A Woman Inspired is hosting a new conference, January 25-29, 2010 dedicated to nurturing creativity and efficient living:
“Have you been in touch with your inner creative diva? Do you want to learn to express yourself through paint mediums, culinary masterpieces, vibrant rooms or maybe through your own life as the canvas? Well, you can get inspired here.
Whether you feel stuck in a rut or just don’t know where to begin we can help. I’m confident that many of you have a pile of unfinished projects or maybe put off doing things simply because you feel you don’t have the time. We have all been there and can definitely relate. We would like you help get some momentum going so that you can begin to create and design no matter what your canvas preference is.”
You’ll learn how to:
* develop your God given talents and gifts
* push past creative blocks
* further your education in the area of your choice
* be more productive
* be more focused
* let your light shine!
Remember, all A Woman Inspired conferences are entirely online. No travel is required, you can listen in wearing your jammies, and MP3’s are included with the cost of your ticket!
Find more info and register here!
The chocolate layer reminds us that we are sinful.
The red layer reminds us that Jesus shed his blood for our sins.
The white frosting reminds us that Jesus has given us a clean heart.
The green layer reminds us to grow in Christ.
The yellow decorations remind us of heaven.
The candles remind us that Jesus is the Light of the World.
A Cup of Comfort® is a bestselling anthology series featuring uplifting true stories about the experiences and relationships that inspire and enrich our lives. These slice-of-life stories are written by people from all walks of life and provide unique personal insights into powerful universal truths.
We are extending a call for submissions for the following books:
A Cup of Comfort® for Couples:
Stories that celebrate what it means to be in love:
“It is said that love works in mysterious ways. And this anthology will reveal the many mysteries as well as the inner workings of true love. Of course, being a “happy couple” involves more than being in love, and making a romantic relationship work takes more than romance. So this book will feature uplifting true stories with a balanced mix of tones—romantic, poignant, humorous—and on a wide range of topics: From falling in love to the secrets of lasting love. From celebrating special moments between you to overcoming bumps in your relationship. From experiences that brought you closer together to experiences that threatened to tear you apart. From endearing rituals to challenging changes. From sparkling new love to glorious golden love. Or any other topic that speaks to the joys, the challenges, and/or the nature of a romantic partnership that works for you. Narrative essays preferred.”
Story Length: 1000–2000 words.
Submit Your Story HERE
Call for Submission Deadline: April 20, 2010
Read more at Call for Submissions
Cup of Comfort site
Teacup candles :
“Gather some craft-store wicks, wax (or old candles) that can be melted down, old teacups, and maybe a fragrance or two. You might look in thrift stores for some pretty single teacups, with or without saucers, for less than a dollar. Melt the wax in a double boiler, add fragrance if desired, and support the wick standing in the teacup while carefully filling the cup with wax. When the wax cools, it will contract and form a well. You can add more melted wax of the same color or add a second shade.” See How to Make Teacup Candles more pics and further instructions.
Here’s an especially sentimental gift that means more than any store-bought item! You can use any kind of jar:
Memory/love jar: “The best gift I ever gave my mom was a “love jar.” I put 52 scraps of paper, each with a different typed message telling her about a memory I was grateful for like “I’m grateful for every meal you ever cooked, especially the ones you felt least like making”, and put them in a clean candle jar with a lid, wrapped some raffia with instructions around the outside to “open once a week.”
“The most wonderful gift I’ve ever given cost me almost nothing. I contacted friends and family members and asked them to send me memories and old pictures of my grandfather. Then I wrote one memory (or printed one picture) on each of 365 business card sized pieces of cardstock. I folded each in half and secured it with a bit of tape, then placed them all in a big jar I decorated. Every morning for the next year, my grandfather would take out a paper, open it, and see what other people cherished in him. He loved it.” See How to Make Memory Jars
Merry Christmas friends ♥
Other resources:
Clutter-free Gifts
Gifts You Can Make Yourself
“Come and share a pot of tea; my home is warm and my friendship’s free.” ~ Emilie Barnes
‘Tis the season to sweat and toil, some think. I refuse. Instead, the bulk of my seasonal energy goes into something we call the Gaines Girls Christmas Tea. It’s become our favorite tradition, and this year grew twice its size. What a lovely time together!
God is expanding my vision for tea time to include whosoever will come throughout the year. Nothing like a cup of hot tea, scones, and encouragement for a woman’s heart. We all need a little respite from life’s troubles. Until the next tea, visions of recipes and themes dance through my head - can’t wait to see where this leads!
Fill my cup with Christmas joy and send me your ideas for various themes we could use during the year. This will put my teapots to good use, don’t you think?
Merry Christmas, readers and writers. We are blessed!
“Time for you and time for me, and time yet for a hundred indecisions, and for a hundred visions and revisions, before the taking of a toast and tea.” ~ T.S. Eliot
“Here, let me pour you a cup of hot tea. No, no trouble. But you seem a little blah. Tired, maybe? Something’s bothering you - I can tell. Let’s just sit here, be together, and sip on this apple-cinnamon tea. I’m really glad you dropped by. Hey, don’t go acting all cheery for my sake. We’re friends - remember? Tell me, what’s on your mind?”
And so it goes. Christmas: “Tis the season to be jolly!” We try, but circumstances beg to differ. Gumdrops and mistletoe clash with disappointment, pain. I’m thinking today of those whose holiday has been broadsided with unexpected grief. These things don’t take a holiday, do they? So many close to me are dealing with relational problems, job loss, cancer treatments, and stunned disbelief over changes out of their control. I don’t blame them for not feeling the fa-la-la.
By a certain age we realize that life’s not a sleigh ride. Life here is tough. But earth is not our home; we’re pilgrims Homeward bound. Even when it feels like a jerky roller-coaster ride with loud clanging bells trailing behind us, as believers, Christ Jesus is with us. My heart’s easily taken with temporal concerns, even in trying to comfort others. In a holiday rush, I catch myself missing the Hand that reaches for me, all the while needing His restorative touch. Slow down, I tell myself. We desperately need Him, don’t we?
You are not alone. Neither am I.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 37: 14
What’s crowding your heart right now? Shopping? Parties? Gift-wrapping? Maybe something is crushing your heart. Loneliness. Health. Finances. A broken relationship. I hear you. More importantly, the Lord hears you. And He is Immanuel, “God with us”… so very close to us.
Pull away from the noise; sense His nearness. Know that only He can heal what hurts, so let Him. Let Him in, surrender the tough, turn to His beating heart. We do that every time we confess our need, open His Word, and wait for inward strengthening through the power of His Holy Spirit.
This is why Jesus came - to impart His Life in the midst of our difficulty.
I’m praying for you. Can I pour you another cup?
