Weekly Giveaway – Couture Keepsakes by Keepsake Concepts
By Heather Ledeboer | Category: Mom 4 Life News & Giveaways | Posted Friday, February 27, 2009
The Bella Band by Ingrid and Isabel
that we featured last week and gave away to Marian is 10% off this week (until Thursday night).
The styles are made from many quality fabrics and are detailed with trim such as satin ribbon, roses, binding, bows, and buttons to compliment each design. The miniature outfits are palm size (4.5" in length by 3.5" in width) and fully assembled on a miniature wooden hanger with a miniature wooden clothes pin to hold the special personalized message tag. The keepsakes are each filled with pre-packaged white Kosher Jordan Almonds. The Couture Keepsakes Child Collection are perfect for Pregnancy Announcements, Baby Showers, Birth Announcements, Invitations, Religious Celebrations, Child's Birthday, etc. and makes a lovely keepsake.
Forgiveness – Can “ignore” make someone go away?
By angelagifford | Category: Pursuing God | Posted Thursday, February 26, 2009
Facebook is an interesting thing. It enables you to connect with all kinds of people from your past – friends and enemies. Thankfully, on Facebook, you have an "easy button." You can just hit "ignore" when an enemy soldier requests your friendship. But the interesting part, is the feelings that even the request stirs up. You can hit "ignore" to the request. But you can't always just hit "ignore" to the feelings that stir up in your heart.
Not too long ago, someone who had hurt me in the past, requested my friendship on Facebook. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I thought of them. I really believed I had totally forgiven, forgotten, and moved on. In my blissful ignorance, I preferred to believe that they had probably repented and changed…and if they had the opportunity would beg for forgiveness. I have heard of trials they have faced in the years since, and figured that their compassion had probably deepened. But when the Facebook request hit my inbox, I suddenly felt slammed into a wall of anger, frustration, fear, and disbelief.
After taking some time to think, I decided to assume the best. Perhaps they had completely turned around and were looking up all their past victims on Facebook to repent and clear their conscience of their offenses. So, I messaged back and hinted at my surprise and poor memories of our past, giving opportunity to divulge an apology. However, when my comments were meant with silly sarcasm, I realized that this person was at best completely clueless or at worst, still looking to devour. So, I hit the easy button: ignore.
But as I mentioned before, you can't just ignore the whirpool stirred up in your heart. So I was forced to confront and deal with reality and process some things about forgiveness. Here are some things I have processed and a few new that I have learned:
Forgiveness doesn't require anyone else's repentance. Forgiveness is an act of our own heart. It is coming to a deeper understanding of what Christ did for us on the cross and his challenge to us in Matthew 6:12-14. It is accepting God's offer to heal our hearts and “teflon coat” them from bitterness. It is the refusal to allow the hurtful acts of others to damage our soul.
Forgiveness allows us to pass God’s love (or what is called agape love) to the ones that hurt us, even if the relationship isn't healed enough to extend phileo (or brotherly/friendship) love. Forgiveness keeps your heart soft towards the Lord and towards the possibilities of restoring the relationship with the offender.
But forgiveness and trust are not the same thing. So….next time, we’ll talk about that and the possibility of restored relationships.
Is there anyone you need to forgive today?
Remembered
By Heather Ledeboer | Category: Pursuing God, Sawyer's Story, The Journey of Motherhood | Posted Wednesday, February 25, 2009
There is something incredibly touching about being remembered, something that draws us to want to leave our mark in the world. I think of all the times I have seen names carved out or written on rocks at rest stops or on picnic benches. I remember when my husband and I first carved out our initials on a tree. We as humans want to be known AND we want to be remembered. I think this desire is placed in us by the same God who wants to be known and remembered by us. Though or time here may be brief, we were created with a lifespan that far exceeds or time on this earth.
This photo was taken on the shores of Western Australia by a family that lost their own son, Christian Dudley, before birth. Later, this family started a unique ministry called To Write Their Names In The Sand. In their own words, "To Write Their Names In The Sand is a place of remembrance. It is our hope that we can bring rays of hope and light back into bereaved family and friends lives. To watch the sunset and be a witness to Christian's legacy please visit here."
Since they began this ministry, this couple has since taken requests for over 3,225 names to be written in the sand of the seashore that is just minutes from their home. Recently Sawyer's name was added to the sand on the shores of Australia–one of two continents that I have not personally visited (the other being Antarctica;). You can see it on their website here. I think it turned out beautiful and feel that it is fitting that his name was captured in the setting sun, just as his time with us quickly faded. I can't help thinking about the brief time that his name remained in the sand after this photo was captured. I am sure that the tide quickly swept it away. It is the same with all of us. Our lives are short, but they need not be without meaning or impact. I believe that we cannot know the full meaning or impact that our lives are capable of, without also knowing the God who created us.
The photo below was taken by Emily, who lives in Hawaii and had a stillborn son, Gabriel in 2002 (incidentally also on May 10th). Emily says this on her website, "For his angelversary my sister wrote his name in the sand at a beach close to her home on the Windward Shore of Hawaii. It is a special beach set aside as a ‘quiet place of reflection’. I love how the photo turned out- and it seems so suitable to me that it is not a permanent thing, but rather, just like Gabriel, it is here for just a minute and then gone. But for a brief moment, the world is a little different because of him.
" You can see her website here. Thank you to both Christian and Gabriel's families for creating beautiful memories for families who have lost a child.
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14 for [God] knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more. Psalm 103:14-16
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6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. Psalm 23: 5-6
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17 May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
All nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed.
18 Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds. Psalm 72: 17-18
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25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-27
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1 I will sing of the LORD's great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. Psalm 89:1-2
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4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:4-5
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5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.
7 He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Psalm 112:5-7
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1 Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD. Psalm 117
A facelift (part 2)
By Heather Ledeboer | Category: Surprize Me! | Posted Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thank you so much for all of your feedback the first time around with this. I am glad you all liked the categories on the left, that made it easy to decide to keep those there. As mentioned before the circle with the photo of the mom and the quote will rotate to show 3-4 different moms and their quotes about why they love Mom 4 Life. I have three new options for you below. Please tell me:
-Which do you like best? If you like option 2 or 3 best, do you like that shade of pink on the sides?
-How well do you like that option? Better than our current layout?
-Do you have any other comments or suggestions for change?
Option 1: This one has a white background on the sides and a pink behind the featured products.
(click the image to enlarge it)
Option 2: This one has pink on the sides and pink behind the featured products.
(click the image to enlarge it)
Option 3: This one has pink on the sides and white behind the featured products.
(click the image to enlarge it)
For the Modern Grandma!
By Heather Ledeboer | Category: New Products | Posted Monday, February 23, 2009
Once you are a mom, you are a mom 4 life!
Nothing honors that better than two of our newest products!
The Grandiva and Grannylicious T's both retail at $38.00
