thank you note freebie ~ printable

What's better than a free printable?

A handwritten thank you note!

Just whipped this up for our latest summer party and thought you too might enjoy!

I am a lover of written words and thank you notes, well, they are a MUST in this home. 

Just save to you computer and print on cardstock. 

There are 3 to a page so they fit into a regular legal size 

envelope. How fun is that? 

Enjoy! and Happy Summer Friends!

simple sentiments

perfect advice for the week to come. 

bring you're own sunshine, see the good. 

Friday Faves ~ The Pearl Event

You've heard me say it a million times over, but I must say it again. It was amazing y'all. 

Today Sweet Sibi has a post dedicated to this event... and it brought me right back to this Friday in May.

Sibi is a talented writer and she pours her heart into her latest post about this day... about her Father, our Father and His heart for His women. See, Sibi and I we love women's ministry, we love seeing women come to know true healing in Him. Discovering who they truly are, a daughter of the Most High King.

Please go visit her today, read her post.... you will be so blessed. 

What Courage Looks Like

Happy weekend friends!

Happy Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day!

To all the Daddies out there I wish you a happy and fun filled day with the people you love.

Fathers are truly such a HUGE blessing. 

So grateful for the man God has placed in my own children's lives as their father.

Y'all he is nothing short of amazing.

He is a living, breathing, gift from God to us.

God has used him and his example of what a true father looks like, in action,

to demonstrate for me some of what God does for me as my Heavenly Father.

This day can be terribly painful for so many... I have walked through that too.

As a parent and as a daughter. 

My hearts breaks for you if that is the season you are in... 

Please know you aren't alone. He is there. He has your right hand.

Maybe your daddy isn't on this side of heaven this year,

Maybe your sweet baby was called home,

Maybe your relationship with your own father is less than perfect, or non-existent.

Sweet friend He knows... He has all those tears and all those pieces. 

He wants to mend them. 

Claim the promise from Isaiah 66:9, they aren't just words on a page, they are a promise:

"In the same way I will not cause pain without something new

to be born" says the Lord. "If I cause you the pain 

I will not stop you from giving birth to your new nation"

Y'all just look at that promise. He knows we're going to have pain, 

but He promises to bring forth something great! My God is a God who is faithful to His word. 

I have lived it and seen it too many times to credit it to anything else. 

Today on this Fathers Day I am so grateful for my own heartache that taught me who

my true Father is... it is that heartache that set me on a journey to love. 

If you are just waiting for the calendar to turn another page and leave this painful day in the past

please know you are in my prayers. I've have my own share of difficult Fathers Days...

I can assure you, He has so much for you... and whatever it is He is bigger. His love is stronger.

Maybe, just maybe, like me you want to explore what is means to know Him

not just as your Savior but as your Father. 

Anchor Invite - Printable Freebie

Y'all know this girl loves a good party! 

My heart is happy and full when my home is busting at the seams with my favorite people.

We also know nothing sets the tone for your get together like a perfect invitation!

Recently I created these for a little party we're having this summer but they were just too adorable not to share! We love all things nautical so this fit the bill perfectly! 

The only thing I ask is that do share how you use them! 

You can click and save then edit using your favorite editing software. 

Enjoy! 

Book Worm ~ Printable

Around these parts come summer, there is no shortage of books!
Weekly trips to the library or the thrift store yield many new titles for our family. 

Adventures to far off places or the opportunity to learn something new about our favorite sea creatures.
We can't get enough! If you do not use your public library this book worm is encouraging you to do so!
You would be amazed all at the great stuff within those 4 walls.
Ours often boasts DVD's, exhibits, kids programs among the books. It is truly remarkable.
And best of all momma's, it's free. Just as long as you don't rack up those over due fees.

This summer I have created a little printable to log all our titles.
We've issued a challenge at this house for the summer and the kids are up for it!

I'd love to hear what your family does with it!

So here it is! Gender neutral, because after all who doesn't love pirates?

Isn't she darling? If you like them let me know and I just might customize a few more with some other fun themes... For now all you have to do is click and print!
Happy Reading!

simple sentiments

This past week my small group wrapped up with Beth Moore's Believing God study.

It was so radically different from our last but equally good in it's own way. 

On day 4 this week, the verse above was our "treasure"

and it spoke right through me. 

It was like it was there just for me.

Does that ever happen to you? 

This year the word I chose for the year was love. 

Loving others the way He loves. 

At least making an attempt though failing daily. 

Daily I have to ask Him in His strength to help me do this...

Meeting people where they are at and loving them unconditionally. 

It isn't always easy and like I said it's something I fail at daily.

It is something that with some people has been a work in progress for years.

It is so difficult to love difficult people.

In our human powers it is out of our reach, but in Him, with Him, friends the impossible, is possible.

But there is so so much here. 

So much more than that. 

When I made that promise in Jan I also said, God give me your eyes.

Just like that Brandon Heath song I have quoted on here before.

When we see the world through His eyes there is a shift in the way we act.

Those of you who have shared pieces of your story with me know exactly what I am saying here.

The student in your class acting out is suddenly a child who didn't eat last night and slept on a hard floor.

The acting out isn't defiance, its hunger, fear and exhaustion... in the body of someone too young to cope.

The friend who is snippy at car riders, isn't just being a pain, she is momma scared about a test result this week or whose marriage is crumbling... who needs an extra measure of grace and patience from a friend.

