Romantic Ideas

Romantic Ideas blog posts… for the curious minded… because it is just how I think all the time :) I'll keep adding to this post randomly :)

1. Plan a picnic complete with blanket, basket, a simple yet elegant flower and a meal that shows you know your lover. Create a memory, set up the blanket and food and surprise them with a game that has a mystery to be solved but each piece comes separately one per date or every other date, or one in the mail in a hand written letter. Maybe even puzzle pieces that create a picture of a place to visit or a question to ask or a message of what it is about them that you fell in love with, or the first thing about them that caught your eye… something unique to you as a couple.

2. At a concert when that slow love song comes on, walk up to your love and in a swave motion, sweep them into your arms and into a slow dance, complete with spins and a dip and maybe sweet nothings whispered into their ear.

3. Find something they love, a simple thing, and randomly buy it and place it in their car or on their car when they least expect it with a short sweet note.

4. Hide little notes in their coat pocket or slip it into the bag so that they randomly find a note telling them how much they are loved and treasured, what made you fall for them, or a favorite memory you share.

5-25-11 Some thoughts for today :)

Today I let myself have some guilty pleasures, a little bit of Destiny’s Child, and Eminem rocked my early afternoon. I also thought to myself, I ought to start a romantic thought for the day blog, just because I have a new romantic thought most every day and for some reason I thought it would be fun to share them. So we’ll see how often I actually post them but I thought I’ll make a running romantic thought list for those who might not be so romantically inclined as myself :) hehe
Other than that I have had the honor of traveling to Chicago with Blake and April Healy, John Pitzer, Rebekah Sanderson and Deborah VanHaelst. While we were there I felt like I totally stepped into being myself and I actually saw what was inside of me come out while we were ministering. I had the opportunity to walk some beautiful people through some inner healing and deliverance and watch the Lord love them into freedom they had never known. I watched as they the body of Christ honored and blessed one another and was blown away by the generosity of this beautiful city and its people. Our last day there I actually got to speak in front of a congregation and I preached for a few minutes which is such a testimony of the Grace of God in my life. It was only a few years ago that I broke down before giving a ten minute group presentation on the love of God in front of a class of my peers, and this past month I stood confidently in front of an entire church and talked about the lover of my life and His passionate pursuit of my heart and it felt amazing. I watched the love that He has been pouring into me pour out of me and it filled me with delight at how far His love has freed me from the bondage of fear.
Other fantastic things are that I have graduated from the second year program of Bethel Atlanta School of Supernatural Ministry and from the Bethel Atlanta School of Supernatural Arts, both of which brought me to see the beauty inside of me, and helped me to let it out.
These past two months I have been simply baffled at the changes I see in myself, things I never would have had the audacity to dream about are desires that I know I will see come to fruition in my life. I never would have thought that God would want to take me to the nations and I never wanted to use missions as a way to see the world but now I can not think of a more satisfying life than to travel the world loving people with Jesus, to see His beautiful bride shinning elegantly before Her King. My desire to be seen has been put in its rightful place, knowing that the God of creation sees and loves me all the time. I know that He accepts and loves me for who I am not for what I can or cannot do and His love will shatter every chain of bondage and break every attack of the enemy off of me. I know that I will walk victoriously through life with Him by my side and we will see the bride stand up and know her worth and beauty.
I have so many thoughts running through my mind, what will I do now that school is out, for the summer for the next year, for the rest of my life?! There are so many things to do I am left trying to discover just which one is right for the season I am in now! And thus the many hours I spend lost in thought, searching my heart and discovering what my passion really is and how I am going to walk in it.
I have discovered that the desires and interests I had as a child have never gone away, inside of me I still want to be a singer, a musician, a dancer, a painter, a mom, and a world traveler, I want to teach people about the love of God, and share in the process of them experiencing freedom beyond what they ever hoped or dreamed. I want to dream and read and play the piano and drums, I want to sit by the campfire and sing melodies to the rhythm of guitars playing in the night. I want to write books and take photographs of beautiful things people forget to notice, the color of trees before it rains, the drop of rain that ripples the puddle, the blossom of a long since forgotten garden, the crawl of a caterpillar as it makes its journey across the wood looking for it’s next meal before its great transition toward flight. I want to write children’s stories that open their eyes to wonder at the great vastness of the glory of God and that make the adults dream again like a small child unhindered by the world’s worries. I want to walk down the streets of the inner city shining the love of God brilliantly until the neighborhoods are filled with hope and life and love. I want to see the homeless acknowledged by the people passing them on the street, and not just acknowledged but their presence to be valued as beautiful people who deserve to be loved just the same as everyone else.
I want the Kingdom of God to reign in this world as it does in Heaven and I want to see the injustice of the enemy brought to its knees before the Almighty God, maker of Heaven and Earth, the one filled with Love and justice and compassion and mercy and grace and power and glory. The one who knew the great devastation mankind would create and chose to love us before we were ever created. The one who decided we were worth the pain and suffering it would cause Him because love must be poured out of Him and love endures all things and hopes all things and never keeps a record of wrong. I want to see LOVE demonstrated in my life and in the lives of everyone who claims to know and walk with my Lord, my love, my Jesus. I want to see us, as His bride, grasp what it means to be transformed by His love and to see us love like He does. I want to see the bride rise up and be the victorious joyful church known by her love and actions towards those who need love the most.
I wish that every breath we take would be breathing in the love of God and breathing out the love of God, and I know that we live in a world full of sin, but if we could make that our goal, our desire, to be the breath of love, the breath of life to the world then what might we see in our lifetime? What changes would come if everyone breathed in perfect love that casts out fear and breathed out perfect love that conquers all? Breathed in peace that surpasses all understanding and breathed out compassion for the lost, abused, and broken? Breathed in grace and breathed out joy that strengthened those around us? I dare say that the world would be a different place if we the church breathed in love and breathed out the judgment that all might be saved, and that none have gone too far to be swallowed up by the love of the Father who never fails, or forsakes us.
It is a beautiful thought and a challenge and one that needs to be thought of and hoped for and set as the marker, for we are all called to be the body of Christ, loving one another as He loved us, so we need to first discover the depth and width and height of His love so that we can know how to be loved and then out of being loved love others.
This is my thought for today, my day dream for the world…

