Yummie, good foods

Fun times with my bestie

 And of course.........LOTS of Color!!!

Time may not be able to be retrieved, but when I look at glimpses like these I can happily, and proudly say, they are moments that were not wasted....Time very well spent :O)

 We're lovin' life and doing it together!!

 

Word-Up!

I’m a gal whose main love language is Words.  Fun, exciting, motivating, uplifting, encouraging, life-giving words.  Truthfully, I really enjoy pouring those words over others whenever an opportunity to do so presents itself.  It really fills me with joy to be able to do that and brighten someone’s day!  However, not everyone is like me in that sense.  Recently I have experienced situations where other people’s words were just the opposite of that.  Even those closest to me!  Words that were tearing me down and putting me out.  Their words started taking root in my heart, so instead of being propelled into fulfilling the dream God put on my heart, I was being held back, pulled down and sometimes drug through the dirt. 

It's amazing how outside situations can influence and/or affect what direction my heart takes.  When really, what's in my heart should be what influences and/or affects the direction my external situations take.  

After months of sulking in discouragement and frustration God opened my eyes to the relationship I have with Him in a way I’ve never seen before!  Eureka!!  He is my Groom, the closest and most intimate anyone will ever get with me, and the words He speaks over me and into my life are SOLID.  I am His and He is mine.  He is my biggest fan and will always speak truth, life & encouragement into me.  His words are now being rooted in my heart and growing me into all He created me to be as His woman.  He chose to take possession of me because He believes in me and the abilities He has placed within me to accomplish what he created me to do!  In the same way I choose to take possession of Him and trust that He has the ability to do what He says He will do in my life (Philippians 3:12b).  He is my protector, my encourager, my energy, my motivation, my accountability…you get the picture.  He is all the encouragement I need and He is the One that defines my future with His words, not the people in my world. 

So, instead of allowing opposition from others hold me back or get me down, I choose to allow my Groom to be the one that is behind me and beside me, propelling me into the future He has for me, which is greater than anything I could imagine!  I don’t know what the future holds, but what’s great is I know He’s uber excited to equip me for it!  Everything I set my hands and my mind do will be blessed because I’m doing it for Him and with His words in mind encouraging me every step of the way :O)  He appreciates every bit of it!

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT)

 

 ⁵⁸ So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Jitterbugs!

Well I'm actually doing it...taking the leap and launching a dream to encourage women to discover their fabulousness and find joy in creative expression! I call it Nickelbug Designs :O) It'll be my little thumbprint to leave behind for my little one and those around me that I'm inspired so much by! Life is full of risk and it's too short to waste the time to just sit, pray, contemplate, worry, and wait. I want to take the leap and do something I know God has put in me to do that is FULLfilling to my heart!!! Using the talents and passions that he has placed in my being to make & create art and accessories, I want to be able to turn around and bless others through them and with the funds I make in selling them my desire is to be able to financially bless those that need it.

Even though I have jitterbugs in my tummy about taking on this endeavor, I am learning fast that God honors those that honor Him, and He is delighted when we take that step of faith, that jump, and are obedient, to start fresh with Him (even when it seems crazy). A very dear friend of mine shared an amazing scripture with me when we were discussing all of this: Zechariah 4:10 (NLT) says ¹⁰ "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin..." All it takes is a starting point, even a small one and He will rejoice over you for taking that step toward where He wants you to go!! The key is keeping the faith and remaining obedient, even when you don't understand it all. God will not forget you. He will not turn His face from you. He will pour favor over you and your children!! Amen?! 


So here goes nuthin'...GERONIMO!!!! 

You can view my collection for Nickelbug Designs at nickelbugdesigns.etsy.com and if you are on Facebook, you can find us on facebook.com/NickelbugDesigns


Enjoy!!

