31 Days: Day 22 - The Right Path

"Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it."
Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)

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This is a precious promise to pray over your children of any age - I want to encourage you to stand on this promise and believe it!

31 Days: Day 21 - Happy Birthday Rick!

If you haven't figured it out yet, May is birthday month in our family - both my brothers and my Mom! Two weeks ago we celebrated my younger brother's 40th birthday, five days ago it was my Mom's, 71st and today it's my older brother Rick's 50th birthday! In honor of Rick's big 5-0 milestone I wanted to do a little tribute to him too...

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Half a century ago.....

Cute, cute cowboy!

An all too familiar scene...Rick pestering me...but hey, what are big brothers for...?

Easter 1969

His senior year - 1977

Rick and his beloved wife of 29 years, Sharon...

He is a very devoted husband and father of two...

A very familiar scene - Rick at a BBQ grill - he is truly a fabulous chef. Although he is a chemist by trade, his true passion is cooking...whether it's for 600 people at his church or 6 people at his home, he always cooks with love, and you can taste it in every bite!

I love you Big Brother!! Happy, happy 50th Birthday!!!
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This is also the 21st day of my 31 Day Challenge - wow - only 10 days left! I can't believe I've posted for 21 days straight - I don't know how you guys that post every day, all the time, do it...?? But I have really had a lot of fun and I am enjoying the discipline of reading through all 31 chapters of Proverbs and

posting my favorite verse(s) each day.

So, for Proverbs 21, and in honor of my big brother, here is my Proverb of the day:

"He who pursues righteousness and love, finds life, prosperity, and honor."
Proverbs 21:21

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Thanks for sticking with me through this challenge! Please be sure and leave a comment on this or any of the "31 Days" posts to enter into the upcoming blog birthday giveaway (see just a few of the prizes in the sidebar)!! Y'all bless me so much!!

31 Days: Day 20 - Junkin' Proverb!

Yep folks - there's even a Proverb for Junkers!! :o)

(from Proverbs 20 - Day 20 of my 31 Day Challenge):
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"The shopper says, "That's junk—I'll take it off your hands," then goes off boasting of the bargain."

Proverbs 20:14

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...been there...done that!

Have a happy junkin' Saturday!!!

31 Days: Day 19 - Giving

For Day 19 of my 31 Day Challenge (read a chapter a day in Proverbs and post my favorite verse(s) each day for 31 days) I was drawn to this verse from Proverbs 19, and this sets the entire tone for this post:

"He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done."

Proverbs 19:17

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I have shared with you previously about a wonderful ministry called "Daily Prayer for You" (click link here or in sidebar to find out more and sign up to receive the prayer by email), and today's prayer that came by email was just perfect to go along with the Proverbs 19:17 verse above. How fitting and wonderful for the Lord to confirm it so sweetly to me when I read the Daily Prayer and the verses that go along with it. Here's the prayer and accompanying verses from today...

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"I myself have gained much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because your kindness has so often refreshed the hearts of God's people." Philemon 7 (NLT)

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"The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25-26 (NLT)

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Father, may we give generously out of the abundance of blessings that we have received. Your Word tells us that as we give, we will be refreshed and will ourselves be satisfied. Show us today what kindness we have to share that would refresh others.

Lord, I pray in particular today for those who are weary and faint. May they take the ounce of joy and love they have from you and share it today, so they themselves may receive refreshment and strength. Help us Lord, no matter our own circumstances or troubles, to always keep our hearts open to generously share ourselves with others. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

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"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." Jeremiah 31:25 (NIV)

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I also found this YouTube video clip from James Robison's ministry - it is based on a poem written by an African man who was a small boy when James Robison came to establish a feeding program in Africa. Though it is not the greatest quality video, the words of this poem and the faces you will see will touch your heart. You can find out more about the wonderful outreach ministries (feeding the hungry, providing clean water, and so much more) of James Robison and his wife at their website called "Life Today" at http://www.lifetoday.org/site/PageServer

31 Days: Day 18 - Illustration Friday: Cracked

(click image to see more detail)

The Illustration Friday topic this week is "Cracked"...and almost instantly I thought of cracked teacups. I love teacups (I think they are lovely little works of art), and just because a teacup may be cracked or chipped, it can still be used for a variety of things - and can in fact bring an extra bit of joy, whimsy, and beauty to its otherwise mundane function of holding pencils or pins...

