"The Heartfelt Home" DIY,Sewing, Decorating, Crafts, Cooking, Sentimental, Homeschooling

The Pearl Event

2013-05-08T11:44:00.001-04:00

I am getting very excited, this time next week I will be packing my car and getting ready for Nashville!

The Pearl Event will be here in just 9 short days and I can’t wait.

Until then..

I have exciting news for today I have tickets for some of you.

Leave a comment below and I will pick a winner on Friday.

Make sure you leave your name and email so I can get in touch with you.

Can’t wait to meet you there!

Charity

Growing Girls in Grace, book 1

2013-05-03T07:02:00.001-04:00

Good Morning!

I am getting ready to pack my car and head to the church to get my booth set up for

The Johnny Hunt Women's Conference.

I am excited to see all the God has planned today, for myself and for every lady coming.

It is going to be a great day.

Before, I pack up and leave I wanted to let you in on some exciting news.

I have written an ebook!!!!!!!!!

The book is called

Growing Girls in Grace

Growing Girls in Grace is a perfect way to for mother and daughter to connect
over God's word and crafts. Included in this book is a Bible Memory Verse
Card and detailed craft tutorial for each month of the year. Each month
focuses on a different Biblical principle vital to girls of all ages to learn. Start
the month by introducing the memory verse card and end each month
discussing the verses and doing the craft together. Use the monthly
conversation starters to aid you as you teach your daughter the corresponding
Biblical principle.

Writing this book has been on my heart for several years but the timing was never right.

Until, God put all the pieces and people into place and allowed it to come together in record time, in a way that was and is so clearly Him.

I am blown away by all of the support and encouragement He has brought to me and others through this adventure and can not wait to see what He does next with it.

For now, I am offering it only from my blog. If you are interested, send me an email @ TheHeartfeltHome@gmail.com for more info.

Reviews

As a mom of three girls, I cannot recommend Growing Girls in Grace enough. In this world, today, it is more important than ever to equip our young ladies with God’s word and the tools they need to grow into Godly women. Charity has perfectly captured a way for moms to connect with their daughter’s through great conversation starters, relevant Bible verses, and fun crafts. The crafts require minimum materials and are explained in great, easy to follow steps. They are also crafts that you will be thrilled to use in your home. A year spent with Growing Girls in Grace will be a wonderful time of growth for you and your daughter(s).

Kelly Lorenzen

Looking for some help to creatively and intentionally foster a love for God's Word in your daughter while also bonding with her? This ebook is filled with step by step directions to guide you as you connect with your daughter in discussions of the Bible and how it practically applies to real life. The hands-on crafts will surely make a mark on your daughter! She will take these lessons with her into life! You will be making priceless memories for both of you! Use this book if you want to encourage your daughters relationship with the Lord and with you in truly meaningful ways.

Kristy Dorminy

What a delightful book! It is vital that mothers and daughters spend time together and cultivate a healthy relationship. This book is full of the sweetest ways to do that. Cha Cha’s heart for her own daughters shines through the ideas and makes me want to grab my girls, sit down at the kitchen table and talk. Her clever and easy going combination of working with your hands, using your creativity, sharing your inner thoughts and adding Scripture is an inspiration! I pray that all moms can catch the vision of spending this kind of quality time with their daughters, creating a bond that will last a lifetime. And in the process have a fun takeaway craft that will be a charming reminder of the time they spent together. Best of all, she beautifully points to Christ through this precious mother-daughter time. You will be blessed by this book.

Lisa Pennington

Author of The Pennington Point and women’s group speaker

To God Be All Glory

2013-05-02T06:18:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow at this time I will be packing my car to overflowing and checking and rechecking a list that I have been working on for weeks now. So what am I doing, you ask.

Vacation… NOPE!

Even BETTER!

I am following God’s call, stepping out in faith, jumping heart first out of the safe into that place where only God knows what will happen next.

The truth is I have been taking steps toward the edge for the last few weeks but tomorrow many other people will know about it. Those people will be able to judge my leap of faith as either a success or a failure. My faith will be watched and scrutinized but I am ready and I already know the answer to all of this.

It will be a success because it is God and no matter what it looks like to our earthly eyes God has ways and plans that are not like ours.

So,

ENOUGH

with tip toeing around the what. Here goes.

Tomorrow I will start selling my Bible Memory Verse Pillows again. To some of you this means nothing but to those of you who have been here long enough you may remember them and the struggle I had with them..

For those of you who are new they are basically a decorative pillow, for your kids, with a pocket on the front to store Bible Memory Verse Cards in.

