look what I found!

My hubby let me have some (much needed) time alone this afternoon, and I did my favorite thing - thrift shopping!! And look at this treasure I found - AMAZING!!!

Beautiful vintage crewel-work in a rich dark wood frame!

It's big, too! (16.5 in X 24.5 in)

Look at all the detail! So much work went into making this treasure.

Custom framed in 1976!

All for just...

$5.99!

I can't believe that someone didn't want this anymore! I love it so much. I thought about selling it in my etsy shop, but I think I am going to keep it! You just don't see things like this much anymore. It truly is one-of-a-kind! And for those of you that have seen inside my house, you know that it will look perfect with all the colors on my walls and in my furniture, etc. Now, I've just gotta find the best place for it to go! I am thinking of hanging it in my entryway, just above the bench where I took these photos. I think the colors in the crewel-work just pop out beautifully against the golden yellow wall. What do you think?

Just wanted to share my find...

Lora

master train track builder

That's one big train track!

So proud of himself!

posing with "the shed" (where the trains sleep)

Have a great weekend!

Lora

desert song

This song has ministered to me so much in the last week or two. Just thought I'd share it! The lyrics are AMAZING!! (There's about 20 seconds of quiet in the beginning - don't give up. It's worth the wait...) Be blessed!

new look for blog!

I needed a change! What do you think of the new look for my blog? I just love pink and brown...

wordless wednesday

thermal goodness

love that little pout

look at those hands!

far off gaze

building racetracks (sort of)

Just a little thermal goodness to brighten your day! A friend gave me some clothes for Joseph yesterday, and these precious striped thermal pajamas were in the bunch. I just love babies in thermal underwear!! Doesn't he look adorable?! (I know, I'm biased)

I am thankful today for my four amazing blessings. God has given me some pretty incredible children. He uses them all the time to remind me how much He loves me. Take yesterday for example: my four year old boy, out of the blue, came up to me and hugged me. Then he looked me square in the eyes and said to me,

"Mommy, you're so special to me."

Wow, I was blown away. Y'all know that I am in a tough season right now, and feel far from God more than I'd like to admit. Well, God is definitely near to me when it comes to my children. He speaks to me (pretty much every day) through the mouths of four little munchkins. And I thank Him for that!

Lora

self portrait monday

The sun was shining so beautifully this afternoon. I had to capitalize on that light and take a few pictures. Thus, here's my "self portrait monday". I am standing outside my front door, looking out onto my street. I know, I look pretty pensive and sad. That's how I feel most of the time when I look at my street these days. Lots of empty houses from friends and neighbors that have moved away recently. It makes me sad. I know I am just going through the natural grieving process in a way. I have to grieve in order to heal and make sense of all this transition and change going on around me.

Lots of transition and change is also going on inside of me. God is shifting things around in my heart. He's been calling me back to Him for some time now. I heard somewhere a few years ago that "you are only as close to God as you choose to be". That has definitely been true in my own spiritual life. When I feel far away from God, it's usually because I am not putting in the day-to-day effort to spend time alone with Him. Why do I so often give in to my sad feelings and retreat, instead of running to the One that I know will make me feel better? Help me, Lord, in this season of brokenness, to lean wholly on You.

Any words of wisdom or prayers of encouragement would be greatly appreciated!

Lora

thoughts on dreams

Dream Necklace featuring vintage beads

"Could it be that He is only waiting there to see if I would learn to love the dreams that He has dreamed for me?" ~Twila Paris

That song lyric above has always spoken to my heart. It's from an old song by a singer named Twila Paris. How many times do we limit God? What I mean by that is, how often do we dream little dreams when His dreams for us are so much bigger? God sees our true potential. He sees the greatness that is in us, the unseen "diamond" hiding within the rock.

I went to a women's prayer group the other night. The leader has us all write down on an index card the title to the book of our life. And then, she had us write down what the ending of that book would look like. It was a real eye-opening experience for all of us. God's read the end of each of our stories. He knows how everything will end up. He has seen the victories to our personal battles that we each fight every day. He sees the fruit of all the struggles we've been through. And He's recorded all the times we've chosen Him, even when His way was not the easiest way. And He is pleased with us. Oh, how grateful I am that God sees me, really sees me. And loves me, just as I am. But thankfully, I know that He loves me too much to leave me that way!

"And being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 1:6

Dream bigger, my friends!

Lora