by Amy | Mar 20, 2013 | Blog, Devotional, The Art of Faith
I’ve been feeling on the weak side lately. Not physically, but emotionally. I look to the future and see a string of hard times on the horizon and it really makes me nervous. I have this ability to look ahead and anticipate. Which is good when I’m packing, or going camping, or creating a schedule. It’s not such a good ability when I anticipate anxiety…because you know what happens? It makes me more anxious.
And, if you know me…you probably know I’m a bit of a nervous bird as is.
Derek, on the other hand does not have this certain charm about him. Which, on the downside, is annoying when he packs for the camping trip…but on the upside keeps him very calm and level. I guess that’s one of the reasons we work so well together.
In the midst of my anxious flare-ups I was doing some cleaning a few days ago. Under a stack of magazines I stumbled across a note that I had made at church a few months ago. I remember writing it. The Holy Spirit had spoken to my heart and I wanted to remember what He’d said, so I reached for the only paper I could find: a tithe envelope. The note was simple, but enough to jog my memory. It read:
God will give strength to us like Manna.
Here’s what I meant.
Are you familiar with the Biblical tale of Moses, the Israelites and the Manna? If not, you can read the full version here. Otherwise, I’ll just do a quick paraphrase to get us all on the same page.
After the plagues had come and gone and Moses led his people across the Red Sea the Israelite people found themselves in the desert, losing the adrenaline rush of saying “Adios” to Pharaoh. They were hungry and thirsty, so they began complaining. Moses appealed to God, who told them that He would solve the problem.
Every morning God would provide “manna” {which literally translates to mean “bread from heaven”} to the camp. It would appear with the dew and each family was to collect only what they would consume that day. No more. To make this deal even sweeter, God provided quail for them in the evening. Same deal: gather only what you’ll eat. Keep none of it until morning.
Well, what the Holy Spirit impressed upon me is that God doles out strength like manna. Why? Doesn’t that seem a bit cruel? Why not just give us all the strength we need for the rest of our lives today? I can’t answer all of these questions as well as I’d like, but what I can assure you is that God wants us to trust Him and to love Him. He wanted to test the Israelites to see if they would follow His instructions and depend on Him. The same is true in our lives. God does not need our money or our good works. One of the greatest way we can show our love and devotion to Him is to take Him at His Word; to lean on Him…not our own understanding.
The Bible tells us in Isaiah 40:29 that, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” This is a promise. When we grow weary He will give strength to those who love His ways and wait upon Him.
I have a hard time with that.
I’m pretty sure my attitude and insistence on being anxious about things that are still to come would have gotten me kicked out of the Israelite camp. I probably would have been one of those obnoxious people who collected more manna and quail than I needed for that day {looking to the future…to that big dry spot ahead}. But, as the Bible tells us…that didn’t work out so well. Those who tried to keep food for the next day woke up to a rotting mess of maggots. Woof.
I’m so happy God has reminded me of this. I really want to wake up to confidence and hope…instead of a lump of buggy bread. I’m human, so I know I’m inclined to get nervous and anxious. In those moments I’ll remind myself too look at the worries of today {only today} and know that God will give me enough manna for today.
And he’ll give you enough manna too.
by Amy | Mar 19, 2013 | Blog, The Art of Projects, the house
Last week I showed you a little tease of a project I’d been working on. Below you can see the problem. In our bathroom we have some really convenient storage…but it’s open and an eye sore. So Derek and I came up with an idea of how to maintain our space without showcasing our clutter.
Here is the after! I’m so pleased. It was really a pretty easy project.
First we built a drawer for the bottom shelf. It’s retro-fitted with drawer sliders. Really, not that hard at all. Just build a box, then add the sliders. This was a big help because now we can take advantage of the deep storage available without having to dig around in the closet to look for a specific item.
While Derek was working on the drawer I worked on the doors. I bought six fence posts from Menard’s to use as the door. After getting them primed and painted I cut them to the right length and braced them together with a few 2×2 scraps. Once everything was put together we hung the doors and added a hook and eye to keep it stylishly closed.
Once everything was in place it was time to declutter. We have not purchased a towel since getting married nearly four years ago. We have towels that we never use and others that are mascara stained and overall very dingy. So I weeded them out, refolded the good ones and stocked the cupboard. Much better.
I love a project that makes my storage more efficient and my house prettier. Oh, and I should add that this gem cost us less than $30! Even better.
I’m calling it done for now…but I’m not sure this one is “finished.” I think maybe it’s missing something. Maybe I’ll do some sign lettering on the shutters. What are your thoughts? Add something, or leave it be?
Amy
by Amy | Mar 19, 2013 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Sometimes I call my Panda Cat a “baby princess.” I do it, well, obviously…because she is a baby and I treat her like a princess.
