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Design Team:  Scrap Designers
Design Theme:  All Good Gifts

Elements
Patterned Papers
Solid Papers
Watercolors

Blog Train Designers:
Joy’s Creations
Skinni Scraps
Miggins
Promethean Concepts
Living4Him2
Moore Blessings Digital Design

I believe in being open and honest with one another.  I don’t try to pretend that I am above average in any way.  I’m just trying to do my best to do my best – and I fail at that every day.

We all have good days and bad days.  Some of us have bad months, or bad years.  But they are always designed to guide us into safe places, and to mature our faith and trust. Remember Job from the bible?  Although bad things happened to him, he was never alone.  The Lord always walked with him and rewarded him greatly for his strong and enduring faith.

I try to be like Job.  I try to trust that when things are falling apart, that they are really just falling together in a more powerful and pleasing manner.  Often I fail.  Sometimes I focus on what is happening around me, rather than focusing on Him above.  I let myself become overwhelmed, feeling vulnerable, feeling broken, feeling inadequate.  And then I remember who I belong to, and climb out of the silly hole that I dug for myself.  I can trust Him to carry me – and my loved ones – through all things.

So dear friends, I point you to a scripture that is important to me these last few months.  Ephesians 3:20.  I hope that it may fill you with hope when you too are walking through a valley.  You don’t walk that valley alone, either.

Update on sweet Joe.  He is growing more healthy each day.  His favorite toy is one of my old fluffy socks.  I don’t have as much time to focus on my crafts, but its a lovely sweetness to have a tiny bundle of fur sleeping in my arms.  It makes me appreciate and understand the concept of emotional support animals so much more.  This photo may seem like he is a much bigger kitten than he really is – he still fits in my breast pocket.  I carry him around when I am doing chores or making his milk formula.  He has the tiniest squeak of a voice when he wants to be fed.

Be well my friends, be safe.  And as best you can, try to be kind to others.

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Design Team:  Scraptwist Free4All
Design Theme:  Autumn Splendor

Download Links:
Elements
Patterned Papers
Solid Papers
Watercolor Papers

Blog Train Designers:
Songbird Scraps Designs
Nellie Bell
Marniejo’s House of Scraps
The Brown Owl
KJDdesigns
Moore Blessings Digital Designs
Lady DGScrap
LEA Art Designs
Lori Imel Designs
tp designs

And, if you head on over to the Scraptwist Forum and enter the free challenges, you will receive {AGAIN, FREE} the posting bonus mini kit linked to each challenge.  The challenges on the top of the board below are mine, so jump in!

Design Team:  We Believe Blog Train
Design Theme:  A Child’s Happiness

Download Links:
Elements
Patterned Papers
Solid Papers
Watercolor Papers

Blog Train Designers
Nellie Bell
Songbird Scraps Designs
A-M Designs
Dreamn4ever Designs
LEA Art Designs
Moore Blessings Digital Designs
We Believe Blog Page
Lori Imel Designs

Location:  Rush Ranch, Eastern Oregon
First snow of the season, here at the ranch. (Gaaahhhhhh!)  I could do without winter, thank you very much.  I love fall and “her” passion for color – hate to see that go by so quickly. But I’ll keep winter at bay with good books and good deeds.  Winter is also a time for a kitchen filled with the scent of baked goods and crockpots of steaming soup.  I will survive.

Hey.  An update on Little Joe.  So precious.  He has been to the vet three times already, and he has only been with us for two weeks.  But he has gained a full pound in weight, and his eye infections have cleared without permanent harm.  But those sweet eyes – oh my goodness – have captured my heart.  And his little squeak at me, when he wants some milk……..sigh.  The first time he ever purred was the most beautiful sound – like the rhythm of heaven itself!  I knew that he was going to be ok then.  Here is a new photo – as you can see, he loves to be very helpful, as I crochet a new blanket.

My prayer for you today:

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Design Team:  Scrap Designers Blog Train
Design Theme:  Colors of My Life

Although this theme is called “Colors of My Life”, the colors were assigned to us.  I did enjoy working with them, especially the emeralds and grape colors.  I am a fall person, and I love fall colors!

