Climbing Mountains

Have you ever climbed a mountain before?  It isn't easy.  But I can guarantee you that the climb will be worth every step.  Once you finally make it to the top you will be rewarded with a spectacular view. Nothing can compare to the feeling you get as you take in the view.  Standing there, on top of the world, if only you could stay there forever.  The feeling of accomplishment sweeps over you as you realize that you have just conquered the mountain.

In life we have mountains we must climb.  I have had to climb many mountains in my life and I don't even want to think about the ones I still have yet to climb.  Some mountains are small, but some are huge.  But God is so good.  He is always right beside me and helping me climb.  

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

If you ever feel like the mountain God has placed in front of you is daunting remember that God promises to always be right there with you.  He says He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Even when it feels like you are all alone, or when the you have no strength left; God is with you.

As I said before, it isn't easy climbing a mountain.  The whole time I was climbing I was huffing and puffing.  My legs ached and sometimes I needed to stop and rest.  The only reason I was able to keep going is because I have been training myself.  I have been preparing myself by climbing smaller mountains so that I can tackle the bigger mountains.  Without this constant training there is no way I would have been able to climb such mountains.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105

Did you know that God has given us all we need to climb the mountains we face?  He gave us His word.  It's our training manual.  God's word gives us the strength we need.  It will guide us as we climb our mountains.  But if we neglect God's word it won't be long before we find ourselves exhausted.  The mountains we face will soon consume us.

Always remember, the view that awaits you at the top is what keeps you going.  As we are climbing we can't always see what awaits us at the top.  All we see are trees and shrubs.  Not very pretty or breathtaking.  But we have to keep pushing on until we reach the top.

The mountains God has us climb, we can't always see the outcome.  Sometimes it's scary not knowing what you are going to find.  We may be tempted to give up.  But once we get to the top, trust me, the things you will see will be worth every step.  We may glimpse more of God's glory.  The climb will be worth it because we will see how God used this mountain to show us more of His purpose for our life.  

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Whatever mountain you are facing.  Don't give up.  Stay in the Word and keep climbing.  I promise you, the view will be worth.

How to Keep Your Succulents Alive

How hard can it be to keep a plant alive?  All you have to do is remember to water it and put it in a sunny spot, right?  It can't be too hard.  I have recently found myself obsessed with succulents so I decided to buy myself a bunch and plant them in some cute containers I found at the thrift store.  

All was going well until I realized that my once healthy succulents weren't doing well anymore. They were dying!!!  The honest truth is I don't have a green thumb.  First off, I've never been into plants but now I know that plants must not like me either.  You'd think succulents would be the easiest plant to keep alive.  If you forget to water them, no big deal, right?  Yet, here I was killing my poor plants.

The other day I finally did something about my succulents.  I replanted them, gave them some love, and am hoping that they will keep growing and be healthy again with the proper care.  

If you are like me and don't get along very well with plants but love having plants for decoration purposes; here's three simple steps that I've learned will keep your succulents alive.

1. Make sure you have proper drainage!  If your container does not have holes on the bottom you can add holes.  Also putting rocks on the bottom of a container doesn't work.  Trust me, I tried.  The soil never drained and I basically drowned my plants. 
2. Don't over water them!  If you have proper drainage it's okay to soak the soil until it's completely wet.  With succulents the key is to only water them when the soil is completely dry.
3. This one may be obvious, but it's still important.  Don't forget about your plants!  I kept forgetting about my succulents until I noticed them starting to wilt. One day I even woke up and found one of my plants had snapped off at the stem and fallen out of the pot.  I'm going to blame the cat for that one, I mean, my skills with plants really can't be that bad?  

I'm no expert when it comes to plants, but I'm learning through my mistakes. Yet if you follow these easy steps I can at least promise you that your plants will stay alive. I just hope it's not to late for my little guys to come back and keep growing strong and healthy. 

God's Plan for Your Life

The day was slowly coming to an end.  After a wonderful Bible study with some sweet Christian girls my age I headed to my car for the drive home (which actually is my Dad's car since I still don't have my own car, hehe).  Each week we've have been meeting to study the book of Jonah and I always leave this study feeling so blessed. My mind was bursting with new truths from God's word as I turned the keys in the ignition and shifted into first gear. Cruising up the highway towards home I tuned into my favorite Christian radio station (K-love), singing my heart out to all of my favorite songs.  My heart truly was full and I couldn't keep myself from smiling.  God has been so good to me by giving me this Bible study.

The song I was singing along to soon ended and then the speaker came on the radio to talk for a little while. Instead of switching stations (which I usually do) I listened intently to what she had to say. She shared something she had read in a book that said; "If we could see all the that God has planned for us it would boggle our minds."

I don't know if it was because I was in the right mood, or because I've been struggling in this area over the last few weeks. But the truth of that statement hit me good and hard.  I couldn't stop saying amen to the wonderful truth of this simple quote.  It's crazy, but I found so much peace when I thought deeper about what that quote means for us.

God has a wonderful plan for me, and for you.  Even though we can't see it, it is a beautiful life He has created for us to live.  If we could see all of it we would be overwhelmed at how amazing God's plan is for us.  All the struggles and pain we go through would make sense to us because we would see the ultimate outcome.

Just knowing that God has a great plan for me.  A life full of so many blessings I can't even count them all!   A life that is so amazing I can't even imagine it!  That is all I need to keep my focus on God and to keep trusting Him everyday.

Even though I may have to walk through some storms,  including the storms I am facing right now,  I can rest assured that God is using it all for His good.  Every single detail of my life plays an important role in God's beautiful plan for my life.  If I could really see everything that God has planned for me I know that it truly would boggle my mind. 

God really is good to us.  Oh so good!  And He only wants the best for you and me.  I'm going to trust Him with my life, will you?

Making Belle's Underskirt

I'm sorry that it has been awhile since I last posted. I was really trying to post more but things always happen that I have no control over. That's life though.  So much has been going on in my life and to be honest I just needed a break.  But I'm finally feeling like life is back to normal again and I'm once again falling back into routine; which means all my free time is spent with my sewing machine :)

First things first.  I decided that the first thing to make for Belle's dress is the underskirt.  I love making skirts because in my opinion making a skirt is a lot easier than making a blouse. I'm saving the harder pieces of her outfit for last.

To start I found the perfect fabric at the local craft store (Joanns).

I almost didn't have enough fabric so I had to be a bit creative in how I cut the fabric.  I made the skirt with three tiers and with an elastic waist band.

Belle has a coordinating fabric underneath the underskirt that you can see when she tucks her skirt up.  I added my coordinating fabric to the last tier of the underskirt and then hand-sewed it onto the back of the skirt.

After I finished the skirt I really didn't like the bulky elastic waist band.  I decided to add one more tier to the skirt and gathered the second tier to that tier.  I still used elastic for the waist band.  As you can see in the picture below the waist band isn't as bulky anymore. Problem solved!

Now that the underskirt it done I can't wait to make the skirt.  Slowly but surely this costume is coming together ;)