Wonderful suprise~ What sending a card means...

Well a few weeks ago I entered some giveaway for some cards from Dayspring over at {in}courage and like always I completely forgot about it until a UPS box showed up at the house... It was filled with 20 beautiful Dayspring cards and a card organizer!  What a beautiful blessing that couldn't have come at a better time!

I used to send birthday cards to everyone each year (with such a large family as we have it was getting to be a lot) but when Greg got laid off and we moved back east, I sort of took a break, at least I told myself it would a short one, start up the next new year... Well that was 2 years ago!  And I haven't sent out a card since.  I didn't really give it any thought until Greg brought it up... He liked that I sent cards to everyone.  I didn't even know he knew about it or cared! 

So this year I have resumed...  The beginning of January I sent out about 12 birthday cards for the month. [yes I send them all out at once... otherwise I would be lost and well they probably wouldn't get sent out!]

There were quite a few beautiful birthday cards in the collection, some sympathy cards, and even a card to send to someone who isn't a Believer! (I think it is just about the coolest card ever and probably will be giving it tonight to a friend!) 

I love getting cards in the mail... something to brighten the usual bills that come.  I think cards are a simple way to show that you care and we all know actions speak louder than words!  The simple (and inexpensive) act of sending a card can really make an impact on some one's life.  I love the ones that dance on the Internet of course, but there is just something about the old fashioned snail mail card that just seems a bit more personal! 

Homemade cards are amazing!  I wish I had enough time, and talent, to make all my cards, but companies like Dayspring just do such an amazing job for me! :)

If making homemade cards is something that intrigues you, there are so many different resources for ideas!  The newest Pinterest is amazing (if you haven't joined, let me know and I can send an invite! Don't know why you need any invite, I guess it just speeds up the process)!  There are scrapbooking magazines and sales catalogs (think stampin up, scrapbooks, etc. to name a few.)

***Just follow through if God puts someone on your heart, a great way to say that you have been thinking of them or praying for them is by sending an old fashioned hand written card!!!***

Check out {in}courage for great ideas, cards, and inspiration for daily life!  It has become a favorite of mine and I hope of yours!  And thanks {in}courage for the cards and card holder!  I can't wait for February to roll around to send out my next batch of birthday cards!!!

First day of GMG Ephesians Study

Today we started our Good Morning Girls Ephesians study.  The focus for today was Ephesians 1:1-4,  Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

What stuck out to me, is, as a person who struggles with assurance sometimes... is that it isn't about me... God already chose me before He even made he foundations of the world! How amazing is that? That just makes me feel extra special! That the God of everything, the Creator of the universe, the Giver of Life, chose me! it wasn't b chance, or by lottery, or because I chose Him or did anything... He CHOSE me!!! I guess I just needed that reminder today.

I also listened to John MacArthur's sermon  "The Body Formed in Eternity Past Part 1"  I loved how MacArthur says, "Listen, if I understood everything ‑ I'd be God. And if I was God ‑ we would be in lots of trouble. I don't need to resolve it but don't do this, don't... take God's sovereignty and man's choice and try to find some middle ground or you've just destroyed both of them. Leave them alone. Let the tension be there. Let it be that God says He's sovereign. Don't worry about how He harmonizes that with people coming to Christ, that's His problem not ours. He just says ‑ Come. Come." We are not to understand everything, and honestly I dont want to! How crazy would we be if we did?

I also got a lot of out of how we already have all the spiriual blessings from heaven!! We don't need to ask for them, we have them!!!  How GREAT is that? MacArthur put it greatly, "You see, we spend a lot of time asking for what we've got. You say ‑ Well, What am I supposed to ask for? James said ~ ask for wisdom and wisdom is the sense not to ask for what you've got."
Who would have guess that we would get so much out of just 4 verses?  Are you doing the Good Morning Girls study?  If not, do you want to?  Check out Good Morning Girls blog and see if it is something that would work for you.