I love how we as chipped, cracked individuals can also be rescued from destruction and become useful, beautiful, appreciated, and loved anew in the hands of our loving Father...

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."

Psalm 34:18

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I am just past the midway point in my 31 Day Challenge to read a chapter of Proverbs daily for 31 days and post my favorite verse daily. It's Day 18, so I read Proverbs Chapter 18th and here are a few of my favorite verses:

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"The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe."

Proverbs 18:10

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"The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit?"

Proverbs 18:14

(see the verse in the illustration above - only the Lord can rescue us from a crushed spirit)

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"Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest."

Proverbs 18:20 (The Message)

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Thank you so very much for coming by! I'll see you tomorrow with more wisdom from Proverbs Chapter 19! Until then...

31 Days: Day 17 - Friendship & Happy Birthday Mom!

Day 17 of my 31 Day Challenge brings us to one of my most favorite Proverbs of all - Proverbs 17:17:

"A friend loves at all times..."

I have so much I would like to say about friendship, but time is not on my side at this moment. Suffice to say that I have been abundantly blessed with friendships...of all types...from all over. But that was not always the case. Someday I will tell more about how the Lord expanded my heart...it's a wonderful story of God's grace and restoration. I hope to share it soon...
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Meanwhile - today is a very special birthday...

Happy Birthday Mom!!

I just wanted to take a moment to honor the birthday of one of the very best friends I have on the entire planet - my wonderful Mom, Wendy!! Thank you Mom for modeling God's love and compassion and peace for me and our whole family! What an incredible gift you are to all of us! I hope that God showers you with His lavish love and incomparable blessings this year as you walk with him each day. Thank you for everything! I love you so much and I am so very proud of you!

With love and admiration,

your daughter Becky

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See y'all tomorrow when we'll jump in to Proverbs 18!

31 Days: Day 16 - Metamorphosis Monday!

Hello friends! I am SO EXCITED to be participating in my very first Metamorphosis Monday!! Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch is the gracious, sweet hostess for this weekly makeover event, so please be sure and head over there to see LOTs of other fun, inspiring makeover projects!

For my first Met Monday I am continuing to reveal progress on our Extreme Makeover: Mobile Home Edition (click link to see more makeover posts) - this week, the Teeny Guest Bedroom...

I wish I had a better before photo...just picture all that white being circa 1982 brown paneling instead. This photo was taken on about the 2nd coat of Kilz...

BEFORE

Once we moved in, this teeny bedroom became the dumping ground for anything we couldn't find a place for...and it stayed this way for quite a while...

BEFORE DECOR
In this photo, much of the junk had finally been cleared out, but we were still in the midst of my sofa crisis and were not entirely sure what furniture was going to go where...so the little beige toile loveseat ($10 bargain at a garage sale) is just hanging out in here until we sort it all out. Early on, we realized that this room would never hold a standard double or queen bed, so we were actively on the hunt for a daybed so this room might actually be able to sleep guests...


AFTER!

Well, although I still have more decorating to do, this is a much improved version of our Teeny Guest Bedroom...

I took the decor inspiration from a valance my Mom made me about 16 years ago using Waverly "Sweet Violets" fabric - you can see a bit of it here in my circa 1994 living room...this was my Mary Engelbreit period...lots of bunnies and checkerboards and sunflowers (hey, I still like this look :o)

Back to today...

Armed with my inspiration piece, I shopped my own stash of stuff to find a few accessories to get it started and make it at least feel a bit more cozy and homey...

Just a few things...I am desperately trying to not overfill this tiny mobile home...