Learning to Change into Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (a passage we've all heard at some point) talks about what love is...it is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. God is love, so this passage defines Him and how He is with me. He waits, patiently. He never gives up and He's right here with me through everything I put myself through from my own decisions. I'm supposed to become like Him. I'm supposed to walk in that same love, in every area of my life. Accepting His love covering me and forgiving me, in turn I'm supposed to love the same way He does...humbly, gently, passionately, and mercifully. You would think that being a mom that that nature would naturally come out of me. However, I had put myself on a feminist path to "showing" others that I can be strong & make it on my own (for the most part). God asked me, "Cassie, do you want to be successful and acquire a level of independence for yourself and essentially end up alone, or do you want a home and a family, a life full of love, My love?" When He asked me that question it stopped me in my tracks. Nothing can replace Gods love. True love. No amount of success will work. There had been a hole in my heart that I was trying to fill with something tangible, humanly acquirable. All the things I have thought that I wanted in life were for all the wrong reasons. Reasons the world defines as OK. My answer to that question used to be, "to be successful and independent, moving higher to better "places" in life"...but He's showing me that there is so much more than success and independence. Answering honestly...I want a home full of His love. I want my home and family to be the world that God uses me in to demonstrate His love.

After being honest with Him in my answer, God said, "Okay, Cassie, what spirit are you bringing into the home you have now? Is it a spirit of love, compassion, peace, and joy? Or is it a spirit of discontentment, anger, and "Ugh, I don't have time to deal with this tonight"?" BAM! Reality check. Truthfully (in tears), sadly, I've been the latter. Deep in me is truly the desire to to be a woman that brings home love, compassion, peace & joy. I want to become like Him. And in order for that to happen I have to change my way of thinking, how I act, what I speak and how I speak it, how I carry myself and handle others...I have to transform my mind with His love...I have to act on situations more like He would, instead of reacting in my own way...I need to be patient with my daughter when she's not understanding instructions the first time. I need to be more gracious to the old lady checking me out at Walmart. I need to be kind to my co-workers and the person that just cut me off on the highway. I need to be gentle with anyone I speak to. I need to be compassionate to others in need of encouragement...You get the picture...By changing my thoughts, my actions will follow...by doing so I know that His fruit will ooze out of me, (Galatians 5:22-23) He will produce in me: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I want my home to be overflowing with these fruits...in order for that to happen I need to change. In Romans 13:8, God says that I owe nothing to anyone-except for my obligation to love others. If I love others, then I will fulfill the requirements of Gods heart. I will become more like Him, genuinely.

I'm so thankful that He is breaking my self-destructive way of thinking...I'm so thankful that He is softening my heart...I'm so thankful that He is changing me into the woman He created me to be. I'm letting go of all the "things" that I've wanted for my life for so long and letting him start to drop in the desires He has for my life. Believing in and operating in Gods love is truly another world to me now. I know I will be tested, but I know He is engraving His words on my heart & helping me to change. Thankfully He has given me a perfect example to follow in Proverbs 31:10-31, to teach me how to run my home and how to operate in His love. I need to focus on love. Pursue it. Practice it. Study it. Grow up in it. The more I meditate on this passage and on His love and practice it in my daily life the more & more I will become the woman He wants me to be: loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle & self-controlled.

Rebuilding

It's amazing what God can show you when all you have is Him to turn to. When your world is shaken and you have nothing else to grasp hold of. Past "good places" you've been in before in your relationship with God just aren't enough to try and pick yourself back up to try to get you through this fall you're currently in. Yes, you have friends that love you and are making themselves available, that are actively reaching out to you...but even that's not enough. This time things are different. This time it's only God who's hands you can grab onto and have help you up. This time the only words that will cut it to carry you through this fall are the words God has been patiently waiting to share with you. When you are finally ready for them they will flood over you like a tsunami. The brunt of them are overwhelmingly powerful but in the aftermath His words and our spirit are working together to rebuild you and the blessings of them become divinely sweet.

The above is a definition of what has been going on in my world the past couple weeks along with the change in the season. My world has been shaken, but this time the only words that I know will cut it and truly get me back on my feet are the words God has been waiting to pour over me...now I'm finally in a place to be able to listen to Him...He's been speaking so many things into my heart this week, so I will only share a little bit...For those of you that know me and have walked with me through tough situations in life know that I'm a very proud person, so to share how God is cutting through my pride and humbling me isn't easy for me to put into words so just bear with me...

