10 Things To Do Today To Encourage

10 Things to do to Encourage Others TODAY

1. Pray for them.

2. Send an encouraging word/scripture/quote

3. Make a phone call with sincere and kind words

4. Tell someone, just one person, you love them

5. Write a note to your kids and leave it under their pillow

6. Write "I love You" on your husbands mirror, with lipstick

7. Put a scripture/kind words in your neighbors mailbox

8. Put a scripture/kind words on the windshield of the car next to yours at work

9. Let them know you sincerely took time to pray for them today (after you did!!)

10. Tell a complete stranger at a store or place of business something wonderful/good they did.

We can BE the change we wish to see in the world,

one kind word and deed at a time...Share with me the results

Evil

Dear Inspired friends and readers,

      As I have been praying, pondering and truly weeping over the events of the last few days, I am left as I imagine you have been, with a sick feeling in my stomach. My son Justin celebrated his 16th birthday yesterday by studying for finals all day. Even so, it was a blessing to look down the hall, hug him, make him dinner, give him a hug. A luxury not afforded to the 26 families in Sandy Hook. 
      Why? Why, such darkness? Lord, why did you let this happen, I have heard asked...this side of heaven, we will not have clear answers. Working with teenagers and their moms over the last few years, I do know this: we need HOPE. True hope comes from relationship with our maker. 
     I am deep in prayer...for the last few days and on indefinately for those families.
     First and formost, I am mourning with those who mourn...

How has our country and our culture come to this place, of such darkness. 

Evil 

Exists.

Evil visited a school, and unspeakable darkness fell.

Candles were lit.

Light filled the darkness. 

Flickers of light broke the darkness.

Light entered in, at the request known as prayer.

Eternal HOPE exists.

Evil exists.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. From the King James Version: John 10:10....

All kinds of discussions can be had on gun control, mental illness, parenting, safety in school and more. 

Evil will still be evil. 

Can we do something?
Resoundingly, yes.
We can invite HOPE in.
We can share HOPE with others. 
Softly, kindly, with kind words, encouraging words...
Invite HOPE into your heart. HOPE not hope. Hope is the reason we celebrate Christmas. HOPE was born into a stable, his bed a manger, to give us hope for a future (Jeremiah 29:11). HOPE for an eternal life with Jesus Christ, God into your heart to guide you...God never guides to evil...He walks with you, carrying you when necessary, and keeps you. Invite God back into our schools, our homes, our relationships, our politics, our politicians, our hearts:  the very fiber of our being...

Hearts filled with the love of GOD...have HOPE.
Hearts that are open to evil...have no HOPE, no God, evil can enter and gain a foothold.

There are two ways of spreading light — to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. Edith Wharton

Will you be the mirror that reflects the light, the HOPE in Christ?

If you want to hear more about HOPE, we are sharing a weekend of HOPE on January 18-20 and because I don't want this entry to be about any kind of PR, please go to the site for information...Inspired31.org..

For some more encouragement:

From A Holy Experience, by Ann Voscamp...Sandy Hook, Why do bad things happen....

Thoughts from Mike Huckaby, on WHERE WAS GOD?

From Joel Osteen

Isaiah 55:8

My gratitude about Hannah, Inspired31.org, DVD's fro Sheri

Dear Sweet Friends,

I am simply so thankful for the blessing of being mother to Hannah and Justin, without exaggeration the biggest blessing in my life, shared with my best friend: Scott. Thank you to God, from whom all blessings flow. 

After the long drive home (45min) from dropping Hannah off at Westmont, during which I sobbed, I went into her empty room and sat on her bed looking around. Although I had walked by this room filled with boxes, packed and ready to go, many times it was now without Hannah. My child was raised, this chapter was over. My sweet girl would no longer live under my roof. Thoughts drifted: Had I done enough, told her enough? Was I a good enough mom? I drifted off to sleep on her bed....

As you moms who have adults in college, this was a rite of passage.

Hours of introspection produced one thought...

Though I wasn't a perfect mom (duh!) I have an amazing relationship with my daughter, and the time serving the Lord together with Hannah in Inspired was a large part. In fact, looking back it was the single BEST thing I did with Hannah, beginning with our writing the book. Why? simply: time, serving others. (Sidenote: I do not write this with pride, there are clearly other ways to spend time together that are wonderful and blessed!) 

I do write this however, to encourage you: This matters.

This matters.

Mentoring, hearing amazing speakers, other fabulous spirit filled moms walking beside my daughter, encouragement, crying with my friends, arguing with Hannah over little things, dragging her to a few things, scones, setting up and tearing down~6 hours per time, teenage friends that are a treasure now to her, God: it makes up the fiber of who she is.

This matters.

Dannah Gresh asked Hannah to write about her feelings about "boundaries" and purity for her blog. She did. HER feelings. (I'm a SHOUTY CAPS girl, btw) Wow, I read the two pages of her "boundaries". I cried. My daughter heard, soaked in, understood and has HER own viewpoint of what she will and will not do. When I asked her if she was ok publishing it, she replied a quiet yes mom, It's who I am.

This matters.

When she had a hard time with a personal issue she was crying to me on the phone, quoting back to me a speaker that I didn't even think was that great, almost verbatim. Although she was crying (HARD) I said...Wow, you were listening!!! Not only did she hear all 14 speakers we had before she went off "into the world" she HEARD.

This matters.

