Tuesday, December 29, 2009

This just in . . .

My Etsy Shop is going to be featured by the Handmade Artist's Forum Members on Thursday the last day of the Decade. Check out the forum to see who else is being featured this week {link}. I better get busy and have something interesting to read here.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Fourth Advent 2009

Dearest ones,
As we await the coming of the Christ-child and the return of the risen Christ, we also await the beginning of the New Year filled with hope and new possibilities.

This has been a difficult year for so many people, and we were not immune. What started out as year filled with exciting opportunities and possibilities, ended with one less job in our household. Full-time and even part-time jobs are difficult to come by everywhere, but especially in a college town.

Don still serves one of the best congregations in the diocese (okay, I’m biased) as he has for the past 14 years. We celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. And we took a wonderful two week vacation to the Netherlands. Those were the highpoints.

The low points included my lost job, the demise of my e-book deal (which was contingent on my teaching 600 students a year) and a months-long battle with depression.

What have I learned from these extremes?

I have learned to be open to the possibilities God has in store for me and for us, to simplify my wants and desires for the things that are really important, to watch my pennies and make them work even harder than usual, to give thanks for the things I do have and to not worry about the things I don’t have, and to cast off the “things” that are getting in my way (and I mean this quite literally).

This week, as we approach the manger to glimpse the babe who is God among us, let us adore Him. As we await the coming of the New Kingdom, let us seek hope in the New Year.

Best wishes for a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Emanda and Donald+

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

It is a week until Christmas.

It is a week until Christmas.

This has been a very unusual season for me. I am still unemployed, so my husband and I have not sent out Christmas cards, and gifts will be ones that I am able to make.

However, right now my time is dedicated to helping my father take care of my mother who had double knee surgery last week. It has been such a great pleasure to spend so much time and attention on her. We are enjoying a mystery of intrigue as I read to her chapter after chapter. Her recovery has surprised us all. It is especially wonderful, because she has been in so much pain for so long.

That’s my excuse for not posting in a while. But I do have something to share.

CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY!!!

Kelly at Silver Parrot, who is the soul of generosity, sent me a huge package from her GIVEAWAY which arrived last week.
Inside was a box of the cutest art beads she de-stashed, some gorgeous hand dyed ribbons . . .


And . . . not one, . . .

not two . . .


but three –

THREE artist beading books!

Now I think I am going to make a couple of really cute necklaces for my nieces for Christmas with all this wonderful inspiration. Thanks Kelly!
Photos later.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Now in my Etsy Shop

I have just added this Salvation Bracelet to my Etsy Shop. I had a request from a friend of mine to make some for (private Christian school) teacher gifts. I did a little research and came up with something different from the other Salvation Bracelets I found online. I hope she likes them.

It is a bit outside my spiritual comfort-zone, but I hope that the bracelets can be worn and appreciated as pieces of art as well as an evangelism tool.