Serendipity Sunday: Soul's Gift

Serendipity: An instance of making a delightful and unexpected discovery.

~American Heritage Dictionary~(Image from my personal collection)

Etymology: In 1754, Horace Walpole (1717-92) coined the word, serendipity. In a letter to Mr. Mann he said he formed it from the Persian fairy tale, "The Three Princes of Serendip," whose heroes "were always making discoveries, by accident or sagacity, of things they were not in quest of." The name is from Serendip, an old name for Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka), from Arabic Sarandib, from Skt. Simhaladvipa "Dwelling -Place-of-Lions Island." Serendipitous form c. 1950.
~Online Etymology Dictionary~

Serendipity Sunday is something I have been thinking about adding to my blog for quite some time now. Often I can be going about my daily quest of the task at hand when suddenly and unexpectedly I make a delightful discovery about some truth from Scripture. At times it is made real before me in everyday acts and observations, other times it is while I am reading my Bible. I believe the Lord speaks to us in many ways and any discovery we make is indeed a serendipitous one. In these Sunday posts I will share some of the discoveries or observations I have made. I invite you to join me on my journey of serendipity.

SOUL'S GIFT

by Sandy Babb
August 10, 2002

Did you ever catch a glimpse of the early morning sun,
aimed in such a way that it casts a golden glow?
Illumined was the object upon which it hit,
warmed by a kiss from the sun which shone up it.
Beauty in the brightness, sparkling glow,
that was a gift that warmed my soul.
Ordinary were the objects being shone upon,
yet when touched by the sun,
they took on a different form,
which made them seem above the norm.

So it is with us you see,
when the Son, Jesus, shines upon we.
No longer ordinary in our use,
this is something only the Master's touch can produce.
Upon acceptance of Christ in our heart, no longer common are we,
we become princes and princess', children of the King.
Warmed by the kiss of ruby red blood which flowed from Him,
He gave us new life to begin.
Beauty in the brightness, sparkling glow,
this is a gift that warmed my soul.

NOTE: This poem was inspired by a slant of morning sunlight shining into my kitchen pantry. It hit the row of glass containers and wall in such a way that it held breathtaking beauty. The objects being shone upon were common ordinary everyday objects but the light made them glow. It reminded me of a song that says, "illumine me Savior Divine." The illumination of Christ upon an ordinary object lends it to become something so much more than it was. It holds great potential and breathtaking beauty after Christ has transformed it. It truly is a gift that warms the soul.

This week, may serendipity find you when you least expect it!

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

How I Got Grounded From Ebay and Another Give Away...

(image from my collection)
I really should not be left to my own devices for very long or I am bound to get into trouble. Case in point, I have been under the weather for a couple of days and have tried to find ways to entertain myself until I am up and around again. I thought about reading but I have read every book and magazine in this house and couldn't settle on a reread so I moved on to daytime TV. Have mercy! Have you seen what is on daytime TV? That was a no go so I moved on to the computer thinking this was a good way to occupy some time. I thought I'd visit some blogs and send an email or two. Sounds innocent enough huh?

I was enjoying my visits to places far and wide and then I came across this and this. Some of those seven deadly sins began to rear their ugly head, envy, lust, and greed. I WANTED that unfinished form. (photo source, these were all sold out too!)
I went here, but alas they were all sold out. Well, I stewed and brewed over it for a while and then and idea struck, google it! Did you know that you can make these yourself (here , here, and here)if you have a guinea pig, er, willing helper. I am thinking that darling daughter is perfect for the job and it was her day off. I researched and read up on the various methods of doing this and then casually asked how she would like to spend a few hours having fun. No dice, after I explain to her that she would be partially mummified for a couple of hours with no sitting or potty breaks. She laughs and says I am crazy.

