An analogy

          

          I was thinking the other day about my friend who recently came to US. To make story short, she has never wanted to move to US, but her husband has a job here. Whenever she has the chance she says how much she misses Romania and how badly she wants to go back. She always makes sure people around her understand her feelings towards her country. I understand her. I was the same. I didn’t choose to leave Romania because I was living a great life there. Last week, when we left from our vacation, it just clicked in my mind, we are doing exactly the same thing in our spiritual lives. We’ve been in a dreary “land” without God, being weak and feeling unsecured. Fear was our best friend and we were begging for hope. Concepts such as love and acceptance were strange to us. And then, God revealed himself to us. To me, personally. So I began to hope… fear disappeared, and love is the greatest thing known to me. However, so many times, through my words, or my unconscious decisions or gestures, I express my longing to go back to where I was. It’s so easy to forget the desperation that was constantly present.

"There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." 

                                                                                                               Proverbs 16:25

We can keep in touch:
 

It's never too late to set goals and get organized :)

          

          Nowadays, I struggle a lot. Nobody told me being a wife, having a full time job, trying to open your business, trying get your blog known out there and have healthy relationships can turn yourself into a crazy person so easily!... I realized in order to make things happen, I need to plan. To make a schedule, and tons of lists. I started by setting up goals for this year. And when I saw this cute downloadable (link) made by Agus, I had to have it too… Suddenly, setting goals, making schedules and keeping up with tons of lists, became more interesting for my creative eye. I am so excited of this whole new lifestyle than I’m gonna share my goals for 2013, all neatly organized, and with happy colors. When I look at it, I don’t feel overwhelmed, I feel beautiful, creative, energized and stronger!
        My picture doesn't do justice... I know, I have just a phone camera. There goes one of my goals for this year but I still have time till the end of the year, right? ;)


PS: There is still time for you to enter the giveaway!

We can keep in touch:
 

Not All At Once

 For a while now I subscribed to 1 Minute Bible Love Notes email. Every day, Monday through Friday, I receive a Love Note from God (through Gail Purath, the sweet lady behind 1 Minute Bible Love Notes), that I would be able to read it in 1 minute. I am always so bless by those devotionals, and I would love to be able to share all here, but I think it would be easier if you’d just go on her website and subscribe to her emails. Anyway, today I want to share with you one of last week’s notes.

Not All At Once

                  by Gail Purath @ 1-Minute Bible Love Notes

Many people never witness because they think they have to make a forced presentation, sharing the entire Gospel in one conversation.*

But here’s some ways we can share naturally:
1. Incorporate Christ into conversations (Colossians 4:6). For example, when sharing a problem, explain you’re praying about it. Or when a friend or co-worker shares a problem, tell them you’ll pray for them.

2. Smile, be positive, don’t complain (Philippians 2:14-16).

3. Be different:

• The one in the office who doesn’t cuss or talk dirty (Ephesians 5:4).
• The mom who’s genuinely interested in neighbors (Philippians 2:3-4).
• The person who’s always honest (Colossians 3:9-10).
• The courteous customer to waitresses and store clerks (Galatians 5:22-23).

Then when someone notices and comments, explain that your relationship with Christ has helped you develop these character qualities (1 Peter 3:13-16).

Witnessing should naturally flow from who we are in Christ (John 13:34-35).

*There are times we should share it all, and we must let the Holy Spirit guide us. But people play different roles in evangelism, some planting seeds, some watering, some harvesting (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).

copyright 2013, Gail Burton Purath, 1-Minute Bible Love Notes

Small Business Giveaway!!!

      

          Ok, so I usually don’t like to blog on Sundays, but my excitement is so huge, I can’t keep it as a secret anymore! In February, Shelby from Chasing Birdies wrote a blog post, calling all shop owners to help her host a giveaway. Since having a giveaway is one of my goals for this year, you bet I leaped of joy and typed really fast all information needed. The hard part was to choose which one of my items to give away! You know, I have a bunch of them that didn’t even make the listing on my shop, either because I want to perfect them a little bit more, or because my pictures of them suck! But hey, I closed my eyes and picked one out of the pile… I’m sure by now you’re just as excited as I am, so here’s the widget for you to enter the giveaway! It will end up on March 17, so hurry up! You can even share with your friends or whoever you want to!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now go back to Shelby and leave her a cute comment as a thank you for hosting this giveaway!...

Have a wonderful week!!!

A comeback and a round-up!

          Do you remember couple of weeks ago when I wrote about lists, schedules and the "overwhelmed" feeling? Well, should I start by saying my photo a day challenge did not go as well as I thought? Hmm.. It's pretty hard for me to follow through these days. But hey, I still want to share with you some cute pictures I've taken during February. I'm really working at getting organized and hopefully as the weather warms up I'll be out more to take more pictures to share with you. Because pictures are memories that last forever. 

          All right, I cheated, the bottom picture was not part of photo a day challenge, but it's a motto I recently learned on an online class I took. It's so empowering! 

          Did I make you interested on what other kind of pictures I post on instagram? Then, you go and follow me! Also, let me know you are reading my blog (it's always so encouraging when someone tells me they read my blog!!)

What motivates you to take pictures?

The List Invasion

       
          Lately, my overall feeling is being constantly overwhelmed. By news at my job, new friends I encountered on my life journey, new projects, people I want to help/get to know better/ encourage, and lots of TO-DO lists. I feel I don't have the energy to do everything. That's when prioritizing comes in handy. And then, the hardest step (for me): to say "No" sometimes. So I end up each day feeling exhausted, and thinking I am not capable of doing it all. I'm human, after all. Still, the frustration is there - piling up. In moments like these, I get so vulnerable, and I'm like a walking ticking bomb... Waiting for the perfect moment to explode. But the beauty of life wins over everything. While life happens, God gives you little moments full of majesty,  and heavenly peace. He sends you the biggest hug through a wonderful sun rise, and puts a smile on your face through a word of encouragement. 

          This last week was very, very hard. Friday was the hardest. But God told me through my brother-in-law: "The happiness and fulfillment of this life don't come from the place where I live, or the job I have or the things I own, but from God."

           So, life can be hard, overwhelming and unfair; as long as my happiness comes from God, I know my life is fulfilled.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed?

Investing the right way

{source: Google}

        Two of my teachers from high school had the most influence in my life even now after years of not seeing them anymore. I remember one morning, I wasn't paying attention in the class (it was 7:00am, for God's sake I wasn't awake yet!), but I heard my teacher saying "the best way to invest is to invest in people". I thought it was a very interesting remark. Over the years, I've come to understand better what she meant that foggy, cold morning. Recently I read Ecclesiastes 11:1. The NIV version (which I usually read), didn't make too much sense in my head, so I searched for another interpretation. The Message version said

 "Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns." 

          Merriam-Webster Dictionary's definition of  "charity" is "benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity". To love the human kind, means to care not only for people’s present, but their future, too. And what’s better than caring for their eternal future? Because, investing in people is investing in people’s souls and investing in their souls, is to invest in eternity. And here comes the vice-versa: "But those who invested in the no-gods are bankrupt - dead broken." Isaiah 42:17

          What was your best investment in the last year?...