Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Dinner Prayer

Heavenly Father great and good, let us thank Him for our food. Guide and keep us through each day, bless us even as we pray. Amen.

This was the dinner prayer that my family said every night before dinner. Growing up in a Christian home we had dinner as a family every night around the table. We said this prayer in unison before any of our food was touched and then visited over a healthy home cooked meal. Dinner time was like an open forum where all members of the family could share their excitement, sorrows, fears and questions. We would visit about the mundane of our day some nights and then the next night research a topic in the bible or encyclopedia. Whatever the topic, we were all included as a family and encourage one another... or our parents taught us how to encourage each other. My parents took an interest in mine and each of my siblings life and taught us how to live each day in faithful Christian manner. I was able to gain my parents trust and knew that whatever came up in my life I could come to them and the Lord and it would be OK. I cherish the many, many family meals I shared with my family growing up and now as an adult my husband and I continue to sit as a family with our young children, bless our meal and discuss the day. 

Etsy listing: dinner-prayer-wall-garphic

Sunday, September 23, 2012

I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27


My husband and I had been married for just over 3 years, had graduated from college and just bought our first business. Everything had gone as plan and the next logical step in life was to start our family. We didn't have any idea how hard it would be for us to get pregnant and ultimately have our first son. We had been trying to get pregnant for over a year with no success when we finally got pregnant but it ended in miscarriage only a few months into the pregnancy. This was when we started a bible study on the book of Samuel. Hannah was barren and prayed to the Lord for a child.


 And she made a vow, saying, "Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." 1 Samuel 1:11


Not only did Hannah ask for a child, she asked for a son that she would ultimately give up. When Hannah was blessed with a son she took her child to the house of the Lord and give him to Eli (the high priest), as soon as he was weaned. This is a story of faith and obedience, which hit home as I wanted a child so bad. Not only were my husband and I praying to be blessed with a child, our small group was praying for us as well.  Two years after the miscarriage our first son Hoyt was born and then two years after that our second son Jayce was born. The Lord answered our prayers with two healthy sons (both born early but healthy). I did not have to give my sons up as Hannah did but I do strive to raise them to love the Lord.


This wall graphic is what is installed above my youngest son Jayce's crib.



Etsy Listing 1 Samuel 1:27, Jayce

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Introduction


My Introduction:
A few years ago I wanted to do two things (1) study my bible more and (2) expand my sign business. My etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/SignGuysAndGal?ref=si_shop has been my way to make some extra money and share bible verses that inspire me during my daily bible time. I have two boys (almost 4 and 2) and my husband and I own two businesses (a sign manufacturing business and a guided fishing/marina business). We are super busy but try to structure our lives, God, each other, family and then everything else.

Over the last two years I have slowly added wall graphic designs to my Etsy shop. Each one of a verse or from a Hymn or Sunday School song that has inspired me. As a young girl I loved to surround myself (mainly my room) with verses and quotes that inspired me. Now with the ability to create wall graphics I've continued to surround my home with wall graphics of verses that encourage me day to day.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9

This verse is my main inspiration for my wall graphics. Not only do I tend to surround myself with the Lord's word, we are commanded to talk about them, impress them on our children, tie them to our hands, bind them to our foreheads and write them in our homes (Deuteronomy 6: 5-9). I have meditated and studied each verse before I've created my designs. My focus of this blog is to share my personal story behind each design I create or have created. Follow along as I continue to study my bible more and more everyday.

Vicki
SignGal