Connie's House

Matters Of Importance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?

My passion for the Bible is founded in my personal experience with God, religion, and the need for psychiatric treatment for bi-polar disorder. You can well imagine the conflict that goes along with that volatile mix of topics!

I have always loved to play with words, and have found great joy in learning more about God's word concerning the state of our mental health.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee." Isaiah 26:3

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." III John 1:2

It's been a long process, but I'm an "old church" gal who has finally learned to lighten up and have fun with the expression of my faith! Creating Bible crafts for kids has been a long time passion, and even more so now that I have learned to couple my crafting with the use of social media.

There were many days that I needed someone to talk to about my feelings toward God, my church and my absentee father. It's important for kids to get the help they need when they can't find the words to express their sometimes overwhelming emotions.

I've experienced a mountain of my own dark emotions, but the process has left me with a roadmap that has helped me overcome the childhood issues of abandon, rejection and low self esteem.

I spent hours scouring the internet looking for the help I needed during that time, so that's why my blog talks about the sometimes volatile topics of mental illness, homelessness and domestic violence. I didn't realize it at the time, but Jesus was completely engaged in the conversation I seemed to be having with myself!

I would cry and pray, and read and seek and search... I didn't realize it, but He was orchestrating the answers to my prayers through websites of faith, mega ministries, prayer lines, online Bibles and of course; Christian blogs.

"He sent His word to heal them, and delivered them from their destructions." Psalm 107:20

These are subjects that children should never have to address, but sadly; our world is filled with children who are coping with these very real and overwhelming problems.

My goal is to offer hope and comfort to those who are on their own journey of recovery from dark and overwhelming emotions that are rooted in childhood.  The river of tears I have cried has served me well... those hot, stinging tears helped cut a path of renewed hope and transforming thinking lines into my chemically mis-firing brain! My journey through the great unknown has helped me learn to experience life on a whole new level.

I like the view from here! The Psalmist says it like this...

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." Psalm 119:71

Hope and comfort are good for the battered soul, especially for the battered spirits of very young children. My goal is to share some of the healing art projects that have helped me engage in my own healing process. I also hope that those projects may be helpful to those of you who are seeking to bring relief to little ones who may feel as if no one loves them.

Additionally, I hope to help bring further understanding about these topics to the faith based community. It's important for us to more fully discern the deepest needs of wounded people.

There are times that people need comfort more than they need counsel... did you ever stop to think that unconditional acceptance and validation of a persons tears could actually be the healing that they so desperately need?

I'm here to assure you that there IS hope for injured spirits.  Jesus is the solution for the wounded hearts of the very young... even if those young hearts have been buried for a long, long time.

Oh, it's true, I still have moments when I am suddenly blindsided by a sliver of old emotion, and I sink back into my old patterns of stinking thinking, but the wonderful news is that I no longer remain in that frame of mind for extended periods of time.

 

The important thing is, that we put an end to the repeating patterns that destroy the minds and lives of children, and learn how to raise healthy kids, the first time around!

It's a big job, but together, we can do it.... I just created a new blog home for my Bible crafts for kids, so, this is an overview of some of the projects I will be sharing with you. If you have interest in these topics, please feel free to subscribe to my blogs, and follow along! I'll be happy to save a seat for you on Clara's Adventure Train.

Til next time...

Connie's Bible Crafts 4 Kids Blog

My Apologies To God, and To Myself!

I know it's been quite some time since my last post, and that passing of time is the reason for this post. My life is in a flurry of activities that still cause me to pinch myself to see if I'm awake, or if I'm actually dreaming!

Dreams coming true, major life changes, transition, kingdom business filling my days, and all that... you know?

My first post here at Typepad was my declaration that I intend to be a better blogger! What I meant by that was that I fully intended to become a "daily" blogger. I intended to show up with a nicely polished post that reads more like a magazine article than a blog post.

As you can see, that's just not happening... and that's the reason for my apology to God, and to myself! I just don't function like that! I'm a ruminator, sifter, sorter, organizer, planner, deep thinker, and all around butterfly type of personality. I am the unique creation that God designed me to be, and I am learning to celebrate my uniqueness instead of beating myself up for not being a good "daily" blogger!

I have a goal to achieve, and I do whatever it takes to get to the end result that is always pressing in my heart. Kingdom communication is important to me, meeting the critical needs of people matters to me, broken hearts are my primary target and I am working on several projects that relate to that agenda.

This post is to let you know that I intend to stop trying to function like other bloggers, and just be myself. You may not see me here for long periods of time, but that's not to say that I'm sitting idle! I have built a lot of new structures since my last post, and I need to take some time to catch my breath before I introduce them to you.

But, I shall... and I hope you will think that they are worth the wait! I hope they matter to you as much as they do me, because they are structures that are specifically related to the needs of the homeless, mentally ill, impoverished and imprisoned.

I have experienced many of those issues for myself, and I am delighted to tell you that I have recovered from the dark pain associated with them, and I am now living in the warmth and comfort that I needed for so many years!

God is good, he has healed my heart, mind, body and spirit... it's my deep desire that those with broken hearts can find the same comfort that I have experienced. I intend to do everything I can to assure you that God really does have a good plan for your life.

It often takes a long time to find it, but I assure you, it is very much worth the wait! So, for now... I'll go catch my breath, but I will be back soon (eventually!) to share more about the adventures that have been birthed in the long dark nights of my battered, and very weary soul.

It's a story I hope you won't want to miss!