I had made many and tried to sell them a few years ago but did not have any real success, if you count selling them as success. I felt like a failure and was pretty beat up over the whole thing, I knew that God had planted the idea in my heart but I did not know what to do with it. I put the idea and my inventory on the self for the last few years and would occasionally find the tote that they were stored in and pray and ask God what to do. I never had a peace about doing anything so back on the shelf they would go and some days this was easy and some days there was still heartbreak and confusion.

Then one day, not too long ago

God said it was time.

Time to bring them off the shelf

Time to expose my heart and faith

Time to jump

So…

Here I am today,

Telling you that I am jumping!

I am jumping without fear and hesitation because this time…

This time,

I do not care what the earthly success looks like. I have already seen God’s glory exposed and talked about through the whole process. Since it is my only goal to allow God’s glory to shine then if not one pillow sells it is still a success and I am still full of joy.

God has use the pillows to spur other ideas, ideas that are fully His.

Ideas that have brought me to my knees with tears of joy to have a glimpse of His heart and for Him to trust me to move forward with this.

Today I want to say,

Thank You

God

for every good and perfect gift,

You

be all glory and honor.

Charity

I will be selling at The Johnny Hunt Women's Conference on Friday and Saturday if you are going to be there please stop by my booth and say hi.

If you are interested in purchasing a pillow or just want more info send me an email @ TheHeartfeltHome@gmail.com

Come back tomorrow to see one of the other ideas God has entrusted to me.

Broken Ground

2013-04-17T06:52:00.001-04:00

The other day I was dreaming of all the fresh vegetables that will soon flood my kitchen from the garden. I could not help but be excited for fried green tomatoes, tomato sandwiches, eggplant parmesan and fresh corn. I was ready for it

NOW!

An early picking from last years garden

Then I stopped to think about all of the work that would have to be done first.

I felt God nudge my heart…

I felt Him say,

before there can be growth

remember

the ground has to be broken

I could not stop thinking about that. For those who do not know, before the first seed can be planted in a garden the soil has to be tilled, broken up, multiple times. The soil MUST be turned, broken, and stripped of the weeds (useless, wasters of fertile soil). Isn’t that true for us too.

Before we can grow anything but weeds in our lives we need to turn our hearts toward God, then He breaks up the soil of our lives making it soft and ready to receive the seeds of His word and removes all the time wasting weeds.

Our backyard garden

This has been so true in my life. I know I have seen the most growth after seasons of brokenness. Currently, I am in a season of great growth but I can still feel the pain of my ground being broken up, the pain from not understanding all that God had planned, the pain of change, the pain of dying to selfish pride, the pain of doing what was not comfortable or easy, and the pain of digging in deep and finally dealing with those hard and hurtful things. But, you know what? God did have a plan.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

And it was worth the pain!

Dear Friend,

I pray that if you are in a season of broken ground that you embrace it.

Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

Do not run from this time, do not try to give it a quick fix. Settle in, ask God to show you any other areas that you need to submit to Him. Spend more time praying and reading God’s word. He has great growth planned for you, let Him do His work. Soon enough, you will be in a place where you can not explain the excitement you have because of what you are watching God do through you. You will be in awe of and humbled by the fact that you are being used for His work.

Be encouraged, Sweet Friend, seasons change and your growth and harvest are coming…

but first the soil has to be broken and made ready for the father to pour into.

What season are you in?

Charity

Remember to purchase your tickets for The Pearl Event ~ Nashville

Can’t wait to meet you there!

The Pearl Event ~ Speakers

2013-04-02T04:04:00.001-04:00

Good Morning,

I am beyond excited to share with you the other ladies who will be speaking at

The Pearl Event

Each of these ladies has a heart to serve God and His people.

I hope you will take a few minutes and visit their blogs and get to know them better.

It is going to be an amazing day and

I would love it if you would join us.

Tickets are available here.

I would love and appreciate your prayers. This is

W A Y

out of my comfort zone.

I am not afraid to stand in front of people but I do not want to disappoint anyone.

That is where the fear sneaks in…

am I good enough….

will people understand what I am saying…

will people like me…

will I be a disappointment…

I know this is the enemy’s way of distracting me and I continue to give these fears to God but I want to be real and share them with you. I want you to know that this call, like most God has for us, is not a piece of cake. I am having to die to myself and my selfish desires and trust and stretch my faith to new places. The crazy thing is with all the fear and trembling also comes excitement. I am excited to be chosen by God for this moment and even more excited to be able to watch him at work.

In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

Have you been called to stretch your faith recently?

I would love to here your story!

Charity

Eggtra, Eggtra

2013-03-30T17:22:00.001-04:00

Just a little egg decorating.

Charity

The Pearl Event ~ Nashville

2013-03-22T12:31:00.001-04:00

Hi Friends!