Bunny print from a wonderful pastel artist (which I will frame one of these days), shelf (formerly gold...$1 at a garage sale), little tins, vintage embroidered dresser scarf, lamp, candle, silk ribbon embroidered kitty, books, and a rose clock were all in my stash already. (click this or any image to see more detail...)

Well, after no luck whatsoever finding a daybed on Craigslist, my Mom one day told me that friends of theirs had announced at their small group meeting that they were selling their daybed - white iron with trundle bed and 2 mattresses for $75! I didn't need to even see it - I knew it would be perfect...and it was! (although to pull out the trundle you have to take the chair out of the room...oh well :o)

I bought the "Sweet Violet" king bedding last year for $10 at a garage sale...I wasn't sure why at the time (other than the fact that once Target discontinued this Waverly home decor line you couldn't find it anywhere)... We were in our old house then and had no guest bed...but now I see that it was meant for here...

This little space does have a teeny alcove made by the furnace closet bumping into the room...and that little space beside the door was just right to hold our maple secretary and chair...and that's it...But it's a good thing as there was absolutely no other place in the house for the secretary to go...

I snagged these two violet prints with sage green mats at a garage sale for $2 each a few weeks ago...perfect for the room...

Well, that's a brief tour of our Teeny Guest Room - I will no doubt share any future updates to the room with all of you. I am SO GLAD you came along on the tour - thank you!!

You are here at a good time - I am in the middle of hosting a 31 Day Challenge & Giveaway! Any comment left on this post or ANY post leading up to my 4 year Blog Birthday on June 9th enters you in the drawing...and your chances are multiplied if you post about the giveaway on your blog... You can see just a few of the giveaway goodies on my right sidebar..but there will be more!

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The "Challenge" part of the 31 days is for myself mostly (but anyone can do it too...however it's not required for the giveaway), and involves me reading one chapter of Proverbs every day for 31 days and posting my favorite verse(s) from that day's reading here at Just Bee 'n Me. (You can see here how I kicked it all off on May 10th, Mother's Day) Today is day 16 so the reading is Proverbs Chapter 16. In honor of my first Met Monday I incorporated my favorite verse from that chapter onto a bookmark I illustrated - feel free to save this image and print it out on card stock if you'd like, and maybe add a little tassel or ribbon at the top to complete it. (If you do use this image electronically, all I ask is that you credit me as the artist...but feel free to have fun with it) You'll see that I carried on the "violet" theme from the makeover to tie it all together...

" Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy to the body"

Proverbs 16:24

Oh my, how true...

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Thanks again - if you made it down this far in this long post, you deserve a treat!! I'm already looking forward to next week's Metamorphosis Monday - meanwhile, please come back here anytime...it was my honor to have you here!!!

31 Days: Day 15 - Sneak Peek at My Week!

Howdy friends! Just wanted to share a quick "Sneak Peek at My Week" to let you in on some of the fun stuff I have coming up!! (I'm still posting every day during the 31 Day Challenge, so there'll be new goodies each & every day!)

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1) I'll be participating Monday morning for the first time in Metamorphosis Monday hosted by the lovely Susan at Between Naps on the Porch...

...I will be sharing befores and afters of my Teeny Guest Room makeover...here what it looked like while we were painting... Although it's not 100% finished, it is coming along nicely...and it certainly has come a long way! Come back tomorrow to see how it turned out!

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2) I will also be hosting Way Back When-sday on

the 27th - this week I will be going way back to my High School Prom! If you want to join in the fun, you can share any memories and photos from your High School days! It'll be fun!!

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3) I will share the details of another No Sew home decor project I completed today - easy, easy, easy !!!

4) I'll be completing another Illustration Friday submission - the topic this week is "Cracked". Interesting word...y'all have any ideas...?

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And of course, I will continue sharing a verse(s) from a different chapter of Proberbs each day as part of the 31 Day Challenge...

Today is Day 15, so here is my verse from Proverbs 15 - I hope it is a blessing to you...

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"Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil."

Proverbs 15:16

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Amen to that!!!

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See you tomorrow friends!!!

