from bondage to salvation...

Thankful that, today, this blog allowed me to easily access previous "finds" and forward these morsels of experience to someone else!   First and foremost, I consider myself more "spiritual" than religious... born Catholic and touched by many with various religious backgrounds, I have found that there are many ways to find God and that there is no "right" or "wrong" religion.  We are all seeking and we find "our own" ways which are as individual as each of us!
   

The feeling of being used by God, to do His work, is very rewarding... I am also prepared for the backlash that the "enemy" will toss my way for shedding this light on another.  "Spiritual warfare" is real and has brought clarity to many situations that could have easily destroyed me.

I want to share a very powerful prayer with you in hopes that you will read this at the "perfect" time.  May it help you significantly in the challenges you forge thru!  My hope is that one day, all of this is not in vain... my effort to "share" was with purpose!

 
"From Bondage to Salvation" was given to me many, many years ago by a pentacostal preacher and his wife.  They were brought into my life during a very difficult time.  God seems to always send us what we need at the "perfect" moment!  This prayer has continued to be my source when I am hopeless and feel that I am about to give up.  I've made many copies and have them scattered in different places so that during my time "in need", I am not blocked by the enemy (suddenly the prayer is nowhere to be found or I cannot remember a single word from memory).  

This prayer and the ancient Native American ritual of "smudging/ saging" have changed my life and I hope they do the same for you, too!

Here are two of my past blog posts with information on "saging/ smudging":

• the power of saging...
• more info on saging and smudge sticks...

40% off all items in our Artfire shop...

Time to start a new collection of creations! This means it's time to make room... 40% off sale! Take a peek and maybe one of our designs will be just what you needed for that new outfit? Whether resort, zen or just plain fun... our passions are expressed in wearable art!

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

this is something you should watch at least once... God bless him for sharing such wisdom :)

Carolina Liar - Show Me What I'm Looking For (Video)

discovered another great song... my playlist is so mixed :) enjoy!

blessings and graces

God works in mysterious ways...

Remembering a blog post of mine from way back.  This is a picture of the Guadalupe River in Texas... many fond memories of tubing and how, in parts, it was slow and boring and at other times fast, furious and so much fun!  Life is just like that... God works in mysterious ways!

If you ever have the time for me to go "on and on and on" about the unique and crazy things God has done in our lives... I am more than happy to open up and sure hope that you, too, will share your miracles and inspire :)

Blessed in many ways... it's still amazes me how God can bring people into your life at just the perfect moment!   The anticipation of meeting someone for the first time, whether by phone or in person, can be an adrenaline high!  Getting to know someone and digging deeper to see what makes them "click"?  The best part is knowing that, somehow, you are kindred spirits... a divine purpose will be fullfilled and we may never really know the "big picture".  If you have faith and realize there are no coincidences... what a wonderful ride!

Had a terrific conversation with someone brand new!  Afterwards... felt energized and hopped on that lonely treadmill staring at me.  Hope this is the start of a new direction... ready to ride the rapids, hold on to my inner tube and "enjoy the time" (there is a wonderful mom out there who shared these wise words to my new friend ... I now share them with you!)

God bless all of you!
Belinda :)

inspiration is everywhere...

God surrounds us with so much to inspire creativity! Our family member, Sabu, was the driving force for our "sabu" collection...

Now it seems a song and this miraculous dancer inspire us to create something with them in mind... stay tuned and we'll post when completed :)   If you watch "So You Think You Can Dance", here's a repeat... if not, you're in for a treat :)

blessings come in many colors...

We are country folk living in the big city... so we try and bring as much of the country to our terrace!  Who would've thought butterflies would visit us on the fifth floor?

All of the attention to detail has paid off as we enjoyed the first jalepenos... chopped finely into the sour cream sauce atop our chicken enchiladas :)  Our strawberries are a sweet surprise!  We also have concord & muscat grapes... chives... parsley... and the pride of all... a peach tree!

Yes... blessings come in many colors...

The Blessing of Our Animals

The day started out cloudy, but by 1:30 pm the sun was in full glory for the annual "Blessing of Animals" service through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day. We have lived across the street from St. Francis of Paola church for over 9 years. This is a day that ranks up there in importance (if you know us, you understand).

We love our furred and feathered family and to have a priest hold a service just for them is very special!

I forgot to grab the camera as we rushed across the street, with Heathcliff & Mickey (our chinchillas), Monte & Max (our dogs) and the newest member of our family... Sabu (our bird). They all behaved so beautifully. We are so proud of our menagerie. It was nice to honor all of the animals. A large gathering of God's "angels" and their human companions!

We've complained about our apartment and eagerly await the new home God has prepared for us when our lease has ended... but I will surely miss this special service by St. Francis of Paola! We are blessed! Thanks Jesus!

life is good...

Sabu, our Indian Ringneck, is trying to ride Monte's back. Monte, our American Eskimo, patiently glances back at him. Yes, it's the little things that make life so good!

My new job is going well. Now I know what looking forward to the weekend really feels like. You automatically wake up on Friday morning in a great mood! Praise God for all of our blessings!

We visited two wholesale bead shops in Manhattan last weekend and we have begun the creative process. Hopefully, we will get to post some of the new creations on our Etsy site by next weekend. We love creating... but our regular, everyday chores have piled up so high that we had to spend the weekend being domestic. Whew... we need a "weekend" to rest from our weekend!

using the "talents" God gave you...

Received an email from my Godmother today... she signed it with "hope you are doing well with your "talents"! Made my day that she remembered my struggle to utilize all of my creative gifts in a world that sometimes makes it impossible! Even with so much more time at home... I find it hard to get everything done! Scares me what it might be like once I get back to full-time work?

Guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Until then, I will take a big breath, say a prayer and put one foot in front of the other and hope it takes me where He wants me to be! Do any of you have any suggestions on time-managing? I'm going to need it!

bring on the rain...

Today we awaited Tropical Storm Hanna on the East coast. We are from South Texas and we've been thru a few hurricanes... but in New York??? At about 3pm, the rain came down hard... it's still dark outside. This song by Jo Dee Messina and Tim McGraw just came to mind! Treat yourself for a few minutes and listen to the words... very inspiring!

"Bring on the Rain" has two meanings to me right now... literally, we love the sound of rain on a tin roof... so relaxing! Experiencing some rough times recently, we can testify first hand that "it is darkest before the dawn." With our faith in God and our savior, Jesus Christ, we know the dawn will come (we just have to remember this when it's so dark that you can't think straight.) So bring on the rain! :)

powerful prayer

Do you ever feel like the "negative forces" are taking over your life? Well, you don't have to take it anymore. Many years ago... God gave me this prayer to fight the evil forces of the devil... and it works! I am still not sure why I stop saying it from time to time, especially when I can testify to it's power over Satan?

It's 1:37am and I was just getting ready to go do my workout when I felt the urging to write on this blog... and God wants me to post this prayer! And what God wants... we really are trying to do... so here goes. This will be a task since it's only by memory that I say it. Know that the enemy will try to block my memory as I write, but I will forge on until it's complete so that you, too, can say this prayer to protect yourself and set yourself free! God bless all of you!

I testify to Satan personally as to what the word says the
blood does for me.

Through the blood of Jesus, I am redeemed out of the
hand of the devil.

Through the blood of Jesus, all my sins are forgiven.

The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, continually cleanses me from all sin.

Through the blood of Jesus, I am justified, made righteous, just as if I'd never sinned.

Through the blood of Jesus, I am sanctified, made holy, set apart to God.

My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, redeemed, cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

Satan has no place in me, no power over me, through the blood of Jesus Christ! Amen!

Joyce Meyer's Enjoying Everyday Life

Just finished the bracelet for Camp Casey! I'll take pictures tomorrow and post them here for you to see! Still need to create the earrings... several ideas to decide from. The creative juices were flowing (always happens late nite.) Poor David needs to get up early and here he was putting it all together for me. I love our partnership! His strengths are different than mine and vice versa... together our common ground rocks! Praise God!

We are trying very hard to walk the path God has put down for us... not always an easy thing. Joyce Meyer once said that God always comes to help us just at the right moment and not usually any earlier... we sometimes wish He would sweep in much sooner... save us alot of worries, right? We TIVO Joyce Meyer's "Enjoying Everyday Life" each morning and really enjoy her messages. She is so down to earth. If you get a chance, take a peek at her show... maybe you'll fall in love with her messages, too!

making your life count...

How fast time flies by? I planned on writing something every day but didn't quite succeed, did !? My grandmother used to tell me, when I was a little girl, that as we grow older, time seems to go by much faster. She was so right... years fly by and, before we know it, we're older than Elvis Presley was when he unfortunately passed away. I remember thinking he was much older when he died... and just last night, realized that I've outlived him by three years... scary.

This reaffirmed what I've already been contemplating... we must do in life all that we truly feel we are called to do. We don't want to be lying on our deathbed, in the hospital... and hearing the beeping sound of that machine next to us... and wonder "what if?" My dad once told me that... the image and sound has left a lasting impression.

David and I still have so much we feel we are called to do... we will have to make bigger strides than most because we are playing catch-up, in a way. In our hearts... he is a fashion designer and I am an actress. Only God knows for sure if we will achieve what is in our hearts... if we don't... it's because He has an even better plan and hopefully we are already on His path.

Okay, I'm sentimental and cheesy... so I will leave you with one of my favorite songs... drum roll please... Donny Osmond sings Mary Did You Know!

let's get physical...

We put up four new pieces on the Etsy site yesterday! Would like to be a bit more disciplined and maybe not wait "two weeks" before we do it again! :)

Good things happening on our weight-loss program... it's been two weeks and we are starting to lose some of our extra poundage! David has lost more than I... but isn't that the norm? Men somehow get to lose faster... bummer for me!

We haven't really changed our eating habits yet... we just started using our treadmill and pilates machine! We bought both of the machines a long time ago... I'm afraid to look it up because I will be so embarrassed! Of course, I had to look for the dates... OCD, right? We got the pilates February 2006 and the treadmill soon afterward! It took us 2 1/2 years, but we are finally using them!

Praise God! I'm happy to say that we have really made it a routine to work-out... if one is on the treadmill, the other uses the pilates machine! I made a 10-page booklet of pilates exercises out of the large poster that accompanied the machine (never could find a convenient place to post it once we moved it to our living room!) Yes! Our living room has become our gym, too! Have to do what it takes, right?

just love this show!!!!

I had a blast today watching episodes of "Flipping Out"... I think I found my long lost brother! Oh my... we are so alike! Like two peas in a pod! Have you seen this show yet? The second season just finished, I think? It's hilarious! Now I need to TIVO all of the episodes before the third season begins!

I could seriously see us "flipping houses"... expressing our passions thru renovating houses!! Imagine the possibilities out there! Somehow, I just don't see us doing this in New York City... who knows what God has in store for us! :)

David and I have given new life to many things in the past... our business in Texas was called Renaissance Rags because it was a "rebirth" for the old items we would find in antique stores... like evening bags, clothing, hats and jewelry! For the past nine years, we've also revamped old antique furniture pieces. Wonderful chest of drawers, armoires, end tables and mirrors have become great "shabby chic" pieces! Most recently, we did an oversized chest of drawers and even ordered some carved feet to enhance the broad base... it still needs a final coat of paint and the perfect set of glass knobs... but it will be another "one-of-a-kind" mendlbarr piece to add to our large collection! I'll post a picture when it's completed!

a little bit about us...

Thought I'd take the time to tell you a little about "mendlbarr" and how it all got started! I'm lucky to be married to my soulmate and have been able to explore many creative outlets. We both have a large "common ground" in the arts! We are both Texans and very proud of it! Our move to the "big apple" is due to my acting aspirations and my husband's design aspirations!

We started creating jewelry while we were in Texas! Our designs included clothing, hats and vintage evening bags that we gave "new" glamour to! We have surrounded ourselves with much inspiration and have finally found the outlet to share it all with you! We are perfectionists and usually find that our jewelry goes thru many stages before you get to place your eyes on it!

To begin with... we must be inspired to create! This is crucial! A happy home, plus living each day to the fullest, has been our recipe! Step two... we design... sometimes on paper, other times directly to the table with gemstones in hand! The third step... I photograph these creations in hopes of doing them justice! I have to say that my "OCD" tendencies really get the best of me in this area! Taking 194 pictures to finally approve 15 of them is something I want to get better at! Just yesterday, I spent 6 hours on three items! Okay... now I'm embarrassed... but that time did include editing and posting to the website... does that make it seem better? A good friend reminded me the other day that time flies when we're having fun... she is sooooo right!

My love of photography has consumed me for years... I've made stationery, note cards and even videos! I also have an extensive collection of "food items" that I've photographed... hoping to one day publish a cookbook with all of my favorite recipes!

We've lived in Brooklyn for 9 years and hope to return to Texas one day soon! God willing! I want to hear the rooster wake us up and ride our horses into the sunset!

Until we win the lotto... David will spend way too much time at his "day job" as a manager at a really neat glass company in Manhattan (his stained-glass designs are exquisite!) As for myself, I hop from retail management positions to creative "domestic goddess" time at home... trying to do it all! Still yearning for the role of a lifetime on "All My Children"! :) From my mouth to God's ears!

So this gives you a little insight into "mendlbarr"... sweet dreams...have a good night!