Guess What?

Are You Sitting Down?

Okay, deep breath…..

I am speaking at

The Pearl Event III, The Triple Strand

Can you believe it?

ME,

Standing in front of people sharing.

WOW, God is Good.

I have been ready to scream from the roof tops since the day Sibi asked me to speak.

I can’t wait to meet everyone there!

Here is some important information.

When: Friday, May 17, 2013

Where:

The Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville Tennessee

Tickets are on sale now and include a wonderful boxed lunch,

click here to purchase your tickets.

You can stay up to date on all the latest information by liking the

The Pearl Event Facebook Page

Goodness, I am excited and nervous. All prayers will be greatly appreciated!

More info to come next week.

Charity

The Power of a Testimony, Your Story

2013-03-20T07:06:00.000-04:00

*For those of you following me here and at The Church Blog please forgive me for posting this in both places. I am trying to figure out where to post what but this is important to me and I wanted it in both places. Thank you!*

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a conference that a dear friend of mine, Sibi, was speaking at. You can read more about her ministry and our friendship here, here, here, and here. I have heard her speak before and because we have been friends for several years, I know much of her story.

Her story is a but God story. The type of story that brings you to tears each time you hear it because it is just that heart breaking…but God. God took what man did wrong and used it for His glory.

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in

order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

Genesis 50:20

All the heartbreak and brokenness man heaped on her God healed and rebuilt. Because she now shares this, her testimony, many lives are saved… changed for eternity. Women find hope in her story because if God can do such a radical transformation in her life what might He do in their own!?

I had this moment with God not too long after meeting Sibi. As she would share pieces of her past, I would be shocked at the fact that I could not see any residue of that left in her. She was not the broken person she had been, she was whole, full, and overflowing to others. God used this to open my spiritual eyes to some brokenness I still had. Brokenness that I wasn’t even aware of. I thought the effects of my brokenness was just apart of who I was, my personality. But God… He had other plans, plans to trade beauty for ashes and to rebuild the devastated places.

Isaiah 61

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
²to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.

⁴They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
⁵Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
⁶And you will be called priests of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.

⁷Instead of your shame
you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.

⁸“For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
⁹Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

¹⁰I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.

I pushed in close and dug in deep. I allowed God to reveal some ugly and broken places in my heart, places where full forgiveness had never been offered because I had never allowed myself to fully explore the pain that had been caused. And until I allowed myself to fully feel and view with hindsight the full amount of damage caused I could not fully forgive. As I went through this, there were days, I didn’t want to leave my bed because the weight of it all would be so heavy but God showed up day after day. Eventually, as I started to forgive things got lighter. So light, one day I was shocked. I was shocked by the change. There was no more anger, no more hurt. My responses to life started to look different. I was operating from a full and overflowing place and no longer from a place of brokenness.

Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:22-25

Seeing who Sibi is and knowing all that she has gone through was what God used to open my eyes to pain I was still carrying. I dug in deep and allowed God to rebuild my devastation and now I share my story with others. One night last week my friend, Suzanne, used the words spiritual mentor to describe me. I know that I could not be full enough to overflow into her life had God not healed me. God used a testimony to start my healing, to change my life and the life of those around me.

Share Your Testimony!

Your Story Matters!

Who is the One You Should Tell Today?

Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and

considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.

Hebrews 13:7

Has God ever used someone's testimony to change your life?

Charity

The Master Bedroom

2013-02-20T15:02:00.000-05:00

Today I thought I would share about

The Master Bedroom

My husband, Jeremy, and I have been married almost 15 years and in that time we have never put much effort into our bedroom. When we first got married we tried to sleep in a full size bed. When that didn’t work and we ended up in two separate bedrooms. Jeremy’s, wise aunt and uncle offered us a king size box spring and mattress. We rushed to pick it up and made do with some discount sheets and a comforter. It did what we needed it to because let’s face it newlyweds should NOT be in separate rooms. We used that box springs and mattress for about 5 years until we had enough money to get a queen size bed. It is the bed in the pictures below. I bought a bed in a bag set for the bed and called it a day… we had two little kids under foot and not much time to worry about anything but them. Fast forward a few years and we moved into the house we live in now. I was overwhelmed by all that I wanted to do in every room, I hung some drapes and started to work on the rooms that everyone would see. Through the years our bedroom became the dumping ground for all things without a home. So here we are today almost 15 years later with a unfinished bedroom with lots of clutter and mess. I know our story is not much different from many of you, that is why I told it. We all worry about the rooms that the world sees but we, wives, need to worry about the room that is just for us and the love of our lives. This room is where we let our guard down, where we give love and receive love like no where else, it should be

Special

I recently decided that was what I was going to do, make our room special.