Crazy like a fox, I think OK this little hiccup will not spoil my day, I think about calling my friend PH and asking her to be my model but change my mind. She might have done it if I had asked, after all we are crazy mid-life ladies looking for adventure and laughs. I am thinking this would have fit the bill. We have a running joke about duct tape so I surely would have had to use that method on her. I devise several methods for making my own but decide in the end to see if I can track down a ready made one after all. That is when I found some on Ebay. Yeah! but only if you know how to use Ebay, which I don't.I am happily clicking along when I stumble across exactly what I was looking for. Happy, happy, joy, joy I am going to bid on a new toy! I look carefully at the price and see that you can "BUY IT NOW"! I click on the product and see what the details and shipping costs are ~ I do know how to do that much. I see that with the price and the shipping I think the product is too much. Another option catches my eye, "MAKE AN OFFER" I click it and it says I can make an offer and the person selling the item will get back to me via email within 48 hours to tell me if they accept. People, herein lies a lesson ~ READ THE FINE PRINT! I think I did not make a good offer maybe I should have went a bit lower (there snakes in greed again!) and I see another button that says "MAKE ANOTHER OFFER", so guess what I did, I made another offer.

I might have forgot to mention that I don't actually have an Ebay account but handy hubby does so when it asked me if I was him I think being married to him makes me a part of him so I say "YES". If you have an Ebay account you also have to have a method of payment, I don't, but he does. Since I am not actually buying anything I think this does not matter. Here I repeat, READ THE FINE PRINT! Since it is his account and not mine it is also attached to his email and not mine. I forgot to tell him that he would be getting an email from a Granny somebody about an offer I made because I got so sick that afternoon.

I am languishing on the couch thinking death would be a relief as handy hubby sits at his desk paying bills and balancing the checkbook. I hear him exclaim, "WHAT?" Followed by, "Sandy, did you buy something on Ebay?" I say, "No." He says, "According to my account you did, I am being billed by paypal by a Granny somebody for a body form. What exactly is a body form and why are you buying one?" "No, no , no," I say, "I didn't purchase it, I just made an offer. I forgot to tell you to expect an email to tell me if they accepted or not and then I would decide if I wanted to buy it or not. Sorry." "It doesn't work that way, did you read the fine print? If you make an offer and they accept it you agree to the purchase and it is a done deal, you bought it." "Oh. No, I just pushed the buttons and made offers." "OFFERS? Exactly how many offers?" "Um, two." "You need to come in here and email this Granny and tell her you that you only want one of these weird things and not two. Tell her you have paid for the one and decline the other in case she takes you up on your other bid." So I drag my half dead self off the couch and send the email.

All is silent as I fall back into a heap upon the couch. "Sandy?" "Uh?" "You are grounded from Ebay." "OK." I guess I'll find out later today if that shifty Granny is selling me two of those forms or not. In the meantime, I have to find something else to occupy myself, and ideas?

GIVE AWAY INFO:Laced With Grace is having a wonderful give away opportunity. They are having a fall reader contest.They have joined with the Women of Faith Ministries to offer two premium tickets to attend the two day conference at any venue in the United States. Tickets include admission for two, box lunches, and other neat stuff. For full details to enter go HERE.

There is also another wonderful give away going on over at The Joy of Nesting. Pattie lives in Mexico and is have a wonderful give away with really unique and colorful items that are indigenous to that area.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

P.S. If you want to know why I wanted the unfinished form, go over and visit Calamity Kim at this post. I wanted one to be able to make my own forms and I might just try out a dress or two too!

The Father's View.....

Today I wanted to share a personal journal entry with you. The entry is accompanied by a poem that I wrote to sort out how I was feeling at the moment. I often feel like such a struggler and straggler in my walk of faith. On this day, I realized that I often see myself in a negative light and it made me wonder what the Father's view of me was. The first seven answers to the question posed in the poem portion of the entry are what I think He sees and the last answer is what I hope He sees. My prayer is that a fellow struggler will be encouraged by this offering.

JOURNAL ENTRY

October 10, 2005

Have you ever wondered what the Father sees when He looks down upon His children? I pondered this question the other morning as I read Psalm 53:2. Scripture says that God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any to understand and any that were seeking God. In Psalm 102:19 it says he looked down from the height of His sanctuary and beheld the earth. And in 1 Samuel 16:7 it says that God looks not upon the outward appearance, but upon the heart. These verses made we wonder what God saw when He looked at me.

In His mercy and grace He sees me not only truly as I am but with all the potential of what I can be. He looks at me through eyes of grace. His view of me is much kinder than I often have of myself. His focus is more clear and not on outward appearance. His view is not biased or based on society’s standards. It is not about fad, fashion, or frame size. His view is never hinged on the opinion of others and it never swings or changes. It is not based on our attitude or actions for we could never be or do enough good to merit His loving look. His view of me never dims, darkens, or fades for He knows me the best and loves me the most. He even tells me in His Word that I am the apple of His eye.