If you happen to be a blogger whose passion is faith in Jesus, I invite you to point me to it. I'm always interested in someone who is telling the world about their love for Jesus!

Why Blogging Is Important To The "Faith-Based" Community

Social Networking, SEO, Tag Clouds, Banners, Icons, Tweet Me, RSS Feed, Tagboards, HTML, CSS

Have you ever thought about using the internet to share your passion, knowledge and love for the Bible? Are you a virtual social butterfly? Do you find yourself drawn to your computer at various and sundry hours of the day and night? Are you consumed with thoughts of how we can take the message of Jesus to the world? Are you bursting with ideas to help address the critical needs of the body of Christ?

If so, it's obvious that you belong in God's Media Army! The goal of "Christian blogging" is to harness the power of the internet to overtake, overthrow and cast down the principalities that bombard mankind with every manner of evil speaking.

The internet abounds with relentless distractions to the task of finding and engaging in your kingdom goals and purposes. It's time for people of faith to take back the airwaves, clear the air, and clean up the clutter of lives that have been devastated by dark and stormy life circumstances! 

When people need help, they need someone to point them in the right direction... blogging provides a means of communication that can actually make that happen! One of the most exciting features about blogging is that it's FREE! There are paid services if you want them, but there are innumerable platforms that offer their basic service at no charge to you, the blogger.

Advertisers want the opportunity to put their goods and services at the fingertips of as many people as possible, so they make it really easy for you to gain access to their publishing platforms. You use their service for free, while they plug in their ads based on what you are "peeping" on the internet. The subject matter of your posts provides them with the key words they need to deliver advertisements that are relevant to whatever it is that's on your mind.

I write about a wide array of subject matter, so that gives me access to the most up to date information about my area of interests. 

Bible studies and crafting plans, social networking, a passion for helping charities, addressing the social issues of homelessness, systemic poverty and domestic violence are at the forefront of my thinking lines. As you can imagine, my resource list is extensive! 

THAT is the goal of blogging for the faith based community. In order to solve the massive problems that face us, we must be able to access the divine connections that God has lined up for us. The internet facilitates the implementation of God's good plan for all of us. 

I'm really excited about what is happening in my personal encounters with Jesus. He has changed the way I think about everything, and that's been a change for the good! The internet, television and radio have been key factors in the healing process I have experienced over the past several years.

I have found my voice through the instruments of blogging, social networking and faith based websites. I find myself on the brink of transcendence today... I have finally "heard" what the Word of God says about me, and it has changed me from the inside out.

In the words of one of my little cousins, "That's an AMEN situation!"

I desperately needed help for my broken heart, and Jesus has been relentless in his pursuit of changing my thinking lines. I was really good at stinking thinking, so it took him a while to clear the air at my house! That's the reason I enjoy my life so much... that's the reason I am so excited about what I get to do everyday!

I have discovered the fact that I love to coordinate communications. I love social networking, blogging, writing lenses at Squidoo, and thinking about how to solve the problems that plague mankind.

Yup, I'm a rescuer! In psych terms; that can be a derogatory handle, but I've learned to consider things from the perspective of a full spectrum. Being a rescuer can be one of life's most rewarding endeavors when you rescue from a foundation of balance and proper boundaries.

Life is good, problems CAN be solved, and effective communication is the key to both! Therefore, I blog.

Now that I have a better grasp on my full circle of life, I am continuing to sweep away the residue of chaos that was the hallmark of my life for such a long time.

God's mercies are new every morning, and I intend to fully engage in them... every single day of the year. Would you care to join me on the adventure of engaging in God's good plan for my life?

You never know where His good plan for me will intersect with His good plan for you. You never know, the fact that you are reading this blog post may very well be just the connection He has in mind for us. If you think it is; let me know...

I'll be happy to hear from you, and together; we can take the next step in God's good plan, for ALL of us!

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3: 22-26

 

I Intend To Be A Better Blogger!

Well, as you can see, I'm setting myself up for a real challenge with this post!

I love to write, so one would think that it would be a simple matter for me to fill a blog to the full and overflowing, but I haven't yet been able to make that happen.

I post to my spiritual blog on a semi-regular basis, but there are long periods of time between posts there as well. So, the question for me becomes, why haven't I been able to develop the fully loaded blog of my dreams?

The answer to that question can be found in the pages of my online activities that have been birthed through social networking. I joined Squidoo in October, 2006; and my life has been dramatically transformed because of my level of activities there.

My diverse interests are reflected in the lenses, websites and social networks that I have built to house the expression of those diverse interests!

So, in order to maintain my own sanity, I have established this blog as the communication hub that will allow me to keep you posted about whatever happens to be on my front burner at any given moment. The pages of this blog will change to reflect the projects I am working on.

I invite you to follow along as I take this first step in the adventure to bring full and complete order to my online world! Social networking is a powerful tool if it is used to it's full advantage. I have dreams of helping to change the world for good, so I'm excited about this opportunity to share my activities with you.

Connie's House is my signpost to the world that I am here, I am armed and ready to take on the task of being the change that I want to see in my community, my city, my country and my world. I invite you to join me, the world's a mess; and it's going to take ALL OF US to clean it up!

My favorite quote about accomplishing good things can be found here:

"I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13

With that being said, I'm off to do some much needed housekeeping. It's time to clean up the clutter so I can get back to my studio and engage in my passion for creative living! Have a great day, and I'll see you soon.

Connie

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