Showing posts with label Crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crafts. Show all posts

Monday, September 29, 2014

To Be Made in God's Image: Creating With The One

"In the Beginning God CREATED the Heavens and the Earth." Genesis 1:1


As a Stay-at-Home Momma of two, I’ve seen my share of “art” work. Scribbles on the wall. Paint splattered and dried to tiles on the kitchen floor. Chalk drawings covering nearly every inch of our sidewalk.  Playdough pieces clinging to carpet fibers. Glue. Glitter. Stickers. Scissors. Scrap paper. Yep, that’s my house living with two kiddos who love to create. I bet many of you can relate.

Most of the time I find myself grumbling as I clean up their artistic scenes and frustrated when they want to drag out all the craft supplies. Sigh, groan, eye-roll. Don’t they know what an inconvenience it is to get all that stuff out and clean it back up?
No. They don’t know. It’s fun for them to create and it occurred to me not so long ago that they are doing just exactly what God wants them to do.

God wants them to make a mess? Ha! Maybe. God wants them to create because when they create they are creating with Him, the One! A beautiful thought, right?
Our God is creative. He is the creator! With His words He fashioned the universe and all its contents. He sculpted un-countable varieties of life in all shapes, sizes, and colors. He continues to create to this day with each changing of the season, wedding union, the birth of child, and in the heart of someone inviting Him in.

Our God is a creative God and we are made in His image. We create! We build, design, write, draw, cook, craft, forgive, love, clean, decorate—all aspects of creating.

When I stop grumbling at the mess my children have made and look, really look, at what they’ve fashioned, I’m amazed. I clap. I hug them. I hang their work on a wall for all to see. Being made in the image of God means many things, but for that moment, staring at glittering globs of glue, my children are reflecting a portion of their Creator. They’ve created with Him.

How beautiful is that?! The ONE, who is the All-Creator, allows us to create alongside of Him!
When we stand in front of the stove preparing a meal for our family, we create with our God. When we clean up a mess, we create a clean environment with our God. When we bring life into this world, we create  with the One. When we sit with our children and finger-paint, or glue, or color, we create alongside our God. He must clap for us. Cheer for us. Brag on us. We do that for our children, right?  

So this week, let’s ask God to give an awareness of Him, how He works in us, through us, and around us to create! How creative can we get?!

Many Blessing!
 
Leave a comment on this blog for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card AND an eCopy of Hannah's debut novel, The Wounded Warrior's Wife!

About the Author:

Hannah Conway is the author of The Wounded Warrior's Wife and Wedding the Warrior. She is an Army wife of more than a decade, mother of two, writer and speaker.
 
A Kentucky native, Hannah lives near Fort Campbell where she and her family are currently stationed.  She holds a BA in History from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and is active in ministry, Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), as well as the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and My Book Therapy (MBT).

 
Connect with Hannah:

About The Wounded Warrior’s Wife:
Battles Raging Within Are Those You Must Fight To Win

http://www.amazon.com/Wounded-Warriors-Wife-Hannah-Conway/dp/1939603587/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412004590&sr=8-1&keywords=the+wounded+warrior%27s+wifeWHITLEIGH CROMWELL dreamt of a happy life with her newlywed husband. Army Private First Class COLLIER CROMWELL loved God, his wife, and his country, though the military demanded he pay a high cost.

When an unexpected deployment during the height of war sends Collier away for another year, their lives tumble down a path marked with struggle, and fatalities.  War weary, and faith crippled, Collier brings home a war of another kind leaving Whitleigh staring at the shattered pieces of their broken marriage. 
Are there wounds too deep, and marriages too broken that they’re beyond even God’s ability to restore?

Friday, May 16, 2014

The Soil of Your Heart. MOPS Lesson & Gardening Craft

Anyone Need A Little More THYME?

Why not plant some, and a few other herbs or flowers at your next MOPS meeting?