But my session with sweet Miss Annabelle took the term Baby-Princess to a whole new level. I was so excited to crown her with one of my most darling props! I know you’ll love Annabelle…and her Princess & the Pea inspired photos.
Isn’t she just a doll? I know, I can hardly stand it.
The only thing cuter than more precious than a sweet photo is a sweet photo with a story. This final portrait has an amazing back story. The dress Annabelle is wearing belonged to her mother Tiffany as a baby. {You might remember her from her fun maternity session.} The blanket little Belle is laying on was her father’s baby blanket, stitched with love by his grandmother. The love for this child is generations deep!
Don’t forget to stop by the Facebook page tomorrow to see more images from this session. While you’re there…go ahead and LIKE it. We should seriously be friends.
Amy
by Amy | Mar 15, 2013 | Blog
Total transparency…I’ve had this photo for a while. I just keep neglecting to post it. However today seemed very appropriate. You see, yesterday temps here in PraCan reached nearly 50 degrees. My heart knew it was too good to be true. Today we received 7 inches of snow…and it is still falling.
Speaking of falling, I just shoveled the driveway and I feel like my arms might fall off. Luckily Derek pulled in and I tagged him into the ring. Thank you Lord for tag-teams.
Back to the point.
You may remember my first “Just Two Bros” post back in the fall. You see, I’m fascinated by boys and their friendships. They are so very different from girls. So when I see a random “Bro-Moment” I like to snap a photo. Plus, it’s always more fun to add the words, “Just two bros…” to the start of an awkward bromantic scene. If you didn’t read the first post, you should. It’s good. You’ll laugh.
Today’s photo is a bonus, because there are more than two bros, there are THREE! The key to a JTB photo is that it happens organically. It’s something you see unfolding without coaching.
On this particular day Minot had gotten its first big snowfall of the season. {I told you I’d had this for a while.} At the time snow was new and exciting {not so much now…} so after having dinner with friends we went on a walk. And, well, this happened.
“Hey bros, nothing is better on wet jeans then a metal seat in 20 degree weather.”
“Yeah, bro I totally agree.”
“This is awesome, but I wish we had a fourth bro to balance things out.”
If you spot a bro moment that you’d like to show off to the world, please, by all means, send it to me. I’d love to make an awesome caption for it and feature it right here.
Have a great weekend!
Amy
by Amy | Mar 14, 2013 | Blog, The Art of Projects, the house
Did you like critical thinking problems as a kid? I did. I loved them…like isn’t even a good word for how I felt about creative, critical thinking. I still love them. Maybe that’s why I like home improvement so much.
When all is said and done, home improvement is just one big critical thinking problem. Whether the improvement you are looking at is major {a complete over-haul} or minor {improving the look of that blank wall with a little gallery}, it’s all about problems and solutions.
As with any CT puzzle, the first step is identifying the problem. I’ve identified many a problem in this house {the stairs, the floors, the built ins}. A problem I saw very early on was in the bathroom. But, in the big puzzle it really wasn’t that important. I tackled the first floor, first…since that’s what is most visible. Now I’m getting into the other parts of the house.
So here is the problem. There is a gaping shelf/cabinet thing in the wall. Perfect for storing towels. But my towel collection isn’t really worthy of being showed off {neither are my folding skills.} The solution? Well…it has to do with these painted fence posts. For now, I’ll keep you guessing. I’ll tell you this, though: I’m excited about this one. I’m looking forward to a morning when towels and medicine cabinet junk isn’t the first thing {beside Panda Cat, of course} to greet me in the a.m.
On a side note, please let me tell you how crazy I looked buying only six fence posts, in PraCan, in 20 degree temps, with more than a foot of snow on the ground. The kid processing my order gave me a look…but he didn’t ask. So I didn’t tell. My weird hardware store purchases are my business. {And yours too. There are no secrets between us. Especially when it comes to my awkwardness.}
by Amy | Mar 12, 2013 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Last weekend I had the great pleasure of photographing the one and only…totally awesome…Hanrion family.
On a side note, do you remember a while back when I posted Robin & Danica’s “sister’s session”? I titled the post “Sugar & Spice.” And it was. All frills and tutus, princess smiles and sleepy baby girls. It was really sweet.
Well, the Hanrion clan has two boys. There was no sugar or spice…although these handsome boys are pretty sweet. Talk was more about airplanes and something called a “meat dinosaur” than butterflies and My Little Ponies. I had a blast getting smiles out of these guys and I know you’ll have a blast checking out this sneak peek. Look for their full session on the Facebook Page later in the week.
If you ever take photos, on a professional or personal level, you probably know that not every image turns out perfectly. It’s not always adorable grins and dimples. To me, sometimes these moments are the funniest, most memorable part of the shoot. So I couldn’t possibly leave you without showing off a classic blooper from this family shoot.
