Leaving the Garden – Remembering the SUFFERING

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power
is made perfect in weakness"  (2 Corinthians 12:9)

This Lenten season has been quite a journey!  We’ve spent a great deal of time in the Garden... examining our hearts, confessing our sins, asking for forgiveness, smelling the sweet fragrance of our Savior, drawing closer to Him, talking about humility and being passionate... and here we are. Today we leave the garden and as followers on the journey to the cross, we start down a very dark path.

Can you imagine what it was like for the disciples, as they shared Christ’s last days

What a terrifying time!

Does your life ever seem like a dark path? Maybe you are facing the unknown? Are you going through your own pain and suffering?  Despair?  Fear?  Doubt?

Well, I have good news to share with you. No matter what we are going through, no matter how desperate we feel, no one understands our “darkness” better than Jesus. As followers of Christ, we are never alone because of His promises and His presence ... because of His journey to the Cross.

I hope you will find encouragement and hope in the following Easter message from DaySpring. ... 

Jesus,
the Light of the World,
came so we could find our way to God.

Jesus,
the Lamb of God,
died upon the cross
so we could receive the Salvation of God.

Jesus,
the Bright and Morning Star,
rose from the dead
so we could live forever with God.


For a free printable copy of DaySpring’s Easter message click this link:
http://www.dayspring.com/jesus_light_of_the_worldfree_easter_printable/#tabDetails

Preparing Our Hearts .... As we approach the cross, and the moment of darkness that comes on Good Friday, let us not forget the tremendous suffering and agony Jesus endured. Praise Him and thank God for our great gift of salvation.

Below is a link to one of my favorite songs of encouragement... it is called “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” I remember singing this in our choir at my high school graduation. It still warms my heart and I hope it will do the same for you.

This version is sung by Barbara Streisand...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RYUp7gYHwg&feature=related

Blessings & God's Peace, Donna Weaver

DaySpring Cards (REVIEW & GIVEAWAY)

“Encourage one another and build each other up.”

–1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV

In his book entitled, Short Meditations on the Bible and PEANUTS, author Robert L. Short had this to say about his dear friend, Charles M. Schulz - Cartoonist and Creator of the PEANUTS comic strip...

“As far as I know, he was the first to include actual quotes from the Bible in a comic strip. And Schulz knows the Bible very well – as well as any lay person I know and better than a lot of ministers. The study in his home could be a minister’s study, with its shelves of biblical commentaries.”

Mr. Schulz always considered his work more than a job, it was his calling. He once said, “If you do not say anything in a cartoon, you might as well not draw it at all. Humor which does not say anything is worthless humor. So I contend that a cartoonist must be given a chance to do his own preaching."  In one single comic strip Schulz could give us an overview of a short parable or recap main points of a scripture verse. Take this example where Lucy, in her usual quizzical manner asks: “Why do you think we’re put here on earth, Charlie Brown?” Charlie Brown’s response was, “To make other’s happy.” Their interaction reminded me of the words found in Philemon 1:7, “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.”

In an article from the San Francisco Chronicle entitled, Saying Goodbye, writer Pamela Podger said, “Peanuts' lively cast of characters -- with their tales of small woes, triumphs and resolve -- touched nerves and reached intimate spaces. Schulz often said all his fears, insecurities and experiences were reflected in those four boxes.”

Emotions such as fear, insecurity, pain, sadness, as well as triumphs, joy, and happiness are part of our everyday life.  Scripture tells us that in such times as these, we need to encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), and what better way to do just that than with a greeting card.  I don’t know about you but sometimes I struggle to find the perfect words to say.  Never fear, DaySpring has a card for any occasion, and any sentiment you may want to express.  They have even taken the mixture of Schulz’s comics and faith, and used it to create their new Peanuts – Encouragement & Friendship line.  
   

This assortment of ten premium greeting cards features inspiring messages, along with your favorite Peanuts characters.  I’ve already sent out several cards because as soon as I opened the package and read the messages, a list of special friends came to mind.  That happens to me a lot when I’m shopping for cards, especially when they are created by DaySpring.  So if you happen to be strolling down the card aisle of your favorite store and see someone in tears or laughing out loud, it’s either me or another “card lover.”  Give them a smile and a nod – they will understand!

