Challenge # 2 Ruebee "Count Your Blessings!"

I took a Wallpaper Book and used the outside cover to use as my base and covered it with wallpaper and then altered it with different papers, lace, buttons, trim, and a bow to make my Altered Art...

Winner of Blog Give Away...Lani Kent

Lani from http://artistlanikent.blogspot.com/ is the winner of the "Eye on the Sparrow!" drawing ....I didn't get the drawing done until today with everything happening in our lives but I am so glad she won as she has been such an inspiration in my creative part as she is such a neat artist and you need to check out her blog...Congratulations Lani...hugs and prayers, cheryl

They are holding off on surgery for me...

They are holding off on surgery until they do more tests on me...they think there might be something with the brain so I have to go through more tests and see neurology and also all of the doctors are finally going to get together to figure out what is going on as I am losing strength and my balance is really getting bad..I am just thankful I finally found a doctor yesterday that is willing to put this together....pray for me as our plates our so full but I am trying to not let it get me down and keeping a positive attitude....hugs, cheryl Kerry's surgery is next Tuesday in Chicago at Rush!

Oprah Show on this Wed. and pray for us as Kerry and I both need neck fusions a week apart!

I just checked the website and it is on this Wed...for the Oprah Show I went to at the beginning of the month...
Tune In

It's taken a year for her to come forward. Mercilessly judged…she call herself the most hated mom in America. Overwhelmed moms and dads, let this be your wake-up call. (PG)

Tune in on 10/01 to watch this show

Also today I have an orthopedic appointment at Chicago and am going to have to make my decision about my neck fusion..I still cannot hardly lift my arms at all..it is so frustrating but I have peace that after 8 years of suffering maybe this will finally be what I really need to take care of my neck from falling on ice and suffering all these years..only really hard thing is my husband is having the same surgery the week before and I do not honestly know how we will make it but I have to trust God through this one...it has been so hard to even tell anyone as they are just shocked and speachless to say the least...On Oct. 15 it will be 10 years to the date that our lives changed and my husband fell and severed his spine on a roof just from a 3 foot fall ...we have seen God use us and I know we are better people because of this and have changed so many lives but at times lately it has been the most difficult times we have faced in all these years..Pray for me as this is honestly beyond anything I can imagine going through..this will be my second surgery on my spine as I had a fusion in my low back exactly two tears ago in October...hugs and prayers, Cheryl and Kerry
PS Will draw the winner today for the blog giveaway...

Beautiful Women

Beautiful Women:

A little boy asked his mother,

'Why are you crying?'

'Because I'm a woman,' she told him.'

I don't understand,' he said.

His Mom just hugged him and said, 'And you never will.'

Later the little boy asked his father,

Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?

'All women cry for no reason,' was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man,still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put in a call to God.

When God answered, he asked,'God, why do women cry so easily?

'God said:'When I made the woman she had to be Special.

I made Her Shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world,

yet gentle enough to give comfort.

I gave Her an Inner Strength to endure childbirth

and the rejection that many times comes from her children.

I gave Her a Hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up,

and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.

I gave Her the sensitivity to Love her children under any and

All circumstances, even when her child has Hurt Her Very Badly !

I gave Her Strength to carry her husband through his faults

and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.

I gave her Wisdom to know that a good husband Never Hurts his wife,

but sometimes tests her strengths

and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.

And finally,

I gave her a tear to shed.

This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed.'

'You see my son,' said God,'the Beauty of a Woman is not in the clothes she wears,

the figure that she carries,

or the way she combs her hair.

The Beauty of a woman must be seen in Her Eyes,

because that is the doorway to Her Heart- the place where Love resides.'

Joann Fabrics good until Oct 4, 2008

Copy and paste this for a store coupon good until Oct 4...please print out extra and pass out to others in the store and make new friends...Pay it forward! hugs, cheryl
http://www.joann-mail.com/J0913D7Q/coupons_only.html?
r=2709_309051&i=J0913D7Q025&bc1=520827824224539160405

Blog Give Away...Celebrating 28 years of togetherness!

