DIY Giant Word Wall

When people visit our new house or see pictures of it, one of the things I get asked

 about the most is our giant word wall. It's truly one of my favorite things! 

I thought I would share how we put it together for 

anyone who is interested in making their own. 

As we worked to build our new home over the past year, 

I started gathering ideas for decorating. We knew we'd be buying lots of new furniture and I really wanted to change the look of our house so it was more modern farmhouse(ish) so I gathered tons of ideas. It was super fun shopping and looking at and dreaming of different ideas. One night while looking on Pinterest (I so love Pinterest- if you do too, you can follow me here!) I came across a picture that linked to Joanna Gaines Instagram of a wall in her home. I was immediately smitten 

and knew that I had to have a wall like hers in our new house. 

I immediately started thinking about how to make the wall and where to get the letters. 

I shared the idea with my sweet husband who is super handy and can make

 just about anything I dream up (I have the ideas, he makes them happen- we are a good team!) and he said it would be super easy. Hip hip hooray!

I found the letters on  Ebay . There are tons of different options based on the size you'd like, but the set I purchased were 8 inch tall letters and included 176 numbers and letters. 

The letters/numbers are hard plastic and super durable.

The set I purchased were $59.98 which was the best price I found in all of my searching. 

(Search 8 inch Flexible Outdoor Portable Marquee Sign Letters)

If your space is smaller, you'll want smaller letters- 

my space happens to be large so I had room for the big ones. 

Once we had the letters I asked my husband to figure out the rest and of course he did. 

On the first weekend in our new house- when there were tons of other things he needed to do- he finished this project for me because he knew how much I wanted it up. 

How sweet is he? 

He went to  Lowe's (new house means a million trips to Lowe's) 

and purchased five 1x2 boards. 

He cut each board 60 inches long and stained them to match our beams. 

He hung the boards 10 inches apart since the letters are 8 inches tall, 

centered them on the wall, and nailed them up using a nail gun.

Originally he planned to cut a small channel in the boards

 to hold the letters but we found that it wasn't necessary. 

He said he would take them down and cut one if needed but I've never 

had a single letter fall so it truly wasn't needed 

because they sit on the board and lean on the wall.

I love love love how it turned out and thinking of new things to put on it is so fun!

I love that it can be used for scripture and quotes but also for holidays 

and celebrating anything or anyone visiting. 

A few last things....

Because I like things tidy I bought an accordion file to put my letters in 

so it's easy and quick to find the letters I need.  I bought mine on Amazon here. 

I started an album of the different sayings I put on my wall on Facebook. 

You can find it on my Facebook page HERE!

I also usually post pics of it on Instagram HERE. 

You are God's Masterpiece

I’ve got news for you. You know that girl? The one who you look at and think “Man, I wish I could be more like her. She has a great life, a beautiful home, a perfect family, a full bank account, the best job, tons of friends and seems to have it all together.” The one you compare your life with and think “I want to be like her when I grow up. Everything in her life is so great and if my life were like hers I’d be happy.” (We all have a girl like that in our lives- I know I sure do!) That girl doesn’t have it all together and her life is far from perfect- no matter what it looks like on the outside.. Seriously she DOES NOT. She has struggles and pain and daily feels like she is a big giant mess. She’s lonely and feels left out and often thinks she’s a huge fat failure. She’s flawed and anxious and worries about her marriage and her family. She fails at things daily, loses her temper (no matter how nice she seems on social media) and often lays awake at night on the regular worrying that she’s not smart enough or strong enough or spiritual enough and just not plain enough. She fears rejection and embarrassment and struggles with her weight and her bank account. She yells at her kids, is rude to her husband, and cries over broken relationships. That girl? She’s just like you and you have to stop comparing yourself to her and wishing that you had her life. Why? Because that’s exactly what Satan wants you to do.

Did you know that comparison is one of Satan’s greatest tools? It is. He loves to have us compare ourselves with others like “that girl” so that he can sabotage God’s plans for our lives. He encourages us to compare because that comparison can cause us to give up on what God is calling US to do. He wants us to compare our weaknesses to someone else’s strengths and that’s just plain not fair. We must never forget what Satan is trying to do. John 10:10 tells us exactly what he’s doing: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;”. Not just mess with us and our lives- he is out to kill, steal, and destroy us. He’s not playing- he is serious and we must remember that always.

Each of us is created uniquely and specifically by God. YOU were created uniquely and specifically by God. When we compare ourselves to others we are saying that we are not satisfied with how God created us which is actually an insult to our creator. We shouldn’t be comparing ourselves to others- but instead to compare ourselves to the word of God and our obedience to it. God made me and you exactly as we are- on purpose. We each have a purpose that NO one else can fulfill.

He reminds us of this in Psalm 139: 13-18 says:

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.

How amazing is that? Every single one of us was formed by God in our mother’s womb- hand knit in the exact way that our creator desired. He created us and y’all...He doesn’t make mistakes. Ever.

My prayer today is that we are reminded that God created each of us specifically and uniquely and for a purpose. That we remember that He made only one of us and He did so to fulfill something that only we could do. That we stop comparing ourselves with others, wishing to be “that girl” because God hand picked each of our abilities- every single one (and also, "that girl"'s life is far from perfect- I promise). That we stop looking at others and what they are and have, and instead focus on God’s word and what He says. He created us, He loves us, and He put us in this world for a purpose- we are His masterpiece.

Fab Books on Sale This Week

Looking for some books to read this summer? 

There are some Kindle books that are on sale for a great price. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living

None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us (and Why That's a Good Thing)

Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds

In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character

The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears

The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

The Broken Way

Becoming Myself 8-Session Study Guide: Embracing God's Dream of You

Prisoners of Hope: The Story of Our Captivity and Freedom in Afghanistan

Kid Books

13 Very Amazing Animals

13 Very Cool Stories and Why Jesus Told Them

13 Very Surprising Sayings and Why Jesus Said Them

13 Very Bad Days and How God Fixed Them

June Scripture Writing Plan: Light

Happy almost June sweet friends!

The scripture writing plan this month is over

something we are all called to be: Light

True confession: There are days when I wake up a giant grump and can barely stand myself. I know I'm called to be a light for Jesus but on those days, I truthfully want to wallow in my crankiness and forget the things God calls me to do- like be a light for Him. I must remind myself every single day (especially on those cranky pant days) that I am called to do so, regardless of...

• how many things are on my to-do list
• how tired or scared or anxious I am
• how many cranky pants people I encounter
• how many struggles & problems I have currently in my life
• how people treat me
• how many things don't go my way today (because things WILL go wrong, we can count on it!)
• how tired, frustrated, or overwhelmed I am
• how many things/people I am worried about right now

Friends, we are called to be a light-bearer for Him, REGARDLESS of the circumstances going on in our lives. We are called to be a light- NO MATTER WHAT. Matthew 5:16  says... 

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." NIV

If you are in a dark room, you know it doesn't take much light to make a huge difference (that little sliver of light between the curtains in a dark hotel room can drive you batty!). In a world of darkness it only takes us shining a tiny bit to have a huge impact. How? We take IN the Light through time reading and studying God’s word, and shine OUT the light by loving others, sharing the Gospel with them, and using the amazing gifts and opportunities God has gifted us with. When we do, His light will pour through us in powerful, brilliant ways that can change the world. 

My prayer is that as you write these verses this month you are daily reminded that you are called to be a light- regardless of your feelings and circumstances. I pray that they remind you to shine brightly to every single person you encounter and remind them that you are the ONLY hope in this dark, scary world. 

FYI: I made the plan 31 days and plan to do that with

all topical plans in the future so that they can be done any month-

not just the month I write them for.

TO PRINT: You can find a copy of the plan in English and Spanish in the folder HERE.

{Just a reminder, don't try to print the images below or they will be blurry. Be sure to click the link to download a PDF copy!}

Satan's Lies

Satan is a murderer, a liar, a deceiver, a destroyer. And he is sneaky- super sneaky and gosh he is crafty. He knows that we love and believe God’s word and so what does he often do? He doesn’t just whisper lies to us, he studies and distorts God’s word and tries to get us to believe some misinterpretation of it.

God reminded us of this in His word. In John 8:44 it says: 

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

I recently shared over on Instagram (If you don’t follow me there, you should- I often share in Instagram stories my morning devotions- plus lots of random things like views from my porch, bargain finds, our new house, and my super cute dogs! Link to my Instagram at the bottom of this post.) some of the lies that Satan whispers in my ears.

He likes to tell me things like:
-You are a terrible wife.
-Your friends don’t really like you.
-You are an awful mother.
-If people really knew you, they wouldn’t like you.
-You are a big fat fake.
-You are useless and don’t make a difference to anybody.
-God will never forgive you for________
-You don't do enough and the things you do don't make a difference.

I then shared how I use scripture to combat those lies. I am a firm believer that knowing God’s word, truly knowing it- is the only way to combat Satan’s lies. Over on Instagram I asked for folks to share the lies that Satan whispers to them and shared some truths from the Bible for folks to focus on instead of those stinky lies. What was so interesting to me was how many of those lies Satan whispers are the exact same for many of us. Over and over and over again I got messages with things Satan was whispering to them. Things like…....”I am not enough. My mistakes will always define me. The things I’ve done are unforgivable. I am not worthy.”

My prayer today is that you are reminded Satan is a destroyer, his target is your mind and heart, and his weapons are LIES. I pray that when he whispers in your ear (because he will) that you are able to turn to God’s word which is the TRUTH and remind yourself of how very wrong he is.

I plan to spend the next few weeks sharing some of these lies and a truth or two to combat each one but would love to hear the lies that Satan whispers specifically to YOU. Would you please leave a comment below or message me with any of those lies that sneaky Satan whispers in your ear for me to add to my list? 