I started by removing all of the mess and clutter, then studied the room,

I made a list of all that needed to happen in the room, started a Pinterest board for styles and ideas that I like, and really tried to think about what my husband would like.

My husband and I are opposites , he is very practical and I think the more drama the better.

With all of this in mind, I started work on the room.

I this is what I ended up with.

There are still a few things that I want to do…

Like get a BIG, BEAUTIFUL, SPARKLY,

CHANDELIER!!!

Even without those things done

I Love It

and it is

Special.

The perfect mix of practical and drama, just like me and my man.

Now it is time to light a candle and tell him how much I love him.

With some thought, effort, and a little money you can have a special bedroom too.

Now go get busy.

Charity

Savvy Southern Style

Answering God’s Call

2013-02-16T07:53:00.001-05:00

I was a 7 year old little girl sitting on the land I now live on when I first remember the dream God placed in my heart. I was sitting with my mom and a woman who was a family friend. I had a doll in my hands and I was playing with her hair, I was always playing with my dolls hair or brushing my mothers…these are some of my earliest childhood memories. The family friend offered to teach me to French braid my dolls hair. I don’t know how many tries it took but I do know I walked away from that day knowing how to French braid. In that moment I knew I would be a hairstylist - CRAZY, I know, but I KNEW! Through the years of middle school and high school I went about playing with hair and makeup to an even bigger degree than most girls my age, my poor parents. I remember being drawn to the cosmetic aisles of stores like it was a need not a want, a moth to the flame. I needed to explore, to touch, to see, to smell. If you were my friend during those years and came to my house you were getting a makeover whether you wanted one or not, just ask my friend Lana. After becoming comfortable doing makeovers, if you sat still long enough I might cut, color, or perm your hair. I am by nature a pretty cautious person but in this area I was fearless. Even stranger than being fearless was the fact that I wasn’t bad (not good but not bad). Looking back I now know it was God given courage and talent. He had a call on my life but I was far too immature spiritually to know it. I finished high school and hair school should have been the next step. Sadly, it was not. I did not have much encouragement in this area, my dad believed that “there is a salon on every corner, you can never make money at it”, he was being protective not mean. I was in a relationship that I thought was the one, you know the boy you have known your whole life and your parents are best friends, I thought I was getting married and going to stay home and have babies but like so often happens, he broke my heart. These things combined with many others had me confused, hurt and mad at God. I spent the next 4 years in and out of college and trying many different career options, none of them were satisfying. During this time I was becoming more and more depressed because my other dream of being a wife and mother seemed that it would NEVER happen. My friends were all getting married and starting families, while I on the other hand couldn’t even find someone to date. I was desperate for love but never thought to turn back to God. I kept aimlessly looking to someone to provide this for me.

Then at the age of 22 I read a book about making a list of qualities you would want your future husband to have and then to start praying for them. So I did! This was the first time in years I had approached God. In His perfect way He started to soften my heart toward Him and His ways. He brought back that childhood dream of becoming a stylist. I told my parents that I wanted to go to hair school and asked if I could move back into their house and go to school. They agreed! So I quit my job , moved back home, and signed up for school. I was hooked, this was what I was made to be. Through a God ordained chain of events I ended up quitting hair school (insert the song Beauty School Drop Out here) and going to work for a high-end salon that provided me an opportunity to apprentice. This was such a gift from God, covered up with His extravagant favor. The education I received was far above anything I could have ever paid for and not only was this free I was being paid (min. wage) to be an assistant in the salon. About the time I was ready to “graduate” and be a stylist God brought my husband into my life. From the day we met to the day we got married was 1 year to the day and 5 months after getting married I became pregnant. It was as if God was waiting on me to answer that original call/dream before He would or could gift me the rest.

I continued to work in the same salon that I apprenticed in until I had my second daughter. God stirred my heart to come home and be a wife and a mother first and work part time out of my own, in home, salon. I started to work with a few friends and family and within a few months I had another stylist friend, who also worked from home, call and tell me she was moving and offered me all of her clients. I had more clients than I had time to work. From that time forward I 100% believe every single client who walks through the door is a gift from God. I have never once advertised – He has provided week after week. That was 10 years ago.

Today I live in the house I grew up in, on the land where God first gave me the calling. Did you get that? My salon is on the ground where I was sitting when He placed this call on my life. Only God!

I am writing all of this because I believe God has another call on my life, one that scares my socks off and makes me want to hide in my closet. I keep answering it one baby step at a time with much feet dragging and pleading to God. He keeps pushing me forward and telling me to trust. This dream is bigger than I can even wrap my brain around right now. In all of my crying out and feet dragging God reminded me of this dream and how I could have never imagined or dreamed how to have made it happen but He knew. HE KNEW!