I call it, “Just two bros getting their portrait made.” {Yes, that’s a hint for an upcoming post!!}
See you tomorrow. Glad to be back!
XOXO…Amy
by Amy | Mar 8, 2013 | Blog
You may have noticed I’ve been a bit quiet lately.
There is a reason for that…but I don’t know if it’s a good reason or a bad one. The thing is, I’ve had kind of a lot on my plate lately. You know me, I get pretty emotional about things…so at the end of the day I’m simply too drained to write. I adore writing to you, so I hate that lately sitting down to type has been the one thing that has been falling to the wayside.
Side note: What is a wayside? I remember the books Wayside School is Falling Down from my elementary school library. But surely the phrase has other roots.
Okay, where was I? Yes, distractions. In the coming days I’ll tell you more about what has been on my mind and heart {no, no more stripper-ish things…but that ministry is moving full steam ahead}. The things that have been weighing on me will affect the website, the business and the blog. Don’t freak out. The effects will be good. Even great. I’m in for a unique/exciting/interesting spring and summer and I’m thrilled to have you along.
All that aside, I want to give you a glimpse into life in the North. Another look at life in Practically Canada. While the rest of the country is thinking spring is about to be sprung we in PraCan are settling in for another month {or two…I pray not three} of winter.
On Monday we were hit with a big snow storm. Big enough to put the city into a full blown snow day. Schools were closed, the AF base was pretty much closed, town was shut down. Since then we’ve dug out {but I did get stuck in a parallel parking space downtown on Tuesday.} Tonight, just for kicks I’ve compiled a collection of photos from around town to show off our Snow, Like Whoa!
This first photo comes from Minot Daily News. Lot of this happening this week.
But for those of us who can’t afford a snow blower, we have to do it the old fashioned way. Ask the husband to shovel.
Let me tell you it was deep. Over night we got 9″ then as the morning wore on we got 3″ more. This was Derek’s second shoveling.
I took to Facebook to gather these next three. We can all thank Christina Kroll for this next one. This is a photo of her back yard picnic table.
Photo credit here goes to Mallory Spitzer. Her sweet kitten Monroe is looking out on a snowy day. As you can see the drifts are covering the window.
Last photo credit goes to Jessi Gilman. This one blew me away. Look at those crazy drifts! Look how high the snow is next to the fence!!
This snow really blew me away. I haven’t seen snow like this for years. Word on the street is spring doesn’t start until May up here…no matter what we do with our clocks this weekend. Yikes.
Amy
by Amy | Mar 2, 2013 | Blog, Crafts, The Art of Adventure, The Art of Projects
I don’t Instagram. Really, I don’t even understand what that means. I thought it was just fancy filters you could add to your phone photos. Now it’s all…”Follow me on Instagram.” “Oh, Amy, you’d love it.”
Guys…I don’t need any more social media in my life right now. Pinterest was a pretty big step. Maybe someday I’ll get on board. It must be pretty awesome because loads of my awesome friends do it. For now, I’ll sit this one out.
However, when I’m out and about I do tend to snap photos on my phone. When I see something that strikes my fancy I take a photo. Especially if it’s something that I think is “over-priced” and I could “…easily whip that up at home,” or “find something like it at an estate sale.” So I looked back through my phone. I really do need to do some deleting. And I put together this little collage of things that have been inspiring me lately.
Enjoy.
#1. We were in South Dakota last weekend. While visiting we went to what I consider the cutest winery ever. Total transparency…I haven’t been to very many wineries. But I really do love Prairie Berry. And their free wine tasting doesn’t hurt. Anyway I was this precious wine caddy. We could make that, don’t you think?
#2. When I was in Dallas for the Strip Church conference I took my lunch break at the Galleria Mall. In the middle of the food court two kids had used their mom’s coats {and their coats} to build an elaborate fort. NBD. Except that is pretty, stinking awesome. What’s even better was how the parents just continued to chat like nothing weird was going on.
#3. In Shreveport, Rhino Coffee uses table paper to write their ever changing menu. I don’t know where, and I don’t know why…but I need this in my house. A very welcome alternative to chalkboards.
#4. At a grocery store in Dover, DE there was an aisle completely dedicated to colored sprinkles. WHAT?!!
#5. Again, at Rhino, the bathroom had this nifty TP holder made out of plumbing. Sturdy, practical, I could totally do that.
#6. My friends’ boxer, Clara Belle incognito. Who’s that cowboy in the living room?
#7. I love this line of quirky-folksy tea cups from Anthropologie. Too bad I can’t afford them. I’m banking these cute patterns for my next paint-your-own-pottery night at Margie’s in Minot.