Charles Schulz left us with a PEANUTS archive of nearly 20,000 comic strips ... his inspiration is endless. Other assortments in the DaySpring Peanuts line include: birthday, get well, thank-you, congratulations, all occasion assortment and holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Christmas. Check out the DaySpring website for the cards mentioned in this post or to view many of their other products.

As part of this product review I am hosting a GIVEAWAY ...

Want a chance to win a $20 credit to the DaySpring Online Store?

Leave a comment below and tell me why card writing matters to you.

Giveaway ends midnight MDT Thursday, January 19, 2012.

The winner’s name will be draw at random

and announced January 20th right here on this site.

Charles Schulz died on February 12, 2000. His comics encouraged us to encourage each other and laugh a lot. With the upcoming anniversary of his death, I would like to dedicate this product review to his memory.

God’s Peace, Donna Weaver

If you enjoyed this blog post, you might also enjoy my post entitled “It only takes a stamp.” http://peace2sparkle.blogspot.com/2011/02/it-only-takes-stamp.html

*Disclaimer: The product reviewed in this post was made available free by DaySpring in exchange for my honest opinion. My post will be part of their January (In)Spired Deals Review on the (In)Courage website. All comments stated are my own and no other compensation was provided *

A Letter to my Readers

Dear Friends,

For as long as I can remember, my passion has been ... sending cards and letters containing handwritten words of encouragement and good news. For all of you who know me, I am sure this is not the first time you have heard me say this.

There is nothing like going to the mailbox and seeing an envelope with a handwritten address just waiting to be opened. When we send a note through the postal system, we are telling someone that they are worthy of our time and efforts.

It has become a tradition that I begin writing my annual Christmas cards over Thanksgiving, but this year I made an exception for two reasons. First, a few weeks ago a friend of mine sent out an email saying that she would be sending a package to a Chaplain in Afghanistan later this month. He ministers to 200 soldiers there and her hope was to send 200 Christmas cards, one for each American soldier under his care. She was asking for volunteers to help write cards.

God tugged at my heartstrings ... I couldn’t say “yes” quickly enough.

The second reason happened this weekend as I was watching one of my favorite Hallmark movies, The Christmas Card. The script used a churches tradition of sending greeting cards to our military as a catalyst for a holiday-themed romantic story. The film told the story about a soldier, Captain Cody Cullen, stationed in Afghanistan who received a Christmas card addressed to “any soldier.” The card contained a hand-written message from Faith Spelman, a woman living in the small town of Nevada City, California. While serving his country, the Captain found encouragement and the strength to survive, in the words written by Faith.

Inspiration abounds ... what a perfect setting to work on the cards that I had committed to write.

FYI: During the 2006 holiday season (when the movie, The Christmas Card was first released) Hallmark Channel partnered with various organizations such as Operation Dear Abby, Cards for Troops national campaign and America Supports You, to help support the men and women of the Armed Services.

Another person who has been busy “making a difference” is Beth Pennington, mother of a Marine, and founder of the group Military Missions Inc. According to their website, Beth tells us “What started as a simple prayer has turned into a non-profit organization that is blessing hundreds of deployed military each month. God took me, a ‘home school mom’ with no intentions of changing her path in life, and placed me in a position where I have the privilege and blessing of touching the lives of many with His love. Through sending care packages and cards of encouragement to our military, I have the opportunity to share the love of Christ in each box and card that makes its way overseas.” She went on to say, “I can’t enlist in the military and deploy overseas to a war zone, but I serve and honor those that are standing in the gap for me.” 

The Bible is God’s love letter to a wounded and hurting world. It is a constant reminder of the power of God’s love – a message we need to pass along. “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:14). A letter is something someone can touch and keep ... they can become treasured mementos. According to Dayspring (a subsidiary of Hallmark), “When we care enough to send a card that carries God’s word, we can confidently pray that God will use it to accomplish His will.”

We never know how the words we write, will uplift or inspire another person, or how lives may be changed.  My hope is that my words have inspired you to join in the efforts to send messages of peace, love, and joy to our military. What better time to be reminded of God’s amazing love than during the Christmas season!

