Happy Weekend and a Free printable!

November is going to be such a busy month for my family. A church Fall Festival, my sisters baby shower, and a craft fair, wow! But I am excited about all of them!

You will definitely be seeing a lot of pictures from the baby shower after it's happened. I am heading up the decor and I can't wait for all of you to see it! =D This past week, though, we handed/sent out invitations. I ended up designing my own after browsing Google for ideas and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. 

So, I wanted you to be able to have it! Maybe you're having a baby or are helping plan a shower for a friend. If they are having a boy, this would be the perfect invite! Just save the picture below, then use a photo editor to add the details (I used PicMonkey) or you can write it in by hand and copy it. =) Enjoy!

Here is the invitation that we used for my sisters shower so you have an idea of what it looks like =)

Also, my Fall #OoZgiveaway is over, but my Turkey Zoottles are now available in my Etsy shop! Click on the widget to the left. Have a great weekend!

Until next time...

Hebrews 12:3, life lately {Plus a giveaway!}

Yesterday's "Jesus Calling" was interrupted by a cute little baby, so I finished it up this morning. The one verse that stuck way out to me was Hebrews 12:3

"Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself,

so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted."

I was blown away by this beautiful truth! When we consider what our Savior went through for us, for ME, at the hands of sinners, how can I lose heart at my trials which are mere shadows. Which my God uses to mold me and never lets me go through them alone. When I meditate on Jesus and His sacrifice and the fact that "Ashamed I hear my mocking voice cry out among the scoffers" {Song: How Deep the Fathers Love for US} I begin to put my sufferings into perspective and learn to lean on the one who endured all things, even death on the cross.

Onto my life lately...

I found the cutest Christmas ornament patterns on this blog and am so excited about them! I am making them to donate to an adoption auction and a handmade Christmas exchange and for gifts for family! 

Lucy (my sister and brother-in-law's little Golden-Doodle) stayed this past week while they were on vacation, it was a little crazy, super dirty! But lots of fun =D

Muddy puppy!

Taking a bath, getting ready to go home!

It was also our puppies birthday on the 26th!

Happy second birthday, Nora!

Do you follow my shop IG, @oodlesofzoottles?? Because if you don't you are missing a fun fall giveaway - I debuted my Fall special, a Turkey Zoottle, and you could win one! Go check it out on my account to see how to enter.

Until next time...

A giveaway winner!

Traci's giveaway is officially over - thanks to all of you who entered to win! It was a blast! 

And of course, congratulations to Sadie who is the winner. =D So excited for you!

Remember the coupon code on Traci's blog is still good until October 22nd; don't miss out!

Sadie's choice was a Lion Zoottle, whoohoo! Getting his mane =)

Haircut time! Gotta look good for his new home ;)

Next stop: Post office and on his way to Idaho! {That other package is a Penguin Zoottle headed to Kansas. It was won in the adoption auction I was a part of!}

{All these pictures are from my IG account @oodlesofzoottles I'd love for you to check it out!}

Until next time...

Escaping the guilt of already forgiven sin//The beginning

Have you ever felt trapped by the past? Like you keep living through it over and over and can never quite move past it? I have that problem and it's actually pretty hard for me to admit that to you. But... As they say, admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery ;) so, here it goes.

I get trapped by the past. Specifically by past mistakes, sins, I have done. Trust me, I'm not perfect. My family and Nathan can attest to that :) and there are times when I end up living for myself, or give in to selfishness, or become full of pride; in other words, I allow my flesh to bury the new man, er... Woman in my case :) do I like it? No! I feel like Paul in Romans: what I want to do, I don't and what I don't want to do, I do. I don't know if it has to do with my personality, or what, but it's easy for me to get bogged down when I fail, easy to beat myself up, and forget that I am MORE than a conquerer in Jesus!

I'm not sure when I figured that out or when I pin pointed that was my struggle, but by the grace of God and His Holy Spirit, He showed me what I needed. I needed to recognize that His forgiveness is complete! That I must confess my sins daily and then understand that I am free from them! That I am free to move forward in His power, free from the guilt and the fear.

That's how I decided to begin studying out what it meant when God says He forgives my sins. I trusted in The Lord Jesus when I was 6 and have re-committed my life to Him several times and I know I am His! But somehow I don't think I have ever truly studied out what God's forgiveness means; shame on me! But, better now than later and better late than never I guess :) it really helps me to write/talk things out, so I'm going to be sharing (hopefully somewhat regularly) about what God has been teaching me here on my blog, and I hope you all will share your thoughts as well and are encouraged through my study. This is more of an intro, since I didn't want it to be super duper long ;) but next time I'll be diving into some scripture!

{P.S. My Grand opening Coupon Code has expired, but Traci's Oodles of Zoottles giveaway has a little less than a day left. Hurry on over to enter and check out the coupon code there!}

Until next time...