She was relating a conversation with her roommates at college, and in her dorm. Very personal stuff...She called me at 11pm (I was of course, asleep) because she had to talk to me: MOM, I love you, you are the best mom. I didn't realize how blessed I was or how hard mother daughter relationships were. I heard so many stories. I told them you were my best friend and I could tell you absolutely everything and everything (TRULY) I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you. (wow, to a moms ears is there anything more golden)

Lastly, this matters for eternity.

She goes to the scriptures for advice. When she is in pain, needs advice, direction: She prays and seeks God's will. 

I am grateful for Inspired31.org because it is the fabric (not me, but the other women who make it work: Our Steering) of Inspired women that poured into my daughter and helped God make her into who she is today. 

Thank you. This mattered to me. This mattered to Hannah.

You matter. Your daughter matters. To me. To Inspired. To God.

Will you consider joining us for the retreat.

Sheri is offering $45 valued DVD on mother daughter relationships if you register in the next 3 days! FREE.

We are keeping $99. rate until Dec. 24

What better gift could you give your family, than the investment in your relationship?

I can't think of one!

With love, from the depths of my heart,

Roxanne

Mother Daughter Retreat Sheri Rose Shepherd January 18-20

Hello~

Just sharing an exciting new development for our Mother Daughter Retreat on January 18-20!

We have the exciting honor of having Sheri Rose Shepherd, former Mrs. America and best selling author (over a million books sold), share her testimony at our event.

You can watch her speak here.

We want to remind you that no matter where you are from this is worth a trip to Camarillo! We have our first out of state registrants from Texas, already! YeeHa!

We have so many fun surprises you will not want to miss.

Second daughters (and third) are no charge. Right now, the cost is $99 for the next week or so, per person. After that it goes up to $125 per person.

We hope to see you there!

Blessings,

Roxanne

Mother Daughter Retreat Last discount reminder...

Quick reminder that this discount is available for one more week. Though it doesn't show on the website, it is automatic upon registration $99 per person. After early bird is $125 each.

Our special surprise is that Sherri Rose Shephard will be speaking and attending the event! She will speak on Friday night, which is so exciting!

Register now!

Bay Windows

I'm so excited to show you some progress pics on the charming little house. 

Today I'm going to focus on the bay windows because I looove bay windows, but also because sometimes something that is architecturally a little interesting becomes just stunning when you can accentuate the positive attributes of the house. Designers often call it "good bones",  I think I just call it potential. This home is just one of those homes! It needed some loving hands to focus on what was RIGHT with it! (I've recently discovered that is how I seem to tackle everything!)

You will see  several windows just begging for a window seat. You know the kind with a comfy cushion and pillows in some gorgeous fabric ready to spend the afternoon reading a good book? Start thinking...

A little farther down you'll see the beginnings of what is going to be a cozy nook for a twin bed. The room is technically too tiny to call a "room" however it is just perfect for some fabric swagged from the ceiling to have a tiny little fort room! So, if the hubbie snores, or a teenage wants to have some space, or a toddler needs a separate room this is perfect!

Here is the front bay window before, then mid way after...
I think it is the most fun to show progress along the way because it usually takes weeks, if not months, to do all the different trades then seeing the finished product. Thankfully this house had great windows and molding around the windows! The drapes were awful so they went into the trash. Already it looked 75% better. We will cut a square in the top of all the window seats so there will be storage in all the seats. The wainscoting is adding such charm as well. Today though, we can just talk window seats.

Here is the largest area for a window seat facing the back yard. All the contractors and the husband thought it way too large for a window seat. Since I am  pretty persuasive  I won that little battle and I think it really shrinks the space and makes it look  fabulous! 

Here is a little sneakity peak at the ceiling, which really made the house sing! No more popcorn ceilings. With a bit of shine on the ceiling you'll notice the reflection of light causes the space to look much larger yet still really cozy. I used a 6" molding which always causes the tradespeople to look at me like I'm crazy because the house is far from large scale.  It is what really frames a room and makes it outstanding. The cost difference is only cents, and the visual difference between large and small crown is crazy and to me, not even comparable...

Above is the twin bed nook, totally cozy. This will probably be my favorite room in the end, because of the fabric treatment I am envisioning here.

Here is the biggest shocker....before dark, tiny feeling and I think a little creepy looking!

Here it is after the wood work is begun! Can you believe the amazing difference? Just brighter and sunnier and even before the correct paint color is applied looks like a happy, sunshiny space where I would happily stay! The window seats are making these rooms exceptionally interesting, even more than I had envisioned. Once the gorgeous linen fabric is applied and pillows thrown on, it will be just delicious.

We just had the most amazing day yesterday with Inspired31.org's Designed to be Beautiful....

Jennifer Strickland shared that what real beauty is is about what is in the heart and what makes you unique. The day was in the mountains of Somis and just a perfectly imperfect lovely day, full of beauty.

I thought this post would be perfect because there are so many parallel's between what God creates from his "raw" materials, or that with "potential". 

 We each have some outstanding parts (like the windows in this house) that should be accentuated and all the focus drawn towards by designing with a focus of these features. I don't believe that by emphasizing, discussing or pointing out flaws we ever do justice to anything. Not home, not people...actually in my world...absolutely nothing benefits by focusing on what ISN'T great. 

I love to go in to a home and IMAGINE how it will look when all that is right with "it" is highlighted and celebrated. It's always very clear what isn't right with a space: what needs to be emphasized and what needs to be well...not emphasized.  The funny thing is its the same about homes and people. I find I gravitate towards those that use the filter Phil 4:8, which is the founding verse for Inspired Design!

So I leave you with that:

 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.