Meeting Theme: The Soil of Your Heart
Focus verse was Hosea 10:12: Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he come and showers his righteousness on you.
Craft: Chalkboard painting small, 65 cent clay pots from Lowes, adding dirt, and planting herb seeds
Supplies: clay pot, chalkboard paint, sponge brushes, packets of seed, gardening soil

God's word draws many parallels between our spiritual condition and gardening/farming. We wanted to explore these parallels during this particular meeting by allowing a Q & A time with our Mentor Moms discussing what helps us grow in our walk with Christ; things such as:
  • Prayer
  • Reading His Word
  • Fellowship
  • Serving
  • Obeying
Has your MOPS or Mom's group done a similar theme? Please share with us!

Post by: Hannah Conway


Friday, May 9, 2014

MOPS Pinterest Party!

Move Over Craft Day! In Waltzes Pinterest Party!

There was simply no better way to scratch that itch. You know what I mean. That need MOPS Moms' have to chat, craft, laugh, brunch it up, and be kid free for two glorious hours! A Pintrest Party WAS the cure!

How did we do our Pinterest Party?

1: We got our budget together--$300 on crafts for 50 women.

2: The Creative Activities Coordinator, along with a trusty sidekick, picked  4 reasonably priced, handy, yet adorable crafts for all crafter skill levels. See below for crafts and instructions. We also including a DIY wreath tutorial area, and a Pinterest inspired photo-opp area which included a cute backdrop and fun picture props for moms to snap photos with their phones. Way cute! Check out other pics below!

Sock holder/Or homework/Art
Disply














TIP: Use a first come, first serve basis concerning the crafts. Ideally, each mom can do all four crafts, but we encouraged the moms to pick their favorite craft first, then see what was remaining.

3: We decided on the room layout, even drawing it out. Each crafting area would get either one or two tables depending on the need. The DIY wreath tutorial would have their own room, and moms could come and go as they pleased. Three tables, seating 8 people each, would be toward the front of the room, close to the food ('cause that's a must), for those wanting to chat and skip out on crafts.

We hung the P's all around!












4: We decided on décor, and set up the area the day before the meeting.  The famous Pinterest red and white P's were blown up, cut out, and attached to the mason jar table centerpieces. Pin it "buttons" were cut out and stuck to toothpicks which were used to "pin" the food on the buffet table. Tables were alternated with red and white plastic table clothes. Red and white balloons were hung upside down from the ceiling over the buffet table, and then placed around the room at different heights.
TIP: When hanging balloons upside down, use the water faucet to put a little water--maybe 1/4 cup--in the balloon before blowing it up. This keeps the balloons from blowing around.
Pin it Toothpicks!

5: We gathered materials/supplies for crafty pinterest doorprizes and attached directions. ie modge podged scrabbook tile coaster, special day glass plates, chalkboard mugs. We bundled each gift up and tied it with a cute red, white, or polka dotted bow.  Door prizes were drawn randomly throughout the meeting. They were a hit!

6:  We advertised months in advance to the moms via our Facebook page, email, newsletters, and meeting announcements.

7: Those slotted to bring food were encouraged to bring pinterest inspired food and multiple copies of their recipe to share. At each meeting, we vote with small stones for the best dish and the winner receives a small prizes.
TIP: It would have been very clever of us to give each mom a "pin it" toothpick for them to place by the favorite dish that was shared. 

8: We sat back, and had a blast!!

by: Hannah Conway

Crafts (Click on Craft for picture and instructions):

1:Sock/Homework/Art Holder; a little more challenging to make with painting the board and all, but overall, fairly simple. We simply hot glued on wooden clothes pins, and had stencils available for the moms to make the project their own.

2:Conversation Stones; great for ice breaker games and dinner table conversation ideas; beyond easy to make!

3:Sticky Notepad holders; excellent Teacher gift idea! SUPER easy to make!

4: Tile Necklace; super adorable and easy to make!!

Other Pics!

Our Way CUTE backdrop for DIY Photobooth!


Table Setup for the Sock Holder

Table Setup for the Note Pad Holders


Table Setup for Conversation Stones