Trust

by Matt Hammitt

Lest I'm tempted to forget,
I'll tie Your love around my neck.
I'll write Your words upon my heart,
Lord, I won't forget how good You are.
I'll dwell upon Your faithfulness,
I'll rest within Your promises.
And when I'm walking through the dark,
Lord, I won't forget how good You are.

I will trust,
I will trust You.
I will trust you, Lord, with all my heart,
And I won't forget how good You are.
No, I won't forget how good You are.

You gave me everything I have,
And my whole life is in Your hands.
When what I fear is closing in,
Lord, Your faithfulness will never end.
Your faithfulness will never end.

I will trust,
I will trust You.
I will trust you, Lord, with all my heart,
And I won't forget how good You are.
No, I won't forget how good You are.

And even in the darkness,
Even in the questions.
Even when the hardest times of life are at hand.
Even in the darkness,

Even in the questions.
Even in the times that I'm not meant to understand.

I will trust,
I will trust You.
I will trust You, Lord, with all my heart,
And I won't forget how good You are.
No, I won't forget how good You are.

project W, part 3 - final

Okay, your paint should be dry by now. That's why I waited so long to post. Not because I have a life outside of blogger. Not because I have been busy with work and school and the drama that life sometimes throws at me. And of course, not because blogging was already on my to-do list today. I just wanted to make sure you are keeping up with me on these steps. (who am I kidding...I'm a busy girl, ok?)

Step 3: I have to give you some bad news. This is the hardest part of the whole project. But don't worry, if I could figure it out, I am sure you can too. Be brave. Take a deep breath. We are in this together.

 

Tear the paper into strips to fit over the letter in thirds. You will start with the top of the letter. Basically, you are decoupaging the paper onto the letter (you seasoned "decoupagers" will know what I'm talking about...you "rookies" will in a few minutes). The following picture shows what I did next:

 

 

 

First, I cut the paper to fit over the right tip of the W. Then I applied the glue to the wooden letter and put the piece of paper over it. HOWEVER, after doing that, I thought I would try to glue the entire strip of paper over the tips of the W and then cut around the letter after it dried a little bit to see if that was easier. I thought it seemed easier, so that is how I did the rest of the letter. You may find a way that is easier for you...and it may also depend on what letter you are doing. Let me know if you have a better idea because I was making it all up as I went along.

 

So, here is how you adhere the paper to the wooden letter (aka decoupage). Apply a coat of Mod Podge with a craft paint brush (I used 1" for this letter size). Immediately cover with paper and smooth out the surface. Let it dry for, oh, 10ish minutes and then cut off the excess paper (perhaps an exacto knife would work better than scissors??). Next, apply another coat of Mod Podge on top of the paper, making sure you get all the edges. This will adhere the paper to the letter and give it a nice, glossy, finished look. Don't worry, the glue dries clear. :)

 

 



Here is what we have so far. I would recommend letting the first paper strip dry for 20-30 minutes before applying the next one. Or, you could do it the following night like me. ;)

 

Continue the application procedures for the other strips of paper. The second strip will overlap the first strip and the third strip will overlap the second. Hopefully you can see that in my pictures below.

 

 

In between coats, I stood it up against the glue bottle so it wouldn't stick to the newspaper!

 

After it is completely dry, you can add ribbon for a nice, finishing touch!

 

 

Mission accomplished.

 



project W, part 2

Okay, I shall now begin the craft lesson. Step 1: Gather your supplies.

I chose gloss Mod Podge and satin paint because I wanted the nice shiny, glossy finish. I used black paint, but obviously you can choose the color that is best for your project. White would be cute for a baby!

Now choose your paper! Have fun with it! Again, this is totally flexible with your color scheme. I would suggest mixing large and small prints so it doesn't look too busy or overwhelming. A solid color would also be a good option. And you should probably only do three different sheets because more than that might be too much! Warning: you may get overwhelmed by choices!! :) There really is something for every occasion. Oh, and I would recommend not using cardstock or heavy paper because I don't think it would work quite as well for this project. I used 12" paper.

Don't forget to buy the letter. It's kind of an important part of this craft. There are different sizes to choose from, but I would suggest not using the small ones because they would be difficult to work with.



Step 2: Paint your letter. Please follow the instructions on the paint. Disclaimer: I am not responsible or liable for injuries or damage resulting from improper use of paint, inadequate drying time, and/or inhalation of fumes.

part 3, coming soon!

project W, part 1

A few weeks ago when I was shopping, I saw a really cute idea and thought "I should make that for my friend who is getting married!" Before I go any further, I need to tell you a couple - okay a few things about myself that you may not know.