We just celebrated our 25th Anniversary and Kerry has been sick for the last few months and honestly the last 10 years has just been up and down since Oct 15th, 1998 when he was painting a neighbor's home and fell on the roof...he went into surgery in November of 1998 and he was a medical negligence case...we have lived the Better or Worse, In Sickness or in Health, For Richer or Poorer...I found this picture of Kerry the other day and had to post it as it brought back the happy days of when we were dating..This was an outfit I made him for Halloween and he asked me to marry him that night...we dated then for 3 years and on August 27th, 2008 we had our 25th Anniversary! Please keep Kerry in your prayers as he is facing surgery on Oct. 7 for a fusion of his neck..He has 2 herniated disks and they have to remove his spinal chord stimulator due to scar tissue...Please leave a comment and I will enter you into our Blog Give Away of my Altered Art piece I made for a Challenge on Ruebee...Hugs, Cheryl

P.S. We met on a blind date!

Good Luck! The drawing will be on Sept 27th....If it has to be shipped out of the country then I will have to have you pay shipping, but if it is in the United States I will pay shipping...Here is the Altered Hanger with His Eye is On the Sparrow that I made for the give away...

Altered Art getting things finished and trying new ideas!

Bless our home

This is an altered recycled Game Board from Good Will that I painted and took wallpaper, paint, trim, papers, modpodge and lace to turn it inot a Wall Hanging...

Apples...

If you have an apple and I have an apple
and we exchange these apples
then you and I will still each have one apple.

But if you have an idea and I have an idea
and we exchange these ideas,
then each of us will have two ideas.
-George Bernard Shaw, submitted by Laurie S., La Grange IL

Angels are sent to us..hugs, cheryl Just when we need our wings lifted!

It has really been a difficult time and I keep trying to stay busy and trying to do things but at times it just seems that life gets to be too overwhelming...some day's you just really struggle to get out of bed and I didn't know how hard these days would be sometimes..but I know that it makes me a better person when I struggle as then I can relate with others better when I hit bottom...but I sure don't like it when I am at those low points...

Today I decided I had to get out of the house and I ended up at Good Will and was just looking things and started talking to this young person and shared about Flickr and other things...I went out to my car and gave her some Wallpaper books that I had just been given and shared some ideas to help her..she was so thankful and I already got an email back from her thanking me..then I went down another isle looking at books and for some reason I asked this lady what does she do with books? We ended up talking for probably an hour and she had to be an angel that I needed today as she really showed me how God is using me and to really look at all the trials he has brought me through and how my faith has shined through all of these trials..she kept telling me that she needed it like I needed her today.....this was not the first time I have been told this, but today I really needed this as I have just felt so overwhelmed with everything in life...she told me I need to really share my faith with my creativity...she was such an inspiration to me that only God could have connected us in an isle at Good Will at the right moment..She shared that it is the faith of a mustard seed that she sees in me...Thanks Rhonda for sharing with me today and inspiring me...right now I am watching Extreme Makeover with Ty and the tears have just been running down my face tonight as you see how they reach out to help others...I shared with Rhonda today how I started a support group online and it is called. "Lean on Him"...It has people from all around the world that have joined it and such an amazing thing the internet is as we can connect just by a click of a button..hugs and prayers, cheryl PS It was a good day! Even with the tears!

JESUS SAYS

If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain, “move from here to there”
and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

Mathew 17:20

Have faith in yourselves, life’s made up of ups and downs and the majority of people get their fare share of both, some times we will feel on top of the world other times we’ll feel life’s not worth living, but one thing you can be sure of and that is, no matter how bad things seem at times, things will get better, there is light and much hope at the end of every tunnel.

