Moving Into 2018

My plan for 2018 is to stay focused. I can only do that if I time block my work and stay engaged. I can only do that if I strategically organize my work week and stick to it. I can only do that if I plan things out. I can only do that if I eat better and sleep better. I can only do that if I start reading how-to books. I can only do that if I go to the library. I can only do that if I drive my car there. I can only do that if I have a nice car. I can only do that if I can make a living with my craft. I can only do that if I sell a book. I can only do that if I write and illustrate constantly. I can only do that if I stay focused. See how my plan is coming together!

You can see more of my strategery on my Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Cheers to a great 2018.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

(and you can too!)

Smiles,

Wendy

If Kisses Were Snowflakes...

Do you wish you had a little Christmas leave behind that you could tuck into your child's lunch, give to clients, drop off to shut-ins or put in the office coffee room? Something that would be Simple, Fun and Meaningful and wouldn’t break the budget. Something that you could put together easily and would warm hearts. 

I have just the answer-A Blizzard!

You will need a printer, some white card stock, cellophane bags that are 4" wide, (I purchased mine at Michaels) a stapler and Hershey kisses.

Simply go to my home page, click on the button that says CLICK FOR PRINTABLE and print out the cute snowman I designed just for you. They are set up with two to a page.

Cut out, fold in half and staple to your cellophane bags full of kisses. (I added some white crinkle paper to mine for "snow."

That's it! Repeat as necessary. I'll leave the download in place until the 25th! I hope you and your family enjoy a wonderful Christmas season as you celebrate the joy of our Savior's birth.

Thanks for making this year Simple, Fun and Meaningful!

Smiles (and kisses),

Wendy

Be Good Gobblers

Hello Friends, I'm trying something new this month for my blog post. I know a lot of you are cooking this Thanksgiving which also means a lot of you get to enjoy someone's culinary skills. That makes some of us chefs and some of us gobblers and all of us blessed! For the gobblers out there, I have included a link to help you with some creative ideas for a hostess gift. It doesn't have to be much but the gesture is a small way to say thanks for making the day special. And to help you along, I have made a pretty gift enclosure tag for you to print out, and tuck in with your offerings. All you have to do is go to my homepage and click on the blue button that says Thank You Gift! That's it! They will be available until the end of the month. :0)

Have a Simple, Fun and Meaningful Thanksgiving!

Here is the link I mentioned. It will take you to my Spread Sunshine Pinterest Board. These are good gift ideas for teachers, co-workers and neighbors too.

Smiles,

Wendy

A Mighty Fortress

October 31st marks the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation of the Church. For Lutherans, the day holds special meaning as Martin Luther was the man who nailed the Ninety Five Theses to the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517 setting the Reformation in motion. The Ninety Five Theses was Luther’s way of disputing the current church practice of paying for indulgences which absolved buyers from all punishments and granted them salvation. With the Gutenberg press available, the latin version of the theses was quickly translated into German and printed making it available to the commoners in their language thus sparking the viral spread.

One of the best documentaries about Martin Luther can be found in a three part YouTube series produced by Lutheran Hour Ministries in 2015 titled A Man Named Martin Luther - In this playlist, Luther's life and times are examined through history, religion and theology. It has all the suspense and intrigue and gives us a picture of the life of one man. 

You can watch the three part Luther playlist here. (Note Part 1: The Man has 5 sessions for Bible Study purposes)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

This exceprt is taken from the YouTube synopsis: The influence and impact of Luther's life is the stuff of serious study. As a forlorn sinner feeling lost and desperate before a stern and exacting Judge, Luther desponded of all hope for eternity. But as one who came to cling to the Spirit-delivered truths of justification by faith and the liberty believers experience by God's grace, he rebounded to become a triumphant ambassador for the Gospel.

I hope you watch the series. It is so interesting! The courage, strength and persistence Martin Luther had is amazing. The Reformation of the church started with the power of God working through one man and one scrap of paper.

A lasting symbol of the Reformation is Luther's seal (shown at the top of this post). You can read Luther's explanation of his seal here. If you were to design a logo representing your beliefs, what would it look like?

Happy Reformation Day!