God’s eyes view us with great attention, observation, estimations, and judgment. He observes us with great care and is extremely attentive to us. We attract his attention and He looks upon us with either disappointment or pleasure. He is interested in us and wants our attention in return. His eyes are watchful over us. His penetrating stare can often grab our attention and make us aware of our shortcomings. From His view, God, pays close attention to His children.

His looks are long and loving. They are kind and gracious. They are generous. They are often searching and sincere. His gaze offers compassion, protection, and direction. His mere glimpse can shed light. His wink can encourage. In a blink of an eye He can return.

And so I wondered,” God, what do You see when You look at me?”

THE FATHER'S VIEW

Father, what do You see when You look at me?

Your daughter wounded and starving

Not knowing what she is doing

Void of hope with no peace, dying in despair

All because she ceased to lift heart and eyes in prayer

Forgetting to look unto whence her help comes

Sitting and complaining with loud groans

Forgetting that her heart is Your home

Father, what do you see when you look at me?

Crying for help with a desperate plea

Earnest in prayer, lifting every care

Wholly and souly dependent upon Thee

Bowed and bent, service spent showing others to Thee

Father, what do You see when You look at me?

Full of joy, laughter bubbling

No soul travail or troubling

Fully trusting in Thee

Father, what do You see when You look at me?

A soul that’s dirty, a heart that’s hurting

Needing cleansing to be free

Wash me, will me, Lord please fill me

With more and more of Thee

Father, what do You see when You look at me?

Bowed and humbled having stumbled

Broken unto Thee

Worn and weary very clearly

Needing restoration and salvation from the sin

That so easily besets me

Father, what do You see when You look at me?

Tears I’m sowing, sorrow owing

To trial and troubling worldly care

Heart despairing, not well fairing

In holding the hope promised by Thee

Father, what do You see when You look at me?

Celebration, jubilation, pouring out of praise

To my Savior whose divine favor set me free

Power overflowing, blood atoning grace enjoyed by me

Spirit guiding, behind You hiding

In comfort and in safety

A heart that’s racing, a joy beat pacing, with every pulse

O Sovereign Savior, such sweet savor ,Thou art to me

Never ceasing, but increasing

Love and grace and peace

Father, what do You see when You look at me?

A child that is forgiven

Who has a home in heaven

A daughter all glorious within

A saint from sinner, allowed to enter

Fellowship with Him

Not forsaken or forgotten

With high price thou were boughten

Precious treasure, no depth can measure

My love for thee

Sweet daughter, I, Your Father, can only see

Plans that prosper and that foster

All my hopes and dreams for Thee.

I hear your prayers and all your cares

You can always depend upon me

I know your faith

When it is tested and when it is rested, in me

I see you heart and its intentions

And your past sins I never mention

I see your desire and I inspire

The best that lives within

I see your struggles and I double

My Spirits strength within

I see your tears, I know your fears

And calm them with my peace

I know your battles and from fighting them, I will never cease

My might will only increase

I hear you laughter and your praise

They bring joy to my heart and a smile to my face

I know you moods and your motives

Nothing is hidden from me

I love you dearly and sincerely

For all time and eternity.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

A Fantastic Give Away and Other Blog Block News...

Today's post is full of neighborhood news from a fantastic give away, the possibility of getting your art published in a new book, to some wonderful crafting kits all from around the blog block!

Run, hurry, yes, I said RUN over to Decor to Adore for a fantastic give away! Laura just posted her 100th post and you won't want to miss this give away event! The lucky winner will receive a classic kidney shaped vanity table, a $250.00 value! The table comes in several sizes and the winner can select the size and will only have to pay for the shipping AND Laura is adding an extra bonus prize. A winner will be selected on October 20th. For full details and to sign up go HERE.

While visiting over at Kimberly Ryan Art I found some note worthy news for all you talented artists out there. How would you like to be published in her new book?(click on link to leave her a comment if you are interested or wish further details.)Kimberly is looking for artists who create paper art, crowns, journals, canvas art, crafts, clothing art, anything you can embellish with a glue gun or sew. The book will contain your shop or blog where the readers can purchase your art. Some of the pages will contain How-to-projects, a resources list, as well as beautiful color photos of the art on display in home or staged settings. This book will be sold in all major bookstores and on Kimberly's website. Visit Kimberly to see about her book buzz!