A Day of Excitement!

Today my dear friends is the first day of Bethel School of Supernatural Arts and I am going to be a student there! Words cannot describe the excitement and joy and anticipation I feel at this moment knowing that in just a few hours my life is going to turn and greatness is going to be encountered! Thoughts fill my mind like "I'm happy as a Lark" "I feel like a cherry blossom right before it burst into full bloom!" "Today is the first day of the rest of my life" "Happiness is a well that runs deep and a fountain that flows high" :)
I am going into this school with these expectations, that I will walk in freedom as an artist fully expressing the glory God put in me. I will make and keep covenant relationships with people who will be significant in my life from here on out. Doors will be opened and direction set at my feet of where I am to go and wisdom of how to do so. My skills will be developed as I surround myself with a community of artists whose heart is to grow in their relationship with God, as a person, in relationship with others, and as an artist. Freedom will be abundant in our conversations and work as well dwell in the Holy Spirit, as He dwells in us. Joy will blossom where wounds used to be, and fear will be replaced by love and acceptance. Lives will never be the same, because the glory of the Lord will dwell among His people and we will encounter His goodness and grace! :D This is a BEAUTIFUL DAY!!!!!!!!!!

Testimonies of God's Faithfulness!

I have to share that yesterday God rocked my world. I have for weeks been trying to figure out how I could go to the Bethel Atlanta School of Supernatural Arts which starts next Wednesday. I need $750 for tuition and only have $200 from Christmas which was suppose to be for buying new clothes that don't have holes in them and maybe some new shoes as well... So two nights ago two things happened :) One I sent out support letters to some of my dear friends and family asking for help to pay for this school and telling them that I am also going to Nicaragua next month!!! Then later that night I got a text from an amazing friend asking if I had my money to go to school and I did not so she told me about a job working with the toddlers at church on Sunday mornings and that would pay for the second half of the tuition basically.
I had to have $400 by Wednesday to be able to go to the school after that part was paid for then a payment plan could be worked out. SO yesterday I figured out how much I could make at the church working with the toddlers and added that to how much I still needed and then found out that if I couldn't pay the $400 I couldn't go. All day long I battled with my mind, choosing to stand on the promises of God that He is a faithful provider, That He did indeed tell me to go and that now was the right time to go, over and over I battled and had the opportunity to stand on His word and declare it and praise Him in the midst of waiting for things to happen.
Then a most beautiful woman and dear friend Barbara Johnson called me and asked if I had my money and would be able to go to the school and I told her that I still needed $200 so she told me that she would send me that money to go. She is sowing into me and my dreams. Incredible. So now I am able to go!!! and I'm believing the Lord for more blessings and a life changing encounter there, divine connections with people who will walk with me through life.

