Special Give-Away on a Dear Friend's Blog!

You could win this card!

Hello Everyone~                                         





Lots to share this morning!

•  Psalm 20:4
• Who won this weeks card?  What does the new card look like?
• Who is having a give-away on her blog?
• 1st Testimony to be shared on Monday...please join us!

First of all, I bet you are curious to find out whose comment was randomly chosen to win this week's Card for the He IS Able Weekly Card Give-Away!  I was amazed to find that our winner is Sweet Savannah's comment this time--again.  Congratulations, Sav!

Here is her comment:  "Savannah O'Gwynn said...How fun!! You are on a trip of a lifetime--wish I had time to go visit family! Hope you take lots of photos!!

I like this Psalm--I want to worship God like that!! I am a worship leader at our church--so I will make sure this weekend when I sing, I remember these verses!! God is GOOD!"   July 21, 2010 6:02 PM

This is a Scripture that I just love to read and try to comprehend the amazing nature of it...sometimes it takes a while for things to sink in with me."May He grant you according to your heart's desire, and fulfill all your purpose.  Psalm 20:4  Wow!  Just re-read that and think of how that applies to you personally!  Of course, if we belong to Him, If we gave our lives to living for Him, if He is Our personal Lord and Savior, our treasures stored up in our hearts are Scriptures, and things that help us live a life close to Him.  I LOVE that! 

If you haven't yet decided to live your life for the one and only true God, please email me, or contact a church, I am sure any of us would be happy to talk with you and pray with you.  Tstarkweather@cfl.rr.com

I would like to thank my dear friend, Deb S. from her blog, Dream In Color for talking up this blog and listing it on her sidebar, without me even asking her.  She is having give-aways this month...check it out!

Now, Big News!  And, a total coincidence...I promise you!  Savannah, sent me an email late last night with a copy of her blog. (She didn't even know she had won her card yet!) Now, let me tell you, she is having a Give-Away on Friday!   To win, you need to visit Savannahland2 and leave a comment, to have a chance to win.  You get an extra chance, if you leave a comment here...and go to her blog and tell her you left a comment here, at the He IS Able Blog!  Easy!  So, please ask your friends to visit her blog...and this one!

This card was anonymously donated by a woman who really has a heart to support others.  She will pray for anyone, with all of her being. I know, because she has done so for me. She is a very special woman, indeed.  You could win this card--by leaving a comment!  And, remember that is the only way I know that anyone has visited.  Love to read comments!  Thank you--anonymous person!  :)

And, on Monday, I will be sharing someone's Testimony here at the He IS Able blog.  Remember, please, that this is your blog also.  Please send your Testimony, or Your Favorite Scripture and Why, or A2 size cards with 2 envelopes for each card, or any "God Story."  I will be thrilled to share it, word for word, here on our blog.

Remember~
He IS Able,
Traci S.

Our 17 Day Impulsive Car Trip!

Hi Everyone~

Dave and I are home from our 17 day car trip to visit family from Florida, to Virginia for 2 hours with a friend, on to Pennsylvania, to Maryland, back up to New Jersey, and down to Georgia.  Thank you for your prayers for safety!What a long time to be away from home!

We had wonderful visits with family.  Dave's family is filled with the most loving, open, special people anywhere.  I am so blessed to be a part of this family.

I would really like to share the beautiful nature we saw. I see God in all things of nature. Do you? Some of the things I miss from Connecticut, where I grew up, are the hills and mountains, and the deep, dark green color of grass.

I love the smell of freshly cut grass from up North.  It smells so sweet.   I took so many photos of mountains and flowers, trees, birds and chipmunks.

I am so grateful for digital cameras.  You can keep what you want, and delete the rest.  Not using up the rolls of film, some of you may not even remember, pre-digital life!

The words to Psalm 98:7-9 really describe what we have seen on this beautiful trip.  I kept singing a song that I like from Sandy Patti.  I think it is called "How Majestic is Your Name"  Please enjoy the photos, taken through the  car window, in most cases.  Consider how the following Psalm could have been written today from someone seeing these views.  Amazing! 

"Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth.
He will  judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in equity.Psalm 98:7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I see things like this I am struck with awe.  I see His Majestic Ways.  My husband, Dave, is an Atheist.  (We'll talk about this another time.)  I sometimes ask him, "Honey, when you see that mountain top, don't you see God?!"  I am amazed, when he says, "No."  And goes on to describe the plates that moved the land and caused mountains.  "And, Honey, who created the plates?"  And on it goes. To me, seeing God in nature is like knowing that that the letter "B" is after "A". 

I get such Joy in Him, feel so close to Him when I am seeing nature or out in it.  I usually do not go out much.  I am one of the unfortunates who when bitten by one teeny-tiny ant...I blow up faster than a Puffer Fish!  Dave loves to hike, and takes pictures for me to enjoy.  We spent a few days living in a dome home...not a dorm...but a dome...deep in the woods somewhere in the South Eastern part of America. (They want to keep it private, so I promised not to tell.)  It was so beautiful out.  HOT!  But, the trees were so pretty with the sun poking through the upper tree tops!  The wood smelled so good.  And, the ants got me...but I was prepared!  Worth it!

"You lead me to streams of peaceful water, and you refresh my life."

Psalm 23:3  When you wet your feet in the water of a stream, and your body cools off, don't you feel refreshed.  Don't you feel calmer, and closer to the Lord?  When you watch a stream gurgle by, don't the problems of your life just seem minimized for that moment?  He does refresh our lives.  We become new creatures in Him.

I love Psalm 113. Verse 3 reads:  "From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised."

 
Don't you feel closer to Him when you are out in nature...or if you bring nature inside...flowers, plants, small trees and such?  What about the sounds of birds singing, or pecking at a tree, squirrels doing acrobatics on your roof?  Do those sounds make you think about our Creator?  What about the smell of a beautiful rose, or lilac bush?  Who else but He Himself, could have created such wonderfully pleasing smells?  Have you rubbed your hand across a section of moss, or walked barefoot through water?  And, what about the taste of nature?  He created the delicious taste of apples, the sweet juicy watermelons, the salty taste of the ocean.  I hope you feel as thankful as I do for all of the nature that He put on this wonderful planet of ours!  I sang praises up and down the east coast.  It just happens naturally.  I hope you will each take time to go out into your yard, or park and take in God's gift of nature.  Feel it, smell it, taste it, hear it, see it...and Praise Him for it! Go ahead and smell the roses!
 
Please remember to leave a comment. I love receiving them. It automatically enters you to win this week's He IS Able Card Give-Away.  If your comment is randomly chosen at 8pm on Tuesday night...You will see that you won on Wednesday's post. 
 
I hope to receive more Testimonies, stories of how you serve Him, Tell about your favorite Scripture and why it is so special to you. This is your blog also...so please join in and share a story.  It is such a wonderful way to serve. Keep visiting, and please invite your friends to stop in...we will have some special activities with prizes starting before you know it!  Details to come.  Aren't you curious?  :)
 
Remember~
He IS Able,
Traci S.

So Much To Share! Card Winner Announced Below!

Dear Friends~                                             


First of all, I apologize for being SO late with this post! I hope you will understand in just a moment or two. Dave, my husband, and I decided two weeks ago on Wednesday, that since Dave is currently unemployed, what better time to go visit all of the family on the Eastern Coast?! We decided on Wednesday at 3:30…right before the soccer game. (Viva Espana!) We left the house less than 24 hours later. Cooler packed with water bottles, deli meat, cheese, snacks, fruit,hard boiled eggs, bread, and vegetables…all pretty healthy…but these trips always took my Mom at least a couple of days to get together for the 6 of us! We broke that record, but we are only 2 now.

I have a terrible back which is in constant pain. My legs feel like they are filled with sand instead of blood. Not a fun ride physically. Beautiful ride as far as scenery, and Dave and I always have enjoyed travelling together. Up we go…in our Honda (car).

