What is God's Plan? ...

I read a powerful post yesterday at Jesus Manifesto. It's called "The Death of Evelyn".

(to read it, just click on the article title above)

I needed this reminder that God's plan involves active participation, and that I need to be watching and listening for the "Evelyn's" that God puts in my life.

You might also like listening to this song by Audio Adrenaline it sort of goes with the article ... enjoy and ponder.

I'm going to have to see this! ...

Art by Natalie ...

We managed to take some extra time this past week to get creative. Packing up boxes is not Natalie's idea of a good time - crafting is =)

Hope you like her latest creation!

Where did these come from??? ...

I absolutely hate moving!

OK, maybe that's just an irrational response to the actual word "moving", rather then the actual act of moving. I can remember the first time in my life that I moved. I was 7 years old and my father had been transferred from pastoring his church in Los Angeles to a tiny church in the farming community of Sanger, up in the central valley of CA. It wasn't so bad, most days he just took me fishing and the rest of the time we did gardening. Then we moved again when I was 10, then 12, then 14, and the worst was 6 high schools in 4 years ... not such a great thing.

So, I suppose you can see where my loathing of moving came from. But the actual reality is that since Jon and I have been married this will only be our 3rd move, not bad for 20 years.

And as for this next move to Golden Hill in San Diego, we are surprisingly ready to go. Everything is coming together, I think we are going to really be ready for the move day that's only 2 weeks away. Once it's all done, it will be awesome. I can't wait ... for so many reasons.

In preparation for this move, we've had to downsize and dump so much stuff.

So here's my advice; based on what I've learned from my "Purgefest";

Get rid of it. Clean it out. Empty the drawers. Dump the stuff you're hiding from, that you've been uselessly protecting, that you've been scared to let go because it makes you feel safe and more clearly defined as a human when, in fact, it's doing the exact opposite.

"De-cluttering" will make you feel lighter and healthier and good the minute you start ... with no wine or nudity involved, but I guess that couldn't hurt =)

Oh, and if anyone wants these vintage Avon perfume bottles I came across in a box (that I have no clue where they came from) just let me know.

The Good Word ...

These guys are so funny!

Shameless Self Promotion ...

Ever hear of Etsy? Well if you haven't, Etsy is an online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade. I've had a shop on Etsy for quite a while now. Mostly I like looking around to see what other crafters are doing, it's quite inspiring and so much fun to window shop.

Etsy is running a contest right now, and I'm a finalist in the Handmade Kids Eco-Friendly category. My entry is my Recycled Starbucks Coffee Bag, it can be used as a purse or diaper bag too.

You have to have an etsy account in order to vote, if you don't already have an account click here and sign up first - don't worry, it's super easy and quick. After you register just look on the main page banner for the contest. (or click here)

After you vote you'll be automatically entered into a sweepstakes to win one of fourteen $350 Etsy shopping sprees - once you look around you'll see plenty you can spend your $350 on. There are some amazing designers on Etsy and I'm honored to have been chosen as a finalist.

Voting closes September 8th, so please vote soon. And if you vote for me I promise to drink an extra cup of coffee in your honor!