Sunday, Bloody Sunday

I have lived for 30+ years without seeing or participating in real combat. Following my graduation from Oral Roberts University with an International Business degree (two minors in German and Photography), I considered joining the military. Not only did they retroactively pay for your college tuition, but they picked out your outfits each day. And I look good in green.

Pretty much a win-win from my perspective.

I knew you had to be really tough, get muddy, climb under barbed wire, scale fences and then…you got to wear really cute hats.

I’ll take barbed wire any day, if it means cute hats.

A military passion seemed to run in my blood. My grandfather was in the navy and my father was a Lieutenant Colonel in the army. Uncles on both sides served, participated in and fought in several wars.

However, I haven’t lost a brother, a husband, a dad, or a cousin to a war. My life in Tulsa is pretty much free from military influence.

While I wish all nations would be peaceful, I realize that there is evil afoot. Sure, I’d like to have round table discussions with political leaders who acquiesce at mass murdering their own people. Leaders who would put the nation’s interest first and theirs, dead last.

But knowing the reality within my own family just to decide on which restaurant to eat at, I know that asking insanely egomaniacal leaders to humble themselves is almost ludicrous.

There is evil in this world and it is plainly that-evil.

Photo Credit
Without a proper guide, our nation will crumble. Without a Godly guide, our nation will fall into patterns seen before-socialism, communism, nepotism. Call it archaic, call me religious, but when men seek what men want, nations suffer and fall. It’s not my opinion-it’s historical fact. Not that there are many examples to give you. Men (and women) always seem to get in the way, often using God as an excuse to do the horribly wrong thing. When men seek what God wants, nations could prosper and thrive.

I for one, don’t want to relive a Sunday, Bloody Sunday. I want a holy Sunday, set apart for our nation to worship the one true God-that never changes, never forgets, never abandons and always forgives. I want a Sunday for those who need a Sunday.

Will you join me on this Sunday to fight the good fight, to run the race, to never give up, to never give in and to always seek after the One who has called us His very own?

Give-Away! My Inspirational Wrapped Canvas Prints

Dear Readers:
I’m going to get very real right now.

Momma (me) needs to make some money. Biceps took a huge cut in pay to become a firefighter and our budget is getting tighter every month. If you know anything about me, you know that I am one seriously frugal girl. We operate on a debt-free mindset (no credit cards) and are determined to be completely debt-free (student loans, our rent houses and our house) in six years or less.

I am making every homemade product for myself that I possibly can to save money. I considered selling these, but determined the profit margin wouldn’t be there for me while making it affordable to others.

We drive a paid for, slightly used (hah!) 8 year old van that badly needs new tires. I happily bike all over town so that we don’t have to buy a second car and so that I can burn some extra calories.

That said-I need a job and have been sending out resumes one right after another. This blog pays me diddly squat and being a self-employed writer is either feast or famine. And, as of yet, no one has offered to pay me to sit around looking cute. Dang them.

“The Harvest”
After talking with my mom this morning, she got my creative juices flowing. She reminded me of the prints with scriptures that I made for their bookstore and wondered if it wouldn’t be feasible for me to sell them through Etsy (which she pronounces Es-ty) or something similar.

I instantly thought this was a brilliant idea! I have decided to sell the following prints as wrapped canvas prints.

And, I’m giving one away to a lucky winner! Enter now for your very own FREE inspiration wrapped canvas prints.!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“His Sheep”
These inspirational wrapped canvas prints are made from original photographs that I have taken around the country as I travel. Each photograph has a significant meaning to me, which I will share with you in a personalized note along with your order.

Now, here’s the lowdown-these wrapped canvas prints are totally customizable with your choice of inspirational saying, scripture, last name-whatever!

The canvas is either .75″ or  1.5″ deep, with the print bleeding all the way to the edges. The best part is-there’s no need to frame this. When you receive the wrapped canvas print, all you need to do is decide on where you want to hang it.

“His Pathway”
These make great gifts for pastors, friends, grandparents-and they look perfect at home or in the office.

“He is my Rock”
If you don’t happen to win this giveaway and still can’t live without one of these, here are a few prices for you to reference (but you can email me if you have a particular size in mind that I haven’t listed):

8 x 10- $49
10 x 14- $59
12 x 16- $64
16 x 20- $75
20 x 36- $169

*These prices include Free Shipping! Please allow 2 weeks for delivery of your item.

“The Light”
Let me know if you have any suggestions or thoughts. I am excited to hear what you, my dear friends, have to say! Don’t forget to enter the give away!

Eleven Questions and a Throwback to Highschool Times

One of my favorite blogs to read is The Bold Abode, written by a weirdo lady named Gwen. She is so weird, she even likes me. Or at least she puts up with me. At any rate, she invited me to do this throwback “answer-these-questions-and-pass-it-on-to-others” thingie.

I mean, who doesn’t like to talk about themselves? I think that’s the reason blogs exist, aren’t they?

Mine exists because I had to expel some creative energy when I finished a project. Oh, and also because the world needs to know about my weirdo cats and my awesome husband, Biceps. But, I’m the exception to every rule, right?

Here are the strict rules that Gwen, “The Gestapo” demanded of me and others involved in this thingie.