1) I am not an artistic, craft-loving, hands-on person. Just ask my mom. When I was a very young child, I cringed at the sight of glue (not to mention flip out if it actually got on my fingers gasp!), flat out refused to finger paint, and would rather work math problems or write a book report than color a picture. In spite of all this, I do love homemade items...and pinterest is a glorious thing. But I must have step-by-step instructions. Better yet, give me a demonstration and show me how to actually assemble something. For me to look at something and decide to figure out how to make it on my own and then give it as a gift is rather absurd. So I don't know where that voice came from.

2) I am a perfectionist. Enough said.

3) I don't have a lot of time on my hands. Working a full time job and trying to do school leaves me with little free time. In other words, I am not bored out of my mind and looking for things to keep me busy. So this project was worked on a little at a time for several nights after I had put in a full day of work and then study time (read: I was tired).

I really shouldn't show you the picture of the finished project first because I had to suffer through the whole process before I had the satisfaction of beholding this beautiful piece of (ahem - unfortunately slightly flawed) artwork. But because I am a very nice person, and because I know there are other people out there like me who have a hard time visualizing a concept, and because I am going to be even nicer and actually show you how to do this project...I will show you the picture. You are welcome.



Picture. Project W.

Just let yourself enjoy it's cuteness for awhile...I'll continue the craft lesson later! ;p 
Happy thoughts,
Lauren

the unexpected blessing

 After I got off work on Wednesday, I headed to my nearest Chick-Fil-A to show my support for freedom of speech and freedom of religion. I knew it would be right in the middle of the dinner rush and my sister had warned me that I should be prepared to wait a very long time. I was okay with that. After all, it really wasn't about the food - even though it is quite tasty!

At first, my brother and I found a parking spot and walked up to get in the line that was bursting out the doors and winding around the side of the building. We had only stood in the 114 degree heat for a few moments before we decided to get back in the car. After all, we thought the drive thru may be faster.

The next challenge was finding where the end of the line was. There were cars coming from all directions in the adjacent parking lot and it looked like they all were intending to join the line. As we joined the jumble of cars that was slowly forming a line and merging into the Chick-Fil-A parking lot, I couldn't help but notice the attitude of everyone around me. In spite of the "inconvenience" of waiting in the heat, the other drivers, passengers, and even the people brave enough to stand in line outside were all smiling, laughing, and courteously allowing others to go in front of them. We all knew why we were there. We were all united. And it was happening all across America. The United States of America.

I was suddenly overwhelmed by the surge of support that I saw. There really still are people out there willing to show their support and back it up with their actions (and wallets!). I was encouraged and blessed just to be a part of it. There was a man who let me get in line in front of him, and I let a pickup do the same. I saw employees carrying out large sacks of food for people that must have catered something. I was celebrating everyone who was taking part. There were elderly people with walkers and wheelchairs, young families with kids, and young adults like me.

When we got up to the drive thru ordering spot (what do you call that anyway?), I saw my cousin and her fiance. We got their attention and they came over to talk. I offered to order for them so they wouldn't have to stand in line. They were happy to accept. ;)  I think after we ordered it was 5-8 minutes before we got to the window. As soon as we got there they started handing our food out to us so we didn't have any wait time on that.

They also informed us that the guy behind us was paying for our food. I was completely shocked and seemed to be frozen, holding my credit card out to them. I think I said something like "Are you serious??" and I'm pretty sure I said "oh my gosh" over and over again. They said "Yeah and he knew you had a big order." I know! He sat behind me and watched the whole exchange with my cousin.

Then I told them I wanted to pay for the people behind him. I had come to support Chick-Fil-A and there was no way I was going home without spending a dime. They said the guy had paid for those people too. What?!? I was so blown away that I was on the verge of tears. If you had caught my reaction on camera, we probably could have won some big money with it...and then donated it to CFA.

I finally relented, because those poor employees in there had enough to deal with so I vowed to myself that next time I would pay it forward. I asked them to tell the guy "thank you" for me. My brother and I waved to him and he acknowledged with a nod. Bless that man, whoever he is!

As we drove away, I told my brother that was the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I could feel God's smile and hear Him say, "that was just for you...from Me."

Pass it on.

P.S. I think our total time in-and-out was approximately 30 minutes. So worth it; I was ready to do it again!