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Hi Friends~
Well, this has been a very busy weekend for me. I went to StampFest 2011- Orlando on Saturday and totally wore myself out! But, did I have fun! I learned so many new techniques that I can not wait to share with you. There were only 31 booths...small for a show in Orlando...but it took me all day to get through them. I hope that I can remember what tools and what inks go with what projects. There were several "Make and Takes"...but most were done by the demonstrators and you could just watch. I have a couple of samples to remember how to do the technique! And, I am so excited about making ATC (Artist Trading Cards) cards! They look awesome. I have never tried to make one because it is such a small surface to work with. I literally slept from 8pm Saturday until about 6pm on Sunday...with a couple of hours in between. And, slept soundly from bed-time on last night. I walked a lot more than I usually do. I was exhausted! But, it was worth it!
And, I was so blessed to meet a fellow blogger friend of mine. She is wonderful. It was so good to meet after about a year! She is the very creative, very fun, artist and writer of the unique "Queen of Grunge Blog!" I hope you will visit Gerrie's Blog! It is so much fun! You are in for a treat!
This Thursday, the 30th is the He IS Able Blog's 1 Year Anniversary. I know you are aware of our super Blog Candy to be given away. Please be sure to sign up and post a photo of the candy on your blog, or our He IS Able badge, for an extra entry.
I would like to share this short Devotion from a book, Joshua gave me for Christmas last year. It is very special to me, because He has come to know how important my time with the Lord is...even though he is a Jew (so far.)
The Daily Inspiration book, published by Zondervan is full of wonderful things to meditate on. This is the one that I would like to share with you today. For it is you, each of you, who make this blog the success that it is. We have hopefully encouraged each other in our time with the Lord, I know We have been so encouraged by you. We have come to expand our knowledge of the Lord and strive to continue to do so. We have come to know how to please the Lord, how to be there for each other...to lift each other up. And, we have learned how we are similar or very different from the Women of the Bible.
This writing reminds me of much of what you each mean to us:
"We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
I would like to break this down, as I see it. You are all prayed for daily. Whether you ask for something in particular or not. We thank God for your ability to share about our Lord, Jesus, with others, whether it is in person or through a "He IS Able Card of the Week." Your comments mean so much to us...they tell us what you are interested in, you add to the things we share-- all of the time, and share personal elements to the discussion. This is surely at least part of your "labor prompted by love." And the fact that you have been with us for 362 days shows your endurance to want to know more about our Lord, and to know more about how we can live a life that makes Him smile. How your faith (hope) can grow...and my much needed topic...how not to worry! This is why I share this Devotion with you today. As a BIG thank you to each of you...for however long you have been visiting here, if you have helped spread the word about this blog, if you donated cards for the give-aways, or if you shared a Testimony about your life with the Lord, or a portion of it, prayed for us, asked questions, answered questions...or if you read and put to practice the things you have read...we are so appreciative of you. We thank you so much!
We also appreciate the number of visits we have had to the He IS Able blog.
It is amazing that people from around the world have come to visit. We are so grateful for that. For, this blog allows us to be a part of the command Jesus gave us...The Great Commission. (More on that soon!) Take a peek at where people have been visiting from for the past year...(I hope this is all of them. I apologize if I left someone out.) I pray you will continue visiting and participating in the next year.
Get a map ready...and remember, in some of these countries, studying Christianity, or being a Christian is punishable by life in prison, or by death. These people are the "Pauls, Johns, and Stephens"of the Bible in our present day. I am grateful to live in the United States, where I can practice and share my beliefs freely.
Austrailia--Bangladesh--Canada--China--Egypt--Finland-- France--German--Ghana--India--Iran--Iraq--Japan-- Latvia--Morocco--Netherlands--North Korea--Philippines-- Russia--Saudi Arabia--Slovenia--South Korea--Ukraine-- United Kingdom--United States--Uzbekistan-- As we start our second year off together we will include more art, a series on the Beatitudes, ideas to reinforce Christian Values and Bible Stories with Children, Teens and ourselves, and we are VERY interested in knowing what YOU are interested in all of us learning about! Your opinion is always welcome! We will still have Joan leading our Prayer Team. She is such a faithful prayer warrior! And, Michele will continue asking the sometimes tough questions about if we are similar to the Women of the Bible, or if we would have passed our responsibility on to someone else, or just let it slide...and then what would have been the results? My hope for this next year is that more of you will share with the other readers more often. I really would love to have people email me their Testimony of how they came to know the Lord, or some of the special Christian Events in their lives, or a special Scripture to you, and why it is so special. I will post it on this blog...with links to your blog or gallery, if you wish. It can be about your blog, art work...anything that would be interesting to our guests. You would know...you are one! And, any of these special "sharings" can be done in "Memory," in "Honor," or to post for someone's "Birthday or Anniversary." It is a special way to honor someone...or stay anonymous...up to you! Please consider doing this in any form...a writing, a poem, art with directions would be fabulous...whatever you would like! The He IS Able blog is EVERYONE'S BLOG! So, please join in! I promise, it will be a blessing for you, and for everyone who reads it! If you enjoy this blog, please be sure you are signed up as a "Blog Follower," more importantly, please ask a friend to stop by. It is such a way to encourage us to continue. I still feel like I did on the 1st post. I want to continue Glorifying God through this blog! I want us to encourage each other to reach out and share the Gospel and the love of Christ to the people that we come in paths with. I really would love to know what topics are of interest to you. Please let us know via email or the comment section. Let us know if you want challengs, or give-aways like we have done. Tell us what you like and what doesn't really interest you. We will take what you say to heart. Thank you for the last 362 days--and we look forward to many more days with you! Thank you for being here...you are so important to us! He IS Able! Traci Starkweather p.s. I wrote this on behalf of Joan and Michele also. I hope I captured their opinions also. If they have anything they would like clarified or corrected, it will be shared as soon as possible. I just feel like we are such a great team. They helped with everything even before they were "officially" a part of the He IS Able team. I thank them with all of my heart. "A friend loveth at all times." Proverbs 17:17 |
Friendship is a wonderful thing. Being a friend is very similar to being a spouse...thru thick and thin, we all are there. We may come and go,but we always know our friends, don't we Traci! I'm so happy to have met you GF!!! Enjoy every day, hugz
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Traci on this big milestone for your blog and for YOU! You have come a long way this year and God is blessing and I'm sure it may not even be in this lifetime that you find out about "how" He blessed... but your faithfulness to Him is so appreciated and I know He will reap a harvest! We plant the seeds..... that's our job! Happy Blogaversary to you!
ReplyDeletehugs,
Grace
I have been following He Is Able blog for several months now and want you to know what a blessing you have been to me. Quite honestly I don't remember how I found your blog, but more importantly, that I did find it. I e-mailed Traci the evening after I read my first visit. It had spoken so loudly and straight to my heart. That same night I went to her church on-line and listened to the worship and the message and really needed to hear what the Traci had written and the church service.
ReplyDeleteI was depressed and having a real rough time, in a church that we had been involved in for nine years, but our hearts were crying out for healing, for change.
Traci wrote me back the next day, encouraged me and became a friend whom I really cherish. She reached out when I really felt alone and I am so grateful that God has placed her in my life. I pray that you will continue to reach out and minister to others for many years to come. Thank you for being such a huge blessing and a friend! Your words and prayers help change lives.
Love and blessings~
Your one year bloggoversary already Traci! You have met your primary goal in sharing the Word with so many...what a blessing that this site has been. Congratulations, and looking forward to more years to come!
ReplyDelete~~Deb Saaranen