Starfish Pendants… It Makes a Difference for This One!

A little over three years ago, Hubby and I took adoption classes.

IMG_0017

We were already open as a foster home, but hadn’t had any placements yet, and we were still unsure of which way would would go… foster care or straight up adoption… but we wanted to know all we could about both options, and be ready for whatever direction the Lord led us. And He led us to both fostering AND adoption!

IMG_0025

In those classes, we learned so much. We had the opportunity to talk with other families stepping tentatively toward the same goal… to hear their stories, their concerns, their fears, and their deep convictions about caring for children, whether it was for a few days or for forever. We learned that there are so many kidsthat need a place to call home and people to call family. The need is so big and so great that it sometimes seems impossible to make a difference, just being one little family with an extra bedroom. But then we were told this story…

“While wandering a deserted beach at dawn, stagnant in my work, I saw a man in the distance bending and throwing as he walked the endless stretch toward me. As he came near, I could see that he was throwing starfish, abandoned on the sand by the tide, back into the sea. When he was close enough I asked him why he was working so hard at this strange task. He said that the sun would dry the starfish and they would die. I said to him that I thought he was foolish. There were thousands of starfish on miles and miles of beach. One man alone could never make a difference. He smiled as he picked up the next starfish. Hurling it far into the sea he said, “It makes a difference for this one.” I abandoned my writing and spent the morning throwing starfish.”
― Loren Eiseley

IMG_0026

And now, three years later, we’re looking at the possibility of taking adoption classes a second time. Thinking about those starfish on the beach, and the handful of little people that have touched our lives in the past three years, inspired me to get out my scissors and start snipping.

IMG_0012

And gluing.

IMG_0011

And “resin-ing.”

resin

Make a Difference Pendants are now available in our shop!

Putting things in order…

I’ve had a few quiet hours the past couple of days, and have been able to work on the “pretty” part of setting up the new blog and website. My paper cuttings are usually mounted on black, so seeing them on a white background is a little hard to get used to, but I do like the lighter feel that it gives to the site. The buttons might get shuffled around a bit as sections are added to the website. It was neat to be able to use actual papercuts to create them!

FullSizeRender 4

And it was fun to play with some paint again!

Paint

Note the close proximity of paint water to the coffee that I’m drinking.

Not a good idea.

Just sayin’.

A Fresh Start!

Don’t you just love new beginnings?

FullSizeRender 2

A blank slate?

How about a brand new journal or sketchbook?

When you’re staring at all those blank pages, and smelling that brand new pack of crayons, it’s hard to imagine what will eventually fill up those pages. How you’ll keep everything organized. How pretty you’ll make it. How you’ll fill it with thoughts and dreams and plans and schemes.

How much better it will be than your tattered old sketchbook,
which has been a little scribbly and disorderly for a while,
and you’ve not been all that inspired to open it and doodle.

FullSizeRender 3

On Sunday, my daughter took one good look at my website and decided it needed help. She was right, and I had been thinking that same thing for quite a while. And my blog too. My main hope was to put everything in one place…

Blog… Website… Shop, eventually.

Where I only had to remember ONE password.

(If you’re over 40, you will totally get that.)

So here is what became of that sudden blog revamp. She set up the bare bones stuff and it’s going to take me a while to pretty it up, but the ideas are flowing once again. Scissors and paintbrush have been employed. There are plans for bringing the Most Important Posts over to this new space.

And then there are the blank pages to
be filled with who-knows-what…

…Gotta get my crayons!

FullSizeRender