We stayed at one or two motels on the way. We had to break the drive up, I can’t drive, and it hurt too much for me to be still. (I know---GREAT OPPORTUNITY to “Be Still and know He IS God!) I had some very meaningful and love filled time like no other time, except when I decided to give my life to the Lord. It is such a wonderful blessing to be able to converse with Him anytime.  Thank you Lord Jesus for that gift!

So, we are staying with family. Spent 2 days at Dave’s Sister’s and family. GORGEOUS –OLD ---Farm House. Lots of land. Lakes. Smores made in the fire at night. Wonderfully relaxing. Relationships became deeper…Time to leave. Oh, it took us about 2 days of driving to get there.

On to his Dad’s apartment in Gaithersburg, MD. Wonderful Senior Living. Like a Resort. Fun and Wonderful activities. Friends to meet. Quiddler to play. (Look it up under card games. It is the best for Word games!) Earthquake with an epicenter about 3 miles away. What?! True! No damage anywhere…some of us light sleepers woke up, but had no clue why. Dad is 88. He is an incredible man, married over 60 years. Loves his wife and family more than anything. Godly man.  Loves to serve at church and has the same values that I love in Dave.  So sad to leave. Lots of Tears. I had a major bad mood in the car. I have never been like that. Ever! I prayed and prayed for it to stop, prayed for forgiveness, asked for Dave’s forgiveness, Dave just let me get it out. I asked Dad for his Testimony, and wrote it down. It’ll be in this spot soon. Will yours?  Just email it to me!

Now, we are in NJ. Visiting more Family. Wonderful place to be. I’ve never seen so many different birds in my life. Lots of conversation. Some about the Lord. Wonderful. Back is severely hurting. (Is there a word that is stronger than severe?) I have a difficult time tearing myself away from the visits with people we may not have seen in a year or longer, to post here.  I am so sorry.  You all mean a lot to me, too, and I am growing in my walk with the Lord partly because of you and your encouragement.

This brings us to today and now…The Moment to Announce The Winner of This Week’s “He IS Able” Card Give-Away.

THE WINNER IS the Beautiful and Talented Deb Saaranen!

She has the most wonderful heart and is blessed with the talent of making incredible cards that share His Word. She also enjoys making fun playful cards. One of my favorites is of a Teddy Bear Picnic. Deb has her own Amazing Blog. It is called, Dream In Color I hope you will check out her blog. You won’t be disappointed, I am sure. She is a member of the Wonderful  Stamp Simply Ribbon Store  Design Team. Congratulations, Deb!

Here is a picture of this week's card for the He IS Able Card Give-Away.
If you leave a comment before next Tuesday night at 8pm...YOU may win this special card! You can use this card to inspire others in their Walk with the Lord, or invite them to take that so important step in their life, or use it however like.

On Monday…MORNING…I would love to share about the beautiful world we have seen through our car window. So amazing. It reminds me of Psalm 95 which I would like to close today’s LONG post and start Monday’s out with it!


Psalm 95

1. Come let us sing for joy to the Lord;
2. Let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
And extol him with music and song.
3. For the lord is the great God,
The great King above all gods.

4. In his hand are the depths of the earth,
And the mountain peaks belong to Him.
5. The sea is His, for He made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.

6. Come, let bow down in worship,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
For He is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture…”

What better words could possible describe what we have seen on this trip?

Remember~
 He IS Able,
Traci S.

Please Leave a Comment for Tuesday Night's Random Drawing!

Hi Everyone~                                  

                                                                    

I am really feeling under the weather and can not sit up to share a long post with you.  I DO want to encourage all of you to please leave a short comment whenever you visit!  It is the only way I know anyone was here.  It also enters your comment to be randomly chosen as the winner of this week's He IS Able Card Give-Away.  Please accept the card if you win.  The Lord has provided in a HUGE way.  I thank Him for putting this ministry on people's hearts.  He has amazed me with His Love and Generosity through each of you who have donated a card or a bunch of them, or left a kind comment, or have sent me your Testimonies to share with each other.  THAT is so exciting to me! 