Another truly AMAZING woman that I am friends with Deborah Van Haelst is supporting me and paying for my trip to Nicaragua, whatever money doesn't come in the she is going to pay for which blows my mind. She too is sowing into my dreams and my gratitude cannot begin to be expressed. One day Debs will be internationally known for her music, she has a sound that will put her on the top of the charts, and the lyrics of the songs that she writes will move your heart and touch you so deeply inside that you will want to listen over and over and over again to her songs. I am excited for the day when she has her own album out there!!! The world will never be the same! :) you can check her out on you tube under FieryDeb she's incredible!

Renewed Hope

Today Papa Jack Taylor and Papa Leif Hetland spoke at church, and they brought it. Their words edified and encouraged the deep places of my heart that had begun to loose hope, listening to the lies instead of God's voice. I now once again find myself dreaming of the greatness this year has to hold, greatness of dreams coming true, debts being paid off, destiny unfolding, and covenant relationships being established and strengthened, hearts finding freedom and joy bursting forth like the first blossom that breaks through winter's ground. The world will forever be different because of the Greatness 2011 has to offer and bring and change.
Today I decided that I was going to step out in faith and pray for the cashier at Publix who had a headache, she didn't notice any difference but was shocked that I asked if I could pray for her, and curious where I went to church. I left encouraged because I finally stepped out in boldness and prayed for the cashier, this is something I had not done yet. This year I will be filled with boldness to love people, to share the love of my Jesus with them, to bring His heartbeat for them to the surface and they will forever be changed because when His love shows up you are never the same. Today I walked in my victory over darkness, today I knew that what is inside me is greater than fear, and headaches. Love conquers all.
Today I had another victory. I decided that I am going to Bethel Atlanta School of Supernatural Arts. I don't know how I am going to pay for it, but I do know that God has given me a Go and so I am going to Go, and I will watch Him faithfully and miraculously provide and it will be a testimony of His goodness. Today I chose to believe that I am a daughter of the King of Kings and He richly provides for all my needs. Today I chose to believe that His word is true especially when circumstances make it seemingly impossible. Faith is believing in the things unseen and at school we like to spell Faith "RISK" So today I stood on the declarations of the past two years, stood on the promises of a lifetime, and finished filling out my application. This is a GOOD day!
Little by little, sometimes by leaps and bounds, my mindset is becoming victorious as He speaks life and destiny and truth over me and as I declare the words He speaks about me over myself renewing my mind, my identity, my hope, and my faith. For I am a city set on a hill, and I cannot be hidden for He put light inside me that shines and breaks into darkness.
Today was a beautiful day for me. This year is going to be filled with beauty, victory, boldness, joy and Abundant Life, because that is what Jesus died for and anything short of that is just not good enough. May you be blessed and encouraged and may the Lord let His face shine upon you and give you peace! Night my dear ones!

I Finally made aprons!

So after talking about making aprons for a very long time and only making bridal gifts for a beloved friend and her hubby a year and a half ago, I ventured out and made five aprons in the past two weeks! One full apron and four half aprons! Each has elements of old and new in them, a combining of the past and future, reusing or repurposing old fabric and buttons with new touches that pull them into the now fashion wise! I decided I love aprons! shocking I know! ;) haha! I will have to post some pictures on here soon! but I just had to share that they are AMAZING and SO FUN! I plan on make an Etsy account to sell them on :) as I continue to produce delightfully unique and one of a kind aprons! I'll post the link when I do create that Etsy online shop :) hehe! I love being an artist!