Link to my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swtblessshan/

Darkness and Light

I always say that “May IS CRAY!” because for those of us in education (and those with children in school) it truly seems to be the busiest and craziest month of the year. In May there are so many things that need to be completed before school lets out for the summer and so many special activities (field days and award assemblies and recitals OH MY!) that many of us are crazy busy, over extended, and just plain old tuckered out (how’s that for a Texan word y’all?). Because of this it seems like in May I often run into lots of cranky pants people who are really short with others, impatient and not always very kind. When I run into those type of people I often wonder, am I being that way too? Am I letting my tiredness, or the circumstances of my day dictate my attitude? 

I have been reading scriptures about light this month and I love Matthew 5:14-16 in the Message which says…

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

We are called to be a light-bearer for Him, regardless of the circumstances going on in our lives. We are called to share God with those around us by being a light. The only way to get rid of darkness is to add more light. I think sometimes we all (I know I do!) make excuses for not being a light for him.

I must remind myself each day that I am called to be a light-bearer, regardless of...

• how many things are on my to-do list (no matter how long it is)
• how many cranky pants people I encounter (no matter how rude they are)
• how many struggles & problems I have currently in my life
• how I feel emotionally or physically
• how many things don't go my way today (because things WILL go wrong, we can count on it!)
• how tired, frustrated, or overwhelmed I am
• how many things/people I am worried about right now

My prayer today is that we shine brightly for Him to everyone we encounter, because He is the ONLY hope we have in this dark , dark world. I pray that we make it a priority to spend time with Him so that His light pours out of us in powerful, brilliant ways- so brightly that others can’t help but notice. I pray that when it seems darkness is everywhere around us, that we point others to you- the only light that will never fade and never burn out. 

God of Second Chances

Forgiveness is hard y'all. Super stinky hard.

Sometimes I think even harder than forgiving others-it's harder even to forgive ourselves. To forgive ourselves the way God repeatedly forgives us over and over and over again. To give ourselves grace and mercy just as we give grace and mercy to those we love.

We torment ourselves thinking about what we could have done, should have done and although we know God forgives us, we can't (or won't) forgive ourselves. I think for me it often boils down to the fact that it's the unrealistic expectations I have of myself and put on myself that is at the root of this inability to forgive myself. I want to believe that I am better than I am- but the reality is, I'm not. I am a sinful, imperfect mess that is saved only by the grace and mercy of Christ.

God calls us to forgive- no matter how hard it is.

Isaiah 44:22 says...

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.

 Psalm 103:12 says...

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

We all have sinned and fallen short of His glory. Thankfully He will pick us up when we call out to Him and repent. There is no wrong- seriously NONE- that can keep God from redeeming you. His word is full of reminders of people who made mistakes and were given a new start by God and He will do the same for you and for me. How awesome is that? My prayer today is that you are able to let go of any guilt  you are clinging to and trust Him to work out whatever went wrong. I pray that you are reminded that God is the god of second chances (and 3rd and 4th and…) and His mercy endures FOREVER and EVER. 

God Can Make a Way Where There Is No Way

Have you ever been in a difficult time or situtation and there seems to literally be NO way out? Some situations seem (and are) completely impossible. Situations where there truly is no way. No way- outside of the almighty and all powerful God. 

When diagnosed with a brain tumor in the summer of 2013, I met with two neurosurgeons- one in Temple & one at MD Anderson in Houston. After those meetings & after the extensive research I did, I knew I absolutely wanted my surgery done by the incredible, expert surgeons at MDA but ...my insurance denied saying the surgeon in Temple was perfectly fine & in my insurance network so I would have to have surgery performed there. But in true God fashion, through a series of events that were clearly orchestrated only by and through Him, God allowed me to change insurance companies AFTER my brain tumor diagnosis so that MD Anderson was in my insurance network. My new insurance took effect on 9-1-13 and I had a 12 hour super successful brain surgery on 9-13-13 at MDA. God CAN make a way where there is no way. God WILL make a way where there is no way. 

In Genesis 22:9-14 Abraham found himself in a situation that seemed hopeless when he took his beloved son Isaac, his only son, up to the mountain to sacrifice him before God. And in this situation- where there seemed to be NO way out of it- God made a way. 

Isaiah 43:16-21 says….
This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:  “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.  The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,  the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. NIV

Think of all the times in the bible that God made a way where there seemed to be no way….

• He split the seat
• He moved mountains
• He walked on water
• He tore the veil
• He healed the sick
• He conquered giants
• He closed the mouths of lions
• He opened prison doors
• He calmed the raging seas

God is a God of miracles. He can make a way where there is no way. He works in ways that we cannot see or begin to understand. My prayer today is that no matter what the problem or mountain or difficulty you are facing- you are reminded….there is NOTHING too big or scary or impossible for God. NOTHING. God can make a way where there is no way. #notesinmybible