The Lord has shown me what doing a bit more for people can really do in their lives.  So, please tell your friends to stop by and read a post or two and leave a comment. 

Hopefully, I will be well enough to share more of His Word and His Love with you on Wednesday morning.  I do want to share this one Scripture with you today...it is lovely.  Please read it and re-read it...memorize it and store the words...His words...and the meaning in Your Heart!

"You shall call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you."
                                                     ~Jeremiah 29:12
THAT is very exciting news indeed!

Remember~
He IS Able,
Traci S.

p.s.  Savannah--please send me your mailing address as soon as possible! Tstarkweather@cfl.rr.com  Thanks!

Let's Praise Him!

Hello Everyone~                                                              
      
I want to start off by announcing the winner of this week's beautiful card made for this card give-away! All of the comments were entered and the winner for this week was randomly drawn. She is a Lord Loving woman who is a great encourager!

Congratulations go out to...Savannah O'Gwynn

This is what she shared in her comment:

"Can't wait to hear your good news!! I love love love hearing about blessings:) God is good! I'm a child of THE KING! He is so amazing:)

Heavenly Father--thank you so much for this blog to share your love and blessings! Lord, I pray for Dave and his travels--I pray that you would take him safely from point A to point B (Mark 4:35). Lord, I thank you that Traci is wanting to share your love! Bless her as she glorifies you in all that she does:) Thank you for Jesus! Thank you that we are considered CHILDREN OF THE KING!! We praise you and thank you, in Jesus' precious name! AMEN:) July 12, 2010 11:56 AM"

Savannah please send your mailing address to me at Tstarkweather@cfl.rr.com I will send your card to you right away! And,thank you for the beautiful prayer!

I love to start some of my more formal prayer time by reading a devotion or two. I read one today that I would love to share with all of you! It is from the book published by Bethany House, "Quiet Moments in the Presence of God." I am sharing directly from the devotion called "Give God Glory."

"Hallelujah! It's a good thing to sing praise to our God; praise is beautiful, praise is fitting. Psalm 147:1"
 "A secretary who had been especially busy bowed her head and said, "God, I think the stapler is your greatest invention." A good use of your time with God is to praise Him for everything. Praise God, who gives you all you have. Find phrases for your praises. Create many and varied ways to say thank you to God. You can't say enough praises to God."

I think that is a wonderful reminder. I praise Him in a couple of unique, (I think) ways. I sometimes keep a list of things to praise Him. I keep it out so when I see it, I stop and thank Him for everything on that list and more! It is also so helpful when I am feeling alone, or feel down...I look back on my list...and I recall all of the many things for which I am grateful to Him.

The other unique (I think) way I praise Him is to take any tune...and sing the things for which I am grateful to Him. It may sound silly to others. It's what He thinks that matters to me. Of course, I use more standard ways to praise Him also.

Please leave a comment about anything you want...this is YOUR BLOG, too! I'd love to hear your Unique Ways you thank Him. If you leave a comment between now and next Tuesday night at 8pm--Eastern...your comment may be randomly drawn and you may win this week's card!

 
This is the card for next week's card give-away! Please leave a comment when you visit. It is the only way I know that your are visiting! Thanks!

Remember~

He IS Able,
Traci S.

Unexpected Surprises...

Good Morning, Friends~

This post is much shorter than my others. Dave and I had some surprise news (good news!) and I will share it with you next Wednesday. Can't really go into details now.

Please pray that Dave has safe travels. I will really appreciate that!

AND, Please send in your mailing address if you left a comment for the first
"He IS Able" card. EVERYONE WON! I'd love to see 17 emails in my mailbox from each of you...so your beautiful and unique cards could be sent to you. People have worked diligently and have done some beautiful work on these cards to bless you, and to bless the people that you send the card on to. This is an awesome way to share the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.

I find that it is easier on people to share gently when you speak with them. Don't go right to the fire and brimstone. Who doesn't want more love in their life? If you know someone who doesn't need it...Jesus is the answer for them. If they have love in their hearts...Jesus is the answer for them.
Sharing Jesus' love through examples from your life, will make things much more interesting to the card recipient. Every card has been prayed over, hoping it will be used to help persuade others to choose Jesus!