Dreams of My Future Fairytale

Ok so, I just watched Marry Me on Lifetime, and it's about the fairytale coming true and falling in love and it makes me want it to happen in my life, so I'm going to take Eric Johnson's advice and dream about the day that it happens in my life! In school we just started our series on dreaming and joined teams to make one person's dream come true which is awesome! Falling in love, getting married to and Incredible Man of God, and raising a family has been my biggest dream since I was a very small child, yes I was the little girl dreaming about the day when I was like Cinderella dancing with the Prince at the ball, and like Rapunzel being rescued from the tower by the Prince, and Sleeping Beauty falling in love and being awakened by true loves first kiss, and Belle from Beauty and the Beast having an adventure and discovering that love is not always what it first appears to be. I have dreamt about falling in love my whole life, and been content to wait for that one guy who will come along side me and I'll come along side and we'll dance into our destinies together... It will be a fairytale, but one that we write together, one that God writes with us, and it will out do every fairytale, and romantic movie Hollywood has ever produced because the God who created love, who indeed is love has been preparing our hearts to unite since before the foundations of the world, and when our hearts recognize the beat that is in tune with it's own beat, the world will never be the same.

The day when I fall in love will be delightful. It will be the realization of dreams, and the catalyst of more dreams. When I fall in love I am going to smile and my eyes will glisten with joy and I will dance and spin around as if I were in a musical on Broadway. I will jump with joy and my heart will beat quickly at the mention of his name and my stomach will flutter with excitement all the days of our lives as we continue to fall in love as we grow really, really old together. We'll be young at heart forever as we explore the extravagancies of love and life and adventure everywhere that we go. Discovering our destiny together as each day of our lives unfold. We'll dance together when there is no music except what our hearts make or we sing to each other. We'll sit at coffee shops and listen to aspiring artists sing their melodies and walk arm in arm down streets glistening with the joy of Christmas lights... We'll watch children play innocently at the park and dream of our future children playing there. My future husband and I will go on dates in the park, where everything can happen, from street performers, to Frisbee games, to picnics by the lake and swinging while watching the sunset.

We'll make our own fairytale and write it and illustrate it so our children will be able to read it and know their beginning... it will be a delightful tale of adventure, romance, and our pursuit of each others hearts. It will include the gentle but strong encouragement of each other being the best us we could be, calling out the gold in each other especially when it would be easy to overlook. It'll be about love that grows each day and love that can be expressed in new ways all the days of our lives. It will be a love that strengthens and encourages and edifies and grows deeper and expands and exemplifies the love between Christ and the church.

We will bring peace and harmony to the cities, circumstances and environments we are in. We'll passionately love cities into the Kingdom of Heaven, one person at a time until the inner city is a glistening beacon of Hope and Love and Joy and Abundant Life. We'll read books to each other as we cozy up next to one another by the fireplace lit so warmly. We'll drink hot cocoa and build snowmen in the snowfall. We'll write love notes to each other if ever we part for a few days, and keep them all in a box in our closet on the top shelf. We'll build things together and restore things together, creating beauty out of raw materials and bringing back the beauty that was hidden or seemingly lost, both with people and with objects. Our home will be a safe place where people can come when they feel as though their world is shaking and they will encounter the Peace of God that surpasses all understanding when they step foot onto our property. We will both have our own beautiful children and we'll adopt and foster beautiful children, or at least bring them into our home to cherish for a while. Our life will be a celebration where we purposefully remember to be grateful and celebrate the moments in life where we could let them be mundane, or take them for granted. We will celebrate FREEDOM with each other, with people, with God and we will delight in living in it, receiving it from each other and giving it out to people so they can be free to be themselves and know they are cherished and delighted in, regardless of behaviors because love is not conditional and true love brings freedom, because where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom! and God is love, so God is Love and God is freedom, so Love is Freedom and Freedom is Love, and that will be our mission in life to bring love and freedom to everyone we meet.

I know that I am a romantic and a dreamer and an idealist, but I do believe all these things can come true, and especially if I make it a priority in my life to do so, all things are possible and this is one I will gladly pursue, and dream of and expand that dream as time goes on... So now you know just a bit more about my heart and one of the dreams I have inside it :) Dream on, dream big, then dream bigger readers, for life is a grand, and no one can take away the power of hope and dreams and that is one of the beautiful things about life, only we are responsible for happiness :) so let's dream big, and find the simple things to delight in, and find happiness in... the look of joy in a child's eyes at their first snow fall, or Christmas lights glistening in the night sky, shooting stars just as you look up at the sky, springs blossom unfolding in front of your eyes, the color of bark on a tree becoming more brilliant right before it rains, the shape and color of fall leaves on the ground begging you to admire them and then step on them for that delightful crunch under your toes... those simple beautiful things about being alive that bring smiles to our faces, and finding someone to celebrate those simple things with :) that is a pursuit worthy of the moment that lasts forever!