Love This

Blessings,

Nora

Drawing Strength And Perspective

This girl is my hero

Her name is Ashley Aven. She was diagnosed with AML leukemia at the age of 17. For a year she fought with everything in her, and unfortunately lost her battle on August 15th.

I remember thinking to myself on the day of her funeral how it was going to be a tough day.

I started feeling sorry for myself, then realized that Ashley would be thankful to have a bad day.

She was one of the strongest human beings I have ever met.

I played in an alumni softball game as a fundraiser for her family back in June.

I saw her earlier that day and remembered telling her how nervous I was seeing as I hadn't played ball in 5 years.

She offered me peace an encouragement and told me I'd do great.

Here I was, perfectly healthy, complaining about something that didn't even really matter.

And there she was, battling for her life, telling me everything was going to be okay.

Whenever I have a sad moment, I stop and think about Ashley.

I think about the hell she and her family went through with her battle and how she was so strong and courageous.

She always put others before herself and never once did she complain.

What a beautiful lesson in perspective.

Thank you Ashley for your life and legacy.

Blessings,

Nora

Grace

Nothing breaks my heart more than seeing someone “fall” from God and have His people throw them out on the street as if worthless.

Our job as God’s chosen people is to SHOWER grace on all. Grace is NOT conditional. It’s the very essence of who God is and why he sent His son.

Please do not get me wrong and think that I’m trying to excuse sin. True grace does NOT EXCUSE sin, but showers UNENDING love and compassion on the sinner.

Grace does not have a time limit.

Have you ever had a really bad injury and when it happened you didn’t even feel pain? That’s what our sin is like. At first we are numb to our sin and don’t recognize it. It is only when the numbness and shock wears off and the pain sinks in that a person can truly start to heal. You have to be broken in order to be restored. This takes time, so be patient. You can’t fix something that you don’t recognize as broken.

Steps to redemption or a guide to achieving grace makes the person focus on the dos and don’ts. That is not grace, it is probation. It’s like serving time or doing community service. It is not unconditional and free of charge. By putting a stipulation or a checklist on grace it’s saying that Jesus is not enough.

Jesus is MORE than enough.

God made us a promise and that promise is that there is nothing you can or can’t do to make Him turn his back on you. It’s a promise from God sealed through Jesus. As God’s chosen people we must also make a promise that there is nothing someone can or can’t do to make YOU turn your back on them.

In order for someone to be restored and renewed they must be shown grace. Without grace there is no reason for them to change their ways. They don’t see a reason to change if everyone’s still going to hate them anyway. What a sad message we have sent to the church and His people.

Believe me, I am not saying that I am guilt free. I have been conditional with my grace and my love more than I would like to admit.

However, there came a time in my life where all I needed was grace and it was no where to be found. It was conditional. It had a time limit and it showed no compassion. That is not grace from God, that is worldly and the difference is huge.

The second most important commandment in the bible above loving God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength is to love others. Loving others means showing them God’s compassion and grace.

Next time someone disappoints you, sins, or you find yourself judging, please stop yourself. Think about Jesus and what He would do given the situation. Think about grace and forgiveness, the very reason why God sent His son. Put yourself in that persons shoes and think about how you would want someone to treat you had you been the one to fall. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. It is our duty to carry out God’s word to His people.

Blessings,

Nora

Feels Like Fall

I haven't felt too crafty lately but with fall approaching and the weather changing I'm having that itch.

I bought these lamps below a couple weeks ago and was just going to do some typical burlap lampshades until I was browsing through Pottery Barn and saw the amazing lampshades below.

I adore these lamp shades but definitely do not adore the $40.00 a piece price tag.

I've read online a few different tutorials so I'm going to give it a shot this week.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Blessings,

Nora

Rain vs. Shine

It has been way too long my friends....

I apologize for being MIA but I've been overwhelmed with work and life.

I'm not going to lie and say that everything has been great,

but I will say that once you've been in some deep dark valleys the sunshine feels that much warmer.

I've always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason,

but I know there are days when that is hard to see as a truth.

I have been there...

I have had those dark days when I couldn't see further than the teardrops and pain...

I've had those days where I felt stuck and didn't think I could handle one more thing...

But I've also come through that and am standing and here to say that I am genuinely happy.

There is life beyond the tears,

There is life beyond the pain,

There is life greater than you ever imagined....

I am thankful for the trials,

For without the rain, you can't appreciate the sun...

Cling on, press forward, and look for the rainbow.

I promise there are brighter days ahead.

"I know God will not give me anything I can not handle, sometimes I just wish He didn't trust me so much."

-Mother Teresa

Blessings,

Nora

image via weheartit

Quote

Something Different

I don't know exactly why or what is happening but I am genuinely happy.

I honestly can't remember the last time I've felt this way.

It has been a long time in the making.

I know there are going to be ups and downs but I am now forever thankful for those ups.

I appreciate the sun so much more, having been stuck in a storm of life.

I don't know how long the happiness will stick around but I am going to enjoy every last drop of it.

Blessings,

Nora

image via weheartit

It's All About

"The way to freedom and escape from being condemned is to love. A person who is acting in love is always looking for the best in others, never gives up on them, never keeps records of their sins. A person who is acting in love never hopes the person gets what is coming to them. They aren't happy when another person suffers in consequence.

When you're looking for someone else's best, you hide your worst. When you never give up on someone, you will not be given up on. When you erase the sins of another in your mind, your sins are not remembered either. When you push through for another person, you get to go through, too. When you lift the weight of another person's consequences, you satisfy the Law of Love."

How hard of a reality are these truths?

Oh, they are so much easier said than done.

I hope that one day I satisfy the Law of Love.

Happy Weekend!

Nora

Thoughts...

Words

of

Wisdom...

"Forgiveness is probably the most powerful weapon for extinguishing the fire of evil intentions.

The destruction stops at the point of love.

Forgiveness is not only a denial of the impulse of your own flesh it's also a denial of the intents of another's flesh.

It's the ultimate middle finger to the very entity of evil."

Just a few random thoughts that I loved....

Blessings,

Nora

χαρις

χαρις: Greek for grace

Words of wisdom for the day:

"I can't mess up God's plan.

My failure doens't ruin me and my achievement doesn't elevate me.

This whole thing, life, is not about me or you, it's about Jesus.

The story of His love is reflected in the lives of His people,

not by what they do,

but by what He does with what they do.

Grace twists sin into something that reflects God's love and mercy."

Blessings,

Nora

Weekend Plans

I'm going here for the weekend...

I'm going to spend time reading this...

Doing that...

And hopefully lots of this...

Blessings,

Nora

Blue

Not much to say, just some pictures I find o so beautiful!

Blessings,

Nora

all images via weheartit

Running Away...

I've learned a lot of lessons this past year and one of the most important is to not run away from your problems.

You can try and run far away, but they're going to catch up with you sooner or later.

I read these words today about avoiding problems and they spoke so much truth...

"You can't ignore the damaged places in your life because every time you try to move forward, and leave them behind, He'll bring you right back to them.

If you've glossed over and given them the seal of 'redeemed' even though they're not, those areas will bleed through your white wedding dress and let everyone know what you've been hiding.

You already know what area I'm talking about and you can push it down with all the authority of human stubornness, but you'll never win this battle.

You can go over this and over this as many times as you choose.

Being stubborn and seeing yourself through is not a virtue, it's a disease.

It's submission He wants, not strength.

God doesn't care how messy it gets, and He's in no hurry.

When you finally break down and face your demons, you will not be alone.

You'll find the strength and wisdom you've been striving for and it will come in your brokenness.

It's what you've wanted all along.

Grace is the photo op.

Grace is the only thing you should have on display.

All of the other things you want to pour out of your life will effortlessly flow from the well of grace by no stubborn striving of your own."

If there is something in your life you're running away from, please re-consider. Let me tell you, it is not going to make it go away.

He has a way of chasing us down, and He is ALWAYS faster than us...

Blessings,

Nora

images vis weheartit

It's Official...

I'm registered and ready to go.

Classes start June 21st...

I'm finally doing what I've put off for so long...

Going back to school.

I'm excited and ready to go.

Blessings,

Nora

Lyrics...

I'm huge into words, poems, quotes, and lyrics...

I was looking through lyrics today and these struck me.

I'm pretty sure that they are intended to be a love song but I see it as a love song from God to his beloved.

On Your Own lyrics

You live with a halo round your head,
This time your leaving.
This place where the walls are painted red,
Freedom is what you need.

But if the world should ever fall apart around you,
And if your lost and barely breathing,
I will find you,
And carry you back home.
I won't forsake the only love I ever known,
When your out there on your own.

Dark clouds they surround you in the sky,
Rain falls when your sleeping.
When your past the point of no return.
I will take away the hurt.

And if the world should ever fall apart around you,
And if your lost and barely breathing,
I will find you,
And carry you back home.
I won't forsake the only love I ever known,
When your out there.....

And I will wait,
However long it takes,
Til you realize what you have been searching for,
Was right here all along.
Eh...yea.....

When you lost the only light you had to guide you,
And your cold and barely breathing,
I will find you.
And carry you back home,
I won't forsake the only love I ever known,
When your out there on your own.

And if the world should ever fall apart around you,
And if your lost and barely breathing,
I will find you,
And carry you back home.
I won't forsake the only love I ever known,
When your out there on your....

When your out there on your own.

Blessings,

Nora

Staying Strong For Others...

Dance

When I was in 8th grade we were asked to choose a song that would be our

"Personal Theme Song".

This song had to have lyrics that reflected our life.

We were to copy it and write a speech about what it meant to us and why we

chose it.

After days of looking up lyrics I discovered the song

"I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack.

I have not stuck true to these lyrics that once gave me hope.

I settled for the path that I thought would be the one of least resistance.

I came close to selling out, and didn't reconsider.

Sadly above all, I did not give faith a fighting chance.

My hope for the future is that I change that pattern.

I don't want my decisions to be based on fear.

As I walk through the toughest times in my life, these words are hope to me.

They are a reminder of what I found important so many years ago

And what I need to keep as important now and in the future.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger

May you never take one single breath for grantid

God forbid love ever leave you empty handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance

I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance

Never settle for the path of least resistance

Living might mean taking chances

But they're worth taking

Loving might be a mistake

But it's worth making

Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter

When you come close to selling out, reconsider

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their years and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

Cottage Gardens

This is an old post from last year but I'm finding it inspiring again so thought I would share...

Now that the sun is finally shining I am loving being outside. Cottage gardens are so inspiring to me. I found these photos and info. from This Old House

*Unique Elegance*

Classic cottage gardens—like the houses that give them their name—tend to be compact, informal, and highly individualistic. Located close to the front or back door, traditional examples display a harmonious mix of annuals, perennials, roses, shrubs, vines—even vegetables—in neatly tended arrangements designed to delight, rather than impress.

*Follow The Brick Road*

Bricks laid in a diagonal herringbone pattern form a curving path dividing two wide borders. A hipped-roof birdhouse draws the eye upward.

*Structural Grace*

A classic rose-covered arbor and meticulously trimmed privet hedge provide architectural structure in a small yard overflowing with pink and purple flowering plants, including lush hydrangeas, old-fashioned garden phlox (foreground), and a wide window box filled with sun-loving annuals.

*Made For Shade*

Belgian block frames a shade-tolerant border composed of 'Anabelle' hydrangeas, hostas, and ferns.

*Summer Romance*

Under an arching weeping willow, a row of late-flowering pink and white rose of Sharon shrubs—planted closely together to create a privacy screen—gives this late-summer garden romantic appeal.

*Brilliant Border*

Favorite cottage-garden perennials—including black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia), pink-flowering sedum, and pale-blue delphinium—create a vibrant border around a carefully tended lawn.



*Green Peace*
Greenery—in plants and painted trim—evokes a sense of tranquility in a cedar-shingled cottage's low-maintenance, cobblestone courtyard.



*Casual Classic*

A Greek Revival dwelling gets a down-to-earth garden that takes the edge off its formality.

*Country Charm*

A favorite of butterflies, golden Rudbeckia grabs attention in a casual country garden punctuated by a compact Japanese maple, neatly trimmed boxwood, swordlike iris foliage, and a rose-covered arbor. Inorganic elements—from the stonework to the timeworn mailbox and lozenge-shaped window on the back door—add immeasurably to the simple yard's undeniable charms.




*Daring Hues*

A row of hydrangeas makes a bold impact in a narrow patch of land.




*My Blue Heaven*

Easily grown from seed, 'Heavenly Blue' morning glories twine about a white-picket fence, their heart-shaped foliage providing a visual metaphor of simplicity and contentment.




*Splashes Of Color*

Tall cottage classics like lemon-yellow daisies and fragrant white phlox stand out against the silvered shingles of a cedar-shake outbuilding.

*Uniformity Is Boring*

In the best cottage gardens, diversty reigns, with a wide range of roses, annuals, perennials, and shrubs sharing the limelight. Here, left to right, hostas, statuesque eupatorium, black-eyed Susans, snowy phlox, and eight-foot-tall hollyhocks (nearly gone to seed) harmonize in the yard of a rose-covered retreat.


*Enchanting Entry*

Billowing pink hibiscus blossoms greet visitors by the front door.




*Color Study*

Limiting the palette to two or three hues—in this case, pink, blue, and cream—keeps the mix harmonious.



Hope you enjoyed those beautiful photos. Have a blessed day!

Nora

I read these words today and they spoke to me...

"Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end. Strip away her branches, for they are not the Lords". Jeremiah 5:10 ESV

Your experience is not about what's right in front of you.

There is always a purpose and it's always something more eternal.

Resisting only increases your discomfort, but it does not stop the process.

Face the happenings of life with faith that God is not only in control, but He is also good.

Faith gives you hope.

Lack of faith steals your hope and leaves you feeling like a victim.

Victims have a faith problem.

Buildings built on faulty foundations eventually come down.

Poorly organized spaces have to be redone.

If you want it to be better, then it will have to get worse.

Everything is ripped up and pulled out into the open.

With everything displaced, you can see things clearly.

If you feel displaced, ripped up and pulled out, don't be afraid.

This isn't for your end, this is for your new beginning.

Down

I am on a mission to find an amazing down comforter.

I will splurge if I find the perfect one but am hoping not to.

I have read that real goose down is better than synthetic.

I need to make sure that it is all white with no colored labeling or damask stripes. My duvet is very light weight and designs can be seen through it.

Overstock has a ton to choose from at pretty good deals.

Anyone have suggestions or tips?

Thanks!

Blessings,

Nora

Inspire

in·spire

 

1.

to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence

2.

to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.)

3.

to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought

4.

to influence or impel

Today I'm inspired.

I'm inspired by student athletes who are deaf, travel an hour to and from school each day for a better education, work their hardest at their studies and sports, all while having a good attitude.

Today I am inspired by a student athlete who no longer lives with her parents, but with her sister an hour away from school and still manages to get up early on a Saturday morning to ride the bus to and from softball practice, all while having a good attitude.

Today I am inspired to have a good attitude.

What inspires you?

Blessings,

Nora

all images weheartit