Smiles,

Wendy

The Pumpkin Farm

When the crisp breezes blow, I get nostalgic for fall days back in Iowa.

The best part about fall was going to the pumpkin farm when our girls were little.

The pumpkin adventure began with a small hike down a gently sloping hill that opened up to a field dotted with glorious orange spheres. How could we pick just one? They were all so beautiful! Usually, our family settled on one each. My husband pulled the Radio Flyer wagon (the farm provided for over-achievers) back up the hill loaded with four of the biggest pumpkins we could find, two little girls and one rogue kitten who insisted on joining us.

The event ended with all of us hand painting faces on mini pumpkins as the owners of the farm offered us a cup of hot apple cider and.... one rogue kitten. 

We only brought the pumpkins home. :0)

Enjoy your fall and all the Simple, Fun and Meaningful things that make it special.

Smiles,

Wendy

Focus On The Right Light

It's loggerhead sea turtle nesting season here in Wilmington. If you are visiting one of our beautiful beaches, you will likely come upon a nest. Local volunteers have done their best to mark them so you and the turtle eggs won't get hurt.

Here are four things to teach your kids about loggerhead sea turtles-

1. The common name is Loggerhead because their heads are so large! Like a log!
2. Adult loggerheads weigh 155-375 lbs.
3. They have powerful jaws that allow them to maintain their diet of shellfish that live on the bottom of the ocean. They also like crabs, clams and mussels.
4. Every 2-4 years they lay their nests with 3-5 nest per season. Each nest has about 120 eggs. The eggs take 60 days to hatch.

Now, here is the tricky part. When the little turtles hatch at night, they must stay focused on the light of the moon's reflection on the ocean and swim towards the water to stay alive or else they will die. But as the beach is more populated and active during the summer, there are lots of lights. Unfortunately, those other lights, even though pretty, are distracting and can throw the little turtles off course to their death.

Local volunteers know this and have taken it upon themselves to stay with the nests during the night to make sure when those little ones hatch, they stay focused and swim towards the light, the correct light.

As Christian parents, this scenario is a good reminder to us that just like the sea turtle volunteers, we need to stay watchful and vigilant because our little ones need us to make sure they are getting steered in the right direction. We need to help them stay focused so they can follow the direction of the correct light-God's light. Just like the pretty beach lights, there are lots of distractions to throw them off course. God wants you to keep pointing them to the living water of His word. 

Here are four things you can do to point them to God's light.

1. Go to church as a family. Be their role model every week.
2. Have a morning devotion with your kids at the breakfast table. 
3. Say prayers together as a family. Breakfast, dinner and bedtime is a good start.
4. Steer them in the direction of good quality friends who are also following God's light. It is easier to swim with like minded friends.
5. Mentor them, listen to them and stay watchful.

Lastly, I started this blog post to help you do a little summer beach craft with your kids. God made the animals of the sea (including awesome loggerhead sea turtles) on the 5th day. Need a reminder of what God made the other days of the week. Open up your Bible and check out Genesis 1:1-2:3.

This is fun, your kids will love it and you can start to share some of God's light with them while you are painting.

You will need some green paint, ( I also had some white, blue and yellow) a glass of water to clean your brushes, sturdy paper, a plate to mix your paint, a paper towel, a pencil, a marker and a can to use as a circle template, scissors and a stapler.

Place the can on your paper. (I used Strathmore Mixed Media paper) and draw around the can to create the turtle body. Freehand his head and flippers as shown.

Paint your turtle!

While I was waiting for the paint to dry, I made a template on a blank sheet to make sure my idea was going to work. :0)

After the paint dries cut your turtle out.

Draw a line to the center of his shell and cut on the line. Overlap the paper and staple in place. (Note, when I did this, his tail gets hidden under his leg). 

Aren't they cute! FYI-If you want to make the wave in the background, I used construction paper and a blue pastel.

I hope you and your kids get to enjoy some of God's wonderful creations at the beach this summer.

Smiles,

Wendy

Happy 4th of July

My July wallpaper holds an important reminder. As we celebrate Independence Day, let us be mindful of our complete dependence on God and in faith trust his plan as our country moves forward. Enjoy your family time this week!

Smiles,

Wendy