the biz....

many have asked me "how is your jewelry business going"...and my answer typically is "really good"

i would like to elaborate a little more on all that the Lord has done in my business since i took the leap of faith to quit my full time job aug 1, 2007. when i quit my job, i had about 12 girls in my downline. these women all have their own jewelry business and are such an inspiration to me! i was personally doing about 5 + shows a month. Then for the 2nd half of 2007, i did about 8-12 shows a month and in the past 7 months, my downline has almost tripled in size!! there are now 35 women who are selling with me! wow! i am amazed and know that this growth is totally from the Lord! he has placed each of these special women in my life and not only do we get to work our business together, but we do life together! i have gotten to know the hearts of these beautiful women and learn about their families, dreams and goals! it is truly a blessing beyond description.

when i started selling jewelry about 4 years ago, i never could have imagined what an amazing company i would get to work for or the amazing women i would meet!

i am so incredibly grateful to all the support my friends, family, customers and hostesses have given me! you have no idea when you buy a ring or necklace, what kind of impact you are making on the community and the entire world! the founders of my company are so generous in their giving!

really, jewelry is just the vehicle to allow us to touch lives and bring hope into the homes across america! thank YOU for being a part of it!

so to answer your question...business is going great!

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12

wisdom

it never ceases to amaze me how the Lord gets my attention in "themes"...you know you read a verse one morning, then the pastor preaches on it and then a friend talks about it, etc...

finally you get it-- oh Lord you are talking to ME?!

so lately He has been teaching me what it means to have wisdom and how important it is to ask for it. a great place to start is by learning from solomon, the wisest man to ever live. he wrote an entire book that is filled with wisdom for life and godliness, proverbs.

someone once taught me to read a proverb a day (based on the date-- since there are 31)... i am excited to start that habit again, because it really impacts my daily life!

we have some tough things going on with my family right now and as i pray i just keep coming back to...wisdom...ask for wisdom...

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 1 Kings 4:29-30

"Let's tidy up the nursery" mary poppins

well we have painted our nursery! i know many of you are surprised that i actually did something 5 months in advance, i am trying! my new challenge is TNT (today not tomorrow). it is not my lifestyle yet, but it is making my try a little harder!

anyway...with the help of my wonderful hubby, sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law, we painted the room in about 2 hours! i went really crazy with the color..."Totally Tan" ha!
it is amazing how paint can make your house look a million times better (most of our walls are still white white). the nursery is a jungle theme inspired by our love for elephants! we also liked this pattern b/c it looks more little boy-ish, so he can get more use out of it as he gets a little older! we do not actually have any of this yet, but i ordered the swatches and registered for the pattern. now it is on to things like a crib, changing table, etc...all the things i know nothing about!

as for the world of baby church, he is moving a lot (surprise, wes and rachel will have an active child). it is a really crazy feeling of this thumping and rolling...not really sure what he is doing in there! but it does make me more excited about meeting him in less than 4 months! ahhhh!

as for a name, no news there. i took a name quiz on babycenter.com last night and it said that my baby-naming personality is Classic, Tried and true

You tend to take a sensible, drama-free approach to life. You're dependable, reliable, compatible with all kinds of people. While you may not be the biggest risk-taker in the world, this certainly doesn't mean you aren't adventurous. It just means that you do your research. You like planning, structure, and predictability. You dislike showiness and wild impulsivity.

Classic baby names that have stood the test of time will spark your interest. These elegant names have enjoyed long-term popularity since at least the 1800's— and for good reason. They go well with a variety of middle and last names, they're easy to spell and pronounce (no errant apostrophes or fancy spellings!), and they're simply beautiful without seeming to "try too hard." You basically can't go wrong with a classic name.

Suggested names:
Girls: Anna, Catherine, Elizabeth, Mary, Victoria, Rebecca, Sarah
Boys: Andrew, Charles, Daniel, David, James, John, Matthew, Michael, Robert, Samuel, Thomas, William

I agree! I was even considering 3 or 4 of the names above ha!!

I am open to suggestions! So send some good names my way!

the Lord is near

one thing that i have been learning lately is that God is so near to me...the thought of carrying a child or being a mom is overwhelming and if i let it, i can get so anxious...but the Lord reminds me of all His promises...

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
Psalm 139:7-11

I love that! I love that no matter what I am going through, He is right there with me. I am never alone. He always understands, even when no one else can!

What an amazing, loving and intimate Lord we have! Praise His Holy Name!!

picking up the slack

so i started this thing in...july of 07 and have not touched it since...this is a really good example of my personality, very spontaneous, impulsive and bad at leaving things unfinished!

well a lot has gone on since july of 07, so let me catch you up.
Aug 1 I quit my job of 3 years to venture out on my own and sell jewelry! it has been an incredible blessing and delight!
Aug 24- I turn 27-- wow, 30 is getting really close
Sept 11- wes and i celebrated 5 years of being together! never knew i could put up with someone that long, but he makes it easy
Sept 25- wes turns 28-- even closer to 30 than i am
Oct 20- my sister gets engaged
Oct- 24- found out... I AM PREGNANT!!
and well i just slept a lot after that!

so that about brings us up to present time... a few weeks ago we found out that we are having a baby boy! we have no names picked out, really no clue-- its a tough, life time commitment!

i have been so blessed to have felt good and been healthy these past 21 weeks! praise the Lord for his grace and goodness!

my sister is getting married to a wonderful godly man, phillip and their big day is mar 8-- real soon!

so 2008 is a busy and exciting year for our family and we appreciate all the prayers of our friends and family!

i will try to write more before another 6 months go by!