Happy Birthday Jesus

Christmas is here! Christmas is here!!! what does that mean??? lets face it, in this day and age, the "Holiday" season is often a whirlwind of events that center around just about everything BUT Jesus! it may come as a shock to some....but Christmas is more than Santa and snowmen, more than cookies and Gingerbread houses, more than turkey and ham, and dare i say it.......more than beautifully wrapped gifts to ME(*insert gasp here). But alas, tis' true. It's the day we honor and acknowledge the birth of my Savior, my King. so in the midst of all the holiday fuss, i want to take the time to simply say, "happy birthday, Jesus."

So long ago, in a tiny manger a baby was brought into this world who would become the savior to all. I have heard the argument before that it is insulting to think that man would ever need saving by some celestial being because we are our own saviors. But, speaking for myself i can say that i most definetly beyond a shadow of a doubt need saving... daily......from myself. To know my god loves me so much that He would send His most precious treasure of all, His one and ONLY son, to come to my rescue leaves me breatheless and at a loss for words.

 Speaking truthfully, as a mother, i don't think i could ever give up ANY of my children to save a people so undeserving. I am selfish and i know that. i am greatful that my God is not. It seems easy enough to send a Savior into the world. A precious little baby, with rosy cheeks and dimpled hands. An infant who see's the wonder in the most simple of things. a newborn so sweet smelling and so small. But the thing is this: that little baby, more angelic then earthly grew up. He became a man, of flesh and of blood. And that man bore an unbearable pain and faced most certain death.... fully aware that He was dying for a sinner. Named Miranda.

Shut. The. Front. Door.

That is reason enough. But not only did/does He save me. He LOVES me. inspite of shortcomings and flaws. And so even though i give thanks daily, today; Christmas day I can truely make the greatest of efforts to acknowlege that Man. To not only say happy birthday but to say Thank you. Thank you for CHOOSING to be made man. Even at infantcy, your greatness and deity were recognized....so was your death, in the gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. You knew You would not stay that little babe forever. that you would indeed be wrongfully punished and crucified. and still You came. Thank you Lord, I love you. Happy Birthday.



Upcycled Newspaper Wreath

Anybody else ever at a loss with what to do with all the news papers that pile up (because you plan on taking them to be recycled someday, but for now they sit, just taking up space in your garage)?

well with the recent wreath craze, it seems now is a perfect time to post a how to.

and dont worry....

no wreath form or fancy shmancy stuff needed.

 just a hefty pile of news paper and some good ol' elmers glue!!!

STEP 1: roll  2 newspaper sheets seperatly(or more or less, depending on how big you want your wreath because this becomes the form)

STEP 2: crinkle, round, and glue the homemade "wreath form" together. *SET ASIDE

STEP 3: cut a FULL newspaper sheet in half

STEP 4: fold each piece vertically or into a "hotdog"

STEP 5: cut fringes down the entire length of newspaper, leaving room at the bottom so it doesnt fall apart and you have room to glue. the length of frindge and border is completely up to you

STEP 6: open the newspaper, you should now have fringe down the longest side of each end of the newspaper, cut center seem to make 2 fringe sheets

*NOTE:if you wish to double up your news paper it will give you 4 sheets and be less time consuming

STEP 7: simply glue each individual "fringe sheet" around the wreath form you made earlier, being careful not to fold down other pieces as you wrape it. glue the end as well.

Layer and layer and layer fringe until your form is completely covered.

you may need to make some "fillers" incase any bare spaces arise. but if you take your time and find a nice pace to work at and keep your eye on making sure they all wrap evenly you shouldnt have a problem.

I had a little burlap in my scrap bag, so i simply hot glued a lil bow and left ribbon with which to hang it and....voila!



It has made itself at home in front of my dinning room mirror

spreading its "I MADE THIS FOR FREE" cheer through out the rest of my home =)

Hope you like it. be sure to send me a link if you decide to make one of your own!

I would love to see your interpretation of this fun and easy DIY wreath.