Then as I was preparing for our Sunday School class last week and reading Luke 2, God made these verses jump off the pages at me.

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. Luke 2:1-20

I could not believe what God was showing me. The Lord called the shepherds and they went straight to Bethlehem in a hurry. WOW, they did not drag their feet or go hide in a closet, they went in a hurry. And do you know what? God was there waiting on them. I cried when I read that and I am crying now writing about it. He has called me, I need to go forward, He will be there each step of the way.

Has God called you to something bigger than you could dream?

You have a story to tell and a dream to chase!

He gave it to you, stop living in fear and step out in faith and know that He, the God of this universe, will meet you there.

Love you,

Charity

And just in case you need more encouragement to follow God’s call in your life go read my friend Sibi’s POST on how her calling came about. You will be blessed, I promise.

And if you want to see my new Master Bedroom Makeover you can see it HERE

Closet Makeover

2013-01-09T20:43:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday, hope you have had a great day!

I wanted to let you know that I am sharing today, how I made over my closet, at

FBCW Women's Ministry Blog

I would love it if you would hop over and see what has been going on around here lately.

Love Ya,

Charity

Happy Thanksgiving

2012-11-22T07:23:00.001-05:00

Hope your table is full of family and friends today.

I am looking forward to a day spend with my family and can not wait to see all the names that will be added to my tablecloth

We have much to be thankful for!

God Bless,

Charity

The Refiner’s Fire

2012-10-12T06:56:00.001-04:00

Good morning!

Today I want to share a poem that I found yesterday and have not been able to get off of my mind.

God has used this poem to pour sweet honey into my heart and soul. I hope it will speak to your heart the way it has mine.

The Refiner’s Fire

He sat by a furnace of seven-fold heat,
As He watched by the precious ore.
And closer He bent with a searching gaze,
As He heated it more and more.

He knew He had ore that could stand the test
And He wanted the finest gold,
To mold as a crown, for the king to wear,
Set with gems of price untold.

So He laid our gold in the burning fire,
Tho’ we fain would say Him "nay."
And watched the dross that we had not seen
As it melted and passed away.

And the gold grew brighter and got more bright,
But our eyes were dim with tears,
We saw but the fire, not the Master’s hand,
And questioned with anxious fears.

Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow
As it mirrored a form above,
That bent o’er the fire, though unseen by us
With a look of ineffable love.

Can we think it pleases His loving heart
To cause us moments of pain?
Ah, no! But He sees through the present cross
The bliss of eternal gain.

So He waited there with a watchful eye,
With a love that is strong and sure.
And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat
Than was needed to make it pure.

I long to be HIS pure gold

I long to be changed

I long to let go of my impurities

I long to hear well done my good and faithful servant

I long to be of use

I long to be worthy of His crown

I long to desire His will

I long to submit all

I long for HIM, my refiner

I long to be His pure gold

Sweet Sister,

there is purpose in the refining process.

It is painful but there is purpose.

I pray that you will find encouragement to stay in the fire as long as you need to be there.

I pray that one day soon you will be able to count it all joy (James 1:2).

Your Refiner loves you and desires the best of and for you.

You are worthy of His work.

You are worthy.

Charity

Give Thanks

2012-10-08T14:36:00.001-04:00

Hello strangers, hope you are all well.

Me, well I am great!

Just busy living life, with no time to spare.

I wanted to take just a moment to pop in and show you all that I am still alive and kicking and that I have even started fluffing for Thanksgiving.

I changed my chalkboard and made a new wreath.

I love them and I am excited for this beautiful season of

intentional thanksgiving.

Thankful for so much,

Charity

Blog Talk Radio, I DID IT!!!!!

2012-09-05T09:03:00.001-04:00

Thank you to everyone who listen. Thank you to everyone who sent kind words. Thank you everyone who prayed. You all have BLESSED ME!!!!

The great thing was and is I think it went really well, all praise to GOD! I hope to write more in the coming days and weeks about the show and about how and what God has done in my heart.

In the meantime if you missed the show I wanted to let you know you can listen to it right below.

Listen to internet radio with The Pearl on Blog Talk Radio

Just click the play button and turn up the volume.

My prayer is that the transformation that God has started in my heart can start in yours. I pray that my willingness to follow God in trying to find and understand my godly beauty and worth can and will encourage you to seek Him for your own transformation. God is good and He desires to set you free.

Galatians 5:1

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Some of you were asking for the verses we read, so I am including them for you.

Top Ten Beauty Treatments

1. Psalm 139:14-18

I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret , and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed and in your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious are your thoughts to me, Oh God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I am awake I am still with you.