Lori of Faerie Window has been asked to join a team of very talented artists for the Joile Paquet event this year!All through the month of November they will be posting fun holiday tips, recipes, as well as tutorials, all FREE on the Jolie Paquet blog! There will also be available for purchase wonderful holiday crafting kits put together by Lori and her friends. Throughout October you can check the Jolie Paquet blog for updates and sneak peeks. Other featured artists are as follows:

Cerri from Little Pink Studio

Cindy from Junque Art
Beth from Beth Quinn Designs
Jeanne from Dream, Create, Inspire
Brandy from Brandywine Boutique
Donna from Under the Red Roof
Angelina from Retro Whimsy Greetings

You can also visit Cerri's post HERE for further details, so mark your calendars! I guess that wraps up the blog block news for today.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

What's on the Work Table.....

"Creativity is a lot like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope. You look at a set of elements, the same ones everyone else sees, but then reassemble those floating bits and pieces into an enticing new possibility."

~Rosabeth Moss Kanter~

I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at what is on my work table at the moment. Books, birds, and babies oh my! These are a few of my favorite things and I thought I would share these works in progress.

The book project below had been an ongoing project for a few months now and I am so excited that it is so close to done! Because it is a gift and the recipient might see it I can't show the whole project but can give you a little look as well as show you how to make the really cool leather look cover. Click on the photos to enlarge for better viewing.

You will need:
Brown Postal Wrap (the heavy paper bag type), brown paper bags can be a substitute
Matte Gel Medium
Brush for brushing on gel medium
Water

Technique #1 , this will look like a smoother leather: (The book shown below is an altered art journal I began playing with over a year ago. You can visit here and here to see a few of the pages.)*Cut a piece of brown postal wrap about one inch larger than your project, paper will shrink a bit during the drying process.
*Dip the paper in water until pliable.
*Wad the paper up into a tight ball, squeezing out all the water.
*Gently unfold the wadded paper, slightly smoothing, leaving some of the wrinkles in.
*Lay on a flat surface and allow to dry completely.
*When paper is dry, brush matte gel medium onto the surface of your project and gently lay paper onto glue surface.
*Gently smooth, leaving some crinkles and not smoothing out the crumples.
*Trim excess if needed and allow to dry.You can seal this with bees wax, gel medium, or any sealer you wish but it is not necessary.

To antique you can experiment with rubbing an ink pad across the surface. You can also burnish the surface with brown shoe polish. If you want a rich shiny look you can use shellac but be sure to do this in a well ventilated area.

Technique #2, this will look like old wrinkly aged leather:You will need the same supplies as listed above.

*Tear or cut several piece of brown postal wrap in no larger than 81/2"x11", if larger it is harder to work with.
*Wet the paper until pliable.
*Wad the paper in a tight ball and squeeze out all the water.
*Gently unfold the paper, leaving quite wrinkled, do not smooth.
*Allow to dry completely.
* Tear paper into small pieces, about 1 to 2 inches in size.
*Using a brush, apply matte gel medium to the paper then apply the paper piece to your project.
Gently press down paper piece allowing wrinkles and lumps to show.*Continue to add paper pieces overlapping the edges of each piece slightly until the surface is completely covered.
*If desired you can seal or antique as described above.I hope to finish the covers on this two volume set today and send them on their way tomorrow!

After a little walk about God's Garden, my name for our woods, I collected a few offerings from the forest floor. I was inspired to start this collage by a twig and a nutshell.I had been wanting to try doing a watercolor bird over sheet music and am pleased with the results. The wash of color lets the music notes show through for a cool effect.You may remember this little baby from the invitations I made here. I printed him out onto muslin and then added a backing, sewing him into the tiniest doll I have ever made. He is about one inch long! Turning him was quite the chore but I did it and he will look so very sweet nestled in his little nutshell bed when I am done. I'll post more on this as it progresses.

Lastly there is a sweet bit of mail love waiting to be photographed. I won a giveaway over at Ragamuffin Gal from sweet Katie. The prize was one of her wonderful ATC's. She sent along the sweetest note and a stamped star with luscious ribbon. The depth to this little work of art is awesome. I love this sweet little girl daring to let her dreams take flight. She even has green wings! Thank you so very much Katie. She will be put in a place of honor in my studio space where she will encourage me to dare to dream big dreams.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

What Not To Wear...