Faithfully your gal pal,

Miranda







Thankful

Psalm 100:4-5

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto  Him and bless His name; for the Lord is GOOD! His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations."

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and Christmas is just a hop, skip, and a jump away.... and before i find myself getting caught up in the hoopla of the holiday season, i want to remind myself that i am blessed!

And boy! is there lots to be thankful for.

I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and 3 amazing children

 a home to call our own

 a vehicale to get us from A-to-B

cubboards crammed with food

the List goes on and on and ....well you ger the idea.

But there are also a few things i never even imagined I would one day be able to give thanks for.

Like the fact that my family contnues to multiply.

new nephews and nieces, brothers and sisters, added so perfectly into this fold of my life.

Steven, Tayiah, Katelyn, Jordan, Kendra, Joaquin, Jacob, and Baby Noah- i am so blessed to be your  Aunt, and to have the pleasure of sowing into your lives

Donny, Tammy, Sam, Paul, Desarae, Angel and Katie- brothers and sisters i never knew i would have!

or the fact that i would have so many "parents"

My Mom Paula and Dad Gene, Penny my step mom, my "baboon" Eli and Carol, such a mighty woman of God. Nelson, such a gentle and loving father, and ofcourse my inlaws Joe and Diane. who have made me feel like I have always been a part of their family. who welcomed me into their hearts so easily. i love all my parents so much. and i am thankful that God blessed me with so many of them! the more wisdom i get to soak up from each of them!

And ofcourse, I am thankful to serve a might God.

one  who loves me unconditionaly, blesses me beyond measure, forgives me time and time again,

and shows me everyday that my love is not my own. Its HIS.

 i never knew how much it would mean to me to hear the desires of my heart echoed in my children.

to hear Destini's sweet voice sing, "Here i am to worship"

or Meshach sing praise with all the force of a hurricane, "I give You glory!!!"

and even my baby Jude, lifting his hands in worship at church

it brings me a joy there are no words for.

I am thankful that my children have found favor with God.

So tomorrow when we sit down to eat a beautiful meal with friends and family and through out the whirlwind of the next 5 weeks of Holiday stress and worry, i will bless His name, i will come before Him with thanksgiving, and thank Him for everything He has given to me, but also, just for being who He is. God of all Glory.





The Three Chords of Might

I love singing.....i love poetry.

And since i have been under the weather lately, i thought for today i would simply share with you one of my favorite poems.

"The Singers", by Henry Longfellow has resinated with me since i was 12 years old (i have always been a book worm and long time poetry lover).

It was in a very old book my dear Aunt passed down to me, By The Fireside.

And now i am sharing it with you. if you have never read it before, i hope you thuroughly enjoy it, and if you have read it, i hope it brings a warmth of familiarity to your heart, as it does mine.

THE SINGERS

  God sent his Singers upon earth

With songs of sadness and of mirth,

That they might touch the hearts of men,

And bring them back to heaven again.

 

The first, a youth, with soul of fire,

Held in his hand a golden lyre;

Through groves he wandered, and by streams,

Playing the music of our dreams.

 

The second, with a bearded face,

Stood singing in the market-place,

And stirred with accents deep and loud

The hearts of all the listening crowd.  

A gray old man, the third and last,

Sang in cathedrals dim and vast,

While the majestic organ rolled

Contrition from its mouths of gold.

And those who heard the Singers three

Disputed which the best might be;

For still their music seemed to start

Discordant echoes in each heart,

 

But the great Master said, 'I see

No best in kind, but in degree;

I gave a various gift to each,

to charm, to strengthen, and to teach.

 

'These are the three great chords of might,

And he whose ear is tuned aright

Will hear no discord in the three,

But the most perfect harmony.'

 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



My Family

So this post is dedicated to my amazingly beauitful-not always picture perfect- but wouldn't change a thing about them FAMILY.

See, before i was ever a blogger, i was (and last time i checked, still am) a wife and a mother.

i want to take the time to write a lil something about my hubby and kiddos since they are the fuel that feeds my blogging fire.