2. Luke 12:6-7

Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.

3. Jeremiah 1: 5-6

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to many nations.

4. 1 Timothy 4:8

For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

5. Gal. 5:22

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. (against such there is no law)

6. 1Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

7. Philippians 1:6

Being confident in this very thing. He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

8. Ephesians 3:16-19

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

9. Psalm 45:11

The King is enthralled with your beauty; honor Him, For He is your Lord.

10. Esther 4:14

For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your Father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Isaiah 61: 1-4
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to the bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.

As always if you would like to chat more

you can leave a comment or email me at TheHeartfeltHome@gmail.com

Blessings,

Cha Cha

Blog Talk Radio Show

2012-09-02T20:03:00.002-04:00

Hi Ladies,

I have exciting news to share with you! I will be the Guest blogger on my dear friend Sibi's radio show this Monday night at 9:00 pm central time. I have written about our friendship here and here. You can listen to the radio show here.

See my name and blog address beside the arrow, it makes my excited to see what God has planned Monday night and in the future. Sibi and I will be talking about what God’s word says about beauty and worth as a woman. I recently wrote about my own personal struggle with this subject here. I know God’s hand is all over this and I am so excited to share it all with you.

In my search for godly beauty and worth God blessed me recently to be a model for my friend Jamie. This is one of the pictures she took and I have to say I am very happy with it and I did not plan to like any of the pictures….. much less enjoy the experience. But God is good!

I will be writing more about the picture and my story in the weeks to come.

I hope you will join us Monday night.

And if you feel lead I would LOVE your prayers for the show. I want it to be all God and not me, plus in my vanity I would like to NOT say ummm 57 times.

So now you know the exciting way God is working in my life.

How is He working in yours?

Cha Cha

Dressing Table Reveal

2012-08-31T18:55:00.001-04:00

Back in February I shared my 39 Celebrations for my 39th Year and number 22 on the list was to makeover some furniture in our Master Bedroom. First up was a desk that I have been waiting to paint for some time. I can NOT find the before shot, grrrrr. It was stained dark and it was pretty but it was in bad condition, so it was going to have to be stripped and refinished or painted. For this room I was happy to paint it. I painted it the same color the trim in this room will some day soon be, fingers crossed. It is the perfect dressing table. I fix my hair, put on makeup and jewelry all while sitting and looking out the window into the woods.

Am I Beautiful?

2012-08-03T09:25:00.000-04:00

Most days I will answer that with a big NO! But there are rare days and if not days moments when I feel beautiful. So what is different about those moments? This is a question that has been rolling around in my head and heart lately and I have been turning the question to God. Why do I not feel beautiful?

The other day while on my tenth outfit I prayed that God would help me find something that I didn't hate. Within the next few tries I found something that was okay. Much of that days problems had to do with the fact that I have put on weight and nothing in my closet fits. I know weight is an obstacle to overcome on my way to feeling beautiful but I know it is NOT why I don't feel beautiful. I haven't ever felt different at any size. So this brings me back to what is different in those moments when I do feel beautiful. After much prayer and evaluation of people who seem to always feel beautiful I have come to the conclusion beauty is tangled up in our self worth. Most days I do not feel worthy to be beautiful - I am just a staying home, just cleaning house, just teaching my kids. I do not make myself worth the effort and my self worth goes down daily. The flip side is after year of hiding behind beauty products and clothing, pretending I felt worthy when really I was a broken mess, I now feel guilt when I dress up. Like I am being fake (lies from Satan, I know). Again my worth goes down.

So what is a girl to do in this crazy world to feel beautiful?

I wish I knew!

I wish I had the answer!

All I know is that I am bringing this to God and I am ready for the journey. I am not walking away from this until I am confident in my godly worth and beauty! I have complete faith that God will forgive and restore! I know I will be changed after this and there will be an abundant overflow that will come out of me naturally and spill over into others lives. I am excited.

²¹Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of^[a] your evil behavior. ²²But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation Colossians 1:21&22

This post is in response to my friend Jamie's post. I am taking a leap out of my comfort zone and being one of her models for her project. She asked me just days after I started praying about all of this. It is so cool how God works. I am praying and trusting that I will see myself as beautiful in these pictures and not want to hit delete like I do on every other picture I see of myself. I am praying for Jamie and each of her models that the images will show how God sees each of these women. I will let you know the results and what God calls me to do next.

Does anyone else struggle with this?

Please tell me I am not alone.