"The only rule is don't be boring and dress cute wherever you go. Life is too short to blend in."

~Paris Hilton~

Did you ever have one of those days when you felt the cute factor was on your side? You know, when you felt good about yourself and what you were wearing? Well, I had one of those days this week, which is a rare occasion for me. I am pretty much a fashion disaster. I quickly confess that I avoid malls at all costs and for me clothes shopping is akin to pulling teeth without the pain killer. I consider it a necessary evil.

Thursday morning found me in need of a trip to Hobby Lobby for more supplies for the booth handy hubby and I were building for a company function. I was sorely tempted to stuff my hair up into a ball cap, wear large sunglasses, grab some jeans and a t-shirt, and snake me feet into some old sneakers. Under the cover of my disguise I could covertly slip in and slip out with the four needed items. I knew my plan would never work because it has been ingrained in me that your never leave the house unless you look your best. My mama dressed up go to the mailbox and it was only three steps from the front door!

Heaving a big sigh I went through the get ready routine. Any old barn looks better with a new coat of paint so I got out my pots of paint and put on my face. Next was to try and tame my unruly hair. Being as it did not want to cooperate I swooped it all up into an up do that was a little too up done! Since I have been growing my hair out it was a little too bouffant but I figured what the hey, I live in the South and big hair is not an uncommon sight so why not go with the flow.

I marched myself to the closet like a general going into battle, flung open the doors and looked at the rows of clothes like viewing the troops at inspection. With a critical eye I spied a candidate for my mission. I could hear Stacy and Clinton murmuring their approval in the background, "Good choice, a mid-rise jean with a wider leg to balance her out and a dark wash which will lengthen her leg."I am feeling confident as I select a top. "Great choice for her! The cut of the top is very figure flattering, the colors are perfect for her skin tones, and I really like that she is layering it over that jewel toned cami, it makes the outfit pop." So far so good!After pressing my apparel I am dressed and must select shoes. I hear Stacy in my head, "It is just as easy to put on a cute shoe as it is to put on a ratty old sneaker!" Sigh, she is right so I slip on a cute little ballet flat and feel that for a walking fashion fauxpau I am doing pretty good. I march on to the accessories. Not too much with this casual outfit so I slip on a fun ring and select a pair of dangling earrings that I bought specifically for the selected top. I don my jewelry with nary a look in the mirror and out the door I flew.Sure enough, I walk in the door and there are my old friends, Diane and Jerry, standing in line at the checkout counter. I am pleased as punch to see them and grateful that Stacy and Clinton did not let me leave the house as I had first intended. Diane and I hug and we stand chatting but I get the uncomfortable feeling that she is looking at me funny. She glances quickly up and down me and tries to keep her eyes on my face but I notice they keep veering to my right. I think she must be glancing over my shoulder a the lovely display of fall items on sale although I do not understand her puzzled look. I dismiss it as we part and get what I need and head to the line of my favorite clerk. She looks up at me and breaks into a huge grin and I think she is happy to see me but wonder as a giggle escapes. She too is looking to my right and I casually turn my head and take a sneak peek at my shoulder wondering what is up. Seeing nothing amiss I continue to chat and pay for my purchases. I am still feeling like a fashion success as I arrive back home, that is until I looked in the mirror while removing my earrings!

I have a habit of tossing my jewelry into a teacup on my dresser when I remove it. When the cup starts getting full, I empty it and put it back where belongs. Sometimes other items get tossed in there to like loose change or a safety pin, etc. and sometimes things get tangled together. Evidently this was the case with my right earring. At the point of its dainty dangle was lodged the clip end of a safety pin! I had trotted all over town with a big ol' open safety pin dangling just above my right shoulder, hence the strange looks!I burst into laughter thinking how I had totally ruined the cute factor feeling as Stacy and Clinton declare me hopeless, "WHAT was she thinking? Does the girl not own a mirror? Has she never heard of a mirror check? We really have our work cut out here!" "Safety pins should NEVER be a fashion accessory!" I am off to watch another episode of What Not to Wear as I seem to have failed the accessorizing advice portion of the show, "Don't over accessorize! Remember, look in the mirror and remove one item." Maybe I should have removed the ring?

Blessings,
Miss Sandy