That HOTTIE right there, is Joseph. and i have the honor of calling him my Husband. We have been married going on six years. He is my best friend. He can make me laugh when i want to cry, make me feel beautiful when all i see is a frumpy mommy of 2 toddlers, and believes in all the things i wish and hope for, he slips into my day dreams instead of yanking me out of them. he isnt upset when he comes home (on occasion) to a messy house (and wife)  and all that is waiting for him is some mac n' cheese and hotdogs because the boys kept me busy all day and diner sliped my mind. He doesnt see my flaws as flaws, he just calls me "quirky" and assures me they are part of what makes me, well...ME. He loves me. and i love him <3

And this beauty right here, thats my baby girl. Destini. technically she is not "mine". i am her "step-mother" by some peoples views. But i have been a part of this soon-to-be 12yr olds life since she was six and i love her passionately and without barrier. She is mine. And I am her mommy. and there will never be a moment in her life where i will not be there. I pray that God would give me the wisdom and the grace to raise this girl as she grows, into a young woman of integrity and high moral character. i want her to know that she is beautiful the way she is. that she is funny and bright. that she is an AMAZING big sister. she has brought a joy to my life that no one else ever could. i love you Sugar bear.

And this lil guy is Meshach, my three year old son. he is colorful and animated. smart and intuitive. he is passionate about everything; wether its loving his siblings or having a meltdown (as most lil boys do) everything is done to its fullest measure. he loves cars and trains, and anything that goes "VROOM!!!" he loves music and singing and seems to have quite a knack for both. he is our musical protege and i am so eager to see the things God has planed for his life. he is currently learning to be a guide to his baby brother, and i pray that that never stops. i ferverntly ask God to bless his life, that he would know in every situation that God has made him the head and not the tail. a leader and not a follower. that the call on his life would always outway the trials of this world. he is no doubt the apple of mommies eye. the 1st born son, he has taught me a lot about patience and unconditional love. i am so blessed that God saw fit for me to be his mommy.

May i introduce you to my sunshine? my sweet baby Jude. he is nearly two, and is a butter ball of love. if his brother is the embodiment of passion, then he is the living-in-the-flesh equivillent of sweetness. since the day he was born he has been so gentle, charming, warm hearted, cheerful, and easy going. he doesnt cry unless there is reason. he is obedient and soft spoken. he is for me, an everyday reminder of 1Corinthians 13. he is Gods love, unhindered. when i look into his eyes, i know he believes in me. and like the scripture says: he hopes and bares and believes in my love for him. and though being a mommy of three has proven to be a rollercoaster, full of ups and downs, i know God gave me Jude as a special reminder that three things will remain. faith. hope. love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.

i love my family, and despite all my shortcomings, they love me too. and that is a comforting thought indeed, because like the Beetles once sang, all you need is love.

take care dear friends, and take the time to tell your family, you love them.

*besitos*

a year with out blogging

I have become quite enthralled with sooooo many blogs lately. mostly of crafty and lovely ladies making and repurposing thngs for their families and home. i sit in the morning, coffee in hand and pour over all my favorite blogs. it has become my favorite part of my morning routine. So, as of late, i have found myself convicted over my OWN lack of blog management. i have not blogged in so long (about a year approximitly) i even forgot my password! so, with new found commitment and optimism, i am again ready to try my hand at keeping up this blog at the very least, once a week. so puh-lees keep me accountable, dear friends.

*Now that i am back and operational again, let me fill you in on some of my favorite things floating around in blogland =)

uh-mazing before/afters of refinshed furniture

like this beautiful dresser makeover from salvagesavvy

or beautiful Holiday inspirations...

like this breath taking fall table setting from fellow blogger centsationalgirl

to fun and amazing cooking and baking idea's

like this adorable owl cupcake cake!!!

i am so excited to try my hand at this delightful dessert

OWLS!!! i have always had an affinity for them, so i am so blissful that they are oh so chic this season.

*BESITOS*

Miranda