Please also remember, that it would be such an honor to post your Testimony on this blog. It is a beautiful thing when people share their Testimonies. Everyone ends up being blessed by the All Mighty! You could share how you serve Him, Your favorite Scripture or Hymn and why...you send it to me via email or snail mail. I will make sure it is posted exactly as you have sent it to me!

Another quick note...Please leave a comment for the opportunity to win Phyllis' beautiful pink "Believe" card this week. Please have all comments in by Tuesday night at 8pm!

Last thing...Remember, if you chose Jesus as your Lord and Savior and have decided that you will follow Him, asked for forgiveness for your sins (We have all sinned.) And pray to Him-- YOU will have become a child of THE King! (If you contact me, or a local church or a Christian...I am certain they would only be too happy to pray with you and walk you through that prayer.

So, you are a Child of the King! Not a King...but the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! I praise Him for that, don't you?

Now, what kind of a day are you going to have today knowing that you are "A Child of the King of Kings!"

Have a truly blessed day. Please leave additional comments for the next card give-away following this post! I will use any comments from last Wednesday
until Tuesday night!

Have a truly blessed day! And, please remember,

He IS Able,
Traci S.

And Our First Card Give-Away Winner Is...

Dear Friends~

I sincerely thank each of you who have already visited this blog, left a comment, signed up as A Google Follower…or in some cases did all three! Your comments and encouraging emails really touched my heart. I hope that this blog will be at least as encouraging to each of you! Please share this blog with as many friends as possible.

I want to tell you that this is not only my blog—it is each of yours, too! I set this up so you won’t only hear my thoughts here. I hope that each of you will prayerfully consider sharing your Testimony, or give an example of how the Lord was really there for you, or how you serve Him! I will enter exactly what you have written for the blog. Perhaps you care to serve Him by sending cards, bookmarks, or altered items to be given-away. (Important info at the end of today’s post!) You can do any of these ideas anonymously, or with initials, if you choose.

I definitely think this will touch more hearts for the Lord, and make this blog so much more interesting than if I were to share every time! That is so definitely true! :)

I would love to offer you as much recognition as possible. Please let me know if I should use your real name or user name when I thank you in the blog. (Please make sure I know what that name is!) Feel free to send a link to your gallery, blog or let me know if you are sharing In Honor of Someone, or in Memory of Someone. It will be prominently included in the blog entry.

Please send me your precious information via email at: Tstarkweather@cfl.rr.com and please put “He IS Able” on the subject line.

And now…The Winner of Our Very First He IS Able Card Give-Away…chosen by random selection:

(drum roll please…)

Phyllis Long aka SparklePlenty1000

of SplitCoastStampers and the MMSC Design Team!

Phyllis said...


“Congratulations on this wonderful ministry you have created. I know it will be a big success!! Blessings to you and your family!!

Phyllis Long
Midnight Madness Design Team
aka SparklePlenty1000 at SCS”


July 1, 2010 5:35 PM

Congratulations Phyllis! Please email me your address at: Tstarkweather@cfl.rr.com and I will send you this card out in the mail, right away!

I hope you are all still reading! Since, this is our first week together…Let’s really celebrate! Everyone who made a comment before midnight this past Tuesday evening will win a beautiful and unique donated card this week!

So, Everyone, please send your name and complete address and Email, and I will send you your individual card as well!

And, I thought that since Phyllis won the card for this week, it would only be fitting to share one of her cards as this week’s special card…it will go to one winner announced next Wednesday! All comments need to be entered by 8pm, Tuesday evening! Waiting until midnight will mean late posts! ;) Phyllis’ cards are incredibly decorated inside & out! Gorgeous!

This card will be given to the fortunate person whose comment is randomly drawn, Tuesday, July 13th at 8:00pm (Eastern).  The winner will be announced the following morning!

Remember-

He IS Able,
Traci S.
------------------------------------


If you choose to donate card(s), bookmarks or altered items please read the following:

First of all—thank you for thinking of Serving Him in this special way! I am sure the card recipients will be blessed, as well as each of you. I have been so blessed by each of you already! There are certain things that I ask you to please consider when making your cards:

Please make sure your cards have room for the recipient to share what she/he would like to share on the inside of the card. It would be wonderful to have cards with Scriptures as the main focus, or a stamped image or die cuts with a NON-HOLIDAY sentiment, or perhaps your card will have a word like "Faith" or "Blessings," anything that reminds them of His Love, or Your Love for Him.

In order for me to be able to pay the postage on the cards you are generously donating, I ask that cards not be square (an extra 16 cents per card!) or too heavy. I’d like to use one first class stamp to mail it. I'm happy to pay the postage for the winner of the card and the final card recipient... I just need 2 envelopes sent with each card to be able to pull that off!

Please realize that I live in a state where it rains every afternoon, and the humidity is horrible. So, please protect your beautiful cards! If you have ANY questions...please don't hesitate...you can reach me at SCS or at home:

Traci Starkweather
116 Colyer Drive
Longwood, FL 32779

Tstarkweather@cfl.rr.com

Remember-
He IS Able,
Traci S.

Your Independence Day!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Independence Day Celebration, whether it is a picnic with family, Fireworks with friends, or just spending the day off quietly at home. I hope that everyone has had some time to spend with the Lord today.

I just visited my friend Wendy’s blog. She is the incredible friend who took it upon herself last Wednesday morning to realize my blog was cosmetically in need of a “face-lift.” She pulled together a bit of this and a piece of that and came up with the beautiful Title section of this blog! Yeah—Wendy! Not only did she do that, she stayed on the phone with me off and on for about 3 hours total, telling me what buttons to push, and what to click on to get the first post-well, posted! Thank you so much Wendy! Her blog will be listed under the blog section on the side bar…not only because she is such a good friend to me, but because she has so much fun sharing her cards with the viewers that visit her. I hope you will check her blog out, at your leisure.

I wrote her a comment about her extra cool card and signed off with…

“Have a spectacular and safe holiday weekend. After all, it is our Independence Day…”

That really got me thinking. I have been clean and sober for 15 years and 10months now. Some of you may be shocked to hear that. Please bear with me.

For those of us who struggle with any type of addiction...alcohol, work, drugs, even card-making (in some cases)… there is no need to continue to struggle. A long time ago, I attended an AA meeting at my church…Northland Church. The difference between regular AA meetings and this meeting was we used the word “God” rather than “Higher Power.” And, we were able to talk about Him and His mighty power. I was told that anyone who is using anything, again and again, that is interfering with their life has an addiction. More importantly, I now believe that if I am doing something that is keeping me from spending time with the Lord…I’d better take a close look at why I am doing what I am doing. It’s not necessarily the THING, it’s more the reason, in my opinion.

I encourage you to really make this YOUR Day of Independence! If you have something that comes between you and the Lord, will you take a look at how that is serving you in life? If you see it interferes in relationships with family, friends, work or your time with the Lord then I challenge you to put that aside. Just try it for today. See what comes up. The Lord is strong, the Lord is just and mighty! If you ask Him to break those chains that bind you--He will! He will set you free from whatever holds you back-- keeping you from Love… From Him. Try this and thank Him. I have never had a more fulfilling life than right now. Try it for today…and thank Him as we read in Psalm 116: 116-19.

Psalm 116:16-19 16 O LORD, truly I am your servant;

I am your servant, the son of your maidservant [c] ;

you have freed me from my chains.

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you

and call on the name of the LORD.

18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD

in the presence of all his people,

19 in the courts of the house of the LORD—

in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD. [d]

If I can help anyone with taking even a tiny step with getting their PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE, please let me know. I am only too happy to help you move on in your life and have more room for love.

Feel free to email me at TStarkweather@cfl.rr.com Please put the word “BLOG” in the subject area.

Remember~

He IS Able,
Traci S.

p.s. Please remember to leave a comment before Tuesday evening! You may win the card on display!