RULES
**You must post the rules
**Answer the 11 questions that the tagger posted for you & then create 11 questions to ask the people you’ve tagged
**Tag 11 people and link them in your post
**Let them know you have tagged them

So, here are the questions from Gwen and my answers:

1. What’s on your iPod/Mp3 player right now?
This man is always playing some little ditty at my house. I cannot live without Antonio Carlos Jobim. (Photo Source)

2. What do you do when you get stressed?
Say I’m building a shed and it’s 114 degrees out and I’ve hit my hand once again with a drill/hammer/piece of wood. And, I’m hungry and have to pee. Say that’s all happening and it might be a little stressful. That’s when I do this and goof off.

3. E-reader or good, ole, printed book?
Please, sister. Printed book, fo sho.
Especially if it’s written in ancient German. I like the challenge. (Photo Source)

4. If you could cure ONE disease, what would it be?
Cancer.

5. What is your earliest memory?
The orange carpeting in our third story apartment in Germany. It looked something like this (thanks Plaid Stallions) and my parents looked something like this back then. Life was pretty much awesome.

6. Has a movie made you want to get up and walk out of the theatre?
Oh yes-and I did. The movie “Jade”, which I knew nothing about. My date chose the movie and I wanted to look cool. But, I almost threw up in the opening scene and walked out. I had to wait in the lobby until the movie was over and he then drove me home. I was never asked out by that butt munch again-and I say, good riddance.

7. If you could have a private conversation with Madonna, what would you tell her?
I would ask her if she knew that Jesus loves her, forgives her (just like he did for me), has died for her and rose again and-that he wants her back. (Photo Source).

8. If you could have a do-over on your wedding, what would you change?
Alive Butterflies instead of dead ones being released. That would be nice…(Photo Source)

9. What would you do if Publisher’s Clearing House showed up on your front step with that super-huge check?
Pay off Sallie Mae (Photo Source) ,

pay off our rent houses and our home mortgages,

and then buy this.

10. What is your biggest flop to date?
I can’t honestly think of one. I usually cover up my flops so no one knows what a screw up I am and re-invent them into something pretty, pretending that was my intention all along. (Photo Source)

and last, but not least…

11. What’s the BOLDEST thing you’ve ever done?
I live in boldness. Just ask Biceps.

Thanks so much Gwen, for including me in this insanity. Now, here are my questions:
1. If you had to choose one over the other for the rest of your life, House Shoes or High Heels?
2. What was the worst meal you cooked and who had to eat it?
3. What was the best meal that you cooked and who got to eat it?
4. It’s a perfect 65 degrees outside, with a blue sky, the kids are at Grandma’s and you have nothing on your calendar. What do you do?
5. When was the last time you updated your bio picture?
6. What is the first concert/live show you ever attended, how old were you and who were you with?
7. What is the most embarrassing piece of clothing that you still own and wear?
8. If someone looked through your purse, what would they find?
9. When was the last time that you cursed and what was the reason?
10. What’s your greatest accomplishment in life, sans kids?
11. What famous person do you feel a kinship to-past or present?

Here are the peeps that I’m tagging:

Allison at The House of Hepworths
Molly at The Waffler
Tara at The Trendy Treehouse
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors
Leigh at Tales from Bloggeritaville
Jamie at C.R.A.F.T.
Kristen at Ladybug Blessings
Mindi at Bacon Time
Maggie at Passionately Artistic
Amy at One Artsy Mama
Julie at Just Wingin’ It

That’s it!

Merry Christmas-the inside scoop

Dear Readers:
Not often do I share my faith in God on this site. I know that some of you believe the same way that I do, and some do not. But, I want you to know why I believe in the one true God, in His Son that died on the cross to save us from our sins and from death, and the Holy Spirit who guides us and comforts us.

 

My journey with God has been long one. It has been very painful at times, but in the end-even the pain has been beneficial to my growing and to my present faith. Just like a child learning what “no” means from the parent’s lips, so have I learned what “no” means from my heavenly Father.
I have made major mistakes (still do) when I haven’t listened to him. Ones that have caused heartache for myself, for my family and for those closest to me. What I learned is that I am forgiven of these mistakes and my slate has been washed clean. And yes, I have been forgiven, but I still have to deal with the ramifications of my sins.

 

So, I desperately need God on a daily basis-He is my compass and the one I look to when everything around me is crazy. He is the one that takes those consequences of my sin and helps me learn from them, ask for forgiveness, and then move on.

Without God in my life, I would be a mess. An uptight, legalistic, selfish mess. Even with God, I trend towards this lifestyle on a really bad day. Just ask Biceps.

I cannot imagine the pain God had to feel when he saw his only Son die on a cross-to save me-a dirty mess. I can’t begin to know what it would feel like to loose a child, and not only loose a child, but to offer that child as a way to save the world.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

 

I am thankful for the God that knows me and my dirty mess-why I do things like dress up with curlers and take pictures hammering the air-and still loves me enough to die for me. There just isn’t any other way to live life. If you have questions about God, or want someone to talk to and pray with you-send me an email (rebekahgreiman at gmail dot com).

I don’t know everything, trust me. Like I said, I am on that journey myself.

But I do know that God is relentless, He will find you and love on you, if you’ll just let him.

I really hope this year you will receive the best gift of all-Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas.