ABIDE BEAUTIFULLY

I’m a planner, yep, I’m “one of those”. I like to know what we are doing, when we are doing it and be prepared when the event finally happens. And sometimes when things are up in the air and we don’t know what we are doing I can get frazzled pretty quick. Nahum on the other hand is one of those amazing people who doesn’t seem to get rattled by many things. Needless to say God had (and still does have) some sanctifying to do in this Missouri farm girl! But over the many months of raising support, being in limbo and not sure when it was all going to fall into place, God has stretched me and hopefully I can handle change a little better now. But the last week or so has been especially challenging as we planned, prayed, had plans fall through, prayed, and planned again. There has been excitement, plans made, disappointments, tears, more plans and trying not to get my hopes up too much. But in this weird season of life of “now but not yet” I have been reminded of the truths about my great G...

Fall is one of my favorite times of year! Even though it’s been very warm here lately, the calendar shows that Fall is right around the corner! I like the crisp cool air, bundling up in sweaters and boots, and enjoying a hot drink under a warm blanket. One year for Christmas I gave my husband a handmade blanket that is soft and cuddly. It was one of those heavier types that is just so comfortable to drape over yourself. However, it was a bit more manly than my taste so I decided to make my own blanket. I had a beautiful chenille blanket with fringe that I had purchased secondhand. Sadly, one day some of the fringe got caught in the vacuum cleaner... you can imagine what happened! Even though I thought the blanket was beautiful it seemed a little fragile to me, so I decided to cut it down, attach it to another blanket, and make it into a throw that is easy to pull up over you as you read a book or chat with a friend. This is a great project for salvaging those old...

I’m a homebody. There is just something about sitting on your own couch, with your own coffee  mug, surrounded by things that you think are beautiful. Since I got married, my husband and I have done a lot of traveling...I mean a lot! We have stayed in many hotels and people’s homes, and even though we are thankful for God‘s provision to provide a roof over our head and a bed to sleep on, after a while it can be draining. Around a year ago we purchased our first travel trailer! It’s a small little thing - a 17 foot Viking. It’s kind of funny how small it looks compared to some of the big fifth wheels and RVs we have seen at various campgrounds. But, it has served its purpose well! It took some work to redo, but I’m so glad that it now looks more like a home than a hotel room! Paint probably made the biggest difference in the redo. The walls, cabinets, countertops, dinette, and table were all painted...and what a transformation! The faux shiplap was drawn on using...

Hi there! Thanks for stopping in! Let me tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Arin. I’m the youngest of four kids. I grew up on my parents wonderful farm in Missouri. Growing up the farm was our playground, from riding tractors with Dad to swinging on the rope swing in the barn; I am so blessed to have grown up in the country. Growing up I learned early on about Jesus and the stories in the Bible about the wonderful God of creation. Over the years I learned that my right standing before God is not about what I do but rather about what Christ has already done for me. He is my Savior and I am so thankful that He died, was buried, and rose again for me! I was definitely a creative child. Building toys out of cardboard to learning to sew early on gave me the opportunity to cultivate creativity. I continued to pursue creativity by majoring in commercial art at college and then went on to get my masters in studio art and illustration. After grad school, when I finally had th...