Pray, Pray, Pray

Praying for Papa Bill and Ernestine!

At the sleepover before Inspired 31... the steering "girls" said a prayer my dad's back pain and healing and Joy's mom, Ernestine's cancer! It was a very sweet sight before I left the girls to settle in to watch "Like Dandelion Dust" at their sleepover. Now, although we don't usually pray in a row, which the girls pointed out to me several times, quite loudly....I thought they looked so dear and of course teenage girls praying is a beautiful thing!

Scripturally, we are commanded to pray. It isn't one of those things only some are "gifted" in, we are all commanded to pray. Think of it like a muscle you want to be strong and powerful! Your relationship with God is formed through prayer. Thus.....

So, please pray with me for my dad, whose back pain is excruciating and he can hardly walk from room to room! Perhaps that his physical therapy/chiropractic work can heal it so he doesn't have to have a second surgery. It can be so discouraging to not be able to walk from one room to the next!

Please pray with me for sweet Ernestine, whom I also love...for her to be healed, and for peace and strength in the face of chemo and radiation! Also, I pray for her sweet spirit, and joy for her through these trials. She recently sent an email that asked for prayer requests, while she had alot of time on her hands she wanted to pray for all of us! I thought really is a sweet spirit, which it is!

Also, to the dear friend of mine with cancer (who are more private) darling girl, We will all say a prayer for you too! And to another dear friend whose mom is in rehabilitation, and struggling with physical recovery, we are praying for you as well! God knows who you are and will channel our prayers to you.

Much Love

and Prayers!

A Mentor Blessing: Lunch with Emilie Barnes

Blessings of Lunch with Emilie!

A favorite author, and inspiring hospitality expert, with a distinctly Christian perspective, Emilie Barnes has long been a favorite of mine! My dear friend Kristin, since 10th grade and my college roomate at USC, set up a lunch for Emilie, who is a close friend of Kristin's mom, Jan! So (without my camera-ugh!) we had a wonderful afternoon long Christmas lunch in Newport Beach. It is definately going to be one of the highlights of this new ministry that I was privileged to have lunch with this special lady. (Thanks, dear friend, Kristin!)

Recently while reading a book by Debbie Macomber, called "God's Guest List", she spoke of a list of people she would love to meet! Some people surpassed her expectations, some fell very short (see book). I immediately thought of my lunch with Emilie, Kristin and Jan and how much the conversation surpassed whatever expectations I had. Firstly, it is a wonderful thing to see Christian friends honoring each other, and uplifting and celebrating each other. Jan and Emilie have been friends for 30 years ago and it is a tribute to their faith how they celebrate each others gifts and strengths. I enjoyed so much listening.

Kristin and I have been friends for about 24 years, so that isn't chopped liver either. She and her husband Mike, are my sons Godparents, and we love them dearly! Our favorite memory of them is traveling in Spain, when Mike was commentating for the Swimming Olympics in Barcelona. I digress....

Emilie was everything I had expected from all of her books (Of which I have read most, if not all) and seeing her speak many, many times. She graciously listened to the vision of Inspired Design, Inspired 31 and where I thought God was leading us, as a group! She graciously offered her help in a few ways, for which I am so grateful. We prayed together, and she continues to encourage me that God's will...will prevail! Consistant with her deep faith, she mostly encouraged me to pray, pray, pray! She certainly lived up to her advice and hospitality, as in her books, and I consider it a great honor to have had that time. Having a "Mentor" type figure with experience like that, yet still the most basic of faith's "pray, pray, pray" is a blessing beyond blessings!

Such a beautiful privilege, Colossians 3:23

Inspired31.org Please Register!!!

Working with the amazing girls (moms & daughters) that I work with and who attend Inspired31.org is such a privilege. Over Christmas break it turned out that that was a time where lots of work needed to be completed for Inspired31.org! Namely the website, but also over 1000 press releases, website training, our "Steering" handbook had to be completed, and we are preparing for the Gathering next Sunday! Of course, I did not plan that much work during a vacation period, but it happened that way, and some of the girls/moms just jumped in and made the Colossians 3:23 verse just come alive for me. Now of course, we all try to work heartily as unto the Lord, however sometimes our schedules get int the way. Seeing so many mother daughter pairs (Kathleen & Bri, Melissa & MacKenzie, Nancy & Allison, Marta & Tabitha, shown above) and my sweet girl: Hannah just jump in with a cheerful heart.... inspired me. I could see in their countenance just that spirit of enthusiasm for working heartily...even though the work was not glamorous, at all! So, thanks girls for inspiring me!

Sunday, January 16:

Our speaker is Shelene Bryan, founder of skip1.org and a Hollywood Movie Producer (See Movie Clip, from recently released movie-try not to cry, with decidedly Christian Worldview: Like Dandelion Dust) and truly the kind of Christian example we want our daughters to see & be inspired by! She has the kind of faith that I find truly inspiring because she is going out into the world and using her talents to the Glory of the Lord, AND because she gives the credit to him for her success' knowing that they come straight from God, and HIM alone.

I hope you will register, and if you are in the area, attend and be inspired, energized and blessed!

Registrate Please, TODAY!

God bless you!

Beautiful: Through God's Eyes

Beautiful Things: Through Whose Eyes Do You See?

The whole idea of beautiful things, especially in the home, is what I have spent my adult life creating & studying! Celebrating the kind things people do, the beautiful table a friend sets, a delicious meal prepared, an encouraging word from a friend, a kind gesture done by my children (the best!!), and a Phil 4:8 type spirit: that inspires me! Of course, the beautiful living room, stunning kitchen, exquisite fabrics and works of art that move your spirit are among those things, but more often than not that is secondary to whose homes we think are beautiful, and want to spend time in.

This beauty, of which I speak is subjective. Very subjective.

For example: the photograph above, that my daughter has displayed at school, may be loved, or may be thought of as a strange picture of rope with blurry spots. I, shockingly, think it is exquisite! However, I am honest to admit that I think most of what my daughter does is exquisite, and I pretty much tell her that every hour on the hour. (To which I get these darling eyerolls and this "MOOOOMMMMM" in this really dramatic tone!) I realized this in Mammoth, when my Dad, Scott, Hannah and I were looking at pictures to select for Hannah's photography project for her class. We all thought different pictures were beautiful. Scott likes distance shots of scenery, as does my dad. Hannah and I tend to like close-ups with beautiful lighting, or an unusual angel. We hysterically were arguing the merits of each, as my family does! (Don't all families? Ok, don't answer that!)

It made me think. How I see others is through my eyes. I hope that my eyes are like the eyes of God, always trying to see the best in people. That is what I strive for, falling short, and catching myself is what I pray for. Knowing that those struggling might be grumpy, so I can be patient. Knowing that those who wish their circumstances were different, might be critical. Remembering that those who point out only the bad, or flaws in something, might be barely hanging on. My biggest pet peave, probably yours too, is gossip, which becomes the lens, or eyes through which one sees life. Once I heard it explained to me by a wise "older" woman that when one labels another "______" (fill in the blank) we then unconsciously find that trait when we are with that person. Say, talkative, for example. We then forget the 9X the person is quiet, and really notice that 1X when the person can't shut up! :)

To be around faithful Philippians 4:8 women, is the best lens cleaner I know! (We all mess up-I have a list a mile long) I heard it said once that gossip is Satan's tool to discourage. Ugh, I never want to be Satan's tool!

Here is to beautiful Speech, beautiful eyes and a beautiful lens through which to see. God's eyes! Romans 16:17-19

Psalm 19:14

Inspired31.org is live

www.Inspired31.org

Please Register Today: Next Event in only 10 days!!

Shelene Bryan of Skip1.org (see Events)

Our Mother-Teenage Daughter ministry's website is now up and running! You can "register for the site" for boutiques, speakers, discounts & special items. To attend our events "register for each event"! They are all free of charge, although donations are welcomed and needed :)!

The hope for Inspired 31 is to inspire teenage girls, and mothers & others to find & follow God's destiny for their life.

Yesterday, Hannah, myself, Marta, Kathleen and Brianna (with TWO n's) had a wonderful and crazily (word?) informative years-worth of computer training from Erik, in 3 hours. (Poor Erik!) Now, imagine me and my dear friend Kathleen (Inspired 31's Steering Coordinator) who is also "fluffy and cheerful", laughing and trying to learn to use "The back end of Joomla HTTP computer language, codes". Hannah and Brianna were so horrified & embarrassed that it made the whole day worth it! You moms would have loved the looks between them! Marta was as transfixed as we were in trying to learn Joomla: the computer language we will use to communicate Inspired 31 to you.

To change gears a little bit, the hope for Inspired Design Blog is to Inspire you: In Home Design, Hospitality and Showering those you love with love (James Taylor) and offering Hospitality to Strangers (Romans 12:13) Yesterday's blog prompted Christine (In Michigan?) to say,"Going to Haiti in February, nervous since I will be the only dental person with a medical group, so I will primarily be doing extractions on my own. Questioning how much my efforts will matter, but if I can bring some comfort to just one person I guess it is worth it. Thanks for your inspiring words Roxanne, it is amazing how God brings people into our lives." Yea, for you Christine, showing strangers God's love (Hospitality) in Haiti: Now THAT is beautiful!

"Life is not a dress rehearsal. Stop practicing what you're going to do and just go do it. In one bold stroke you can transform today." - Marilyn Grey

I love this quote because as women, sometimes by trying to be modest or humble, we mistakenly think that means hiding our gifts! Our gifts are given to us by God, to be used & celebrated. Use them up, wear them out, bless others with them.

Just imagine if the artist of this beautiful painting (of my moms house) decided to listen to her insecurities (thinking she isn't "perfectly" talented) choosing NOT to paint. This beautiful painting (of a dinner party with my moms special friends) would not have been painted of a gorgeous Christmas dinner, celebrating friendship and blessings of friends! What a shame that would have been!

Is there something God put in your heart that you are afraid of trying? God doesn't care if you do it perfectly, just that you do it for Him. Paint for Him, Sing for Him, Start a prayer group for Him. Boldy choose to bless others with your talent!

Don't hide your gift! Use it! Let me know what you do!