I have always thrived on a fast paced, "always moving forward to better places in life" type of road. I have been a stubborn headed strong willed woman with a confidence that couldn't be broken down. I have always loved to have fun and be the center of attention with a natural flare of seeming as though I don't even notice that I am the center of attention (if you could follow & understand that I commend you). Always carrying myself as someone that was untouchable and unbeatable. Head held high and a big smile planted on my face. Success (by the worlds standards) was something I had always craved on an ungodly level and in all the wrong areas of my life...until now.

I have always heard the scriptures about Gods love, and for most of us its the first topic you hear about when you first give your heart to God, or in my case rededicate your heart to Him. Gods word says that He is Love. It also says that when I give my heart to Him I am supposed to become like Him. When I made the personal decision to give myself to Him, I was accepting that responsibility of His calling on my life. Which means I needed to be willing to change in order to fulfill His calling. That's where it stopped for me. My heart was in the right place, but my mind was not in line with my heart. Since my mind wasn't there, I couldn't truly change. Sure, I got involved in church & serving to become connected with other believers and I was holding it together through some tough situations and hanging onto the words of many around me that I knew loved me and loved God...but my thoughts needed to be renewed (transformed-and that is something only God can do)...my mind wasn't connecting the dots between Gods love for me and that's the same love that He wanted me to walk in to truly be changed from my past life to what He has for me in the future. I still had this hard headed, success driven, untouchable/unbeatable, 'moving forward to better' type line of thinking. Also, thinking that soaking in 'all things positive' (scriptures, quotes, encouraging articles, etc.) would do the trick and keep me moving forward toward a successful life.

One morning last week I woke up really early and couldn't go back to sleep, so I started scrolling through my bible app and wasn't sure what to read. I saw Haggai. Never read it before...never even heard of it, so I chose that to read. I was in for a treat. God showed me exactly what I need to do in order begin the transformation process...I don't think it gets any more blunt than this. If you get a chance to read Haggai, please do, it's only 2 chapters but jam packed with great instruction & encouragement.

In Haggai 1 God is trying to shake their world by saying:

“Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? ⁵ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! ⁶ You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes! ⁷ “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! ⁸ Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. THEN I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord."

In order to truly change, I need to rebuild this temple of the Lord (me). I need to lay a new foundation in my heart. I need to be strong for His spirit is with me, He has always promised to be with me. In rebuilding this temple (me) God says in Chapter 2 vs 9 that He will fill it with Glory. He says that the future glory of this temple will be greater than its past glory (completely new and fresh) and in this place He will bring peace. So by keeping my focus on Him and meditating on His word, God will not only be with me and help me to rebuild this temple and lay a new foundation in my heart, but He will make me greater than I was before. As a side note He reminds me in vs 15 to "look at what was happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of the Lords temple." I need to remember where I came out of and the poor choices I made...remember so that I don't fall into that same place of sin, that same line of thinking. After rebuilding this temple I don't want to turn around and destroy it again by making the same mistakes.

In vs 18 He says to think carefully and remember this day that I have chosen to commit to rebuilding His temple and laying a new foundation in my heart. In the next verse He says: "I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain...But from this day onward I will bless you...I will make you like a signet ring on my finger...for I have chosen you." I will have divine favor over me. He is setting everything into motion that needs to be in place in order for me to succeed!

I know it's easier said than done...It's hard to change old habits and the way I have always thought, but I know the more & more I meditate on His words, the more I'll be transformed. Once He has a solid foundation in my heart then He can work with me on becoming more like Him in nature. A topic that I will blog about in a few days. I'm thankful that I can move into the future non defensively knowing that He is here with me, guiding me on how to rebuild this temple for Him.

Stay Strong

Well....there are many things in life I'm very unsure of, but one I am absolutely sure of is God. No matter how hard things are, He's right here. Always. He certainly is my source of strength! Holding my head high as His Princess & continuing to press harder toward Him.