God’s Peace, Donna Weaver

For more info on cards for the military, send me an email or check out this website: http://www.military-missions.org/events/opsend-christmas/

Love Letters from God

Today I am so excited to be able to share a post with you that is a little different from my usual weekly message. It’s still about PEACE but it’s also about one of my other favorite topics ... words of encouragement.

In his book, The Five Languages of Love, author Gary Chapman explains that everyone’s emotional needs are met in different ways. It is important to learn not only to speak the love language of others, but it is also necessary to let others know our love language. The five love languages include receiving gifts, acts of service, spending quality time, physical touch, and words of affirmation.

What is your love language?

Words of affirmation are definitely my love language. When I open my mailbox and find a greeting card containing a personal message ... I feel loved!  Research shows that over one-third of adults have a pile of cards they have kept for that exact reason – the sentiment touched their heart!

Not only do I love receiving cards, but I am also an encourager so I enjoy sending cards. There are many times I feel prompted by prayer requests, thoughts, emails, FaceBook messages, or a tugging at my heart, to let someone know that they are on my mind – that I care. I don’t know about you, but I just love finding greeting cards that include words of encouragement, scripture, and the perfect sentiment. I must not be alone, because the Greeting Card Association says that U.S. consumers purchase approximately 7 billion greeting cards annually.

Some of my favorite cards are from DaySpring. I like the fact that their mission is “to help people share their heart and God’s love.” It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Mother Teresa.  She once said, “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.”   There are many people in this world that need a love letter ... words of encouragement, words of affirmation. DaySpring understands those needs and offers us many products with the perfect Christian messages designed to share God's love.

Holley Gerth, counselor, lifecoach, and writer for DaySpring, has a new line of products called God’s Heart Collection. In her new book, God’s Heart for You, Holley takes us on a journey through God’s Heart. She shares the truth about being accepted, forgiven, secure, and wanted. She reminds us that God loves us just as we are – beautifully and wonderfully made!

God’s Word contains many words of encouragement ... messages of hope, strength, comfort, joy, friendship, peace, and so much more. Scripture expresses God’s love for me and instructs me to share that love with others. The words of 1 Thessalonians 5:11 say, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

Holly has asked her readers to complete the following sentence:  "In God’s Heart I am..."  

When my heart is filled with God's Love, the overflow can be passed along to others through my words of encouragement. So, here is how I’ve completed Holley’s statement:

In God’s Heart I am ...

filled with encouragement and peace,

I AM LOVED!

Items in Holley’s new collection include:

• God’s Heart for You Book
• God’s Heart Companion Journal
• God’s Heart 2012 Calendar
• God’s Heart Card Pack

DaySpring gave me a free God’s Heart Card Pack to review in return for my honest opinion about their product. No other compensation was provided. I’m excited to be sharing my product review with you.

Product Review: The assorted pack of ten quality cards (and envelopes) was inspired by Holley's devotional, God's Heart for You: Embracing Your True Worth as a Woman. Each card includes a very unique Christian message about grace, hope, perseverance, and encouragement, along with a related Scripture verse. Many of the cards I send are to friends that I don’t get to see every day, so I especially liked some of the verses that shared a message of “keeping in touch across the miles.” One such message started out by saying, “If we could have coffee today, I’d sit across the table from you and say...”  - I know just the person I am going to be sending that one to!

DaySpring’s attention to details – from the eye-catching artwork, beautiful printing, and amazing packaging make this product a great idea for gift-giving, too.

Because the God’s Heart Collection is sold exclusively through Blessings Unlimited, (DaySpring’s direct selling business), it is not available in local stores that carry other DaySpring products. The Blessings Unlimited catalog reflects an exclusive selection of home décor, gift items and cards. All of the products are sold exclusively through Consultants. For more information –to shop online, find a Consultant’s website, host a Gathering, or become a Consultant, click here:

http://www.myblessingsunlimited.net/

We talk a lot about making a difference in the lives of others, but our lives change too – for the better, when we invest in relationships. Remember, words of affirmation do make a difference! !

Encourage one another ...
God’s Peace, Donna Weaver

I’d love to hear how you complete Holley’s statement,
“In God’s Heart I am...”

Post your comment below.