God is Great

2012-07-22T01:52:00.000-04:00

So it is the middle of the night and I can not sleep, I have done all of the normal things a person would try to sleep but still it will not come. I decided long ago not to ever just lay there fighting to sleep. I get up, I view the time as a gift to spend praying, reading and after that sometimes even cleaning. Just so you know I have started a load of laundry. That makes me sound like a good housewife, right? Tonight I have spent time praying and could not be satisfied with just that. I have these words that need to come out, they are not great words but the One they are about is great.

In this moment I am compelled to write. To write that You, God, are great and You are. I am in awe of You and all that You have done in my life, the beauty that You have scooped out of the burnt out pile of ash. There is still a heap of ash that we have yet to face....You in your sovereign, loving, greatness and me with my obedient and humble faith. I am at peace tough because I know we will get through it one scoop at a time. I no longer want to hurry things along (well most of the time). I desire each step, I long for the strength and courage it will bring. The exact training to be able to endure the removal of the next scoop. You are so faithful to reveal Yourself to me, to encourage me, to pick me up when I stumble, to trust me again. You bring me to each new phase and show me the strength that was gained during the last. You are great.

God and I have face more battles in the last two years than ever before. But you know what? I am at a place where I can see the value those battles bring to my life. I can see how my faith has grown. I can see the lessons I have learned. Above all I see how God has used my story to help others and to bring glory to His name. Because I continued to choose Him and not the easy way, now His glory is written into my story. He has made beauty from ashes.

I wonder are you in the middle of a battle and just need encouragement from someone who is, for the moment, looking at things from the other side. I can tell you sister it is worth every hour on your knees, every tear that slides down your cheek, and every page turned in your Bible. He has a plan for you, one bigger that you can dream. You have to get ready for it and sometimes growth comes with growing pains. I promise you those pains will be worth it and you will praise God for them. As you know if you need someone to come along side you in prayer - I would be honored to do so, just send me an email TheHeartfeltHome@gmail.com

God Bless,

2012-07-22T01:04:00.003-04:00

Fried Green Tomatoes with Homemade Buttermilk Dressing

2012-06-25T20:46:00.001-04:00

A few years ago for our 9th wedding anniversary Jeremy and I spent the week without kids in Savannah, Georgia. One of the highlights of our trip was on the last night when we attended Chef Joe Randall's cooking school. The food was to die for and Chef Joe sent us home with all of the recipes. Our favorite is fried green tomatoes with homemade buttermilk dressing. I have simplified and adapted the recipe to our taste and it has become a family favorite. It also gets rave reviews by everyone I make it for. Please know that this is not Chef Joe’s recipe but his inspired mine.

To start with you need

Green Tomatoes

Slice the tomatoes about a 1/4 in. thick

Next and this is VERY important

lay the slices out flat and sprinkle with salt.

Leave them flat for 20 minutes to an hour.

After that blot all the excess water that the salt pulls out with paper towels.

Flip and start over.

You will use lots of paper towels and if you are cheap like me this

WILL

make you crazy.

That is until you taste the first tomato, at that point you will throw the whole roll of paper towels in the trash and never think about them again.

Mix an egg with 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Dip the tomatoes into this mixture.

Mix 1/2 cup of cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon red pepper

(note- this is spicy)

Dip the tomatoes into it.

Then fry in very hot peanut oil, a couple of minutes on each side.

Drain well and place on a plate covered in a paper towel.

(Yes, that is fried squash in the background….DON’T JUDGE)

Up Next,

Buttermilk Dressing

1 cup Duke's Mayo

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh parsley

2 teaspoons fresh basil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

put all of this in a Mason jar and shake well.

Drizzle the tomatoes with the homemade buttermilk dressing

and

Enjoy

Cha Cha

Friendship

2012-06-04T08:20:00.001-04:00

The other day I commented on this picture by my friend Sibi

My comment was:

How is it you make the most simple things stunning. Glad I am your friend and I can feel stunning when near you.

If you don’t know I am NOT the type of person who leaves comments, I do NOT often feel I have anything of value to add to what is already there. This picture was different, it captured my attention and held it. I looked at it searching, searching out every detail. The longer I stared at it the more my heart was captivated. These are simple things, alone they would not be impressive but together they are stunning.

TOGETHER THEY ARE STUNNING!

Sibi has a gift for making everything around her beautiful. I have been a guest in her home, I have attended an event she has put together, and I have spent countless hours on the phone with her and after each I feel more beautiful.

Do you have friends who make you feel more beautiful?

- Friends who will fuss and fluff until you are more beautiful

- Friends who you know WILL pray when you ask

- Friends who are praying when you don’t have the strength to ask

- Friends who will not allow you to be complacent

- Friends who see more in you and for you than you dare dream.

