Stacked Stones Studio!

Ok...I have to remember that I am still recovering from a hysterectomy...but *geesh* how could I be this tired from cleaning out a closet?!??! I was brutal. If I had forgotten I had it -- it was either thrown away or put in a box for the yet to be scheduled yard sale. I now have four contractor trash bags full of "stuff" ready to go to the dump...and a totally cleaned out closet in my office. I thought I would have enough energy to get all of my scrapbook stuff moved into the closet today as well...but alas and alack -- I didn't. However, in my defense (yes, here comes the rationalization) -- I decided to take this opportunity to organize all of my paper and supplies and turned out to be a HUGE project. I found that planning the closet space needs a little thought so I can easily get to my supplies and still leave it organized and accessible. I have made a good start. After church tomorrow, I will finish the organization and be ready to actually do some work on my pr...

Isn't that interesting that "the next reasonable step" is all that God requires from us? Not just that...often it is all that He shows us. Me? I want to run way on down the path -- like a scout from the Old West...I want to see all the potential dangers and make sure that path is guaranteed. But God doesn't want that for me...He wants me to trust Him...and take the next reasonable step. Even if it scares me. Even if I am not assured that there is no danger. Even if I can't see the step beyond that. God says,"Jann, do you trust me? Do you TRULY believe that I have your best interests at heart? Would you go where I intend for you to go if you KNEW every step that would require?" He knows that I want to be obedient...but I am still a weak soul who wants to avoid pain...even if it means great joy in the end. Perhaps it really is His great love for me that asks me to only take that "next reasonable step."

As I was sitting here in my home office, working on an ad for MediaShout, I had a brilliant idea. (Unfortunately, it wasn't for the ad *smile*) I think I can manage to get my scrapbooking moved into my office. This room has a closet that really is just all the stuff I didn't know what to do with when I finished moving into my house. Since I have not opened ONE of those boxes in the almost 3 years I have lived here -- perhaps I don't need all that stuff so close at hand. I think I will dig through it all, decide if I need it, and if not -- turn that closet into my Scrapbooking stash. I also realized that one of my new favorite acquisitions for my office -- an antique Pub table from England -- would really be a perfect surface to scrapbook on. It has leaves that pull out to extend it to double its length (you know how those pub tables are...compact for seating four and expandable for when more patrons need a tankard of guinnes!). This has me totally motivated -- I can...

I have a love of journaling that extends back to elementary school. It started out with a five year diary -- that my Mom actually found a few months ago...and now is a collection of almost 45 journals that cover the span of my lifetime. I guess you would say I am a woman of many words. Some make my laugh when I read them again. Some make me sad, because I realize how self-focused I was during parts of my life. But most really remind me of the things that matter most to me: my relationship with Jesus, doing what God wants me to do, loving my family, my desire to have a family to call my own, delighting in my dear girlfriends...and using this creative gift that God blessed me with. I have also discovered them to be a GREAT source for my new love: Scrapbooking. Not only do I want to scrap about events, trips and people that are currently important in my life -- I want to do a retrospective of sorts...so others can have a glimpse into who I really am -- and what I have seen God do i...

Well...a new day has dawned. I have learned to post scrapbook pages to 2Peas AND created my own blog all within 24 hours. This should count for more than ONE step I think! Today I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with the whole hysterectomy thing. Most days, I just feel like I am recovering from surgery -- but don't feel the emotions of it all. Don't think it is hormones...think it is just being a GIRL...and realizing that a whole phase of my life is gone -- never to return. There are good sides to it all...and most of all, I know I rest in God's hands 00 none of this caught HIM by surprise, I am just needing to run to catch up a bit.