Truly, I say to you, He who believes in me will also do the works that I do
and Greater Works than these, will he do... John 14

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the Meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who Hunger and Thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the Merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they shall see GOD.

Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called (the children) of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

Ask, and it will be given you;
Seek, and you will find;
Knock, and it will be opened to you.
Luke 11

"LOVE ONE ANOTHER!"
John 15:12

Dusting...

Remember...a layer of dust protects the Wood beneath it.
'A house becomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture '
I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect -
'in case someone came over'
Finally I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun!
NOW, when people visit, I don't have to explain the 'condition' of my home .
They are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing
while I was away living life and having fun.
If you haven't figured this out yet, please heed this advice.
Life is short. Enjoy it!
Dust if you must
but wouldn't it be better to paint a picture or write a letter,
bake cookies or a cake and lick the spoon or plant a seed,
ponder the difference between want and need?!
Dust if you must, but there's not much time . . . .
with tea to drink , rivers to swim and mountains to climb ,
music to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.
Dust if you must,
but the world's out there with the sun in your eyes,
the wind in your hair,
a flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come around, again.
Dust if you must ,
but bear in mind, old age will come and remember. . .
when you go - and go you must -
you, yourself will make more dust!

creativeFlutter: Blog-i-versary Giveaway!!

creativeFlutter: Blog-i-versary Giveaway!!

Please go and check out my friends blog ...it is her one year Birthday Giveaway! hugs, cheryl

Wednesday...Kerry now needs neck surgery...please pray for all of us..very difficult to go through any more!

I have carried the phone with me for days waiting for he neurosurgeon to call back and ironically I was at the meat market when he called..the tears came as once again Kerry has to have surgery and this will be at least number 10 on his spine and then he still has to have another after this... The lady waiting on me was so kind and she looked at me and asked me , "Don't you live a few blocks right in town in the big green house? " I looked at her and thankful she did know who I was even though I didn't know her and she knew my family and said you have to cry and let it out....she knew Kerry also...we have to go in on Friday to see him to go over things and to set up the appointment..my heart knew it was coming but the phone call that says it is for sure just throws you still...I felt like my feet were going to give out..It is like we just come up for air and then we are zapped once again...I haven't even told him as he has been sick with the flu since Sunday and is sleeping right now...hugs, cheryl
PS..Lindsay did get the job last night and starts today after school..that is a huge God watch...Her birthday is Saturday and she turns 23...the first time we won't be together...:-( I couldn't believe how much we looked alike until this picture last week...

God is in the roses.. click on the bottom where it says embedded video to play...

Embedded Video

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Joann Fabrics good until Sept 20th..

http://www.joann-mail.com/J09093A2Z/coupons_only.html?r=2365_1060849&i=J09093A2Z018 copy and paste..Good until Sept 20th make extra's and pass them out to people in the store and make some new friends...hugs, cheryl

I guess I should not ask for a day off of stress...lol hugs, cheryl

When my mom called this morning I told her I have the morning off and I am all alone as my husband had a driver take him to Chicago as I forgot about a program from the State to drive him as he cannot drive...Kerry told me he would do that so I could have some time to myself...I was so happy to have a morning alone at home...by noon it was all falling apart with Lindsay then she called and told me she didn't even want to live..she was crying so bad and and as a mom you just want to cry...so I did! Tried to see what I could do and nothing seemed to be working out be later today Lindsay found out she has to finish this semester as the loan money cannot be returned for this semester so she is going back to school on Sunday which is good..she needs it...she also got a call this afternoon for a job at a Blood bank as a receptionist and she goes in Monday but they told her over the phone that she was just what they were looking for and the hours will work out for both of them! What a God Watch for her today..like most you were praying a door would open...then I called up to see if they had read Kerry's MRI report and they already had it and I asked for it to be faxed...so at 5 p.m I got the news on his neck and he has a herniated disk of 5 mm pushing on a nerve in his spine..and two others are bulging so he will need to have surgery..I have to give all of this back to God and just rest in his arms...To think I started the week of at Oprah with the subject of Overwhemed Mothers..how fitting! And a neurologists telling me that I am probably too stressed out and sleep deprived...oh my! Thanks for all of your prayers and concerns for our family and all of you that keep us on your prayer lists...I truly appreciate all of you Ruebee's ..hugs and prayers, cheryl