31 Days: Day 14 - It's Late...

Hi guys! We spent the entire morning mowing the property then had to head out of town to my brother's place to celebrate his 40th birthday with him...(he was out of town last week on his actual birthday). We just got home at about 11:00 PM and sweet hubby has to be up at 3:45 AM for work - so, this will be brief....

Today is day 14 of my 31 Day Challenge to read a chapter of Proverbs a day for 31 days then post about my favorite verse(s) each day. I didn't have to think much on this one...this verse is a long time favorite of mine from Chapter 14, or any chapter for that matter...

"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down."
Proverbs 14:1

This is one of those verses that makes me wish I were in a small group of women at a Bible study...I'd love to discuss this verse and get everyone's input on ways a woman can build [up] her household, and also ways a woman can tear it down...it would no doubt be a rich discussion...

Feel free to comment if you'd like and add your input on that question...I'd love to hear it! (Plus, any comment you leave enters you in the drawing for the Giveaway Package!!)

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I hope your Sunday is a beautiful one - I'll see you tomorrow evening for Day 15!

31 Days: Day 13

You never know what you'll find on YouTube....

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I really struggled today with what verse(s) to share, but I found this teeny video of Proverbs 13:9 and kept coming back to it, so I have to trust that this is the verse for today...

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I promise I'll have a LOT more mobile home makeover projects and junkin' treasures to share in the next few days, so please check back. I've been working every day for the last couple of weeks on illustration work for submission for licensing, and I haven't had any time for new decorating projects or taking and downloading photos. But I'm just about done with my submissions for this client for now and plan to get back to decorating and garage saling this weekend!

See you tomorrow...

31 Days: Day 12 - Thankful Thursday!

Once again I am joining Karla this week for Thankful Thursday! I am so incredibly blessed, it's hard to know where to start... but for this week I'll focus on the awesome opportunity I have now to be free from my former full time job and pursuing my dream of being an illustrator (and a homemaker).

I'm thankful to the Lord for providing absolutely everything we have needed at every step of the way to make this happen...it's been amazing to watch...lots of cool God-stories to be told. I am also very thankful to my sweet hubby for working so hard- not just at his 12 hour a day job as an electrician, but also for all that he does around our property and home to make it special and to keep it maintained. He's a treasure in SO many ways...and I am so grateful for him...

One of the sacrifices we had to make to enable me to leave a steady paycheck was downsizing from 1500 square feet plus a garage to 1000 square feet with no garage. Though we got rid of a LOT of stuff, we still had quite a bit that just wouldn't fit in the house, so we had to buy a 12' x 24' storage building to put on the property to hold it all. And it is FULL. Well, the Lord has sweetly provided the funds to be able to purchase another identical 12' x 24' storage building for the other side of the property (for holding all the garage/attic stuff), and the original one (below) will now become my ART STUDIO!!!

Hubby is getting it and the new one wired, insulated, air conditioned, sheet-rocked, etc - everything needed to make them climate controlled and self contained. I am SO EXCITED to have a creative "playhouse" of my own, and we have such plans for making it oh so cute...inside and out...and oh so organized and functional!! I will definitely keep you up to date on our progress and share lots of befores and afters!!

Yep, I told you - I am so very blessed! But really, although I am incredibly grateful for the material things He has provided (like the studio), it's the opportunity to serve Him through creating and sharing artwork that I am so blown away by! So, on this Thankful Thursday, I have to say "Thank You Lord for this incredible opportunity - may I glorify You in everything my hands find to do!"

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Well, it's May 21st, the 12th day of my 31 Day Challenge to read a chapter of Proverbs everyday for 31 days and post about it. Today I read Proverbs 12 and here are a couple of work-related verses that are simple and practical (all of these verses are from "The Message" Bible):

"The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work."

Proverbs 12:24

"A lazy life is an empty life, but "early to rise" gets the job done."

Proverbs 12:27

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I'll see you guys tomorrow - I have some thrifted goodies and other mobile home makeover updates to share!! And of course - Proverbs 13!