2 more Sleeps

Only two more sleeps until we go away for our scrapbooking retreat I am not at all organised this year. This was me last year

I had packets of layouts all ready to take away - ideas flowing, packed and organised a week a head of time.

This year, my scrapbooking table still looks like this.
I have no idea what I am doing - photos aren't organised. I am not predicting a very productive weekend. Still it will be nice to get away and have a weekend with some great woman.

I am still being spoilt by my lovely daughter. She turned up at work with these yesterday.
She just wanted me to know she was thinking of me. A decision should have been made about my future work wise this week. I am just patiently waiting to hear. I am so thankful and blessed to have amazing kids who constantly let me know that I am in their thoughts and prayers. They have been a huge support and encouragement to me these past couple of months and they will never know how much I treasure them for their thoughtfulness and caring.

It has been a busy week and I still quite a bit to do before I go. This needs attending too before I go
but we will get there. Hope to have a few layouts to share with you next week. I have been in such a scrapbooking drought this year, so I am hoping that a whole weekend away surrounded by scrapbookers might help to break that drought I have been experiencing this year.

I have been playing with my camera again this week though and snapped these couple of shots. Hoping to get back into the photo a day again real soon.
These next two photos are of a gorgeous vase that Chloe got for her birthday - it is absolutely gorgeous and lights up beautiful when fairy lights are put inside it. We all have fallen in love with it.
And finally I thought I would leave you with an email I received this week from one of my work collegues, I am sure she has no idea what a huge encouragement it was for me to read this. I also wanted to post here so that I have a record for the future.

Once
there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing
their hopes and dreams when the first tree said,

'Someday I
hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and
precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and
everyone would see the beauty.'

Then the second tree said,
'Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens
across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone
will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.'


Finally the third tree said, 'I want to grow to be the
tallest and
straightest tree in the forest. People will see me
on top of the Hill and look up to my branches, and think of the
heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the
greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me.'


After a few years of praying that their dreams would come
true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the
first tree he said, 'This looks like a strong tree, I think I should
be able to sell the wood to a carpenter, 'and he began cutting it
down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would
make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the
woodsman said, 'This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to
sell it to the shipyard.' The second tree was happy because he knew
he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the
woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because
he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true.
One of the Woodsmen said, 'I don't need anything special from my
tree, I'll take this one,' and he cut it down.

When the
first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box
for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This
was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was
cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty
ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree
was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark.

The
years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then
one day, a man and woman came
to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in
the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that
he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have
to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew
that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years
later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second
tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out
on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was
strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man,
and He stood and said 'Peace' and the Storm stopped. At this time,
the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.


Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried
through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying
it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and
raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the
tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top
of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus
had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that
when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place
your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.

Each of
the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had
imagined.

We don't always know what God's plans are for us.
We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always
best.

Have a great week everyone.