Please keep my daughter and husband in your prayers...hugs, cheryl

Please pray as Lindsay just got letters from her loans and she is not going to be able to afford to go to Bible College unless a miracle happens...she had to file bankruptcy from medical expenses when she got off of public aid at 18 and we could not get her on SS for 18 months..she had over 50,000 in medical expenses and now when she went for student loans they have hit her with huge fees on all of her school loans...then today her laptop crashed...she has to have that to go to class..she came home to go to a wedding this weekend and just got the letters in the mail today...please pray for us that something would work out...if anyone has a laptop please let me know..hugs, cheryl

PS Kerry went to Chicago today for his MRI of his neck...they think he has a nerve pinched in the cervical spine...it seems to never end here...my heart just goes out to Lindsay ..she just wants to go to school so bad...

A Prayer for Today

A Prayer for Today

This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it---or use it for good,
but what I do today is important,
because I am exchanging a day of my life for it!
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever,
leaving in its place, something that I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain, and not loss;
good, and not evil; success, and not failure,
in order that I shall not regret the price I have paid for it.

~Anonymous~

Paper Brooch

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Free vintage tags to share, check out this awesome flickr site...Enjoy!

!

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Loyola and Oprah all in One Day! Overwhelmed Mothers was the topic....

I first had the neurologist and was there until 10:30 and I told them I had to get to Oprah...they kept checking me out from 9 a.m until then...the doctor finally came to the conclusion she thinks that it is muscle problems due to poor sleep problems, stress being a huge factor, something with the muscles, and she does not feel it is MS, Lupus or Parkinson's at this time!!!!! Yeah...she wants me to follow up with physical therapy to work on my balance, weakness, strength, and the sleep specialist for my sleep issues and no Rem sleep...

Then we were off to Chicago and to find the Oprah show...we got there right on time and stayed in a huge line for over an hour to get in...then finally after another hour of waiting we got into the studio...we had a time to answer questions and tell something about us ...I did raise my hand and got to share about being overwhelmed with stress and what had just happened to me in the morning with Loyola and that they thought I had MS and it is more likely just stress! Then all the effects from 10 years of taking care of a disabled husband and all the stress that has done to my body...I did share we made it 25 years this past week and that when you take your vows remember for Better, for Worse, for Richer, For Poorer, In Sickness and in Health...as I have done all of them..the audience really clapped...it was awesome to go and see it live...then the hardest part was the show...it was about the teacher that left her child in the car a year ago in the heat all day while she went to school and she forgot she had her in the car...her husband usually took the girls in the morning but that day he had a dentist appointment so it was her turn to take them and she forgot to drop her off after getting donuts and her daughter was asleep and she left her in the car all day in over 100 degree heat...the husband was there also...it made you cry but made you realize how busy our lives get and crazy and how we can get so caught up and not enjoy life...Oprah said at the end we were all there for a reason today...I thought to myself I know I knew why I was there after getting told stress was just about doing my body in and that had just been a few hours earlier...the show will air sometime in the middle of Sept...it was a neat day! hugs, cheryl Take time for yourself even if it is only for 20 min. a day...please!

I am so excited..I am going to Oprah tomorrow!

I have tried to get tickets for several years and today I got a phone call saying, "Hi this is the Oprah Winfrey Show and are you still interested in coming to a show?" I was in shock to say the least as you just don't really expect a phone call like that on Labor Day...I can't wait to go..I have the neurologist as 9 am and then have to be at the Oprah show at 11 a.m. Will keep you posted on what a fun day...hugs, cheryl