1. Melted Crayon Art

(link, link 2)

2. String Balloon

3. T-Shirt Ruffle Scarf

4. Chocolate-Covered Kiwi

5. Fried Eggs

6. Shark Cupcakes

7. Bottle Bottom Flowers

(link, link 2)

8. Penguin Cupcakes

9. Waffle Iron Cookies

10. Marbled Nails

11. Trainwreck Cake

12. Cookie Bowls

13. Cookie Monster Cupcakes

14. Deviled Chicks

15. Pumpkin Patch Baby

16. Tower of Kids

17. Melted Minon

18. Mozzarella Chee’se Bits

20. Sock Wreath

Living the Overboard Life is so daunting at times. I want it to be easy, even though I know that being pushed to the limit is what helps expand my limits. I know that being emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually stretched will only result in my ultimate good and God’s ultimate glory. But that knowledge alone, doesn’t make the process any more enjoyable.

Then I find myself falling into another trap: believing that personal growth has to be hard. It’s not easy, for sure, but that doesn’t mean it has to be hard. In fact, even Jesus found joy in the process of buying our redemption (Hebrews 12:3), and I believe God expects us to show the same joy in our own growth. It’s not easy, but it doesn’t have to be hard!

Oscar De La Hoya, the great Mexican boxer, once said this about fighting: “Always keep smiling. Work hard and fight the best. There’s no room for ducking anybody. I always fought the best, and whether I won or lost, I always had a smile on my face. Whether it was a tough fight or an easy fight, I would smile…”

Personal growth isn’t easy, but it can be joyful. There are struggles. Some are overcome easily, some require great effort. Sometimes we lose the immediate battle, though we press on to win the war. But through it all, we can be joyful.

Here are three simple ways I’ve learned to keep my joy when I’m in the middle of a struggle to grow:

1. Share victories, even the small ones, with the people you love. Most people love to complain. We love to talk about how rough our day was, or how bad our lives are. The evening news, our online news sources and our current events news sites have programmed us to start a recall of our day with the worst events, first. Flip the switch — share your joys and victories first, even the small ones.
2. Memorize joyful Scriptures. I have some power Scriptures that remind me to be joyful, or ones that bring joy to my heart and soul. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (I Peter 5:7) always puts a smile on my heart. After all, if God will exchange my worries for His care, I’m going to be ok!
3. Spend time intentionally being thankful. The words “Thank you” bring joy to both the giver and receiver of them. When I am thankful for the activities of my day, I receive as much joy as those I’ve thanked. Here are a few “thank you’s” I try to use frequently:
   • Thank you Traci for a great meal tonight.
   • Thank you [insert child’s name] for doing your chores without grumbling
   • Thank you officer for that ticket (yes, I actually thanked a police officer for handing me a ticket) (ok, hopefully I don’t have to use that one “frequently”!
   • Thank you Sandy (my secretary) for managing that mailing for me.
   • Thank you Danny for that timely phone call and advice.

On and on I could go, but the point is this: Every day I have something to be thankful for. When I’m feeling overwhelmed, taking a few moments to express thanks to God and to those people He has placed in my life, my perspective can change quickly.

What tools do you use to keep yourself joyful in the journey? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

You were designed by the Creator of all.

His design demands growth, maturity and fullness of life for us to reach our full potential.

Just like the seeds of a orange tree it takes time for us to develop and become who we were meant to be.

Who did God design you to be?

You will only reach your full potential when you live according to your design.

If an orange tree wants to be an apple tree, by design it just can’t happen.

Who are you designed to be? And are you trying to be something you are not?

James 3:11-12

Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹² My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Discover Your Design

How do you discover who God made you to be? These are a few tips for a question that has answers the size of many books.

Pray about it.

Enjoy the process. The journey is as important as the destination.

Seek wise counsel. Talk to people who know you best and are further down the road in their faith journey for wisdom.

Try some things out. Try serving the homeless. Try starting a bible study at your work. Try going on a missions trip. Try something!

Fast and Pray.

Journal your dreams, your desires, your passion and your journey in becoming who God designed you to be.

Don’t be afraid to fail (or for some of you don’t be afraid to succeed).

Walk in the Spirit.

Read the Word.

Listen for God’s voice in everything.

Follow Him.

Those are some of the things I have done on the journey. What about you? Write in the comment section below some more suggestions. It might change someone’s life forever.

Being at the right place at the right time makes all the difference in the world. Pray today that God (who knows exactly where you are supposed to be) will put you exactly where you need to be. Maybe you too will be catching kids falling out of trees.

“My kid just got kicked out of a Christian college for getting drunk.”

“My dad tried to commit suicide right in front of me. Blood was all over the floor.”

“My best friend was accused of molesting a kid.”

“I think my wife is cheating on me. I found some stuff.”

These are all real stories of things happening in people’s life around the world. These are painful things to go through. What do we do with all of our pain? The bible has a lot to say about pain.

Paul tells his dear brother in Christ, ”

Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. -1 Timothy 5:23

First I am not advocating that you go out and buy a bottle of wine! The point is that even faithful servants of the Most High get sick. Timothy got ill frequently. Paul had a thorn in his side (possibly a physical ailment).

But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. -Philippians 2:25-27

Epaphroditus almost died because of illness but God had mercy on him. Wow!

Put simply–pain is a part of every person’s life after the Fall. No matter how faithful you are Jesus promises that you will have troubles.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But takeheart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

Jesus has overcome this world with all of its pain and heartache. When we see Him face to face, while He is wiping every tear from our eye, our pain will be washed away forever. Our pain is short compared to what God has in store for us. Listen to this next verse.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. -2 Corinthians 4:16-18

So what do we do with all the pain? We continual have to remember that our pain is temporary, not eternal. Our pain is meant to draw us closer to God, not further away. Our pain is a part of our current story, only God knows the end of the story. Pain is a way for God to continually have our attention so that we trust, depend and look for Him daily for guidance.

Right now talk to God about your pain. Let Him know your hurts.

May this song remind you that God can make beautiful things out of your life.