nourishing the soul ~ my new creativity group

it's been a busy week here, but i wanted to pop in and let y'all know i've decided to move my ning group officially to facebook. after much consideration, it just seems like the most natural choice. so many of us already spend time there regularly, right? :D as of right now, the group is open to the public, but in the next day or so i will be changing it to a closed group. once this happens, you will have to request membership. also, only members will be able to see group wall posts, photos, and discussions....thus making it a safe place to share and grow while hanging out with creative kin.

once you join, please post a little intro on the group wall or in the introductions thread in the discussion group. let's get to know each other. this is a place for kinship and encouragement....which without your participation, won't happen. you can post photos/videos to the group wall and in the group photo pool. if you find something that you feel would benefit our group, please post a link on the group wall to share with our creative kin. :D

be sure to check the group every so often to keep up with new stuff. new activity in groups does not post to your newsfeed. you have to visit the group itself. so, don't become a stranger. ;) :D i will be posting creativity challenges and prompts on a regular basis, so you don't want to miss out. participation in them is not mandatory, but is encouraged.

living, breathing, creating ~ nourishing the soul group on facebook

hope to see ya there!

blessings & creative hugs, paulette

things i'm lovin' this week

+ this fabulous lamp with a french script lampshade. found out they carry it at marshall's (there's one right down the road from me) and tj maxx. i know where i'm goin' later today lol! + this book i found today on amazon. what a perfect title: A Perfectly Kept House Is the Sign of a Misspent Life: Creative Ideas and Real-life Tips for Making Your Home Lived-in, Warm, Welcoming and One-of-A-Kind ... Worrying About Everything Being Just Right!)

+ these creative re-purposed organizers. totally right up my alley (see previous book link lol!)

+ this song from plumb. it's a remixed version of an older song of hers. i love the new version even more!!

+ and finally, my new blog community/forum over at blogfrog. you gotta go check it out and join! you can even join using your facebook login so there's no new username/password to have to remember (bonus!) i'll be using it instead of my ning site from now on since ning will start charging later this month. blogfrog is so simple compared to ning and i really like it better since it focuses more on building communities around existing blogs. it's a great place for my blog buddies to interact with each other, ask questions, and make new friends. after you join, your latest blog posts and twitter posts will be displayed in my community...another great way to connect with each other. :) please feel free to start a discussion when you have a question for me, advice you'd like to share, or stories related to your creative journeys. you can also sign up for daily email updates from the community too so you'll never be out of the loop when there's new activity.

well, i'd better get a move on. lots to do today and time is slipping away quickly for me these days. i'd love it if y'all would share some of your favorite things with me this week.....either here on this post or over at my new community. :D

blessings & hugs, paulette

Our gift

"What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God." ~Elenor Powell

God is so creative! Look around at the splendorous world around you. He created this amazing world that we all have this tendency to take for granted. We fail to see the beauty in the everyday things surrounding us.

We get too busy with our daily lives and forget to take in the astounding beauty he created just for us! We too have this creative ability. We were made in God's image, right? So we too are creative....each and every one of us! God gifted each one of us with creative abilities....some of us are creative in the way we decorate our homes, the way we solve problems, or the way we communicate.

Some of us are gifted with the ability to engineer or design amazing creations like bridges....

or buildings....

Me, I was gifted with the ability to paint.

And these are my tools.

God put this desire in my heart to paint and eventually I could no longer deny it. For denying it was like telling God I wasn't worthy of this gift He had given me. It was like refusing it. But by using this gift He so graciously has given me, I bring honor to His choice.....glory to His name. For He uses this gift to reach out to not only me, but to others. I am His vessel and I can choose to honor Him by doing what He has called me to do....or I can choose to put it off, make excuses, and not honor His choice to give me this gift.

What gift has God given you? What desire has he placed in your heart? He placed that desire there for a reason. To motivate you to do what He has called you to do. He is that still, small voice that won't let you ignore it. He whispers to your heart....fans the desire. Don't ignore it....for in doing so, you choose to not honor your purpose....your God given purpose.

I've chosen to honor Him.

What will you choose?

Listen to pauletteinsalls playlist

hey y'all! i added a few new songs to my playlist. you can also find it on my sidebar near the bottom (i've changed it to pink on the sidebar 'cause i realized that the purple is a little too bright for my color palette here). several of you have mentioned in the past you've enjoyed this feature, so i made sure i ported it over here to my new blog home. :)

Spring walk