You see, there is a shift here, a shift from, it's about me to it's about them, it's about loving them even when it is tough, through Him and His strength. 

I want to love out of the overflow of my heart, out of what He has so graciously and abundantly given to you and to me.... so perfectly and yet we have done nothing to deserve it. 

There is a reason that out of Faith, Hope and Love, the greatest is Love.

Love covers, love carries, love acts.

My prayer is that as women, as daughters of the King, whatever earthly role we may fill

we always love out of the overflow of our hearts. 

For when we do this we can't help but conduct our actions with love for others.

Can you imagine what would happen in your circle of the world, in your work place, your community, your service organization, PTO and yes, even our churches, if we loved out of the overflow of our hearts?

Radical things would transpire... because when we get out of the way, and let Him have room to move, room to inhabit our hearts and out minds, our actions fall right into line with His will and His heart.

We'd be blown away.

Friends, will you join me? Will you love out of the overflow?

Best wishes for an awesome week. Take up the challenge and write me, what happens...

The Pearl Event ~ The Triple Strand ~

These women are amazing. 

Cherish, Sibi, and ChaCha... they are too cute. Too cute for words.

Their hearts are huge and God is doing awesome things in and through these women. 

Their stories of grace, redemption, forgiveness and identity are precious. 

Their pieces have been made whole in His lavish grace, which is my hearts desire.

Seeing women made whole in Him. 

There are no words big enough for this event. No words.

I will try and wrap words around this event but know it is so much bigger, so much more special. 

The Pearl Event is such a special event for women and if you have been before you understand.

If you have not been before, pray about attending next year.

One thing I can say with certainty is this was God's show.
We all just sat back and watched Him show up.
He orchestrated every last detail and oh my stars did He blow us away.
He blew me away.
It truly is amazing when you sit back and give Him the space to move using you as a tool in His huge scheme what He is able to accomplish. It will never cease to amaze me and it always brings me to tears.



This precious girl front and center was our worship leader, together with her band they led us in worship...
preparing Him room to move and work and heal and love.
Her name is Michaela McLaird
She has a fabulous new CD out called The Morning Sun. Available through the link above via itunes.
Y'all she has such a unique yet powerful and rich voice.



Yours truly had Session 1
All I can say is that there was such healing in sharing my story. Which really isn't even my story, it is His story, His story of what He has done in my life and His faithfulness to me.



Session 2 was led by the lovely Cha Cha ~ of The Heartfelt Home.
God has moved in her life in such a big way.
Those of you who follow her blog know some of her story but getting to know her over that weekend...
really hearing her pour out her journey of being emptied and then filled by Him.
Such hope, such promise... and there is so much in store for this lady.
He is using her in big ways in her home church in ways she never saw for herself... But God.
Just look at what He is doing!



Session 3 was led by the precious Cherish Pinson of Southern Soulmates.
Y'all this girl is a doll! Love her to pieces.
She walks with grace, beauty and such courage.
Her story is one of heartache but it ends with such redemption in Him.
It is a true testimony of healing, grace deeper than the sea and love that covers all.
To hear her speak brought me to pieces. I was a wreck.... What He has done in her life is so powerful.
She was such an encouragement to me....  there are just no words! No Words.



Our Sweet Sibi wrapped up the day with Session 4 and our HeartWork.
Her blog can be found here. 
If you don't follow, do yourself a favor and become a Pearl Girl! You will be blessed.
Y'all hers is a path full of challenge... Things that were meant to destruct and harm and to ultimately keep her from her Savior, from an intimate relationship with her Father....But God, as Sibi always says, But God.
Sibi's "But God" is amazing, there is no other explanation that it's all Him.
She is true woman of faith, prayer warrior and daughter of the King.
She seeks Him with all her heart and mind and obeys Him even when it doesn't make sense...
She trusts whole heartedly and He uses her willing spirit for His glory and drawing women unto Him.
Sibi has been such a kind friend to me over the years and I am so grateful for her life.
I am so grateful that she says yes to God and and shares the pieces of her story offering hope when
the world is crashing down on us.... she walks her faith and lives her love of Him.
Thank you sweet girl for putting this all together. For saying yes to Him, for listening to Him speak in the midnight hour... for sacrificing, for loving, for every detail down to the last pearl.
and as Rachel always says, "You are loved"



The infamous pearls....


Sibi and her graphic designer did such a fabulous job on the programs. Gorgeous...



If you have been to a Pearl Event you have seen this video... It brings me to tears every time.



You know I love this one with Love Being a Nonny, she's so stinking cute!

at the end we got to love on these women and hug their necks and adorn them with pearls like the princesses they are... and it blessed me beyond words. Aren't they precious?



Wish I had a better shot of the room... so gorgeous. What a setting!



The Green Room for the Speakers and their Hubbies.
Spent a few quiet minutes in here with my sweet guy before the day started and he spoke truth over me that I will never forget. It's written on on the walls of my heart....



The Gardens at the Entrance, these roses are to die for.
My Sweet friend Cherish told me what they were... and now I forget... but I want them in my yard.

 I mean really, look at these babies! That is beauty. God has such an amazing creative side.



If you have never been to a Pearl Event, when Sibi holds one again you can be sure I will post it all over this blog to let y'all know!!! But go. This is something you can't miss. Grab your momma, sister, cousins and friends, load up that car and head on over. Sibi will welcome you with a big ole hug a squeal and a laugh.
You will be blessed beyond belief.

simple sentiments