DOWNLOAD LINKS:
Elements
Patterned Papers
Solid Papers
Watercolor papers

Blog Train Designers:
Scrapbookcrazy Creations by Robyn
Savage Dezines
Joy’s Creations
Skinni Scraps
Miggins
Promethean Concepts
AnnieCDigitals
Living4Him2
Moore Blessings

The Story of Joe.

Well, it’s just the beginning of his story, really – Just the prelude – and I’ll state right up front, I need Joe just as much as Joe needs me.

You see, a few days ago we rescued a newborn kitten from a remote road turnout. The little thing was cold, hungry, and its eyes were glued shut from a raging infection.  He was covered in dirt, and had obviously been there for a few days, at the very least.  He was lethargic and hypothermic.  We looked extensively for litter mates and found none.  We waited for several hours, observing to see if its mother was out hunting and would come back.  Yet it was quite obvious that he had no mother around as he was in such poor condition – but we had to be sure.  He would not have made it through another night.  We brought the little fella home wrapped in our sweaters.  He hardly moved or made a sound.  It was so heartbreaking!  We took him to the vet the next day for treatment.

Nurturing and caring actions change us, don’t you think?  At the very least, it grounds us.  It has an impact upon our physical and mental health.  It’s a connection to purpose, and to God’s awesome plan.  It reflects God’s greatest Commandment to love one another…..even animals.  Being kind to every creature and creation under heaven. The universal and sacred circle of life.  Be a part of the goodness!

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Design Team:  Pixelscrapper
Design Theme:  Jack & Jill

I didn’t have much enthusiasm for the theme, so my Pixelscrapper offering this month is rather………scatterbrained a bit.  If you visit the Pixelscrapper website, the other designer’s are much more on point than I.

DOWNLOAD LINKS:
Elements
Patterned Papers
Solid Papers

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Design Team:  Scraptwist Free4All
Design Theme:  Pumpkin Spice

DOWNLOAD LINKS:
Elements
Patterned Papers
Solid Papers
Watercolor Papers

Blog Train Designers:
tp designs
KJDdesigns
Marniejo’s House of Scraps
Nellie Bell
The Brown Owl
Moore Blessings Digital Designs
Songbird Scraps Designs
Lady DGScrap
Honeysuckle Lane Designs
Dancing Tiger designs

If you visit the Scraptwist Forum and participate in the free challenges, you will receive a free posting bonus that is linked to each challenge.  I have three challenges there!  Here is a preview of all of the free things that you can earn in the month of October (My previews are the third row down….)

Darn it, Jake!  Knock it off!

(Photo of the convict in our apricot tree)

Our cat, Jake, now has TWO bells on his collar, and a tag.  One bell was not enough for our bird friends to become aware of his sneaky, conniving presence.  (Darn it, Jake!)  One bell  worked throughout the summer until this week.  He now wears a full complement of clanging, annoying metal that can be heard from a block away.  Or so it’s my hope.  He has discovered that if he hides up in the trees and hunkers down in the camouflage of leaves and branches, he can drop down on top of unsuspecting birds like a commando strike team.  (Darn it, Jake!)  His hunting skills are very impressive, but not appreciated.  He has been lectured and grounded to the house, to no avail.  So we have moved the quail and bird feeders up on the deck where I can monitor what is going on.  Jake is not allowed outside at the bird’s breakfast time or dinner time.  He fusses at the door about it and beats up his toys, but at least there will be no more bird funerals around here.   The quail are bringing their second batch of summer babies to the feeder, so we are really enjoying watching them grow.

The quail are wild and free-range.  We just want the covey to increase in size and live happy lives, in safety and peace.

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Design Team:  Scrappin’ Your Heart Out
Theme: Cafe’ Au Lait

Here are my designs for this month’s blog train, and please check out the other designers listed, below.  I didn’t have much time for designing a lot of elements this time, so I apologize for the kit being so small.   Hope you find something here to use for your own scrapbooking.

DOWNLOAD LINKS:
Elements
Papers

Blog Train Designers: