(If you are hopping with us you should have come from Selina's blog). if you just happened to find this post, please go to www.mypapertreehouse.com so that you can start the hop from the very beginning. :)
Let's get down to business!!!
Women have a very unique way of being strong, yet gentle. through this process we find ourselves many times hiding heartaches that truly affect us, but somehow we cannot bring ourselves to talk about. Sometimes it is because of "what would people say" or because we want to keep a certain image, or even because we are trying to keep our loved ones from becoming worried: we hold on to the heartache and even come to believe that "this is as good as it will ever get". Today we are out in the internet laying our hearts bare before the world. We have come to understand that God IS who He says He is and indeed He will complete the work He has begun, and so we lay our heartache before Him in hopes that He will meet us here. As you go through this hop, take the time to think about your own hidden heartache, and if any of our blogs motivate you to speak about it, leave us a comment or even send us an email. As sisters we should remain together and encourage each other to continue the walk towards His arms: the only place we will find rest and comfort.
Here's how the hop works:
Like last time we have some GRAND Prizes to share with you, plus most of the blog owners are willing to share some RAK with you. In order to qualify for the GRAND Prizes you ought to leave a comment under this thread and become a follower of this blog (if you are not one yet). We are asking that you would also become a follower of paper Tree House Studio on Facebook so that you can stay updated with our challenges and contests. In order to qualify for the RAKS i ask that you would also become a follower of those blogs and leave them a comment with your thoughts about the project they might have created or the story they were willing to share (if any). It can be very humbling to share our hearts with the world, yet the Bible says that our troubles come so that we can console another going through the same thing. My prayer is that the Lord would use this for His Glory as He heals all of our hearts.
Now for the GRAND Prizes:
Paper Tree House Studio:
Scrapbook News and Review Magazine: One Year Subscription
Bella Blvd.: $45 retail value worth of their yummy product
Echo Park: Love Line
Scrapbooks & Stuff: Cricut Your Story
Punky Sprouts:
The Paper Blossom Shop: $25 gift certificate to their shop.
remember that in order to be considered a winner, you should leave a comment here and become a follower. :) It is that simple.
As you hop through the blogs you will see some very open lives, and others that are not as much. We are all being molded everyday more into His liking. Know that I have been praying for each of the participants, and as you begin to open your heart, I will be praying for you as well. It is my desire that the Lord would begin to build a community of bold women that would be willing to show their weaknesses so that in turn He can be their strength. Maybe next month we can hop through your blog as well.. This will happen every month on the very last weekend of the month, so please plan to be here learning about Him and about His love for YOU and His commitment to make you His!
Here is the list of bold and beautiful women that were willing to lay it all out there:
My Paper Tree House
Nana CampanaRebecca
Sueli Pinheiro
Kacee
Jessie
Selina
Arlene <-----this lady sounds familiar!
Natalie
Christel
Bonnie
Dolores
Kari
Tania
Here is my story:
As mentioned earlier, we ladies have the capabilities of being so very strong and gentle all at the same time. "Good Girls" are those who endure, make no complains, keeps it all bottled up inside, and just handle things on their own. At least this is the impression I had. No matter what it was that I went through, I always masked my hurt with a smile. A lot of times no one really knew what was going on with me but my soppy pillow at night and God.
Now I know that it doesn't make me a bad person to air out how I feel (as long as I do it in the right way), or to defend myself. I shouldn't just stay there and take it, or just keep it all bottled up inside of me. My smile is a genuine smile!
Products used: Lily bee design: Paper, Tim Holtz: tickets, film strips, distressed ink, My Little shoebox: tiny alpha stickers, Tattered Angels: glimmer mists (pink & grey) Sketch: Creative Scrappers
some closeups:
Thanks for participating with us... Now hop on over to Natalie's blog !