- Friends who see God in you and are thankful for it

- Friends who push you to press into God harder

- Friends who God has used to change you

I prayed for these types of friendships for years and today I am blessed and thankful to have them. With them in my life…….my life has become more beautiful…...STUNNING. With them in my life I am no longer one simple girl----we are a stunning arrangement. One that God can and does use for His glory.

Thank you Sibi for once again using your gifts to add beauty to my life. You are a blessing.

Thank you to all my friends for being a gift given from God. For each of you I am thankful.

Cha Cha

Depression

2012-05-27T08:01:00.001-04:00

Now that is a word that will bring an uncomfortable pause into a conversation. It is a word I think most of us would like not to talk about but I have a feeling most of us have felt it on some level at least once in our lives. Our Sunday School teacher (Hi Jason) taught a lesson on this subject a few weeks ago and since then my head has been spinning with realizations about depression. One of the biggest being the realization that I have fought depression most of my life, not the need medical help extreme…..but still depression. I am quick to isolate myself and guard my heart to keep from dealing with life.

Elijah was afraid^[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, ⁴while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” ⁵Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. 1 kings 19:3-5

source

Have you ever felt like Elijah? I know I have.

- I have been afraid

- I have ran from my problems

- I have hid from everything and everyone

- I have cried out for it to all be over

I have wallowed in these, tried to cover the pain with the next trill and believed the entire cycle was sin and then started over with even more guilt added to the mix. This has proven to be a self-destructive recipe for disaster in my life.

What I am slowly starting to understand is that the depression has not been a sin in my life but how I have handled it has been. Running from my problems and the people around me does not solve anything. Spending money, starting a project or over eating, although momentarily providing an “excitement high”, does not solve anything. Those three are my defense mechanism, they are how my sinful self tries to fill the gaping hole in my heart. Unfortunately they propel the cycle further in the end. Last but not least crying out for it to end does not solve anything.

If the ways I have been mishandling things have been a sin but not the depression then that tells me I have to change the way I am handling the depression.

- First I am going to cry out to my Abba Father for help not to end it.

He knows how big my mountain is and exactly how each piece should be moved.

- Stop hiding – for me this means letting down my guard and letting people see the real me showing my junk as well as my pretty.

- Do not isolate myself – surround myself with godly people and trust them with my heart.

- Stop running from my problems. Face them head on, one step at a time with my eyes on the will of God and not the problem.

Hebrews 10:35-36

³⁵So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

³⁶You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

- Do not live in fear.

Joshua 1:9

⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

This verse is one I have been meditating on often in the last few weeks and the Lord is using it to transform my life.

I have been living out each of these steps and it is amazing how old “habits” are changing and through perseverance my overwhelming mountain has turned into just taking the next step.

I am not sure why I have felt the need to write this out (I do NOT want to hit the publish button) maybe just for myself so I will remember but maybe God has a plan for it beyond me and it will touch one of you. I am praying now that this will be for His glory.

Charity

Schoolroom Now

2012-05-14T20:53:00.001-04:00

I have been MIA around here lately. But don’t think I haven’t been busy, because I HAVE! I have made new pillows for my recovered sofa.

I am loving the way it looks in front of the art wall and with the covered lampshades.

I also recovered this chair and made new drapes.

Not to mention updated the mantel.

Last, I hung some antique silver trays under the school desk to use as memo boards.

Next week the girls and I are going to make decorative magnets for the boards.

I hope to be back soon with more.

Cha Cha

Home Stories a to z
Tip Junkie

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Hangin’ With My PEEPS & Peter Chocolate Tail

2012-04-02T08:26:00.001-04:00

Good morning!

I thought I would pop in for just a second and show you this TOO cute peep wreath the girls made last week.

It was super easy. I cut a circle out of cardboard and painted it peep yellow (I think that should an official color). Then the girls hot glued peeps onto it.

And if you happen to need another simple idea, check this out.

I just hot glued a chocolate bunny onto a glass plate stand and scattered some grass and eggs, cover with a cloche and that was the end.

Easy Peasy!

Hope you have a great day.

Cha Cha

"*The Heartfelt Home*" DIY,Sewing, Decorating, Crafts, Cooking, Sentimental, Homeschooling

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Give Thanks

Blog Talk Radio, I DID IT!!!!!

Galatians 5:1

Blog Talk Radio Show

Dressing Table Reveal

Am I Beautiful?

God is Great

Fried Green Tomatoes with Homemade Buttermilk Dressing

Friendship

Depression

Hebrews 10:35-36

Joshua 1:9

Schoolroom Now

Hangin’ With My PEEPS & Peter Chocolate Tail

"The Heartfelt Home" DIY,Sewing, Decorating, Crafts, Cooking, Sentimental, Homeschooling